ENG 200-009 | 1
ENG 200-009 College Writing and Reading II
Spring 2014 | Tues/Thurs 3:30-4:45 | MO 201
Ms. Sofia Molestina | office hours: Tues./Thurs. 2:15-3:15 or by appt.
MO 159 | molestinas@uncw.edu
About the Course
ENG200: College Writing and Reading II Global Emphasis (3) Prerequisite: ENG100 or 101
and sophomore standing. College-level writing and reading, including continued practice in the
composing process, with emphasis on argumentation and research in global diversity. Projects
will employ a rhetorical approach to international issues and will identify, evaluate, analyze,
synthesize, and document information from print and online sources.
Many of the assignments and resources that we will use in this course will be accessed and
submitted through Blackboard Learn. Our schedule and syllabus are also posted there. To access
the course, go to https://learn.uncw.edu/, and enter your email username and password. It is very
important that you check our course regularly throughout the semester for any changes in the
schedule, new resources, and/or announcements.
Learning Outcomes
 Students will identify the structural components, including thesis, supporting evidence, and
various rhetorical strategies, for all essays read and written. Students will articulate in a
variety of venues how audience expectation shapes purpose in their own writing and in the
essays they read. [CMP1]
 Through a variety of writing and speaking opportunities, students will demonstrate how
multiple assigned readings are 'in conversation' with one another. Students will conduct
research based upon the questions that develop through their own analyses of assigned texts,
thereby furthering their own learning processes and developing their own information
literacies. [CMP2]
 Students will conduct research, thereby familiarizing themselves with online databases, webbased materials, and print-based sources. Students will summarize an array of viewpoints
they have read on a given topic. Students will synthesize these viewpoints as a means of
'mapping' a field of perspectives. Students will analyze these viewpoints in order to assess
how and where their own views and experiences relate to those they've encountered in their
reading. [CMP3]
 Students will demonstrate a familiarity with the stages of the composing process. Students
will engage in rubric-guided peer review. Students will demonstrate through proofreading
and editing an awareness of the difference between a working draft and a polished version of
an essay. Students will enact a revision of their writing, thereby demonstrating an awareness
of the ongoing nature of the writing process. [CMP4]
 Students will identify not only the print or online source from which their readings are taken
but will also identify the historical and geographical specificities of the author's writing
situation. Such an emphasis on source specificity will familiarize students with issues of
concern to writers from a variety of locations, and, as a result, students will be able to
articulate what issues matter to whom, where, when, and why. [GS1]
ENG 200-009 | 2
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Students will analyze and synthesize the globally-dispersed perspectives presented in course
readings and research in order to address and complete specific writing prompts and
exercises. [GS2]
Students will demonstrate an awareness of how their own views on given topics relate to
those of writers from around the world. This awareness of relation introduces students to
cultural difference and encourages students to tolerate cultural ambiguity. [GS3]
Students will define key issues/questions related to given topics. Students will identify the
necessary sources required to develop their understanding of these issues/questions. [IL1]
Students will practice a variety of research strategies. Students will then conduct research via
appropriate databases and other sources to develop their analysis or argument. [IL2]
Students will be able to discern reliable sources from unreliable ones. Students will recognize
and question their own and other writers' assumptions. [IL3]
Students will collect and organize research to further their analysis and/or argument of a
chosen issue or position. [IL4]
Students will learn and practice MLA documentation and the skills, including summary,
synthesis, and direct citation, necessary to incorporate references to outside sources. Students
will know what plagiarism is. [IL5]
Course Materials
A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers. 8th edition. Lee A. Jacobus.
Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2013. Print.
ISBN: 978-1-4576-0443-0
Assignments
PARTICIPATION: Active participation is required and crucial to the success and learning
experience of the class. We are all eager to hear what you have to say. Your participation grade
will be reflected in your final grade at the end of the semester. It will be determined by one of
these categories:
 If you come prepared to class (not just with reading/writing materials but also having
read and reflected on the assigned material), consistently present thoughtful and
enlightening comments, engage in a public dialogue with your classmates that builds on
what your peers have to say while remaining accommodating and tolerant, your final
grade can be raised up to a third of a letter grade (i.e., from a B+ to an A-).
 If you participate regularly, answer questions accordingly, and at least bring the required
materials to class, your final grade will remain the same.
 If you rarely participate, disrupt the class, or consistently come unprepared, then you can
lose up to a third of a letter grade on your final grade.
RESPONSE PAPERS: Response papers will be assigned throughout the semester, but they are
entirely optional. They are designed to improve your writing. If you complete a response paper
by the due date assigned, then I will return it to you with thorough and constructive feedback. I
will not assign them a grade, but this feedback will assist you in significantly improving your
essays. Although these response papers are not required, they are highly encouraged.
ESSAYS: The course requires four essays that will be outlined at the appropriate time. They
should be done in MS Word and follow proper MLA format. You will lose 1 full letter grade
ENG 200-009 | 3
per late day, including days that we do not meet for class. If you miss class on a day that an essay
is due, be sure to email it to me by the beginning of class on the day that it is due. On the next
class period, bring me a printed copy of your essay for grading purposes. All drafts must be
complete and meet the page-length requirements, typed, follow proper MLA format, 12 font,
Times New Roman, and meet the specifications which will be assigned when the topic is given.
A full letter grade will be automatically deducted from the essay’s final grade for each page that
you don’t complete according to the prompt’s page length requirement. One third of a letter
grade will be automatically deducted for improper heading, header, font, margins, and/or
spacing. Each essay’s specifications will be detailed on the essay prompts. Please print and bring
to class on the due date stated on the calendar. All essays must also have the “Checklist 101”
form stapled to the back of the essay. Furthermore, you are to submit your essay on SafeAssign
through Blackboard within the day that the essay is due (before midnight). Be sure to upload it as
a Microsoft Word document. If you do not have MS Word, email your essay to yourself, go to
Randall Library, open up the document on MS Word on one of the many available computers,
make sure that your formatting has not been altered through the transition, then attach the
document. Do not wait until 10 minutes before class to do this in case you have any technical
issues.
Please note that I have heard every excuse and blame against BB and email for missed
assignments. If your email or BB is giving you trouble, TAC is located in the back of the
library or you can call/email them for help at http://uncw.edu/itsd/help/livesupport.html
PRESENTATION/DICUSSION: In the third unit of this course, you will deliver a presentation
and lead class discussion for one of the assigned readings. You will also assemble a Works Cited
page with relevant secondary or primary sources for the assigned reading. Sign-ups and further
details about what this entails will be given at the end of Unit 2.
EXTRA CREDIT: You will receive one third of a letter grade increase on any of your four major
essays if you make a one-on-one writing consultation appointment with the Writing Center. The
appointment should reflect the paper in which you wish to receive extra credit.
http://uncw.edu/ulc/appointmentinstructions.html
You should take advantage of this excellent resource.
All writing assignments (responses, essays, etc.) should be typed in 12 point Times New
Roman font, include an MLA heading and header, and have 1” margins all around.
Grading
ESSAY 1 (Argumentative): 15%
ESSAY 2 (Explanatory): 20%
ESSAY 3 (Compare and Contrast Explanatory): 20%
ESSAY 4 (Research-based Argumentative): 30%
Presentation and Discussion: 15%
GRADING RUBRIC FOR ESSAYS
Adapted from http://www.csun.edu/%7Ejtthomas/evaluation.htm
A-papers demonstrate a thoughtful, original engagement with the text or group of texts at hand.
ENG 200-009 | 4
In addition to being polished, proof-read documents, they are also well-organized, use
conventional English grammar, employ striking language, and develop a strong, original thesis.
This thesis is rooted in the terms, concepts, and issues of the course, and shows a clear
understanding and appreciation of the complexities of these issues.
B-papers demonstrate a thoughtful engagement with the text or group of texts at hand. They are
well-organized, contain only a few grammatical or typographical errors, show an awareness and
a competent understanding of the terms, concepts, and issues of the course, and use these terms
to advance a thesis.
C-papers demonstrate that the student has read the text or group of texts at hand. They contain
more than a few grammatical or typographical errors; sometimes these errors lead to
miscommunication. They refer to the terms and concepts of the course, but sometimes misuse
terms or fail to adequately appreciate their complexity. Often, their theses involve a series of
observations regarding the text at hand, but do not strive to show how these observations hang
together. Sometimes these observations may seem contradictory and need more explanation to
show why they are not.
D-papers demonstrate that the student has read the text in a cursory way, sometimes ignoring
important elements of the text. They may contain an unacceptable number of grammatical and
typographical errors, and these errors often lead to miscommunication. They may mention a few
terms, but often these terms are misapplied. If they mention other texts, they do not make clear
why the references are necessary. If they have a thesis, they do not adequately support it, and
sometimes outright contradict it in the body of the paper.
F-papers do not engage the text at hand in a meaningful way, often suggesting that the student
has not completed or begun the assignment. They contain no recognizable thesis, or, if they do,
the body of the paper does not support the thesis. If they refer to any of the course terms or
concepts, they demonstrate a lack of adequate comprehension. F papers contain an unacceptable
number of grammatical and typographical errors.
Policies
ATTENDANCE: Being present for class discussions will benefit you in your class performance.
It is important that you do not miss anymore than two classes; your participation points will be
affected after two missed days of class. Your instructor, classmates and own intellectual
development should be taken into consideration every day of the course. One semester is not
very long for teaching everything necessary in ENG 200; therefore, missing any number of
classes will greatly affect what and how much you learn. Two late arrivals (after I’ve taken
attendance) or leaving early two times will result in one absence. A total of six absences will
result in a failing grade for the course. If you are late, please make sure (after class) that I have
marked you present.
A note on conferences: You are required to meet with me on the dates scheduled for our
conferences. If you do not show up or come unprepared, then you will be counted absent for that
date. Coming prepared means you will have a near completed draft of your essay; notes and
outlines will not be accepted.
The following is taken from another English professor’s syllabus and explains accurately the
way absences at a university work:
ENG 200-009 | 5
Absences are not “excused”—i.e., extenuating circumstances such as illness, social and
family obligations, and emergencies do not “remove” absences. If you are absent from a
class, that means you are absent from a class. You are NOT expected to inform me of the
cause of an absence, before or after it. The exception would be if a severe and urgent
problem develops in your life that will affect your performance in the class. In this case, I
may advise you to drop with a “W” or incomplete. But as a general rule, I don’t want to
know why you were, are or will be absent. That’s the domain of your personal
life...THEREFORE, UNDERSTAND AT THE OUTSET THAT YOU SHOULD SAVE
THESE 2 ABSENCES for circumstances that may arise in your life that are beyond your
control and necessitate absence—such as but not necessarily limited to: illness, car
breakdown, family emergencies, and the like.
(Elizabeth James)
COMMUNICATION WITH ME, THE INSTRUCTOR: I am your instructor, so I expect you to
be formal when addressing me, as I will be with you. Check your email frequently (daily); I will
use it to update assigned readings and exercises as the need arises. I am also best reached through
email. I have many students so please email me in addition to any plans agreed upon during faceto-face conversation (e.g., if we agree after class to meet to discuss one of your essays, email me
as a kind reminder). All emails should have a formal tone and voice and have an appropriate
subject line and salutations; for example,
(Subject Line) Eng 009: Request to Meet About Essay I
Dear Ms. Molestina,
I was wondering if I could schedule an office appointment this Thursday
to discuss my thesis for Essay I. If Thursday is okay with you, please let
me know a time that will work best.
Sincerely,
Jane Doe
*I will not respond to an email that does not adhere to these guidelines. I will not respond to an
email sent over the weekend—Saturday or Sunday—until Monday arrives.
*If you would like to talk to me at length and in person, I sincerely encourage you to make an
appointment to meet with me. I am always eager to talk about your writing if you are willing.
ACADEMIC HONESTY: All students must adhere to the following pledge:
As a student at The University of North Carolina Wilmington, I am committed to
honesty and truthfulness in academic inquiry and in the pursuit of knowledge. I pledge to
uphold and promote the UNCW Student Academic Honor Code.
Cheating, plagiarism and other dishonesties will not be tolerated. Please refer to the
University’s Honor Code for further information on any such offenses:
http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/odos/honorcode/about.html
ENG 200-009 | 6
RECYCLING PAPERS: It is not permissible in this class to re-use an essay you wrote for
another course. Crafting essays is a chance for you to grow intellectually and the more you write,
the better you will become at it. I expect you to employ what you have learned in this course
onto the essays that you write.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: If diagnosed with any disabilities that might affect your
learning and classroom experience, please refer to the Office of Disability Services (910-9627555). Provide me with a copy of the disability form so that I can make the proper
accommodations to make your learning environment more suitable and effective.
CLASSROOM COURTESY AND RESPECT: We will be involved in many classroom
discussions. Free speech will be practiced in our classroom just as it is outside of the classroom. I
expect all students to come to class with a willing and open mind. While we do not always have
to agree—in fact, I hope that this will not be the case—we must all respect one another.
http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/pdc/documents/SeahawkRespectCompact.pdf
UNCW practices a zero-tolerance policy for violence and harassment of any kind. If you do
experience problems, contact UNCW CARE at 910-962-2273, Campus Police at 910-962-3184,
or Wilmington Police at 911. For University community resources visit
http://uncw.edu/wrc/crisis.htm
CELL PHONES, LAPTOPS, ETC: Please be respectful to your classmates and instructor, and
have your cell phone turned off during the entire course time. Should your cell phone ring or
vibrate during class or should I see you text messaging (it is very obvious), you will be counted
as late/tardy for that day. If you have a prior emergency in which you will need to be attentive to
your cell phone, talk to me prior to our class meeting.
Laptops and tablets are not permitted during class discussions; however, they may be used for inclass assignments or when otherwise noted.
RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE POLICY: In accordance with NC SL 2010-211, you are entitled
to two excused absences for religious observances per academic year. You must inform me in
writing the first week of class if you will be missing any classes due to religious observance and
using one of the two permissible absences for the academic year. In addition, please inform the
Registrar the first week of class who will then confirm your intentions to miss class with the
impacted course instructors. Any absence for religious purposes will be considered unexcused
unless you submit the request in writing the first week to either me or the Registrar.
THE UNCW STATEMENT ON DIVERSITY IN THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY: As an
institution of higher learning, the University of North Carolina Wilmington represents a rich
diversity of human beings among its faculty, staff, and students and is committed to maintaining
a campus environment that values that diversity. Accordingly, the university supports policies,
curricula, and co-curricular activities that encourage understanding of and appreciation for all
members of its community and will not tolerate any harassment or disrespect for persons because
of race, gender, age, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, disability, sexual
orientation, political affiliation, marital status, or relationship to other university constituents.
ENG 200-009 | 7
Students with Disabilities information and resources available at
http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/disability/
DATE
T
1/14
Argument Strategies:
The College Essay
TR
1/16
T
1/21
CLASS TOPIC
ASSIGNMENTS
DUE
Week 1
First day of class
- Syllabus and understanding course rules and
expectations.
- Activity: Argument Clinic Video: students
determine what an argument is
- Lecture: difference between a claim (opinion)
and an argument (claim + reasoning).
- Lecture: Audience, Voice, Tone
- Lecture: Annotations
- Activity: Annotate and discuss Adler essay
(audience, voice, and tone)
- Lecture: Different aspects of a paragraph w/
example handout.
- Activity: Pick subject as a class, make factual
observations, generate a claim based on
observations, write a paragraph.
Week 2
- Discussion: Origins of Halloween, claims made
about Halloween.
- Discussion: Benjamin article
- Activity: Common fallacies handout;
brainstorm variety of evidence (find examples
from the article).
- Go over Essay 1
HOMEWORK
- Read: Syllabus and “How to Mark a
Book” by Mortimer Adler”
(http://chuma.cas.usf.edu/~pinsky/mark_a
_book.htm)
- Get the course textbook.
- Bring printed copy
of Adler essay.
- Read: “5 Logical Fallacies that Make
You Wrong More Than You Think” by
Kathy Benjamin
(http://www.cracked.com/article_19468_5
-logical-fallacies-that-make-you-wrongmore-than-you-think.html)
- Write: One-paragraph argument
- One-paragraph
argument
- Bring printed copy
of Benjamin article
- Brainstorm possible Essay ideas; email
me with questions.
- Bring laptops
- Read “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan
Swift (Blackboard)
- Write: Response to “A Modest Proposal”
- Bring printed
version of Swift
essay
- Response to Swift
due
- Read: History and background of “A
Modest Proposal”
- Begin working on Essay; schedule a
conference with me if you need assistance
or feedback.
- Bring back Swift’s
- Write: Outline for Essay 1 and final draft
*Last day for registration/Last day to drop without a
grade or add a class
TR
1/23
Activity: Remove paragraph breaks and
connecting words from a passage or short essay,
make students add transitions and separate into
paragraphs.
Lecture: Handout on separating and transitioning
between ideas.
Activity: Have students write headings and
change settings for MLA.
T
1/28
Introduction, Thesis, Conclusion
Week 3
- Lecture: Introduction, Thesis, Conclusion w/
handout
- Activity: Identify and describe Swift’s
introduction, thesis, and conclusion.
- Activity: Identify key supporting points and
rewrite Swift’s thesis statement.
- Writing a Thesis Handout
- Outlining Handout
(Bring questions on Thursday about handouts)
TR
Organizational Strategies and Other Perspectives
1/30
essay
of Essay 1
- Essay 1 due with
Outline
- Read: “Democracy and Oligarchy” by
Aristotle (A World of Ideas-AWI)
- Read: “Islam and Democracy” by
Benazir Bhutto (AWI) and TBA
- Bring
Summarizing
Handout and course
book.
- Read: “The Qualities of the Prince” by
Niccoló Machiavelli (AWI) and TBA
- Lecture: Handout on classical oration and
Rogerian and organization
- Discussion: Swift’s organizational strategies.
- Discussion: History of Irish-English
relationship, dealing with contentious issues,
representing alternative/contradictory
perspectives.
Week 4
T
2/4
Understanding,
Explaining, and Using
Arguments
TR
2/6
* Make up snow-day work *
Summarizing Texts and Explanatory Arguments
(Making Inferences)
- Activity: Analysis (summaries) of global
propaganda posters and/or paintings w/specific
historical context.
- Lecture: Making inferences, explicit vs.
implicit points/arguments.
-Summarizing Handout
T
2/11
Week 5
Summarizing/paraphrasing and Indentifying Key
Points and Supporting Details
- Activity: Identify key points as a class. Groups
paraphrase key points. Summarize as a class
using handout.
- Lecture: History/biography/cultural lesson
- Discussion: Connect contextual information to
argument
-Go over Essay 2
TR
2/13
- Read: “The Defense of Injustice” by
Marcus Tullius Cicero
(http://faculty.piercecollege.edu/borgdj/cla
sses/English%20101/CiceroThe%20Defense%20of%20Injustice.pdf)
- Read: TBA
Summarizing cont., Paraphrasing, & Quoting,
Primary and Secondary Sources, and MLA
Works Cited and in-text
- Summarize Machiavelli
- Lecture: Handout on quoting; primary vs.
secondary texts
- Write Response (MLA)
Week 6
T
2/18
Contextualizing Arguments
- Response due
- Brainstorm possible Essay ideas; email
me with questions.
- Read: “The Origin of Civil Society” by
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (AWI) and TBA
- Choose Essay 2 prompt
- Write: Response on Rousseau
TR 2/20
Getting Started with Essay 2
- Bring laptops
- Response due
- Write: First draft of Essay 2 for
conferences.
- Class cancelled for conferences.
- Essay 2 first draft
with Outline due
- Write: Final draft of Essay 2
- Look over readings for Unit 3; choose
three readings for presentation.
Library Day
-Essay 2 final draft
due
- Read: “Civil Disobedience” by Thoreau;
“The Aim of Man” by Aristotle; “The
Personal and the Collective Unconscious”
by Jung (AWI)
- Write: Response to one of the readings
- Response due
- Read: “Morality as Anti-Nature” by
Nietzche (AWI)
- Discussion: Rousseau
- Activity: Group students according to essay
prompt, workshop & group conferences.
- Sign up for conferences
Week 7
T
2/25
TR 2/27
Finding and
Synthesizing Primary
and Secondary Sources
- Introduce Essay 3 and presentations
- Sign up for presentation date
- Finding supplementary readings, background
information
*Tomorrow is the last day to withdraw with a
“W.”
Week 8
T
3/4
Spring Break – No Classes
TR
3/6
Spring Break – No Classes
T
3/11
Week 9
Ethics and Morality (The Individual and the
Collective); Background Information
- Read: “Morality and Religion” by
Murdoch; “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
by King Jr. (AWI)
TR
3/13
Ethics and Morality (Evolution)
T
3/18
Ethics and Morality (Religion)
- Read: “Towards a Universal Ethics” by
Gazzaniga (AWI); Sam Harris TED Talk
(http://www.ted.com/talks/sam_harris_scie
nce_can_show_what_s_right.html)
TR
3/20
Ethics and Morality (Neuroscience)
- Read: The Communist Manifesto by
Marx (AWI)
- Write: Response on Marx (connect to
Week 10
prior readings)
Week 11
T
3/25
Wealth and Poverty (Capitalism)
TR
3/27
Wealth and Poverty (Philanthropy)
- Response on Marx
due
- Read: “The Gospel of Wealth” by
Carnegie (AWI)
- Read: “The Position of Poverty” by
Galbraith (AWI)
Week 12
T
4/1
Wealth and Poverty (Sharing Wealth)
- Read: “The Subjection of Women” by
Mill (AWI)
TR
4/3
Gender and Culture (Women and Economics)
- Read: “Sex and Temperament” by Mead
(AWI); Foucault essay TBA
Week 13
T
4/8
Gender and Culture (Sex and Society)
- Write: Outline and first draft of Essay 3
- Sign up for conferences
TR
4/10
- Classes cancelled for conferences
- Essay 4 prompt
- Outline and first
draft of Essay 3
- Write: Final draft of Essay 3
- Essay 3 due
- Read: find, read, and annotate at least 5
secondary sources related to research
agenda
- Bring in research
for Essay 4
- Bring laptops
Read: Sample research essays TBA
(BB); Peer review checklist (BB)
Week 14
T
4/15
Research Agendas and
Research-based
Arguments
Research Agendas
- Lecture: handout on research topics and
questions
TR
4/17
No Classes – Good Friday State Holiday
T
4/22
Synthesizing and Outlining
Week 15
-Lecture: Developing research questions and
synthesizing sources
- Activity: Students outline research
TR
4/24
Research Essay; Argumentation Review
- Discussion: Class review of sample essays
- Sign up for conferences
Week 16
- Write: Detailed outlined with completed
introduction and thesis for Essay 4. Begin
working on a draft if you can, but it is not
required.
T
4/29
*Last day of class
- Class cancelled for conferences; bring outline
and optional first draft
Week 17
T
5/6
EXAM DAY for -009: 3-6 PM – ESSAY #4 DUE
EXAM DAY for -011: 7-10 PM—ESSAY #4 DUE