Fall 2009
English 310.1 (80719)
MWF 7:55-9:15; MF CB 102
M Woodman
Faculty Towers 201-A
mwoodman@csub.edu
Office Hours: MWF 9:30-11:00
W CB 101
654-6557
Prerequisite: A grade of C or higher in English 110 or its equivalent beginning fall 2003 OR a grade of D- or higher
in English 110 or its equivalent prior to fall 2003.
Students must earn a grade of C or higher in this course to satisfy the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement
(GWAR). In addition, this course can fulfill the GWAR only if a student has completed 90 or more quarter units of
college work before taking it.
To be eligible for a C in English 310, students must earn a C or higher on at least one in-class writing assignment
and earn a C average in the class overall.
Academic Honesty Policy
This course is subject to the academic and disciplinary sanctions established by CSUB for plagiarism as outlined on
the university website: www.csub.edu
Course Description: This course is a comprehensive study of the techniques of effective expository writing. It
emphasizes development of prose style and requires frequent writing exercises, both in and out of class. This course
fulfills the GWAR and counts toward the Teacher Preparation programs in English, Liberal Studies, and Child
Development, but it does not count toward the major or minor.
HUM/BEHS 477 [My Writing Lab]: Based on the quality of your first in-class essay, I will encourage individual
English 310 students to enroll in HUM or BEHS 477. English 310 is an Advanced Writing course, but many English
310 students lack knowledge of basic grammar and mechanics. In order to gain this knowledge in addition to
learning advanced writing skills, English 310 students are advised to enroll in My Writing Lab and master a
minimum of 15 (out of a possible 69) topics. For more information on HUM / BEHS 477, contact Brooke Hughes or
Randi Brummett-DeLeon.
Course Goals
At the end of ten weeks, students in English 310 should be able to do the following:
1. read and write literally, interpretively, and analytically or critically;
2. recognize a writer’s tone and how it informs a text’s statements; this includes analyzing diction and syntax;
3. consider rhetorical strategies and their connection to meaning;
4. identify assumptions in reading and writing;
5. analyze a potential audience and use an appropriate style and tone;
6. analyze and adapt writing techniques to purpose;
7. present appropriate details, examples, and definitions as support;
8. fully develop arguments and write cohesively using adequate transitions;
9. recognize faulty logic;
10. use a variety of sentence structures;
11. use varied levels of linguistic formality;
12. revise and edit their own writing using standard, edited American English.
Required Texts:
Trailerpark
Ariadne’s Clue: A Guide to the Symbols of Mankind
The Myth of the Eternal Return
The Hero and the Outlaw
Recommended Texts:
Quick Access
Unabridged dictionary
Russell Banks
Anthony Stevens
Mircea Eliade
Margaret Mark and Carol Pearson
(9780060977061)
(0691086613)
(0691123500)
(0071364153)
Fall 2009
Reading Logs / Blog:
http://woodman310.blogspot.com/
Research has shown that the greatest correlative to effective writing is effective reading. As such, this course makes
use of four complex critical texts. To ensure you are both reading and understanding the text, each reading will
require that you respond to a quote from that section. I will post these quotes on the Advanced Writing Blog, and
you will 1). Explain what the quote means and 2). Describe how you have seen the idea within that quote at work in
our larger culture.
Attendance:
Attendance is essential for you to succeed in this class. If you happen to miss a day in which we complete an inclass assignment or part of a paper, these are points that cannot be made up. Likewise, absence will not be accepted
as an excuse for late papers.
Plagiarism Policy:
All work is to be your own. An essay that contains any phrases more than three words in length or any specific
information that comes from an outside source and is not properly cited constitutes plagiarism; the student will
earn no credit for the essay or course and may be expelled from the university.
Note: I will not accept any assignments through e-mail.
In-Class Essays
We will have three in-class essays. For you to earn credit for the GWAR, you must pass one of these with at least a
C. These essays will follow the same structure as the GWAR; you will have 90 minutes to respond to a short
prompt whereby you will briefly summarize the author’s stance and then argue whether or not and to what extent
that stance is valid. You will be evaluated for both content and mechanics. Your in-class essay grade will be based
on the best of the three essays.
Students who earn scores less than a B- on the first in-class essay are required to enroll in BEHS 477, a one-unit
course designed to provide focused instruction on grammar and mechanics.
Documented Essays:
Papers must be typed, double-spaced, in 12 point Times New Roman font with one-inch margins. All papers must
be turned in on the date they are due. Papers will have 10 points deducted for each day late. I will not accept
papers more than one week late. All papers will require that parts of them be done in class. If you are absent on a
day that such a part is completed, your paper will have those points deducted from its total. Each long essay
requires a presentation to the class; if you do not present, 10 points will be deducted from the paper’s score. Each
essay must use at least three scholarly sources; the required texts count as scholarly sources, but you are free to use
additional sources as well. Finally, all papers must be submitted to turnitin.com.
Essay #1 Literary Analysis (three pages, two sources)
Option One: Choose a short story from Trailerpark, and analyze how different symbols and archetypes
contribute to that story’s theme.
Option Two: Choose one symbol or archetype, and analyze that symbol or archetype’s contribute to a
theme throughout two or more stories within Trailerpark.
Note: this essay must use Ariadne’s Clue as a source.
Essay #2 Film Analysis (four pages, three sources)
Eliade’s Myth of the Eternal Return analyzes a number of archetypal patterns: Symbolism of the Center;
Transcendent Reality; Regeneration of Time through Abolition of Past Time, Restoration of Primordial
Chaos, and Repetition of the Cosmogonic Act.
 Choose a film that uses one or more of these archetypal patterns. [note: do not use Sunshine]
 Which of these archetypes does the film employ? How do these archetypes function within the
film? How does the film modify the traditional structures of these archetypes?
 How do these archetypes contribute to 1) the film’s theme and 2) the audience’s understanding
and entertainment? (The answer to this question will be your thesis statement.)
Note: this essay must use Ariadne’s Clue and The Myth of the Eternal Return as sources.
Fall 2009
Essay #3 CSUB Proposal: four pages, four sources.
For this essay, you will use an archetype (or combination of archetypes) to design an advertisement for
CSUB. You can choose a department (such as Psychology), an office (such as Financial Aid), a club or
organization (such as the International Students Club), a team (such as Women’s Water Polo), or an
activity (such as CSUB’s participation in Earth Day). How could this department benefit from a change in
advertising strategy? Which archetypes would be most effective for this department? Why? What would
be the best way of employing these archetypes?
1. Your essay’s audience will be the client (such as the Office of Financial Aid).
2. Your essay will offer a theoretical basis for an advertisement that uses one or more specific archetypes.
3. Your essay will describe, analyze, and advocate for a specific advertisement that you create.
Note: this essay must use four sources. One of those sources must be The Hero and the Outlaw. The other
three sources could include the texts from our class, the existing webpage from your client, interviews
with your client, or traditional sources you find via Ebscohost or other search databases.
Grading
Resumé and Cover Letter
Misc, Work & Reading Logs
Literary Analysis
Film Analysis
Advertising Proposal
In-Class Essays
10
10
10
15
25
30
Furlough Plan
“As you are aware, the California State University system is facing unprecedented budget cutbacks. Our highest
priority during this time is “to preserve as many faculty unit jobs as possible and at the same time to serve as many
students as possible.” My purpose in writing to you is to present options related to the implementation of the
CFA/CSU Faculty Furlough Agreement signed July 28, 2009. The agreement calls for furloughs of two days per
month for Academic Year Faculty beginning September, 2009 and continuing through June 2010. All administrators
and most staff, including the President and Provost, started a two day per month furlough plan on August 1, 2009.
After consultation with representatives from the CFA and the Academic Senate, we are attaching materials to help
you develop your furlough plan. You will need to schedule a ten percent (10%) reduction in your workload to match
your reduction in pay.”
The above language is from an e-mail President Mitchell has sent out to all CSU faculty members. Each instructor
has discretion as to how to implement the furlough plan. Since a 10% cut equals roughly a week’s worth of the tenweek quarter, I have implemented a week’s worth of cuts: three days spread over the quarter. The Furlough Days
are marked.
Calendar:
9.14
9.16
9.18
Introduction to Course
Powerpoint: Archetypes Overview; Ariadne’s Clue (3-35)
Powerpoint: Archetypes Overview; Ariadne’s Clue (36-60)
9.21
9.23
9.25
Ariadne’s Clue (61-89); Writing Skill: Rhetorical Modes
In-Class Essay #1
FURLOUGH DAY
9.28
9.30
10.2
Writing Skill: Syntax; Writing Exercise (Lyric Analysis)
Writing Skill: Diction; Writing Exercise (Art Analysis)
Trailerpark (1-103); Writing Skill: Grammar & Mechanics Review
Fall 2009
10.5
10.7
10.9
Trailerpark (104-193)
Trailerpark (194-271); Writing Skill: Frames
Work on Literary Analysis
10.12
10.14
10.16
“Archetypes and Repetition” (The Myth of the Eternal Return 2-48)
“The Regeneration of Time” (The Myth of the Eternal Return 49-92)
Literary Analysis Due; Writing Skill: Transitions
10.19
10.21
10.23
FURLOUGH DAY
Film: Sunshine
Film: Sunshine
10.26
10.28
10.30
Discussion of Film Analysis
In-Class Essay #2
Work on Film Analysis
11.2
11.4
11.6
Film Analysis Due; The Hero and the Outlaw (1-48); Advertising Analysis
The Hero and the Outlaw (49-262); Critique of Campus Program
The Hero and the Outlaw (263-375); Writing Skill: Tone
11.9
11.11
11.13
FURLOUGH DAY
Veteran’s Day: Campus Closed
Work on Advertising Proposal
11.16
11.18
11.20
Resume and Cover Letter
In-Class Essay #3
Resume and Cover Letter Due; Work on Advertising Proposal
Final, Monday, Nov. 23 @ 8:00: Advertising Proposal and Presentation