English 101: Critical Thinking and Writing
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English 101: Critical Thinking and Writing TTH 9:30am to 10:50 am Laurence E. Musgrove Office Hours: 11am to noon and by appointment Office: N416 Office Telephone: 773 298-3241 Office E-mail: musgrove@sxu.edu General Course Description English 101: Critical Thinking and Writing (3) Application of the principles of clear thinking and effective writing to expository and argumentative essays. Must be passed with a grade of C or better. English 101 Learning Objectives 1. Understanding the values of reading, writing, and critical thinking in the University community Students should recognize the role reading, writing, and thinking play in the University, as well as the significance of such intellectual virtues as humility, courage, honesty, perseverance, hopefulness, consideration, and civility. 2. Understanding rhetoric Students should be introduced to rhetoric and understand the dramatic and situational nature of communication. Understood as the art of discovering, evaluating, and communicating knowledge in response to the ideas of others, rhetoric reminds us that writing is the means, not the end of communication, the evidence of a writer’s desire to affect a particular audience through crafted prose for a specific purpose. 3. Reading actively, critically, and responsibly Students should learn to analyze the writing of others, noting focus, arrangement, logical development, vocabulary, and style. Students should learn the difference between reading information and reading literary art. Students should also learn to acknowledge how their experiences and attitudes limit, enable, and determine their responses to texts. 4. Understanding writing as a process Students should learn writing as a process of various problem-solving tasks, including planning, discovering, drafting, revising, and editing. Students should also learn that this process is situational: different purposes and audiences for writing demand distinct writing processes and presentation formats. 5. Writing clearly and effectively Students should learn to see writing as an act of communication rather than solely an act of private expression. They should learn about the issues and responsibilities entailed in composing concise, vivid, and coherent prose for a general readership and specific audiences. 6. Thinking critically Students should learn critical thinking as an active, purposeful, and organized process that we use to make sense of the world. They should learn to evaluate the quality of their ideas as well as the ideas of others. 7. Understanding the formal conventions of various essay genres, paragraphs, sentences, and word usage Students should learn the basic textual conventions of academic writing, including the personal essay, expository writing, analysis, and argument, as well as understand the need to fulfill readers’ expectations about focus, organization, development, and voice in each. Students should learn the conventional forms and functions of paragraphs. Students should also develop the ability to use various sentence patterns and to edit for correctness, variety, and correct usage. 8. Developing an awareness of language Students should learn how language is a value-laden tool for discovering and communicating ideas. Students should recognize how a languageuser is always a language-chooser who promotes or inhibits (consciously or not) further thinking, communication, and action. 1 Required Texts The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison The Hunger of Memory, Richard Rodriguez The Situe Stories, Frances Khirallah Noble Siddhartha, Herman Hesse The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player, John Maxwell Mini-Lessons Packet for English 101, Laurence Musgrove Poem of the Day Packet for English 101 Required Supplies 1 ½ or 2 inch three-ring presentation binder with at least 9 section dividers to separate and organize portfolio ingredients. Other supplies should include a three-hole punch, stapler, computer paper, and manila folders for essay submissions. Section 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Portfolio Ingredient Résumé Initial Learning Achievements and Goals Learning Journal Reading Responses Essay 1 Essay 2 Essay 3 Essay 4 Midterm Exam, Self-Evaluation, and Learning Achievements and Goals Final Exam, Self-Evaluation, and Learning Achievements and Goals Packets and other handouts Conferences: Several times during the term, I will cancel class meetings and schedule individual conferences so that we can discuss drafts of your essays. These conferences should last no longer than 20 minutes, and they are required. A missed conference will be equivalent to two absences. I would also encourage you to use the extra time made available by the cancelled class meetings to catch up on your reading and writing assignments. Student Athletes and Absences: Student athletes should provide instructor with schedule of classes that will be missed due to University-sanctioned events. Academic Honesty: All work composed for this class must be written exclusively for this class and be your original work. You may of course receive assistance on your writing, but submitting someone else’s work as your own or failing to acknowledge sources appropriately will be grounds for plagiarism. Violations of academic honesty will result in failure. See your Student Handbook for more on Academic Honesty. Essay Grades Essays will be graded according to the essay evaluation criteria attached. Students may revise essays once after receiving the first evaluation on their third drafts. An essay’s final grade will be an average of the last two grades it receives. For example, if an essay received a C on the third draft and an A on the fourth, the final grade for that essay would be a B. 2 Other Effects on Final Grade Five absences will result in failure. If you must miss a class, contact a classmate to get the homework assignment for you or to turn in your work. Late work will not be accepted under any circumstances. All assignments must be submitted to receive a passing grade. No incompletes will be given. Extra Credit Options During the term, I will provide you with a number of extra credit opportunities related to attending events on and off campus that in some way relate to our course. In addition, students may earn up to 500 extra credit points for sharing with the class a song, article, or poem that relates to any course topic. Students may earn this second type of extra credit no more than four times or a limit of 2000 extra credit points. ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES FOR STUDENTS Personal Counseling: Counseling and Career Services offers individual counseling for a variety of issues that impact on students’ motivation to remain and succeed in college. If you are having problems keeping up with your school work because of personal issues, these free services may be able to help you. Self-Disclosure of Disability: Services for students with disabilities are coordinated through Learning Assistance Services. Students seeking academic accommodations should contact that office to self-disclose their disability, provide appropriate and current documentation, and request accommodations. The Learning Assistance Services will forward confirmation of disability to faculty with recommended accommodations. Writing Tutors in Learning Assistance Center. The Learning Assistance Center offers tutoring in writing at no cost. Tutors will not write or edit your papers, but they will help you develop the skills you need to plan, draft, and revise your work. Computer Labs: Verify availability of all University computer labs on campus and in the dormitories. Schedules should be posted at each lab. 3 Final Portfolio: Your grade for the course will be based entirely upon the ingredients in your portfolio. You must save all of your graded work throughout the semester and submit it in a manila file folder at the end of the term. These ingredients and their point values are listed below. INGREDIENT Resume POINTS POSSIBLE 100 POINTS EARNED FACTOR X 10 FACTOR TOTAL 1000 Learning Goals and Achievements Average of 15 Best Learning Journal Responses Essay 1 100 X 10 1000 100 X 50 5000 100 X 50 5000 Essay 2 100 X 50 5000 Essay 3 100 X 80 8000 Essay 4 100 X 80 8000 Midterm Exam 100 X 100 10000 Midterm Self-Evaluation 100 X 20 2000 Midterm Learning Achievements and Goals Final Exam 100 X 10 1000 100 X 100 10000 Final Self-Evaluation 100 X 20 2000 Final Learning Goals and Achievements EXTRA CREDIT 100 X 10 1000 Total 59000 Divide Total by 590 =Final Grade GRADE EQUIVALENCIES Letter Grade Numerical Equivalent A 100 B 88 C 78 D 68 F 58 Grade Ranges 93-100 84-92 74-83 64-73 0-63 4 TOTAL Tentative Schedule English 101, TTH 9:30 am Musgrove Week Week One Poem of the Day Class Topics Week Two Poem of the Day Class Topics Mini-Lesson Reading Assignment Writing Assignment Week Three Poem of the Day Class Topics Mini-Lesson Reading Assignment Writing Assignment Week Four Poem of the Day Class Topics Mini-Lesson Reading Assignment Writing Assignment Week Five Poem of the Day Class Topics Mini-Lesson Reading Assignment Writing Assignment Tuesday Thursday 8/21 To Be of Use Introductions 8/26 Fear Questions about the class; Critical thinking/writing What Happens When We Read survey Basic Vocabulary of Sentences Hesse 3-11 Academic Performance Agreement due 9/2 Curiosity Rhetoric, Rhetorical sensitivity, Critical reading What the Reader Brings Attitude Simple Sentences; Creating Titles; Conventions for Quoting and Citing Sources Hesse 25-56 Maxwell, Introduction Learning journal 1 due Essay 1 Assigned 9/9 Drouth What the Reader Brings Experience Complex Sentences; Sentence-Combining Exercise 1 Hesse 89-132 Maxwell, Collaborative Learning journal 3 due 9/16 8/28 I Give You Back What Happens When We Read Eight Basic Sentence Strategies Hesse 13-23 Resume & Learning achievements and goals due 9/4 A Ritual to Read to Each Other Writing as a process, The Bundle of Sticks What the Reader Brings Knowledge Compound Sentences; Compound Sentences with SemiColons Hesse 57-88 Maxwell, Adaptable Learning journal 2 due 9/11 When Death Comes The World of the Text Author Sentence-Combining Exercises 2 and 3 Mazwell, Committed Learning journal 4 due Essay 1.1 Due 9/18 NO CLASS Conferences in N416 Distribute MBTI Surveys NO CLASS Conferences in N416 Distribute MBTI Surveys Essay 1.2 Due Essay 1.2 Due 5 Week Six Poem of the Day 9/23 The Summer Day Class Topics Personality Type; The World of the Text; Topic Compound-Complex Sentences; Sentence-Combining Exercise 4 Mini-Lesson Reading Assignment Writing Assignment Week Seven Poem of the Day Class Topics Mini-Lesson Reading Assignment Writing Assignment Week Eight Poem of the Day Class Topics Mini-Lesson Reading Assignment Writing Assignment Week Nine Poem of the Day Class Topics Noble, Situe; Albert and Esne Mazwell, Communicative Learning Journal 5 due Essay 1.3 due; Essay 2 assigned 9/30 Washing Rice The World of the Text Audience Effective Intentional Fragment; Editing Unpunctuated Paragraph 1 Noble, The Table; The American Way Maxwell, Dependable Learning journal 7 due 10/7 9/25 Forgiving Our Fathers; Those Winter Sundays Personality Strengths; The World of the Text Form Sentence Unscrambling Exercises 1 and 2 Noble, Genevieve, The War Maxwell, Competent Learning journal 6 due 10/2 Blackberry Eating Options for Response Personal, Biographical, and Creative Editing Unpunctuated Paragraph 2; Review of Basic Sentence Strategies Noble, The Hike to Heart Rock; Sustenance Maxwell, Disciplined Learning journal 8 due Essay 2.1 due Midterm Self-Evaluation Assigned Essay 3 Assigned 10/9 NO CLASS Conferences in N416 NO CLASS Conferences in N416 Essay 1.4 due Essay 2.2 due Essay 1.4 due Essay 2.2 due 10/14 TBA Mini-Lesson Reading Assignment Noble, Dry Goods; Kahlil Gibran Writing Assignment Learning journal 9 due Midterm Exam Essay 2.3 due 6 10/16 Learning by Doing Options for Response Formal and Audience Analysis Relative Clauses Sentence-Combining Exercise 5 Noble, The Honor of Her Presennce Maxwell, Enlarging Learning journal 10 due Midterm Self-Evaluation and Learning Goals and Achievements due Week Ten Poem of the Day Class Topics Mini-Lesson Reading Assignment Writing Assignment Week Eleven Poem of the Day Class Topics Mini-Lesson Reading Assignment Writing Assignment Week Twelve Poem of the Day Class Topics Mini-Lesson Reading Assignment Writing Assignment Week Thirteen Poem of the Day Class Topics Mini-Lesson Reading Assignment Writing Assignment Week Fourteen Poem of the Day Class Topics Mini-Lesson Reading Assignment Writing Assignment 10/21 How to Like It Options for Response Topical, Interpretive, and Ethical Analogies Morrison, 1-32 Maxwell, Enthusiastic Learning journal 11 due 10/28 10/23 Early Snow Chiasmus; Subject and Pronoun Agreement Morrison, 33-58 Maxwell, Intentional Learning journal 12 due Essay 3.1 due 10/30 NO CLASS Conferences in N416 NO CLASS Conferences in N416 Essay 2.4 due Essay 3.2 due Essay 2.4 due Essay 3.2 due 11/4 11/6 Here Letter Home Four Basic Modifying Phrase Strategies Morrison, 59-93 Maxwell, Mission Conscious Learning journal 13 due Essay 3.3 due Essay 4 assigned 11/11 Art; One Art Taking Responsibility Checking with Other Resources Participial Phrases Morrison, 132-183 Maxwell, Relational Learning journal 15 due Appositive Phrases 11/18 By Heart Taking Responsibility Checking with the Text Adjectives Out-of-Order Rodriguez, Middle Class Pastoral; Aria Maxwell, Selfless Learning journal 17 due Final Self-Evaluation Assigned 11/20 Advice to Writers Taking Responsibility Checking with Others Editing Unpunctuated Paragraph 3 Rodriguez, The Achievement of Desire Maxwell, Solution Oriented Essay 4.1 due Learning journal 18 due 7 Morrison, 95-131 Maxwell, Prepared Learning journal 14 due 11/13 This is Just to Say Taking Responsibility Checking with Ourselves Absolute Phrases Morrison, 184-216 Maxwell, Self-Improving Learning journal 16 due Week Fifteen Poem of the Day Class Topics Mini-Lesson Reading Assignment Writing Assignment Week Sixteen Poem of the Day Class Topics Mini-Lesson Reading Assignment Writing Assignment Week Seventeen FINALS WEEK 11/25 11/27 NO CLASS Conferences in N416 NO CLASS Conferences in N416 Essay 3.4 due Essay 4.2 due Essay 3.4 due Essay 4.2 due 12/02 Thesaurus Review of Basic Modifying Phrase Strategies Rodriguez, Credo Maxwell, Tenacious Essay 4.3 due Learning journal 19 due 12/09 8 12/04 Eating Together Review of Basic Sentence and Phrase Strategies Rodriguez, Complexion Maxwell, Conclusion Learning journal 20 due 12/11 Final Exam Final Portfolio with Final SelfEvaluation and Learning Achievements and Goals due RESUME Name Address Telephone Email PRESENT EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE In this section, you should describe your main purpose for attending college. I plan on receiving a college degree in a health-related field so that I can go to medical school I plan on getting an MBA. I am taking a range of courses that will help me eventually choose my major. I am planning on a degree in elementary education. HIGHLIGHTS OF QUALIFICATIONS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS In this section, you should list your most significant qualifications, relevant experiences, accomplishments, and strengths that would contribute to your educational objective. During high school, I served as a volunteer at a local hospital. I was captain of our volleyball team. I was student council president in high school. I graduated with academic honors. I was an active member of the speech and drama clubs in high school. Last summer, I traveled to Europe. EMPLOYMENT In this section, you should list your employment history. EDUCATION In this section, you should list the high schools and colleges you’ve previously attended accompanied by the dates of attendance. OTHER GENERAL INTERESTS In this section, you should list other activities of personal interest. 9 Student Name Professor Musgrove English 101 Date Learning Achievements and Goals 1. I feel confident about my writing in the following ways for the reasons given. (a sample response: I feel confident about writing research essays because I had plenty of practice during my senior year.) 2. I feel confident about my reading ability in the following ways for the reasons given. 3. I feel confident about my critical thinking abilities in the following ways for the reasons given. 4. I would like to improve my writing ability in the following ways for the reasons given. (a sample response: I would like to learn how to use commas correctly because my last teacher always marked my papers for commas.) 5. I would like to improve my reading ability in the following ways for the reasons given. 6. I would like to improve my critical thinking abilities in the following ways for the reasons given. 7. I can see how these improvements would relate to my academic work and career plans in the following ways. 10 Student’s Last Name # Student’s Name Professor Musgrove English 101 Date Version Number or Description Standard Essay Format Following Modern Language Association guidelines, this page demonstrates the standard format for essays and learning journal responses. Left, right, top, and bottom margins are set at one inch, and a header with the writer’s last name and page number is set at one-half inch from the top of every page and right-justified. The standard heading at the top left is left-justified and single-spaced. For the purposes of this course, I’ve added an extra line in the heading so that a writer can more easily keep track of the version of the essay submitted or the description of the learning journal response. After the heading, the title of the essay is centered above the body of the essay. This title does not require quotation marks or underlining, nor does it need to be bold. All of the other text is left-justified, double-spaced, and set in Arial, Times New Roman, or Courier New font no larger than size 12. The first line of each paragraph begins with a onehalf inch tab, and there should be no extra spaces between paragraphs. For more information on formatting essays and research projects, see A Guide to MLA Documentation. 11 Guidelines for Learning Journal Reading Responses In this class, your learning journal reading responses are one of the main ways you will use writing to engage, respond to, and learn from the course reading assignments. Each learning journal entry should be at the minimum three short paragraphs, one page, and typed. In these three paragraphs, you should complete the following. 1. Briefly summarize the assigned reading. This is not a detailed account of the events or argument presented, but a short overview of the story or essay. 2. Describe how you might relate your experience, someone you know, or some previous knowledge to the reading. In some cases, you may be able to easily relate some experience or another individual or prior knowledge to the reading. In other cases, this may be more difficult; if this is the case, challenge yourself to make the connection. 3. Ask one or two questions about what you’ve read. These questions will reveal your interest in the characters, events, topics, and craft of the assigned reading. These questions will also serve to guide our daily class discussions. To write “I don’t have any questions.” would not be an appropriate response. In addition, you should include at least one in-text citation from the reading assignment. This should be a direct quotation and include a parenthetical page reference that corresponds to the cited information. See “Conventions for Quoting and Citing Sources” on page 39 in your minilessons packet on how to cite and reference direct quotations correctly. As the term progresses, I will also ask you to incorporate a variety of sentence and phrase strategies in your learning journals. These reading responses are a very important contribution to your learning in this class as well because they will be the main source material for your midterm and final self-evaluation essays. They will also serve as practice for your midterm and final exams. In addition, you may submit up to four alternative responses that in some way creatively represent the main concepts or arguments in the assigned reading(s). In other words, rather than follow the guidelines above, you may submit an original poem, song lyric, PowerPoint slide, or two-dimensional drawing, painting, or collage that represents your response to the assigned reading(s). These alternative responses should also be submitted on regular 8 ½ X 11 paper. These alternative responses should include the passage from the reading with corresponding page number that relates to or inspired in some way your alternative response. 12 Writing Project #1 Narrative Essay The first major essay we will work on together in class will be a narrative essay. The other three will include an expository essay, an analysis essay, and an argumentative essay. These are four of the most common types of essays because telling stories, explaining, analyzing, and persuading are the most common ways we use writing to communicate with others inside school and beyond the classroom walls. Narrative essays are distinct from other forms of writing because they generally focus on a dramatic situation that the writer has personally encountered and wishes to share with someone else for a specific reason. Along the way, the writer must narrate in detail the elements of the story, including the setting (where and when the action took place), the characters (who did what to whom), and the action (what took place). The writer must also provide the reader with sensual detail (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and other sensations) as well as the emotions, attitudes, and thoughts of the main characters, including the narrator. In other words, the writer is obligated to make the story come to life in as many ways as possible, so that the reader can see and understand what the writer experienced. Thus, for your first assignment, compose at least a three page narrative essay in response to one of the prompts below. 1. Purpose: Tell about an event that helped you understand your cultural identity. Audience: A friend, a member of your family, an important person in your cultural community, or readers of the school newspaper. What conclusions would you want your audience to draw? What response would you want them to have to your story? 2. Purpose: Tell about an event that helped you learn how to value your parent(s) or a friend. Audience: Your family, your friends, or the readers of the school newspaper. 3. Purpose: Tell about an event in the last two or three weeks that caused you to change your preconceptions about college life. What did you believe about college before this time? What do you now believe? What event and people contributed to that change? Audience: Your friends, family, seniors in high school who are planning to come to school, or readers of the school newspaper. Narrative Structure Narrative essays are similar to stories, except that the setting, characters, and events are true. Narrative essays are also similar to stories because they follow the same structure; that is, narrative essays have a chronological structure that 1. begins with an introduction of the setting and the main characters, 2. moves from one event to the next, 3. includes a conflict or climactic moment, 4. and then reaches a resolution of the conflict. Traditionally, a narrative plot or story line is represented as follows: Climax Rising action Resolution 13 Narrative Openings Opening 1: Give reader detailed description of the scene where the first event in story takes place. The cool autumn breeze jostled the leaves in the maple high above the dew-covered lawn. As I walked out into the yellow dawn light, a squirrel scampered across the sidewalk and wound himself up the maple. I bent to pick up the daily news, and he chattered his complaints at me. I must have interrupted his morning rounds. Suddenly, I heard the telephone ring from the house. Who could be calling so early? Opening 2: Start in media res with dialogue. Let reader hear significant dialogue from significant encounter in story. Then begin the story. “I just can’t believe this is happening to me,” Dan said. He was obviously upset. His voice sounded hoarse and strained. “What do you want me to do? I could drive over and be there in a couple of hours,” I offered. “Yes, why don’t I drive over. It won’t take me long.” “Well, uh. I don’t know. ” Then there was a long silence at his end of the line. I tried to imagine what he was feeling, but I couldn’t. I hadn’t seen him or talked to him in three years. “Dan?” “Yeah, come on. I think I’ll need your help. How soon can you be here?” “Two hours. I’m on my way. I’ll leave here now.” I guess it wasn’t so odd that he called me. We were the closest friends not that long ago. Opening 3: Start in media res with description of scene. Give reader detailed description of the scene of significant event, briefly hint at event, and then begin the story. The traffic was snarled, and the air thickened with brown blowing dust and gray exhaust. The blinding sun sunk just ahead, and I dropped my visor so that I could focus on the string of red brake lights in front of me. Stop and go, stop and go. Somewhere in the distance, twisted metal, broken glass, and snapped necks stalled this three-lane, rush hour torture. I was late to meet Dan and wondered if he was feeling snarled, twisted, broken, snapped, stalled, and tortured as well. Opening 4: Relate your specific story to a familiar story. Unfortunately, we’re all too familiar with the trouble men have with women and women with men. Boy meets girl. Boy woos girl. Boy gets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy calls best friend. Same with girls. Girl meets boy. Girl woos boy. And so forth. TV sitcoms are filled with such stuff. First attractions, eventual breakups, and best friends consoling one another. Seems like we would have learned how to get out of this mess by now. But no. 14 Writing Project #2 Expository Essay The second major essay we will work on together in class will be an expository essay. The first was a narrative essay, and the next two will include an analysis essay and an argumentative essay. These are four of the most common types of essays because telling stories, explaining, analyzing, and persuading are the most common ways we use writing to communicate with others inside the University and beyond. Expository essays are distinct from other forms of writing because they generally focus on explaining a concept or process through definition, analysis, classification, or comparison/contrast. In other words, expository essays are intended to clarify a concept or process through explanation. Thus, for your second assignment, compose a three-page, typed expository essay in response to one of the prompts below. 1. Purpose: Think about a process or procedure that you know very well and perform successfully. Perhaps you are an expert in this process and could teach it in detail to someone you know. Explain this process so that someone else could perform it following your instructions. Audience: Someone who would benefit from learning this process. 2. Purpose: Taking a humorous approach, explain in a how to successfully fail at something. For example, you might describe the procedures for failing at friendship, or at studying, or at writing a college essay, or at being a dorm roommate, or being a teammate, or being a son or daughter. There may be other “procedures” you wish to explain. Audience: Readers of the school newspaper. 3. Purpose: Describe someone you know who has helped you understand how to be successful in some aspect of your life. Who is this person and what have they taught you? Audience: Readers of the school newspaper. 4. Purpose: How would you define the characteristics of “a successful person”? In other words, complete this sentence: “I believe a successful person demonstrates the qualities of ……..” Also provide examples that clarify your definition. How do these examples fit the characteristics in your definition? Audience: Readers of the school newspaper. 5. Purpose: Contrast two definitions of success. In our culture, many definitions for success compete for our attention. What do you take to be the best definition? Why is this the best? What do you take to be a flawed definition for success? Why is it flawed? Audience: Readers of the school newspaper. 15 Organizational Strategies for Expository Essays In expository essays, writers bring clarity and detail to procedures and concepts. They usually begin by introducing a general process or idea. They then proceed paragraph by paragraph by providing specific examples and evidence to help their readers better understand the steps or qualities of these procedures and concepts. Explaining a Process Introduction Identify the process, your expertise, and why audience would benefit from learning this process Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 ………….. Conclusion Describing an Influential Person Introduction Name the person, describe their relationship to you, and their general influence Description of Person First influential lesson Second influential lesson Third influential lesson …………………………. Conclusion Defining a Concept Introduction General claim about concept, and your specific definition Characteristic 1 Characteristic 2 Characteristic 3 ………………… Conclusion Contrasting Two Ideas Introduction General claim about two ideas and the obvious differences First idea Second idea First contrasting feature of two ideas Second contrasting feature of two ideas Third contrasting feature of two ideas …………………………………………. Conclusion 16 Writing Project #3 Analysis Essay The third major essay we will work on together in class will be an analysis essay. The first essay was a narrative essay, the second was an expository essay, and the fourth essay will be an argumentative essay. These are four of the most common types of essays because telling stories, explaining, analyzing, and persuading are the most common ways we use writing to communicate with others inside the University and beyond. Analysis essays are distinct from other forms of writing because they generally focus on explaining the relationships between the whole and its parts. In the case of analysis, the writer of the essay explains how another author uses his or her craft to promote his or her larger purpose, whether it is a story, political speech, editorial, or advertisement. Instead of telling a story (as in a narrative) or explaining a process that the writer already knows (as in an expository essay), the writer in the case of an analysis focuses on examining something new. In other words, instead of focusing on knowledge “inside” the writer, the writer must focus on knowledge “outside” or beyond the writer’s previous experiences. Thus, for your third assignment, compose a four-page, typed essay in response to one of the two prompts below. 1. Purpose: Analyze Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha by providing your reader a brief biographical description of Hesse, summarizing the main action of the novel, detailing some of the main topics of the novel, describing Hesse’s use of literary form, and concluding with a discussion of what kind of reader(s) might best appreciate the novel. Audience: Someone who has not read the novel and would find value in it. 2. Purpose: Select and analyze two stories by Frances Khirallah Noble by providing your reader a brief biographical description of Noble, summarizing the main action of the stories, detailing some of the main topics of the stories, describing Nobel’s use of literary form, and concluding with a discussion of what kind of reader(s) might best appreciate the stories. Audience: Someone who has not read the stories and would find value in them. In either case, you should provide evidence from the novel or stories to support your analysis. See information on quoting and citing sources in the mini-lesson packet. Recommended Organizational Strategy for Analysis Essay 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Introduction: a creative introduction that draws reader’s attention Brief biography of author Summary of main action Main topics Literary form Conclusion: remarks on what kind of reader(s) might best appreciate novel or stories 17 Writing Project #4 Argumentative or Persuasive Essay The fourth and final major essay we will work on together in class will be an argumentative or persuasive essay. The first essay was a narrative essay, the second was an expository essay, and the third essay was an analysis essay. These are four of the most common types of essays because telling stories, explaining, analyzing, and persuading are the most common ways we use writing to communicate with others inside the University and beyond. Argumentative or persuasive essays are distinct from other forms of writing because writers generally focus on an issue or problem that they share with their readers and attempt to provide a specific point-of-view or solution. We might also think of this kind of essay as a problemsolving essay. Thus, for your fourth assignment, compose a three-page, typed essay in response to the prompt below. Purpose: Select a specific problem related to your experience at Saint Xavier this year. This problem may have to do with student life, housing, registration, parking, scheduling of classes, course offerings, school activities, sporting events, or student resources like the library or computer labs, but it must be a problem that you know other students have encountered as well. Audience: Compose an editorial for the student newspaper or a letter to the President of the University in which you describe the problem in detail and offer a specific solution. Recommended Organizational Strategy for Persuasive Essay 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Introduction: discussion of values and concerns University already promotes Description of problem and who it affects Real and possible consequences of problem Possible solutions to problem Best solution to problem and why it’s best Conclusion: discussion of how best solution supports values and concerns University holds 18 Student Name__________________________________________________ Essay # ______ Version # ______ Evaluation Criteria A an excellent essay B a good essay C an acceptable essay D a poor essay F an unacceptable essay No evaluation a clear aim, a strong introduction, and a thoughtful conclusion strong supporting details logically developed and very well organized a tone appropriate to the aim of the essay stylistic maturity and confident facility with language as demonstrated by sentence variety and appropriate word choice virtually free of surface and usage errors a clear aim and a strong introduction and conclusion good supporting details logically developed and well organized a tone appropriate to the aim of the essay lacks the stylistic maturity and facility with language of an A essay largely free of surface and usage errors a clear aim, an introduction, and a conclusion adequate supporting details competence in logical development and organization, although it may exhibit occasional organizational and developmental weakness a tone appropriate to the aim of the essay basic competence in sentence variety and word choice a pattern of surface and usage errors lack of a clear aim, focus, or conclusion lack of sufficient support supporting details may be trivial, inappropriate, logically flawed flaws in organization/development inappropriate tone stylistic flaws characterized by lack of sentence variety and by evidence of limited vocabulary frequent usage or surface errors focus may be too general or too specific lack of support lack of organization inappropriate tone serious stylistic flaws serious usage or surface errors Essays receiving no grade will fail to address the topic or assignment, fail to fulfill other requirements of the assignment, show evidence of plagiarism, or fail to be accompanied by previous drafts. Recommendations for Revision Recommendations for Editing 19 Academic Performance Agreement English 101 Musgrove In order to make the requirements of this class and your responsibilities as a student as clear as possible, I’ve created this document titled “Academic Performance Agreement.” Please read this information carefully because it outlines the kinds of behaviors, study habits, and attitudes necessary for success in this class, as well as in the University writing community at large. If you agree to the terms and conditions set forth below, please sign your name on one of the two copies I’ve provided you. By signing and returning this agreement to me, you commit yourself to the standards of conduct and academic performance listed below. If you do not accept these standards, you should see your advisor about withdrawing from this course. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. I understand that attendance is a requirement of the class and that 5 absences of any sort (excused or unexcused) will result in automatic failure. I also understand that if I miss class that I should contact another student, rather than the professor of the class, to discover what I’ve missed. A missed conference will be equivalent to two absences. I understand that arriving late to class is inappropriate because it disrupts the class agenda and interferes with teaching and learning. I understand that the instructor will shut the door to the classroom when the class starts and that I will not attempt to enter the class after the door has been closed. I understand that cell phones must be turned off before entering class. I understand if my cell phone rings during class I will be asked to leave the class. I understand that this class has substantial reading and writing requirements. These requirements will demand that I manage my time carefully and schedule at least 6 hours of study time per week or 2 hours of study time for every one hour of scheduled class time. I understand that purchasing the course texts and bringing the texts to class to support my discussion of the assigned readings is a requirement of the course. I understand that I should be prepared each day to share my learning journal responses to the reading assignments in class. I will share these learning journals responses with other students in the class. I also understand I may not turn these journals in late. I understand that I will be required to contribute to class discussions and small group work in class. In other words, I will be required to speak in class, share my ideas, and respect the ideas of others. I understand that I will be composing learning journal responses, four major essays, and two self-evaluations. I also understand that any writing I submit must be my own and written exclusively for this class. I understand that my writing assignments should be composed and saved on a word-processor or personal computer. I also understand that I should schedule my time and supplies carefully so that I know when I have access to a word-processor or computer and that I have adequate paper and printing supplies. I understand that I will benefit from discussing my ideas and writing with my family, friends, and other students. I also understand that I can get help with my ideas and writing in the Learning Center, L109B. However, I also understand that I should never claim someone else’s ideas or writing as my own. I understand that when I use the ideas of others in my writing that I must let my readers know whose ideas are whose and where I found them. I understand that plagiarism (or the failure to acknowledge the ideas of others appropriately) is a form of academic dishonesty and will result in failure. I understand that I must adhere to the due dates for all writing assignments because late work will not be accepted. I also understand that all writing assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. I understand that I should think of writing as a complex process of planning, drafting, revising, editing, and presentation. Consequently, I understand that I should schedule time to complete each of these tasks before submitting my work. I understand that I can make an appointment with my instructor to talk about any aspect of the class, including course assignments, my writing, the required reading, or comments and grades on my writing. I understand that my learning and engagement with others occurs best when the attitudes of hope, courage, honesty, consideration, humility, persistence, caring, and respect are present. Student Signature _______________________________________Date _________________________ STUDENT COPY 20 Academic Performance Agreement English 101 Musgrove In order to make the requirements of this class and your responsibilities as a student as clear as possible, I’ve created this document titled “Academic Performance Agreement.” Please read this information carefully because it outlines the kinds of behaviors, study habits, and attitudes necessary for success in this class, as well as in the University writing community at large. If you agree to the terms and conditions set forth below, please sign your name on one of the two copies I’ve provided you. By signing and returning this agreement to me, you commit yourself to the standards of conduct and academic performance listed below. If you do not accept these standards, you should see your advisor about withdrawing from this course. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. I understand that attendance is a requirement of the class and that 5 absences of any sort (excused or unexcused) will result in automatic failure. I also understand that if I miss class that I should contact another student, rather than the professor of the class, to discover what I’ve missed. A missed conference will be equivalent to two absences. I understand that arriving late to class is inappropriate because it disrupts the class agenda and interferes with teaching and learning. I understand that the instructor will shut the door to the classroom when the class starts and that I will not attempt to enter the class after the door has been closed. I understand that cell phones must be turned off before entering class. I understand if my cell phone rings during class I will be asked to leave the class. I understand that this class has substantial reading and writing requirements. These requirements will demand that I manage my time carefully and schedule at least 6 hours of study time per week or 2 hours of study time for every one hour of scheduled class time. I understand that purchasing the course texts and bringing the texts to class to support my discussion of the assigned readings is a requirement of the course. I understand that I should be prepared each day to share my learning journal responses to the reading assignments in class. I will share these learning journals responses with other students in the class. I also understand I may not turn these journals in late. I understand that I will be required to contribute to class discussions and small group work in class. In other words, I will be required to speak in class, share my ideas, and respect the ideas of others. I understand that I will be composing learning journal responses, four major essays, and two self-evaluations. I also understand that any writing I submit must be my own and written exclusively for this class. I understand that my writing assignments should be composed and saved on a word-processor or personal computer. I also understand that I should schedule my time and supplies carefully so that I know when I have access to a word-processor or computer and that I have adequate paper and printing supplies. I understand that I will benefit from discussing my ideas and writing with my family, friends, and other students. I also understand that I can get help with my ideas and writing in the Learning Center, L109B. However, I also understand that I should never claim someone else’s ideas or writing as my own. I understand that when I use the ideas of others in my writing that I must let my readers know whose ideas are whose and where I found them. I understand that plagiarism (or the failure to acknowledge the ideas of others appropriately) is a form of academic dishonesty and will result in failure. I understand that I must adhere to the due dates for all writing assignments because late work will not be accepted. I also understand that all writing assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. I understand that I should think of writing as a complex process of planning, drafting, revising, editing, and presentation. Consequently, I understand that I should schedule time to complete each of these tasks before submitting my work. I understand that I can make an appointment with my instructor to talk about any aspect of the class, including course assignments, my writing, the required reading, or comments and grades on my writing. I understand that my learning and engagement with others occurs best when the attitudes of hope, courage, honesty, consideration, humility, persistence, caring, and respect are present. Student Signature _______________________________________Date _________________________ INSTRUCTOR COPY 21
