English 160, Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts
Writing and the Creation of Community
Fall 2011
Instructor name: John Casey CRN/Course Number: 23296
Office location: 1833 UH
Office phone: 312-413-2214
E-mail address: jcasey3@uic.edu
Time and days class meets: T/Th 9:30-
10:45 am
Classroom location: SH 104.
Office hours: T/Th 11-2, or by appt.
Course description and goals:
In this course we will examine the concept of “situated writing.” This type of writing involves recognizing that what we communicate to others through means of the written word “situates” us within a specific group of people. These groups include, but are not limited to, our coworkers, students who share knowledge in a particular field of study, as well as friends and neighbors. Situated writing also asks us to acknowledge that writing is an activity with very practical consequences, helping to create as well as document the reality of our day to day lives. Each of the four writing assignments in this class (a Profile Piece, Manifesto, Argumentative Essay, and Cover Letter/Proposal) will ask you to consider the four key terms of situation, genre, language and consequences.
We will use these terms as a way not only to understand how to create more effective writing but also as a way to comprehend the theme of our course readings: “creating community.” Your writing along with our course discussions and activities will allow you to see how the act of communication often frustrates as well as aids us in our connections with others. By the end of this class, you should be able to utilize the knowledge gained from your writing as well as our in-class activities and discussions in order to advance into your chosen area of expertise. It should also assist you in the larger goal of being an engaged member in the wide variety of communities to which you currently belong as well as those that you will someday occupy.
Prerequisite
To enroll in English 160, you must have been placed in the course by virtue of a UIC placement exam, or have earned a passing grade in English 150 or 152. During the first week of class, I will verify that you are appropriately enrolled.
Required texts
Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. The Longman Writer’s Companion: Third
Custom Edition for the University of Illinois at Chicago. Boston: Pearson Custom
Publishing, 2011. (LWC)
Feldman, Ann Merle, Ellen McManus, and Nancy Downs (eds.). Situated Writing at
UIC: Reading and Writing in Cultural Conversations. Boston: Pearson Custom
Publishing, 2011. (SW)
( Note: Both of these texts are available for purchase at the UIC Bookstore located on the first floor of the Student Center East .)

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Additional readings will be available through an electronic reserves site hosted by the
UIC library at http://uic.docutek.com/eres/coursepage.aspx?cid=2375 (LER) as well as in the “course documents” folder on the class Blackboard site: http://blackboard.uic.edu
/ (BB).
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 ).
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
20%
20%
WP3: Argumentative Essay
WP4: Cover Letter/Proposal
25%
20%
Participation: including preparation, involvement in class discussions, attendance, peer reviews, presentations, etc. 15%
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.
P
OLICIES
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 .

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Attendance policy
First-Year Writing Program Attendance Policy for T/Th Courses: Students are allowed four absences without penalty. Students who miss five class periods can earn a final grade no higher than B; students who miss six class periods can earn a final grade no higher than C; students who miss seven class periods can earn a final grade no higher than D; students who miss eight 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 forty-eight hours. Except in extreme circumstances 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).

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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 is only permitted for note taking, accessing course readings on the Blackboard Site or 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 computer.
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 R ESOURCES FOR W RITERS
The Writing Center, located in 105 Grant Hall, 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. The Writing Center is open from the 3rd week through the 15th week of the semester: Mondays 10-4, Tuesdays & Thursdays 9:30-4:30, Wednesdays 9-5, and
Fridays 10-2. They welcome students to drop in, but to guarantee that a tutor will be available you are encouraged to make a reservation in advance. Call (312) 413-2206 to make an appointment.
The Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) , accessible online at
<owl.english.purdue.edu>, is available to first-year students who need additional information on inquiry and research, on English grammar and mechanics, on ESL issues, and on using MLA and APA style. From the OWL website students may email their writing-related questions to a tutor, read about professional and technical writing, and access off-site resources for students of writing.
Web sites sponsored by the Writing Center, at ( www.uic.edu/depts/engl/writing ), and the
First-Year Writing Program, at ( www.uic.edu/depts/engl/comp ).
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

5 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.
Other sources of support: LARES (Latin American Recruitment and Educational
Services Program), SSB 2640, 312.996.3356; African American Academic Network,
SSB 2800, 312.996.5040; Native American Support Program, 2700 SSB, 312.996.4515.
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.
General Format: All writing assignments should be stapled and printed in 12-point font
(Calibri preferred), double-spaced with standard 1” margins. ( Note: Unless you change it, this is the default setting for Microsoft Word .) The first page of each paper should have a single-spaced heading in the upper left corner in the following format:
Your full name
English 160 (23296).
Professor Casey
Assignment (e.g. Profile Piece, Final Draft)
Date that the assignment is being turned in.
All subsequent pages should have your name and the page number in the upper right corner.
A sample title page can be found in the Longman Writer’s Resource ( LWC ) on pg. 233.
Proofreading: Before turning in your paper, 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?
W RITING P ROJECT #1: P ROFILE PIECE
Page Requirement: 5 pages.
Due Dates:
Complete Draft for Peer Review: Tuesday, August 30.
Revised Rough Draft: Tuesday, September 6.
Polished Final Draft: Tuesday, September 20.

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Resources:
SW
“Identity in the Age of the Internet,” pgs. 60-74.
“Famous All Over Town,” pgs. 75-82.
LWC “Feature Story/Profile,” pg. P33.
BB “Food Fighter: Does Whole Foods CEO Know What’s Best for You?” New
Yorker.
4 Jan. 2010.
Situation:
The editor of UIC’s student newspaper the Chicago Flame recently published an editorial describing what he or she believed to be the personality of the “average” UIC student.
After reading the article, you felt that it did not adequately reflect what it means to be a student at UIC. You decided to respond by writing a Profile Piece of someone you felt was more representative of the student experience at the school and submitting it to the paper for publication.
Task:
Using the readings and our class discussions in this unit as your guide, choose a UIC student to interview and write a Profile Piece for the Chicago Flame about them. 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 be a UIC student.
Evaluation Criteria:

Is it clear who you interviewed and why you chose to write a Profile Piece about them?

Do you discuss the issue of identity and the existence of multiple selves in the piece?

Is your perspective on the relationship between self and community clear?

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?
W
RITING
P
ROJECT
#2: M
ANIFESTO
Page Requirement: 5 pages.
Due Dates:
Complete First Draft for Peer Review: Thursday, September 15.
Revised Rough Draft: Thursday, September 22.
Polished Final Draft: Tuesday, October 4.
Resources:
SW “Goin’ Gangsta, Choosin’ Cholita,” pgs. 90-96.
“Marketing Street Culture,” pgs. 97-108.

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LER “Mi Casa Es Su Casa.”
“Late Victorians.”
LWC “Manifesto,” pg. P36.
BB “Our View on Q: A BBQ Manifesto.” Smoque Barbecue . Chicago, IL. 2011.
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 this subject by creating a Manifesto that will be posted on a friend’s internet 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.
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?
W RITING P ROJECT #3: A RGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
Page Requirement: 5 pages.
Due Dates:
Complete Draft for Peer Review: Thursday, October 13.
Revised Rough Draft: Tuesday, October 18.
Polished Final Draft: Tuesday, November 1.
Resources:
SW “The Triumph of Burbopolis,” pgs. 158-166.
“Hate Radio,” pgs. 195-201.
“Nickel and Dimed,” pgs. 267-285.
LER “Toward an Agenda for Social Capitalists.”
LWC “Argumentative Essay,” pgs. P31-33.
BB
J. Hector St. John De Crèvecoeur, from
Letters from an American Farmer :
“Letter III--What is an American?” pgs. 49-57.

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“Fourteenth Amendment,”
United States Constitution .
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 that addresses the belief that there is or ever could be one
“American” national identity. You should consider this question alongside recent controversies on immigration and naturalization. Should immigrants to the United States become “Americanized” in order to be considered citizens? How is this possible if we aren’t completely sure what it means to be an American? Should multiple levels of citizenship exist?
Task:
Starting with our class discussions and the readings from IC , 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 online (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?
W RITING P ROJECT #4: C OVER LETTER / PROPOSAL
Page Requirements: 5 pages.
Due Dates:
Complete Draft for Peer Review: Thursday, November 10.
Revised Rough Draft: Tuesday, November 15.
Polished Final Draft: Tuesday, November 29.
Resources:
SW “Memorials, Monuments, and Meaning,” pgs. 243-245.

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“Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Statement of Purpose,” pg. 229.
“Design Competition: Winning Designer’s Statement,” pgs. 230-231.
“Boundaries,” pgs. 232-242.
“The New Ground Zero,” pgs. 246-249.
“Continuing Controversy Over Construction of a Memorial at the World
Trade Center Site,” pgs. 250-251.
LWC “Cover Letter,” pgs. P27.
“Proposal,” pgs. P39-40.
BB “World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition.” Lower Manhattan
Development Corporation.
2011.
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.
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?

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DAILY SCHEDULE
UNIT I: The Real Me—Authenticity, Self, and Community
Week One
Tuesday, August 23
Class Discussion: Introductions, Review Course Syllabus, Examine the concept of
Community.
In-Class Writing: How do you understand the word “community?”
For Thursday:
Read: LWC “Feature Story/Profile,” pg. P33 and BB “Food Fighter.”
Thursday, August 25
Group 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. Discuss the assigned readings and the first writing assignment.
For Tuesday:
Write: First Draft of your Profile Piece. You must bring a printed copy to class for Peer
Review.
Read: LWC “Assessing someone else’s writing,” pgs. 469-471 and “How others assess your writing,” pgs. 471-472.
Week Two
Tuesday, August 30
Writing Due: Complete Draft of Profile Piece for Peer Review
Group Activity: Choose a partner for Peer Review. Exchange papers. After you carefully read the first draft of the Profile Piece, 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 Thursday:
Read: SW “Chapter 1: Contexts for Reading and Writing,” pgs. 5-17.
Thursday, Sept. 1
Class Discussion: How do we read? Using the four key terms of situated writing as guides for engaging a wide variety of texts.

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In-Class writing: Describe to us 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?
For Tuesday:
Write: Revised Rough Draft of Profile Piece.
Read: SW “Identity in the Age of the Internet,” pgs. 60-74.
Week Three
Tuesday, Sept. 6
Writing Due: Revised Rough Draft of Profile Piece
Group Activity: With a partner, review and discuss the essay “Identity in the Age of the
Internet.” Apply the four key terms of situated writing that we discussed in Thursday’s class to this particular piece of writing.
Class Discussion: Share with the class the results of your group analysis of the essay.
What did you learn using the four key terms that you might not have otherwise uncovered?
For Thursday:
Read: SW “Famous All Over Town,” pgs. 75-82.
Thursday, Sept. 8
Class Discussion: What constitutes an “authentic self?” Do we have one identity or multiple personas?
Group Activity: Pick someone in the class that you know little or nothing about. Based solely on what you see, create a theme song or TV character for them.
For Tuesday:
Read: LWC “Manifesto,” pg. P36 and BB “Our View on Q.”
UNIT II: You Are What You Buy—Consumerism, Self, and Community
Week Four
Tuesday, Sept. 13
Revised Rough Draft of Profile Piece Returned.
Class Discussion: Can identity be bought and sold? Concept of consumerism and cultural commodities. Review the second writing assignment.
Class Activity: Go outside to the Quad and examine the styles of students walking by.
Write down some of the trends you observe. If time, we will share these observations with the entire class.

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For Thursday:
Write: First Draft of your Manifesto. You must bring a printed copy to class for Peer
Review.
Thursday, Sept. 15
Writing Due: Complete Draft of Manifesto for Peer Review
Group Activity: Choose a partner for Peer Review. Exchange papers. 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 Tuesday:
Read: SW “Marketing Street Culture,” pgs. 97-108.
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.”
Week Five
Tuesday, Sept. 20
Writing Due: Final Draft of Profile Piece
Class Activity: Put a piece of paper over the answers and take the Hip Hop 101 Quiz on pgs. 112-113 of SW . Share results and discuss how this Quiz might be updated for 2011.
Share your cultural objects with the class.
Class Discussion: Does consumerism cheapen culture? What gives objects value? How do they create community?
For Thursday:
Write: Revised Rough Draft of Manifesto.
Read: SW “Goin’ Gangsta, Chosin’ Cholita,” pgs. 90-96.
Thursday, Sept. 22
Writing Due: Revised Rough Draft of Manifesto.
In-class writing: Is there a race or ethnicity that you wished you belonged to? Why?
Have you ever tried to act like you belong to that group? Do not put your name on these responses. I will collect them and pass them out at random for students in the class to read.
Class Discussion: The relationship of race and ethnicity to Youth and Popular Culture.

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For Tuesday:
Read: LER “Mi Casa Es Su Casa.”
Bring: Crayons, Markers, or Colored Pencils to draw with. I will supply the paper.
Week Six
Tuesday, Sept. 27
Revised Rough Draft of Manifesto Returned.
Class Activity: Draw your image of the perfect home. (Keep in mind that the idea is more important than your technical skill.) Be prepared to explain to the class why this image of home is more appealing to you than any other.
Class Discussion: Is a home an object? Why or why not? What kinds of responses to people have towards homes? What is it like to leave home? How does leaving home affect your sense of self and community?
For Thursday:
Read: LWC “Chapter 6: Paragraphs,” pgs. 30-39.
Bring: One paragraph from your Manifesto.
Thursday, Sept. 29
Class Discussion: How to construct and arrange paragraphs. The technique of glossing or in-progress outlines.
Group Activity: Exchange the paragraph from your Manifesto with another student.
Identify the focus of that paragraph and the type of paragraph that it represents. Is it narrative, descriptive, argumentative, comparing/contrasting, etc. ? (See pg. 35ff.) If there is more than one focal point in the paragraph, make note of it and explain to the writer how it effects your comprehension of the point they are trying to make.
For Tuesday:
Write: Final Draft of Manifesto.
Read: LER “Late Victorians.”
Week Seven
Tuesday, Oct. 4
Writing Due: Final Draft of Manifesto.
Class Activity: Watch a clip of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and a segment from an interior design show.
Class Discussion: What is the relationship between style, design, and sexuality? Is there a “Gay style?” The role of gay men in the process of urban renewal.
For Thursday:
Read: LWC “Chapter 7: Effective Sentences,” pgs. 40-44 and “Chapter 43:
Coordination and Subordination,” pgs. 399-405.”

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Bring: Three sentences you have written in the past that you are proud of and three sentences you have written in the past that need improvement. They can be from any class and any assignment. Your examples should not be more than one year old.
Thursday, Oct. 6
Class Discussion: What makes a good sentence? How can you learn to hear and see sentence errors?
Group Activity: With your partner, identify the different components of your sentence examples. If there are errors in these sentences, you should work together to correct them. Practice combining and extending these sentences.
For Tuesday:
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 LWC “Argumentative Essay,” pgs. P31-33.
UNIT III: A Land of One’s Own—Nation and Community
Week Eight
Tuesday, Oct. 11
Class Discussion: What exactly is an “imagined community?” How does it relate to the construction of national identity? Review writing assignment number three.
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 Thursday:
Write: First Draft of your Argumentative Essay. You must bring a printed copy to class for Peer Review.
Read: LWC Chapter 10: Arguing Persuasively, pgs. 54-62.
Thursday, Oct. 13
Writing Due: Complete Draft of Argumentative Essay for Peer Review
Lecture: Several models of argumentation.
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 Tuesday:
Write: Revised Rough Draft of Argumentative Essay.
Read: LER “Toward an Agenda for Social Capitalists.”

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Week Nine
Tuesday, Oct. 18
Writing Due: Revised Rough Draft of Argumentative Essay
Group Activity: Identify the argument that the author makes in “Toward an Agenda for
Social Capitalists.” Where is this argument most evident 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?
Class Discussion: Learning to argue in the Academy. How does this type of argumentation relate to non-collegiate models?
For Thursday:
Read: SW “The Triumph of Burbopolis,” pgs. 158-166.
Thursday, Oct. 20
In-class writing: What is your relationship to the suburbs? Do you prefer a “suburban lifestyle” or an “urban” one? Why or why not? Is there any difference between these lifestyles or have they become the same thing?
Class Discussion: Share the responses to the in-class writing assignment. Can developers create community? Looking at the case of UIC and the South Campus expansion.
For Tuesday:
Read: SW “Hate Radio,” pgs. 195-201 and BB Fourteenth Amendment, United States
Constitution.
Bring: A copy of an article on immigration from a newspaper, magazine, or website that demonstrates the “hate radio” style outlined by the author of the essay above.
Week Ten
Tuesday, Oct. 25
Revised Rough Draft of Argumentative Essay Returned
Class Discussion: The decline of argumentation in the United States. Immigration and naturalization. What exactly is American citizenship?
Class Activity: Come up with a revised text for the Fourteenth Amendment.
For Thursday:
Read: LWC Chapter 48: Commas, pgs. 423-431.
Bring: One paragraph from your Argumentative essay.
Thursday, Oct. 27
Class Discussion: Types of punctuation and their usage.
Group Activity: With a partner, identify how each of the commas in your paragraph is used. If there are any mistakes, correct them. Do you notice any patterns in the errors you make with punctuation in your paragraph example?

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For Tuesday:
Write: Final Draft of Argumentative Essay.
Read: SW “Nickel and Dimed,” pgs. 267-285.
Week Eleven
Tuesday, Nov. 1
Writing Due: Final Draft of Argumentative Essay
Class Debate: Is being poor un-American? Social Welfare vs. Self-Reliance.
For Thursday:
Read: LWC “Chapter 45: Choosing Appropriate Words,” pgs, 410-412 and “Chapter
47: Style, Vocabulary, and Dictionaries,” pgs. 417-421.
Bring: A paragraph from any piece of writing that you have done this semester.
Thursday, Nov. 3
Class Discussion: Choosing the right words for a piece of writing. Using Dictionaries and the Thesaurus.
Group Activity: Exchange paragraphs with a partner. Circle words that you feel should be changed. Discuss with your partner why you feel such changes should be made. Is the wording too confusing or misleading? Does it sound too formal or informal for the situation? Is there a negative connotation to the word?
For Tuesday:
Read: SW “Memorials, Monuments, and Meaning,” pgs. 243-245 and LWC “Cover
Letter,” pg. P27 and “Proposal,” pgs.P39-40.
UNIT IV: We are what we remember—Memory, Nation, and Community
Week Twelve
Tuesday, Nov. 8
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 that you were part of a larger community or did you feel excluded? Perhaps the monument seemed irrelevant to you. Why?
Class Discussion: Monuments and collective memory. How does memory create a sense of community? Does it? Discuss writing assignment number four.
For Thursday:
Write: First Draft of Cover Letter/Proposal.
Thursday, Nov. 10
Writing Due: Complete Draft of Cover Letter/Proposal for Peer Review

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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 Allen-
Meares, 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 Tuesday:
Write: Revised Rough Draft of Cover Letter/Proposal.
Read: SW “Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Statement of Purpose,” pg. 229 and “Design
Competition: Winning Designer’s Statement,” pgs. 230-231.
Week Thirteen
Tuesday, Nov. 15
Writing Due: Revised Rough Draft of Cover Letter/Proposal
Class Activity: Re-read the “Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Statement of Purpose” and
“Design Competition: Winning Designer’s Statement.” Underline the sentences in Maya
Lin’s winning Proposal that correspond to sentences in the statement of purpose.
Class Discussion: Re-examining the four key terms of Language, Genre, Situation, and
Consequences. How consequences affect the way we write.
For Thursday:
Read: SW “Design Competition: Winning Designer’s Statement,” pgs. 230-231 and
“Boundaries,” pgs. 232-242.
Thursday, Nov. 17
Class Discussion: After reading an excerpt from Maya Lin’s memoir, how does it affect your understanding of her design proposal? Do you learn more about her artistic intent?
What do we learn about a writer from their writing? Discuss the final portfolio.
For Tuesday:
Read: SW “The New Ground Zero,” pgs. 246-249 and “Continuing Controversy Over
Construction of a Memorial at the World Trade Center Site,” pgs. 250-251.
Week Fourteen
Tuesday, Nov. 22
Revised Rough Draft of Cover Letter/Proposal Returned
Class Activity: Create a radio show script for WGN that has the construction of the new
UIC memorial as its focus.
Thursday, Nov. 24
NO CLASS: THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY

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UNIT V: A Coda on Community
Week Fifteen
Tuesday, Nov. 29
Writing Due: Final Draft of Cover Letter/Proposal
Class Activity: Work on the construction of your final portfolio.
Thursday, Dec. 1
Writing Due: Course Portfolio
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?