Writing 122: Argument, Style, and Research
Spring 2015
CRN: 42321
Tuesday/Thursday 2-3:50pm
Building 2, Room 211
“…learning is based on discovery guided by mentoring rather than on the transmission of information.
Inherent in inquiry-based learning is an element of reciprocity: faculty can learn from students as students
are learning from faculty.”
--The Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates in the
Research University
“It is nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled
the holy curiosity of inquiry; for this delicate little plant, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of
freedom; without this it goes to wreck and ruin without fail.”
--Albert Einstein
“The most accurate definition of writing, I believe, is that it is the process of using language to discover
meaning in experience and to communicate it.”
--Donald Murray, from “Internal Revision”
“…we learn to write by writing.”
--John Holt, from “Making Children Hate Reading”
“Writing turns out to be one thing we can control in a world where much feels beyond our control.”
–Mary Pipher, from “Writing to Connect”
Instructor
Dr. Sarah M. Lushia (You may call me: Sarah, Dr. Lushia, or Ms. Lushia)
Email: LushiaS@landcc.edu or slushia@yahoo.com
Office: Center Building 439L
Office Hours: Monday:
8am-10am
Tuesday:
10:30-11:30am
Wednesday:
9am-10am
Thursday:
10:30-11:30am
Friday:
By Appointment
Please note that office hours work on a first come, first seen basis. I will meet
with students in the order they arrive. I will always try to see all students who
come for office hours, but sometimes my schedule will not permit me to stay
beyond posted office hours, in which case, I will meet with as many students (in
their order of arrival) as possible. Please do not walk into my office if I’m
meeting with another student, but please do be sure you walk by my door and I
see and acknowledge you when you arrive.
By Appointment:
Email me to make an appointment if you can’t attend regularly
scheduled office hours.
Open Door Policy:
If I’m in my office outside office hours and my door is open, feel
free to stop by and ask questions. If I’m in my office, but my
door is closed, this means I’m unavailable.
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Access for Students with Disabilities: If you need support or assistance because of a disability,
you may be eligible for academic accommodations through Disability Resources. For more information,
contact Disability Resources at 541.463.5150 (voice) or 541.463.3079 (TTY). You may also stop by
Building 1, Room 218. Please note that I cannot discuss Disability Accommodations in the classroom,
due to issues of confidentiality. So if you have a documented disability, please email me to arrange a
meeting during office hours as soon as possible so you can provide me with a copy of your letter of
accommodations and we can discuss which of these accommodations you will need in this course.
Course Information
Catalog Course Description
This course focuses on persuasion and argument supported by external research, including the
processes of finding and evaluating sources, citing, documenting, and integrating source material into
the student’s own text. Both subjects--argument and research--are presented in the context of critical
reading and the writing.
What to Expect in this Course
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You will write often and compose several drafts of all the writings for your Assignments
You will focus largely on how to effectively build and support arguments
You will conduct a significant amount of inquiry-based research
You will read and critically engage with a wide variety of texts, especially in your research.
You will work often in small peer groups on in-class activities, in workshops with drafts, and
discussing readings.
You will be expected to participate in whole class discussions as well.
Most of all, you should expect to grow as a writer and critical thinker in this course.
Required Texts
The majority of the readings for this course will be a mixture of PDFs of articles and chapters from a
variety of books, as well as Open Educational Resources. Links to these materials will be provided on
our course Moodle page, which you will be able to consistently access throughout the course.
You will also need a writing handbook. We will use the free, on-line handbook found at:
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/resdoc5e/
Course Outcomes/Goals
We will spend a significant amount of time discussing the Course Outcomes/Goals. At the end of the
course, each of you will be required to provide specific evidence which proves that you’ve met all of the
Course Outcomes/Goals listed below.
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Engage in and value a respectful and free exchange of ideas
 This goal includes respectfully engaging in in-class discussions in small and large groups
as well as having respectful, constructive conversations during peer response
workshops. It also includes genuinely engaging with ideas that differ from your own in a
respectful manner.
2. Demonstrate effective critical thinking and reading skills of college-level texts
 This goal includes the ability to read college level texts—both assigned readings and the
pieces of research you find for your projects—deeply and critically. To read deeply and
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critically means to read beyond the basic, surface meaning of texts and to consider how
their meaning is affected by elements such as: who wrote texts, why texts were written,
where they were published or became public, how they are structured/organized, what
rhetorical devices and word choices are used.
Make appropriate and effective rhetorical choices within specific Writing Situations during
multiple stages of the writing process, including: invention, drafting, revising, and editing
 This goal asks you to consider how well you are tailoring your writing to the specific
framework—audience, genre, and purpose—in which you are writing. For instance, you
would not begin an essay with “Dear Sarah” because that would be an inappropriate
choice for the essay genre.
Employ appropriate methods of development and support within their written arguments
 This goal asks you to consider how well you develop or “unpack” ideas within your
writing to support your thesis. It also asks you to consider HOW you develop these
ideas—what methods do you use to do this? For example if you’re trying to argue that
an event had a wide impact, one of the ways you might support this claim is by
providing statistics about how many people it affected from studies done about the
event.
Engage in an effective research process, demonstrate effective use of quality resources, and
accurately and consistently cite sources using appropriate documentation style(s) in
accordance with a documentation handbook
 This goal includes the ability to find quality resources (think of the “stuff” Jen teaches
you about the research process as well as the ability to USE these resources effectively
to develop and support your claims. It also includes the ability to correctly cite sources.
Effectively employ and critically analyze the accepted conventions and formatting of academic
writing
 This goal asks to you consider the conventions and formatting used in specific genres.
For example to ask questions such as: Why are essays double spaced? Why do I need a
Works Cited page at the end of a research essay? Why do I indent paragraphs in an
essay? Once you’ve considered and answered these questions, this goal asks you apply
what you’ve discovered about the accepted conventions and formatting of specific
genres to your own writing.
Articulate an understanding of why/how writing is an essential skill not only in the classroom,
but, more importantly, beyond the classroom
 This goal asks you to think about how/why writing is useful in your everyday life and
“real world” situations. In other words, how is what you’re learning about writing in this
course important to your life outside this course.
Lane’s Core Learning Outcomes
In addition to individual Course Goals provided for each course you’ll take at Lane,
Lane Community College also has a set of Core Learning Outcomes (CLOs) that are
central to the liberal education approach that is the heart of Lane. According to
Lane’s Assessment website, “The liberal education approach can empower our
students to become global citizens, capable of communicating across borders and
critically analyzing the evolving issues and problems they face.” There are five CLOs at Lane which work
together to provide the framework for this liberal education; they are as follows: think critically, engage
diverse values with civic and ethical awareness, create ideas and solutions, communicate effectively,
and apply learning. Because the CLOs are central to the liberal education approach at Lane, each course
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you take here will address one or more of the CLOs. For more detailed information on the CLOs, please
visit: http://www.lanecc.edu/assessment/core-learning-outcomes
In this course we’ll be focusing on think critically, communicate effectively, and create ideas
and solutions. You can find detailed descriptions of each of these CLOs below.
Think critically
Definition: Critical thinking is an evaluation process that involves questioning, gathering, and analyzing
opinions and information relevant to the topic or problem under consideration. Critical thinking can be
applied to all subject areas and modes of analysis (historical, mathematical, social, psychological,
scientific, aesthetic, literary, etc.). Students who think critically:
 Identify and define key issues
 Determine information need, find and cite relevant information
 Demonstrate knowledge of the context and complexity of the issue
 Integrate other relevant points of view of the issue
 Evaluate supporting information and evidence
 Construct appropriate and defensible reasoning to draw conclusions
Communicate effectively
Definition: To communicate effectively, students must be able to interact with diverse individuals and
groups, and in many contexts of communication, from face-to-face to digital. Elements of effective
communication vary by speaker, audience, purpose, language, culture, topic, and context. Effective
communicators value and practice honesty and respect for others, exerting the effort required to listen
and interact productively. Students who communicate effectively:
 Select an effective and appropriate medium (such as face-to-face, written, broadcast, or digital)
for conveying the message
 Create and express messages with clear language and nonverbal forms appropriate to the
audience and cultural context
 Organize the message to adapt to cultural norms, audience, purpose, and medium
 Support assertions with contextually appropriate and accurate examples, graphics, and
quantitative information
 Attend to messages, check for shared meaning, identify sources of misunderstanding, and signal
comprehension or non-comprehension
 Demonstrate honesty, openness to alternative views, and respect for others' freedom to dissent
Create ideas and solutions
Definition: Creative thinking is the ability and capacity to create new ideas, images and solutions, and
combine and recombine existing images and solutions. In this process, students use theory, embrace
ambiguity, take risks, test for validity, generate new questions, and persist with the problem when faced
with resistance, obstacles, errors, and the possibility of failure. Students who create:
 Experiment with possibilities that move beyond traditional ideas or solutions. Embrace ambiguity
and risk mistakes
 Explore or resolve innovative and/or divergent ideas and directions, including contradictory ideas
 Utilize technology to adapt to and create new media
 Invent or hypothesize new variations on a theme, unique solutions or products; transform and
revise solution or project to completion
 Persist when faced with difficulties, resistance, or errors; assess failures or mistakes and rework
 Reflect on successes, failures, and obstacles
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Policies
Attendance: This class will function as a discussion-based learning community. As such regular
attendance to the class is essential for your success. I expect you to be here, on time, and prepared for
whatever we’re doing in class each day. Absences in excess of two and/or being chronically unprepared
or late for class will result in lowering of your class participation grade as well as your overall grade in
the course. If there is an illness, family emergency, or other such unexpected issue happening in your
life, please make me aware of this as soon as possible so we can negotiate absences. Absences in excess
of 6 will result in failure of the course.
Missing Class: If you miss class, you are first to contact classmates and get notes/handouts
you missed. So please be sure you have some form of contact information for a few classmates
so you can contact them. You are responsible for any material covered in class you miss—
including instructions for assignments. If you want/need clarification of something you missed
in class AFTER you have gotten notes/handouts from classmates, I’m happy to provide this
information in office hours or via email. However, I will not answer the question: “What did I
miss in class?”
Cell Phones: Your cell phone should be off during class. The only exception should be if you have a
personal emergency you may need to attend to. We will have a break in the middle of each class period
during which you may check your texts/voice mail messages.
Late Work Policy: (If you’re absent the day an assignment is due you must also follow this policy.)
Only late work that follows all steps of the procedure below will be accepted for credit.
1. If there is a reason you cannot submit an assignment on time, please contact me via email as
soon as possible to request an extension on the deadline. In most cases, I expect that you will
request this extension no later than the end of the day on which the assignment was due.
2. I will respond to your email and, if granting you an extension, provide you with a new due date.
3. PRINT the email I sent you which includes the new due date. Staple this email to the top of the
completed assignment, and submit the assignment by the new due date.
Academic (Dis)Honesty: Quoted directly from LCC’s Policies as listed in the online catalog:
“Students are expected to conduct their academic affairs in a forthright and honest manner. In the
event that students are suspected of classroom cheating, plagiarism or otherwise misrepresenting their
work, they will be subject to due process as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct.”
In plain language: Do your own work. If you’re struggling, ask for help. There is no legitimate reason for
cheating or submitting work that is not your own.
Classroom Conduct: Respecting other students, yourself, your instructor, and any guest that may
attend class is a fundamental and non-negotiable requirement in this course. I will not tolerate
disrespect of any form in this class. This includes but is not limited to: name calling, raising your voice at
another individual, using ethnic/racial slurs, homophobic language, or sexist language, disparaging
someone’s religion, class, community, or background or attempting to silence someone while they are
speaking. Over the course of the quarter we will be talking about many ideas, opinions, and
contemporary issues. The only way to facilitate open and constructive conversations about these ideas,
opinions, and issues is to create a safe learning environment. This does not mean that you cannot
express disagreement with an idea that is raised in class. Without people presenting multiple views of a
topic no genuine and constructive conversations will occur. What it does mean is that in all instances,
including those in which you are disagreeing with someone else’s ideas, you must be respectful.
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Grading and Assessment
Overview
It is possible to earn 1000 total points in this course. Below you will find a chart of how the
points/percentages you earn in this course translate into letter grades.
Points Earned
955-1000
925-954
895-924
865-894
825-864
795-824
765-794
725-764
695-724
665-694
625-664
595-624
0-594
Percentage of Possible Points
96%-100%
93%-95%
90%-92%
87%-89%
83%-86%
80%-82%
77%-79%
73%-76%
70%-72%
67%-69%
63%-66%
60%-62%
0%-59%
Final Letter Grade
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Breakdown of Possible Points to be Earned in Course
Inquiry Process Reflection Packet
Annotated Bib Packet
Audience Analysis
Argumentative Email Packet
Participation
Peer Response
Course Goals Essay
Total Possible Points
150pts
175pts
75pts
300pts
100pts
75pts
125pts
1000pts
Contact Information for Important Places on Campus
Academic Advising
Building #1/Room 103
Academic Learning Skills
Building 11/Room 246
Academic Technology Center (ATC)
Building 2/ Room 122
Career and Employment Services
Building #1/ Room 102
Child Care
Building #24/Room 114
Computer Labs
See: http://www.lanecc.edu/it/computerlabs
Counseling
Building #1/ Room 103
Disability Resources
Building #1/Room 218
Health Clinic
Building #18/Room 101
Legal Services
Building #1/Room 201A
Library
Building 18/Top Floor
Literature Office
Center/457
Multicultural Center
Building #1/Room 201
Queer/Straight Alliance
Building #1/ Room 206
Student Government
Building #1/Room 210
Student Life/Leadership Development
Building #1/Room 206
541.463.3200
541.463.5439
541.463.3377
541.463.5167
541.463.5519
541.463.3333
541.463.3200
541.463.5150
541.463.5665
541.463.5365
541.463.5220
541.463.5419
541.463.5276
541.463.5331
541.463.5290
541.463.5336
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Substance Abuse Prevention
Building #1/Room 226
Titan Bookstore
Center/ 1st Floor
Tutoring Information
See: http://www.lanecc.edu/tutor/tutor-central
Veterans’ Services
Building #1/ Room 215
Women’s Program
Building #1/ Room 202
Writing Center
Center/Room 430
541.463.5178
541.463.5256
541.463.5783
541.463.5497
541.463.5353
541.463.5439
Course Schedule (with due dates)
Tuesday 3/31
In Class:
Homework:
Thursday 4/2
In Class:
Homework:
Tuesday 4/7
In Class:
Homework:
Thursday 4/9
In Class:
Homework:
Tuesday 4/14
In Class:
Homework:
Introduction to Class
Introduction to Sustainability
Introduction to Inquiry
Read (from textbook on Moodle) “How to Read Like a Writer
Watch two TED Talks from “Ted Talk Options” list posted on Moodle
Small group work with TED Talks
Introduction to Reflection on Inquiry Process Assignment
Sustainability topic brainstorm
Read “Finding the Good Argument” (from textbook on Moodle)
Watch “For Argument’s Sake” (from textbook on Moodle)
Discuss how to build an academic argument
Begin working on inquiry questions
Read “Reading Games” (from textbook on Moodle)
Read “Navigating Genres” (from textbook on Moodle)
Decide upon a sustainability-related topic you will focus on in the course
Introduction to Inquiry-based research
Inquiry/research workshop
Find at least 4 sources related to your topic
Choose Peer Groups
Introduction to Easybib
Inquiry/research workshop (remember your goal is at least 10 high-quality
sources!)
Read “Critical Thinking in College Writing” (from textbook on Moodle)
Find more sources (You should be actively reading/vetting sources at this point.
Remember that you need to be able to choose at least 10 high-quality sources
by the end of your inquiry process!)
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Thursday 4/16
In Class:
Homework:
Tuesday 4/21
In Class:
Homework:
Thursday 4/23
In Class:
Homework:
Tuesday 4/28
In Class:
Homework:
Thursday 4/30
In Class:
Homework:
Tuesday 5/5
In Class:
Homework:
Thursday 5/7
In Class:
Homework:
Tuesday 5/12
In Class:
Homework:
Inquiry/research workshop
Q&A about Reflection on Inquiry Process Assignment
Complete First Draft of Reflection on Inquiry Process Assignment
(You are required to have an electronic copy of this draft in class on 4/21.)
Peer Response on First Draft of Reflection on Inquiry Process
Complete Second Draft of Reflection on Inquiry Process
(You are required to have an electronic copy of this draft in class on 4/23.)
Submit Second Draft of Reflection on Inquiry Process for teacher feedback
Peer Response on Second Draft of Reflection on Inquiry Process
Introduction to Audience Analysis
Complete Draft One of Audience Analysis
(You are required to have an electronic copy of this draft in class on 4/28.)
Peer Response on Draft One of Audience Analysis
Talk about Submission Form/Grading Rubric for Audience Analysis
Complete Audience Analysis Packet (due 4/30)
Audience Analysis Packet Due
Talk about Submission Form/Grading Rubric for Reflection on Inquiry Process
Workshop for Reflection on Inquiry Process
Complete Reflection on Inquiry Process Packet
Reflection on Inquiry Process Packet Due
Introduction to Annotated Bibliography
Using Easybib for Annotated Bibliography
Annotated Bibliography workshop
Complete Draft One of Annotated Bibliography
(You are required to have an electronic copy of this draft in class on 5/7.)
Peer Response on Draft One of Annotated Bibliography
Read “I Need You to Say I” (from textbook on Moodle)
Read “Annoying Ways People Use Sources” (from textbook on Moodle)
Discuss the importance of “I” in academic writing
Introduction to how to incorporate sources in academic writing
Talk about Submission Form/Grading Rubric for Annotated Bibliography
Annotated Bibliography workshop
Completed Annotated Bibliography Packet
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Thursday 5/14
In Class:
Homework:
Tuesday 5/19
In Class:
Homework:
Thursday 5/21
In Class:
Homework:
Tuesday 5/26
In Class:
Homework:
Thursday 5/28
In Class:
Homework:
Tuesday 6/2
In Class:
Homework:
Thursday 6/4
In Class:
Annotated Bibliography Packet Due
Introduce Argumentative Email Assignment
Argumentative Email Workshop
Complete Draft One of Argumentative Email
(You are required to have an electronic copy of this draft in class on 5.19)
Introduce Course Goal/CLO Essay
Peer Response Draft One Argumentative Email
Complete Draft Two of Argumentative Email
(You are required to have an electronic copy of this draft in class on 5.21)
Q&A Course Goal/CLO Essay
Submit Draft Two of Argumentative Email for teacher feedback
Peer Response on Draft Two of Argumentative Email
Complete Draft One of Course Goal/CLO Essay
(You are required to have an electronic copy of this draft in class on 5.26)
Peer Response on Draft One Course Goal/CLO Essay
Introduce Participation Self-Evaluation
Introduce Peer Response Evaluation
Complete Draft Two of Course Goal/CLO Essay
(You are required to have an electronic copy of this draft in class on 5.28)
Peer Response Draft Two Course Goal/CLO Essay
Talk about Submission Form/Grading Rubric for Argumentative Email
Complete Argumentative Email Packet
Argumentative Email Packet Due
Course Goal/CLO Essay Workshop
Work on Course Goal/CLO Essay (due by end of class 6.4)
Course Goal/CLO Essay Due by end of class
Participation Self Evaluation Due by end of class
Peer Response Evaluations Due by end of class
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