|
Syllabus:
ENC 1101 x4421: Intro to
College Writing
Summer
B 2006
MTWRF, Per. 6 (3:30-4:45pm)
Classroom: Rolfs 105
Instructor: Cari Keebaugh
Phone: (office) 352-6650
Office: Rolfs 501
Office Hours: MTWRF 2:30-3:30
Email: keebaugh@english.ufl.edu
Homepage:
http://www.nwe.ufl.edu/~keebaugh
Class Listserv: sb06-4421@clas.ufl.edu
Course Description:
The purpose of this class is to cover the essential elements of writing
clearly and effectively at the level of sentences, paragraphs, and
entire arguments. At the level of sentences, we’ll focus on grammar and
mechanical errors. We’ll also cover paragraph organization within
essays, and finally, we’ll cover the fundamental types of arguments.
We’ll also work on research, documentation, and avoiding plagiarism
simultaneously with the rest of our work. The context of our class will
be derived from pop culture, literature, and your own unique interests.
By the end of the semester, I hope that each student will be a better
writer, a better editor of his/her own work, and have a broadened view
and awareness of rhetorics in the world at large.
Gen Ed Description:
ENC 1101 satisfies General Education requirements for both Composition
(C) and Gordon Rule-Communication (E6). As a result, to fulfill the
Composition (C) requirement, ENC 1101 offers instruction in methods of
writing, conventions of standard written English, reading and
comprehension skills, and ways of making expository and argumentative
prose accessible to readers in varied situations. To satisfy the E6
Gordon Rule requirement, ENC 1101 also requires students to complete at
least 6,000 words of evaluated writing during the semester.
Class Info:
Required Texts:
Lester
Faigley and Jack Selzer, Good Reasons with Contemporary
Arguments:
Reading, Designing, and Writing
Effective Arguments. 2nd edition. New
York:
Pearson Education, 2003.
Lester
Faigley, The Brief Penguin Handbook. 2nd edition.
New York: Pearson
Education, 2006.
Summer Schedule
Week 1- Getting Argumentative!
July 3 - M: “Getting to Know You” (or Class Intro); Housekeeping (or,
Reviewing the Syllabus); Ch 1 – Arguments (begin if time permits)
July 4 - T: No Class
July 5 - W: Ch1 – Argument; Ch 3 – Audience; “What is Text?”
Discussion; Last Day to Withdraw
July 6 - TH: Python film; Ch 5 – Definition Arguments; Assign Essay 1
July 7 - F: Essay 1 Brainstorming Session & Discussion; Brief intro
to MLA style
Week 2 – “Every story is a tale of
human failing.” No, actually, every story’s an argument!
July 10 - M: Song lyrics in-class exercise, Thesis Writing; Ch. 11 –
Revision
July 11 - T: Peer Review Session (draft
of
Essay 1 due [3 copies])
July 12 - W: Essay 1 due at the
beginning of class. Ch. 8 – Narrative
Arguments; Assign Essay 2. (Happy Birthday Henry David Thoreau!)
July 13 - TH: Masters’ Spoon River
pieces, Swift’s Modest Proposal,
and
Seuss’s Butter Battle
Discussion
July 14 - F: Writing Exercise: “Pick a book, pick any book!” Delineate
argument.
Week 3 – Research Isn’t Just for
“Geeks” in Lab Coats!
July 17 – M: Library Orientation
Session, MSL 308
July 18 – T: Ch 15 – Research, Peer Review Session (draft of Essay 2
due [3 copies])
July 19 – W: Essay 2 due at the
beginning of class. Ch. 10 – Proposal
Arguments; Assign Essay 3
July 20 – TH: Ch’s 16 & 17 – MLA and APA citation styles; “Stealing
from one person is Plagiarism, stealing from many is Research”
Discussion
July 21 – F: Writing Exercise (Happy Birthday Ernest Hemmingway!)
Week 4 – Show Me the Money… Er…the
Rhetorics!
July 24 – M: Ch 12 – Visual Rhetoric
July 25 – T: Peer Review Session (draft
of Essay 3 due [3 copies])
July 26 – W: Essay 3 due at the
beginning of class. Ch 13 – Web Design
July 27 – TH: Writing Exercise; Web Page Visual Analysis
July 28 – F: Activity – Celebrating Beatrix Potter’s Birthday,
Hamburger Day, and Anti-Boredom Month all in one fell swoop.
Week 5 – “Ladies and Gentlemen of
the Jury…”
July 31 – M: Ch 14 - Presentations
Aug. 1 – T: Peer Review Session (draft
of Essay 4 due [3 copies])
(Happy Birthday J.K. Rowling!)
Aug. 2 – W: Essay 4 due at the
beginning of class. Public Speaking
Exercises
Aug. 3 – TH: In-class work day for presentation adaptations
Aug. 4 – F: Writing Exercise
Week 6 – Superstar!
Aug. 7 – M: Presentations
Aug. 8 – T: Presentations
Aug. 9 – W: Presentations
Aug. 10 – TH: Presentations
Aug. 1 – F: Writing Exercise, Last Day of Classes
Essay Guidelines and Descriptions
Essay 1: Definition
Argument (Use pages 125-128 for
help)
Pick ONE of the following prompts:
Option 1.) The University of Florida has decided to
take one of your favorite classes off the books because it is not
“academic.” Write an essay or letter addressing why this class is
academic and should therefore stay on the books. Your paper should be
4-5 pages and follow the MLA citations style. You need to have at least
two sources (one primary, one secondary) in an MLA-formatted
bibliography.
1.) Pick your favorite class (sports psychology,
literature through film, etc.). To help you choose, browse the
Undergraduate Catalogue and choose a class that looks interesting, but
one that has questionable academic standing. (For example, “Quilting
1103.”) YOU MUST GET YOUR TOPIC APPROVED BY ME BEFORE WRITING THIS
ESSAY!
2.) Devise a strong thesis sentence. (For example, “This class should
stay on the books because x, y, and z prove it to be an important
academic class.”)
3.) Make sure that after the introductory paragraph, at least two full
paragraphs are devoted to defining “academic” and thus to setting up
your argument. (For example; “Class X has been voted out of the
Undergraduate Catalogue because it is not deemed “academic.” An
academic class is one that…”)
4.) After defining “academic” in the first part of your paper, spend
the rest of your paper delineating why the class you chose is actually
academic and should therefore be put back on the books.
3.) Draft your argument. Bring draft to Peer Review session.
4.) Edit and write a final version.
~OR~
Option 2.) Pick a nonce word from a classic work of
children’s fiction or a popular song and write an essay explaining the
definition of this
word in the context of the song or book (and its pictures, if
applicable). Your
paper should be 4-5 pages and follow the MLA citations style. You need
to have at least two sources (one primary, one secondary) in an
MLA-formatted bibliography.
1.) Pick an author (some suggestions; do a Google search
on famous children’s nonsense literature. Some obvious choices are Dr.
Seuss and Edward Lear, as well as Shel Silverstein or Lewis Carroll.)
If you choose to write about a song, some suggestions would be
"Supercalifragulisticexpalidoscious" or "Chitty-chitty Bang Bang."
Please feel free to use a work from a song or book that I haven't
suggested, but see Step 2.
2.) Pick one of the author’s books/songs. YOU MUST GET YOUR TOPIC
APPROVED BY
ME BEFORE WRITING THIS ESSAY!
3.) Devise a strong thesis sentence. (For example, “This class should
stay on the books because x, y, and z prove it to be an important
class.”)
4.) Draft your argument. Bring draft to Peer Review session.
5.) Edit and write a final version.
Essay 2: Narrative
Argument (Use pages 179-181 for
help)
Write a narrative argument. Your paper should be 4-5 pages and follow
the MLA citations style. The topic can be anything you choose to write
about. Just as last time, I must approve your topic before you may
begin writing. See above steps to help you organize your time. The
final page of this assignment must be a well-written explanation
defending what argument your paper is making.
Essay 3: Proposal
Argument (Use pages 207-210 for
help)
In the spirit of Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal,” write a proposal
argument addressing a serious problem by posing a humorous/impractical
solution. Your paper should be 4-5 pages and follow the MLA citations
style. You need to have at least two sources in an MLA-formatted
bibliography.
1.) Reread “A Modest Proposal” or the Spoon River pieces we discussed in
class
2.) Choose a worldwide problem to solve
3.) Come up with a creative, exaggerated solution (don’t choose
anything too weird, or step 4 will become VERY difficult.)
4.) Devise evidence and strong reasons as to why your solution, were it
to be implemented, would solve the problem.
I’m looking for both creativity and logic in this paper.
Your solution should be able to solve the problem you address, but it
should be a non-implementable solution. For example, Swift suggested
eating babies. That would most certainly solve world hunger, but is
unethical and thus non-implementable.
Essay 4: Final
Paper and Presentation
Revise ONE of your three previous essays and expand it into a 6-7 page
essay. After this, turn your expanded paper into a 6-minute oral
presentation. For the presentation, include at least one form of media
(pictures, something to pass around, music, video clips, a PowerPoint
presentation, etc.), and address the audience as though this were a
formal conference presentation (that means you must dress up).
1.) Choose your favorite paper from this semester
2.) Revise your paper; elongate if necessary. Your final paper should
be between 8-10 pages.
3.) Compose a presentation of the argument you pose in your final
paper.
4.) Add media elements to your argument to strengthen it (these should
not be random pictures or sound clips; instead, they should be
symbiotically ties to your argument).
5.) Time yourself at home or with a friend; your presentation must be
6-7 minutes.
Your final paper will be due before the presentations,
and presentations will run until the last day of class. You will
receive separate grades for your paper and your presentation.
Essays, Reading Assignments, and In-Class Work
You
are responsible
for turning in all work on time. Late work will NOT be accepted.
Essays
are due at
the beginning of class on the
assigned date – no exceptions. If you know in advance that you will be
late to
or missing class the day an essay is due, you need to speak with me
about it
and hand the essay in early. Detailed descriptions of the essay
assignments can
be found above and will be discussed in class before each essay is due.
As part
of the writing process, for each essay you will write a draft that will
be used
for the peer reviews. These drafts should be as complete as possible
and cover
the entire scope of the assignment. The closer you are to having a
“finished”
paper, the more help you will receive both from your peer group and
from me!
Drafts will be graded based on effort and length and will count towards
your
final essay grade (see grading section below).
You
should
complete readings and assignments included in the syllabus before
coming to
class on the date they are assigned, unless otherwise indicated. In
general,
when you are in class, I will expect that you have something
constructive and
relevant to contribute. Consistently refusing to participate will
impair your
participation grade.
Quizzes
Quizzes
will be
given at my discretion. I believe it is insulting to you, as college
students,
for me to try to test you on reading about writing; therefore, I will
not give
pop-quizzes in class UNLESS it
becomes obvious to me that the majority of the class is not doing the
assigned
reading. In this case, weekly quizzes will be given to test whether or
not
you’ve done your homework. You will not have the option of making up
quizzes if
you are absent or tardy. Grading for quizzes will fall under your
participation
grade.
In-Class Writing Exercises
Every
week we
will be doing in-class writing exercises. Generally, this will be a
prompt
related to the coursework, but asking you about your own views and
feelings.
These will be graded by S/U (a check mark) and will count as
participation
points. I will collect them at the end of class and give you feedback.
These
comments will be directed towards grammar, style, and whether or not
you
successfully answered the prompt.
Peer Reviews
Peer
reviews are
an integral part of writing. You cannot become a good writer without
also
becoming a good editor; therefore, all peer reviews are mandatory. If
you miss
a peer review, your final essay grade will be lower by one whole letter
grade.
Details for peer reviews will be discussed in class during the semester
(see
schedule below). Please bring three copies of your paper; one for you,
one for
your peer reviewer, and one for me to review, comment on, and give back
to you.
POLICIES:
Academic Honesty
Plagiarism
is one
of the many facets of writing that we will explore as a class. For now,
however, please be advised that as a University of Florida
student, your
performance is governed by the UF Honor Code, available in its full
form at http://www.dso.ufl.edu/judicial/procedures/studenthonorcode.php
.
Plagiarism
is a
serious violation of the Student Honor Code. You commit plagiarism when
you
present the ideas or words of someone else as your own. Remember, you
are
responsible for understanding the University's definitions of
plagiarism and
academic dishonesty, which include the following:
* Submitting all or part of
someone else’s
work as if it is your own.
* “Borrowing,” without crediting
the
source, any of the following:
o
Any part of song lyrics, poetry, or
movie scripts
o
Any part of another person’s essay,
speech, or ideas
o
Any part of an article in a
magazine, journal, newspaper
o
Any part of a book, encyclopedia,
CD-ROM, online WWW page, etc.
o Any idea from another person or writer, even
if you express that idea in your own words.
* “Borrowing” verbatim text
without
enclosing in quotation marks and citing the source.
* Making "duplicate submissions"
of assignments - that is, submitting work in one class that you also
submit in
another class
* “Collaborating” or receiving
substantive
help in writing your assignment unless such collaboration is part of
the given
assignment (however, you may receive general
advice from tutors, writing lab instructors, or OWL staff).
* Failing to cite sources, or
citing them
improperly.
Important
Tip:
You should never copy and paste something from the Internet without
providing
the exact location from which it came.
We
will be
covering plagiarism (and how to avoid it) briefly for Essay 1 & 2,
and more
in depth during Week 3. If you at any time have problems or questions
regarding
plagiarism, please come speak with me!
Students with Physical Disabilities
The
University
of Florida
complies with the Americans with
Disabilities Act. Students requesting classroom accommodation must
first
register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office
will
provide documentation to the student who must then provide this
documentation
to the Instructor when requesting accommodation.
Attendance, Participation, & Professionalism
Unlike
some of
your other classes, this course is skills-based. In other words,
practice makes
all the difference; the more you write, the better you become.
Consequently, the
effects of this course are cumulative, and frequent absences will
affect your
progress and success dramatically. Instruction during class is often
spontaneous, so it is impossible to offer a recap of what transpired. Writing is process and experience-based.
This is not a course where you can “catch up” on what happens during
class.
Since
we are all
human, though, you may miss two class periods without penalty. However,
because
of the constricted nature of the summer semester, after your second unexcused absence your final
grade will be lowered one letter grade
for every class period missed. In addition to the instructor's
policies, the
policy of the University Writing Program is that if you
miss more than six periods during the term, you will fail the entire
course. The UWP exempts from this policy only those absences
involving
university-sponsored events, such as athletics and band, and religious
holidays.
Being
tardy three times will count as one unexcused
absence. These accumulate quickly, so it would behoove you to show up
on time! As
this is not a 7:30am class, this should not be a problem! :-)
Also,
this class
hopes to test your boundaries; some controversial topics may arise. You
should
treat each other (and your instructor) with respect and dignity during
such
conversations. Those who cannot conduct themselves in a mature manner
will be
excused from the classroom, counted as absent, and will lose
participation
points.
Cell Phones - The "I can hear you now" Clause
Unless
there is a
family emergency or other extenuating circumstance (which you will have
discussed with me before
class), there is no excuse for a cell phone
ringing in
class; it is disrespectful both to your instructor and to your fellow
classmates. In other words, you MUST TURN OFF your cell phone. If your cell phone rings during class you
will be counted as absent for that class.
Grading
Here
is the
meaning behind the grades I assign to your papers (you should use the
statements to determine how you might work toward a higher grade):
A
- You did what the
assignment asked for at
a high quality level, and your work shows originality and creativity.
Work in
this range shows all the qualities listed below for a B, but it also
demonstrates that you took extra steps to be original or creative in
developing
content, solving a problem, or developing a style. Since careful
editing and
proofreading are essential in writing, papers in the A range must be
free of
typos and grammatical or mechanical errors (papers with more than two
or three
errors cannot receive an A).
B - You did
what the assignment asked of you at a high quality level. Work in this
range
needs revision; however it is complete in content, is organized well,
and shows
special attention to style. Papers with more than five typos,
grammatical
errors, or mechanical errors cannot receive a B.
C - You did
what the assignment asked of you. Work in this range needs significant
revision, but it is complete in content and the organization is
logical. The style
is straightforward but unremarkable.
D - You did
what the assignment asked of you at a poor quality level. Work in this
range
needs significant revision. The content is often incomplete and the
organization is hard to discern. Attention to style is often
nonexistent or
chaotic.
E - An E is
usually reserved for people who don’t do the work or don’t come
to class. However, if your work is shoddy and shows little
understanding of the
needs of the assignment, you will receive a failing grade. (If you try
to write
your paper the night before it is due, it is likely that you will
receive a
grade of D or E.)
Please
remember,
one reason I have office hours is so that you can come talk to me about
your
papers, both before AND after they’ve been graded! This is what I’m in
school
for, and I’d love to help you!!! :-)
One
note: I
will NOT reconsider the grade I’ve
given a paper because your “high school English teacher would’ve liked
it.” My
answer without fail will be “This isn’t high school.” (And
yes, I have had people try
that on me before!)
Helpful Things to Remember When Writing Papers
♦
One paragraph is no less than four sentences.
♦
Most MLA formatting questions can be answered using the Penguin
Handbook.
♦
If your MLA formatting question isn’t answered in the all-knowing
Handbook, try
doing a Google search for your question (a search may look something
like “MLA
citation style comic books” if you wanted to figure out how to list a
comic
book in your bibliography).
♦
If both the Penguin Handbook and Google search fail you, see the last
point on
this list.
♦
A paper should always have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
♦
A strong thesis sentence will make the rest of your paper much easier
to write.
♦
Any argumentative paper you write will be stronger if you include and
discuss
at least one negative or impractical aspect of your argument.
Generally, if
your argument seems air-tight and perfect, people will be suspicious of
it!
♦
ALWAYS reread what you’ve written after you’ve written it, and then at
least
once more a few days later.
♦
Tertiary sources are NOT acceptable sources for this class. We will
discuss
primary and secondary sources in the third week of class, but for quick
reference:
A primary
source is an original document (The Hobbit, “The Purloined
Letter,” The
UF Handbook, The Constitution of the United States, the
transcript from
a Jerry Springer show, etc).
A secondary
source is something that someone has written about a primary source
(“Bram
Stoker's Dracula: A Psychoanalytic Allegory You Can Sink Your
Teeth
Into!”; Lacan’s “Purloined Poe” essays, etc.)
A tertiary
source is something that someone has written about something that
someone
else has written about a primary source (Wikipedia, Encyclopedias, most
personal web pages, etc). These sources are great to get you
started, but ONLY to get you started!
♦ If you have a question,
ASK! That’s what I’m here for!
Final Grade Calculation
The
grading for
this course will be based upon a 1,450-point scale and will be weighted
as
follows:
Attendance
100
Participation,
In-class Writing, Quizzes
300
In-class
Assignments
50
Essay
1 Draft & Peer-review
100
Essay
1
100
Essay
2 Draft & Peer-review
100
Essay
2
100
Essay
3 Draft & Peer-review
100
Essay
3
100
Essay
4 Draft & Peer-review
100
Essay
4
200
Presentation
of Essay 4
100
--------------------------------------------------------------
Total
Possible Points
1450
Grading scale for
your final course grade:
A: 90-100
B+: 87-89
B: 81-86
C+: 77-79
C: 70-76
D: 60-69
E: 0-59
And if you happen to get an 80, you'll just have to fall through the
cracks. (I'm teasing - an 80 would be a straight B.) :-)
The
University
of Florida does
not use “minus” grades (so
you can’t receive a B- as your final grade for this course). However,
other
class work may receive minuses to allow for a more precise evaluation
of the
quality of your work. The University
of Florida will
give you
credit for this course only if you receive a final grade of C or higher.
|
