SYLLABUS - RWS 200 - WRITING FROM SOURCES: THE RHETORIC OF
WRITTEN ARGUMENTS IN CONTEXT
Mrs. Roberta Stagnaro, Instructor
#22582
Sec. 37
TuTh
9:30-10:45 a.m.
Spring 2013
Rm.
Required texts: The Aims of Argument, brief sixth Edition, by Timothy W. Crusius and
Carolyn E. Channel, available at Aztec Shops Bookstore, and RWS 200 by Roberta
Stagnaro, available at Cal Copy. If you do not own a good English handbook, one is
strongly suggested but not required.
Office hours: TuTh 12:30-1:45 p.m. in AH3120, telephone 594-6486, ext. 2, other
times by appointment. Do not call to notify me of ordinary absences. However, if you are
absent for more than two classes, notify me so that arrangements can be made to keep up with
classwork. Do NOT expect to be absent and take up where you left off without notifying me. It
is wise to obtain the numbers of a few classmates to check with about class or homework. Make
sure that you are on Blackboard. I do not post anything there, but I do use it to communicate
with you. It is wise to obtain the numbers of a few classmates to check with about class
or homework. I sincerely want this to be a good course for you. Please see me if you
have questions about your progress, the lectures, or the assignments. .
Course objectives: RWS 200, Writing from Sources: The Rhetoric of Written Arguments
in Context, is a course designed to build upon the skills presented in RWS100. When
you finish this course, as in other RWS courses, your rhetorical knowledge, critical
thinking and reading skills, composing processes, and knowledge of conventions will be
increased. In addition, your attitudes, values, and preparation for life beyond the
university will be clarified and enhanced. Substantive content, structure, and correct
use of standard written English will be required in all your assignments.
Student learning outcomes:
1. Construct an account of an argument and identify elements of context embedded in
it, the clues that show what the argument id responding to—both in the sense of what
has 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;
2. Follow avenues of investigation that are opened by noticing elements of context,
research those elements, and show how one’s understanding of the argument is
developed, changes, or evolved by looking into its context;
3. Given the common concerns of two or more arguments, discuss how the claims of
these arguments modify, complicate, or quantify one another;
4. Consider their contemporary, current life as the context within which they are reading
arguments assigned in the class; position themselves in relation to these arguments
and additional ones they have researched in order to make an argument; draw on
available key terms, concepts, or frameworks of analysis to help shape the argument;
5. Building on the work done in RWS 100, students 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—claims, methods of development, kinds
of evidence, persuasive appeals; translate an argument into their 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. Analyze and assess arguments made by visual texts; incorporate visual images into
their documents;
11. Craft a cohesive paper, and use effective metadiscourse to articulate the project of
the paper and guide a read through it;
12. Describe their own papers and reflect on how they wrote them; differentiate between
the content of their texts and the language and rhetorical strategies they employ;
13. Assign significance to the arguments they read;
14. Revise their own work effectively, re-reading previous work, and re-envisioning it in
the light of reflection, feedback, further reading, and new sources of information;
15. Edit their writing for the grammar and usage conventions appropriate to the project.
Thoughtful content, careful structure, and correct use of standard written English will be
required in all assignments.
Course requirements: All papers must be typed, double-spaced with standard margins,
numbered, and stapled in the upper left corner. All papers must have a title page, and
your name may appear NOWHERE except the title page! There will be three sourcedriven papers (125-175 lines, EXCLUDING direct quotes), one in each of the major
documentation styles: MLA, APA, and CSE. All papers are due at the BEGINNING of class
on the due date. If papers are not submitted in class, they must be turned in to the RWS Office,
time-stamped and signed by office staff, by the start time of the class There will also be inclass writings. Save your notes, outlines, and drafts because I may want to see them. It
is wise to keep a copy of each paper you submit in case of loss. Late papers will be
lowered one grade; a paper over one week late will not be accepted. NO late finals will
be accepted. You can revise two of your papers. They must be submitted, along with
the graded original, by the calendar deadlines. Late papers may be revised, but the
highest grade the revision of a LATE paper may receive is a B. However, if a paper is
not at least 2/3 of the required length (84 lines, EXCLUDING quotes), the revision
privilege is forfeited.
Plagiarism: Beware of plagiarism in writing your papers. Plagiarism is:
1. Verbatim copying without proper acknowledgement
2. Paraphrase without proper acknowledgement
3. Unacknowledged appropriation of information or of someone
else’s ideas
4. Turning in, as your own, work you did not do
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Any work showing plagiarism will result in
failure in the course and possible expulsion from the university.
Essay evaluation: Essay grades are based on these areas, each weighted equally:
1. Clear and meaningful purpose (thesis and stance)
2. Clear and appropriate structure (organization)
3. Clear and appropriate content of sufficient length and depth (development)
4. Clear, appropriate, effective, honest, and correct language (diction)
5. Overall first impression
I reserve the right to return, ungraded, any paper not of college caliber in any of the
above areas, including major grammatical errors. Major grammatical errors include
sentence fragments, comma splices, run-on sentences, dangling modifiers, subject-verb
agreement errors, pronoun case or agreement errors, incorrect use of words, and
misspelled words. Refer to a good English handbook and dictionary to avoid these
errors. When in doubt, look it up! Such a paper may be resubmitted within one week of
the due date without penalty. If resubmission is in the second week, the paper will be
treated as a late paper. After the second week, the paper will not be accepted.
Class participation: Your input is important in this class, both in discussion and group
work. Do not hesitate to ask questions! I will consider the quality and the quantity of
your contribution in determining your final grade. Strong class participation can raise
your grade; lack of participation can lower your grade. In addition, superficial or nonreading of material will lower your grade. Quizzes will be given to assure completion of
reading assignments.
Class attendance: Regular attendance is essential for your success in this course. Any
unexcused absence, since it precludes class participation, will lower your final grade.
Excuses for absences must be submitted in writing, not orally or by telephone. Since
tardiness disrupts a class and causes you to miss important material, it will also lower
your grade. If you continue to arrive late after a warning, each two tardies will be
counted as an absence. Leaving class early will be treated as tardiness. Please note
that it is your responsibility to advise me of your presence AFTER class if you miss roll.
NEITHER ABSENCE (EVEN IF EXCUSED) NOR TARDINESS WILL BE
CONSIDERED AN EXCUSE FOR MISSED ASSIGNMENTS OR OTHERWISE NOT
KEEPING UP WITH CLASS ACTIVITIES. Your classroom behavior, of course, is
expected to reflect maturity and courtesy. This includes not texting using ANY electronic
device and turning off all cell phones and pagers during class. If you are using a computer or
any other electronic device for any non-class related activity, you will not be able to bring it to
class for the rest of the semester..
Grading: Your final grade will be computed as follows:
90% Papers
5% Other assignments
5% Participation and attendance
Grading scale: A=120, A-=111-119, B+=99-110, B=90-98, B-= 81-89, C+=69-80, C=6068, C-=51-59, D+=39-50, D=30-38, D-=21-29, F+=12-20, F=0-11
Note that grades are figured by the mathematical mean, NOT the median or mode. In addition,
any estimates of grades given by me are exactly that, ESTIMATES, not facts or promises.
Class calendar (subject to change as the semester progresses):
1-17 Introduction
1-22 The writing process, Four Bases, tasks, active reading
1-24 The thesis statement, read Ch.1
1-29 Understanding argumentation, coherence, evidence criteria, read Ch. 2 & 3
1-31 Toulmin argumentation, argument analysis , appeals, write rhetorical précis
2-5
Developing paragraphs, read Ch. 7
2-7
Arguing to inquire, CSE style, evaluating sources
2-12 Library presentation, read Ch. 5 & 6
2-14 Integrating source material, write thesis
2-19 Thesis workshop, write paper
2-21 Library work time/consult
2-26* Levels of diction, Read Ch.4
2-28 Writing about visual arguments, MLA style
3-5
Film
3-7
Film
3-12 Conferences
3-14 Conferences
3-19 Discuss, write thesis, revision due (paper 1)
3-21 Thesis workshop, write paper
3-26 Word choice, read Ch. 7 & 8
3-28 Library work time/consult
4-2 & 4
NO CLASSES-SPRING BREAK
4-9* Arguing to convince/persuade, analysis of two opposing arguments, read Ch. 9 &
Appendix B
4-11
Logical fallacies, write thesis
4-16 Thesis workshop
4-18 Library work time/consult , write paper
4-23 Effective sentences, early final due
4-25 Paramedic method, revision due (paper 2)
4-30 Grammar workshop
5-2
Punctuation workshop
5-7* Writing reflection, evaluations, finals due
5-16 Final activity
* Paper due