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AMIND STDS. 120
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
PROF. ALAN KILPATRICK
OFFICE: Arts & Letter 327
PHONE: 619-594-1679
EMAIL: akilpatr@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Hours: 1-4 W/ TBA
The purpose of this course is to develop students’ rhetoric and writing skills so
that they can successfully negotiate writing assignments at the university level.
By the end of the course, students should be able to identify the salient features
of a written argument and to write a critical response which is both coherent and
logical. They should also be able to develop sound research techniques which
will allow them to find information efficiently and to develop editorial skills which
will allow them to revise their papers into effective vehicles of human
communication.
COURSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
GOAL 1: Be able to explicate the main socio-economic problems which confront
minority communities.
Objective 1.1
demonstrate an understanding of the complexity of
issues which confront modern Native American
societies.
Objective 1.2
demonstrate an understanding of the effect of
Post-Colonialism on marginalized people.
GOAL 2: Develop skills that will help students meet the college level writing
requirement.
Objective 2.1
demonstrate the ability to analyze texts and to create
cogent and logical oral and written responses.
Objective 2.2
demonstrate the ability to research a topic and
to extract pertinent information from bibliographic
sources.
Objective 2.3
demonstrate the ability to utilize all aspects of the
writing process involving editing, revising, and
proofreading.
Objective 2.4.
demonstrate the ability to orally articulate their
arguments in a clear and persuasive manner.
TEXTS:
2
REQUIRED:
The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison, 1970, NY: Vintage Books (or later editions)
CLASS READER: Montezuma Publishing will furnish you with this
anthology for a nominal price.
OPTIONAL:
Keys for Writers, Ann Raimes, 4th ed.
REQUIREMENTS
Students wil be expected to attend class regularly and to participate in the
discussions. It is your responsibility to attend class on a regular basis. An
occasional absence for medical or personal reasons is acceptable. However,
excessive “unexcused” absences will result in a 1.0 point grade reduction.
Students will be required to produce two acceptable written papers as well as
complete a series of guided in-class writing exercises. Successful papers will be
polished and proofed and will feature an articulated argument that is
substantiated by textual examples.
Your grade will be based on the following criteria:
1) Essay #1 (concept, rough draft and final draft)
2) Essay #2 ( “
“
)
Group Presentations
In-class Writing Assignments/ Peer Review critiques
40%
40%
10%
10%
NOTE: In order to pass the course, STUDENTS MUST COMPLETE ALL
REQUIREMENTS.
STUDENT CONDUCT:
Students will be expected to maintain a reasonable public decorum and to
conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with a university-based
learning system. Disrupting the class by arriving late, leaving early, reading
extraneous material, TEXTING, USING CELL PHONES, or talking to other
students during lectures is considered rude and will not be tolerated! In such
cases, the instructor reserves the right to dismiss the student from the
classroom. All cell phones should remain off during class.
Plagiarism is considered an academic felony. Evidence of such activity on
papers or exams will result in immediate failure in the course. Regulations about
student cheating and classroom behavior are covered in the Judicial Procedures
Guidelines, San Diego State University. See also California Code of Regulations,
Title V., No 41301, section D and Student Discipline and Grievances in the
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General Catalog and Announcement of Courses, Vol. 85, 1998-99, pps. 96-97,
San Diego State University.
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE
Week ONE:
AUG. 26
ASSIGNMENT:
Discussion of the syllabus and the organization of class
assignments. In-Class Diagnostic Writing Exercise.
VIDEO: “Mystery of the First Americans” (ON RESERVE AT
LOVE LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER)
UNIT ONE: RACE
Week TWO:
SEPT. 2nd:
ASSIGNMENT:
Week THREE:
Sept. 9th:
Week FOUR :
SEPT. 16th
ASSIGNMENT:
Week FIVE:
SEPT. 23rd
ASSIGNMENT:
LECTURE: What is an Indian? Race vs. Ethnicity
CLASS WILL BE ASSIGNED INTO GROUPS
ARTICLES: “Kennewick Man- A Kin? Too distant” (Barkan
and Bush); “Why Anthropologists Study Human Remains”
(Patricia M. Landau and D. Gentry Steele); and “American
Indians, Anthropologists, Pothunters, and Repatriation”
(Devon A. Mihesuah).
GROUPS 1 and 2 WILL PRESENT.
ALL STUDENTS will outline the main points of the 3 articles.
Consider the following: the scientific arguments about the
value of reconstructing diet, disease, and historical
circumstances versus Mihesuah’s concerns about violations
of Native religion as well as the perpetuation of racial and
cultural stereotypes.
GROUP #3 WILL PRESENT.
ALL STUDENTS will prepare FIRST DRAFT of paper.
BRING TYPED DRAFT OF PAPER #1 TO CLASS for peer
review.
Read TONI MORRISON novel, The Bluest Eye.
UNIT TWO: GENDER
4
Week SIX:
SEPT. 30th
PAPER #1 DUE (NO LATE PAPERS!!!) HARD COPIES ONLY!!!
Group #4 WILL PRESENT The Bluest Eye. GROUPS #5-8 should meet
to
ASSIGNMENT:
Week SEVEN:
OCT. 7th
ASSIGNMENT:
Week EIGHT:
OCT. 14th
Week NINE:
OCT 21st
ASSIGNMENT:
audience
organize their presentations.
ARTICLES: Intro & Chap. 1 “The Hands of God” from The
Riddle of Gender (Deborah Rudacille); “Confessions of an
Eater” (Kim Chernin) and “The Disease of Young Women”
(Brett Silverstein and Deborah Peck).
TBA
REVIEW ARTICLES: Intro & Chap. 1 “The Hands of God”
from The Riddle of Gender (Deborah Rudacille);
“Confessions of an Eater” (Kim Chernin) and “The Disease
of Young Women” (Brett Silverstein and Deborah Peck).
ALL STUDENTS should outline main ideas in the three articles.
VIDEO: “SEXUALITY” (National Geographic special)
Groups 5-8 should meet to organize presentations.
Groups 5 & 6 will present
Sherman Alexie’s “Class.”
(Consider Alexie’s writing style, characterization, and
narrative technique. How does this contribute to his
and appreciation of his message).
UNIT THREE: CLASS
Week TEN:
OCT. 28th
Groups 7 & 8 will present
PAPER #2 TOPIC TO BE ASSIGNED.
5
Week ELEVEN:
NOV. 4th
ASSIGNMENT:
Week TWELVE:
NOV. 11th
TBA
Develop draft of Paper #2
BRING TYPED ROUGH DRAFT TO CLASS. Peer Review
of First Paragraph of Paper #2
Week THIRTEEN:
NOV. 18th
BRING TYPED ROUGH DRAFT to class. Peer Review.
Week FOURTEEN:
NOV. 25th
NO CLASS!! THANKSGIVING!!!
Week FIFTEEN:
DEC. 2nd
LAST DAY OF CLASS: PAPER #2 IS DUE!!!
(NO LATE PAPERS!!!)