English 160, Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts
Writing and the Creation of Community
Fall 2012
Instructor name: John Casey
CRN/Course Number:
30663 (9am)
30667 (11am)
11821 (12pm)
21750 (3pm)
Office location: 1833 UH
Time and days class meets:
MWF 9-9:50 am
MWF 11-11:50 am
MWF 12-12:50 pm
MWF 3-3:50 pm
Office phone: 312-413-2214
Classroom location:
BSB 265 (9am)
AH 302 (11am)
SH 212 (12 pm)
AH 302 (3pm)
E-mail address: jcasey3@uic.edu
Office hours: MWF 10-10:50 am,
2-2:50 pm, and Tuesdays from 1-3 pm.
Required texts
Anderson, Daniel. Write Now. New York: Prentice Hall, 2012. (WN).
ISBN-13: 9780132415477.
(This text is available for purchase at the UIC Bookstore located on the first floor of the
Student Center East.)
Additional readings will be available in the “Course Documents” section of the class
Blackboard site: http://blackboard.uic.edu/ (BB).
Our primary text for grammar instruction in this course will be The Purdue University
Online Writing Lab or (OWL). Please make sure to bookmark their site
http://owl.english.purdue.edu on your computer.
Reference books
You should either own a college-level dictionary and thesaurus or get in the habit of
consulting the library’s online reference shelf (http://researchguides.uic.edu/reference).
2
The dictionary & thesaurus that come packaged with the word-processing software on
your computer are not sufficient.
Grading
Although individual papers will be graded using a plus minus scale, please be advised
that possible final grades for this course are A, B, C, D, or F (There are no plus or minus
final grades at UIC). Your final course grade will be broken down as follows:
WP1: Profile
WP2: Manifesto
WP3: Argumentative Essay
WP4: Cover Letter/Proposal
20%
20%
25%
20%
Participation: including preparation, involvement in class discussions, attendance, peer
reviews, presentations, etc.
15%
Unless otherwise noted in class, all writing assignments will be returned within a week of
their collection for grading.
Portfolio review
The University requires all students to demonstrate proficiency in ENGL 160 before
progressing to ENGL 161. All ENGL 160 students submit a portfolio, which is then
evaluated by a group of instructors. Portfolios will be collected during the final week of
classes and must include the following (all materials should be submitted in a folder):

A clean copy of a revised draft of two writing projects representing the
student’s best work. One of these should be an argumentative essay,
whereas the other should be an essay of the student's choice.

All prior drafts of these essays.

A two-page argumentative cover letter to the portfolio team that discusses
what the student has learned about the situation, language, genre, and
consequence of his or her writing.
POLICIES
First-Year Writing add/drop policy:
Students enrolled in First-Year Writing courses may add, drop or switch their writing
courses during the first week of each semester. After the first week, however, students
may neither add nor switch their writing courses.
Attendance policy
First-Year Writing Program Attendance Policy for MWF Courses: First-Year Writing
Program Attendance Policy: Students are allowed five absences without penalty. Each
additional absence will reduce a student’s final grade by one letter. For example, a
student with a B and six absences can earn no higher than a C. Students who miss nine
3
class periods will fail the course. Students who are more than ten minutes late to class
will be given one-half of an absence.
Late work
Late work will not be accepted without documentation of a medical or personal
emergency. If you have official documentation, one additional week will be given to
complete the assignment.
Electronic communication
If you need to contact me outside of class time, please stop by my office or telephone me
during my office hours. Outside of those hours, e-mail is the best way to reach me. I will
reply to all e-mails within twenty-four hours. Except in cases where permission has been
given in advance, I will not accept work that is e-mailed to me.
Revision policy
Extensive revision is an important component of the writing process for this course.
Each of your writing projects will include a first draft, reviewed by your peers; a second
draft, reviewed by me; and a final draft, which will receive a grade (You are also
encouraged to visit the Writing Center for additional feedback on your early drafts).
Since this is already an extensive process involving multiple levels of feedback and
revision, I will not allow final drafts to be further revised in order to improve your grade.
Academic Integrity Policy
A student who submits work, at any stage of the writing process, which in whole or part
has been written by someone else or which contains passages quoted or paraphrased from
another’s work without acknowledgment (quotation marks, citation, etc.) has plagiarized.
Maintain your integrity when completing assignments and be overzealous to give credit
where it is due. If you are ever unsure about what constitutes plagiarism, ask me.
Students who are found to have plagiarized work may be subject to various disciplinary
actions, including a failing grade on a particular assignment, failure of the entire course,
and possible expulsion from the university. In cases of academic dishonesty, my policy is
to file a complaint with the Office of the Dean of Students. For more information about
violating academic integrity and its consequences, consult the website of the UIC Office
of the Dean of Students at http://www.uic.edu/depts/dos/studentconduct.html.
Disability accommodation
Students with disabilities who require accommodations for access to and/or participation
in this course must be registered with the Disability Resource Center (DRC). You may
contact DRC at 312-413-2183 (v) or 312-413-0123 (TTY).
Other Policies:
Cell phones and other electronic devices: Cell phones and other electronic devices must
be silenced or turned off during class time. Use of laptops, tablet computers, and smart
phones is only permitted for note taking, accessing course readings on the Blackboard
Site or for research and writing during in-class revision sessions and workshops. If I see
you accessing internet sites not related to class activities, I will ask you to turn off your
4
smart phone, tablet, or computer for the duration of the class.
Food and beverages: If you bring food or beverages into the classroom, please be
mindful to pick up any trash and dispose of it properly at the end of the class period.
UIC RESOURCES FOR WRITERS
The Writing Center, located in Grant Hall 105, offers one-on-one consultation with
student writers who need help developing ideas, or need advice, guidance or additional
instruction on any aspects of writing. The Writing Center serves all student writers, not
just students in the First-Year Writing Program. Tutors are prepared to spend fifty
minutes per appointment, and there is no limit to the number of tutoring sessions you can
have each semester. Make an appointment and be on time! Bring the paper on which
you're working, as well as any related drafts or notes, and information about the
assignment. For an appointment, call the Writing Center at (312) 413-2206, or stop by
Room 105 of Grant Hall. Visit the Writing Center website at
www.uic.edu/depts/engl/writing for more information.
Public Computer Labs are available throughout campus where you may write and/or
print out your work. For a list of labs and the hours they’re open, go to
(www.accc.uic.edu/pclabs). (NOTE: Do not wait until the last minute to print out papers.
Sometimes labs have long lines of students waiting for access.)
The Academic Center for Excellence can help if you feel you need more individualized
instruction in reading and/or writing; phone (312) 413-0031.
Counseling Services are available for all UIC students. You may seek free and
confidential services from the Counseling Center <www.counseling.uic.edu>. The
Counseling Center is located in the Student Services Building; you may contact them at
(312) 996-3490. In addition to offering counseling services, the Counseling Center also
operates the InTouch Crisis Hotline from 6:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. They offer support and
referrals to callers, as well as telephone crisis interventions; please call (312) 996-5535.
Questions? Concerns?
Contact Mark Bennett, Director of the First-Year Writing Program, at mbenne2@uic.edu,
call 312-355-2776, or stop by UH 2003.
DESCRIPTION OF WRITING PROJECTS
General Information: Since this course emphasizes the writing process as well as the
end result, all final drafts of papers must be accompanied by earlier drafts in descending
order (polished draft on top, rough draft on the bottom). Please remember to paperclip all
the drafts together. For online assignments, save screenshots of earlier versions of your
webpage so that I can track the changes made to content and formatting. These
5
screenshots will be considered the equivalent of a rough draft. You must provide these
screenshots to me along with your final draft either in printed or electronic form.
General Format: Each writing assignment in this class will possess slightly different
formatting needs. However, you should always include with your drafts some basic
information such as: Your Name, Class Section, My Name, Assignment Title, and the
Date the Assignment is being turned in. For some projects, this information may need to
be placed on a separate title page. See individual writing project descriptions below for
more details.
Proofreading: Before submitting any assignment, please review it, bearing the
following questions in mind:
- Have you carefully considered the language that you have used and how this will have
consequences in how you are received and perceived by the reader?
- Have you checked the essay for any possible mistakes in grammar, spelling, or
organization?
WRITING PROJECT #1: PROFILE PIECE
Page Requirement: 5 pages (Approximately 1300 words).
Due Dates:
First Draft: Friday, September 7.
Second Draft: Monday, September 10.
Final Draft: Monday, September 24.
Resources:
WN
“A Hero’s Journey,” pgs. 154-156.
“Raw Nerve,” pgs. 158-162.
“Soulful Survivor Sewing,” pgs. 163-166.
“The Challenge Question,” pgs. 171-173.
Situation:
As a staff member for the university’s I AM UIC campaign, you are attempting to
persuade the publishers of UIC’s student newspaper the Chicago Flame to create a new
weekly column on their website that will feature life stories of faculty, staff, and students
at UIC. To accomplish this goal you have created a sample online profile for the Flame’s
staff to review.
Task:
Using the readings and our class discussions as your guide, choose someone at UIC
(faculty, staff, or student) that you belief is an unsung hero—a person who is essential to
life on campus but largely invisible to us as we go about our day to day schedules.
6
Interview that person (you may need to conduct more than one interview) and use the
materials from your interview(s) to create an online profile of them on Google sites. As
you review the information that you collect about this person, look for patterns that tell
you something not only about their individual identity/identities but also about what it
means to them to be a part of the UIC community.
Since this profile will be online, you have the option to include media other than text
such as audio or video clips of your interview as well as photos of the person being
profiled. Be mindful of the design of your profile as well as its content. I will be grading
you on both aspects of this project.
A Note on Formatting:
Please include your name along with course and assignment information in the “About
Me” section of your website.
Evaluation Criteria:
 Is it clear who you interviewed and why you chose to create a profile of them?
 Do you discuss the issue of identity in the profile and how public selves relate to
private ones?
 Is your perspective on the relationship between this person and the UIC
community clear?
 Have you formatted your work to fit the guidelines for the assignment?
 Have you proofread your profile for grammar, spelling, and other sentence level
errors?
WRITING PROJECT #2: MANIFESTO
Page Requirement: 5 pages (Approximately 1300 words).
Due Dates:
First Draft: Friday, September 21.
Second Draft: Wednesday, September 26.
Final Draft: Monday, October 8.
Resources:
BB
“I Wear Black Socks With My Black Shoes.” Gone Mild. Blog.
“Fashion Manifesto.” No Chic Sherlock! Blog.
“Trendspotting.” The Mid/Wasteland. Blog.
“Fashion Manifesto.” I Am The Brand. Blog.
Situation:
As you were walking to class during the week, you noticed what you consider to be the
five most annoying fashion trends on campus. You decided to share your thoughts on
7
this subject by creating a Manifesto that will be posted on a friend’s blog site, which is
dedicated to issues of Chicago fashion and style.
Task:
Create a manifesto that lists and explains what you believe are the five most annoying
fashion trends on the UIC campus. Describe them clearly to the reader and tell them why
these fads are so infuriating. Then outline what you believe should be done to stop the
continuation and spread of this fashion disease.
The four best manifestos, chosen by the class, will become part of a class Wiki on UIC
fashion (“How to Be UIC”) that will be hosted on the course Blackboard site.
A Note on Formatting: Please include your name along with course and assignment
information on a separate title page that you will turn in with your manifesto drafts.
Evaluation Criteria:
 Have you clearly and persuasively identified the problem?
 Do you present to the reader a viable solution?
 Have you formatted your work to fit the guidelines for the assignment?
 Have you proofread your final draft for grammar, spelling, and other sentence
level errors?
WRITING PROJECT #3: ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
Page Requirement: 5 pages (Approximately 1300 words).
Due Dates:
First Draft: Friday, October 19.
Second Draft: Monday, October 22.
Final Draft: Monday, November 5.
Resources:
WN
“Meltdown: Running Out of Time on Global Warming,” pgs. 92-95.
“Reading the Speeches of McCain and Obama Has Made Me Ashamed of Our
Political Class,” pgs. 179-183.
BB
J. Hector St. John De Crèvecoeur, from Letters from an American Farmer, “Letter
III--What is an American?”, pgs. 49-57.
“Benedict Anderson: The Nation as Imagined Community.”
“Fourteenth Amendment,” United States Constitution.
“The Changing Complexity of Congressional Speech.”
8
Situation:
A professor in UIC’s Political Science department is putting together a collection of
essays on the issue of American citizenship. You have been asked to provide a student’s
perspective on the issue. Do you believe that immigrants to the United States should
become “Americanized” in order to be considered citizens? What exactly does it mean to
be an “American?” What should be done to change current immigration and
naturalization procedures? Is there a need for multiple levels of citizenship?
Task:
Starting with our class discussions and the readings, choose one common image of
“American” identity such as the American Dream or the melting pot concept of American
culture. Conduct research on this widely held belief and its relationship to American
citizenship. You should find at least four reliable sources either in print or on-line (e.g.
Academic Journal, Newspaper, Magazine) that discuss this topic. After uncovering the
perspective of each source on the issue, construct your response. Consider what you are
writing as your entry into a public conversation that blends what you have experienced
(i.e. personal knowledge) with what you have learned (i.e. the information obtained from
your research). Do you agree with what others have said on the issue? If so, why and
how? Do you disagree with them? Or, do you have a unique perspective on the topic
that you believe your readers should consider?
Evaluation Criteria:
 Is the argument in the essay easily identified?
 What evidence is presented to support that argument and is it reliable?
 How appropriate is the language for the audience?
 Have you adequately responded to the claims that could be made against your
argument?
 Have you formatted your work to fit the guidelines for the assignment?
 Have you proofread your final draft for grammar, spelling, and other sentence
level errors?
A Note on Formatting: Since this is a traditional college paper, please follow the
formatting of the sample MLA paper on pgs. 394-399 of WN.
WRITING PROJECT #4: COVER LETTER/PROPOSAL
Page Requirements: 5 pages (Approximately 1300 words).
Due Dates:
First Draft: Friday, November 16.
Second Draft: Monday, November 19.
Final Draft: Monday, December 3.
9
Resources:
WN
“Taxing Sugared Beverages,” pgs. 224-228.
“Adult Accountability for Underage Drinking,” pgs. 231-235.
“Burying the Problem,” pgs. 240-246.
BB
“Monuments, Memorials, and the Politics of Memory,” pgs. 442-447, 455-457.
“World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition.”
“9/11 Memorial.”
Situation:
A student group on the UIC campus has decided to petition Chancellor Allen-Meares to
create a memorial park that commemorates the sacrifice of UIC students and alumni in
the armed forces since the founding of the school in 1946. As a member of this UIC
student group, you have been asked to prepare a Proposal for the park that will be
delivered to the Chancellor’s office for review.
Task:
Unlike the earlier writing assignments, this is a group project. Your first task will be to
create an identity for the student organization you plan to represent. Then you will need
to decide what elements are required in this Proposal, using the models examined in class
to guide you. Regardless of the design and format you choose for your proposal, several
elements must be included. The Proposal must describe where this new memorial park
will be created and its potential design. It should also answer the key questions of why
this memorial is needed, why you have chosen the location noted in your Proposal, and
how much you estimate this project will cost. The Cover Letter should be used as an
opportunity to introduce yourself and the group that you represent to the Chancellor and
will offer you another opportunity to sell your project to the University’s leadership.
A Note on Formatting: Please include your name along with course and assignment
information on a separate title page turned in with your proposal and cover letter drafts.
Evaluation Criteria:
 Did you answer the key questions noted in the assignment description?
 How well do you argue for the construction of your project? Is there sufficient
evidence to support your claims?
 Do you consider the needs and beliefs of your audience?
 Have you formatted your work to fit the guidelines for the assignment?
 Have you proofread your final draft for grammar, spelling, and other sentence
level errors?
10
DAILY SCHEDULE
UNIT I: Identity and Community
Week One
Monday, August 27
Class Discussion: Introductions, Review Course Syllabus, Examine the concept of
Community.
In-Class Writing: How do you understand the word “community?”
For Wednesday:
Read: WN “Profiles,” pg. 153, “Interviews,”pgs. 362-63, and BB “Interviewing” (link
to Purdue OWL website).
Wednesday, August 29 [Projector Needed.]
Activity: Interview someone in class and create a one-paragraph profile. Carefully
consider the questions that you will ask. Based on the information you receive, try to
construct what you believe to be the defining characteristic of that person’s identity.
Class Discussion: Share your brief profile with the class. Examine the first writing
assignment and explain Google Sites.
For Friday:
Read: WN “Understanding Rhetorical Situations, Genres, and Mediums,” pgs. 2-11, 1627.
Friday, August 31
Class Discussion: Exploring the concept of “situated writing.” What does it mean to
write in a digital age?
Activity: In a group of 3-4, analyze “Writing with Pictures,” WN, pgs. 29-31
For Wednesday:
Read: WN “A Hero’s Journey,” pgs. 154-156, “Raw Nerve,” pgs. 158-162.
Week Two
Monday, September 3
NO CLASS: LABOR DAY.
Wednesday, September 5
Class Discussion: The “Real Me”—Public vs. Private Selves. What makes us who we
are? Are public figures entitled to privacy? How will you address these issues in your
own profile? Exploring the ethical responsibilities of writing.
11
For Friday:
Write: First Draft of your Profile. You must bring a copy (either electronic or in print)
to class for Peer Review.
Read: BB “Peer Review Presentation” (link to Purdue OWL website).
Friday, September 7
Writing Due: First Draft of Profile Piece for Peer Review
Group Activity: Choose a partner for Peer Review. Exchange drafts. After you have
carefully read through your partner’s profile, make comments in the margins. Look at the
evaluation criteria following the assignment description. Does this first draft meet those
criteria? How might it be improved? Are there sections of the paper that are really well
written? Why? How?
Class Discussion: How to conduct an effective Peer Review session. What to do with
peer feedback.
For Monday:
Write: Second Draft of Profile Piece.
Read: WN “Understanding Critical Reading and Thinking,” pgs. 59-70.
Week Three
Monday, September 10
Writing Due: Second Draft of Profile Piece
Class Discussion: How do we read? Describe when and how you read. Do you only
read for class or also for fun? Do you tend to read a specific place or at a certain time?
Are you only interested in the content or do you focus on the words? Using situated
writing principles as a guide for engaging a wide variety of texts.
In-Class writing: Use the principles of situated writing to practice critical reading on
“Take the Debate Over Degrading Rap Videos Off Mute,” WN, pgs. 84-86.
For Wednesday:
Read: WN “Soulful Survivor Sewing,” pgs. 163-166, “Description,” pgs. 438-442.
Wednesday, September 12
Class Discussion: What exactly can we learn through observation? How to use
description effectively to recreate character.
Group Activity: Pick someone in the class that you know little or nothing about. Based
solely on what you see, choose a theme song or TV character to represent them.
For Friday:
Read: WN “Document Design,” pgs. 482-489.
Bring: URL’s for websites that have either the best or worst design you’ve ever seen.
Friday, September 14 [Projector Needed]
Class Discussion: How document design affects our rhetorical goals.
12
Activity: Examine the design of several websites. Compare them to a selection of
student profile sites.
For Monday:
Read: BB “I Wear Black Socks with My Black Shoes,” “No Chic Sherlock—Fashion
Manifesto.”
Week Four
Monday, September 17
Revised Second Draft of Profile Piece Returned.
Class Activity: Go outside to the Quad and examine the styles of students walking by.
Write down some of the trends you observe.
For Wednesday:
Write: A brief summary of the fashion trends you observed during Monday’s field
research.
Read: BB “Trendspotting,” “I Am the Brand—Fashion Manifesto.”
Wednesday, September 19
Class Discussion: Share your observations from Monday’s class. Can identity be bought
and sold? Do styles accurately reflect either individuals or communities? Concept of
consumerism and cultural commodities. Review the second writing assignment.
For Friday:
Write: First Draft of your Manifesto. You must bring a copy (either electronic or in
print) to class for Peer Review.
Friday, September 21
Writing Due: First Draft of Manifesto for Peer Review
Group Activity: Choose a partner for Peer Review. Exchange drafts. Once you have
read your partner’s manifesto, make comments in the margin. Does it outline what the
writer believes are the top fashion mistakes on campus? What kind of alternative does he
or she suggest? Is it realistic? If a specific section of the manifesto is well-written, make
sure to let your partner know. Tell them why and how a particular section stood out to
you.
For Monday:
Write: Final Draft of Profile Piece.
Bring: An object associated with a specific “culture” in which you consider yourself to
be a member. Since you will be sharing this object with the class, please keep in mind
that the object and the community that it represents should be legal and not cause you
undue embarrassment. Some examples of objects you might bring include (but are not
limited to) music, clothes, and photographs of you engaging in an activity that is
representative of your “culture.”
13
Week Five
Monday, September 24
Writing Due: Final Draft of Profile Piece
Class Activity: Share your cultural objects with the class.
Class Discussion: Does consumerism cheapen culture? What gives objects value? How
do they create community?
For Wednesday:
Write: Second Draft of Manifesto.
Read: WN “Fragments,” pgs. 496-98, “Comma Splices,” pg. 498, “Fused Sentences,”
pgs. 498-500.
Wednesday, September 26
Writing Due: Second Draft of Manifesto.
Class Discussion: Grammar Day. Sentence Fragments, Comma Splices, and Fused
Sentences.
Class Activity: After looking at sample sentences from the OWL website, review your
manifesto second draft. Look for fragments, comma splices, and fused sentences.
For Friday:
Read: WN “A Word From Our Sponsor,” pgs. 186-188, “Car Girls,” pgs. 189-190.
Friday, September 28
Class Activity: In groups of 3-4, create an ad campaign designed to convince viewers
that a new cultural trend will soon become dominant. Give this new trend a catchy name
and provide enough information to help us know the trend when we see it.
For Monday:
Read: WN “Definitions,” pgs. 445-449.
Week Six
Monday, October 1
Second Draft of Manifesto Returned.
Class Discussion: Word choice and cultural critique.
In Class Writing: Construct a list of all the words in your manifesto that could be
misunderstood. Is there a way to define or explain them that might help reader’s
understand your exact meaning?
For Wednesday:
Read: WN “Coordination and Subordination,” pgs. 501-503 and BB “Coordination and
Subordination” (link to Purdue OWL website).
Wednesday, October 3
Class Discussion: Grammar Day. Coordination and Subordination of Sentences.
14
Class Activity: In groups of 3-4, combine smaller sentences to make the longest possible
sentence that is still grammatically correct.
For Friday:
Read: WN “A Boy’s Epic Quest, Borough by Borough,” pgs. 279-282, “Country
Doctor,” pgs. 323-325.
Friday, October 5 [Projector needed]
Class Discussion: Space and the self. How locations create both identity and
community. Example—Small town life vs. the city.
Class Activity: View a film clip from Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and
Waitress.
For Monday:
Write: Final Draft of Manifesto.
Read: BB “Normal As Folk” and scan through the website nateberkus.com.
Week Seven
Monday, October 8 [Projector Needed.]
Writing Due: Final Draft of Manifesto.
Class Discussion: What is the relationship between style, design, and sexuality? Is there
a “Gay style?”
Class Activity: Watch a clip of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and examine Nate
Berkus’s website.
For Wednesday:
Read: WN “Verbs,” pgs. 508-511and BB “Verb Tenses” (link to Purdue OWL website).
Bring: A piece of writing that is at least five pages long and is no more than a year old.
Wednesday, October 10
Class Discussion: Grammar Day. Exploring tense, voice, and mood in English verbs.
Class Activity: Read through the piece of writing you brought with you to class. Search
for errors in verb tense, voice, or mood. Practice corrections. Look for patterns of errors
in your writing.
For Friday:
Read: WN “The Veil,” pgs. 128-135.
Friday, October 12
Class Discussion: Religion and identity.
In Class Writing: In your opinion, how does religion shape identity? What role does it
play in creating community?
15
For Monday:
Read: BB selections from J. Hector St. John De Crèvecoeur’s Letters from an American
Farmer: Letter III--What is an American?, pgs. 49-57, “Benedict Anderson: The Nation
as Imagined Community,” and Fourteenth Amendment, United States Constitution.
UNIT II: Imagined Communities—Nation and the Self
Week Eight
Monday, October 15
Class Discussion: What is an “imagined community?” How does it relate to the
construction of national identity? Review argumentative essay assignment.
Group Activity: In a group of 3-4, create your own country. Who will live there? What
will it look like? What kinds of activities will bring the people in your country together?
Will there be objects such as a flag or national song that manifest national identity?
For Wednesday:
Read: WN “Subject-Verb Agreement,” pgs. 511-513 and BB “Making Subjects and
Verbs Agree” (link to Purdue OWL website).
Bring: The Final Draft of your Manifesto.
Wednesday, October 17
Class Discussion: Grammar Day. Subject-verb agreement.
Class Activity: With a partner, find sentences in your manifesto that have subject-verb
agreement problems. Explore together ways to correct these problems.
For Friday:
Write: First Draft of your Argumentative Essay. You must bring a printed copy to class
for Peer Review.
Read: WN “Reading and Understanding Arguments,” pgs. 106-114.
Friday, October 19
Writing Due: First Draft of Argumentative Essay for Peer Review
Class Discussion: What are the elements of an effective argument? Exploring different
forms of argumentation (academic, work, public).
Group Activity: Choose a partner for Peer Review. Exchange papers. After you have
read their paper, make comments in the margin. Is their argument clear and well thought
out? What kind of evidence do they use? Is it persuasive? What claims do they make
that are particularly convincing to you? Why? How?
For Monday:
Write: Second Draft of Argumentative Essay.
Read: WN “Reading and Understanding Arguments,” pgs. 90-99.
16
Week Nine
Monday, October 22
Writing Due: Second Draft of Argumentative Essay
Class Discussion: Learning to argue in the University. How does this type of
argumentation relate to non-collegiate models?
Group Activity: Identify the type of argument that the author makes in “Yes, People Still
Read, but Now It’s Social.” Does it depend on ethos, pathos, or logos? Where is the
argument most visible in the essay and why? Find the evidence that the author uses.
Where does his evidence come from? What sections of the essay are the most
persuasive? Which are the least persuasive?
For Wednesday:
Read: WN “Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers,” pgs. 505 and BB “Dangling Modifiers
and How to Correct Them” (link to Purdue OWL website).
Wednesday, October 24
Class Discussion: Grammar Day. Dangling and misplaced modifiers.
Class Activity: With a partner practice correcting dangling and misplaced modifiers in
the sample sentences provided.
For Friday:
Bring: Four clean copies of your manifesto.
Friday, October 26.
Class Activity: In groups of 5-6, review manifestos and rank them according to quality.
The best manifesto chosen by each group will be placed on the class Wiki on the course
Blackboard site.
For Monday:
Read: WN “Reading the Speeches of McCain and Obama Has Made Me Ashamed of
Our Political Class,” pgs. 179-183 and BB “The Changing Complexity of Congressional
Speech.”
Week Ten
Monday, October 29
Revised Second Draft of Argumentative Essay Returned
Class Discussion: The decline of argumentation in the United States. Examining
political argument. What level of sophistication do we expect from our leaders? Ethos,
pathos, logos revisited.
For Wednesday:
Read: WN “Adjectives and Adverbs,” pgs. 507-508 and BB “How To Use Adjectives
and Adverbs” (link to Purdue OWL website).
17
Wednesday, October 31
Class Discussion: Grammar Day. Proper use of adjectives and adverbs.
Class Activity: Read through the Second Draft of your Argumentative Essay with a
partner. Mark the adjectives and adverbs used in the paper and look for patterns of errors
in their use.
For Friday:
Re-Read: BB selections from J. Hector St. John De Crèvecoeur’s Letters from an
American Farmer: Letter III--What is an American?, pgs. 49-57 and Fourteenth
Amendment, United States Constitution.
Friday, November 2
Class Discussion: What is the ideal model of citizenship? Who should be a citizen of a
country and why? What processes should exist for immigration and naturalization?
Class Activity: Come up with a revised text for Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment.
For Monday:
Write: Final Draft of Argumentative Essay.
Read: BB “Poverty—United States Census Bureau” and “Romney: Poor Have Safety
Net.”
Week Eleven
Monday, November 5
Writing Due: Final Draft of Argumentative Essay
Class Debate: Are the majority of American’s middle class? Is being poor unAmerican? Social Welfare vs. Self-Reliance.
For Wednesday:
Read: WN “Pronouns,” pgs. 513-517.
Wednesday, November 7
Class Discussion: Grammar Day. Types of pronouns and their proper usage.
Class Activity: Read through the sample piece of writing and mark the different types of
pronouns used. Correct any errors.
For Friday:
Read: BB “Monuments, Memorials, and the Politics of Memory,” pgs. 442-447, 455-57
and WN “Proposals,” pgs.223-224.
Friday, November 9
Class Discussion: Monuments and collective memory. How does memory create a sense
of community? Does it? Discuss the Cover Letter/Proposal assignment..
In-Class Writing: Describe a visit to something that you consider to be a monument or
memorial. What was that visit like for you? Did visiting the monument make you feel
18
that you were part of a larger community or did you feel excluded? Perhaps the
monument seemed irrelevant to you. Why?
For Monday:
Read: BB “World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition” and “9/11 Memorial.”
Week Twelve
Monday, November 12 [Projector Needed]
Class Discussion: Commemorating 9/11. What is the most appropriate way to remember
a tragedy? What is the purpose of this particular memorial?
Class Activity: Choose the group you will work with to create your Cover
Letter/Proposal. Begin planning your project.
For Wednesday:
Read: WN “Semicolon and Comma,” pgs. 521-523 and BB “Commas, Quick Rules,”
“Commas vs. Semicolons in Compound Sentences” (link to Purdue OWL website).
Bring: A copy of your Argumentative Essay.
Wednesday, November 14
Class Discussion: Grammar Day. Semicolon and Comma usage.
Class Activity: Read through your Argumentative essay and review your use of commas
and semicolons. Circle any errors and work to correct them. Review both the errors and
your corrections with a partner.
For Friday:
Write: First Draft of Cover Letter/Proposal for Peer Review.
Read: WN “Visual Rhetoric Strategies,” pgs. 469-479.
Friday, November 16
Writing Due: Complete Draft of Cover Letter/Proposal for Peer Review
Group Activity: Choose a partner for Peer Review. Exchange papers. Once you have
read your partner’s paper, make comments in the margin. Do you feel that they have
adequately argued for the relevance of their memorial? If you were Chancellor AllenMeares, would you approve the building of this project? How well does the Cover Letter
fit with the Proposal? Does it add anything useful to the document as a whole?
For Monday:
Write: Second Draft of Cover Letter/Proposal
Read: WN “Taxing Sugared Beverages,” pgs. 224-228, “Adult Accountability for
Underage Drinking,” pgs. 231-235.
Week Thirteen
Monday, November 19
Writing Due: Revised Rough Draft of Cover Letter/Proposal
19
In-Class Writing: Re-read “Taxing Sugared Beverages” and “Adult Accountability for
Underage Drinking.” Briefly summarize on a piece of paper the ways in which each
author structures and supports their proposal. Do you find their proposals convincing?
Why or why not?
For Wednesday:
Read: BB “Designing an Effective PowerPoint Presentation: Quick Guide” (link to
Purdue OWL website), “Key Steps to an Effective Presentation.”
Wednesday, November 21 [Projector Needed]
Class Discussion: Real-time Rhetoric—How to communicate with an audience face to
face. When to use visuals. Prezi vs. PowerPoint.
Class Activity: With your group members decide the best method for presenting your
monument proposal. Start preparing your presentation materials.
For Monday:
Read: WN “Burying the Problem,” pgs. 240-246.
Friday, November 23
NO CLASS: THANKSGIVING BREAK.
Week Fourteen
Monday, November 26
Second Draft of Cover Letter/Proposal Returned
Class Discussion: Strategies for revising proposals.
Class Activity: Work on revising your Cover Letter/Proposal draft and prepare for your
upcoming presentation.
For Wednesday:
Prepare: A 12 minute (max) presentation of your monument proposal.
Wednesday, November 28 [Projector Needed]
Class Activity: Groups present their monument proposals.
For Friday:
Prepare: A 12 minute (max) presentation of your monument proposal.
Friday, November 30 [Projector Needed]
Class Activity: Groups present their monument proposals.
For Monday:
Write: Final Draft of Cover Letter/Proposal.
Bring: Materials for your final portfolio.
20
Week Fifteen
Monday, December 3 [Projector Needed]
Writing Due: Final Draft of Cover Letter/Proposal
Class Discussion: Discuss the final portfolio. View sample cover letters.
Class Activity: Begin work constructing your final portfolio.
For Wednesday:
Bring: Materials for your final portfolio.
Wednesday, December 5
Class Discussion: Looking back at the topics discussed in the class. Have your thoughts
on community changed? If so, how? What is the most valuable thing that you feel you
have learned about writing in this class? Have you discovered specific aspects of your
own writing that you would like to continue improving?
Class Activity: Continue work on the construction of your final portfolio.
For Friday:
Bring: Your final portfolio.
Friday, December 7
Writing Due: Course Portfolio
Class Activity: Fill out course surveys.