English 1B: Advanced Composition and Critical Thinking –Hybrid
Chaffey College – Fall 2009 – Thursday 8:00-9:20 and online
Professor Michelle Dowd - Office LA 7G - Phone 652-6923
The difficult part in an argument is not to defend one’s opinion
but to know what it is.
Andre Maurois
Required Texts:
Current Issues and Enduring Questions 8th edition, by Barnet/Bedau
Three Cups of Tea by Mortenson and Relin (college book)
Grade Determination:
Discussion Board
Midterm exam
Value claim paper - “This I Believe”
Critical Analysis Book/Film Review
Policy Claim Research paper
Policy Claim Final (project presentation)
25%
10%
10%
15%
20%
20%
Attendance: Attendance and punctuality are mandatory in this class, just as
they are in the workplace. Missing a significant portion of any class period
constitutes an absence, as does failing to post during the week between
classes. Ultimately, you are responsible for what takes place at every class
meeting, on campus and online, and you may find it helpful to consult a
classmate regarding assignments and/or handouts.
Class participation: What you learn in this class will be divided between
lectures, exercises, and discussions in the classroom and online. Your
participation is needed, valued, and necessary for a passing grade in this
course. If you are absent for an in-class exercise or discussion, you will
not be able to make it up.
Discussion Boards: The numerous readings assigned in this course are designed
to assist you in developing the vital skills of analyzing and responding
critically to other writers. Your "discussion boards" will consist of
approximately 200 words of written response for each assignment, and a 50-100
word reply to at least one other student. You will be assessed on the
timeliness and frequency of your posts. If the discussion board posts are not
on time, you will receive 0 points for that week. To put it more bluntly, less
than 60% timely participation on Discussion Boards constitutes failure to
participate and will result in 0 points for this weighty 25% of your course
grade. Unless you have near-perfect scores on every other component in the
course, you will not have earned enough points to pass the course.
Assignments: All formal assignments due in class
paper, double-spaced, with one inch margins. All
beginning of class on the day assigned. You will
which will be graded down one full letter grade.
earn an F.
should be typed on white
assignments are due at the
be allowed one late paper,
Additional late papers will
Service Learning: This class includes a service-learning component, which will
provide a way for you to use skills learned in this class in the wider
community. This semester we will work on campus for NCTE’s National Day of
Writing and visit The Prison Library Project in Claremont is an organization
that provides books free of charge to any inmate who requests them. In
response to the startling fact that the average inmate incarcerated in the
United States has a fourth grade education, the PLP uses books to encourage
personal responsibility and educational growth within the prison communities.
Guidelines for Papers:
Remember to have a clear thesis placed as the last sentence of your short
introductory paragraph and topic sentences that substantiate your claims. You
will be graded on your ability to formulate a focused, concise, and logical
argument.
Requirements:
1. Use 3rd person point-of-view unless instructed otherwise.
2. Include a brief synopsis of the subject (and, if appropriate, the essay
to which you are responding) in the intro before your thesis. Your
thesis will be at the end of your first paragraph.
3. Include and condense the major concerns associated with the controversy,
including a brief rebuttal to primary opposition.
This I Believe (Value Claim)
A value claim is an argument that makes a qualifiable assertion; in other
words, it is an argument (claim) about a moral, aesthetic, or philosophical
topic (value).
See http://thisibelieve.org/index.php
This I Believe is an international project engaging people in writing,
sharing, and discussing the core values that guide their daily lives. These
short statements of belief, written by people from all walks of life, are
archived here and featured on public radio in the United States and Canada, as
well as in regular broadcasts on NPR. The project is based on the popular
1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow.
We will discuss guidelines in class.
Book/Film Review (Value Claim)
You will have the option of focusing on aesthetics or philosophical values in
the following:
Books: Three Cups of Tea by Mortenson and Relin
Random Family by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
Fun Home by Allison Bechdel
Films: Watchmen
I’ve Loved You So Long
We will discuss guidelines and paper format in class.
Requirements for Research Project (Policy Claim)
A policy claim is an argument that makes an assertion about a course of action
the reader should take; in other words, it is an argument (claim) about an
actionable topic (policy).
A policy claim argues a matter of social behavior. You should be careful in
crafting the diction and tone of your policy claim--you will be addressing a
tangible person or group of people. Remember that policy claims are, in
essence, "shells" that encase value and fact claims. For instance, a "core"
fact claim might be that gang activity among 14-16 year-olds is on the rise;
an accompanying "core" value claim might be that gang activity is detrimental
to these youths and to the communities they live in. These ideas may be
expanded thus: The City of Fontana should initiate and sufficiently fund and
house after school programs for 14-16 year-old males and females in order to
develop their civic sensibility and to protect other citizens of the
community.
“Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.” –
Zora Neale Hurston
This project has three distinct components: a proposal, a persuasive in-class
presentation and a standard policy claim research paper, all on the same
topic.
You may choose one of the topics we have debated in this class, or you may
elect a topic of your own. I will meet with you individually after you have
submitted a formal proposal to discuss your strategy and you will have a
typed, signed copy of your proposal on file at least 4 weeks prior to the end
of the course.
You may work alone or with a partner. If you choose a partner, you will be
graded as a team. This decision must be made by the due date of the proposal
and is irreversible.
Researching, analyzing, preparing for the presentation and writing your paper
will probably take about 40 hours. You should plan accordingly.
The Proposal: Your “proposal” will be one typed paragraph stating the claim,
grounds, warrants and backing for your proposed argument, including a working
bibliography (MLA format) with a minimum of four previewed sources.
The Presentation:
Your final project will be presented in class on a pre-assigned date. You
must be prepared to field questions from your classmates and from me,
including a basic knowledge and comprehension of the critical thinking terms
we have used throughout the semester. Before you speak, you will turn in to
me: a typed formal outline of the contents of your presentation (see p.302)
and an annotated bibliography (see p.272-273) of at least 8 different sources.
For formal outlining techniques, see:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/outline.html.
Remember to type your thesis claim on your outline and bring supporting
documentation to your presentation. You might also want to consider visual
aids and/or student handouts to maintain audience interest. You will speak to
the class for 5-10 minutes uninterrupted, and 5-15 minutes to field questions,
as time allows.
The Paper:
Your written paper should be approximately 7-10 pages of text. Graphs,
diagrams, pictures, the title page, works cited list, and all other supporting
documentation is in addition to this base.
You will be advocating one side of the issue (formulating a clear, arguable
thesis statement), but you should also be aware of your opposition, and
clearly refute the position of your opponents.
Use a minimum of 6 different sources and authors outside of the course texts
to support your position. In addition to reliable websites and internet
sources, be sure to include at least one database source and an academic
journal.
Use MLA style documentation, including parenthetic citation and a Works Cited
list.
Terms you will need to comprehend for the written midterm and the oral final
exam:
Definition (four types)
Rationalize vs. Justify
Fact claim/value claim/policy claim
Assumption
Deductive vs. inductive reasoning
Premise
Components of the Toulmin Model
Types of evidence
Logos/pathos/ethos
Rogerian strategy
Reductio ad absurdum
Paraphrase and Summarize
Logical Fallacies: Oversimplification,
Death by a Thousand Qualifications, Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc, Hasty
Generalization, Ad Hominem, Slippery Slope, False Dichotomy, Poisoning the
Well, Appeal to Authority, False Analogy, Protecting the Hypothesis
Plagiarism, an unlawful act which is defined as the misrepresentation of the
published ideas or words of another as one's own, will not be tolerated in
Chaffey College English courses. Plagiarism will be punishable by an F in the
course.
Please be advised that class readings and discussions will include adult
themes; choose this section of English 1B accordingly.
Tentative Class Schedule
“We think of argument not as a weapon for use in mortal combat but as a
device for exploring the controversy or dispute under discussion, a tool
for isolating the issues in contention and for helping in the evaluation
of different possible outcomes. We expect you will use argument to
persuade your audience to accept your views, just as a lawyer typically
does; but we hope you will use argument sometimes—even often--to clarify
your ideas for yourself."
---Barnet & Bedau
8/25
online
9/1
Introduction: discuss course objectives, policies, etc. Topic: What does
it mean to think critically?
Post your chosen values
Read Chapters 1 and 2 in Current Issues and Enduring Questions,
focusing on active reading. Pay particularly close attention to “A
First Amendment Junkie” and “Let’s Put Pornography Back in the
Closet.”
online
Read pp. 504-506 and take a position on the censorship of internet
pornography -- http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pornographycensorship/
9/8
Read chapter 3 in Current Issues and Enduring Questions; In-class
Diagnostic Writing
online
9/15
online
9/22
Discussion board on the Toulmin Model (chapter 8)
Read chapter 6 in CI; Discuss guidelines for position papers
Post draft of “This I Believe” Value Claim Paper
Value Claim Paper due
online
Read Chapter 7 in CI
9/29
Read chapter 9 in CI, including “Love is a Fallacy”
online
Read chapter 13 in CI and start reading or viewing for next paper
10/6
Read chapter 10 (“A Moralist’s View: Ways of Thinking Ethically”) in
CI and “A Modest Proposal” (p.212)
online
This post will provide practice writing value claims based on moral
reasoning. According to your textbook, “a rule or principle counts as
a moral/ethical rule or principle when it gives guidance regarding
rational constraints on self-interested conduct.”
In each of the 4 selections chosen from chapter 31, obedience to a
formal law is in direct conflict with a personal moral conscience.
Determine which type of law is broken and evaluate whether the
protagonist is justified in his/her actions. You will need to
establish a clear set of values (ethos), show how they relate to the
specific incident presented (pathos) and clearly define your terms
(logos).
Use moral reasoning and specific textual references to support your
claim. Remember to establish the principle and the categorical
imperative to which it belongs.
1.“Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell
2.“Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr.
3.“The Perils of Obedience” by Stanley Milgram
4.“Trifles” by Susan Glaspell
10/13
online
10/20
online
10/27
online
Midterm exam
Post book or movie review response check out
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/ and
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/review/index.html
Critical Analysis Book/Film Review due - Service work on NCTE’s
National Day of Writing
Brainstorm research topics
Library visit on advanced research techniques
Read chapter 14 in CI
11/3
Research project proposal due; individual conferences on final
project
online
post accepted research proposal and ask questions of at least 2 other
students
11/10
Presentations
online
post your annotated bibliography
11/17
Presentations
online
post formal outline of your presentation
11/24
Presentations
online
Peer paper questions
12/1
Presentations
online
Peer paper questions
12/8
Presentations
online
Peer paper questions
12/15
Final Exam time: 8:45 a.m. – Please turn in final research paper in
person at this time.
Please note: All formal assignments must be turned in to receive a passing
grade in the course.
Additional Note: The Socratic method of philosophy is the art of crossexamination, an attempt to establish objective standards whereby to measure
opinions. It includes a sort of Rogerian Strategy of arguing in order to reach
a mutual understanding, rather than to win; establishing basic agreed-upon
premises; following the implications of the argument rather than focusing
entirely on the thesis; and allowing for shifting perspectives and
conclusions. Socrates said, “Do not imagine that I have any other interest in
asking questions of you but that of clearing up my own difficulties. How can
you think that I have any other motive in refuting you but what I should have
in examining into myself? The rule of the Socratic method of inquiry is to
follow the argument wherever it may lead. If people argue only to defend their
own cherished opinions, or else to compel an opponent to admit a mistake, they
become disillusioned about the quest for truth. So Socrates “is ready to fight
in word and deed, for his conviction that we are better and braver and less
helpless if we think we ought to inquire, than we should be if we indulged in
an idle skepticism about the possibility of knowing anything.”
One Book, One College
The One Book, One College Committee strives to create a community of readers across the
curriculum at Chaffey College and within the communities it serves. Each year, the committee selects a
college book and creates a diverse series of related events. Students are encouraged to participate in these
activities to enrich their educational experience at Chaffey.
Statement on Plagiarism
Plagiarism, an unlawful act which is defined as the misrepresentation of the published ideas or words
of another as one’s own, will not be tolerated in Chaffey College English courses. At the discretion of the
professor, plagiarism may result in zero points for the assignment and/or failing the course.
Campus Resources
Student Success Centers
In the last few years, Chaffey College has created Student Success Centers, which offer tutorials,
workshops, study groups, and computer access to assist students in their academic development and
success. Three of the centers, located on the Rancho Cucamonga campus, are designed to address
specific subject needs:
Math Center
PS-12
(909) 652-6452
Language Success Center
EEC-101
(909) 652-6907
Reading Success Center
EEC-101
(909) 652-6932
Writing Success Center
Library
(909) 652-6820
The remaining four centers are multidisciplinary, designed to serve students in all subject disciplines.
Rancho Success Center
EEC-101
(909) 652-6932
Chino Success Center
CHMB-145
(909) 652-8150
Chino Reading & Writing Center
CHMB-240
(909) 652-8160
Fontana Success Center
CCFC-107
(909) 652-7408
Call the centers or consult the college website at www.chaffey.edu for more details.
Disability Programs and Services
If you have a disability documented by a physician or other appropriate professionals and wish to
discuss academic accommodations, please contact the DPS office at (909) 652-6379. Please be sure to
allow adequate time to arrange for an appropriate accommodation.
EOPS and CARE
Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) is designed to ensure student retention and
success through academic support and financial assistance for eligible students. Cooperative Agencies
Resources for Education (CARE) is a program that serves a limited number of EOPS students who are
single heads of household parents. It provides additional support services beyond those available
through EOPS. The ultimate goal is completion of a certificate program, an associate degree, and/or
transfer to a four-year college. Call (909) 652-6345 for more information