RWS 200: The Rhetoric of Written Arguments in Context
Spring 2014 Course Syllabus
Instructor: Anita Zachary
E-mail: azachary@pitzer.edu
Class meets: E 201
Office Location: SH116
Hours: T 2-3:00
Tues. & Thurs. 12:30-1: 45
Materials
Required: Ede, Lisa: The Academic Writer (3rd edition)
Assigned readings which will be posted on Blackboard. Print and
bring to class when assigned.
Access to a printer and paper
Suggested: Bullock & Weinberg: The Little Seagull Handbook
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
Course Description
RWS 200 is a course in academic writing and reading, emphasizing the rhetorical
analysis of arguments in context. Building on RWS 100, the course asks students to
continue the work of articulating what argument a text is making and describing elements
of the argument. It now asks them to also consider the contexts of arguments and to
discover what arguments are responding to, both in the sense of what has come before
them and in the sense that they are written for an audience in a particular place and time.
In RWS 100 you learned that no text is autonomous, and that all writers draw upon other
texts, including the texts of their own histories and cultures, to create new texts. You
began to learn that a perspective, an idea or even a single sentence from one text can
suggest a question that needs investigating or provide a framework for interpreting and
writing about experiences, observations, or the work of another author. RWS 200
reinforces this learning, taking context, as its key term.
Context is a term that refers to: (1) the roots of an idea (for example, the religious and
philosophical ideas from Socrates, the Bible and Gandhi are some of the roots of Martin
Luther King’s discussions of non-violence); (2) the time and place in which a writer is
writing and the particular audience addressed; (3) the variety of texts available on a
particular topic; (4) the current moment in which one is reading a text—one’s own
social/cultural/historical context.
The course examines the ways in which writers use sources in their writing in order to
pursue questions and understand both experiences and texts. By the end of the course,
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you should be able to write and revise papers for which you have investigated arguments
in context, created significant relationships among them, and shown an understanding of
their positioned, cultural dimension. You should be able to make independent decisions
about structure, cohesion, and conventions of correctness. You should be able to present
an argument, not in the sense of defending an already-formed opinion, but in the sense of
having inquired into a question and discovered ways to analyze, use, and respond to texts
about that question.
This course is linked to every other course taught in the Department of Rhetoric and
Writing Studies by the common threads of five shared, broad goals: to further your
rhetorical knowledge, hone your critical thinking and reading skills, facilitate your use of
composing processes, broaden your knowledge of conventions, and encourage you to
explore your attitudes and values in preparation for life beyond the university. These
broad learning goals will be enacted through the following specific guidelines.
General Education Capacities/Goals & RWS Learning Outcomes
Our learning outcomes reflect the goals and capacities of the General Education program.
RWS 200 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 arguments; 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 200 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




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 200 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:
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The following four outcomes describe the four major writing projects of “assignment
types” for the course. You will be able to:
1. Discern elements of context embedded in arguments, the clues that show what
the argument is responding to – both in the sense of what has come before it
and the sense that it is written for an audience in a particular time and place;
examine a writer’s language in relation to audience, context, and community;
2. Use concepts and arguments from one text as a context for understanding and
writing about another;
3. Given the common concerns of two or more arguments, discuss how the
claims of these arguments modify, complicate, or qualify one another;
4. Consider your contemporary, current life as the context within which you are
reading a group of arguments; position yourself in relation to ongoing
research and discussion in order to make an argument, drawing on available
key terms, concepts of frameworks of analysis to help shape the argument.
The following points describe outcomes to work on throughout the semester:
5. Building on the work done in RWS 100, you will be able to articulate what
argument a text is making, describe the work that is done by each section of
the argument, describe elements of the argument such as claims, methods of
development, kinds of evidence, persuasive appeals, translate an argument
into your own words;
6. Understand and incorporate all aspects of the writing process – including
prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading;
7. Articulate what key terms, definitions, concepts, statements of a problem or
issue are established by a text;
8. Investigate and articulate how an argument is positioned – based on certain
kinds of assumptions, located in a way of thinking and representing issues
from a point of view;
9. Work with multiple sources in a paper, deciding what to include and what to
exclude, choosing an effective structure, and creating significant relationships
among sources;
10. Craft a cohesive paper, and use effective metadiscourse to guide a reader
through it;
11. Describe your own papers and reflect on how you wrote them; differentiate
between the content of your texts and the language and rhetorical strategies
you employ;
12. Revise your own work effectively, re-reading previous work and reenvisioning it in the light of reflection, feedback, further reading, and new
sources of information;
13. Edit your writing for the grammar and usage conventions appropriate to the
project.
Course Requirements:
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You will be required to write 3 essays of 3-5 pages and 1 final paper 4-7 pages in length
for this course. Each essay will require at least one rough draft. All pre-writing, rough
drafts, and final drafts are due in-class on the date specified. Specific criteria for each
essay will be given along with the prompt.
1. Selected readings from the course reading (available on Blackboard) and
Academic Writer. These assignments will be announced in class.
2. Portfolio, This includes in-class work, reflective writing, and any assigned
homework. This may be collected from time to time, and will be turned in along
with your final paper at the end of the term.
3. Class participation in small-group activities, class discussions, and writing
workshops.
Course Objectives
The following four outcomes describe the four major writing projects for the course.
Students will be able to:

articulate a text’s argument and identify elements of context embedded in it,
the clues that show what the argument is responding to--both in the sense of
what has come before it and in the sense that it is written for an audience in a
particular time and place; examine a writer’s language in relation to audience,
context and community;

use concepts and arguments from one text as a context for understanding and
writing about another. One text will provide a “lens” through which another
text can be evaluated.

given the common concerns of two or more arguments, students will map
major points of similarity, difference, contrast and connection between texts
concerning a single issue analyzing the context in which a set of arguments
are made.

consider their contemporary, current life as the context within which they are
reading the arguments assigned in the class; position themselves in relation to
these arguments and additional ones in order to make an argument; draw on
select texts to construct a context that allows you to “enter the conversation”
and advance your own claims.
Grading and Evaluation
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Each paper will receive a letter grade based on the quality of work it presents.
Participation will also 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:
Paper 2:
Paper 3:
20%
20%
20%
Paper 4:
Portfolio:
Participation:
20%
10%
10%
Assignment/Essay Sequence:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Paper One: Analysis of an Argument in Context
Paper Two: Using One Text as a “Lens” on Another
Paper Three: Analyzing the Context in which a Set of Arguments are made
Paper Four: Advancing an Argument in the Contemporary Context
Course Policies
Participation. This is a class in communication, so your participation is essential. Get
involved. Volunteer. Question. Probe. Share relevant ideas and observations. Offer
your own experiences. It is imperative that you attend class; three or more absences will
damage your grade. It is also important that you turn in informal exercises and come to
class prepared to discuss the day’s assignments. This is a case of mutual preparedness
and respect. In addition, much of the course is collaborative and as such, depends on you
to regularly contribute your insights as well as for you to receive feedback. No in-class
work can be made up. It is your responsibility to contact a classmate to find out what
went on in class. Furthermore, it is your responsibility to officially withdraw from any
classes not attended and to discuss anticipated absences with me.
Writing Assignment Requirements. Specific requirements for assignments will be
discussed in class. Assignments are due on the date indicated in the course calendar. All
assignments must be prepared with appropriate software and should conform to the
conventions of the genre. Keep a copy of all assignments you hand in. Maintain a
cumulative file that includes all your assignments. The documents in this file will serve
as a base for you to judge your improvement during the semester. You do not have to turn
in this file, but in the unlikely event of a lost paper, you will be happy you have kept
copies.
Late Papers. All assignments for this course are to be on time (i.e., due at the beginning
of the class period), typed, and stapled. Try to avoid late papers. However, you can
receive an extension for good cause if you (1) contact me before the assignment is due by
means of a formal memo in which you explain the reason for the delay and (2) propose in
the memo a reasonable deadline (less than one week), which you then keep. You can use
this option no more than once in a semester.
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Group Work. Group work will constitute a portion of your final grade. Peer workshop
will be done in class. Be respectful and courteous to your fellow students.
Plagiarism. While this problem is highly improbable in this course due to the
individualized nature of the assignments, any writing suspected of plagiarism may result
in a failing grade, withdrawal, or in extensive revisions. Plagiarism is a violation of Title
5, California Administrative Code, Part 5, Section 4130(a) and is to be taken seriously.
Use of Media During Class. With the exception of the media used in the class to
complete individual and group assignments, all cell phones and other personal media
devices are to be turned off during class. Furthermore, during class time, the computers
in our classroom as well as personal computers are to be used only for RWS 200-related
assignments.
Come See Me for Help. You can always make an appointment to see me. You can
email me with any question or comment. Please use email during daytime, weekday
hours if you want an immediate response. Evenings and weekends will have a slower
response time. Also, please make an appointment if you have concerns, questions, or
problems with any assignment.
Turnitin Policy: Turnitin (integrated within Blackboard) will be used in this course for
many assignments. Students in this course agree that papers are subject to submission for
textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism, as well as for
online evaluation, feedback and grading by the instructor, and peer review by fellow class
members. 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. If you
need to meet outside of the office hours posted, please email me to set up an appointment.
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 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. Their
website is http://writingcenter.sdsu.edu/. Students who need assistance with course
concepts or writing assignments in English or ESL are encouraged to contact the
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department of Rhetoric and Writing Studies at (619) 594-6515 for more information on
drop-in tutoring hours.
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).
Student Athletes: Student-athletes have very demanding, dynamic schedules that 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 StudentAthlete Support Services (SASS) to help you excel in this course. For more information
on SASS’ academic advising and tutoring services, call (619) 594-4743.
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COURSE OUTLINE AND READING SCHEDULE
The following schedule is approximate, as dates and topics may shift as the semester
continues. Check the wiki and/or Blackboard for current information on due dates.
Week 1
Jan 23: Syllabus; Understanding Context
Jan 26: Key Terms and Concepts
Week 2
Jan 28: Pre-reading strategies
Jan 30: Reading strategies; Introduction to How an Argument Persuades an Audience
Week 3
Feb 4: Begin discussion of Haydar [Note: Feb 4 is the last day to drop classes]
Feb 6: Haydar
Week 4
Feb 11: Haydar, Nussbaum
Feb 13: Nussbaum
Week 5
Feb 18: Paper #1 Rough Draft Due; Peer Editing (bring 4 copies)
Feb 20: Conferences, Class cancelled.
Week 6
Feb 25: Paper #1 Due; Introduction to using one Text as a Lens on Another
Feb 27: Wallace.
Week 7
Mar 4: Demagoguery
Mar 6: You Tube: Racism, School Desegregation Laws and the Civil Rights
Movement
Week 8
Mar 11: Wallace.
Mar 13: Paper #2Rough Draft Due; Workshop (bring 4 copies to class)
Week 9
Mar 18: Conferencing
Mar 20: Conferencing
Week 10
Mar 25: Paper #2 Due; Introduction to Analyzing Context wherein a set of Arguments
is made.
Mar 27: Possible Library Visit, Inequality, Krugman
Week 11
April 1: NO CLASS SPRING BREAK
April 3: NO CLASS SPRING BREAK
Week 12
April 8: Murray, Brooks
April 10: Stiglitz
Week 13
April 15: Paper #3 Rough Draft Due; Workshop (bring 4 copies to class)
April 17: Conferencing, class cancelled
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Week 14
April 22: Paper #3 Due; Introduction to Argument in the Contemporary Context Paper
#4
April 24: Paper 4
Week 15
April 29: Paper #4 Rough Draft Due; Workshop (bring 3 copies to class)
May 1: Conferencing Class cancelled
Finals Week May 8: Optional Conferences
May 15: Final Paper #4 Due, Portfolio Due
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