Unit 1 Daily Schedule
1/17: Introduction to course, rhetorical analysis, and MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
1/22: Read pages 207-12 on rhetorical analysis in the Student’s Guide and pages 47-54 on “Annotating.” Annotate “I Have a
Dream” and be ready to outline a line of argument for a rhetorical analysis of the speech. In class, we will work from your annotations to
outline arguments for a rhetorical analysis such as the essay you will write. We will also discuss the assignment and survey websites
linked to our course resources page for possible speeches.
There is no substitute for watching the video of King's "I Have a Dream." For more on rhetorical analysis, check out these
resources, and links to more of King's writings and related sites are included in our Political Rhetoric Resources. For links to campaign
websites, visit the Campaign Rhetoric section of our Resources page
1/24: Come to class with an annotated copy of the speech that you are going to write about. Read the last sections of the
“Writing as a Process” chapter (SG 66-82). Be ready to talk about possible lines of argument for your essay. Also, read Hillary Clinton's
victory in New Hampshire speech and take a look at the video version. Also look at the Issues page on her campaign site, and also
read John McCain's victory speech and review his Issues page. The McCain website does not include a link to a video of his speech,
as Clinton's website does, but there is a You Tube video of McCain's speech. In class we will talk about writing strategies and draft out
arguments that might be written about the victory speeches of Hillary Clinton and John McCain. We will then form your peer groups
with people working with opposing campaigns and begin working on drafts.
For more on rhetorical analysis, check out these resources. For links to campaign websites, visit the Campaign Rhetoric
section of our Resources page.
1/29: Your rough draft is due to Caucus on 1/27. Read the section in the Guide on Workshops (pages 94-99). Read the drafts
in your group and be ready to talk about how to revise them. Class meets in Computer Center 311.
1/31: Your first rhetorical analysis essay is due in class. Read the second essay assignment. Print off and read “The Framing
of Immigration” by George Lakoff and Sam Ferguson. Here is a shorter printable version. Review the campaign website of Mitt
Romney and be ready to speak about his campaign themes. Class meets in Computer Center 311.
2/5: Analyze the themes of a campaign that you will analyze for the second essay. Come to class with notes on the framing of
a theme of that campaign. In class, you will work in groups on your drafts. Class meets in Computer Center 311. Read "Simple
Framing" and print it off for class. More sources on framing. Also be ready to discuss these sample drafts and revised papers.
2/7: Your drafts are due to our Caucus website before class. Help on Caucus is available on our Connect to Caucus page.
Read the rest of the Guide chapter on revision (pages 83-94). Class meets in Computer Center 311.
2/12: Your essays are due in class. Class meets in A112 in the Main Library. Read the Expanded Rhetorical Analysis essay
assignment. In class we will work from the tutorials and guides for English 102. You will be required to
1) review the Guides to Identify Popular vs. Scholarly Articles and Explore Pros & Cons of Contemporary Issues,
2) and complete the Tutorial to Find Articles using Academic Search Complete.
3) complete the English Composition Subject Guide Exercise and email it to me.
2/14: Print off and annotate the scholarly article that you have selected for the expanded rhetorical analysis. Be ready to talk
about the line of analysis that you are developing. To give you practice in finding materials in the library, locate, print off, and read
Richard Forgette and Jonathan S. Morris’s “High-Conflict Television News and Public Opinion” from Political Research Quarterly 59.3
(Sept. 2006): 447-56. To help you think about the differences between scholarly and popular writings, compare its argument, style, and
framing of issues with the article by Lakoff and Ferguson that we discussed on 1/31.
2/19: Your rough draft is due to the Caucus website on 2/17. Read “Working with Sources” in the Guide (117-129), and
review the drafts of the students in your group. Post responses to the drafts. Class meets in CC 311.
2/21: Your paper is due in class. Print off and read the Essay Assignments for Unit 2 (download the printable file
here). Print off and read the Time article listed below and bring it to class along with the article that you read for 2/14. We will use
these articles to discuss the differences between popular and scholarly articles.
"The Year of the Youth Vote" from Time (printable version).
Unit 2 Daily Schedule
2/26: Print out and read "The Internet's Effects on Politics" from Political Research Quarterly. This article is password
protected because it is copyrighted. If you do not remember the password that I have given out in class, you can email me. As noted
in class, we will use the same password for all such files. As part of continuing discussion of how to distinguish the slants of various
articles, you should complete this homework assignment on assessing political stances. Also read the chapter on the second and third
units in the Guide (pages 227-52). As detailed in our controversy essay assignment, we will be working through the research and
argument processes differently from the Guide.
2/28: We will set up research groups for the controversy essay and forum presentations. Review the rules for Commas (and
the other pages linked to it, if you have comma problems or do not understand the page). Fix the punctuation problems that were
marked on your paper, and be ready to go over your problems in your group. Use Proofreading for Commas to review your paper.
3/4: Correct the errors in your Works Cited page and parenthetical citations, and be ready to ask questions about any
formats you do not understand. Review “Working with Sources” in the Guide (117-129), and be ready to talk about the problems with
quotes and citations in the second student paper given out in class. Review the errors that you made in the last essay using Most
Commonly Occurring Errors. Count the errors that you made and be ready to discuss how your errors line up with those
in the rankings. You will work in groups to discuss your errors, and then your research groups will share sources, coordinate
research, and talk through your ideas for the memo. Be ready to state your controversy so that we can set up the groups. Write a one
paragraph annotation of “The Internet’s Effects on Politics” (for models, review SG 235-7).
3/6: Your draft of your Research Progress Memo is due before class to Caucus. You will post your revision to Caucus in
class, or by 5:00. I will respond to the memo via email. Class meets in CC 311.
3/11: The draft of your Research Proposal with Annotated Bibliography is due before class to Caucus. Print off and read
Principles of Writing Clear Sentences and Principles of Clarity in Action (printer friendly version). To prepare to lead class discussions
of how you have followed the guidelines in at least two of the paragraphs in your revised proposal and annotated bibliography, post
those two selected paragraphs on your Caucus page. Class meets in ECE 229.
3/13: Your revised Research Proposal with Annotated Bibliography is due in class. We will follow up on our discussion of
sentence style and paragraph development in the last class. Each group will be responsible to lead a discussion of two paragraphs
from your drafts using the Principles of Writing Clear Sentences. We will look at the paragraphs on Caucus that you have selected.
Read and print off Body Paragraphs, Lessons on Cohesion Part I, and Lessons on Cohesion Part IV.
3/18 & 3/20: BREAK
3/25: Bring five hard copies of the outline and introductory paragraph for your controversy essay to class and be ready to
talk through your argument in groups. Read and print off Some Advice on Introductions and Guidelines for Writing Introductions
and Conclusions.
3/27: The rough draft of your controversy essay is due to Caucus before class. In class, we will introduce the next unit.
Read sample papers by Deanna Sylvester and Allison Villa (Student’s Guide 305-15). Class meets in CC 311.
Unit 3 Daily Schedule
4/1: Revised controversy essay is due in class. Presentation on document design for the handouts and PowerPoint part of
your group presentations. Bring four additional copies of just the introduction and conclusion to your essay so that we can discuss how
to transform your controversy essay into the argumentative essay. Read How Introductions and Conclusions Work Together and bring
a hard copy to class.
4/3: No class. The drafts of the argumentative essay are due to Caucus by midnight on 4/6.
4/8: Respond to the drafts in your group before class. Class will be spent drafting the abstracts and one-page summaries of
your presentations for the on-line program. Class meets in CC 311.
4/10: Your argumentative essay is due in class. I will give a presentation on document design for the handouts and
PowerPoint part of your group presentations. Be ready to post your abstracts and one-page summaries to the on-line program.
Workshop presentations. Class meets in CC 311.
4/15: Final workshop on presentations. Class meets in CC 311.
4/15 United We Argue: Doing Democracy Forum 4-6:30pm ML 204, 311, 312
4/16 United We Argue: Doing Democracy Forum 6-8:30pm Psych 205, 207, 306
4/17: No class to free time for you to attend one day of the Forum and give your presentations.
Unit 4 Daily Schedule
4/22: Introduce final unit, and workshop selected essays. Read Student’s Guide 253-68, especially the Literacy Narrative
assignment and sample essay (258-67).
4/24: Post revised essay to Caucus before class. Read Student’s Guide 269-276. We will be joined by a group of high
school students who are interested in see what first-year composition is like. Class meets in ECE 229.
4/29: Workshop on your reflective essay, which should be posted to Caucus before class. Class meets in ECE 229.
5/1: Your portfolio is due in class with all the papers from the course, including your revised paper, and the final reflective
essay. Review your portfolio, read Marcos Salazar’s cover letter (Student’s Guide 328-30), and be ready to write your own cover letter
for your portfolio in class. Class meets in CC 311.
5/6: Portfolios returned. Teacher-Course Evaluations. Editing and punctuation exam in class.