English 101: Expository Writing
Representations of Disaster
Time: TBA
Place: TBA
Instructor: Stephanie Iasiello
Email: s.c.iasiello@emory.edu
Office Hours: TBA or by appointment
Course Description:
This course is a writing seminar designed to give you many opportunities to practice your critical
thinking and writing skills. We will do this by engaging representations of disaster, such as
hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Haiti. Is there such a thing as “natural disaster”? How
does human response (or lack thereof) complicate the notion of “natural” in relation to disaster?
What are the ethical implications of representing disaster? What is the difference between
violence and destruction when we talk about disaster? To engage these questions, we will look at
a variety of genres (film, news article, academic essay, poetry) to explore the difference genre
makes to the representation of an event. This course satisfies first-year English writing
requirement.
Learning Outcomes:
Rhetorical Knowledge: You will learn how audience, purpose, genre, and content shape
the meaning and effectiveness of all writing.
Critical Reading, Thinking, and Writing: You will learn to use writing and reading for
inquiry, learning, thinking, and communicating. You will learn how to integrate your
original ideas with the ideas of others.
Writing Process Strategies: You will develop strategies for generating ideas, revising,
and editing your writing through successive drafts. Those strategies will include
collaborating with others, including giving and receiving feedback.
Knowledge of Conventions: You will have extensive practice in writing and will
develop knowledge of academic writing conventions including organization,
development, style, incorporation of materials from sources, grammar, formats, and
documentation.
Composing in Electronic Environments: You will learn how to use electronic
environments for drafting, reviewing, revising, editing, and sharing texts. You will also
be able to locate, evaluate, organize, and use research material collected from electronic
sources.
Required Texts:
Danticat, Edwidge. Create Dangerously the Immigrant Artist at Work. New York: Vintage
Books, 2011. (0307946436)
Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say / I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic
Writing. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2010. (039393361X)
Expository Writing 2
Smith, Patricia. Blood Dazzler: Poems. Minneapolis: Coffee House Press, 2008. (156689218X)
Additional readings will be posted to Blackboard. You are responsible to bring a printed copy of
the text to class on the day it will be discussed.
Course Policies:
Attendance: If coming to every class is going to be a problem, this course is not for you. In
order for this class to run smoothly each of us must make a commitment to come to every class,
to be here on time, and to meaningfully engage the readings. . If you will not be in class, please
email me. I will take attendance every class, and you will fail the course after more than three
unexcused absences. Of course, extenuating circumstances arise; if something comes up please
speak to me.
Late Work: No late papers will be accepted unless you have specifically arranged for an
alternative due date ahead of time (at least 24 hours before due date). If you receive an
alternative due day, I will not provide detailed feedback, only a grade.
Technology: Unless specified for a particular day, I do not permit the use of laptops, iPads,
iPhones, etc. during class. Any readings from Blackboard should be printed and brought to class
in hard copy. If this will present an accessibility issue for you, please speak to me.
Email: I will try to reply to email within 48 hours. When emailing me please include a subject
line that indicates what the message pertains to and sign the email with your name. I expect that
you will check your Emory email account at least once per day.
Academic Honesty: Plagiarism and any other form of academic dishonesty is absolutely
intolerable. Please familiarize yourself with the Emory College Honor Code
(http://catalog.college.emory.edu/academic/policy/honor_code.html). Should you be caught
engaging in academic dishonesty, you will receive an F for the course.
Disability Statement:
If you have a documented disability or need to have a disability documented, please contact me
privately as soon as possible, so that we can discuss with the Office of Disability Services (ODS)
how to meet your specific needs and the requirements of the course. For more information,
please visit the ODS Website: http://www.ods.emory.edu
Emory Counseling Services Free and confidential counseling services and support are available
from the Emory Counseling Center (404) 727-7450. This can be an invaluable resource when
stress makes your work more challenging than it ought to be.
ESL Services:
Emory Writing Center: The Emory Writing Center staff includes talented and welcoming
undergraduate and graduate students from a range of disciplines. They are eager to work with all
Expository Writing 3
writers at all stages of the composing process. Whether you are exploring ideas, revising a draft,
or polishing a final version of a project, the Writing Center is the place for you. They offer
discussion- and workshop- based tutorials for individuals and groups that enable writers to
approach their work with fresh eyes and to consider a variety of strategies for writing, revising,
and editing.
All Writing Center tutors are trained to work with digital and multi-modal texts in addition to
traditional papers. Tutors can talk with you about the purpose, organization, and audience of
your work, your design choices, or how you engage other texts. They can also work with you on
sentence-level concerns, including grammar, syntax, and word choice; however, they will not
proofread for you. Instead, they will discuss strategies and resources you can use to become a
better editor of your own work.
The Writing Center is located in Callaway N212. Regular appointments are 45 minutes long.
You should bring a copy of your assignment, any relevant writing (notes, a draft, the url for your
website, etc.), and a plan for what you want to work on. If you have a laptop, we encourage you
to bring it, especially if you’re working on a digital text. If you are working on a traditional
paper, please also bring a hard copy of your work. In addition to our regular appointments, we
offer walk-in visits, a good resource when you have a quick question or can’t get an
appointment. To view Writing Center hours, make an appointment, and get more information, go
to writingcenter.emory.edu
Assignments and Evaluation
Weekly Discussion Forum:
You will be required to post on a weekly discussion form (Blackboard). Posts will be in response
to a specific question that I will ask and will require you to think critically about the reading for
the week. They should be a well-developed, proofread paragraph, and can be relatively informal.
I also expect that you will read and respond to your peers postings. You will be expected to post
every week with the exception of when there are holidays or major assignments due. Questions
will be available on Monday, and you will have until 7:00 pm that Sunday. If you miss a post, do
not email it to me (I anticipate that everyone will miss one). These posts will not be graded from
week to week (although I will be reading them carefully), but at the end of the semester I will ask
you to submit a hard copy of your five best posts, which will be used in determining your
discussion forum grade.
Major Assignments:
Assignments must be submitted in hard copy at the beginning of the class period in which they
are due. Electronic submissions will not be accepted unless you have arranged it with me prior to
the due date. Papers must by typed, Times New Roman, double-spaced, 1-inch margins with
proper header and works cited page (MLA format). Papers lacking any of these elements will
receive a ZERO.
Revision is a crucial aspect of the writing process and therefore it is a required (graded)
component of your major assignments (note you will be handing in a draft and a final draft for
each paper). After submitting the first draft you will have the opportunity to receive feedback
Expository Writing 4
from your peers. You will exchange papers with one other person, and you will provide written
feedback on the paper (see peer-review questions below).
Along with the final draft of your paper, you will be required to resubmit the first draft, the copy
of the peer-review questions you received, as well as a 1-page reflection in which you will
explain how you used the feedback for your revision process. What comment was most helpful?
What advice did you take or disregard and why? I would also like a copy of the feedback that
you provided to someone else, as the thoughtfulness of your responses will be factored into your
grade.
There will be two “major” papers (details to come). Each will entail a first draft, peer review, and
a final draft. Your second paper will also have a presentation component.
Assignments will be graded using the attached rubric. Letter grades will correspond as follows:
A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, F=1.
Grade Breakdown:
Participation
Weekly Discussion Posts
Paper 1 Draft 1
Paper 1 Final Draft
Paper 2 Draft 1
Paper 2 Final Draft
Presentation
15
15
10
20
10
20
10
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD
F
93-100
90-92
87-89
83-86
80-82
77-79
73-76
70-72
65-69
64>
Major Assignment Due Dates:
Paper 1 Draft 1: 9/29
Paper 1 Final Draft: 10/10
Paper 2 Draft 1: 11/10
Paper 2 Final Draft: 12/1
Schedule of Readings
*You are responsible for bringing to class a copy of the text we are discussing. Failure to do so
will negatively impact your participation grade.*
Week One
W 8/27
F
Week Two
M 9/1
W 9/3
Labor Day, No Class
Expository Writing 5
F 9/5
Week Three
M 9/8
W 9/10
F 9/12
Week Four
M 9/15
W 9/17
F 9/19
Week Five
M 9/22
W 9/24
F 9/26
Week Six
M 9/29
Paper 1 Draft 1 Due
W 10/1
F 10/3
Week Seven
M 10/6
W 10/8
F 10/10
Paper 1 Final Draft Due
Week Eight
M 10/13
Fall Break, No Class
W 10/15
F 10/17
Week Nine
M 10/20
W 10/22
F 10/24
Week Ten
M 10/27
W 10/29
F10/31
Week Eleven
M 11/3
W 11/5
F 11/7
Week Twelve
M 11/10
Paper 2 Draft 1 Due
W 11/12
F 11/14
Week Thirteen
M 11/17
Expository Writing 6
W 11/19
F 11/21
Week Fourteen
M 11/24
W 11/26
F 11/28
Thanksgiving Recess, No Class
Week Fifteen
M 12/1
Paper 2 Final Draft
W 12/3
F 12/5
Week Sixteen
M 12/8
5 best discussion forum posts due today in hard copy.
12/10 Last Day of Class
Expository Writing 7
Rubric:
Critical Reading
Argument
Logic and Coherence
Evidence
“the
conversation”
5 The writer
demonstrates
superior, original
insight about the
text(s) under
discussion.
5 The essay's
thesis is
original, well
established,
and
intelligently
presented.
5 The essay's
organization (ordering
of assertions) is
outstandingly
composed; inferences
are drawn logically
with superior insight;
and no part of the essay
is extraneous. Topic
sentences
advance the argument
well, and transitions are
sophisticated.
5 The writer
demonstrates a
breadth of
understanding of the
topic through careful
selection and
presentation of
evidence to support
assertions. Short
quotes interspersed
throughout.
5 The essay
succeeds not
only in
establishing
why the writer’s
claims matter,
but also in
anticipating
possible
objections and
building
plausible
refutations
4 The writer
demonstrates
original insight
about the text(s)
under discussion.
4 The essay's
thesis asserts
an original
argument.
4 The essay's
organization (ordering
of assertions) is
thoughtfully composed;
inferences are drawn
logically and
interestingly; and no
part of the essay is
extraneous though one
topic sentence needs
work.
4 The writer supports
4
assertions with
carefully selected
evidence—strong
verbs introduce these
quotations and they
are fully
explained/integrated in
the argument.
3 The writer
demonstrates an
understanding of
the text(s) under
discussion.
3 The essay
has a thesis.
3 The writer supports
her claims with
evidence.
MORE REQUIRED.
The writer uses “says”
to introduce quotes
3
2 The writer
represents the
text(s) under
discussion poorly.
2 The essay's
thesis is
unclear.
3 The essay's
organization (ordering
of assertions) is clear;
inferences are drawn
logically; and no part
of the essay is
extraneous. Some topic
sentences can be
sharpened. Transition
is missing (at least
once).
2 The essay's
organization (ordering
of assertions) is faulty;
inferences are drawn
illogically once or
twice; or one or two
parts of the essay are
extraneous.
2 The writer fails to
support assertions
with evidence once or
twice.
2
2 Five or six
sentences in the
essay are wordy,
pretentious, or
overwritten,
detracting from the
essay's argument.
1 The writer fails
to address the
text(s) under
discussion.
1 The essay
1 The essay
has no thesis. demonstrates no sense
of organization;
inferences are drawn
illogically three or
more times; or three or
more parts of the essay
are extraneous.
1 The writer fails to
support assertions
with evidence three or
more times.
1
1 Seven or more
sentences in essay
are wordy,
pretentious, or
overwritten,
obscuring the
essay's argument.
Directness and
Succinctness
Grammatical,
Mechanical
clarity
5 The writer
5 The essay
chooses words and contains no
constructions with errors in
care, making
sentence
statements in
structure, tense
support of the
consistency,
argument directly
spelling, word
and clearly.
choice,
punctuation, or
documentation;
the composition
is elegant and
complex while
remaining clear.
4 The writer
4 The essay
includes a wordy
contains no
construction no
more than two
more than two
errors in
times throughout
sentence
the essay but the
structure, tense
argument is clearly consistency,
understood.
spelling, word
choice,
punctuation, or
documentation;
and the
composition is
sophisticated.
3 The writer
3 The essay
includes three or
contains three or
four wordy
four errors in
sentences, but the sentence
essay’s argument
structure, tense
remains
consistency,
discernable.
spelling, word
choice,
punctuation, or
documentation.
2 The essay
contains five or
six errors in
sentence
structure, tense
consistency,
spelling, word
choice,
punctuation, or
documentation.
1 The essay
contains seven
or more errors
in sentence
structure, tense
consistency,
spelling, etc.
etc. etc.
Expository Writing 8
Peer Editing Questions:
Your Name:_________________________________________________________________
The writer’s name:____________________________________________________________
First read the introduction to the paper carefully.
1. Does the introduction to the paper provide the background you need to understand the
argument/analysis that follows? Does it attract your interest? How would you improve it?
Write down the essay’s argument in your own words, as you understand it from reading the
introduction.
2. Read every topic sentence of every paragraph at least twice. Does it introduce the paragraph
well? Does it flow nicely from the last sentence of the paragraph that precedes it? Suggest
ways of improving transitions and topic sentences.
3. Does the writer use quotations well? Circle at least two examples in the paper itself. Are
there page numbers after every quote? Does the writer remember how to punctuate with
quotation marks? How well do the quotes contribute to and support the writer’s argument?
MARK ANY HIT-AND-RUN QUOTATION(S). Is there any section in the paper that
would benefit from more quotes from the text? How many indented quotes are there? Are
they double spaced without quotation marks and period inside the parentheses? Remember
that you only indent if the quote is longer than four lines (we are using the MLA format).
4. How much does the writer vary the way to introduce her quotes? Evaluate all verbs used to
introduce quotes and paraphrased information. Suggest ways of improving them. Remember
that “SAY” is a weak verb.
5. Can you recognize the writer’s voice, the writer ethos, throughout the paper? Mark the
passages in the paper where you miss the writer’s presence. Good writing never exaggerates,
nor condescends—watch for these too.
6. Do you disagree with any of the assertions made about the text(s), either interpretations or
evaluations? Are there ways in which you would have handled the argument differently?
Suggest ways in which the writer might incorporate your objections (by refuting them) into
the paper.
7. Has the writer varied her sentence structure often enough? Could she have combined
sentences more effectively? Remember “the arms of your sentence” (107).
8. Read over the concluding paragraph. Does it merely summarize the paper? What
emotion/idea/ question does the writer try to leave you with?
9. Has the writer used the Present Tense consistently?
10. Tell me how reading this paper has given you a new perspective on the essay you are
working on yourself?
11. Do you find the title appropriate to the argument? Is it catchy? Can you suggest an
alternative?
Expository Writing 9
Potential Assignments:
Think about one of the “disasters” we have covered so far. Make an argument regarding
whether you think the particular disaster was “natural,” “man-made,” or perhaps both. Use
the readings from the class as support for your argument. Feel free to disagree with the
readings.
Genre:
Pick one of the events we have covered and look at the way in which different genres (film,
newspaper, poetry etc.) have represented it (this might require you to look at texts outside of
what is on the syllabus). What are the strengths and weakness of representation in a particular
genre? Make an argument for what you think the “best” genre is and why.