RWS 100 – Flewelling - 1
RWS 100: Rhetoric of Writing Argument
Examining the Media: What Do We Know and Why Do We Know It?
San Diego State University Fall 2014
Instructor: Erin Flewelling
Email: erinatsdsu@gmail.com
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 2:15-3:15; Friday 9:30-10:30, by appointment
Office: SH112C
Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the SDSU writing competency requirement. (See Graduation Requirements
section of catalog.) If the EPT is used to satisfy the SDSU writing competency requirement, the required
minimum score is 151. Students who score between 147-150 on the EPT enroll in RWS 101. Proof of
completion of prerequisites required: Copy of EPT or competency scores or verification of exemption;
proof of credit (Cr) in Rhetoric and Writing Studies 92.
What is RWS 100? Writing and reading as critical inquiry, designed to help students undertake universitylevel writing projects. Focus on rhetoric of written arguments. Students learn to use sources in their writing
and make appropriate decisions about structure, cohesion, and rhetorical conventions. Not open to students
with credit in higher-numbered composition source or Rhetoric and Writing Studies 101 or Africana Studies
120 or American Indian Studies 120 or Chicana and Chicano Studies 111B or English 100 or Linguistics 100.
Required Texts:
Flewelling, Erin, Ed. RWS 100 Course Reader. San Diego: Montezuma Publishing, 2014. Print.
Gladstone, Brooke. The Influencing Machine. New York: Norton, 2011. Print .
Kovach, Bill, and Tom Rosenstiel. Blur: How to Know What’s True in the Age of Information Overload. New York:
Little Seagull handbook or Keys for Writers
General Education Capacities/Goals & RWS Learning Outcomes
RWS 100 is one of several courses in the area of general education defined as “Communication and Critical
Thinking.” Focusing particularly on argument, this course emphasizes four essential general education
capacities: the ability to
1) construct, analyze and communicate argument
2) contextualize phenomena
3) negotiate differences
4) apply theoretical models to the real world.
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This course advances general education by helping students understand the general function of writing,
speaking, visual texts, and thinking within the context of the university at large, rather than within specific
disciplines. In addition to featuring the basic rules and conventions governing composition and presentation,
RWS 100 establishes intellectual frameworks and analytical tools that help students explore, construct,
critique, and integrate sophisticated texts.
Within this framework of four general capacities, the course realizes four closely related subsidiary goals.
These goals focus on helping students
1) craft well-reasoned arguments for specific audiences;
2) analyze a variety of texts commonly encountered in the academic setting;
3) situate discourse within social, generic, cultural, and historic contexts; and
4) assess the relative strengths of arguments and supporting evidence.
Our student learning outcomes for RWS 100 are closely aligned with these goals and capacities, and reflect
the program’s overall objective of helping students attain “essential skills that underlie all university
education.”
Major Assignment Types: the following four outcomes describe the four main writing projects or
"assignment types" for the course. Students will be able to:
1. Describe and analyze an author’s argument, claims, project, support and rhetorical strategies.
2. Construct an account of an author’s project and argument and carry out small, focused research tasks
to find information that helps clarify, illustrate, extend or complicate that argument; use appropriate
reference materials, including a dictionary, in order to clarify their understanding of an argument.
3. Analyze and evaluate an author’s project and argument and explain rhetorical strategies that this
author—and by extension other writers—uses to engage readers in thinking about her argument.
4. Assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of multiple assigned texts, including discussion of
rhetorical strategies, supporting evidence, audience, and text structure.
Outcomes across the semester: the following points describe outcomes to work on throughout the semester,
to be attained over the 15 weeks. Students will be able to:
5. describe elements of an argument--claims, methods of development, kinds of evidence, persuasive
appeals; annotate the work that is done by each section of a written argument;
6. analyze and assess the relative strengths of arguments and supporting evidence
7. use all aspects of the writing process--including prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and
proofreading;
8. choose effective structures for their writing, acknowledging that different purposes, contexts and
audiences call for different structures; understand the relationship between a text's ideas and its
structure;
9. identify devices an author has used to create cohesion or to carry the reader through the text; use
metadiscourse to signal the project of a paper, and guide a reader from one idea to the next in their
writing;
10. effectively select material from written arguments, contextualize it, and comment on it in their writing;
11. determine when and where a source was published, who wrote it and whether it was reprinted or
edited; understand that texts are written in and respond to particular contexts, communities or cultures;
examine the vocabulary choices a writer makes and how they are related to context, community or
culture, audience or purpose;
12. craft well-reasoned arguments for specific audiences
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13. respond in writing to ideas drawn from various cultures and disciplines, using the activity of writing to
clarify and improve their understanding of an argument;
14. analyze and assess arguments made by visual texts; incorporate visual images into their documents;
15. edit their writing for the grammar and usage conventions appropriate to each writing situation;
16. assign significance to the arguments that they read;
17. reflect on how they wrote their papers, and revise arguments and findings based on critical reflection.
I CONTEND WRITERS LEARN TO WRITE BY WRITING. For that reason, you will complete a variety of lowstates writing assignments designed to develop a variety of skills when will then be used within the major
assignments. These include:
Free Responses: This is a two-to-three page free response to the reading; it should be typed and printed.
Although sometimes I will give a specific prompt, most of the time this is a free response to the text,
recording your understanding of the text and discussing your questions related to the text. You will receive
full credit for length, adherence to MLA formatting, and submitting the assignment on time. You will refer to
this for class discussions on the text, and then I will collect it at the end of class. These may be submitted late
for partial credit.
Précis: A précis is a concise four-sentence summary that addresses specific aspects of a text. Successful précis
will closely follow the provided template, clearly identify rhetorical concepts, and incorporate structurally
correct sentences and appropriate punctuation. These are graded for accuracy and for adherence to the
format.
Essay Rough Drafts: No author does his or her work on the first try, and successful authors write multiple
drafts before submitting a work for publication. For that reason, rough drafts are required in this class.
Frequently I will assign rough drafts of outlines, introductions, or body paragraphs. Early drafts allow you to
receive feedback on your work in-progress from other readers and allow you time to consider changes that
will improve final drafts. Complete rough drafts which incorporate appropriate MLA formatting will earn full
credit; partial rough drafts or rough drafts which do not correctly use MLA formatting will only receive
partial credit. Rough drafts must be submitted on-time, and I will not accept them late
Essay Final Drafts: Essay final drafts should be submitted with rough drafts and should demonstrate
revision. Students will be required to discuss what they changed and why based on self-evaluation or peer
review. Final draft will be evaluated based on adherence to the assignment, writing mechanics, and other
criteria included in this syllabus.
Peer Review and Self Evaluation: Learning to recognize elements of writing in student essays can be helpful
in the revision process. Sometimes you will evaluate the writing of others, looking for specific writing moves
or essay elements; sometimes you will evaluate your own writing. These in-class assignments cannot be made
up.
In-Class Reflections: Researchers observe that student writing demonstrates improvement when students
write about their writing at various points in the writing process. For that reason, I incorporate personal
reflection as part of the writing process. Periodically you will be asked to assess your writing and identify
RWS 100 – Flewelling - 4
changes you plan to make in early drafts. In addition, you will be asked to write about the process of writing.
Much of this writing will be done in class. In-class reflections cannot be made up.
Final Portfolio: Over the course of the semester, you will write four complete essays. Of these four essays,
you will revise two of them for submission in a portfolio of your work. This work will be assessed for writing
mechanics as well as writing principles discussed in class. A formal typed and edited reflection should
accompany your portfolio.
Please note that although you will only include two of the four essays in your portfolio, you are required to
write full drafts for all four essays. Each missing essay will automatically result in a one-letter final course
grade deduction. In addition, please note that at least one of the essays included in the portfolio must
incorporate multiple sources.
Group Presentation: Students will present brief real-news illustration(s) of a principle discussed in our
readings. Students will receive both a group and individual grade.
Grading: Total 500 points
Assignment
Homework: Includes free writes,
précis, segments of essays,
paragraphs, take-home grammar
work, etc.
In-Class Activities: Includes peer
reviews, self-evaluations, in-class
reflections, and other class
activities
Full Essay Rough Drafts
Full Essay Final Drafts
Evidence Evaluation Summary
Annotated Bibliography
Group Presentation
Final Portfolio
Percentage of Final Grade
20 percent
Total Points
100 points
10 percent
50 points
10 percent
20 percent
5 percent
5 percent
5 percent
25 percent
50 points
100 points
25 points
25 points
25 points
125 points
Grade Description
Excellent work, student demonstrates strong rhetorical
awareness and exhibits strong writing skills
Good work, student demonstrates rhetorical awareness and
exhibits good writing skills
Satisfactory work, demonstrates growing rhetorical
awareness and satisfactory writing skills
Does not meet requirements of course; confusing or unclear
ideas
Unsatisfactory
Letter Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Points
465-500
450-464
435-449
415-434
400-414
385-399
365-384
350-364
335-349
315-334
300-314
Fewer than 300
points
RWS 100 – Flewelling - 5
Important Information:
 Please note I do not accept handwritten homework. All work must be typed using MLA format; it
must be printed.
 If you will not be present in class or your printer does not work, you may submit your work by email
attachment prior to the start of class. However, you must bring printed copies to me the next class
period. Thereafter, your paper will be considered late. Please note that although I will not grade an
attachment, I should be able to open it!
 Please note there are no make-ups on in-class assignments, essays, or quizzes. For that reason, it is
essential that you attend class daily.
Course Policies and Expectations:
1. Attendance and Participation
 Class attendance is essential for success in this class. Students who miss class also miss important
elements of instruction and generally do not do well in my classes. In addition, you will miss
earning points from in-class assignments that cannot be made up, thus affecting your grade.
 Attend every class. Arrive on time. Stay the whole time. Three tardies or early exits count as one
absence.
 If you miss more than three consecutive classes or more than eight absences altogether, I will no
longer consider you part of the class. You will receive the grade earned to that point.
2. Come to class prepared.
 Make sure you come to class prepared. This means that you have done all the reading and any
writing assignments. Be prepared for quizzes.
 Be sure to bring your textbooks and any required reading to every class. Be sure to bring
paper and something to write with.
3. Pay attention to your grade.
 I post all grades on Blackboard. Please let me know right away if you see a missing score or
incorrect entry. In addition, hang on to graded assignments so that we can make corrections
quickly.
 Please note that students who consistently fail to turn in homework will not pass the
course.
4. Late work?
 All regular homework must be typed and submitted on the date it is due.
 If you will not be present in class, you may submit your work by email attachment prior to the
start of class. However, you must submit a printed hard copy for me to grade when you return to
class. Otherwise, your work will be considered late. .
 Free writes may be submitted late, up to the 14th week of class. However, they will receive a
one-point grading penalty.
 The final draft of major projects may be submitted late, up to the fourteenth week of class;
however, students will receive a two-grade grading penalty.
RWS 100 – Flewelling - 6


Summary responses and revised paragraphs may be submitted one week late. However, these
will receive a one-point grading penalty.
There are no makeups for in-class assignments or précis.
5. Academic integrity.
All work in this course must be your own and must be written exclusively for this course. The use of
sources (ideas, quotations, paraphrases) must be properly documented. See Keys for Writers for information
about documenting sources. Plagiarism is a violation of the Title 5, California Code of Regulations, section
41301(a), and may result in severe academic consequences. If you have questions about your use of
sources, please see me. . For more information on the university cheating and plagiarism policy, please
visit: http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/senate/ policy/pfacademics.html. SDSU’s library also has an
excellent tutorial on how to avoid plagiarism.
6. CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE .
 Participate. Sometimes participation will mean contributing to class discussion. Sometimes it
will mean listening to me—or to other students. Sometimes it will mean interacting with
classmates in small groups.
 Give your full attention when someone is speaking. Avoid having side conversations with a
classmate. Students who engage in disruptive behavior such as chatting, sleeping,
listening to headphones, or texting will be marked absent.
 Keep cell phones and other electronic devices turned off and put away. If you truly have
an emergency situation which requires you to have your phone on, please discuss that with me
in advance.
 We discuss ideas in this class, and from time to time you will disagree with ideas expressed in
this classroom. That’s okay. However, it’s important to focus on what is said and not put
down the person who says it. Sexist, racist, and/or homophobic comments are offensive and
inconsistent with an academic atmosphere. Students who engage in these types of comments
will be warned and then asked to leave if those comments persist.
 Please do not pack up to leave until the class is over.
7. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your
responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of
your accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that
accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations based upon disability cannot be provided until
you have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your
cooperation is appreciated.
8. TUTORIAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
The SDSU Writing Center is a free service for SDSU students . You can make an appointment or simply
stop by for a drop-in session to address writing assignments for this class or any of your other classes.
Starting September 2, hours of operation will be Monday to Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.,
Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
RWS 100 – Flewelling - 7
9.
STUDENT ATHLETES:
Student athletes have very demanding schedules and may be required to miss some classes. As an
instructor, I am committed to helping you succeed in the course. To do so, regular and effective
communication is needed. While exceptions will not be made for attendance, assignment deadlines, or
exams, I’m happy to work with all student-athletes in conjunction with Student-Athlete Support Services
(SASS) to help you succeed in this course. For more information on academic advising and tutoring
services through the SASS, please call (619) 594-4743.
9. EXTRA CREDIT
There is no extra credit available in this course. Therefore, I encourage you to do all assignments, visit the
tutoring center, and see me during office hours.
10. COUNSELING
There are many events and situations that put additional stress on being a student. SDSU has an excellent
center for Counseling & Psychological Services that is open to students Monday through Friday from 8am4:30pm. To set up an initial consultation, call (619) 594-5220. For immediate or emergency help, you are
welcome to use San Diego’s free 24-hour counseling access line at (800) 479-3339. C&PS on campus also has
a “Center for Well-Being” with multiple stations for relaxation if you are feeling stressed during the semester.
C&PS is located in the Capulli Center, Room 4401.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Last day to add, drop, or change grading basis .........................................................................September 8
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE: Please note that this schedule is subject to change in order to meet the needs of the
class. I will announce changes in class; sometimes I will post those changes on Blackboard. You are responsible
for finding out about any changes.
Week Date
In-Class
Homework
1
8/25
Introduction to Course
What do we know, and why do we know it?
8/27
Student Introductions
Introduction to MLA
Approaching a new text
8/29
Discuss readings ~ Anatomy of a paragraph
Blur chapter 1
PACES
Write Free Response #1
2
9/1
Labor Day – No Classes
9/3
Discuss readings
Read Jones “The Good Argument,” in
Keeping a notebook on evaluating texts
Course Reader, p. 27-42
Creating claim charts
Read Ruggiero “What is Evidence,” in
PACES
Course Reader, p.
Write Free Response #2
9/5
Discuss readings – emphasis on PACES
Read The Influencing Machine, p. xi-34
Genre discussion
Write Free Response #3
3
9/8
Discuss readings
Creating a précis
Read Stossel “Good News,” in Course
Reader, p. 67-68
Free Response #4
RWS 100 – Flewelling - 8
9/8
9/10
9/12
4
9/15
9/17
9/19
5
6
9/22
9/24
In-Class Essay Reflection
Introduce next unit
Introduce prompt for next essay
9/29
Discuss readings
Discuss next essay
Identifying claims and evidence
Discuss readings
Identifying claims and evidence
Discuss readings
Identifying claims and evidence
Focusing your essay
Drafting your paper
What do you need to find?
Evaluating Evidence
Library Classroom Day
Creating a Research plan
10/3
10/6
10/8
10/10
8
10/13
10/15
10/17
9
Discuss readings
Evaluating Evidence
Quotation sandwich format
Introduce prompt for essay #1
Discuss readings
Evaluating Evidence
Essay format
Discuss readings
Identifying/Evaluating Evidence
Drafting the essay
Rhetorical analysis of sample essay
Creating a clear project statement
Self-evaluation essay 1
Peer review essay 1
9/26
10/1
7
LAST DATE TO ADD, DROP, OR
CHANGE GRADING BASIS
Discuss genre
Discuss Thonney
Introduce quotation sandwich format
10/20
Paper #2 Workshops
Evaluating evidence - Writing about sources
Paper #2 Workshops
Evaluating evidence - Writing about sources
Drafting essay #2
Writing a thesis/project statement
Self-Evaluation of Introduction and outline
Read Thonney “Teaching the Conventions
of Academic Discourse,” in Course
Reader, p. 51-66
Free Response #5
Précis #1 (Stossel)
Blur chapter 3
Free Response #6
Read Blur chapter 4-5
Free Response #7
Précis #2
Read Blur chapter 6-7
Free Response #8
Précis #3 – the book as a whole
Read and annotate sample essay
Full draft essay 1
Revise full draft essay 1 – bring two
copies for peer review
Revise full draft essay 1 – copy for me
Submit with previous two drafts, self-eval,
and peer reviews in two-pocket folder for
full credit
Read The Influencing Machine p. 35-70
Free Response #8
Read The Influencing Machine p. 71-116
Free Response #9
Read The Influencing Machine p. 117-150
Free Response #10
Free Response #11 – asking questions –
choosing claims
Read “The Belief System and National
Images: A Case Study,” in Course Reader,
p. 83-91
Free Response #12
Bring notes on two sources
Bring notes on two sources
Annotated Bibliography
Introduction and outline
RWS 100 – Flewelling - 9
10
10/22
Peer Review
10/24
In-class Essay Reflection
Introduction to Kolbert
Introduction to rhetorical strategies
10/27
Return essays and discuss common issues
Linking biases with rhetorical strategies
Introduction to rhetorical strategies
Discuss reading
Writing about rhetorical strategies
10/29
10/31
11
11/3
11/5
11/7
12
11/10
11/12
11/14
13
15
11/17
11/19
11/21
11/24
11/26
11/28
12/1
16
12/3
12/5
12/8
14
17
12/10
12/12
1:003:00
12/15
Writing about rhetorical strategies
Introduce Kolbert
Discuss rhetorical strategy paragraphs
Discuss reading
Drafting essay #3
Peer Review
Self-Evaluation
In-Class Essay Reflection
Introduction to Essay #4
Introduction to Pragma-Dialectics
Discuss common issues with essay #3
Discuss readings
Introduce prompt for Essay #4
Continue discussion of Pragma Dialectics
Small Group Research Groups:
Finding logical fallacies
Essay #4 Group Workshops
Essay #4 Group Workshops
Drafting Essay #4
In-Class Essay #4 Reflection
Conferences by appointment
No Class
Discuss common issues with essay #4
Portfolio Workshops
Portfolio Workshops
Portfolio Workshops
Group Presentations
Full draft of essay – bring two copies for
peer review
Full draft of essay – bring self-evaluation
of introduction and peer review copies
with full draft in two-pocket folder for full
credit
Writing about rhetorical strategies
Read Course Reader, “Introduction to
Rhetorical Strategies,” p. 15-24
Read Tolmach Lakoff “From Ancient
Greece to Iraq: The Power of Words in
Wartime,” p. 69-70
Write précis #4
Write two paragraphs addressing two
rhetorical strategies
Read Kolbert “The Things People Say,” in
Course Reader p. 93-100
Write précis #5
Free Response #13
Full draft essay #3 – bring two copies for
peer review
Revised Essay #3 – bring first draft, selfevaluation, peer review, and revised draft
in two-pocket folder for full credit
Read Jones “The Good Argument,” in the
Course Reader, p. 42-50
Free Response #14
Full Draft Essay #4
Failure to attend presentations on both
dates will result in a two-letter grade drop
in your presentation grade
Group Presentations
Final Exam for 1:00 p.m. class
Final In-Class Reflection
Final Portfolio Due
Final Exam for 11:00 a.m. class
Final Portfolio Due
RWS 100 – Flewelling - 10
10:30- Final In-Class Reflection
12:30
RWS 100 – Flewelling - 11
RWS 100
Agreement on Plagiarism
I understand that:
____
____
____
____
____
All work in this course must be my own and must be written exclusively for this course. The use of
sources (ideas, quotations, paraphrases) must be properly documented. (See Keys for Writers for
information about documenting sources.)
Plagiarism is a violation of the Title 5, California Code of Regulations, section 41301(a), and may
result in severe academic consequences. If you have questions about your use of sources, please see me.
For more information on the university cheating and plagiarism policy, please visit: http://wwwrohan.sdsu.edu/dept/senate/ policy/pfacademics.html. SDSU’s library also has an excellent tutorial
on how to avoid plagiarism.
Plagiarism is a form of cheating; for that reason, my writing must be my writing. Essentially,
plagiarism can be defined as using the ideas, sentences, paragraphs, or the whole text of another
without appropriate acknowledgement.
Changing one or two words in a sentence that you borrowed from a website, a book, or another
student does not make you the author.
The instructor will speak with students suspected of plagiarism, and any plagiarized essays will
automatically fail with a zero percent, moreover, the student may be subject to sanction as
described in the college catalog.
I understand that the committing any of the above acts can result in zero points for an assignment.
Name (Print Legibly): ______________________________
Date ____________________________________________
(Signature) _______________________________________
Use of Student Work
Your teacher may occasionally wish to share sample student writing in class for a variety of reasons. For
example, your teacher may wish to show an example of a strong introduction, or discuss ways of revising a
conclusion. In addition, the class may be asked to rewrite sentences or paragraphs to improve clarity.
Any student writing will be used anonymously. That is, student names will be removed. Is it OK to use your
writing in this way?
YES
NO
Name: ______________________________