RWS 100: The Rhetoric of Written Argument
Fall 2012
Course Syllabus
__________________________________________
Professor: Lauren Benard
Meeting Times: MWF 11:00-11:50 AM
Meeting Place: PSFA 318
Section: 18
Office Hours: M 12:30-1:30 W 9:30-10:30, or by appointment. Where? AH 3178
Office Mailbox: In RWS main office -- AH 3138
Email: lbenard@mail.sdsu.edu
Prerequisites:
All RWS 100 students must have satisfactory completion of the Lower Division Writing
Competency Requirement.
Required Textbooks/Materials:
RWS 100 Course Reader. Listed under “Rhetoric & Writing Studies,” available at SDSU
bookstore.
Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russell Durst. They Say, I Say: The Moves that Matter in
Academic Writing, 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2011.
Bullock, Richard and Francine Weinberg. The Little Seagull Handbook. New York: W.W. Norton
& Company, 2011.
*Please come to every class prepared with paper and a pen or pencil.
Course Description, General Education Capacities/Goals and RWS Learning Outcomes
Our Learning Outcomes reflect the goals and capacities of the General Education Program.
RWS 100 is one of several courses in the area of general education defined as “Communication
and Critical Thinking.” Focusing particularly on argument, this course emphasizes four essential
general education capacities: the ability to 1) construct, analyze and communicate argument, 2)
contextualize phenomena, 3) negotiate differences, and 4) apply theoretical models to the real
world. This course advances general education by helping students understand the general
function of writing, speaking, visual texts, and thinking within the context of the university at
large, rather than within specific disciplines. In addition to featuring the basic rules and
conventions governing composition and presentation, RWS 100 establishes intellectual
frameworks and analytical tools that help students explore, construct, critique, and integrate
sophisticated texts.
Within this framework of four general capacities, the course realizes four closely related
subsidiary goals. These goals focus on helping students:
1)
2)
3)
4)
assess the relative strengths of arguments and supporting evidence.
craft well-reasoned arguments for specific audiences;
analyze a variety of texts commonly encountered in the academic setting;
situate discourse within social, generic, cultural, and historic contexts; and
Our student learning outcomes for RWS 100 are closely aligned with these goals and capacities,
and reflect the program’s overall objective of helping students attain “essential skills that
underlie all university education.”
LEARNING OUTCOMES for RWS 100
Assignment Types: the following four outcomes describe the four main writing projects or
"assignment types" for the course. Students will be able to:
1. Describe and analyze an author’s argument, claims, project, support and rhetorical
strategies.
2. Construct an account of an author’s project and argument and carry out small, focused
research tasks to find information that helps clarify, illustrate, extend or complicate that
argument; use appropriate reference materials, including a dictionary, in order to clarify
their understanding of an argument;
3. Construct an account of two or more authors’ projects and arguments and explain
rhetorical strategies that these authors—and by extension other writers—use to engage
readers in thinking about their arguments;
4. Construct an account of two authors’ projects and arguments in order to use concepts
from one argument as a framework for understanding and writing about another.
OUTCOMES ACROSS THE SEMESTER: The following points describe outcomes to work
on throughout the course, to be attained over the fifteen weeks. Students will be able to:
1) Describe elements of an argument—claims, methods of development, kinds of
evidence, persuasive appeals; annotate the work that is done by each section of a
written argument;
2) Use all aspects of the writing process—including prewriting, drafting, revising,
editing, and proofreading;
3) Choose effective structures for their writing, acknowledging that different purposes,
contexts and audiences call for different structures; understand the relationship
between a text’s ideas and its structure;
4) Identify devices an author has used to create cohesion or to carry the reader through
the text; use meta-discourse to signal the project of the paper, and guide a reader from
one idea to the next in their writing;
5) Effectively select material from written arguments, contextualize it, and comment on
it in their writing;
6) Determine when and where a source was published, who wrote it and whether it was
reprinted or edited; understand that texts are written in and respond to particular
contexts, communities or cultures; examine the vocabulary choices a writer makes
and how they are related to context, community or culture, audience or purpose;
7) Respond in writing to ideas drawn from various cultures and disciplines, using the
activity of writing to clarify and improve their understanding of an argument;
8) Analyze and assess the relative strengths of arguments and supporting evidence;
9) Analyze and assess arguments made by visual texts; incorporate visual images into
their documents;
10) Craft well reasoned arguments for specific audiences;
11) Edit their writing for the grammar and usage conventions appropriate to each writing
situation;
12) Assign significance to the arguments that they read;
13) Reflect on how they wrote their papers, and revise arguments and findings based on
critical reflection.
COURSE ASSISTANCE SERVICES
OFFICE HOURS: I encourage all students to attend office hours, but especially if you have any
questions or concerns about reading, writing, the course or college in general. Please come to
office hours with specific questions; this will save time and will ensure that our meeting is a
productive one. Don’t be shy; I will be happy you came by and pleased to talk to you. Students
who attend office hours tend to perform better in the course and enjoy it more.
COURSE TUTORING: I welcome all students to attend office hours with questions on writing
or the RWS 100 course. If you would like additional assistance and encouragement, SDSU has
an excellent staff of tutors to assist students in all courses. Students who need assistance with
course concepts or writing assignments in English or ESL are encouraged to contact the
department of Rhetoric and Writing Studies at (619) 594-6515 for more information on drop-in
tutoring hours. The Tutoring Center is located in the library to the right of the Circulation Desk.
DISABLED STUDENTS: Every attempt will be made to offer reasonable accommodations for
students with disabilities in this course. Students with disabilities who may need
accommodations in this class are encouraged to notify the instructor privately and to contact
Student Disability Services (SDS) as soon as possible. All discussion of disabilities will take
place privately to protect student confidentiality. SDS staff are available in the Capulli Center in
Suite 3101 or by phone at (619) 594-6473 (voice) or (619) 594-2929 (TTD/TTY).
COUNSELING: There are many events and situations that put additional stress on being a
student. SDSU has an excellent center for Counseling & Psychological Services that is open to
students Monday through Friday from 8am-4:30pm. To set up an initial consultation, call (619)
594-5220. For immediate or emergency help, you are welcome to use San Diego’s free 24-hour
counseling access line at (800) 479-3339. C&PS on campus also has a “Center for Well-Being”
with multiple stations for relaxation if you are feeling stressed. C&PS is located in the Capulli
Center, Room 4401.
STUDENT-ATHLETES: Student-athletes have very demanding, dynamic schedules which
place additional hardship on excelling in both arenas. As an instructor, I am committed to helping
you succeed in the course. To do so, regular and effective communication is needed. While no
exceptions will be made for attendance, assignment deadlines, or exams, I would be happy to
work with all student-athletes in conjunction with Student-Athlete Support Services (SASS) to
help you excel in this course. For more information on SASS’ academic advising and tutoring
services, call (619) 594-4743.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
ESSAYS: You will be required to write 3 essays (each will be 4-5 pages in length) for this
course. Each essay will require at least one rough draft and one prewrite. Specific criteria for
each essay will be given along with the prompt. Each final essay will be due via Turn-it-In
before class on the date specified in the syllabus.
BLOGS: You are required to write three blog posts: one for each unit. In addition to your own
blog post, you will comment on one other student’s post for each unit. The blog posts will spark
an interesting discussion I will provide further instruction on the format of your blog posts at the
beginning of the semester.
QUIZZES: You will take five quizzes throughout the semester. Quizzes may go unannounced in
order to make sure that you are keeping up with the reading. Some quizzes will be made
available on Blackboard and others will be a hard copy in class. Quizzes cannot be made up;
therefore, you should always come to class prepared to discuss the readings.
WORKSHOPS: One or more drafts will be required for each writing assignment. You will
“workshop” the essay with your peers, both gaining and giving feedback. You will complete
feedback forms in peer review and be evaluated based on evidence of engagement in the activity.
PARTICIPATION: You are expected to participate actively in class. Although this does not
mean speaking up and contributing valuable insight during every class session, it does mean
arriving on time and being prepared, paying attention, and being involved.
GRADE BREAKDOWN:
Each paper will receive a letter grade based on the quality of work it contains, as will your final
exam paper. The value of the letter grade corresponds to the recommended values in the SDSU
catalog (A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, etc.). Participation will be assigned a letter grade that takes into
consideration both your attendance and your level of involvement in class discussions and group
work. Your final grade will be determined by weighting those letter grades as follows:
Paper 1:
100 / 20%
Paper 2:
100 / 20%
Paper 3:
100 / 20%
Final:
50 / 10%
Quizzes:
25 / 5%
Blog Posts:
50 / 10%
Participation:
75 / 15%
__________________________________
500 points/ 100%
POLICIES
ATTENDANCE: There is no substitute for attending class. This is a discussion-oriented course
and your attendance is mandatory. Students are allowed no more than 3 absences during the
semester. Missing more than 3 classes will result in a minimum of a reduction in the class
participation grade (if you are not in class, then you cannot participate). Please note: two tardies
are equivalent to one absence.
ESSAYS: All essays are due as an electric copy on Turn-it-In. All essays must be typed and
adhere to MLA format. Essay pre-writing and drafts will not be graded; however, evidence of
pre-writing and at least one rough draft is required to receive a grade on the final essay. Late
assignments are subjected to a grade penalty. For each day that your paper is late your final grade
will decrease half a letter. For example, if your paper is one day late then the highest grade you
can receive is an A-, if it is two days late you would receive a B+, etc....
RE-WRITES: Students may choose to re-write ONE essay after receiving a grade for the
assignment. Essay re-writes may be submitted up to one week after I hand back your graded
essays. The grade given on the re-write will be averaged with the grade given on the previous
draft. Please note that you cannot re-write your final paper.
ELECTRONICS: Your active participation is required in this course. Please turn off your cell
phones, iPods, iPads, and other electronic equipment when you come to class. Because we will
be interacting in group discussion often, the use of laptops will also be distracting. Students that
would like to use laptops are encouraged to discuss the specific need with the instructor in
advance.
RESPECT: Since this is a discussion-based class, it is vital that you listen and speak
respectfully to others at all times. Discriminatory remarks will not be tolerated. I encourage you
to express your opinions, of course – they will often inspire good discussions. Please come to
class prepared and always do your best.
PLAGIARISM: Plagiarism takes place when you submit work that is not your own. It is your
responsibility to understand what plagiarism is and not to do it. Plagiarized papers receive a
failing grade; depending on the extent of the plagiarism, the student may fail the course. I find
that students usually resort to plagiarism when they have managed their time poorly and are
stressed out. Try to avoid these conditions by writing down the due dates for all your
assignments at the beginning of the semester and consulting your schedule frequently. The
university catalog describes plagiarism as follows:
“Plagiarism is formal work publicly misrepresented as original; it is any activity wherein
one person knowingly, directly, and for lucre, status, recognition, or any public gain
resorts to the published or unpublished work of another in order to represent it as one’s
own. Work shall be deemed plagiarism: (1) when prior work of another has been
demonstrated as the accessible source; (2) when substantial or material parts of the source
have been literally or evasively appropriated (substance denoting quantity; matter
denoting qualitative format or style); and (3) when the work lacks sufficient or
unequivocal citation so as to indicate or imply that the work was neither a copy nor an
imitation. This definition comprises oral, written, and crafted pieces. In short, if one
purports to present an original piece but copies ideas word for word or by paraphrase,
those ideas should be duly noted.” (from SDSU General Catalog 2009-2010. San Diego
State University, 2009: 455)
For more information on the university cheating and plagiarism policy, please visit: http://wwwrohan.sdsu.edu/dept/senate/ policy/pfacademics.html. SDSU’s library also has an excellent
tutorial on how to avoid plagiarism.
ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE
RWS 100, FALL 2012
*
Please note that the following schedule is tentative, as dates and topics may shift as the
semester continues. I will always inform you of any changes in advance.
Week 1:
Monday, August 27:
Wednesday, August 29:
Friday, August 31:
Introductions & syllabus
Complete syllabus quiz on Blackboard by 11:59 PM.
What is rhetoric?
Pre-reading & reading strategies.
Week 2:
Monday, September 3:
Wednesday, September 5:
Friday, September 7:
No class-- Labor day.
Annotation.
Stephen King’s “Why We Crave Horror Movies”
Short texts & how to blog.
Unit 1
Week 3:
Monday, September 10:
Wednesday, September 12:
Friday, September 14:
Prior to class, complete reading “A Variety of Religious
Experience” by Michael Madelbaum in the Course Reader;
rhetorical situation & main claims vs. sub claims.
Analysis and organization of Mandelbaum.
Mandelbaum (cont’d); rhetorical strategies & appeals.
Week 4:
Monday, September 17:
Wednesday, September 19:
Friday, September 21:
Rhetorical strategies & appeals-- activities TBA.
Identification of strategies & analysis vs. summary.
Organizing Paper 1
Week 5:
Monday, September 24:
Wednesday, September 26:
Friday, September 28:
Organizing Paper 1 (cont’d)
Bring Paper 1 Rough Draft (2 copies); Workshop.
Workshop (cont’d)
*Bring They Say, I Say.
[You are required to meet with me during office hours to
review your rough draft.]
Week 6:
Monday, October 1:
Wednesday, October 3:
Friday, October 5:
Revising Paper 1-- activities TBA.
Revising (cont’d).
Paper 1 due at 10:30 AM via Turn-it-In. Read “The
Emerging Moral Psychology” in class; Introduction to
Paper 2.
Unit 2
Week 7:
Monday, October 8:
Wednesday, October 10:
Friday, October 12:
Week 8:
Prior to class, complete reading “The Moral Instinct” by
Steven Pinker.
Pinker (cont’d) & claims and evidence.
Pinker (cont’d) & key terms.
Monday, October 15:
Wednesday, October 17:
Friday, October 19:
Pinker writing exercise.
Pinker (cont’d) & using outside sources.
Pinker (cont’d).
Week 9:
Monday, October 22:
Wednesday, October 24:
Friday, October 26:
Pinker-- activities TBA.
Analyzing sources.
Pinker-- activities TBA.
Week 10:
Monday, October 29:
Wednesday, October 31:
Friday, November 2:
Paper 2 organization.
Bring Paper 2 Rough Draft (2 copies); Workshop.
Revising.
[You are required to meet with me during office hours to review your rough draft.]
Unit 3
Week 11:
Monday, November 5:
Wednesday, November 7:
Friday, November 9:
Paper 2 due at 10:30 AM via Turn-it-In ; introduce
concepts for Paper 3; review prompt.
Food Inc. (Watch in class)
Food Inc. (Watch in class)
Week 12:
Monday, November 12:
Wednesday, November 14:
Friday, November 16:
No class-- Veterans Day.
Food Inc. (Watch in class)
Food Inc. discussion.
Week 13:
Monday, November 19:
Wednesday, November 21:
Friday, November 23:
Food Inc. strategies.
Food Inc. strategies.
No Class-- Happy Thanksgiving!
Week 14:
Monday, November 26:
Wednesday, November 28:
Friday, November 30:
Week 15:
Monday, December 3:
Wednesday, December 5:
Food Inc. Evidence.
Food Inc. (cont’d).
Food Inc. Analysis;
*Bring They Say I Say
Food Inc.
Paper 3 Rough Draft (Bring 2 copies).
Friday, December 7:
Paper 3 due at 10:30 AM via Turn-it-In; final exam
review.
Final Exam: Wednesday, December 12th, 10:30-12:30