WAC Institute for
Community College Faculty
Writing Across the Curriculum
Program
Appalachian State University
Georgia Rhoades
Sherry Alusow Hart
Dennis Bohr
C.C. Hendricks
www.wac.appstate.edu
Topics to Include in an
Introduction to WAC class
 Rhetorical Analysis of texts in different disciplines
 Writing in different formats for different purposes





Essay
Sciences report format
Abstract
Digital Media/ Alternative Media
Annotated Bibliography
 MLA and APA documentation with general information
about other styles
Intro to WAC Assignments
 Literacy Narrative
 Sciences Report (Primary & Secondary
Research)
 Rhetorical Analysis
 Digital Media/ Alternative Media
 Ethnography
(with Annotated Bibliography)
 Reflective Letter/ Essay
Sciences Report Format
 Primary Research
 interviews
 observations
 surveys
 Secondary Research
 Report Format Headings





Introduction
Methods
Results
Interpretations/ Conclusions
APA Documentation
Who Writes What:
Annotated
Bibliography
/ Literature
Review
Narratives
Reflection
Personal
Responses
Memos/
Emails
Brochures/
Newsletters
Argument
Briefs
I.E.P.s/
Planning
Case Studies
Portfolios
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Theater
X
X
X
X
Sociology
X
X
Psychology
X
Political Science
X
Nursing
X
X
X
Music
Health, Leisure & Exercise Science
X
X
History
Geography & Planning
Film
Engineering, Technology & Computer Sciences
X
X
X
X
X
X
Social Work
X
X
X
X
X
Education
Criminal Justice
Communication Sciences & Disorders
Composition
X
Sciences
X
X
X
Literature
X
X
Journalism
Reports
Analysis
Reviews/
Evaluations
Research
Proposals
Presentation
Business
Art
Assignments by Disciplines
X
X
X
X
X
Rhetorical Analysis
“An examination of how well the components of an argument work together
to persuade or move an audience” (Lunsford and Ruszkiewicz, Everything’s
an Argument, 1045).
Speaker/Writer
Credibility, Authority,
Correctness, Appearance
Audience
Beliefs, Values,
Knowledge, Experience
Message/Subject
Information, Argument, Reasons,
Evidence, Data, Structure
Exigence: an issue, problem, or situation that causes or prompts someone to
write or speak; the occasion or demand for writing
The Three Rhetorical Appeals
Logos—Rational Appeal
-How does the text appeal to the
reader’s or viewer’s reasoning?
-i.e. statistics, facts, figures, case
studies, analogies, anecdotes,
stories, specific examples, etc.
Pathos—Emotional Appeal
-How does the text or writer appeal to the
reader’s or viewer’s emotions or passions?
-i.e. emotions, feelings, beliefs, love,
sadness, etc.
Ethos—Appeal to Trust/Credibility
-How
competent/noteworthy/authoritative is
the text, author, or artist?
-i.e. trustworthiness, fairness, reliability
of sources, etc.
Discourse Community: “The term discourse community identifies a grouping
of people who share common language norms, characteristics, patterns, or
practices as a consequence of their ongoing communications and identification
with each other. With respect to writing, the term has been used to point out that
different academic collectives write in characteristic registers and genres” (NCTE).
http://www.kcsb.
org/category/pub
licaffairs/page/3/
Ethnography Study
of the Major
Guiding students to finding their own bliss
Preparation: Discovery
 Step 1: Design a research strategy
 Set up interviews with a professor, a senior or graduate
student in the major, and a professional working in the
field
 Select initial print or online sources of information for a
background of the field
 Collect names, events, and discoveries of groundbreaking people and work in the field
 Develop questions to ask or find out in your research
 Step 2: Conduct research
 Read references for general background information
 Identify what training and certification (if any) are required
 Find out the professional organizations, journals, and
conferences in the field
 Note the names of current presidents and other officers of the
organizations
 Summarize the goals and statements of ethics of the chief
organization (if any)
 Explore communication genres
 Examine current journal articles and book-length studies
published in the field
 Note stylistic characteristics, such as documentation, voice,
verb tense, and other specifics
 Identify differing formats for different purposes
 Recognize leaders in the field
 Identify achievements each one has made
 Find the report, article, invention, or accomplishments from
each
 Read or investigate each to determine which represent the
most influential landmarks in the field
Step 3: Creating the Report—Part 1
 Select ten landmark texts in the field (“Texts” may
mean paintings, musical scores, plays, mathematical
proofs, scientific discoveries, inventions, and so on)
 Summarize each, including a brief biography of the
author or discoverer, the significance to the field, and
why this one was included
 Document each text with a full bibliographic entry in the
style of the field
 Arrange the texts alphabetically, with each summary or
annotation following each bibliographic entry
Step 3: Creating the Report—Part 2
 Gather information about the culture of the field,
based on the interviews, background research, and
landmark texts
 Identify and describe three forms of writing particular
to the field, with examples to illustrate
 Explain why the field beckons and how you would fit
into this field
Creating a rubric
Key Points for Each Assignment:
 Start with the learning outcomes for the assignment (Criteria-based).
(For example, "Uses MLA documentation correctly: parenthetical
citation format, works cited format, punctuation, accuracy,
integration.") Keep the number of outcomes addressed to three or
four.
 Create a rubric or scoring guide to outline your expectations (Valuebased). (This may be numerical—1-10—or descriptive—excellent,
good, fair, poor.) Keep the number of levels to three or four.
 Provide students with a check sheet for each stage of the writing
process based on the rubric, using samples to show what the rubric
highlights and to have students use the rubric on each others' drafts.
 Evaluate drafts with the same rubric, on a score sheet that includes a
place for comments.
 Keep the scores for each draft of an assignment by each student on a
spreadsheet or form to see progress and help to determine final
grades. Give your students the same score sheet for them to keep
track as well.
Scoring Guide Basics
 Criteria-based
 Value-based
 Customized for each assignment
 Sampled with students
 Used to evaluate drafts