Writing Course Review Form (12/1/08)
I. General Education Review – Writing Course
Dept/Program
Course # (i.e. ENEX WB 245
Wildlife Biology
Subject
200)
Course Title
Science Writing
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office.
Please type / print name Signature
Date
Instructor
29 Jan 2009
Anne Greene
Phone / Email
Anne.greene@mso
Program Chair
Dan Pletscher
III Overview of the Course Purpose/ Description: Provides an introduction to the subject
matter and explains course content and learning goals.
This course is designed to help science students learn to write clearly, cohesively, coherently
and concisely. As often as possible, we use examples from science writing, but our focus is on
the principles of good writing which can be applied with the same satisfactory results no matter
what the students are writing about.
Often science writing courses deal only with technical science writing or writing for scientific
journals and granting agencies. We do this kind of writing, but we also focus on writing
popular science or science written for a general audience. Thus we stress the importance of
explaining scientific research to the general public, and in so doing, teach science students to
write more clearly and avoid the jargon – laden, obtuse writing that characterizes the field.
IV Learning Outcomes: Explain how each of the following learning outcomes will be achieved.
The principles of clarity, coherence, cohesion
Student learning outcomes :
and concision are new to most students.
Use writing to learn and synthesize new
Applying these principles to both a popular
concepts
science article (which is often published) and
a technical science article provide many new
learning experiences for the students.
Many of the assignments require students to
Formulate and express opinions and ideas in
apply what they have learned in class to
writing
improve and revise other people’s writing.
In addition, with the popular science article,
they must come up with their own ideas on
what to write about which is often the
hardest part of the assignment. The poster
assignment presents each group of students
with the task of coming up with ideas as to
how to present their information and finally,
the proposal (not all students choose to do
this) is completely based on the students’
own ideas.
Compose written documents that are
appropriate for a given audience or purpose
Clearly, the students are writing for
different audiences and different purposes
throughout the semester.
For each large assignment (and there are 4)
Revise written work based on constructive
I require the students to submit a first draft
feedback
that I assess and give back to them. Based on
my comments and individual tutoring which
I do one – on – one, the students revise their
drafts until they are polished and ready to
publish.
Find, evaluate, and use information effectively For the popular science article each student
(see http://www.lib.umt.edu/informationliteracy/) is required to have at least three peer
reviewed references. For the technical paper,
they must read and incorporate the
appropriate literature. They have one class
with Barry Brown on how to use the
library’s resources to find both primary and
secondary sources for their assignments.
This is all they do in the technical paper
Begin to use discipline-specific writing
assignment.
conventions
Ditto for all the assignments I give them. I
Demonstrate appropriate English language
do a survey at the beginning of class to
usage
determine if any or all need a lecture on
grammar, punctuation and spelling rules,
and I have a book on the subject reserved
for them at the library. I give help on this in
tutoring as well as a lecture if the need is
there.
V. Writing Course Requirements Check list
X† Yes † No
Is enrollment capped at 25 students?
If not, list maximum course enrollment.
Explain how outcomes will be adequately met
for this number of students. Justify the request
for variance.
X† Yes † No
Are outcomes listed in the course syllabus? If
I list the rubric (characteristics of good writing)
not, how will students be informed of course
that I will use to evaluate their written
expectations?
assignments in the syllabus. I list my expectations
of the students which, if they follow them, they
will most likely do well in the course (this
includes revising their work and coming to
tutoring). The late policy is also written in the
syllabus as is the policy on extra credit.
Are expectations for Information Literacy listed in
X† Yes † No
the course syllabus? If not, how will students be
What do you mean by “information literacy”?
informed of course expectations?
See above regarding what I teach my
students about retrieving and using library
resources.
Are detailed requirements for all written
assignments included in the course syllabus? If not
how and when will students be informed of written
assignments?
What instructional methods will be used to teach
students to write for specific audiences, purposes,
and genres?
† Yes X† No
I give out detailed instructions with each new
assignment in class.
I spend the first two lectures going over
audience and purpose in writing. We look
at different kinds of science writing
(journals, science magazines,
newspapers etc.) in class as well as with
Barry Brown. We discuss these
throughout the year as we write for
different audiences and purposes.
Will written assignments include an opportunity for X† Yes † No
revision? If not, then explain how students will
Always
receive and use feedback to improve their writing
ability.
VI. Writing Assignments: Please describe course assignments. Students should be required to
individually compose at least 16 pages of writing for assessment. At least 50% of the course grade
should be based on students’ performance on writing assignments. Clear expression, quality, and
accuracy of content are considered an integral part of the grade on any writing assignment.
Formal Graded Assignments
The whole course involves writing so I
grade all the assignments. There are 4
large and 10 small assignments. Field
Notes, a technical paper, a poster and
either a proposal or a resume and cover
letter make up the large assignments.
The small assignments are done quickly
either in groups in class or taken home to
be passed in the next class. These
involve taking the principles we learn in
class and applying them to the writing of
others usually to improve them.
Informal Ungraded Assignments
VII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form. ⇓ The syllabus
should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus preparation
see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
Paste syllabus here.
Science Writing: WB 245
Monday and Wednesday 10:00 - 11:30am
Honors College 117
Instructor: Anne Greene
Office: 205 Health Sciences
E-mail: anne.greene@mso.umt.edu
Tutoring – HS 205 – times tba
Scientific communication is essential for helping us to use and take care of this
earth. –Martha Davis
Overview:
This course will focus on how to write well. As often as possible, we will use
examples from science writing, as well as other academic fields, but our focus will
be on the principles of good writing which can be applied with the same
satisfactory results no matter what you are writing about. Good science writing
then, is not very different from good legal writing, good journalistic writing, or
even good creative writing.
Often, science writing courses deal only with technical science writing, or writing
for scientific journals and granting agencies. We will certainly be doing this kind
of writing in the course. However, I also want to focus your attention on popular
science writing, in other words, conveying science to a general audience. By
writing popular science, you will be fulfilling an important responsibility every
scientist has – explaining their scientific research to the general public. In addition,
you may also have your writing published in the Montana Naturalist (the
publication of the Montana Natural History Center) or have it recorded on
Montana Public Radio.
The Goals of the Course are to enable you to:
• communicate written scientific information in a clear and concise style to both a
technical and general audience,
• recognize bad writing and be able to remedy it
• develop a polished job application package or research proposal
• produce a research poster
Texts:
There is no text, but please pick up the facpack for the course at the bookstore
($10.15). This contains all the lectures (except one…my mistake) and should
dramatically reduce the amount of paper I give out in class! The facpack will give
you a chance to either prepare for class ahead of time or review class material
afterward (or both).The lectures are taken from Style by Joseph Williams (1995)
which will be on reserve at the Mansfield Library along with a good overview of
grammar called The Least You Should Know About English by Paige Wilson and
Teresa Glazier (2003).
Grading:
Most of your final grade will be based on the following:
4 Big Assignments
I expect you to write several drafts of these before the final is handed in and to
come to tutoring for help.
Field Note =20
Cover letter and resume or proposal =20
Poster =10
Technical paper =20
10 Little Assignments
These will be done either in class or due the next class period
They are worth 3 points each, for a total = 30
Total = 100
How do you make a good grade in this class?
1) Come to class: the facpack is not a substitute and I keep track of attendance.
2) Do all the assignments and pass in the drafts on time.
3) Organize your time so that you are able to write several drafts of the big
assignments revising each time.
4) Come to tutoring regularly.
5) Use what you learn in class to improve your writing.
Extra credit:
If your Field Note is chosen to be aired on KUFM, you will receive extra credit
(2). Also, if you find good examples of the writing principles we discuss in class,
hand in the sample and write me a short paragraph about why it is a good example
(or a bad one), and you will receive extra credit (2).
Late Policy:
You will be given ample opportunity to revise until you feel your assignments
reflect your best writing. However, you will be docked points (1 per day) if you
miss the due dates on the schedule.
Revision:
Revision is an important part of the writing process. For every assignment, I will
hand back your first draft with written comments on how you can improve it. After
you have made the suggested improvements, (often this takes several revisions
with tutoring in between) the final draft will be graded. You can continue to revise
the paper until the due date noted in the schedule.
Tutoring:
You must come to tutoring at least once during the semester. This will give you the
opportunity to discuss the comments I have made on your paper. One-on-one
tutoring is not provided in most courses, so take advantage of it, and come as often
as you can.
Plagiarism Policy:
Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism which is the representation of someone
else’s work as your own (the word plagiarism comes from the Greek plagion,
which means a kidnapping.) Ideas and data as well as text may be plagiarized.
Plagiarism can occur by using and not acknowledging material from the internet,
from books, from classmates, and from writing assignments in other classes.
Plagiarism .org (http://www.plagiarism.org/learning_center/what_ is_
plagiarism.html) posted the following list of actions they considered plagiarism:
• “turning in someone else’s work as your own
• copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit
• failing to put a quotation in quotation marks
• giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation
• changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving
credit
• copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of
your work, whether you give credit or not”
We all use the ideas and the writing of others when we write, and giving credit to
those we are borrowing from is an important part of writing science. We do this
not only for ethical reasons, but because it gives credibility to our writing. In
addition, citing our sources is one way we scientist interact; it’s like a conversation
between friends who may agree or disagree, but each one is given the chance to be
heard. Showing that we have investigated the literature on a topic and know which
authors have investigated which questions, tells the reader that we are comfortable
with this information. In a way, we are collaborating with these authors when we
cite their work. This gives the reader the sense that what we have to say is
important, because it exists in a context of already published information. Some
students look at citing sources in a negative way; they will be punished if they
don’t cite their sources. Instead, I suggest thinking of the process more positively that citing your sources will make your writing more credible. If you are interested
in the subject, here is another web site you might check:
http://www.stu.ca./inkshed/nletta03/hunt.htm
If you work with other people and get ideas from them, acknowledge those ideas.
If you take a direct quotation from somewhere, show that it is a quotation and cite
it. And whenever you do an assignment, write it up by yourself, in your own
words. Do not take text from someone else’s work and rearrange it; that also
constitutes plagiarism.
You are encouraged to work together to solve problems, to share information or
resources, and to test each others’ understanding. Those are all legitimate forms of
collaboration. However, the written work of each student must be his or her own. If
you are at all uncertain about whether or not to cite or acknowledge a person or
material, come and ask me. When you put your name on an assignment or a paper,
let it represent the fact that you did the work yourself and have cited or
acknowledged all of the people who contributed ideas or data to your work.
At a minimum, confirmed plagiarism will result in failure in this course, and can
result in suspension from the University. Familiarize yourself with the Student
Conduct Code which outlines the penalties of plagiarism.
Drops and Adds:
University policies for dropping and adding courses, changing grade options, and
changing to audit status are firmly upheld in this class. These policies are described
on Cyberbear under Important Dates for Spring Semester 2009. February 13 is the
last day to drop classes on Cyberbear with a partial refund. Courses dropped after
March 9 will result in a grade of W on your transcript and this is the last day to
drop courses with instructor/advisor signatures on a drop/add form. You should
note that after March 9, such changes are NOT automatically approved. They may
be requested by petition, but the petition MUST be accompanied by documentation
of extenuating circumstances, such as family emergency, accident or illness or
other circumstances beyond the student’s control. Requests to drop a course or
change the grade basis to benefit a student’s grade point average will not be
approved.
Privacy Policy
There will be many times during the class when I will hand out other people’s
writing as examples of principles we are discussing in class. Often, the authors of
these texts will be students like you, graduate students or faculty. I think these
papers provide much better instruction, when discussed and critiqued, than
examples from texts written by professionals.
Please treat these papers with the respect they deserve. The authors are just like
you – in a process of becoming clear, concise writers. They have been kind enough
to let us use their writing in class for instruction. Never ridicule their writing in
public (no matter how bad it is) and always return the copies I give you after
you are finished with them. Try to remember to do this especially with the small
assignments. Just staple the written piece I give you to your homework. Your
cooperation with this is much appreciated.
Grading Rubric:
I won’t be grading your drafts. I will write my suggestions on them about how to
revise, and you can come to tutoring to get help. Revise as often as you can until
the final date. The more you revise, the better your writing will be and the higher
your mark. I don’t recommend leaving all your writing until just before the due
date. If you do, you won’t get time to revise or get suggestions from me.
When I do grade your papers, this is what I will be looking for:
1) Ideas: Are they creative and interesting?
2) Organization: Is the paper well-organized?
3) Voice, Tone, and Register: Are these appropriate for the assignment?
4) Is the writing clear? Does it tell a story with characters and actions?
5) Is the writing cohesive? Do the paragraphs have consistent topics?
6) Does the writing have emphasis? Does it present old information at the
beginning of sentences and new information at the ends?
7) Is the writing coherent? Does the introduction have a clear issue, discussion, and
point?
8) Is the writing concise?
9) Does the author use transitions and vary the length of her sentences?
9) Is the writing grammatically correct and the presentation pleasing?
WB 245
Spring 2009
Class Schedule
Date
26 Jan
Mon
Topic
Assignments
Answer questionnaire
Introductions
(bring to the Library next
Syllabus and schedule
Different kinds of science writing class)
Pictures
28 Jan
Wed
Meet at the Mansfield Library
entrance for overview of library
resources, research techniques
and primary and secondary
sources with Barry Brown (ML
283)
2 Feb
Mon
Problems with starting: topics and
ideas
The writing process: purpose and
audience
Ideas game
Editor of Montana Naturalist
Caroline Kurtz – introduction to
Field Notes
4 Feb
Wed
The writing process: organization
and outlines
9 Feb
Mon
The writing process: voice, tone
and register
11 Feb
Wed
The writing process: how to
manipulate voice, tone and
register – word choice
Purpose and audience
assignment
Come up with ideas for Field
Notes and start research.
First draft of Field Note due
Voice, tone and register
assignment
16 Feb
Mon
Holiday – NO CLASS
18 Feb
Wed
Job application packages: how to
write cover letters and resumes
with Dr. Erick Greene
Assessed Field Note
returned
23 Feb
Mon
How to write a proposal
Begin work on resume or
proposal
25 Feb
Wed
Revision : A short history of bad
writing
2 March
Mon
Revision: Clarity
Clarity assignment
4 March
Wed
Revision: Metadiscourse, jargon
and noun strings
9 March
Mon
11 March
Wed
Revision: Cohesion 1 –
beginnings of sentences and
topics
Revision: Cohesion 2 – thematic
strings
Metadiscourse assignment
First draft of resume or
proposal due
Cohesion assignment
Assessed resumes and
proposals returned
16 March
Mon
Revision: Emphasis – the ends of
sentences
Emphasis assignment
18 March
Wed
23 March
Mon
Revision: Coherence – points
Final resumes due
Revision: Concision
Concision assignment
25 March
Wed
Revision: Length, transitions and
elegance
Final Field Note due
27 March
Fri
Due date for Phil Wright
proposals
NOT A CLASS DAY
30 March
Mon
1 April
Wed
6 April
Mon
March Break – NO CLASS
8 April
Wed
Technical Science Writing (TSW)
presentation
13 April
Mon
TSW: Documenting sources
Work on posters in class
15 April
Wed
TSW: Methods and Results
Work on Methods and Results in
class. If there is time, work on
posters.
20 April
Mon
TSW: Figures and Tables
Work on Figures and Tables in
class.
22 April
Wed
Poster session
27 April
Mon
TSW: Discussions
Work on Discussion in class.
29 April
Wed
TSW: Introductions
Work on Introduction in class.
4 May
Mon
TSW: Abstracts, Titles
Work on Abstract and Title in
class.
6 May
Wed
Summary, faculty evaluation
March Break – NO CLASS
How to prepare a poster
UMCUR poster session
assignment
Form groups in class and
select a poster topic
Documenting sources
assignment
Posters due
Read background papers for
Discussion and Introduction
Final TSW paper due