Syllabus: English 103, Rhetoric and Writing
Professor Michael Meyerhofer
Fall 2010
Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That's why it's so hard.
—David McCullough
Welcome to English 103! The easiest way to reach me is via email (mrmeyerhofer@bsu.edu), but it is not the only way. You can also drop by my office (RB246) during my office hours (Monday and Wednesday, 4-4:50 PM). When I am in my office, you can call me at 285-8573. If those time slots do not work, you are more than welcome to set up an appointment with me.
Required Texts/Materials
· The Call to Write by John Trimbur, fifth edition.
Recommended Texts/Materials
1. The Brief Penguin Handbook (2nd edition) edited by Faigly (any handbook might work; if you find one that’s cheaper, let me know!)
2. A college dictionary (American Heritage, Oxford, or Merriam Webster available online at www.merriamwebster.com)
3. A thesaurus (Roget’s, or Merriam Webster at www.merriamwebster.com)
4. Ambition to improve as a writer, willingness to challenge your own ideas, and a sense of humor for the crappy basement classroom and horrible technology we’ll be using (wait, take that back; these are required!)
Course Description & Goals
Welcome to English 103! This is one of those rare college courses that incorporate elements of virtually all other disciplines! In other words, you are encouraged to bring your knowledge of history, music, sociology, psychology, business (particularly business ethics), political science, art, and creative writing—not to mention your own unique backgrounds and experiences—into my classroom, so as to better enrich course discussions.
This course—built around the theme of defining and challenging one’s personal and cultural identity—will introduce you to the fundamentals of rhetoric; to the elements, strategies, and conventions common to persuasion; to the use of those elements, strategies, and conventions in the construction of their own persuasive visual and verbal texts.
At the completion of English 103, students will be able to achieve the following goals:
· Understand that persuasion—both visual and verbal—is integral to reading and composing.
· Understand how persuasive visual and verbal texts are composed for different audiences and different purposes.
· Develop effective strategies of invention, drafting, and revision for different rhetorical situations and individual composing styles.
· Compose texts in various media using solid logic, claims, evidence, creativity, and audience awareness.
· Integrate primary and secondary research as appropriate to the rhetorical situation.
· Develop strategies for becoming more critical and careful readers of both their own and others’ texts.
· Demonstrate a professional attitude towards their writing by focusing on the need for appropriate format, syntax, punctuation, and spelling.
· Take responsibility for their own progress.
· Develop the ability to work well with others on composing tasks.
Course Content and Format
The content and format of English 103 are designed to enable students to achieve the course goals; specifically, students in English 103 will:
· Discuss, analyze, and respond to a variety of visual and verbal texts to identify rhetorical elements, strategies, and conventions.
· Discuss, analyze, and respond to the persuasive logics by which various visual and verbal texts achieve, or fail to achieve, their purposes.
· Collaborate in developing ideas, analyzing visual and verbal texts, and providing peer feedback.
· Compose persuasive texts through multiple drafts, revising based on peer feedback, self-reflection, instructor’s written comments, and teacher-student conferences.
· Reflect (orally and textually) on the rhetorical choices and decisions they are required to make as authors to shape a text for a specific audience and purpose.
· Reflect (orally and textually) on the rhetorical choices and decisions they are required to make in order to construct meaning out of another’s text.
· Complete a variety of writing assignments for multiple purposes, audiences, and contexts, using various media, and including primary and secondary research.
UCC Goals
Through core curriculum courses, students will be able to
· Engage in lifelong education by learning to acquire knowledge and to use it for intelligent ends.
· Communicate at a level acceptable for college graduates.
· Clarify their personal values and be sensitive to those held by others.
· Recognize and seek solutions for the common problems of living by drawing on a knowledge of historical and contemporary events and elements of the cultural heritage surrounding those events.
· Assess their unique interests, talents, and goals and choose specialized learning experiences that will foster their fulfillment.
GRADING
Your final grade will be determined by your performance in the areas described below. I will assign plus/minus grades; the grading scale for this class is 93-100 = A; 90-92 = A-; 88-89 = B+; 83-87 = B; 80-82 = B-; 78-79 = C+; 73-77 = C; 70-72 = C-; 68-69 = D+; 63-67 = D; 60-62 = D-; 59 and below = F. There are 1,000 points possible in this class. The following letter grades equate with the following percentages:
A+ 98 B+ 88 C+ 78 D+ 68 F 50
A 95 B 85 C 75 D 65
A- 92 B- 82 C- 72 D- 62
You have to score better than a C- to pass this class and qualify for English 104.
ASSIGNMENTS
Journal Activities & Quizzes (20%)
Reading (and keeping up with assigned readings) is crucial to your success and development as a writer/critical thinker in college and beyond. These readings will introduce concepts essential to the class and provide examples of those concepts in practice. For every reading, you are required to submit a one page, double-spaced, typed journal entry on the day that reading is to be discussed in class. I will accept journals either over email or printed. These readings can encompass your responses to the reading and/or your praise or criticism of the piece’s writing style. You should be prepared in class discussions to present and discuss at least part of your journal and/or a passage from the assigned readings with your peers. These journals will also give you something to talk about during discussion, so you won’t miss out on participation points. As for quizzes, I generally give these only when class discussions falter and I get the distinct impression that I’m talking to myself. In total, journals and quizzes are worth 200 points, or 20% of your final grade.
Major Projects (60%)
Over the course of the semester, you will compose four major essays/projects. These projects will help you practice skills related to the rhetorical appeals as well as make you consider your audience, medium, and purpose. Combined, the projects are worth 60% of your final grade, or 600 points on a 1,000-point scale.
Group Presentation (your fourth major project)
Towards the end of the semester, each of you will be placed in a group with four or five other students with the goal of identifying a problem in your community, school, state, or country (completely your choice), then proposing a potential solution to said problem. This assignment does not require you to give me a written proposal, per say, but you’ll need research, notes and practice in order to present your proposal to the class. I will be grading this presentation on how well everyone in the group participates, and how convincing your arguments and research facts are (regardless of whether or not I agree with your proposal). Here’s the most basic format: 1) identify the problem, 2) tell us why it’s a problem, 3) propose a solution, based on a bit of research.
Participation (10%)
This is not a lecture-based course. Instead, this is a course based on writing and discussion. True, writing is often a solitary act, but we are also members of a community, so you must be prepared to participate actively and honestly in classroom discussions. You are not required to agree with all the opinions of your peers, or even your humble instructor, but obviously, hard work and a respectful attitude are required. Participation is worth 10%, or 100 points of your final grade.
Final (10%)
A short (2-3 page) reflection on your work throughout the course of the semester, your experiences with the major projects, etc. This is worth 10%, or 100 points of your final grade.
Manuscript Guidelines
All manuscripts must be printed on white paper in Times New Roman, 12-point font (or something similar), standard one inch margins. Also, your manuscripts must be double-spaced and left-justified. Your essays should be page-numbered and stapled. Failure to staple your papers will annoy your instructor to no end (which is never a good idea). Title pages are not necessary. Instead, in an upper corner of the first page include this information, single-spaced:
Your name
English (section number)
Meyerhofer
Date
If your essay does not follow these guidelines, I will deduct a letter grade from the assignment. You are also expected to follow the rules for Standard American English. Note: I do not accept the four major essays via email, but I will accept your journal essays over email. Just attach them as a doc or docx, or paste them in the body of the message.
FYI
Classroom Etiquette
Everyone is expected to treat others with respect and dignity, even in the most heated discussions, whether or not you agree with someone else’s opinion. As people, writers, learners, and teachers, we bring to class our varied experiences as well as our varied levels of expertise and knowledge; in order to build a strong community in the classroom, it is important that we respect these variations. The more we do this, the more we will learn from everyone. Your criticism regarding another’s writing and/or contribution during discussion must be constructive.
Also before class begins, turn off beepers, cell phones, iPods and Walkmans, and other noise-making devices. Also, while in class, do not complete other homework, chat casually with neighbors, use email, sleep, and/or engage in any other distractive behavior. I reserve the right to ask students to leave class at any time; if you are asked to leave, you will be counted absent.
Participation and Attendance
Since you signed up for this class, I expect you to be in class everyday, alive, awake, ready to write, read, talk, listen. But I understand that life happens outside of class as well. So, you have three free absences at your disposal for those days when life floods the system (i.e. illness, funerals, etc.). For each absence thereafter I will subtract 25 points (on a 1,000-point scale) from your final grade. I also expect you to be on time. If you are late (more than 5 minutes) you are counted as such. Being tardy three times counts as an absence.
English Department policy states that should you miss more than 20% of the class, the equivalent of seven meetings in this class, you automatically fail. I will adhere to this policy. Also see “Classroom Etiquette” above. So, if you miss more than six classes, you will fail this class.
Should something very serious keep you from attending class, contact me as soon as possible and I will make every reasonable effort to accommodate your needs.
Late Work
In general, I do not accept late work without prior approval. I do understand that last-minute accidents and disasters happen, though. If you have a problem with turning in an assignment on time, let me know as soon as possible. Situation permitting, I may be able to allow you to turn your work in late for a point deduction.
Note: while I will often accept journal entries sent via email, I do not accept electronic submissions for major paper assignments. Also, technology problems in general are not a valid excuse for late work. If your printer runs out of ink, bursts into flames, etc., use on at one of the many computer labs on campus. I also recommend you save your work in a variety of places should you lose your disc, should your hard drive crash, etc. If nothing else, email your work to yourself, or save it on Yahoo Briefcase. I am happy to show you how to do this, if you don’t already know.
Plagiarism
If you do not know what plagiarism is, you can: a) talk to me; b) refer to the “Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities: Student Academic Ethics Policy” in the student handbook, or; c) risk a failing grade. Plagiarizing constitutes an F in this class. It is a grave offense and one not to be taken lightly. Essentially plagiarism in this class most commonly includes the following: using someone else’s words without providing proper MLA citation, copying your paper off the internet (trust me; I’ve probably seen every paper you could copy), or having someone else to write your paper (which I’ll also catch, because the tone won’t match). If you’re having trouble with an assignment, don’t plagiarize; talk to me.
This Syllabus
is a survival kit for your journey in this 103 course. In it, you can find everything from materials needed to assignments to be completed to my expectations of you. But know that parts of the syllabus and course, including the schedule, are subject to change to meet the needs of students in this class. And, remember, the best way to succeed in this class is to work hard, giving yourself ample time to read and write, and to be open to the possibilities and opportunities writing presents.
Special Needs
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible. My office hours and location are listed above.
AVAILABLE RESOURCES
The Library
The libraries on campus are wonderful learning resources available to you. But they are not the only ones you have access to; with the help of the librarians, you can also borrow materials from other university libraries, like IU and Purdue, etc.
Computer Labs
These labs are located across the campus. You can find all kinds of cool software on these computers and they provide access to software like Microsoft Word, printers, the internet, and your email account. Some are even open 24 hours. The bookstore also offers a great deal on software packages, like MS Office for $5 or thereabouts.
The Writing Center
The Writing Center offers free writing feedback to all students at Ball State. Peer tutors can help students with many writing projects from essays to PowerPoint presentations to resumes, and at all stages from brainstorming to final drafts. Students can make an appointment for face-to-face tutoring at the main center (Robert Bell 291) or for an online session at http://writing.iweb.bsu.edu.
Non-Academic Resources
The university provides health care, psychological counseling, legal aid, career counseling, and affirmative action and sexual harassment counseling through various offices on campus. Please take advantage of these services if you are in need. On that note, you are also encouraged to come see me if you are having troubles. I may be very busy, but I am always willing to try and assist you as best I can.
About Your Instructor
This is my fourth year as an Assistant Professor at Ball State University. Before this, I taught and tutored at Southern Illinois University for four years. I am also a creative writer with two published books and four chapbooks (feel free to check out my website at www.troublewithhammers.com). I’m really into creative writing, movies, boxing, graphic novels, etc. As my previous students can tell you, I believe very strongly in helping my fellow writers so if you have any questions or concerns, please let me know!
This is a tentative schedule of events for this course throughout the semester. Since I like to tailor each class to the strengths and needs of the students therein, I reserve the right to make some changes as necessary.
English 103 DAILY COURSE SCHEDULE:
Week 1:
Monday, August 23: Go over syllabus. Introductions. Work in class on your first assignment: a formal, professional-sounding email to a professor, voicing a grievance or concern.
Wednesday, August 25: Opening activities (will be emailed to you) covering thesis statements, topic sentences, and organization, as well as logic and how to avoid argumentative fallacies. There are more examples of logical fallacies in The Call to Write (pgs. 644-648) that you should look at on your own.
Friday, August 27: Be prepared to discuss the essays over millennial students (emailed to you). First journal assignment (two full pages, double spaced) due in class!! In particular, ask yourself these questions: how fairly have the authors characterized your generation? Are there elements you strongly agree or disagree with? Are there any problems highlighted by the authors that you feel need to be addressed in a certain way? Do you have any personal experiences that relate to what’s mentioned in the essays? Note: to give you a little nudge in terms of class participation, I may ask everyone to share their journal with the class.
Week 2:
Monday, August 30: Be prepared to discuss chapters one and two in The Call to Write. In particular, I’d like you to take a look at the sample essays at the end of chapter 1 then, in chapter two, the piece My Culture at the Crossroads and how the essay after it analyzes the piece. Also, read the two short Haven Kimmel pieces found here and here. Journal #2 (two pages), over ANY of the assigned material, due in class! Discuss first major assignment: a Memoir.
Wednesday, September 1: In-class activities based on NPR’s “This I Believe”.
Friday, September 3: Be prepared to discuss Chapter 5 from The Call to Write. In particular, look at the sample memoirs from Annie Dillard and Dave Marsh, plus “What Would You Have Me Do?” by Pia Ehrhardt (the Ehrhardt essay will be emailed to you). Journal #3 (two pages), due at the start of class, should reflect on these readings. In class, we’ll take a look at the options on pages 160 and 161 under Writing Assignment, choose your favorite, and start on a rough draft for your own Memoirs. Note: you might also want to take a look at the guide to editing (starting on pg. 609) if you’re having trouble with active v. passive voice, subject/verb agreement, comma splices, diction, etc.
Week 3:
Monday, September 6: Labor Day. No class!
Wednesday, September 8: In-class work on Memoirs. I will go around the class and check what you have so far. Note: as a general rule, students who ask me for feedback (a sort of in-class conference) get a much higher grade on their papers! I strongly suggest that on your own, you take a look at Chapter 16 from The Call to Write (pgs. 478-494), along with the suggestions on introductions and conclusions (pgs. 509-511) and the stuff on transitions (pgs. 514-515).
Friday, September 10: Look at Sunday Afternoons (pgs 169-171 in The Call to Write). How could this be modified and expanded upon to fit our assignment? We’ll discuss that in class. Also, we’ll have a peer review on your own Memoirs. You must bring a rough draft with you to class to get credit!
Week 4:
Monday, September 13: Memoirs due in class. No journal due for this day! We will discuss the next major assignment: an Analysis Paper, i.e. a close analysis of the rhetoric in a commercial, music video, documentary, or printed ad of your choice. You might also want to take a look at the images on pages 294, 299, 300, 543, and 544 from The Call to Write. Watch sample videos in class. This second paper (as well as the third paper) will be much easier if you set aside a little time to read Chapter 3 from The Call to Write!
Wednesday, September 15: Start watching “In the Footsteps of Marco Polo” in class. [http://www.thirteen.org/marcopolo]
Friday, September 17: Finish watching “In the Footsteps of Marco Polo” in class.
Week 5:
Monday, September 20: Discuss the documentary in class. You should also submit a one-page journal (aka Journal #4) addressing what the documentary seems to be arguing about the need to become acquainted with cultures beyond our own, any specific argument it seems to be making, etc. Time permitting, work on Analysis Papers.
Wednesday, September 22: Crash course on MLA punctuation/citation followed by a quiz. Be prepared to discuss the drafts on pages 308 through 313 from The Call to Write. Time permitting, we’ll discuss some other sample papers. Sign up for conferences.
Friday, September 24: In-class work on Analysis Papers. Sign up for conferences.
Week 6:
Monday, September 27: Conferences.
Wednesday, September 29: Conferences.
Friday, October 1: Conferences.
Week 7:
Monday, October 4: Deadline extension.
Wednesday, October 6: Out sick. Analysis Papers due via email or slipped under the door of my office. Please take a look at the prompt for the next paper, a "Researched Argument," available on this blog. On your own, read Chapters 12, 13 and 14 (pgs. 377-448) from The Call To Write. There’s a lot of critical information in there that can help you conduct research and avoid plagiarism! You can space the reading out over a few days, if you like, but make sure you glance through all of it (especially the later stuff on research).
Friday, October 8: In class, we’ll work on a famous quote activity. Be prepared to discuss “Blood of Dresden,” a nonfiction piece by Kurt Vonnegut (available on this blog). Journal #5, due at the start of class, is a one-page response to that reading. We will discuss the reading in class and share some journals. We’ll also watch an animation adapted to part of an Alan Watts lecture, done by the South Park folks (http://www.neticons.net/music_life/music_life.swf).
Week 8:
Monday, October 11: Be prepared to discuss the sample poems. Journal #6 is a two-page response to any/all of the poems, what you think they’re saying, what images or personal experiences they jog in your mind, etc. Time permitting, watch “Bullet in the Brain” short film and "Vision of Students Today" in class and see if we can't identify the social arguments being made.
Wednesday, October 13: Discuss “Harrison Bergeron,” a science fiction story by Kurt Vonnegut. We’ll watch a short film adaptation of the story in class. Journal #7 is a one-page response to that story, due at the start of class. Prep work for “Sicko.”
Friday, October 15: Start watching “Sicko” in class.
Week 9:
Monday, October 18: Finish the documentary.
Wednesday, October 20: Discuss the documentary.
Friday, October 22: Fall Break. No class.
Week 10:
Monday, October 25: Prep work for the final documentary. I’ll also provide some in-class time to do some prep work for your Group Presentations, aka your fourth major project. Even though they’re not until later, you’ll want to set up interviews, which may take a few weeks.
Wednesday, October 27:One page journal entry over “Sicko” due in class (journal #8), discussing the documentary’s argument, any bias, whether you agree/disagree, etc. Begin watching final documentary.
Friday, October 29: Finish watching final documentary.
Week 11:
Monday, November 1: One page journal due on final documentary. This is your 9th and final journal. Discuss. Start work on Researched Argument papers.
Wednesday, November 3: In-class work on Researched Argument papers. Discuss sample papers.
Friday, November 5: In-class work on Researched Argument papers.
Week 12:
Monday, November 8: In-class work on Researched Argument papers. Sign up for conferences.
Wednesday, November 10: Conferences.
Friday, November 12: Conferences.
Week 13:
Monday, November 15: Conferences.
Wednesday, November 17: Researched Argument papers due in class. Discuss Group Presentations and the Final.
Friday, November 19: In-class work. For tips, take a look at Chapter 19 from The Call to Write (especially pgs. 547-548).
Week 14:
Monday, November 22: In-class work. You can also find some very useful tips and info in Chapter 21 (pgs. 568-584) on PowerPoint for your Group Presentations.
Fruesday, November 23: Classes meet on a Friday schedule.
Wednesday, November 24: Thanksgiving Break. No class!
Friday, November 26: Thanksgiving Break. No class!
Week 15:
Monday, November 29: In-class work.
Wednesday, December 1: In-class work.
Friday, December 3: In-class work.
Week 16:
Monday, December 6: Group Presentations.
Wednesday, December 8: Group Presentations.
Friday, December 10th: End-of-semester wrap up.
Final Exam
For Section 48, your Final is on Tuesday, December 14th at noon.
For Section 61, your Final is on Friday, December 17th at noon.
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