RWS 200: Rhetoric of Written Arguments in Context
Fall 2013 Course Syllabus
Instructor: Professor Sarah Baker
Email: curiels@rohan.sdsu.edu
Class meets: in CSQ-206 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00-3:15PM
Office hours: in the base of the Dome (Library), Tuesdays 10:30AM-12:00PM
or by appointment
Office Mailbox: in RWS main office -- AH3138
Required texts:
RWS 200 Course Reader from Cal Copy, listed under Baker
Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say/I Say. New York: W.W. Norton & Co.,
2006.
3. Bullock, Richard and Francine Weinberg. The Little Seagull Handbook. New York: W.W.
Norton & Co. 2011.
4. Additional materials will be posted on Blackboard: https://blackboard.sdsu.edu/
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* Please bring the course reader and appropriate books to every class. Should one of the texts not
be needed, you will be informed in advance.
Course Description
This course is an extension of RWS 100 and is intended to build off of the reading, writing, and
critical thinking skills developed there. This semester we will again practice interpreting,
analyzing, and producing written arguments, but this time with a stronger emphasis on
evaluating their effectiveness and considering the larger context in which they reside. Every
argument and text is part of an ongoing conversation and the recognition and consideration of
this context is key to thorough understanding. You will learn to write and revise papers in which
you address complex arguments effectively, use source materials responsibly, and make sound
decisions about audience, context, structure, and purpose. These skills you will develop are
central to success in academic, professional, and civic life, regardless of what field you intend to
enter.
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 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
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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:
1. craft well-reasoned arguments for specific audiences;
2. analyze a variety of texts commonly encountered in the academic setting;
3. situate discourse within social, generic, cultural, and historic contexts; and
4. 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.”
Course Objectives
Throughout the semester, you will engage in reading and writing assignments and discussions,
which will encourage mastery of the following learning outcomes. In addition to the three
learning outcomes specific to the three assignments, by the completion of this course you should
be able to:
1. Describe and evaluate elements of an argument—claims, methods of development, kinds
of evidence, persuasive appeals—and to 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 your 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 and evaluate 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;
5. Effectively select material from written arguments, contextualize it, and comment on it in
your 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 your 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 your
documents;
10. Craft well reasoned arguments for specific audiences;
11. Edit your writing for the grammar and usage conventions appropriate to each writing
situation;
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12. Assign significance to the arguments that they read; and
13. Reflect on how you wrote papers, and revise arguments and findings based on critical
reflection.
Assignment Types
Our three main writing assignments will require you to apply these skills to thought-provoking
texts. You will both analyze the arguments present in the course texts as well as those of your
peers. You will be challenged to continually form, edit, and express your own arguments in an
effective manner. The goals of the three main writing assignments are for you to practice and
demonstrate the ability to:
1. Describe, evaluate, and analyze an author’s argument, claims, project, evidence and
rhetorical strategies; and evaluate these elements for their effectiveness.
2. Construct an account of an author’s project and argument and carry out small, focused
research tasks to find information that addresses the context of the argument, helping to
illustrate, clarify, and/or complicate it; use appropriate reference materials, including a
dictionary, in order to clarify your understanding/interpretation of an argument; and,
3. Construct an account of one or more authors’ projects and arguments and examine how
these two arguments speak to, modify, and extend each other while also considering the
larger context of the conversation.
REQUIREMENTS
Essays: You will be required to write 3 essays for this course. The first will be 4-5 pages in
length and the next two 7-8 pages. Each essay will require at least one rough draft. All prewriting, 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.
Weekly Reading Response: Each week, you will be required to compose a 1-page response to
that week's assigned readings. This response will be a place for you to express your thoughts
about what you read: tell me what stood out to you, what you found interesting, what you agreed
or disagreed with, etc. On weeks that we do little or no reading, I may assign you a question or
prompt to address instead. You will be asked to turn in this journal on the Tuesday of each
week, at the end of class, unless otherwise specified. Each response must be typed and
properly formated (see also "Format of Written Work") and is worth 3 points. PLEASE KEEP
THESE, as they may be useful for your Final.
Reflection Blog: Once per unit (or three times during the semester), after you have completed
your paper, you will be required to post on the class blog on Blackboard. For each post, please
consider your writing and performance for the paper you have just completed. What do you feel
you did well? What would you change? What would you like to improve on for the next paper
you write? Your posts should be 150-200 words long and are worth 5 points each. They are due
the class meeting after your papers are turned in (so if your paper is due on a Tuesday, your blog
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is due that Thursday). In addition, after you receive your first two papers back, IF I specifically
marked one or more grammatical issues in your paper as recurring in my comments, please
correct at least one example of EACH error by commenting on your own previous post. The
grammar corrections are due one week after you receive your papers back. You will lose points
on your response if you do not complete this portion of the assignment.
Conferences/Peer Review: One or more drafts will be required for each writing assignment.
The week before your essays are due, class will be cancelled. Instead, you will sign up for a 1015 minute one-on-one conference time with me to review your draft. To make up for the class
time missed, you will be required to complete peer review online via Blackboard using feedback
forms that I will provide. These forms can also be used as tools for revising your final draft.
Further directions will be given along with your paper prompts.
Final: You will be required to compose a final, reflective essay in which you will look back on
your growth over the course of the semester. The final essay will be 1-2 pages in length, and
must be turned in to my mailbox no later than 3:00PM on Tuesday, December 17th. More details
will be provided with the prompt.
Participation: 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.
POLICIES
ATTENDANCE: There is no substitute for attending class. This is a discussion-oriented
course and your attendance is mandatory. 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. Students are allowed no more than 3 absences during the semester.
Missing more than 3 classes will result in a reduction in the class attendance/participation grade.
I will mark down excessive tardiness (arriving more than 5 minutes late to class) on my
attendance sheet. Please note: two tardies are equivalent to one absence.
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!!!). Please adhere to MLA
format when citing and for all bibliographic information. Essay pre-writing and drafts will not be
graded; however, evidence of pre-writing and at least one rough draft is required to receive a
grade on the final essay. Late assignments will not be accepted. For emergency cases, late
work may be accepted up to one week following the printed deadline and will be subjected to a
grade penalty.
RE-WRITES: Students may choose to re-write ONE essay after receiving a grade for the
assignment. You may revise any paper for which you receive a grade lower than a C. Essay rewrites may be submitted up to one week after I hand back your graded essays. In order to qualify
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for a re-write, your paper MUST HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED ON TIME. Late papers relinquish
this right. Please note that the third essay cannot have a re-write due to time constraints.
BLACKBOARD: Students should go to https://blackboard.sdsu.edu to access all important
information required of this class, such as YouTube videos, class assignments, readings, and this
syllabus. I will inform you in advance the times you will need to go to the website to complete
assignments.
ELECTRONICS: Your active participation is required in this course. Please turn off your cell
phones, iPods, and other electronic equipment when you come to class. If you are going to use a
laptop or tablet, please do so responsibly. If they become a distraction, I will discontinue their
use in the class. Don’t ruin for everyone, save your status updates for after class.
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.
COURSE ASSISTANCE SERVICES
OFFICE HOURS: I encourage all students to attend office hours, especially if you have any
questions or concerns about reading, writing, the course or college in general. If you need
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assistance but cannot make it to office hours, please email me and we can try to schedule an
appointment. Please bring all of your pre-writing, drafts, and final drafts of your essays with
comments to office hours and conferences. It will assist me in answering any questions you may
have on the assignments.
COURSE TUTORING: I welcome all students to attend office hours with questions on writing
or the RWS 200 course. If you would like additional assistance and encouragement, SDSU has
an excellent staff of tutors to assist students in all courses. Students who need assistance with
course concepts or writing assignments in English or ESL are encouraged to contact the
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. If you have an outstanding medical issue which may
affect your performance in this course or require special accommodations, please notify me
privately as soon as possible, before assignments are due. Students with disabilities who may
need accommodations in this class are also encouraged 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).
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) 479-3339. C&PS on campus also has a “Center for Well-Being”
with multiple stations for relaxation if you are feeling stressed. C&PS is located in the Capulli
Center, Room 4401.
STUDENT-ATHLETES: Student-athletes have very demanding, dynamic schedules which
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 Student-Athlete Support Services
(SASS) to help you excel in this course. For more information on SASS’ academic advising and
tutoring services, call (619) 594-4743.
GRADES
Paper #1
Paper #2
Paper #3
Reading Responses/Blog Posts/Small Assignments
Attendance/Participation
Final
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20%
25%
30%
10%
10%
5%
GRADING RUBRIC
Letter Grade
A
B
C
D
F
Percentile
90-100%
80-89%
70-79%
60-69%
< 60%
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. With the exception of Digital Nation, all readings are expected to be completed outside of
class by the reading’s discussion date.
Week 1
Aug. 27: Intro to course, discuss syllabus, syllabus quiz
Aug. 29: PACES, review of RWS 100, key concepts/terms
Week 2
Sept. 3: Evaluating short texts with PACES, qualifying and warrants
Sept. 5: Identifying conversations in short texts
[Note: Last day to drop classes is Sept 9th at 11:59pm]
Week 3
Sept. 10: Introduction to Paper #1, begin discussion of Coates
Sept. 12: Coates
Week 4
Sept. 17: Paper #1 Rough Draft due, peer review and conferencing
Sept. 19: Peer review and conferencing
Week 5
Sept. 24: Paper #1 due in class, key terms, rhetorically analyzing short texts
Sept. 26: Key terms, rhetorically analyzing short texts
Week 6
Oct. 1: Begin discussion of Rosenzweig
Oct. 3: Rosenzweig, introduction to 2nd paper
Week 7
Oct. 8: Library Orientation to Researching
Oct. 10: Working with/ evaluating sources
Week 8
Oct. 15: Tips for paper writing and researching, Paper #2
Oct. 17: Tips for paper writing and researching, Paper #2
Week 9
Oct. 22: Paper #2 Rough Draft due, peer review and conferencing
Oct. 24: Peer review and conferencing
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Week 10
Oct. 29: Paper #2 due in class, begin discussion of Digital Nation,
key terms
Oct. 31: Happy Halloween! Introduction to paper #3, Digital Nation, key terms
Week 11
Nov. 5: Digital Nation
Nov. 7: Digital Nation
Week 12
Nov 12: Digital Nation and tips for Paper #3, short texts
Nov 14: Digital Nation and tips for Paper #3, short texts
Week 13
Nov 19: Digital Nation, short texts
Nov 21: Digital Nation, short texts
Week 14
Nov 26: Paper #3 Rough Draft due, peer review and conferencing
Nov 28: NO CLASS, Thanksgiving!
Week 15
Dec. 3: Peer review and conferencing
Dec. 5: Paper #3 Due, overview of WPA
Week 16
Dec. 10: LAT DAY OF CLASS, WPA practice, intro to final
Final Exam
Tuesday, December 17th at 3:00PM: Final essay is due in my office box (RWS
main office: AH3138). You may turn these in early if you wish.
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