WRA 150.012: Evolution of American Thought
Kimberly Tweedale| tweedal1@msu.edu | 274 Ernst Bessey Hall
Class Meetings & Office Hours
Class Meetings:
Monday/Wednesday: 12:40-2:30
113 Ernst Bessey Hall
Office Hours:
Monday/Wednesday: 11:00-12:30; by appointment
274 Ernst Bessey Hall
Course Overview
Welcome to WRA 150! This course has been designed to help you build the skills, knowledge, and
attitudes that support writing, reading, and researching across a variety of situations. To reach this goal,
we’ll look at writing (our own, our classmates’, and examples from the pros) from two different
perspectives: we'll consider the context of the writing and the rhetorical moves it makes. We'll look at
traditional writing in relationship with digital and multimedia forms of communication, and we'll apply
what we learn from others to our own writing practices.
In this class, you will be encouraged to contribute your ideas, questions, and experiences. The course
design should allow you to learn from each other, and you'll have many opportunities to share and
participate in class. You'll also have many chances to write and receive feedback on your writing. Writing
is a skill that takes practice to acquire--like playing guitar or basketball; it's not a body of knowledge that
can be easily memorized. While you are expected to learn and grow as a writer throughout the
semester, you are not expected to be an expert. No matter what your relationship with writing looks
like, you can expect to practice, learn, and develop new skills in this class.
Materials

The Curious Researcher—7th edition, Bruce Ballenger (2012).

Reading and Writing Literacies—Nancy DeJoy, et al. (2011)

The Little, Brown Compact Handbook, 7th ed., Jane E. Aaron. (2010)

Other materials posted on d2l (course site)

Eli Review (A program we'll talk about and use in class)
Requirements
Throughout the course of the semester, we'll complete five major assignments. Each project will be
explained in greater detail later, but they are listed below. Keep in mind that you will need to complete
all five major projects in order to pass this class.

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Learning Memoir
Cultural Artifact Inquiry
Disciplinary Literacy Analysis
Remix Project
Revised Learning Memoir
In addition to these five projects, you are expected to be prepared for and engaged in various classroom
activities. I ask that you complete all assigned readings before class and come to class each week
prepared to work. You are also expected to comply with the class conduct standards we discuss on the
first day of class. Our agreed-upon list of behavior expectations will be available on d2l.
Grading
Learning Memoir
Cultural Artifact Inquiry
Disciplinary Literacy Analysis
Remix Project
Revised Learning Memoir
Participation
10%
20%
20%
20%
15%
15%
4.0
93-100%
3.5
88-92%
3.0
82-87%
2.5
76-81%
2.0
70-75%
1.5
1.0
0.0
65-69%
60-64%
00-59%
Class Policies
Participation: Everyone will have multiple opportunities to participate in class. Participation can be
many things, including all of the following:







Participating in class discussion
Listening carefully during class discussion
Participating in small group work
Coming to office hours
Taking part in class activities
Helping other students in the class
**Completing your "Hot Topic"
**Hot Topics are short presentations each student will give to the class. You will have 5-10 minutes to
talk about anything going on in the world (politics, music, tv, MSU, etc.) that you find interesting. We will
talk about this in more detail later and sign up for presentation days and times.
Attendance: You are expected to be present for each of our class meetings. We only meet as an entire
class 23 times, and it will be difficult to keep up with the various projects if you miss class. That being
said, I'm a person too. I know that you will not always be able to make it to class, and I understand that
you have a life outside of our classroom. Each of you will start the semester with two "free" absences.
This means that, as long as you make up the work you missed in class, you will not be penalized for your
first two absences. Each additional absence will result in the loss of participation points. If you know that
attendance could be a problem for you, please talk to me as soon as possible.
Lateness: You are expected to show up on time for class. If you are late to class twice, it will count as an
absence. For example if you are late six times, I will consider it three absences.
Re-Writing: If you are not happy with the grade you received on Project 1, Project 2, or Project 3, you
will have the opportunity to revise the paper and submit it again for re-grading. If you choose to revise,
you will need to turn in the new version before class on November 20. If you choose to revise, I strongly
recommend you talk to me during office hours so I can help you get the most out of the time you spend
re-writing.
Late Papers: Your project grade will be reduced by 10% for each week that your paper is turned in late.
If you know that you need an extension, talk to me before the paper is due. If you can explain why you
need more time, how your paper will benefit from more time, and how you will use the extra time, it is
possible to get an extension without hurting your grade.
MSU Policies
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty: This class draws heavily on student work, and plagiarism wastes
everyone’s time. MSU has adopted the following statement on academic honesty:
The principles of truth and honesty are fundamental to the educational process and the academic
integrity of the University; therefore, no student shall:
 claim or submit the academic work of another as one’s own.
 1.02 procure, provide, accept or use any materials containing questions or answers to any
examination or assignment without proper authorization
 1.03 complete or attempt to complete any assignment or examination for another individual
without proper authorization.
 1.04 allow any examination or assignment to be completed for oneself, in part or in total, by
another without proper authorization.
 1.05 alter, tamper with, appropriate, destroy or otherwise interfere with the research,
resources, or other academic work of another person.
 1.06 fabricate or falsify data or results.
Procedures for responding to cases of academic dishonesty and possible repercussions are
outlined in Spartan Life: Student Handbook and Resource Guide. They can also be found on the
web at: http://www.msu.edu.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: This course is open to all students who meet the
academic requirements for participation. Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the
impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as
possible. Students with disabilities should contact the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities to
establish reasonable accommodations. For an appointment with a disability specialist, call 353-9642
(voice), 355-1293 (TTY), or visit MYProfile.rcpd.msu.edu.
Drops and Adds: The last day to add this course is the end of the first week of classes. The last day to
drop this course with a 100 percent refund and no grade reported is Sept. 24. The last day to drop this
course with no refund and no grade reported is Oct. 17. As with all drop/add situations, be sure to
consult with your academic advisor. You should immediately make a copy of your amended schedule to
verify that you have added or dropped this course.
Useful Resources and Links
Writing Center: http://writing.msu.edu
300 Bessey Hall
(517) 432-3610
Learning Resource Center: www.msu.edu/~lrc
202 Bessey Hall
(517) 355-2363
MSU ESL Lab: http://elc.msu.edu
714 Wells Hall
(517) 353-0800
Counseling Services: http://www.couns.msu.edu/
207 Student Services Building
(517) 355-8270
Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab): http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
Library: www.lib.msu.edu/
Department of Rhetoric, Writing, and American Cultures: www.msu.edu/~wrac/
Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities: www.rcpd.msu.edu
*** Essays, journals, and other materials submitted for this class are generally considered confidential pursuant to the
University’s student record policies. However, students should be aware that University employees are required to report
suspected child abuse/neglect and allegations of sexual assault to the appropriate campus authorities when they become aware of
such matters in the course of their employment. Sexual assault survivors are encouraged to meet with the Sexual Assault
Program at the MSU Counseling Center for confidential counseling and advocacy services***
Class Schedule
Week
Monday
1
Wednesday
8/28: Class Intro, Introduce Project 1
2
No Class: Labor Day
9/4: Intro to eli
3
9/9: Project 1 draft due
9/11: Project 1 revision plan due
4
9/16: Project 1 final due
9/18: TBA
Introduce Project 2
5
9/23: Project 2 draft due
9/25: Project 2 revision plan due
6
9/30: TBA
10/2: Project 2 final due
Introduce Project 3
7
10/7: Tentative Library Day
10/9: Project Management Plan due
8
10/14: TBA
10/16: Project 3 draft due
9
10/21: conferences, Project 3 revision plan
due
10/23: conferences, Project 3 revision plan
due
10
10/28: TBA
10/30: Project 3 final due
Intro Project 4
11
11/4: Project Proposal Due
11/6: TBA
12
11/11: TBA
11/13: TBA
13
11/18: TBA
11/20: Project 4 Final Due, share in class (half
of class)
14
11/25: Project 4 Final Due, share in class
(half of class)
11/27: No Class, Work Time on Project 5
Intro Project 5
15
12/2: Grade Conferences
16
12/9: Final Exam Period; 12:45-2:45:
Project 5 Due
12/4: Grade Conferences