University of South Carolina Upstate
English 101 Composition I
Spring 2011
Instructor’s Name: Lisa Richie
Course Section & Meeting Times: Tuesday/Thursday – 4:00 – 5:15 p.m.
Office Location & Hours: B132 – 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. daily and by appointment
Office Phone: 864-582-4347, ext. 2132
E-mail address: lrichie@uscupstate.edu
Course Description
English 101 provides instruction and practice in academic writing, critical reading, and research.
Attention is given to planning, drafting, revising, and editing a variety of texts.
Course Objectives: Students will
 Practice strategies to develop a multi-stage process of writing, a sequence of invention,
organization, drafting, revision, and editing to produce focused, clear, polished essays
 Read to understand what an author says and to determine how the author shapes his or her ideas,
identifying rhetorical strategies appropriate to various genres and distinguishing between the
conventions of private and public writing
 Learn critical reading skills to understand and respond to texts and to develop personal insights
and thoughtful ideas for their own writing
 Engage the skills of annotating, summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting texts in order to
represent them accurately in their own writing
 Write logical, organized academic essays developing a thesis in a manner that an audience will
find convincing
 Develop strategies for locating and assessing relevant, credible sources
 Research a topic, locate and use source material to generate ideas for their own writing, support
their ideas as they write, integrate and clearly attribute source material, and document sources
accurately using current MLA format
 Manage language appropriately and with skill: occasional mistakes in grammar and punctuation
may occur, but essays are free from patterns of errors
Required Texts
Bullock, Richard, Maureen Daly Goggin, and Francine Weinberg. The Norton Field Guide to Writing.
New York: W.W. Norton, 2010. Print.
Graff, Gerald. They Say, I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing. New York: W.W. Norton,
2010. Print.
Skloot, Rebecca. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. New York: Crown, 2010. Print.
Additional reading assigned by instructor available on Blackboard or as class handouts. Blackboard
access is required.
Assignments
Quizzes (10% total)
Attendance and participation (10%)
Timed Writings (10%)
Summary and analysis (10%)
Cultural event description one (5%)
Cultural event description two (5%)
Popular culture textual analysis (20%)
Research paper (25%)
Final portfolio and reflection (5%)
English 101 Syllabus
End of Semester Grading
A
90-100
B+
87-89
B
80-86
C+
77-79
C
70-76
D+
67-69
D
60-66
F
0-59
1
Scope and Nature of Class Work
Assignments will include the following:
critical thinking - asking questions, defining problems, examining evidence, analyzing assumptions and biases,
avoiding emotional reasoning, avoiding oversimplification, considering other interpretations, and tolerating
ambiguity. Adapted from C. Wade, “Using Writing to Develop and Assess Critical Thinking.” Teaching of
Psychology 22.1 (1995): 24-28.
strategic reading - locating the key points of an essay, comprehending or inferring main ideas or themes,
recognizing particular rhetorical patterns, and identifying unfamiliar vocabulary
informal writing - journaling, taking class notes, responding to ideas or readings, drafting, reviewing cultural
events
formal writing - composing four or more essays, averaging four pages each, which undergo a process of
revision. At least two essays will incorporate research. Overall writing, including both formal and informal
writing, will include a minimum of 10,000 words or thirty pages (330 words/page).
research - participating in the iPod library tour and required library training sessions; locating a variety of
sources through the USC Upstate library; accessing electronic sources using USC Upstate databases;
researching, drafting and documenting an essay; and citing sources carefully and correctly
portfolio building - collecting and reflecting on drafts, revisions, and final essays in a folder or notebook
cultural event critiques - attending and reviewing two cultural events as directed by your instructor.
demonstrating progress as a cohort - writing a diagnostic essay, reading texts in common with other 101
classes, and attending cultural events.
conferences - meeting with your instructor on a one-to-one basis for writing instruction. At least one conference
is required.
Attendance & Punctuality
Due to the participatory nature of this class, students are expected to attend regularly, to be on time and to
remain until the class is over. Circumstances may occasionally arise which might cause you to miss class, but
excessive absences, tardiness, and/or occasions of leaving class early will have a negative impact on your final
course grade. Two absences are allowed; further absences will have a negative effect on your grade. After the
second absence, each addition absence will result in a final average penalty of three points. (Two tardies and/or
two occasions of leaving class early will count as one absence.) In case of an absence, you are responsible for
determining from another student what went on in class and any assignments. You may want to find out the
names and phone numbers or email addresses of some of your classmates to contact if you are absent.
Accommodations
If you are a student with a disability and would like to request disability-related accommodations, you are
encouraged to contact your instructor and the Office of Disability Services as early in the semester as possible.
The Office of Disability Services is located in Suite 107 of the Campus Life Center. Their phone number is
864-503-5199.
Student Conduct for the Classroom
A Member of the USC Upstate Community of Scholars:
Displays personal and academic integrity.
You are honest, truthful, and trustworthy. You do not lie, cheat, or steal. You do not present others’ work as
your own or collaborate with others without acknowledgement or permission from the faculty member.
English 101 Syllabus
2
Accepts responsibility for actions.
You do not blame others for academic consequences resulting from your own decisions and behavior. You
follow established policies and procedures in the USC Upstate Catalog, the USC Upstate Student Handbook,
and course syllabi.
Respects the rights and dignity of all persons.
You are courteous and respect the rights and property of others. You do not harass, demean, ridicule, abuse,
threaten, or discriminate against others.
Maintains a learning-focused attitude.
You are engaged in the classroom and other learning environments, both on and off campus. You are on time,
prepared, and alert. You participate until the faculty member in charge dismisses the class.
Refrains from conduct that adversely affects others.
Your conduct is appropriate for learning. You do not enter the class late or leave early without permission of
the faculty member. You follow the instructions of the faculty member regarding talking or using cell phones,
pagers, or other electronic devices in class. You do not use threatening, demeaning, or inflammatory language.
Follows the specific requirements of faculty members.
You meet the behavioral and academic expectations of your instructors recognizing that these standards will
often vary.
Plagiarism
From USC Upstate Student Handbook, “The Academic Honor Code”:
“Students are required to properly acknowledge sources as follows: students may not present as their own ideas,
opinion, images, figures, languages, or concepts of another, including those of other students. Students must
acknowledge all sources such as magazines, journals, internet sites, records, tapes, films, and interviews. The
common specific uses of source material are
Direct Quotation: Word-for-word copying of a source. A direct quotation must be accurate, must not
misrepresent the source in any way, and must be properly acknowledged.
Paraphrase: A recasting into one’s own words material from a source, generally condensing the source. A
direct quotation with only a word or two changed, added or omitted should not be passed off as a paraphrase. A
paraphrase restates the source but does not misrepresent it and must be properly acknowledged.
Use of ideas: The use of an idea from a source must be properly acknowledged, even when one’s application of
that idea varies from the source.
Use of figures, tables, charts, statistics, images, photographs, and other similar sources: These items must be
fully acknowledged and any changes must be clearly indicated. . .
...[A]ny kind of help (except that permitted by an instructor) in the preparation of a project ... must be fully
acknowledged. Papers and other materials [copied or] bought from ‘term paper writing services,’ if submitted
as the work of anyone except the writing service, constitute a violation of the principles of this document” (94).
In addition, resubmitting work done for another instructor—either from high school or another college class—
also constitutes academic dishonesty.
BE AWARE: The consequences of plagiarism range from a grade change to expulsion. Students who admit
responsibility for an academic integrity violation or who are found responsible through the Student Code of
Conduct will receive the appropriate grade determined by the professor, which may include an X to signify
academic dishonesty. Grades with an X are not subject to grade forgiveness.
Sanctioned Writing Assistance
The University Writing Center (HPAC 136) provides free individual tutoring in writing. Consulting a UWC
tutor does not constitute plagiarism.
NOTE: To improve our composition program, the English faculty read samples of essays written in English 101.
All names are removed before the essays are read. If you do not want your essay used in this assessment, see
the LLC administrative assistant in HPAC 222 for a nonparticipation form.
English 101 Syllabus
3
Turning in Assignments via Blackboard
With the exception of timed writings and short homework practice exercises, all assignments must be turned in
via Blackboard. You MUST have your Blackboard login information at the beginning of the semester.
Late Assignments
All assignments will have deadlines which include a date and a time. Assignments turned in one minute past the
required time will be considered late. PAPERS MORE THAN 24 HOURS LATE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
(The late penalty is a grade reduction of one letter grade.)
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A note regarding pedagogy, a fluid dynamic of teaching and learning:
A curriculum is not a syllabus and a textbook; curricula are plans for interactions of learning in a communal
environment.
learning ENVIRONMENTS
classroom
library
online
laboratory
student workspaces
field locations
learning RELATIONSHIPS
faculty – student
peer – student
advanced student – student
student – community member
staff – student
student – self
learning EVENTS
curricular
co-curricular
extra-curricular
learning
ACTIVITIES
reading writing
observation
problem-solving
skills practice
presentation
discussion exams
learning RESOURCES
books websites articles
databases films periodicals
slideshows other resources
Most learning activities should feature GOALS (purposes of activities), PRACTICES (the activity itself),
and OUTCOMES (results, including what is to be learned and how learning will be measured).
This syllabus is tentative. The instructor reserves the right to make adjustments as necessary. Students
will be notified of changes.
English 101 Syllabus
4
COURSE SCHEDULE
Week
Readings
Class Activities
Purposes
*Note: Due to the
snow days, the
reading assignments
are numerous
through February 1.
January
11 – 13
*SNOW
DAYS
All 101 & 102 students meet in DHS
LMC.
January
19
January
20
Assignments Due
Norton ch. 1-6
Immortal ch. 1-3
Pick up handouts and assignments.
Books will be issued on Monday.
January
24
Complete these
readings by Thursday,
January 27:
Norton ch. 7-8, & 40
Immortal ch. 4-11
Meet in DHS LMC .
January
27
See January 24 for
reading assignments
due today.
February TSIS Prefaces,
introduction, and ch. 1
1
Immortal ch. 12-16
Norton ch. 13, 54
February TSIS ch. 2
3
Immortal ch. 17-21
English 101 Syllabus
Introduce course: syllabus policies;
class practices; student
introductions
*note January
21—last day to
drop without “w”
Identify course
expectations and
activities, make us more
comfortable with one
another
How does the author know what she
knows? What conversations does
the author enter?
Describe literacy narratives
Demonstrate active reading,
annotating a text ;
Discuss reading: what is the
rhetorical situation?
Apply course concepts
to multiple texts: learn
methodology and
academic ways of
knowing; link
humanities and
sciences
Develop critical reading
skills ;
Apply course concepts
to Preface text
Introduce critical literacy
Who is the implied “They” in the
readings?
Apply course concepts
to text: understand
implied context and
audiences
Practice textual
analysis; apply course
concepts to
Peer review;
What strategies does the author use
to report? How are those strategies
similar or different from those
described in the Norton?
Practice summaries with essays
Annotation of essay
due Feb 3
Preface text: consider
various ways of
reporting, especially for
cultural event one due
Feb. 15
Practice summary and
analysis for assignment
5
Week
Readings
Class Activities
Purposes
Assignments Due
February
8
TSIS ch. 3
Immortal ch. 22-26
Analyze how the author uses
quotes; practice quoting the author
Practice summary and
analysis for assignment
February
10
Immortal ch. 27-31
Peer review; discuss reading
Practice collaborative
learning; practice textual
analysis
February
15
Norton ch. 21, 23
Immortal ch. 32-35
Introduce textual analysis: thinking
critical about popular culture
Apply class strategies to
texts of your own
choosing
February
17
Norton ch. 55
Library research day.
We will meet at the
USU Upstate library
at 4:00 and will
remain until 5:15.
Introduce research;
Practice writing thesis statements
Increase ability to make
use of secondary
sources; emphasize
focus in writing
February
22
Norton ch. 24, 14
Immortal ch. 36-end
Model topic proposal; continue
practicing writing thesis
statements
Practice proposing
research projects
Textual analysis topic
proposal due Feb 24
Norton ch. 29-30, 4344
Peer review topic proposals;
Discuss heavy revisers and heavy
planners;
Evaluating online sources
Norton ch. 25-26
Peer review; how to revise
Practice collaborative
learning and peer
evaluation; learn to rate
the credibility of a
source
Practice collaborative
learning and peer
evaluation
Textual analysis
rough draft or first two
pages due Mar 1
Norton ch. 46-49;
Norton ch. 27
Part 8 Handbook
In-text citing and works cited in
MLA style
February
24
March 1
March 3
Editing workshop
Learn to incorporate
credible sources
accurately
Summary and
analysis due for peer
review Feb 8;
revision due Feb 10
Cultural event one
due Feb 15
Textual analysis draft
due Mar 3
Improve our ability to
recognize and correct
errors
March 7
Norton ch.17 & 42
Introduce final research paper and
model research paper topic
proposal.
Discuss reading: what is the
writer’s topic, argument, and point
of view?
March 11
NO CLASS Conferences
Conferences
March 15
NO CLASS Conferences
Conferences
Norton ch. 33-36;
Practice on-line
research
Review topic proposals; how are
these models of writing effective?
Find sources online; Model Isearch paper
March 17
English 101 Syllabus
Practice critical reading
skills. Practice
proposing research
projects.
Textual analysis
revision due at time
of individual
conference
Increase ability to
research effectively;
Learn how to organize
source material or
reflect on research
process
Research paper topic
proposal due March
17; Cultural event two
due March 17
6
Week
Readings
Class Activities
Purposes
Assignments Due
Norton ch. 62
Discuss reading; Peer review Isearch paper followed by
Composition Workshop
Practice collaborative
learning and peer
evaluation
I-search paper due
for peer review
March 22; revision
due Mar 24
Norton ch. 45 & 57
Discuss reading; model
research paper introductions
Practice research
paper introductions
--introductions
due April 5th (after
Spring Break)
Norton ch. 56, 58
Discuss reading; share
introductions in peer groups.
Practice research
paper introductions
Research paper
introduction due
April 5
Norton ch. 60, 63
Review research paper
introductions;
Discuss reading
April 12
Norton ch. 59, 64
Peer review rough draft or first
three pages; Discuss reading
Practice collaborative
learning and peer
evaluation; review
critical reading
Practice collaborative
learning and peer
evaluation
April 14
Norton ch. 61
March 22
March 24
March 29-31 —
NO CLASS
Spring Break
April 5
April 7
Discuss organization and
development: subordinate
sources to the argument;
Review incorporating sources
Peer review research paper
draft
April 19
Norton ch. 28, 38
April 22
Last Day of
Classes
English 101 Syllabus
How to compile your final
paper portfolio and write the
reflection;
Complete course evaluation
Submit final paper and
reflection; Discuss course
Understand that your
voice matters more
than those of your
sources; improve
citations
Practice collaborative
learning and peer
evaluation
Treat writing as both a
process and a
product; think about
how your composition
process has
developed; participate
in university practice
of assessing
instruction
Research paper
rough draft or first
three pages due
April 12
Research paper
draft due April 14
Research paper
revision and
reflection due April
22
7
Short Assignments
Cultural Event
Attend a co-curricular campus event—a panel discussion, a guest speaker, a sporting event, a theatrical or
musical performance, or some USC Upstate happening—and write a one page summary and analysis of it
generally in line with the assignment above and below. Your summary should be sufficient to describe
the event for a reader who did not attend, include who was involved and who attended; your analysis
should suggest how this event fits within the mission of the university and student services as described in
the Academic Catalogue 2010-11.
This summary and analysis of the cultural event is worth five points, so do your best. I will evaluate your
effort based on your clarity of description, quality of analysis, and sentence-level correctness.
Summary and Analysis
Carefully read a chapter of the Preface text and offer one paragraph each of summary and analysis,
roughly half a page each, single spaced and block paragraphed, 12 pt. Times New Roman, with one inch
margins. You probably should begin your descriptive summary paragraph with a one sentence account of
the selection, and then identify its content and structure in an organized fashion. For both the descriptive
summary and the analysis, you should incorporate textual evidence by introducing its context (where in
the novel the quote appears and such), punctuating the quote correctly, restating it in your own words, and
then relating its particular meaning to the point you make regarding the chapter. Your paragraph of
analysis should offer some point about the meaning, consequences, subtext, tone, style, or some other
matter of the chapter or essay. Proceed with a claim or set of related claims about the text, for which you
should offer evidence from the text in the form of quotes. Each paragraph should feature 1-2 quotes as
evidence and one or two partial quotes. You are best off making your claims specific throughout each
paragraph, and only in the concluding sentence of each offering a more general point.
See RW and the syllabus section on incorporating quotes for guidance.
Analysis means lots of things, so let’s be clear on what it is not:
- it is not simple claim of taste, whether something is good or bad (by which you really mean whether
you like it or not), though you may indicate the why of such an evaluation;
- it is not unsupported opinion;
- it is not vague, general, or lacking evidence.
See RW for guidance.
Your analysis, then, should be the careful, specific, and evidenced demonstration of some particular and
not obvious characteristic of the chapter: what it means, what it does, what its purpose is, who its
audience is, the implied position of the author, what text it resembles, where it is especially successful, or
where it fails to work well.
This summary and analysis is worth ten points, so do your best. I will evaluate your effort based on the
engagement and effort of your draft, clarity and quality of thought, apt selection and incorporation of
quotes, and sentence-level correctness.
English 101 Syllabus
8
Popular Culture Textual Analysis
Your next significant writing assignment in this class requires you to select, engage critically, and analyze
one or two popular works (film, song, TV episode) on a common topic involving class or work. Your
paper should be four to five pages long, double spaced. The introduction should identify the topic and its
relevant historical and cultural context, the text(s) you analyze, and your thesis—a small and unexpected
claim worth making. The next paragraph should summarize the text(s) and incorporate evidence in the
form of quotes to substantiate your summary. The bulk of the paper should develop the specifically
analytical (and perhaps comparative) argument offered in your thesis, including careful evidence to
support your claims. Analysis means many different things, so stay focused on demonstrating the how
work or class is represented in the text(s). Finally, given the careful detail and specific, supported
analysis of your essay, you have earned the right in your conclusion to offer conjecture, make more
general claims, suggest what the broader implications of your analysis might be. This essay should be
directed to actual and implied audiences, both your fellow students and professor as well as an imagined
audience you are trying to teach with your experience or interpretation and impress with your style of
description and explanation. You must craft the essay to make it meaningful and appealing to others.
Format
The essay must be printed in 12 point Times New Roman, double spaced with 1” margins. Your primary
source or sources include the text(s) undergoing analysis; secondary sources over evidence that enhances
your argument. All sources must be documented according to MLA conventions.
Evaluation
Your topic proposal (1 pt), initial two pages (2 pts), and draft (2 pts) will be evaluated based on the effort
and engagement they demonstrate. Your revision (15 pts) will be evaluated according to the following
criteria:
PROCESS - The essay goes through stages of development, including a topic proposal, introductory
pages, complete first draft, and a polished final revision.
QUALITY OF THOUGHT and CLARITY OF PURPOSE - The essay effectively describes and
analyzes a popular work and attends to context.
ORGANIZATION - The essay is organized effectively and includes smooth transitions between sections
and paragraphs. Paragraphs are clearly focused on one idea relevant to the essay’s thesis; the ideas within
the paragraph are clearly related and smoothly linked, and the main point of the paragraph is supported by
examples and details.
USE OF LANGUAGE - Clarity of expression: the writing has been carefully proofread and adheres to
standard conventions of grammar and punctuation; the essay presents an appropriate tone and precise
diction.
RESEARCH - The essay effectively and appropriately cites relevant sources using quotes that are
accurately introduced, cited, and analyzed. The in-text citation and the list of works are in MLA style.
English 101 Syllabus
9
Research Paper: Critical Response
Your final and most important writing assignment in this class requires you to describe an issue or topic
and three competing viewpoints regarding it, then support the position you find most reasonable. First,
establish a topic and specific debatable issue of your interest and research it carefully. Possible topics
might include health care, class in America, education policy, or any other matter of interest approved for
class. Then, you should describe fairly and reasonably at least three positions on that issue and their
justification. The introduction should identify the topic, its relevant context, the various perspectives
available, and your thesis: a small and unexpected claim worth making. The next few paragraphs should
describe more than two conflicting but reasonable positions on the topic, and you need to incorporate
evidence in the form of quotes and statistics to substantiate your descriptions. The rest of the paper
should demonstrate your position with respect to those you have described, offering careful evidence to
support your claims. For your conclusion, you have earned the right to make more general claims,
suggest what the broader implications of your analysis and position might be. This essay should be
directed to actual and implied audiences, both your fellow students and professor as well as an imagined
audience you are trying to teach with your experience or interpretation and impress with your style of
description and explanation. You must craft the essay to make it meaningful and appealing to others.
Format
The essay must be 5-7 pages, printed in 12 point Times New Roman, double spaced with 1” margins.
Your four+ sources must be documented according to MLA conventions both in the text and in the list of
works cited.
Schedule
Topic proposal: it should feature a brief statement of the topic, a longer explanation of the
topic, a description of three or more conflicting but reasonable perspectives regarding the
topic, and a brief list of possible sources.
Annotated bibliography: it should feature five or more sources cited appropriately, followed
by a three to four sentence summary of the text and a descriptive and appropriate quote from
the text related to the summary you write.
Research paper introduction: it should be a paragraph clarifying the topic, its context, and a
clear sense of the various positions, your own, and its reasoning.
Draft of research paper: your best work, incorporating your research accurately and
demonstrating clear purpose, successful organization, and sentence-level correctness.
Research paper portfolio due, including your final revision. It should include your topic
proposal, the annotated bibliography, the introduction, the draft, the peer review you wrote,
and your revision.
Grading criteria
PROCESS - The portfolio includes the topic proposal, annotated bibliography, introduction, draft,
complete first draft, and a polished final draft.
QUALITY OF THOUGHT and CLARITY OF PURPOSE - The essay effectively describes multiple
perspectives on a topic and demonstrates its own position.
ORGANIZATION - The essay is organized effectively and includes smooth transitions between sections
and paragraphs. Paragraphs are clearly focused on one idea relevant to the essay’s thesis; the ideas within
the paragraph are clearly related and smoothly linked, and the main point of the paragraph is supported by
examples and details.
USE OF LANGUAGE - Clarity of expression: the writing has been carefully proofread and adheres to
standard conventions of grammar and punctuation; the essay presents an appropriate tone and precise
diction.
RESEARCH - The essay effectively and appropriately cites relevant sources using quotes that are
accurately introduced, cited, and analyzed. The in-text citation and the list of works are in MLA style.
English 101 Syllabus
10
I-Search Assignment
Description:
The I-Search paper is designed to teach the writer and the reader something valuable about a chosen topic
and about the nature of searching and discovery. As opposed to the standard research paper in which the
writer usually assumes a detached and objective stance, the I-Search paper allows you to take an active
role in your search, to hunt for facts and truths firsthand, and to provide a step-by-step record of the
discovery process. For this assignment, you will write a 6-8 page paper on your topic and an additional
bibliography. You must have at least six sources (more would always be good): 2 must be “print”
sources, 2 must be “electronic” (databases and websites) and 2 must be “other” (interview, television,
film, radio, song or other media). The “other” sources might be difficult to track down, so it’s best to
start early on your research. Make sure that your sources are credible. If you are researching something
that requires you include non-credible sources (for example, if you are researching Bigfoot), make sure
you also cite six credible sources in addition to the non-credible ones.
Topic:
The cardinal rule of the I-Search paper is to choose an argument that genuinely interests you and that you
want to know more about. You may want to research the arguments that surround the “Pro-Choice”
position, or arguments in favor or in opposition to gay marriage. Remember: arguments are
EVERYWHERE, so the topic is open. The important point is that you choose an argument that you
really care about. It can be an argument that you disagree with, agree with, or are undecided about. It
can be something you know a lot or a little about. Because of the nature of the I-search, you cannot
simply tell me what you already know for your research. Whatever you know, you are going to
learn more, so find something that will engage you for a long period.
Format:
The I-Search paper should be written in four sections (Yes, you should label them.—preferably with a
cool title for each section. No, you don’t need to start a separate page for each.):
1.
2.
3.
4.
What I already know, assume, or imagine and why I am interested. (1-2 pages)
The search—what I did to go about learning more. (1-2 pages)
What I discovered and what this means to me. (3-4 pages)
Works Cited
1. What I already know or assume, why I am interested, and what I want to learn. After clearing
your topic with me, but before conducting any formal research, write a section in which you explain
to the reader what you think you know, what you assume, or what you imagine about your topic. For
example, if you decided to investigate the debate over the war in Iraq, you might want to explain your
own thoughts about the war, what you know, and why you find this topic interesting. Then, come up
with a list of things that you want to learn such as the various exit strategies, the cost of the war, etc.
Some advice here: the more specific your topic is, the easier it will be to write your essay. For
example, one student who has ADHD might want to investigate the argument that America is
overmedicating its youth with drugs like Ritalin. I suggest that you narrow your search to 2-3 very
specific questions that you clearly identify at the end of your first section. (Hint: Even though in
initial drafts you might write this section in present tense, you will probably want to change it to past
tense by the final draft.)
2. The search. Test your knowledge, assumptions, or conjectures by researching your topic thoroughly.
Consult useful books, magazines, newspapers, films, tapes, and other sources for information. When
possible, interview people who are authorities on or who are familiar with your topic. Write this part
of your paper in narrative form, recording the steps of the discovery process (you may want to start
with “First I…”). Which aspects were easy and why? Which were more challenging? (You’ll want
to take VERY good notes along the way.) Do not feel obligated to tell everything, but highlight the
English 101 Syllabus
11
happenings and facts you uncovered that were crucial to your hunt and contributed to your
understanding of the topic. Important: you do not need citations in this section, because you should
not be revealing specific information from your sources. You are just explaining HOW you found
them.
3. What I discovered and what this means to me. After concluding your search, compare what you
thought you knew or assumed and what you imagined you would learn with what you actually
discovered. You might begin your introduction with the formula:
“First I believed _____________________________, but now after my research, I understand
_____________________________________________. Then insert an argumentative thesis
sentence that covers your argument that is now informed by your research.
Offer some personal commentary along the way “To my surprise, I discovered that...” and draw
some conclusion. Use the skills you have developed this semester in rhetorical analysis to critique
the arguments that you find along the way. Point out logical fallacies wherever you find them (even
if they are in your own initial thought). Make sure that you look at objective material concerning your
topic, and incorporate not just opinion, but fact in support of your conclusion. Refer explicitly back
to the 2-3 questions that you identified in section one of your paper. If you found satisfying answers
to those questions, explain why. If you didn’t, explain why not. This third section is the more
traditional, “research paper” part of your paper. This section is also the part that should contain your
citations of other sources. Intentional plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the entire class, and
you will be reported to the Honor Court.
4. Works Cited. At the end of the paper, attach a formal Works Cited in MLA format listing the
sources that you used to write your paper. We will go over how to do a works cited in class. Make
SURE that you have the minimum required sources and the variety of sources requested. Failure to
do so will result in a failing grade for the essay. You must photocopy or print source material and
turn in with your paper so that I can check your sources.
As always, ask me if you have any questions.
English 101 Syllabus
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