RWS 100: Rhetoric and Written Argument
-Section 67-68, Fall 2014-
Professor: Megen O’Donnell
Office: TBD
Office Hours: TTH 10:00–12:30
Email: mro36@nau.edu
Class Meets: TTH 8:00–9:15 a.m. in AH 2103
REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS:
1) RWS 100 Course Reader: Listed under “O'Donnell” and/or “RWS 100,” available at the SDSU
bookstore. (Please be sure you are purchasing the correct reader as there are many)
2) Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic
Writing (2nd edition) W.W. Norton & Co., 2012.
3) Bullock, Richard, and Francine Weinberg, The Little Seagull Handbook. Norton 2012.
4) Please purchase: a binder or spiral bound notebook with a 2-pocket folder to store portfolio
work.
THEME: We live in an ever-shrinking world. All around us, each day, we experience and come into
contact with a variety of different peoples, cultures, and ideas. Each individual has their own story; he or
she is made up of his or her personal life experiences, all of which add color to an all-encompassing
historical mosaic. Marshall McLuhan, a philosopher, created the term "global village"—meaning a world
where human concerns and social spheres overlap and are quickly shared—to explain this concept. Each
person's actions, beliefs, and unique outlooks shape the one world around us. Because each person's
actions—and often more importantly, words—impact the world around us, it is in our best interest to have
an open heart and mind when listening to the thoughts and arguments of others.
However, it is equally important to scrutinize, mull-over, deconstruct, analyze, and evaluate these
arguments, which is exactly what we will do in this class. Together by reading a variety of articles and
speeches, we will practice interpreting, analyzing, evaluating and producing written argument as
argument is central to academic literacy, critical thinking, professional and civic life. We will learn to
write and revise papers in which we address complex arguments effectively, use source materials
responsibly and make sound decisions about audience, context, structure, and purpose.
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COURSE DESCRIPTION: In this course, we will practice interpreting, analyzing, evaluating and
producing written argument, as argument is central to academic literacy, critical thinking, professional
and civic life. We will learn to write and revise papers in which we address complex arguments
effectively, use source materials responsibly and make sound decisions about audience, context, structure,
and purpose. The course emphasizes quality in logic and diction, and is intended to build off of reading,
writing, and critical thinking skills. These skills you will develop are central to success in academic,
professional, and civic life, regardless of what field you intend to enter.
Essays: You will be required to compose four (4) essays for this course. Each will require at least one
rough draft. All pre-writing, rough drafts, and final drafts are due in class and/or on Blackboard Turnitin
on the date specified. Specific criteria for each essay will be given along with the prompt beforehand. All
papers and written assignments must be double-spaced in MLA format with correct pagination and
stapled.
Journals: Journal topics will be assigned occasionally to encourage deep thinking and alternate
contexts. These are informal—think of them as a type of writer’s log where you will be able to track your
progress and build upon previously explored ideas—but must still be academic in nature with correct
spelling and punctuation. Keep in mind that I will be reading these and may ask you to share your work in
class and small-group discussions. These will be included in your final portfolio. These may be either
written or typed and must be one full-page in length. If typed, double-spaced MLA format is required.
Portfolio: You will compose a number of less formal, shorter texts throughout this course—in-class
writings, reflections, journal pages, and peer reviews. Altogether, these pieces make up your “portfolio.”
Most of this work will help you draft the three major essays. On occasion, I will ask that this be turned in
so I can review your progress. It is mandatory to keep every piece not only for the final completion grade
but also for the final reflection paper.
The all pieces in the portfolio—in class writings, reflections, journal pages, and peer reviews—
will be evaluated using “contract grading.” If you complete all portfolio work and it meets the specified
criteria you will receive an “A” for this component of the class. If you do all the work, but only 80% of it
meets the criteria, you’ll receive a “B”. If you do 80% of portfolio work and it all meets the specified
criteria, you will receive a B, and so it goes. This means that a) you will do a lot of writing in this class,
and b) you need to make sure you keep track of your portfolio work, as I’ll ask you to hand it in
periodically. On this note, I strongly suggest you use a notebook or binder with a 2-pocket folder for all
class material—it will be much easier to turn in a completed portfolio at the end of the semester if all
pieces are kept together. There are no excuses for lost or missing work, and the portfolio is worth 20% of
your grade in the class.
Blackboard Posts: You will occasionally be asked to post to the discussions section of blackboard as a
means of responding to each other’s ideas. Like the journal pages these posts are also informal but must
still be academic in nature with correct spelling and punctuation. These will count toward your
participation grade.
Class Participation and Attendance will be graded. (See the section on policies and
procedures). 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. If you are absent you are still responsible for knowing
what was covered in class, what the homework is, and when it is due. I suggest you exchange phone
numbers and/or emails with at least two of your classmates. In addition, check blackboard regularly. Your
participation in class, peer reviews, and scheduled conferences is important and 15% of your grade.
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GRADES
Points
Essay 1
150
200
150
200
200
100
1000
Essay 2
Essay 3
Essay 4
Portfolio
Participation and Attendance
Total
GRADING RUBRIC
Letter Grade
A
B
C
D
F
Points
900-1000
800-899
700-799
600-699
< 600
IMPORTANT DUE DATES
Essay #1
Rough Draft: Groups 1-3: Tuesday, 9/23 Groups 4-6: Thursday, 9/25 (three hard copies)
Final Draft: Tuesday, 9/30 (both a hard copy and on turnitin on blackboard)
Essay #2
Rough Draft: Thursday, 10/30 (three hard copies)
Final Draft: Tuesday, 11/4 (both a hard copy and on turnitin on blackboard)
Essay #3
Rough Draft: Tuesday, 11/18(three hard copies)
Final Draft: Thursday, 11/20 both a hard copy and on turnitin on blackboard)
Essay #4
Rough Draft: Thursday, 12/9 (three hard copies)
Final Draft: Final Exam Day, Tuesday, 12/16 at 8:00 a.m.
Journals
The class session following the day they are assigned (next class). Periodically, I may allow
more time for these to be completed.
Final Portfolio Check (Completed, in-tact/stapled)
Final Exam Day, Tuesday, (12/16) at 8:00 a.m.
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POLICIES & PROCEDURES (The nitty-gritty)
ATTENDANCE: There is no substitute for attending class. Since this is a discussion-oriented course,
your attendance is crucial and key to understanding the material. You will not succeed in this course
unless you regularly attend class. Regardless, I also understand illness and unforeseeable events occur;
as Bill Belichick once put it, “sometimes that stuff happens.” Therefore I am allowing up to two
absences, either excused or unexcused, without penalty during the semester. Absences beyond this will
hurt your grade. Coming into class late and/or leaving early is not permissible; coming into class five
minutes late or more will be counted as a tardy, and two tardies count as one absence. Leaving class
early will also be counted as one absence. Please come to class prepared and on time!
ESSAYS: All essays are due as a hard copy in class AND turned in to turnitin on blackboard on the date
specified. All essays must be typed and adhere to MLA format and must be stapled. Emailed
assignments will not be accepted. Late work will not be accepted.
FORMAT OF WRITTEN WORK: All essays and assignments are due as a hard copy in class on the date
specified. All assignments must be typed (Times New Roman, 12-point font, 1” margins) AND
STAPLED (I will take points off if it is not stapled or in proper MLA format). Please adhere to MLA
format when citing and for all bibliographic information.
LATE WORK: Neither late work nor emailed assignments are accepted and both will be given a zero.
COURSE TUTORING & WRITING HELP: RWS tutors are available to help you with your writing.
Tutors are located in Love Library. Contact the department of Rhetoric and Writing Studies at (619) 5946515 for more info on drop-in tutoring hours. Some help is available for ESL writers (if you need
significant ESL help, you can transfer to LING 100, which specializes in this). I am committed to
helping you develop as a writer. If you have questions or would like additional assistance with class
concepts or essays, please drop in at any time during my office hours or make an appointment to speak
with me.
WRITING CENTER: SDSU has a wonderful (and free!) writing center filled with professors and
instructors who love writing and are both willing and able to offer specialized writing help
around the clock. The Writing Center is located in Love Library, Room LA 1103, which is
located next to the Circulation Desk. It is open from Monday to
Wednesday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday 9 a.m.
to 2 p.m. You can make an appointment or simply stop by for a drop-in
session.
ELECTRONICS: Your active participation is required in this course. As such,
our classroom will be a “laptop and cell-free zone.”
Please turn off your cell phones, laptops, tablets, and
similar electronic equipment when you come to class. Unless otherwise
permitted, if you are in class and on one of these devices (this includes
texting) I will mark you absent.
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PLAGIARISM: It is never ok. All work in this course must be original; academic integrity is expected at
all times. Plagiarism in any class will result in serious consequences ranging from grade reduction to
failure in the class to expulsion from the college. The university catalog describes plagiarism as follows:
“Plagiarism is formal work publicly misrepresented as original; it is any activity wherein one
person knowingly, directly, and for lucre, status, recognition, or any public gain resorts to the
published or unpublished work of another in order to represent it as one’s own. Work shall be
deemed plagiarism: (1) when prior work of another has been demonstrated as the accessible
source; (2) when substantial or material parts of the source have been literally or evasively
appropriated (substance denoting quantity; matter denoting qualitative format or style); and (3)
when the work lacks sufficient or unequivocal citation so as to indicate or imply that the work
was neither a copy nor an imitation. This definition comprises oral, written, and crafted pieces.
In short, if one purports to present an original piece but copies ideas word for word or by
paraphrase, those ideas should be duly noted.” (from SDSU General Catalog 2009-2010. San
Diego State University, 2009: 455)
For more information on the university cheating and plagiarism policy, please visit: http://wwwrohan.sdsu.edu/dept/senate/ policy/pfacademics.html. SDSU’s library also has an excellent tutorial on
how to avoid plagiarism.
RESPECT: During this course, we will be covering controversial and debatable subjects. Since this is a
discussion-based class, it is vital that you listen and speak respectfully to others at all times.
Discriminatory and disrespectful remarks will not be tolerated. I encourage you to express your opinions,
of course – they will often inspire good discussions—but please do so consciously with tact and
professionalism. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to drop by my office hours or send me
an e-mail.
PROBLEMS: If you run into problems or emergencies, talk to me as soon as possible.
HELP/SERVICES
OFFICE HOURS: I encourage all students to attend office hours, especially if you have any questions or
concerns about reading, writing, rhetoric, or the structure or requirements of the course. Office hours are
listed on the front page of the syllabus.
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 me privately and to contact Student Disability Services (SDS) as soon as possible.
SDSU staff are available in the Capulli Center in Suite 3101 or by phone at (619) 594-6473. 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.
A Note from Student Disability Services: “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 accommodations based upon disability cannot
be provided until you have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student
Disability Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.”
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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 (800) 4793339. 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.
STUDENT-ATHLETES: Student-athletes have demanding, dynamic schedules. As an instructor, I am
committed to helping you succeed in the course. To do so, regular and effective communication is needed.
While exceptions will not be made for attendance, assignment deadlines, or exams, I am 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, please call (619)
594-4743.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
RWS 100 Student Learning Outcomes
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. Identify the featured text’s most important claims and analyze the ways in which
elements of the text support this argument, evaluating the extent to which these different
elements contribute to the effectiveness of the argument for the intended audience.
2. Identify an author’s argument and evaluate how persuasive that argument would be to a
thoughtful and informed member of its intended audience by examining that text in the
light of other arguments made on that same topic.
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3. Construct an account of one or more authors’ projects and arguments, and explain the
rhetorical strategies that the author(s)—and by extension other writers—use to engage
and persuade readers in thinking about their arguments.
4. Assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of multiple assigned texts, including discussion of
rhetorical strategies, supporting evidence, audience, and text structure. Instead of simply
discussing each text separately, students will draw connections between them, weaving a coherent
account within their essays.
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:
1. 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;
2. Use all aspects of the writing process--including prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and
proofreading;
3. 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;
4. 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;
5. Effectively select material from written arguments, contextualize it, and comment on it in their
writing;
6. 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;
7. 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;
8. Analyze and assess the relative strengths of arguments and supporting evidence
9. Analyze and assess arguments made by visual texts; incorporate visual images into their
documents;
10. Craft well-reasoned arguments for specific audiences
11. Edit their writing for the grammar and usage conventions appropriate to each writing situation;
12. Assign significance to the arguments that they read;
13. Reflect on how they wrote their papers, and revise arguments and findings based on critical
reflection.
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COURSE OUTLINE AND READING SCHEDULE
Please note that the following schedule is approximate, as dates and topics may shift as the semester
continues. Refer to Blackboard for current information regarding your assignment due dates. All
readings are expected to be completed outside of class by the reading’s discussion date.
Unit 1: Diamond, “Why Did Human History Unfold Differently on Different Continents For the
Last 13,000 Years?”
Week One:
Tuesday (8/26): Introductions; Syllabus; Class Overview;
Thursday (8/28): Key terms and concepts; Introduction to PACES and AXES
Week Two:
Tues (9/2): Rifkin, “A Change of Heart about Animals” due; Short texts
Thurs (9/4): Diamond, “Why Did Human…Continents?” due; Introduction to Essay #1
Week Three:
Tues (9/9): Discussion of Diamond cont.; They Say I Say 1-14 due
Thurs (9/11): Diamond discussion cont.; Charting sections; Finding claims and evidence
Week Four:
Tues (9/16): Jigsaw work; Question/Answer pairs and claims; They Say I Say 19-28 due
Thurs (9/18): Tips for writing Essay #1; Drafting work; They Say I Say 42-50 due
Week Five:
Tues (9/23): Class for Peer Review Groups 1-3;
Three Hard Copies of Rough Draft of Essay #1 due
Thurs (9/25): Class for Peer Review Groups 4-6;
Three Hard Copies of Rough Draft of Essay #1 due
Week Six:
Tues (9/30): Essay #1 due (both hard copy in class and turnitin on blackboard);
Overview of Unit 2
Thurs (10/2): They Say I Say 68-74 due; various argument types
Unit 2: Dan Pallotta, “Why Can’t We Sell Charity Like We Sell Perfume?”
Week Seven:
Tues (10/7): Pallotta, “Why Can’t…Perfume?” due; Introduction to Essay #2
Thurs (10/9): PACES; Chart sections; Finding claims and evidence
Week Eight:
Tues (10/14): Research component; Library visit; They Say I Say 78-90 due
Thurs (10/16): Working with multiple sources & evaluating their credibility;
They Say I Say 92-100 due
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Week Nine:
Tues (10/21): Quotations work; Template phrases; Outside texts introduced
Thurs (10/23): Outside Texts cont.; Final Pallotta discussion; Socratic seminar;
They Say I Say 105-118 due
Week Ten:
Tues (10/28): Tips for Writing & Researching; Drafting; Assign Peer Review Groups
Thurs (10/30): Three hard copies of Rough Draft of Essay #2 due & Peer Reviews
Week Eleven:
Tues (11/4): Essay #2 due (both hard copy in class and turnitin on blackboard);
Overview of Unit 3
Thurs (11/6): Adichie, “The Danger of…Story” due; Introduction to Essay #3; Rhetorical
strategies
Unit 3: Chimamanda Adichie
Week Twelve:
Tues (11/11): Veteran's Day - No Class
Thurs (11/13): Strategies cont.; Drafting; Final Adichie Discussion
Week Thirteen:
Tues (11/18): Peer Review Groups, Three hard copies of Rough Draft of Essay #3 due
Thurs (11/20): Essay #3 due (both hard copy in class and turnitin on blackboard)
Unit 4: Elif Shafak
Week Fourteen:
Tues (11/25): Shafak, “The Politics of Fiction” due; Introduce Essay #4
Thurs (11/27): Thanksgiving - No Class
Week Fifteen:
Tues (12/2): Shafak Discussion; Evaluating Strengths; Texts in conversation
Thurs (12/4): Drafting; Tips for Essay #4; Strategies—the dark side
Week Sixteen:
Tuesday (12/9): Peer Review Groups, Three hard copies of Rough Draft of Essay #4 due
Week Seventeen:
Final Exam, Tuesday, (12/16) at 8:00 a.m.
Essay #4 due (both hard copy in class and turnitin on blackboard)
Complete Portfolio due
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