Clovis West High School
English 1A: Rhetoric and Composition
Fall 2015 Semester
Instructor: Andrew Dominguez
Email: andydominguez@cusd.com
Google Docs: cwcomp99@gmail.com
Course Websites: www.turnitin.com / cwcompositon.weebly.com
Phone: 327-2130
Course Description
Students will read, analyze, and compose college-level prose, with emphasis on the expository; study writing as
a process; explore different composing structures and strategies; edit and revise their own writing; and conduct
research (gather, organize, evaluate, integrate, and document information), culminating in a term research paper
and annotated bibliography. Students will write a minimum of 6,000 words in formal academic language.
Research Focus: New Media and Society
Approximately 575 years have passed since Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press—a mechanism that
forever altered the shape of human history. Before the introduction of the printing press, books had to be
copied by hand. Since this was such a time-consuming process, scribal texts were scarce and hard to come by.
They also experienced something called textual drift (because hand copying invites human error into the
equation, books inevitably changed with each new version). This meant that, during the scribal era, information
was fleeting and standardization was impossible.
However, with the invention of the printing press, books could be printed quickly, accurately, and cheaply. This
led to an explosion of knowledge unlike anything the world had seen before. Since it was now possible to
cross-reference texts side-by-side—and because information could now be widely disseminated in diverse
publications—people were able to collaborate and produce new knowledge in manner that previously would
have been impossible. Still, only those individuals who had access to the printing press were able to get their
voices heard. The rest of us were relegated to being mere “consumers” of information.
With the coming of the internet, we find ourselves in the midst of another momentous communications
revolution—one that seems poised to give everyday people a voice. Yet, because we are less than thirty years
into this latest sea change, people are still struggling to understand the ways that networked computing is
restructuring our cultural, social, and intellectual landscapes. Therefore, because this remains such a fertile
avenue for inquiry, our research for this semester will focus on new media’s impact on contemporary society.
Some of the questions that we will explore include the following:
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What is knowledge?
How do new media shape and influence the way that “knowledge” is formed in our world today?
Is the internet causing us to lose our ability to concentrate? Is it making us stupider? Smarter?
Do our social and educational institutions need to change in order to remain relevant in the modern
media ecology?
Required Texts
Carr, Nicholas G. The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains. New York: W.W. Norton,
2010. Print.
Spatt, Brenda. Writing from Sources. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011. Print.
Videos
Rip: A Remix Manifesto: Brett Gaylor (NR)
This documentary explores the complexities of intellectual property in the era of peer-to-peer file
sharing. It examines the way that new media (i.e. the internet) is dismantling the distinction between
users and producers and paving the way for a future of collaborative knowledge production. It is
intended to give students an understanding of the way that contemporary media epistemologies that are
changing the nature of academia and the world at large.
Wordplay: Will Shortz (PG)
Wordplay is a documentary that examines the unique subculture surrounding the New York Times
crossword puzzle. This film is used to help students understand how discourse communities function
and to give them a perspective on how one becomes “literate” in various contexts.
Semester Schedule
Week
Topic
Readings/Activities
1
Aug 24
Course Intro
M: Syllabus Overview
Genre Master List 45-46
T: Klass: “Learning the Language”
B: Genre: Patient Medical History Form
Genre Analysis: Complaint Letters
Genre Analysis: Menus
F: Syllabus Analysis/Rewrite Activity
M: Genre and Reader Expectations:
Poetry and Mystery
The Paper Bag Princess
T: The Paper Bag Princess
B: James Gee: “Discourse Communities”
F: Mini-Analysis of a Personal
Discourse Community Genre 60-61
“How to Tame a Wild Tongue”
M: Labor Day
T: “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”
B: Tan: “Mother Tongue”
Literacy Narrative Prompt (Beaufort
Wardle)
Genre Analysis: Literacy Narratives
(“Scenes” Genre Analysis Heuristic)
Learning Unfamiliar Genres
F: Discourse Community Map
Genre and Situation
2
Aug 31
Genre and Reader
Expectations
Discourse Communities
3
Sep 7
Literacy Narrative Genre
Major Assignments Due
4
Sep 14
Intro Academic Writing
Quoting Sources
5
Sep 21
Paraphrase/Summary
6
Sep 28
Networks Intro
7
Oct 5
Single-Source Essay
8
Oct 12
Multiple-Source Essay
9
Oct 19
Multiple-Source Essay
10
Oct 26
Multiple Source Essay
11
Nov 2
Multiple Source Essay
12
Nov 9
Multiple Source Essay
M: Checks Lab
T: Academic Writing Overview (Scenes)
Using Evidence and Reasoning 40-41
“Teaching English in North Korea”
B: “Teaching English in North Korea”
Quoting Correctly 117
Using Ellipses and Brackets 124
Why Quote? 133
F: What to Quote? 136
Integrating Quotations 142
M: Identifying a Good Paraphrase 155
T: Paraphrasing a Difficult Passage 161
B: Dist. Summary and Paraphrase 164
Paragraph w/Quotation/Paraphrase 175
F: Poe: “The Hive”
M: Poe: “The Hive” (cont’d)
T: Friedman: “Dell Theory of Conflict…”
B: Carr: “Is Google Making Us Stupid”
Peer Review Workshop (Summaries)
F: Friedman: “Dell Theory of Conflict…”
M: Restak: “Attention Deficit”
T: Restak: “Attention Deficit”
Video: Sir Ken Robinson
B: Planning the Single-Source Essay
Blank: “A Question of Degree”
F: Planning the Single-Source Essay
M: Greene: “Argument as Conversation”
T: Greene: “Argument as Conversation”
Davidson: “Now You See It”
B: Davidson: “Now You See It”
Peer Review Workshop (Single-Source)
F: Identifying Common Ideas 226-231
M: Begin Definition Essay/Interviews 224
“Wikipedia and the Meaning of Truth”
T: “Wikipedia and the Meaning of Truth”
“Gamers Solve Molecular Puzzle”
W: Off
Th: In-Class Definition Essay
F: The Shallows Chapters 1 – 2
M: Analyze Synthesized Paragraph 233-245
Gladwell: “Small Change”
T: Gladwell: “Small Change”
B: Synthesis of Multiple Sources 247
F: The Shallows Chapter 3/Socratic
M: Off
T: Surowiecki: “Committees…”
B: Surowiecki: “Committees…”
Integrating Three Academic Sources 268
F: The Shallows Chapter 4
M: Genre Compare: “Teenage Brains…”
T: Thompson: “Wearable Tech…”
B: Planning the Multiple Source Essay
Multi-Source Essay Samples (Scenes)
F: The Shallows Chapter 5
Literacy Narrative
(1000 Word Minimum)
Due: September 14th
Summary of a Complex Essay
(400-500 Words)
Due: September 28th
Summary Revision
Due: October 5
Single Source Argument
(1200 Word Minimum)
Due: October 12th
Single-Source Argument Revision
Due: October 19th
Annotated Bibliography
10 Sources Minimum
Due: November 9th
13
Nov 16
IMRD Essay
14
Nov 30
IMRD Essay
15
Dec 7
IMRD Essay
16
Dec 14
IMRD Essay
17
Jan 4
IMRD Essay
18
Jan 11
IMRD Essay
19
Jan 18
Final Week
M: Disciplinary Macro-Genres
IMRAD Sample Essays (Stylus/WAW)
IMRAD Cheat Sheet/Tips
T: Swales CARS Model
IMRAD Genre Analysis
B: Peer Review Workshop (Multi-Source)
“How to Write Like a Scientist”
F: The Shallows Chapter 6
Thanksgiving Break
M: Narrowing a Topic
Proposing a Topic Exercise 297
T: Losh: “Education’s War on Millennials”
B: Losh: “Education’s War on Millennials”
Interviews/Field Research 320-326
Begin Research Proposal/Study Design
F: The Shallows Chapters 7-8
M: Gee: “Literacy and Interpretation”
T: Gee: “Literacy and Interpretation”
B: Review Research Proposals
Evaluating Online Sources 362-368
F: The Shallows Chapter 9
M: Evaluating Sources 369-389
T: Peer-Review Workshop: Introductions
B: Film: Rip: A Remix Manifesto
F: Film: Rip: A Remix Manifesto
Winter Break
M: Off
T: Avoiding Plagiarism 429-438
B: MLA Final Review 439-466
Peer Review Wkshp: Methods/Results
F: The Shallows Chapter 10
M: Preparing Essay Topic Presentations
T: Essay Topic Presentations
B: Peer Review Workshop: Essay
F: Essay Topic Presentations
M: Off
T: Final IMRAD Essays Due
B: Film: Wordplay
F: End of Semester Crossword Tournament
End of Semester
Multi-Source Argument
Humanities Genre
(1800 Word Minimum)
Due: November 16th
Multi-Source Argument Revision
Due: November 30th
Research Proposal/Study Design
Due: December 7th
IMRAD Introduction
Due: December 14th
Methods and Results
Due: January 5th
IMRAD Essay
Sciences Genre
(2500 Word Minimum)
Due: January 11th
IMRAD Essay Revisions
Due: January 19th
Turnitin.com
Essays must be submitted to Turnitin.com by 11:59 pm on the due date. Please take not of your class
period’s registration information below. You will use these codes to register for our class:
Class ID:
Password:
Grades
Grades will be assigned according to a traditional percentage scale:
A (90%) B (80%) C (70%) D (60%) F (59% or lower).
Due Date
September 14th
September 28th
October 12th
November 10th
November 16th
December 7th
December 14th
January 5th
January 11th
Assignment
Literacy Narrative
Summary of a Complex Essay
Single-Source Argument
Annotated Bibliography
Multiple-Source Argument
IMRAD Research Proposal/Study Design
IMRAD Introduction
IMRAD Methods/Results
IMRAD Essay
Classwork and Participation
Total Points Possible
Point Value
200
100
200
100
300
100
50
50
400
200-300
1700 – 1800
IMPORTANT!
Keep in mind that you must earn at least 85% in English 1A if you wish to take English 3 in the spring!!
Late Work
All assignments are due by the assigned date and time. Extensions are granted at the instructor’s discretion for
emergencies such as serious illness, death in the family, etc. An assignment is more likely to be given an
extension if you discuss it with the instructor WELL BEFORE the due date. Assignments not granted an
extension will lose 10% of the points possible for each day (calendar day—not class day) they are late.
Academic Integrity
Submitting another student or writer’s work as your own is plagiarism. I also do not accept assignments that
have been written prior to this course or for another class. You must be prepared to submit electronic copies and
drafts of your written work upon request, so save ALL work. All cases of plagiarism or cheating, regardless of
assignment length or point value, will result in an “F” on the assignment. A second incident of plagiarism or
cheating will result in an “F” on the assignment and your name will be forwarded to administration. If you are
concerned about plagiarism, please talk to me or another English instructor.
Attendance/Drop Policy
If a student misses more than 8 hours of class by the 8th week of the semester, he or she may be automatically
dropped from the class. October 16th is also the last day to drop the class and avoid an F on your transcript.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
If you have a verified need for academic accommodation or materials in alternative media (e.g. Braille, large
print, electronic texts, etc.) per the Americans with Disabilities Act or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act,
please contact me as soon as possible.
Course Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Write a documented research paper of at least 1,500 words that includes:
1.
2.
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6.
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8.
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10.
11.
12.
13.
a sophisticated introduction, multiple body paragraphs, and conclusion
a clearly defined, arguable thesis sentence
supporting details that exhibit critical thinking and use credible secondary sources
correct usage of MLA format, including a works cited page
sentences that exhibit a command of the complex/compound with minimal comma splices, sentence fuses, fragments, and
mechanics
controlled and sophisticated word choice
writing in third person/universal
an avoidance of logical fallacies
demonstration of an awareness of purpose and audience
appropriate and purposeful use of quotations
correct in-text citations
an annotated bibliography of multiple sources
an avoidance of intentional and unintentional plagiarism
2. Complete a timed essay independently in class
3. Summarize and comprehend college level prose (will include a full reading)
Course Objectives
In the process of completing this course, students will:
1.
2.
3.
Write multiple essays of at least 1,500 words, including at least one research paper with documentation.
o Arrange and integrate ideas in a multiple body essay, complete with topic sentences, supporting data, and background, as
necessary.
o Indicate an arguable thesis.
o Gather, analyze, and synthesize peer-reviewed sources and/or original research such as interview, survey, or observation.
o Employ MLA formatting guidelines.
o Reduce dependence on the instructor’s guidance; students will ultimately independently and accurately recognize and self-correct
errors in sentence construction, punctuation, and mechanics.
o Craft increasingly mature and cogent writing while choosing the appropriate tone and academic voice.
o Practice sound choices in identifying and avoiding logical fallacies.
o Employ appropriate use of third person universal.
o Identify appropriate audiences for their compositions.
o Employ quotations, discriminating among sources for accuracy and validity.
o Employ MLA formatting guidelines for Work Cited Page and in-text citations.
o Develop an annotated bibliography from sources for a research paper.
o Recognize the appropriate use of sources, while avoiding intentional and unintentional plagiarism.
Write an organized essay(s) with thesis and adequate support independently within a class period.
Read and understand college level prose, including:
o Identifying the model, summarizing the thesis, and locating supporting information.
o Naming rhetorical devices such as irony and parallelism and translating metaphorical language, so as to determine an author’s
intent, both explicit and implicit.
o answering questions from assigned reading, differentiating between an author’s intent and personal reaction
o describing, evaluating, and questioning the purpose, audience, organization, and style of assigned readings