RWS 100: The Rhetoric of Written Argument
Fall 2014 Course Syllabus
Instructor: Meg Mardian
Email: mmardian@mail.sdsu.edu
Classroom: GMCS 325
Meeting Time: MWF, 11:00-11:50.
Office hours: Wednesdays 9:30-10:30 and by appointment—Storm Hall 116.
Office Mailbox: in DRWS main office—Storm Hall West 141.
Prerequisites:
All RWS 100 students must have satisfactory completion of the SDSU Lower Division Writing
Competency Requirement.
Required Texts:
Bullock, Richard, and Francine Weinberg. The Little Seagull Handbook. 3rd ed. New York:
W.W. Norton & Company, 2014.
Department of Rhetoric and Writing Studies. RWS 100 Course Reader: Fall 2014. San Diego:
Montezuma Publishing, 2014.
Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic
Writing. 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2014.
* Additional course readings will be made available on Blackboard; they must be printed out and
brought to class.
Also Required:
 Access to a computer, printer and paper. All outside work must be typed and readings on
Blackboard must be printed and brought to class.
 Pen and paper for in-class writing.
 Folder for handouts, printouts, and portfolio work.
What is Rhetoric and Argument?
“Let rhetoric be defined as an ability, in each particular case, to see the available means of
persuasion” (Aristotle On Rhetoric 37).
“Wherever there is persuasion, there is rhetoric. And wherever there is ‘meaning,’ there is
‘persuasion’” (Kenneth Burke Rhetoric of Motives 172).
“Argumentation is intended to act upon an audience, to modify an audience’s convictions or
dispositions through discourse, and it tries to gain a meeting of the minds instead of imposing its
will through constraint or conditioning” (Chaïm Perelman The Realm of Rhetoric 11).
General Education Capacities/Goals & 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)
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
assess the relative strengths of arguments and supporting evidence.
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.”
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. Analyze and evaluate an author’s project and argument and explain rhetorical strategies
that this author—and by extension other writers—uses to engage readers in thinking
about her argument.
4. Assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of multiple assigned texts, including
discussion of rhetorical strategies, supporting evidence, audience, and text structure.
Outcomes across the semester: the following points describe outcomes to work on throughout
the semester, to be attained over the 15 weeks. Students will be able to:
5. 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;
6. analyze and assess the relative strengths of arguments and supporting evidence
7. use all aspects of the writing process--including prewriting, drafting, revising, editing,
and proofreading;
8. 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;
9. identify devices an author has used to create cohesion or to carry the reader through the
text; use metadiscourse to signal the project of a paper, and guide a reader from one
idea to the next in their writing;
10. effectively select material from written arguments, contextualize it, and comment on it
in their writing;
11. 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;
12. craft well-reasoned arguments for specific audiences
13. 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;
14. analyze and assess arguments made by visual texts; incorporate visual images into their
documents;
15. edit their writing for the grammar and usage conventions appropriate to each writing
situation;
16. assign significance to the arguments that they read;
17. reflect on how they wrote their papers, and revise arguments and findings based on
critical reflection.
REQUIREMENTS
Essays: You will be required to write 4 essays (4-8 pages depending on the assignment) for this
course. Each essay will require at least one rough draft. All pre-writing and rough drafts are due
in class on the day specified. Final drafts will be uploaded to Turnitin on the date specified,
and you will bring a hardcopy to class. Specific criteria for each essay will be given along with
the prompt. I will not accept late work. If there are extreme circumstances or emergencies, they
will be addressed on a case-by-case basis before the due date.
Project due dates: Paper 1 September 29th
Paper 2 November 3rd
Paper 3 November 21th
Paper 4 December 10th
Reading Responses: Reading Responses will be 300-350 words with appropriate heading,
following MLA conventions. Due on the day scheduled. No make up or late responses.
Reading questions will be provided the class before the assigned due date.
Research and Annotation Projects: Unit 2 requires you to conduct outside research and
Unit 4 requires you to read multiple assigned texts. Both of these units will contain a small
project in which you synthesize multiple sources and provide an annotated bibliography and
project outline.
Portfolio Work: This includes in-class writing, quizzes, and drafting exercises, which may be
assigned as homework.
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. You could be called on to
answer a question at any time, so please be prepared! As long as you’ve done your assigned
work, it will not be difficult.
Printouts: You will be required to print readings and other materials off of Blackboard.
POLICIES
Respect: Because the bulk of our in-class work will be discussions and group work, respect for
your fellow students and for me will be paramount. This includes everything from coming to
class on time, to refraining from private conversations during class, to texting during a lecture.
Please silence your cell phones when you come to class. Because we will be interacting in group
discussion often, the use of laptops will not be allowed. Finally, since this is a discussion-based
class, it is vital that you listen and speak respectfully to others at all times. I encourage you to
express your opinions, of course – they will help inspire good discussions.
Email: Please use your resources first (Blackboard, the syllabus), but feel free to email me
anytime. I will respond as quickly as possible, but please allow me 24 hours to get back to you.
Additionally, please sign all emails, especially if your email address does not contain your name.
Attendance: There is no substitute for attending class. Students are expected to attend all
classes, and attendance will be taken. You are allowed three absences without penalty. However,
after the third absence, your participation grade will be affected. You will not be allowed to
make up any assignments due on the day of your absence unless previously arranged with me.
Essays: All rough drafts are due (in completion) as a hard copy in class on the date specified.
All essays must be typed, adhere to MLA format (12 point font, double space, Times New
Roman, proper heading) and be stapled. Essay pre-writing and drafts will not be graded as a
final draft. Late assignments will not be accepted. For emergency cases, arrangements must be
made prior to the original due date. In these special circumstances late work may be accepted up
to one week following the printed deadline and may be subjected to a full letter grade penalty.
Electronics: Your active participation is required in this course. Please turn off your cell phones,
tablets, and other electronic equipment when you come to class. Because we will be interacting
in group discussion often, the use of laptops will not be allowed.
Plagiarism: All work in this course must be original. Plagiarism will result in serious
consequences ranging from grade reduction to failure in the class to expulsion from the college.
For more information on the university cheating and plagiarism policy, please visit:
http://studentaffairs.sdsu.edu/SRR/cheating-plagiarism.html. SDSU’s library also has an
excellent tutorial on how to avoid plagiarism.
Problems: If you run into problems or emergencies, talk to me as soon as possible.
Turnitin Policy: Turnitin (integrated within Blackboard) will be used in this course for
submission of four essay assignments. Students in this course agree that papers are subject to
submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All
submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database
solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. Students may submit their papers
in such a way that no identifying information about them is included. Another option is that a
student may request, in writing, that his/her papers not be submitted to Turnitin.com. However,
this option requires the student to provide documentation to substantiate that the papers are the
original work of the student and do not include any plagiarized material.
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 make an
appointment with me in advance via email or after class. Please bring all of your pre-writing,
drafts, and final drafts of your essays with comments to office hours. It will assist me in
answering any questions you may have on the assignments.
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 a
Writing Center with an excellent staff of tutors to assist students in all courses. The Writing
Center is located in the Love Library, Room LA 1103, which is in next to the Circulation Desk
starting Sept. 2, 2014. For more information about hours and services visit
http://writingcenter.sdsu.edu/.
Students with Disabilities: Every attempt will be made to offer reasonable accommodations for
students with disabilities in this course. If you are a student with a disability and believe you
will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Disability
Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you
should contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations
are not retroactive, and that I cannot provide accommodations based upon disability until I have
received an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is
appreciated.
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 (888) 724-7240. C&PS on campus also has a “Center for Well-Being” with
multiple stations for relaxation if you are feeling stressed during the semester. C&PS is located
in the Capulli Center, Room 4401. For more information: http://studentaffairs.sdsu.edu/cps/.
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) 594-5891.
GRADES
Paper 1
Paper 2
Paper 3
Paper 4
Portfolio
Participation/Attendance
20%
20%
20%
20%
10%
10%
100%
GRADING RUBRIC
Letter Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
Assignment Schedule:
Percentile
93-100%
90-93%
87-90%
83-87%
80-83%
77-80%
Letter Grade
C
CD+
D
DF
Percentile
73-77%
70-73%
67-70%
63-67%
60-63%
0-60%
*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.
Unit 1: Constructing an Account of an Argument and Its Context
WEEK DATE
CLASS PROJECT
M
Syllabus and Introduction to RWS 100
8/25
HW (Read pgs. 1-11 in Reader)
1
W
PACES.
8/27
HW (Read Rifkin- “A Change of Heart about Animals”)
2
3
F
8/29
Rifkin- “A Change of Heart about Animals”)
HW (Read pg. 65 in Reader & Thompson’s “Public Thinking”)
M
9/1
W
9/3
Labor Day. No class.
F
9/5
Audience - Advertisements GW
HW (Thompson- Reader Response)
M
9/8
In class Writing
Analyzing Thompson – Public Thinking - PACES
HW (Outline – Essay # 1)
W
9/10
In class Writing
Quotation Sandwich
HW (Intro – Essay # 1)
F
9/12
Intro examples.
HW (1 body paragraph- Essay 1)
M
9/15
Body paragraph examples GW.
Thompson – Language, Structure, Conclusion
HW (Essay 1 Rough Draft)
W
9/17
Thompson – Public Thinking – Peer Review
Essay 1 Rough Draft Due
HW (Read p. 11-19 in Reader)
F
9/19
M
9/22
W
9/24
F
9/26
Revision process. Reverse outlining.
4
5
Thompson- “Public Thinking”
Ethos, Logos, Pathos.
HW (Write email to Professor, Read 42-51 in Little Seagull, pg.
27 in Reader)
Conference.
Conference.
Conference.
Unit 1: Constructing an Account of an Argument and Its Context
WEEK DATE
CLASS PROJECT
M
Essay 1 Final Version Due
9/29
College, Inc.
6
W
College, Inc. Discussion.
10/1
In-Class writing
F
HW (Read Carey, Why Do You Think They’re Called For Profit
10/3
Colleges?)
7
M
10/06
W
10/08
Analyzing Carey, Why Do You Think They’re Called For Profit
Colleges? PACES
HW (Outline for Carey)
Outline. Discuss research methods.
Look at Wiki.
F
10/10
Library visit
M
10/13
W
10/15
Analyze Carey, Extend, Qualify, Refine, Complicate
HW (Research other texts, load to Wiki & read pgs. 77-78 in
Reader)
Outline Essay #2
HW (Read pgs. 66-70 in Little Seagull)
F
10/17
Annotated Bibliography (bring sources)
HW (Annotated Bibliography)
M
10/20
HW (Intro and 1 body paragraph for Essay #2)
W
10/22
Look at sample text.
HW Essay #2 Rough Draft
F
10/24
Carey- Peer Review (bring 3 copies)
Essay #2 Rough Draft Due
M
10/27
W
10/29
F
10/31
Conferences- No Class
8
9
10
Conferences- No Class
Conferences- No Class
Unit 1: Constructing an Account of an Argument and Its Context
WEEK DATE
CLASS PROJECT
M
11/03
11
W
11/05
F
11/07
12
13
14
15
16
Intro Car
Essay 2 Final Version due
HW (Read Google Car)
Google Car analysis- PACES
HW (Intro and outline for Car)
M
11/10
W
11/12
Bring Outline and intro to class GW
HW Essay #3 Rough Draft
Rough Draft of Essay #3 Due
Peer review (bring 3 copies)
F
11/14
M
11/17
Conferences
W
11/19
F
11/21
M
11/24
Conferences
W
11/26
F
11/28
M
12/01
W
12/03
F
12/05
M
12/08
W
12/10
Thanksgiving Holiday. No Class.
Conferences
Essay 3 Final Version Due
Introduce Assignment #4
Assignment # 4 Continues
Thanksgiving Holiday. No Class.
Assignment # 4 Continues
Assignment # 4 Continues
Assignment # 4 Continues
Assignment # 4 Continues
Assignment 4 Final Version Due