English 101.17 Instructor: Kelly Wolfe Fall 2011 | August 29, 2011 - December 10, 2011 MWF 9:30 to 11:20 a.m. Class Locations: M, F – KH 19; W – IN 317 Office Location: Science and Tech II, Room 122 Office Hours: 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday and Wednesday Email: kwolfe5@gmu.edu Textbooks and Materials, Available at Campus Bookstore Backpack Writing by Lester Faigley A Pocket Style Manual by Diana Hacker English 101 Course Goals This course is designed to help you improve your ability to read, write, and think at a college level. You will learn to write like a scholar, so that you can be successful no matter your major. You’ll learn how to generate and organize ideas, research topics, create rough drafts, accept and provide feedback, and revise. But you’ll also learn how to use writing to explore and reflect on your own ideas, adapt your writing for multiple audiences, inform and persuade readers, and provide insight and analysis. These are skills you’ll need for life. General Education: This course is part of the GMU General Education Program, which is designed to help students prepare for advanced work in their major field and for a lifetime of learning. For more information on the mission of the General Education Program, consult the University Catalog or visit www.gmu.edu/departments/provost/gened/. Methods of Instruction: Class meetings will be interactive and involve student discussion and writing. Students may be asked to work individually as well as in groups as they investigate issues, practice writing strategies and techniques, learn research and critical reading approaches, and review their own and their peers’ writing. Students who attend regularly and stay engaged in class activities, keep up with all of the assignments, and who block off sufficient time each week for thoughtful drafting and revising will succeed in this class. Course Requirements and Grading Percentages 10% Essay 1: What I think, 750 words Due: 9/19 20% Essay 2: Commentary Analysis, If I Were King, 1000-1500 words Due: 10/17 30% Essay 3: Researched Argument for Change, 1500+ words Due: 11/21 15% Essay 4: Writing for Change, 500-750 words and informal presentation Due: 12/7 15% Homework, Real World Writing presentations and blogs 10% Class Participation (includes peer review) Completion Policy: All final essays must be accompanied by one or more earlier drafts. You must complete all main essay assignments to earn a “C” or higher. English 101 Grading Policy: Students in English 101 must earn a grade of C or higher to complete the 101 requirement; students whose grades are lower than a C will earn an NC. A grade of NC reflects the philosophy that learning to write in an academic setting is a developmental process and that some students may require more time in this development. Since this grade does not affect students’ Grade Point Averages, students are not penalized for requiring additional time to meet the course requirements in ENGH101. Because of this policy, grades of Incomplete are not given in ENGH101. Midterm Grades: In English 101, students receive a midterm letter grade based on the work of the first seven weeks of the course. The purpose of this grade is to help students find out how well they are doing in the first half of the course in order to make any adjustments necessary for success in the course as a whole. The work in the second half of the semester may be weighted more heavily, and so the midterm grade is not meant to predict the final course grade. Students may view their grade online as soon as it is recorded. Course Grading Policy: In grading essays, I use the following general criteria: A “C” level grade (70-79%) denotes average college-level writing and achievement. The essay is a competent response to the assignment: it meets, to some degree, all the assignment requirements, and demonstrates that the author has put significant time and effort into communicating his/her ideas to his/her targeted audience. It has a thesis, presents some support, and moves from point to point in an orderly fashion; sentence-level errors do not significantly prevent comprehension. Essays that do not meet these criteria will not earn a “C.” A “B” level grade (80-89%) highlights a strong example of college writing and thinking. In addition to meeting the “C” level requirements, such an essay goes further in some way(s): it demonstrates some insight into the “gray areas” of the topic, provides original or very thorough support that is tightly woven into the overall argument, reads smoothly at both the sentence and paragraph levels, and/or exhibits a personal “voice” or style. It has few sentence-level errors. An “A” level grade (90-100%) marks an essay that engages the reader in a provocative conversation. Even more than in a “B” essay, its author anticipates and responds to possible reader questions, uses a wide range of supporting evidence, structures arguments and analyses to create a fluid reading experience, provides unexpected insights, and/or uses language with care and facility. “D” and “F” level essays do not meet the basic expectations of the assignment. Submitting Class Work: Assignments are due by the beginning of class on the due date. This means they should be uploaded on the Wiki by the start of class. In an emergency, you can also e-mail me your assignments, but I expect all of you to be primarily using the Wiki. Make sure your name is on all of your assignments, and that your user ID is in the file name of any uploaded document. (For example, I would call my first essay kwolfe5—essay1.doc.) Late Work Policy: Each assignment must be uploaded to the Wiki or e-mailed to me by the beginning of class. Late assignments are those arriving any time after the beginning of class on the due date. Late assignments will lose five percent for each calendar day that they are late. Class Participation: 10 percent of your total grade counted as 100 points. If you miss class, for whatever reason, you lose 2 participation points for that day, out of 80 possible points (there’s a little slack built into this score). At the end of the semester, I’ll give you a grade from the final 20 points. Students who are prepared for class, completed the reading, and provide thoughtful insight will get an additional 16 points. Students who consistently go the extra mile will get 20 points. Students are regularly unprepared, who sleep, carry on private conversations, answer cell phones or text during class will receive fewer points. Revision Policy: Essays #2 and #3 must be revised to receive full credit for the assignment. Revisions must demonstrate substantial change to the focus, support, approach, and/or organization of the essay. Revisions must be submitted with all previous peer-reviewed drafts. Students may revise graded essays for a better grade. If you choose to do this, please e-mail me first so we can talk about it. Statement on Plagiarism: Plagiarism means using the exact words, opinions, or factual information from another source without giving that source credit. Writers give credit through the use of accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical citation, footnotes, or end notes; a simple listing of books, articles, and websites is not sufficient. This class will include direct instruction in strategies for handling sources as part of our curriculum. However, students in composition classes must also take responsibility for understanding and practicing the basic principles listed below. To avoid plagiarism, meet the expectations of a US Academic Audience, give their readers a chance to investigate the issue further, and make credible arguments, writers must • put quotation marks around, and give an in-text citation for, any sentences or distinctive phrases (even very short, 2- or 3-word phrases) that writers copy directly from any outside source: a book, a textbook, an article, a website, a newspaper, a song, a baseball card, an interview, an encyclopedia, a CD, a movie, etc. • completely rewrite—not just switch out a few words—any information they find in a separate source and wish to summarize or paraphrase for their readers, and also give an in-text citation for that paraphrased information • give an in-text citation for any facts, statistics, or opinions which the writers learned from outside sources (or which they just happen to know) and which are not considered “common knowledge” in the target audience (this may require new research to locate a credible outside source to cite) • give a new in-text citation for each element of information—that is, do not rely on a single citation at the end of a paragraph, because that is not usually sufficient to inform a reader clearly of how much of the paragraph comes from an outside source. Writers must also include a Works Cited or References list at the end of their essay, providing full bibliographic information for every source cited in their essay. While different disciplines may have slightly different citation styles, and different instructors may emphasize different levels of citation for different assignments, writers should always begin with these conservative practices unless they are expressly told otherwise. Writers who follow these steps carefully will almost certainly avoid plagiarism. If writers ever have questions about a citation practice, they should ask their instructor! Instructors in the Composition Program support the George Mason Honor Code, which requires them to report any suspected instances of plagiarism to the Honor Council. All judgments about plagiarism are made after careful review by the Honor Council, which may issue penalties ranging from grade-deductions to course failure to expulsion from GMU. Students with disabilities: If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please see me and contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at 703-9932474. All academic accommodations must be arranged through the ODS. GMU Nondiscrimination Policy: George Mason University is committed to providing equal opportunity and an educational and work environment free from any discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or age. GMU shall adhere to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity/affirmative action statutes and regulations. GMU Email: Students must activate their Mason email account and check it regularly. For privacy reasons, all class-related emails will be sent only to students’ official GMU email addresses. Important Dates Last Day to Add a Course: September 6 Last Day to Drop a Course: September 30 Selective Withdrawal Period: October 3 through October 28 The University Writing Center: Since you will be writing several papers in this course, you may want to visit the University Writing Center (http://writingcenter.gmu.edu), located in Robinson A114, for assistance. The Writing Center is one of the best resources you will find on campus. They have an outstanding website that offers a wealth of online resources for student writers. You can schedule a 45-minute appointment with a trained tutor to help with any phase of the writing process. You can even obtain assistance with papers by visiting the online writing center at http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/owl/index.html, but please plan ahead and allow yourself at least 2-3 days to receive a response. Make an appointment via their website. Academic Freedom: As a student at George Mason University, you have the right to expect a quality education that is free from prejudice, inaccuracy, and misleading or irrelevant course material. At no point will you be examined on the personal beliefs or opinions of the instructor. Furthermore, your grade will reflect your efforts and accomplishments as a student and a scholar, not your beliefs, heritage, gender identification, or any other similar consideration. Homework assignments: 15 percent of your grade and 150 points. Homework assignments and Real World Writing presentations should be uploaded to the Wiki or e-mailed to me by their due date. Each homework assignment counts for up to 10 points. Your Real World Writing presentation (one per semester) will count for up to 30 points; and your Real World blogging (five times a semester) will count for up to 20 points, or up to four points for each post. More about Real World Writing Students will be expected, once during the semester, to bring in an article, blog, or column to class and show how writing techniques we’ve discussed in class were used to craft that piece of writing. You will sign up for a date (on the Wiki) to make your presentation. A brief (two paragraph) synopsis of what you intend to talk about should be uploaded to the Wiki by class time on that date. As stated above, you will receive up to 30 points for a clear, thoughtful presentation that leads students into a class discussion. Five times during the semester, students will blog a personal reflection about how a Real World Writing sample brought to class presented an example of a lesson talked about in class. Students earn up to four points for each blog, for a total of 20 points at the end of the semester. Essay Assignments Essay One: What I Think, 750 words; plus 1 page of reflection 10 percent of your grade and a total of 100 points. Rants are worth up to 10 points, reflection is worth up to 10 points, and your essay counts for 80 points. I want to know what you think about the essay Shitty First Drafts written by Anne Lamott. Read the essay. What is Lamott’s thesis? How does she construct her argument? Do you agree with her argument? Why or why not? Use quotes from the essay to back up what you think. What words does Lamott use to persuade her readers? Do you think Lamott could have been more persuasive? How? What do you think of Lamott’s use of humor in this essay? For this assignment, students must show a confidence in their own beliefs, use those beliefs to construct a thesis statement, and use Lamott’s own words to back up an argument. Essay Two: If I Were King; 2-3 pages; plus 1 page of reflection 20 percent of your grade and a total of 200 points. First drafts are 10 points, reflection is 10 points, and your final draft is worth up to 180 points. If you were king, and had the power to change anything happening in your world, what would it be? Pick a worthy cause, explain why you believe it is worthy, and sketch out a plan to fix it. This does not mean you are magical. It does not mean you can wave a wand and cure cancer. But it does mean you have the power to make sure more money goes to cancer research. Do you get the idea? You may want more hot water in the dorms. You may want all the books in the library to be online so you can read anything you want from home. What do you believe you could change for the better? Now think about how you would change it. What would need to happen? Where would you start? What groups would you need to contact? For this assignment, students must show that they can think clearly, not just passionately, about a problem, construct a thesis statement, construct a viable argument for change, construct a viable plan for change and determine what audience could help bring about change. Essay Three: Researched Argument; 5 pages; plus 1 page of reflection 30 percent of your grade and 300 points. First drafts are worth 10 points, reflection is worth 10 points, and your final draft is worth 280 points. You may choose to follow up on an issue that interested you in your If I Were King essay. Or you may choose a subject you’ve written about in your blogging or an article mentioned in Real World Writing. It’s your choice. Use library research to locate at least three sources of information, including two scholarly articles. For this assignment, students must show that they have an understanding of how to organize a research paper, write a thesis sentence, how to incorporate research and analysis in a research paper and how to write clear, authoritative sentences. Writing for Change: You will revise your researched argument for a broader audience. This may be a letter you send to a non-profit organization, publication or lawmaker. But it may also be a blog for your own site, or a song, speech or video for You Tube. 15 percent of your grade and 150 points. First drafts are worth 10 points, your informal presentation is worth 10 points (Think of this the same as the written reflection you’ve been doing all semester, just out loud to the class with a little celebration thrown in.) and your final project is worth 130 points. The blog or letter should only be one to two pages. Videos or songs should be between 1:30 and 2 minutes. If you blog or create a video, you must send the link to at least one organization, lawmaker or publication that can bring about change. It is my suggestion that you choose carefully a topic for your If I were King essay, then flesh that out with research for your research paper, then use this same topic and the research from your research paper to write a well-informed letter presenting a problem and a solution to people who may be able to bring about change. This is not the only way to complete this assignment. You may choose another topic altogether. But if you choose your If I were King topic carefully, and then use that topic for your research paper, you will find that you have gathered enough evidence to write a well-informed letter, blog or song by this point in the semester. More about Presentations: We’ll spend the last two class sessions reading our letters, watching our videos, and listening to our songs. Each student will be expected to present his or her work, and then give a short explanation about how an audience was chosen, what problem or issue he or she wants to change, and what editorial decisions were made along the way. This is informal, but not being prepared or being unwilling to participate will impact your grade. Not showing up for both classes will also impact your grade. A Final Word: This may look like a lot. So I want you to know that if you come to class, do the reading, and take all of the required steps I have no doubt that you will not only succeed in this class, but you will increase your writing abilities, and expand your knowledge of how writing can contribute to your future success. Class Day M 8/29 W 8/31 F 9/2 M 9/5 W 9/7 F 9/9 M 9/12 W 9/14 F 9/16 M 9/19 W 9/21 F 9/23 M 9/26 W 9/28 F 09/30 Weekly Schedule Class Agenda Assignments Due Readings Due Syllabus Introduction Introduction to RWW; Ways writing is used in the college setting; writing as discovery; writing to answer questions Lesson in first drafts, Discussion What I Think rant Anne Lamott of essay What I Think due Shitty First Drafts Labor Day – No Class RWW; Reflective Writing lesson. Faigley 54, 55, 62-66, 74-77 Thesis statements; Discussion of Two paragraphs Faigley 20-21, If I Were King assignment blogged on Wiki 316-317 about first day at GMU, using reflection Lesson in argument Three ideas for If Faigley 285-319 I Were King on Wiki RWW; Drafting; structure; what Faigley 320-323 does a college essay look like? Lesson in revision Faigley 25, 26, 324-331 Discussion of If I Were King What I Think Faigley 20-21, assignment; discussion of thesis essay due 387-38, 391 statements; and time management exercise RWW; Discussion of audience, Faigley 296, purpose 305-309 Writing great introductions and On Wiki, choose TBA conclusions. Or, avoiding “In a publication, conclusion” describe it, and tell me who the audience is. Discussion of Counterargument If I Were King outline due RWW; Writing with style; Active TBA v. passive voice, learning to love details. Discussion of peer review, peer Faigley 25-29 review practice M 10/3 Peer Review W 10/5 RWW; Peer Review & Revision Strategies Free writing; Peer Review & Editing Strategies Introduction to research; evaluating sources; scholarly and credible sources F 10/7 Columbus Day: Monday classes meet on Tuesday, 10/11 W 10/12 F 10/14 M 10/17 W 10/19 F 10/21 M 10/24 W 10/26 F 10/28 M 10/31 W 11/2 F 11/4 RWW; Library research skills, database skills MLA/Plagiarism Incorporating research, paraphrasing/quoting/plagiarism. RWW; Lesson in critical thinking in the research process, reading sample research papers, game of pin the research on the topic sentence Time management during the research, writing process, re-visit topic sentences, re-visit organization Incorporating evidence in new forms. RWW; Analysis; incorporating analysis More analysis and incorporating analysis Conferences RWW; Discussion of Writing to Save the World assignment; use computers to work on research; day to ask me questions Lesson in words that have changed the world; taking a look at letters, speeches, etc. that have changed the world; discussion of Writing to Save the World First Draft If I Were King due Faigley 387-388, 390, 393-394, 396-403 Two sources that could reveal more about topic you chose for If I Were King due to Wiki If I Were King final draft due Faigley, 418-441 Faigley 406-410, 411-413 Faigley 9-17 Thesis topics due Faigley 123-147 Faigley 154-155, 174-175 Research paper outlines due; two sources due TBA Advocacy examples due; bring something found online to share as an TBA assignment. M 11/7 Peer review W 11/9 RWW; Peer Review & Finding one more source Free writing, Peer Review & Editing for Power Sentences How to write and organize a persuasive letter RWW; Introduction to online publishing: Blogger, You Tube F 11/11 M 11/14 W 11/16 F 11/18 W 11/30 Day to work on research papers, day to ask me questions about research, day to ask me questions about introductions and conclusions; day to talk to me about Real World assignment ideas Discussion of ideas for Writing for Change; Franken-paper Day Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Lesson in finding sources, organizations, lawmakers, publications, etc. that will help you change the world. How do you know if a source is valid? Writing for Change conferences F 12/2 Peer review Writing for Change M 12/5 RWW; Day to work on presentations, find sources, do M 11/21 W 11/23 F 11/25 M 11/28 example of advocacy. Be prepared to tell the class about audience, purpose, and voice. First draft research papers due Revisit Faigley 286-297 Writing for Change ideas due: Submit two ideas. Final Research Papers due Revisit Faigley 393-400 Two ideas for where you intend to send your letter, blog or song due. First draft Writing for Change due research, ask me questions about writing, ask me questions about online publishing, ask me questions about sources W 12/7 F 12/9 Writing for Change due; Presentations Presentations