Blugold Seminar in Critical Reading and Writing
“Ways of Eating: Food and Culture in the Contemporary U.S.”
English 110
Fall 2011
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Department of English
Melissa Girard
Office: 412 Hibbard Humanities Hall
Email: girardm@uwec.edu
Phone: 715-836-2161
Office Hours: T/TH 1:30 - 2:30 & by appointment
Class Meetings
228 Hibbard Humanities Hall
M 11 a.m. - 12:50 p.m.
T/TH/F 12 - 12:50 p.m.
Required Texts
(RENTAL) Blugold Guide, eds. Shevaun Watson and Carmen Manning. New York:
McGraw-Hill, 2011.
(PURCHASE) Howard, Rebecca Moore. Writing Matters: A Handbook for Writing and
Research. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011.
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We will also read an additional selection of articles and essays that will be distributed
as PDFs through our D2L website. These readings are required, and you will need to
print them and bring them with you to class regularly.
Required Materials
• A ream of paper to print required readings and drafts of your own writing
• A binder or folder to manage these printed documents throughout the semester
Course Description
Welcome to the Blugold Seminar in Critical Reading and Writing. This course is designed
to ground first-year students in the reading, writing, and rhetorical demands necessary for
success in college and beyond. This class teaches students to be both critical readers of
complex texts and critical writers of effective texts. The key to critical reading and writing is
rhetorical knowledge. Rhetoric is foundational for this course because it will enable you to
understand how other peoples’ texts affect you as a reader and to compose effective and
purposeful texts for yourself. Rhetorical knowledge prepares you to participate in and
respond to a multitude of writing situations you may encounter in college, in your future
career, and in your personal life. At its most basic but profound level, writing is about
making strategic choices, and this course will prepare you to analyze the choices other
writers make and to make your own effective choices across a variety of writing situations.
Each section of the Blugold Seminar focuses on a unique theme. In this course, we will
investigate the concepts of food and eating. Because food is necessary for physical
sustenance, it affects our lives on a daily basis. However, we don’t always take food
seriously as an object of intellectual inquiry. In the United States, in particular, many
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people take food almost entirely for granted: they assume that it will always be available—
that the grocery stores will remain full—but don’t question where their food comes from or
where it will go once they are finished with it. In this course, we will learn to think “beyond
the plate”: to understand the complex social, cultural, and political issues created by food
and eating in the contemporary U.S. As the semester progresses, students will have
considerable freedom to shape class discussions and to explore specific topics related to
food and eating that most interest you.
University Learning Outcomes
ENGL 110 is a course required by the University, and as such, it coheres with the goals of
an Eau Claire education, which include
• Respect for diversity among people
• Knowledge of human cultures and the natural world
• Creative and critical thinking
• Effective communication
• Individual and social responsibility
Course Goals
All Blugold Seminars are organized around the same goals. These learning outcomes will
be used in part to assess your progress this semester and your success in the course.
Rhetorical Knowledge
Students will be able to
• Understand and use the concepts of purpose, audience, and rhetorical situation in
their writing;
• Understand and apply key rhetorical terms, including rhetor, exigence, kairos,
identification, extrinsic proof, intrinsic proof, situated ethos, invented ethos, pathos,
logos, and enthymeme in their writing;
• Demonstrate rhetorical awareness pertaining to the conventions of Academic
English by using appropriate tone, style, format, and structure in their writing.
Inquiry & Research
Students will be able to
• Demonstrate information literacy skills by finding and evaluating a variety of source
materials;
• Demonstrate critical reading skills by summarizing, paraphrasing, analyzing, and
synthesizing information from a variety of source materials in their writing;
• Formulate viable research questions, hypotheses, and conclusions;
• Understand the extent and nature of the sources needed to meet rhetorical goals
within a specific writing situation;
• Learn how to participate ethically and responsibly in the inquiry and research
process.
Writing Craft
Students will be able to
• Assess accurately the strengths and weaknesses of their own writing and develop
individual plans for revision and improvement;
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•
•
•
Understand and enact revision as substantive change;
Identify and address “higher-order concerns” in their writing and others’;
Identify and address “lower-order concerns” in their writing and others’.
Digital Literacy
Students will be able to
• Use a variety of technology tools to collaborate, compose, and revise;
• Use a variety of digital and multimedia sources critically;
• Understand that images, sounds, and animations—in addition to words—constitute
the building blocks of 21st-century communication.
Section-Specific Goals
Students will be able to
• Practice critical reading skills and demonstrate rhetorical knowledge using a variety
of food discourses drawn from popular media and the academy;
• Demonstrate an awareness of key conversations concerning food and eating
taking place in the contemporary U.S.;
• Participate in one or more of these ongoing conversations by conducting
independent research throughout the semester and completing a research-driven
project, focused on food or eating, of your own design.
Course Requirements
You will complete 6 Formal Writing projects for this course, all of which are required to
pass the course, as well as various other Informal Writing assignments. These projects will
link together so that the work you do for one segment will build the foundation for the next.
Your Formal Writing Projects include
Segment One: “Reading the Conversations”
• A copy of your Field Notes, resulting from a site observation (5% of final grade)
• A compilation of revised summaries of key readings (10% of final grade)
Segment Two: “Understanding Perspective”
• A 5-6 page Rhetorical Analysis of a source (an article, website, etc.) that you
find independently (20% of final grade)
Segment Three: “Cultivating Complexity”
• An annotated bibliography, containing sources you find independently, along
with a critical reflection about your research (20% of final grade)
Segment Four: “Joining the Conversation”
• A substantial, documented research project, which might be a traditional written
paper, a multimedia project, or some combination. You will have considerable
freedom to choose the genre, audience(s), and medium for your work. (25%)
Final Project: ePortfolios (10%)
• At the end of the semester, in lieu of a final exam, you will submit an electronic
portfolio of your written work for this class. Failure to submit an ePortfolio could
result in failing the course. Your ePortfolio will include revised versions the
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following items:
o
o
o
o
o
o
Cover letter
4 Formal Writing projects (all projects except the Field Notes)
Initial diagnostic writing
Initial self evaluation
Final diagnostic writing
Final self evaluation
Informal Writing (10%)
In addition to your Formal Writing projects, you will also complete weekly, Informal Writing
assignments and activities. One of the simplest and most effective ways to improve your
writing is to write—continually—over time. By practicing, you will become a more confident
and clear writer. Your Informal Writing assignments are designed to help with that process.
While no individual assignment will impact your grade substantially, overall, they will play
an important role in determining your final grade. Your Informal Writing will help you build
the essential skills you need to succeed in your Formal Writing projects.
The precise number and type of Informal Writing assignments will vary based on the
class’s strengths and needs. However, you can anticipate having 2-3 Informal Writing
Assignments each week through the first half of the semester. As you begin your
independent research projects, in the second half of the course, the amount of Informal
Writing will likely decrease. Some of these assignments will require you to complete work
outside class (“homework”), while others will be completed together during class time (“inclass writing”). I will also frequently ask you to bring drafts of your writing to class and to
work together to improve one another’s drafts (“collaborative writing” and “collaborative
workshop”). All of these activities, and any other daily tasks we complete, will also count
toward your Informal Writing grade.
Because they are meant for “practice,” you will not be given formal grades on these
assignments and activities. As long as you complete them, carefully and on time, you will
receive full-credit (designated by a check mark ✓). In fact, because there will be so many
of them, I will not always collect or comment on your Informal Writing assignments.
However, if I do collect Informal Writing, and your assignment is missing or has not been
completed satisfactorily, you will not receive credit (designated by a check minus ✓-).
At the end of the semester, if you have all check marks (✓), your Informal Writing grade
will be 100%. If you have one or more check minuses (✓-), you will lose a small number of
points for each one (typically between 3 and 5 points, depending upon the total number of
Informal Writing tasks). Late Informal Writing assignments are not typically accepted.
However, you may be able to make alternative arrangements if you have an excused
absence.
Please take advantage of this opportunity to improve your writing and build your grade by
keeping up on your Informal Writing and daily class activities.
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Grading
You need to earn a grade of “C” or higher in this course in order to fulfill your English
Competency requirement for graduation. A grade of “C-” or below will necessitate retaking
the course. Throughout the semester, you will receive percentage grades on your Formal
Writing assignments. They correspond to letter grades as follows:
93-100%
90-92%
87-89%
83-86%
80-82%
77-79%
73-76%
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
70-72%
67-69%
63-66%
60-62%
0-59%
CD+
D
DF
Attendance
You are required to come to class every day. I am required by the University to take
attendance every class period. You are allowed four unexcused absences during this
semester without penalty. Each additional unexcused absence thereafter will result in a
one-letter grade deduction of your final grade.
Excused absences (such as major emergencies and serious illness) will not adversely
affect your grade. An absence will only be excused if reasonable documentation is
provided or if it is cleared by the Dean of Students office. This office must be contacted if a
medical or personal crisis necessitates extended absences from class (more than 3
consecutive class periods). The Dean of Students office is located in 240 Schofield Hall.
You may email them at deanofstudents@uwec.edu or call 715-836-5626. Please see the
University’s policy available online at http://www2.uwec.edu/DOS/policies/attendance.htm
Academic Integrity
Plagiarism, cheating, or any other form of academic misconduct will not be tolerated under
any circumstances. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the University’s
policy on academic dishonesty and related disciplinary procedures. Ignorance is no excuse
for any violations. See http://www2.uwec.edu/DOS/policies/academic/chapter14.htm for
this information.
Accommodation
Any student who has a disability or is in need of any classroom accommodation should
contact the Services for Students with Disabilities Office, located in Old Library 2136, or
call 715-836-4542. This office will treat any issue with complete confidentiality and will help
put any necessary forms of assistance into place. You can feel free to speak with me as
well. I want to do everything in my power to help you succeed in this class and at UW-Eau
Claire.
Late work
I only accept late work in two cases:
1. If you contact me ahead of time (at least 48 hours before the due date) with a
legitimate reason for your work not being done (which does NOT include being
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busy, working, studying for other classes, etc.), and we work out a different
arrangement.
2. And/or, if you provide documentation of a legitimate reason for the late
work within 24 hours of the due date (such as serious illness, family emergency,
etc.)
In both of these cases, depending on the circumstances, you still may not receive full
credit for the work. In addition, late work may receive credit but little to no comments or
feedback from me. In any other case, late work will not be accepted, nor will it receive any
credit.
Conferences
I am always happy to talk with you outside class about any questions or concerns you may
have or just to discuss your ideas. Email is the best way to contact me. I check email
regularly from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and do my best to respond quickly
whenever possible. Beyond these hours, I check email sporadically and canʼt guarantee as
prompt of a reply. Try to plan accordingly and always leave sufficient time in advance of a
deadline for questions that may arise.
You should also feel free to meet with me during office hours (Tuesdays and Thursdays
from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.) at any point during the semester. When we meet, I am happy to talk
about drafts of your assignments before you turn them in (only in person, not over email)
and to help you make improvements to your assignments to strengthen your grade or
revise drafts for the final ePortfolio. I am always in my office during my office hours but am
also happy to set up another time to meet if you are unavailable then. Please donʼt hesitate
to contact me.
Additional Class Policies?
During the first week of class, weʼll discuss the possibility of adding other class policies to
the syllabus. The class will make these decisions together and vote on them
democratically. For now, think about whether there is anything missing from the syllabus
that youʼd like to add.
Class Schedule
All “Read” and “Write” assignments are due at the start of the class session for which they
are assigned. Readings marked BG can be found in the Blugold Guide; WM can be found
in Writing Matters; and all other readings are available as PDFs on our class D2L site
(https://uwec.courses.wisconsin.edu/)
Please note that this schedule is a work in progress. It includes due dates for all Formal
Writing projects and the majority of your required readings (you may have additional, short
reading assignments from Writing Matters, as necessary, and will be reading and
reviewing sources for your research projects). However, it does not include many of your
Informal Writing assignments and activities. I have also left a number of class sessions
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intentionally open, including the final month of class. This is because you will have
significant say in how we organize that time. As the semester progresses, weʼll discuss
which types of activities and/or readings youʼd like to add to the syllabus to make your
writing projects as successful as possible. Although the deadlines for Formal Writing
projects will remain the same as listed below, you will also receive more detailed advice
and instructions regarding each assignment well in advance of the deadlines.
Finally, please remember that the Blugold Seminar website
(http://www.uwec.edu/blugoldseminar/index.htm) contains valuable resources to help you
with all phases and aspects of the course. Try to familiarize yourself with the website as
soon as possible.
“Segment 1: Reading the Conversations”
M 9/5
Labor Day, no class meeting
T 9/6
Introductions: 1. Discussing “additional” class policies and 2. What did you
eat this summer?
TH 9/8
Writing as Conversation
Read: BG Preface pp. v-xiv and WM pp. 1-2
Write: Complete Self-Evaluation and post to D2L
F 9/9
In-Class Writing
Read: BG Chapter 1 pp. 33-38, Josh Keller, “Studies Explore Whether the
Internet Makes Students Better Writers.” Also remember to bring your
Blugold Guide with you to class.
Write: Make sure that you have set up and understand how to use your H
drive prior to class; contact the LTS Help Desk with any questions
(helpdesk@uwec.edu; 715-836-5711; or stop in Old Library 1106)
**Class will meet in Phillips 219, a computer lab
M 9/12
Reading Critically and Responsibly
Read: BG Chapter 1 pp. 1-17, Stephen Wilhoit, “Critical Reading”; WM pp.
3-13; and BG Chapter 3, Barbara Ehrenreich, “Class Struggle 101”
Write: Come to class with your readings annotated, as discussed in the
assigned readings, and be prepared to discuss your annotation strategies
T 9/13
Thinking “Beyond the Plate”
Read: Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto (Penguin
Press, 2008), pp. 19-36
Listen: “Tube Burgers: The World of In Vitro Meat” (~13 minutes long)
Write: Come to class with your reading annotated, as discussed in
Monday’s assigned readings, and select 1 key quotation from the radio
broadcast
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TH 9/15
Reading Food Labels
Read: Susanne Freidberg, Fresh: A Perishable History of Food (Harvard
University Press, 2009), pp. 117-121
Write: Bring some type of food packaging with you to class that includes a
nutritional label and/or ingredients list. We’ll be writing about and discussing
them in class.
F 9/16
Noticing and Observing
Write: Bring a notebook and pen/pencil to class with you and be prepared to
take a mini class “field trip” on campus
*Saturday 9/17: Optional class field trip to the Farmer’s Market at Phoenix Park. See
“Farmer’s Market Trip” in your Field Notes Assignment for more details.
M 9/19
Visual Rhetoric
Read: Allen Ginsberg, “A Supermarket in California” and “Visual Rhetoric:
Images as Arguments”
Write: Field Notes are due
T 9/20
Food Marketing
Read: Marion Nestle, Food Politics (University of California Press, 2007),
pp. vii-xi and 1-28
TH 9/22
Summary, Paraphrase, and Patchwriting
Read: WM pp. 131-135
F 9/23
Collaborative Workshop
Write: Bring drafts of 4 summaries with you to class for peer review
“Segment 2: Understanding Perspective”
M 9/26
Conducting Academic Research
Read: BG Chapter 1 pp. 18-21, Chris Thaiss and Terry Myers Zawacki,
“What Is Academic Writing?”
Write: Read and Complete “Background Information” activity before class
*Class will meet in Phillips 219, a computer lab
T 9/27
Conducting Academic Research
Write: First Formal Project due at the start of class
TH 9/29
What Is Rhetoric?
Read: BG Chapter 2 pp. 39-69, Robert Herrick, “An Overview of Rhetoric”
F 9/30
Reading Rhetorically: McDonald’s Happy Meals
Read: McDonald’s Press Release 7/26/2011; Marion Nestle, “McDonald’s
Healthier New Happy Meals: Still Unhealthy”
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M 10/3
Rhetoric as an Ancient Art
Read: BG Chapter 2 pp. 70-78, John Ramage, “The Way of Rhetoric”;
pp. 78-81, “Ancients on Rhetoric”; and pp. 81-87, Gorgias, Encomium of
Helen
T 10/4
Rhetoric as an Ancient Art
Read: BG Chapter 2 pp. 87-93, Plato [Aspasia], from Menexenus; and 99101, Aristotle, from Rhetoric
TH 10/6
Rhetorical Analysis
Read: BG Chapter 2, Jack Selzer, “Rhetorical Analysis: Understanding How
Texts Persuade Readers”
F 10/7
Finding and Evaluating Sources
**Class will meet in Phillips 219, a computer lab
M 10/10
The Politics of Hunger
Read: Harvey Levenstein, “The Politics of Hunger”
T 10/11
Kairos
Read: BG Chapter 2, “Kairos and the Rhetorical Situation”
Write: Bring your source with you to class
TH 10/13
Ethos
Read: BG Chapter 2, “Ethical Proofs: Arguments from Character”
Write: Bring your source with you to class
F 10/14
Working on your Rhetorical Analysis Assignment
Write: TBD; what activities would help you finish your assignment
successfully? Possibilities include reviewing sample essays, group
workshop, peer review, conferences, and/or drafting time in or outside class.
We’ll discuss options and possibly break into small groups today.
**Class will meet in Phillips 219, a computer lab
M 10/17
Working on your Rhetorical Analysis Assignment
Write: TBD; what activities would help you finish your assignment
successfully? Possibilities include reviewing sample essays, group
workshop, peer review, conferences, and/or drafting time in or outside class.
We’ll discuss options and possibly break into small groups today.
**Class will meet in Phillips 219, a computer lab
T 10/18
Collaborative Workshop
Write: Draft of Rhetorical Analysis due before start of class; workshop will
focus on “higher-order” concerns
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TH 10/20
Collaborative Workshop
Write: Draft of Rhetorical Analysis due before start of class; workshop will
focus on both “higher-order” and “lower-order concerns”
F 10/21
Mid-semester Evaluations
Moderated Discussion (instructor will not be present): How is the Blugold
Seminar working for you so far? What goals and expectations do you have
for the second half of class? What would you like to change?
Write: Final draft of second Formal Assignment, the Rhetorical Analysis,
due at the start of class
“Segment 3: Cultivating Complexity”
M 10/24
In-class screening of Food, Inc.
T 10/25
Discussion of Food, Inc.
Read: Eric Schlosser, “Why Being a Foodie Isn’t Elitist” and Blake Hurst,
“The Omnivore’s Delusion”
Listen: “Farmers: What Do You Think of Pollan’s Ideas” (30 minutes)
TH 10/27
Understanding the “Foodscape”
Read: Julie Guthman, “Can’t Stomach It: How Michael Pollan et al Made Me
Want to Eat Cheetos”
F 10/28
Developing a research question
Write: Peer workshop on developing and refining your research topics
M 10/31
Food and Identity
Read: Ruth Reichl, “Serafina”
T 11/1
Food and Identity
Read: Jhumpa Lahiri, “The Long Way Home” and Mark Singer, “Chicken
Smedley”
TH 11/3
Sharing research materials
Write: Bring a revised statement of your research topic and printed copies
of your sources with notes and annotations to class
F 11/4
Drafting summaries and annotations
M 11/7
Working on your Annotated Bibliographies
T 11/8
Working on your Annotated Bibliographies
TH 11/10
Working on your Annotated Bibliographies
F 11/11
Working on your Annotated Bibliographies
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M 11/14
Revised draft of your Annotated Bibliography with critical reflection paper due
at the start of class
T 11/15 - M 12/12 Working on your Final Projects!
T 12/13
Last Class Meeting
*Final Projects due
F 12/16
Our Final Exam has been scheduled for Friday 12/16 at 1pm; in lieu of an
exam, this will be the deadline for your ePortfolio
*A more detailed Class Schedule, including assigned readings and class activities, for 11/4
to the end of the semester will be distributed by mid-semester. This is because we’ll be
making adjustments and additions to our schedule for the later portion of the semester
once you’ve established a topic and plans for your individual research projects. However,
please note that the deadlines listed above will remain the same.