English 101-42, Fall 2010
Composition I: Telling the Stories of Others
MW 2-3:15, MHRA 2204
Instructor: Alan Benson
Email and IM: atbenson@uncg.edu
Office: MHRA 3112A
Office Hours: 1-2 p.m. Monday and Wednesday and by appointment
About ENG 101
English 101 satisfies the Reasoning and Discourse (GRD) requirement at UNCG, which asserts that
students “gain skills in intellectual discourse, including constructing cogent arguments, locating,
synthesizing and analyzing documents, and writing and speaking clearly, coherently, and effectively”
(http://www.uncg.edu/reg/Catalog/current/UnivReq/GECDescription.html).
In addition, English 101 is designed to address three of the proficiencies listed under Student Learning
Goals in the UNCG General Education Program. These proficiencies are:
Ability to write and speak clearly, coherently, and effectively as well as to adapt modes of
communication to one’s audience;
Ability to interpret academic writing and discourse in a variety of disciplines
Ability to locate, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information
(2007-2008 UNCG Undergraduate Bulletin 53)
Course Objectives
1. To help students develop the ability to analyze texts, construct cogent arguments, and provide
evidence for their ideas in writing;
2. To provide students with multiple examples of argumentative and analytical discourse as
illustrated via student and professional/published texts;
3. To introduce students to rhetorical concepts of audience, writer, message and context, and how to
employ these in both formal and informal writing situations;
4. To help students develop the ability to summarize, paraphrase, and use direct quotations in
writing;
5. To promote to student writers the value of writing-to-learn through sequenced assignments rooted
in a common theme or focus;
6. To introduce students to the act of writing as a public and community-based process through the
activities of drafting, peer review, and revision.
Course Description
Every episode of Jim Henson’s The Storyteller began with this voiceover: “When people told themselves
their past with stories, explained their present with stories, foretold the future with stories, the best place
by the fire was kept for the storyteller.” Stories to vital to humanity’s understanding of the world. We
view our progress through time as a story and we conceive of human existence as a story. (Academics call
this the “narrative impulse.”) Americans are very comfortable telling our own stories, whether it’s via
Facebook posts, Twitter tweets, diaries, or personal narratives in English class. We’re less comfortable
telling other people’s stories and describing worlds other than our own. Telling another person’s story is
challenging because it engages with issues of power, ethics, and “truth.” Yet one of the most important
skills to develop as a student, a citizen, and a human being is the ability to tell the stories of the people
who share our world. This class uses a genre rooted in anthropology—the ethnography—to help you
begin building your skills as a teller of other people’s stories.
This is a writing course, so we will be doing quite a bit of writing in and out of class. One of the most
important things to remember during this class is that writing is a process. No one writes a perfect paper
the first time around. Thus, this course will focus on revision, discussion, workshopping, and further
revision. The portfolio, which requires that you revise the papers you’ve written throughout the semester,
is a major piece of this writing process. In order to learn to revise effectively, coming to class fully
prepared with complete drafts of your essays is very important. In these essays, you will work to connect
your own experiences, reactions, and thoughts to your observations, outside texts, and other sources. You
will meet with me at least twice in conference throughout the semester to discuss your essays and
revisions. You will also workshop your papers with other students. These are not meant as a time-filler or
a fix-all for your papers; they are intended to give you one more reader who can show you where
improvements in clarity, focus, and structure are needed. Reading other students’ drafts is also important
because often you will notice their strengths and weaknesses much more readily than you can see your
own; this will further strengthen your own work.
Required Materials
1. They Say/I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing, with Readings – Gerald Graff,
Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst (Norton, 2009, ISBN: 9780393931747)
2. Zeitoun – Dave Eggers (Knopf Doubleday, 2010, ISBN: 9780307387943)
3. Technê Rhêtorikê: Techniques of Discourse for Writers and Speakers, 2nd ed. –Will Dodson,
Alan Benson, and Jacob Babb, eds. (Fountainhead Press, 2010, ISBN: 9781598712544)
In addition to these texts, I will provide supplementary handouts via Blackboard. You will need
to print these and bring them to class.
Recommended Materials
1. A Writer’s Reference – Diana Hacker (Bedford/St. Martin’s, 6th edition, ISBN: 0312450257)
2. Flash drive for backup
Grading
I will base your grade on your performance in the following assignments:
 Essay one (positioning statement)
15%
 Essay two (insider interview)
15%
 Essay three (ethnography)
15%
 Participation and in-class work
15%
 Portfolio
40%
Note: Semester-long research
Early in the semester, you will identify a (sub)community, space, and/or subculture that interests you.
Throughout the rest of the semester, you will research this topic, which will entail extensive
conversations with community members, visits to the space(s) in which community members gather,
and formal and informal interviews and observation sessions. The choice of topic is up to you, but it
should be a group with which you can spend quite a bit of time over the semester. This research work
will inform all three of your papers, so careful selection of a research site/community is vital.
Essay one
Your first essay is a 900- to 1200-word positioning statement in which you explore how your
upbringing, your beliefs, and your experiences influence your understanding of your research topic.
This is not a personal narrative, but a thesis-driven analysis of your position in relation to your
subject.
Essay two
Your second essay is a 900- to 1200-word interview with a member of the community you are
researching. This essay will be a synthesis of your interview, not a Q&A or a long series of quotes
from your subject. This means you will develop a thesis that you will support with data from your
interview.
Essay three
Your final essay is a 1500- to 1750-word ethnographic portrait of the research community or site
you’ve chosen. You will use your positioning statement and interview as data sources, but most of the
paper will be drawn from your observations and research.
Portfolio
Your portfolio consists of revised copies of your three papers and selected in-class writing. You will
also write an 800- to 1000-word introductory letter in which you examine your writing process, your
experiences with your research site/community, the reasoning behind the revisions you made, the
strengths and weaknesses of the portfolio, and your plans for further improvement/growth in your
writing.
Participation and in-class work
You will be expected to participate in all class discussions and to complete all in-class writing
assignments. You will incorporate some of your in-class writing into your portfolio, so you must keep
track of it.
Attendance
Attendance is vital for success in college classes. The UNCG English Department has established a
formal attendance policy for ENG 101. Students in MW classes are allowed two absences without
penalty. Each subsequent absence drops your final grade by one-half of a letter. On your fourth absence
you fail the class. Punctuality also counts. If you are more than 10 minutes late, you will be marked
absent.
I do not differentiate between excused and unexcused absences. If you have a health issue that will
require you to miss class, please speak with me beforehand. Under NC law, you are allowed two absences
for religious observances. Please notify me at the beginning of the semester if you will have to miss class
for religious reasons. We will work together to ensure you will be able to complete the work due on the
day(s) you miss.
Preparation
Come to class ready to discuss the day’s readings, your writing, or other topics. Also be prepared to work.
Bring your notebook, books, and any supplemental readings to every class unless advised otherwise.
Failure to prepare counts against you; if you do not keep up with assignments your grade will suffer.
Likewise, failure to participate counts against you; you will not be able to passively sit through class and
still receive a decent final grade.
Written Work
All written work must follow MLA citation and formatting styles and be saved in Microsoft Word or
OpenOffice format (.doc, .docx, or .odt). Even though your papers for this class will be submitted online,
you should follow the required formatting rules: double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, with
one-inch margins. If I ask you to submit hard copy, it must be stapled in the proper order. Do not come to
class with loose pages and ask me if I have a stapler. I do not have a stapler. Find a stapler before class.
Do not dog-ear your pages in a vain attempt to get them to stay together. It doesn’t work, and pages will
be lost.
Late Work
Does not exist in this class. Seriously, I don’t accept it. Blackboard time-stamps all submissions, so if it is
one second late, it will not be accepted. If you are having network problems, find a public terminal or use
a friend’s computer to submit it. If the assignment requires a hard copy, make arrangements to have a
classmate or friend deliver a paper copy to me before class begins.
It is your responsibility to ensure that your paper is saved in a state that I can open. Garbled files are
your problem, not mine. (Yes, I know about Corrupted-Files.com. Just don’t.)
Approach to the Readings
ENG 101 is a course on rhetoric. When reading for this class, you need to pay attention not just to the
claims the authors make, but also to the ways in which they make these claims. How are their arguments
structured? How do they present evidence? How do they construct their personae and their audience
through their writing? The topic of these texts is important, but it is just as important for you to gain
familiarity with the argumentation style favored by U.S. colleges, media, and other elite institutions.
Technology
While reading and writing are often considered to be isolated endeavors, discussion is key to
understanding texts and sparking new ideas for writing. This classroom is an isolating technology-free
zone: no cell phones, no iPods, no headphones.
Use a notebook (not a notebook computer) for your notes. You may bring a laptop to class, but it should
remain in your bag unless you need to use it for writing or editing a paper. When class starts, the laptops
close—no exceptions.
Conferences
I have scheduled times during which we will meet one-on-one in lieu of regular class meetings. During
these conferences, we will discuss your progress and any questions you may have for me. If you want
additional assistance or feedback, you are always welcome to visit during office hours or to schedule
additional time as needed.
Plagiarism/Academic Dishonesty
Don’t do it. All verified cases of academic dishonesty (including cheating and plagiarism, the use of
another’s text or ideas without proper credit and citation) will be reported to the proper university
officials. The results will not be fun and may include expulsion. See the university’s “Academic Integrity
Policy” online at academicintegrity.uncg.edu.
General Rules and Guidelines
I really shouldn’t have to tell you these rules, but here goes:
 Respect. Part of your college education is learning to deal with people who have different
backgrounds, views, morals, politics, interests, and fan club memberships than your own.
Disagreements are unavoidable, but discussion will be polite. I do not tolerate any language that
is sexist, racist, or homophobic. Everyone is entitled to her or his own view, but we will not
discuss issues using discriminatory language. I will treat you as adults who have put some
thought into your stances—even if I do not agree with them. I ask that you extend the same
courtesy to your fellow students and to me.
 Disrupting Class. Speak in turn. Stow all cell phones. No texting during class. Keep snacks
within reason (nothing really smelly, large, or preparation-intensive; leave the omelets and pizzas
at home please).
 Tech Support. If you’re having problems with your computer, contact 6-TECH (6-tech.uncg.edu
or 256-8324) for support. “My computer crashed” or “my printer is out of ink” no excuse; the
university provides server space and printers all over campus.
Resources


The Writing Center: UNCG has an excellent Writing Center that can help you brainstorm paper
ideas, work on grammatical issues, and polish your writing. Please visit the Writing Center as
often as you like. Take both your work in progress and all documentation relating to the
assignment (prompts, comments of prior drafts, research notes) and plan to stay up to an hour.
www.uncg.edu/eng/writingcenter/
The Speaking Center: The Speaking Center can help you practice your delivery, build
confidence in your speaking skills, improve your speechmaking, and design effective final project
presentations. You must make an appointment (two days in advance) to work with a Speaking
Center consultant. speakingcenter.uncg.edu
Disability Access
Students in university classrooms who have various disabilities (whether visible or invisible) are, of
course, welcome, and their rights protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, it is
imperative that students with disabilities register with the Office of Disability Services
(ods.dept.uncg.edu or 334-5440) and inform the instructor of any special needs as early as possible so
that the necessary arrangements or adjustments can be made.
Tentative Class Calendar
This schedule is subject to change. You are responsible for
keeping up with those changes and adjusting accordingly.
Key:
TR = Technê Rhêtorikê
TS/IS = They Say/I Say
BB = blackboard reading (print and bring to class)
Z = Zeitoun
Week One
Day
M8.23
W8.25
Topic
Introduction to course,
technology, and procedures
Introduction to rhetoric
Reading due
Writing due
TR: Dodson, “Introduction to
Rhetorical Concepts”
Week Two
Day
M8.30
Topic
Academic English, the dialect of
power in academia
W9.1
The issue of academic integrity
Reading due
Writing due
TR: Morehead, “The Genre of
Academic Discourse”
TS/IS: “Preface:
Demystifying Academic
Conversation”
TS/IS: “Introduction:
Entering the Conversation”
TR: Tedder, “Academic
Integrity”
TR: Ray, “Summarizing,
Paraphrasing, and Quoting”
Week Three
Day
M9.6
W9.8
Topic
Introduction to research
project/ethnography
Reading due
No class, Labor Day holiday
BB: Sunstein and ChiseriStrater, “Stepping In and
Stepping Out” (excerpts)
BB: Nikolic, “House for the
Homeless”
Writing due
Week Four
Day
M9.13
Topic
Positioning one’s self in relation
to one’s research
W9.15
Positioning one’s self in relation
to one’s research
Reading due
BB: Zollo, “Friday Night at
Iowa 80”
TR: Babb, “Developing an
Idea of the Audience”
TR: Guy-McAlpin, “Keeping
the Beat: How the Thesis
Guides Effective Writing”
Writing due
Choose a research
site/community/focus
Brief description of your
research
site/topic/community
Week Five
Day
M9.20
Topic
Paper one workshop
W9.22
Paper one workshop
Reading due
TS/IS: “‘They Say’: Starting
with What Others Are
Saying”
BB: Sunstein and ChiseriStrater, “Posing Questions:
Ethnographic vs. Journalistic”
TS/IS: “‘Her Point Is’: The
Art of Summarizing”
TS/IS: “‘As He Himself Puts
It’: The Art of Quoting”
Writing due
First draft of essay one
(positioning statement)
due
Reading due
BB: Sunstein and ChiseriStrater, “The Interview:
Learning How to Ask”
TS/IS: Olsson, “Up Against
Wal-Mart”
BB: Sunstein and ChiseriStrater, “Learning How to
Listen”
Writing due
Final draft of essay one
(positioning statement)
due
Reading due
TS/IS: “ ‘Yes/No/Okay, But’:
Three Ways to Respond”
TS/IS: “And Yet”
TS/IS: “‘So What? Who
Cares?’ Saying Why It
Matters”
Writing due
Reading due
No class, Fall Break
TR: Meriwether,
“Conferencing Rhetorically”
Writing due
Second draft of essay
one (positioning
statement) due
Week Six
Day
M9.27
Topic
The interview: Listening to others
W9.29
The interview: Listening to others
Week Seven
Day
M10.4
Topic
The interview: Listening to others
W10.6
Paper two workshop
Thesis and first two
paragraphs of essay two
(interview) due
Week Eight
Day
M10.11
W10.13
Topic
Conferences with Alan, no class
First draft of essay two
(interview) due
Week Nine
Day
M10.18
Topic
Paper two workshop
W10.20
The research process
Reading due
TS/IS: “‘Skeptics May
Object: Planting a Naysayer
in Your Text”
TR: Benson and Lyda, “The
Research Process”
Writing due
Second draft of essay
two (interview) due
Final draft of essay two
(interview) due
Week Ten
Day
M10.25
Topic
Library session (details to follow)
W10.27
Zeitoun
Reading due
TS/IS: “‘As a Result’:
Connecting the Parts”
Z: 1-85
Writing due
Week Eleven
Day
M11.1
W11.3
Topic
Zeitoun
Zeitoun
W11.5
Reading due
Z: 85-170
Z: 170-239
Writing due
Bring related article to
class
Undergraduate research conference (details forthcoming)
Donn Young keynote address, 7pm
Week Twelve
Day
M11.8
W11.10
Topic
Zeitoun
The power of voice
Reading due
Z: 239-325
TR: Webb, “Performing
Rhetorically: Understanding
the Movements of
Tone in Text”
TR: Bufter, “Rhetoric of
Voice”
Writing due
Reading due
TS/IS: “‘Ain’t So/Is Not’:
Academic Writing…”
TS/IS: “‘In Other Words’:
The Art of Metacommentary”
Writing due
First draft of paper three
(ethnography) due
Second draft of paper
three (ethnography) due
Thesis and first two
paragraphs of paper
three (ethnography) due
Week Thirteen
Day
M11.15
Topic
Paper three workshop
W11.17
Paper three workshop
Week Fourteen
Day
M11.22
Topic
Portfolio requirements and review
Reading due
TR: Ray, “The Portfolio
Process.”
No class, Thanksgiving holiday
W11.24
Writing due
Final draft of paper three
(ethnography) due
Week Fifteen
Day
M11.29
W12.1
Topic
Peer review of portfolios
Conferences with Alan, no class
Reading due
Writing due
Draft of portfolio due
Bring portfolio
Reading due
Writing due
Final portfolios due
Week Sixteen
Day
M12.6
Topic
Last day of class
Week Seventeen: Exam
Day
M12.13
Topic
Final exam session: 3:30-6:30pm
Important dates
27 August: Last day to drop classes for tuition and fees refund
6 September: No class, Labor Day
11 October: No class, Fall break
15 October: Last day to drop classes without academic penalty
24 November: No class, Thanksgiving holiday
6 December: Last day of class
13 December: Exam session (3:30-6:30pm)