Professor: Caleigh Cornell
Class Meets: TTH 8:00-9:15am
Meeting Place: EBA 247
Email: ccornell@rohan.sdsu.edu
Office: Storm Hall 110B
Office Hours: Tuesdays 9:30-10:30am & by appt
Course Description:
Welcome to RWS 101! In this course, you will practice interpreting, analyzing, evaluating and producing
written argument, as argument is fundamental to academic literacy, critical thinking, professional and civic
life. You will learn to write and revise papers in which you address complex arguments effectively, use source
materials responsibly and make sound decisions about audience, context, structure, and purpose. We will be
practicing these fundamentals of writing by discussing, analyzing, and reinterpreting cultural myths in
America. What are these cultural myths? How do these myths influence the ways we relate to others? How
do these myths help us understand our place in the world? Or is our place in the world prescribed to us? In
our class discussions and writings, we will be looking beyond the assumptions embedded in American cultural
myths in order to think critically about the world around us.
Required Texts
1) Colombo, Gary, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical
Thinking and Writing. 7th ed. Bedford/St. Martin's 2007.
*Recommended:
2) Bullock, Richard, and Francine Weinberg, The Little Seagull Handbook. Norton 2012.
RWS 101 Student Learning Outcomes
General Education Capacities/Goals & RWS Learning Outcomes
Our Learning Outcomes Reflect the Goals and Capacities of the General Education Program. 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, and
4) apply theoretical models to the real world.
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.”
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. Construct an account of two or more authors’ projects and arguments and explain rhetorical
strategies that these authors—and by extension other writers—use to engage readers in thinking
about their arguments;
4. Construct an account of two authors’ projects and arguments in order to use concepts from one
argument as a framework for understanding and writing about another.
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. Use all aspects of the writing process--including prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and
proofreading;
7. 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;
8. 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;
9. effectively select material from written arguments, contextualize it, and comment on it in their
writing;
10. 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;
11. 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;
12. analyze and assess the relative strengths of arguments and supporting evidence
13. analyze and assess arguments made by visual texts; incorporate visual images into their documents;
14. craft well-reasoned arguments for specific audiences
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.
Assignments:
*All prompts, rubrics, and directions for assignments will be posted on Blackboard.
ESSAYS: You will write (4) formal essays of four to eight pages in length for this course. All papers will
require at least one rough draft as well as conferencing (meeting) with me and/or peer review. The
conferences and peer review sessions are designed to benefit you and your grade; failure to attend
your scheduled conference time will result in your paper's final grade being lowered by one full letter
grade. Rubrics, directions, and expectations for each paper will be posted on Blackboard and
discussed in detail during class.
PEER REVIEW: Because writing is a process, you will participate in activities before and after your
papers that will help improve your writing skills. Peer review will give you the opportunity to receive
feedback from your peers on your work before you turn it in for a grade. You will also receive points
for participating and giving feedback to your classmates during our peer review workshops.
READING RESPONSES: You will compose 6 one-page, informal reading responses to articles related
to your papers throughout the semester. These responses will give you the opportunity to not only
reflect and connect with the readings, but also to help you prepare for drafts of your longer papers.
.
REFLECTION BLOG: After each major paper, you will submit an informal reflection to the class blog
on Blackboard (4 reflections total). The reflections will be due one week after each final draft is
submitted. Your reflections should be 150-200 words. In these, you will consider your writing process
and performance on the paper you just submitted. What was challenging? What was helpful? In
what ways did you improve? In what ways do you hope to improve in your future writing? What
strategies will you use again or avoid? DO NOT write about the topic of your paper. This is an
opportunity for you to reflect on your writing process and your growth as a writer.
CLASS PARTICIPATION & ATTENDANCE: There is no substitute for attending class. Since this is a
discussion-oriented and hands-on course, attendance is crucial for your success. Regular attendance
will greatly increase your chances of performing well, and excessive absences will be detrimental to
your grade. Not only are you expected to be present, you are also expected to participate. Active
participators will arrive prepared, pay attention, and get involved in class activities. Your presence
and participation is important to our class and it counts towards your overall grade.
ASSIGNMENT POINTS BREAKDOWN:
4 Essays (100 points each)
400 Points
4 Peer Reviews (20 points each)
80 Points
6 Reading Responses (50 each)
300 Points
4 Reflection Blog Posts (50 each)
200 Points
Attendance/Participation
20 Points
________________________________________________
Total
1000 Points
*Point total subject to change as needed.
Letter Grade Breakdown:
A
AB+
B
BC+
93-100%
90-92%
87-89%
84-86%
80-83%
77-79%
C
CD+
D
DF
73-76%
70-72%
67-69%
63-66%
60-62%
0-59%
Course Policies:
ABSENCES: If you are absent, you are still responsible for knowing what was covered in class and when
assignments are due. I suggest you exchange phone numbers and/or emails with at least two of your
classmates. In addition, check Blackboard, your email, and refer to the class schedule frequently. You are
allowed only (3) absences for the entire semester. Each absence after the third will result in a 3 point
deduction to your participation and attendance points. For serious cases or for university excused absences,
please speak with me immediately and provide prior notice. Also, tardiness will not be acceptable. Three
tardies will count as one absence and excessive tardiness will not be tolerated.
LATE WORK: Regarding smaller assignments, possible quizzes, or in-class writings, I will not accept late or
make-up work. As for our four major papers, we will have plenty of time in class to work on our papers
before the final draft is due so papers should not be turned in late. One-half of a letter grade will be deducted
for each of the first two class sessions that a major paper is turned in late. If you fail to turn in a final draft
after two class sessions, I will no longer accept it and you will receive an ‘F’ on the assignment. For
documented extenuating and emergency circumstances, please speak with me beforehand.
ESSAYS: All essays are due as a hard copy at the beginning of class on the date specified. All essays must be
typed and adhere to MLA format (which is where The Little Seagull Handbook will come in handy!) and each
paper must be stapled.
COURSE TUTORING, ESL, & WRITING HELP: RWS tutors are available to help you with your writing. Tutors are
located in Love Library. Contact the department of Rhetoric and Writing Studies at (619) 594-6515 for more
information on drop-in tutoring hours. Help is also available for ESL writers; if you need significant ESL help,
you can transfer to LING 100 which specializes in meeting these needs. I’m committed to helping you develop
and improve as a writer and I’ll be glad to help you. If you have questions or would like additional assistance
with class concepts or projects, please drop in during my office hours or make an appointment to speak with
me.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Statement from Student Disability Services--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.
STUDENT-ATHLETES: Student-athletes have demanding, dynamic schedules. As an instructor, I am dedicated
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 excel in this course.
For more information on SASS’ academic advising and tutoring services, please call (619) 594-4743.
BLACKBOARD & TURN IT IN: Since many of your readings, course documents, and blogs will be done through
Blackboard, internet access is mandatory for this course. I also post important announcements or email the
class through Blackboard, so be sure to have a current email updated through the SDSU WebPortal.
ELECTRONICS: Your active participation is required in this course. As such, our classroom will be a “cell-free
zone.” Please turn off your cell phones, iPods, and any other electronic equipment when you come to class.
Because we will be interacting in group discussion often, the use of laptops will also be distracting. Students
who would like to use laptops are encouraged to discuss the specific need with me in advance. If you are in
class listening to music, on Facebook, or texting, I will mark you as absent.
PLAGIARISM: All work in this course must be original. Plagiarism will result in serious consequences ranging
from grade reduction, to failure in the class, or even to expulsion from the university. 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.
RESPECT: I expect you to be respectful during lectures and not distract others from listening. Since this is a
discussion-based class, it is vital that you listen and speak respectfully to others at all times. I encourage you
to speak up and express your opinions, of course, as they will help inspire thought-provoking class
discussions.
OFFICE HOURS: I encourage and welcome all students to attend office hours, especially if you have any
questions or concerns about reading, writing, rhetoric, or the structure/requirements of this course. I would
also like to have the opportunity to get to know each and every student! Office hours are Tuesdays 9:3010:30 am, and also by appointment.
Tentative Schedule:
*Schedule subject to change at instructor's discretion
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
T (8/26): Introduction to Course
TH (8/28): RWS 101 Short Overview
Rhetorical Strategies
What are American cultural myths?
T (9/2): In-Class Reading Response #1 Due
American Myths and The Myth of the Model Family
How to Actively Read and Annotate Texts
*Read & print out Mark Twain's Advice to Youth on BB
*Read pg 17-20 (chapter introduction) and pg 21-24 (Norman
Rockwell's paintings)
TH (9/4): Leave It To Beaver-->Brady Bunch-->Modern Family
Analyzing an Author's Argument
Introduce Paper 1
*Read pg 31-47 (Stephanie Coontz's What We Really Miss
About the 1950s)
*Bring an ad of an "ideal" OR a non-traditional family
to deconstruct in class
T (9/9): Reading Response #2 Due
Continue Discussing Paper 1
*Read Gary Soto's Looking for Work, pg 26-30
*Read Roger Jack's An Indian Story, pg 51-60
TH (9/11): Preparing for Paper 1:
How to Deconstruct a Prompt
Prewriting Strategies
How to Outline Your Paper
How to Write an Effective Textual Analysis
T (9/16): Conferencing
*Work on Paper 1
TH (9/18): Conferencing
*Work on Paper 1
T (9/23): In-Class Peer Review
*Bring in Copies of Draft
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
TH (9/25): Paper 1 Due
Money and Success: The Myth of Individual Opportunity
Watch and discuss parts of the film, The Great Gatsby
T (9/30): In-class Reading Response #3 Due
Introduce Paper 2
Wrap up discussing The Great Gatsby
*Read pg 259-263 (chapter introduction) and pg 334-350
(Diana Kendall's Framing Class, Vicarious Living, and
Conspicuous Consumption)
*Begin searching for sources for Paper 2
TH (10/2): Reflection 1 Due on BB by 11:59 pm
Choosing and Using Sources
MLA Formatting
How to Incorporate Sources and Quotes
*Read pg 264-269 (Horatio Alger's Ragged Dick) and pg 270
277 (Toni Cade Bambara's The Lesson)
T (10/7): Reading Response #4 Due
Source Check-In and Plans for Paper 2
*Read pg 307-322 (Gregory Mantsios's Class in America--2003)
*Bring in TWO printed, annotated sources that you plan to use
for Paper 2
TH (10/9): Preparing for Paper 2:
How to Deconstruct the Prompt
How to Outline Your Paper
Writing Tips
*Bring in tentative thesis statement for Paper 2
T (10/14): Conferencing
*Work on Paper 2
TH (10/16): Conferencing
*Work on Paper 2
T (10/21): In-Class Peer Review
*Bring in Copies of Draft
TH (10/23): Paper 2 Due
True Women and Real Men: Myths of Gender
Stereotypes and Breaking Stereotypes in Film and TV
Watch and analyze parts of film (TBD)
T (10/28): In-Class Reading Response #5 Due
Introduce Paper 3
Wrap up film discussion
Analyzing Authors' Strategies
*Read pg 371-375 (introduction) and pg 383-392 (Aaron H.
Devor's Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social
Meanings of Gender)
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
TH (10/30): Reflection 2 Due on BB by 11:59 pm
Reading Images of Gender
*Read pg 409-415 (Visual Portfolio)
*Bring in an ad revealing/rejecting gender stereotypes
T (11/4): Reading Response #6 Due
Practice Analyzing Different Strategies
*Read pg 443-449 (Joan Morgan's From Fly-Girls to Bitches
and Hos) and pg 450-453 (Harvey Mansfield's The Manliness
of Men)
TH (11/6): Preparing for Paper 3
How to Deconstruct the Prompt
How to Outline Your Paper
Writing Tips
T (11/11): Veteran's Day! No class!
TH (11/13): Conferencing
*Work on Paper 3
T (11/18): Conferencing
*Work on Paper 3
TH (11/20): In-Class Peer Review
*Bring Copies of Draft
T (11/25): Paper 3 Due
TH (11/27): Happy Thanksgiving! No class!
T (12/2): Reflection 3 Due on BB by 11:59
Discuss Paper 4 Requirements
TH (12/4): Preparing for Paper 4
How to Outline Your Paper
Writing Tips
T (12/2): Conferencing
TH (12/4): In-Class Peer Review
*Bring Copies of Draft
T (12/9): Paper 4 Due
Conclusions!
Final Reflection Due on BB by 11:59 pm on Tuesday, December 16