Course Title: Composition II Instructor: Laura Apfelbeck e-mail: lapfelbe@uwc.edu
Course Description: A rhetoric course that focuses on writing that presents information and ideas effectively, with attention to the essay and techniques of documentation. Emphasis will be on academic writing that is applicable across the curriculum.
The achievement of the following skills:
(1) to develop ideas and to write effective expository and argumentative prose
(2) to use secondary print and electronic materials as sources for student essays
(3) to use techniques of research and documentation
(4) to read and interpret critically professional and student writing.
Approximate Grading Formula:
Essay #1 Comparison/Contrast 150
points
Essay #2 Critical Analysis 150 points
Essay #3 Argument/Persuasion 150 points
Essay #4 Research Paper 300 points
Journals 150 points
In-class Work & Participation 150 points
Quizzes 150
points
Grading Scale:
98-100% = A+ 88-89% = B+ 78-79% = C+ 68-69% = D+
93-97 = A 83-87 = B 73-77 = C 63-67 = D
90-92 = A- 80-82 = B- 70-72 = C- 60-62 = D-
(Notes: A
score of 59% or lower will earn a grade of F. Those seeking associate degrees need a solid C
or better.)
Reading Assignments: Complete all reading assignments in advance
of the day they will be discussed. Read
more than once and take notes on the readings.
It helps to meet with your group to discuss the readings and to answer
assigned questions. You will need to
have studied the works in order to understand and discuss them, of course. You may have a reading quiz, as well.
Writing Assignments: For all essays, you are required to submit your discovery techniques, rough draft(s), revising &
editing materials, and a final draft. I will
provide a list of required materials before the paper is due. Papers will be 3-5 pages for all except the
Research Paper, which will be 8-10 pages.
Final copies should be typed in 12 point Times New Roman, double spaced
with standard one-inch margins. Use MLA
style for the first page of the paper.
See “Part Four: Student Essay in MLA Style” (p295+) in The Curious Researcher for an
example. Check the format for heading,
title, pagination, etc. Label your work
and place the required materials into a folder before submitting.
Save all your revisions and returned work in your
portfolio for the entire semester. Throw
nothing away—it may be useful later.
(Packrats, indulge yourselves.) Never hand me your only copy of
anything. Keep an extra copy of all
written work. I do not accept late
papers. Your paper is due at the
beginning of the class period on the due date.
Essay #1 (Comparison/Contrast)
In this unit, we will read
several essays and short stories concentrating on similarities and differences
between paired works. In your journals,
you will begin developing ideas for several comparison/contrast essays. Continue an idea begun in your journal or
choose another idea from the following options in your Bedford Reader:
Ø “Suggestions for Writing” #4
on p90, #1 on p. 94 (comparing and contrasting your own experiences w/Tan’s
and/or Angelou’s)
Ø Compare and contrast two
versions of American Gothic—see p 212-13 for ideas.
Ø “Suggestions for Writing”
#1, 2, or 3 on p. 226
Ø “Suggestions for Writing” #1
p232
Ø “Suggestions for Writing” #4
p232, comparing and contrasting the humor.
Which essay is funnier and why?
Ø Do you have another idea for
a comparison/contrast essay based on our readings and discussions? See me after class or during office hours.
Essay #2 (Critical Analysis)
In class, we will read and
discuss several essays that evaluate, examine, critique or discuss an issue. In your journals, you will critically analyze
various essays as you respond to the four journal prompts. Review what you’ve
done to decide whether to continue a journal entry or begin another topic. Ultimately, you will choose one of these
options for your own essay:
·
“Suggestions for Writing” #1 or 2 on p332
·
“Suggestions for Writing” #1, or 3 on p337
·
“Suggestions for Writing” #1, 2, or 3 on p 348
·
One of the “Additional Writing Topics” p409
·
Another topic of interest to you.
See me to discuss your idea.
Essay #3 (Argument &
Persuasion)
Again, we will read several examples of argument and persuasion
in class. You will need to select a
controversial subject and, with a partner who holds an opposing or different
view, gather sources and create your drafts.
The final paper could be collaborative or could be individual work, but
the process of using your partner as a sounding board for your arguments is
intended to help you solidify your points. Each of you will need to use two
outside sources. Topics include but are not limited to
ü “Suggestions for Writing” #1
on p532
ü “Suggestions for Writing” #2
on p541
ü “Suggestions for Writing” #2
on p562
ü Like Menken and Singer, you
can choose a highly controversial subject and argue against the politically
correct view.
ü For more ideas, see p 563,
items 2, 3, 4. See me to discuss your
ideas.
Essay #4
(Research Paper).
The research paper is the
final exam for English 102. Everything
we’ve learned about analyzing, synthesizing, and interpreting, as well as what
we’ve studied in terms of documentation and style, culminates here. Your mission is to comb libraries and use
computer resources to study a topic in depth and then create an 8- to 10-page
paper. For this paper, one option is to
conduct research for another course, provided you have written consent from the
instructor and the paper meets standards for both Eng. 102 and the other
course. A second option is to research
a topic of personal interest, perhaps related to your future career. A third option is to write an extended
analysis of a topic used for Essay 1, 2, or 3.
Your paper will need to include Internet research and interviews, as
well as printed periodicals, reference books, etc. Plan to visit the library of a four-year
university as well as frequenting the UW-Manitowoc library!
Sharing Papers: On the days first drafts are due, please
bring enough copies for the members of your writing group. Sharing your work and reading the drafts of others
is one of the best ways to improve your critical reading skills and to get
ideas for writing.
Attendance: You will have frequent quizzes and in-class
assignments that will be included in your participation grade and may be
collected as part of your required writing materials. These cannot be made up if your absence is
unexcused. If you must be absent on a day an assignment is due, you will need
to hand the work in BEFORE class time or provide a doctor’s excuse. Although assignments must always be handed in
on time, I will allow two absences without penalty if no work was due on that
day. Use the two absences for emergencies.
Students with more than two unexcused absences will not be allowed to
revise their papers after I’ve graded them. Please do call or e-mail me if you
will be absent; also, contact your group members for notes. That way, your absence will not cause you to
be unprepared for the next class period.
Revision Policy: After essays are graded, you may revise once. A revision will include corrections of any
editing oversights, but primarily it is an opportunity to overhaul the content,
improve the organization, and tighten the focus. You must hand in the old
version with the revision. Usually,
students do improve—at least somewhat—but grades may go up or down. The new
grade will replace the old grade. This
revision option will be available ONLY to students who attend class regularly
and complete the entire writing process (see “Attendance” and “Writing
Assignments” above).
Journals: Before class, you will need to complete a
minimum of one page of typed, double-spaced writing based on the assigned
reading. The journals help prepare you
for discussion and provide an opportunity for you to begin discovery techniques
related to your essays. Please note, the
word minimum above means “C” level work.
While a student could earn an A or B by writing one high quality page, a
student could not earn a C if he or she did not write one full page. The topic for each journal is listed on your
Course Schedule. Journals are collected three times during the semester and,
like essays, cannot be submitted late.
Conferences: You will have opportunities to confer with me
in class during writing workshop time, during office hours, or by appointment. I strongly encourage you to come to me with
your questions or drafts. Feel free to
contact me at my office, at home, or by e-mail.
I am not always on campus on Tues./Thurs., so
e-mail may be slow. Please call.
Writing Groups: One of the course objectives is “to read and
interpret critically professional and student writing.” For this reason, all students will be grouped
for purposes of discussing reading assignments, working on study questions
together, revising papers, and editing papers.
An enormously important part of the writing process is learning to
revise, edit, and improve your own writing.
Other writers are an invaluable resource to you as you agonize over word
choices, organization, and the horrors of the comma splice. In addition to in-class work with peers, you
will need to find a way to meet with your group at least one hour per week
outside of class. You may decide to
discuss readings, answer questions, revise or edit, compare journal entries, or
just complain about English 102. However, each Friday your group will submit a typed
one-page report of what you accomplished. You may confer in person or via
e-mail or telephone. My
personal recommendation? Meet in
person with food. Coated with enough
chocolate, any task becomes palatable.
Grammar, Punctuation, and
Usage: I
will help you pinpoint areas you need to improve in your writing, and I will
give grammar, punctuation, or usage goals for this course on an individual
basis. You are expected to follow the
dictates of correct grammar, punctuation, and usage for all final drafts. (Journal entries are an exception because
they remain in first-draft form.) Refer
to a grammar text such as Diana Hacker’s A Pocket Style Manual for
review.
Writing Help:
(1) You can bring questions to
me.
(2) You can talk to your writing
group.
(3) The English Department has a
Writing Laboratory (F121) available for one-to-one help from a student tutor
either by appointment or during lab hours.
(4) The UW-Center system offers
an online writing lab through UW-Waukesha
at this website: http://waukesha.uwc.edu/academics/owl From the site, you can e-mail your writing, and
a tutor will respond--usually within a day or two.
Participation: All students are expected to offer EXUBERANT
participation both in class discussions and in the writing groups. (Participation is included in the grading.) I often collect materials worked on in class
for credit toward the participation points.
These are fairly easy points to earn, so it makes sense to take
advantage of the opportunity.
Extra
Credit: Students who use the writing lab (online or
on campus) will earn bonus points if they submit the appropriate form. Students who miss NO classes, excused or
unexcused, throughout the semester will earn bonus points tacked on to their
final grades. Also, students who select
a topic appropriate for UW-Manitowoc students as an audience and submit their
essays for publication in the campus newspaper The Free Press will earn extra credit.
Final Exam: In English 102, each essay is a type of exam,
with the research paper as the final.
Your revised research paper will be due during the week of final exams.
Tentative Course Schedule for English 102
After
the first day of class, you are expected to complete assigned readings and
journal before class. For example, read
the Angelou assignment and complete the questions & journal entry before
class on Jan. 26th. (See
syllabus for details about the journals.)
Our text for the first 10 weeks is The
Bedford Reader by
Kennedy, Kennedy, and Aaron. For the last
five weeks, as we work on the research paper, we’ll use The Curious Researcher by Bruce Ballenger.
Week
|
Monday
|
Wednesday
|
Friday
|
|
Jan.
24, 26, 28 |
Introduction,
groups assigned, Amy Tan “Fish Cheeks” p 92-94 w/journal on p93 (J1). |
Read
Maya Angelou “Champion of the World” p86-88 w/journal (J2) based on question
#4 “Suggestions for Writing” p90. |
Bedford Reader p212-22. Answer ques.p212 & take notes on
comparison/contrast information (J3). |
|
Jan.
31, Feb.
2, 4, |
Read
Suzanne Britt’s “Neat People vs. Sloppy People” p 223-25 w/journal beginning
with p225 and continuing with the
“From Journal to Essay” activity under “Suggestions for Writing” p226 (J4). |
Read
Dave Barry’s “Batting Clean-up and Striking Out” p 229-31 w/journal beginning
on p231and continuing with “From
Journal to Essay” activity under “Suggestions for Writing” p232 (J5). Journals 1-5 due today. |
Review
syllabus options and journal entries to choose a topic for the comparison
& contrast essay. Read |
|
Feb.
7, 9, 11 |
Bring
a full-sentence outline to class today. |
Workshop:
Use the Checklist in The Bedford Reader
p218 for self revising. Bring your TYPED & self-revised draft to class. |
Workshop:Use p40 in
Bedford Reader for self-editing; review
p46 for sample edited work. Bring your
edited draft to class. |
|
Feb.
14, 16, 18 |
Comparison/Contrast Essay
Due; Intro
to Critical Analysis |
Read
Read Jean Kilbourne “Can an Engine Pump the Valves in Your Heart?” p340-48
w/journal beginning on p347 and continuing with “Suggestions for Writing” #1
on p348. (J6). |
Bedford Reader p310-19. Answer questions p310 & take notes on critical
analysis info presented in the chapter (J7). |
|
Feb.
21, 23, 25 |
Read
Emily Praeger “Our Barbies, Ourselves” p334-37 w/journal beginning on p336
and continuing with “Suggestions for Writing” #1 on p337 (J8). |
Read
Shelby Steele “Notes from the Hip-Hop Underground” p328-32 w/journal
beginning on p331 and continuing with “Suggestions for Writing” #1 on p332
(J9). Journals 6-9 due. |
Review
syllabus options and journal entries to choose a topic for the critical
analysis essay. Complete discovery activities. Identify your purpose, write a tentative thesis & topic sentences. |
|
Feb
28, Mar.
2, 4 |
Bring
ideas to class about what outside research you might include as support in
your essay. In class, Electronic
Library research w/Librarian Tom Prein.
|
Workshop:
Use the revising checklist in |
Workshop: Bring your group-revised and self-edited
draft to class for further editing with peers. |
|
Mar.
7, 9, 11 |
Critical Analsysis Essay
Due;Intro to Argument & Persuasion.
(In class we will complete the journal assignment from p 526 of Bedford.) Complete the journal as J10. |
Read
both H.L.
Menken “The Penalty of Death” p516-19 and Michael Kroll “The Unquiet Death of
Robert Harris” p522-27. Answer all the
Questions on Meaning for each essay (J11). |
Read
|
|
Mar.
14, 16, 18 |
Read
Chitra Divakaruni “Live Free and Starve” p529-33 and Peter Singer “The Singer
Solution to World Poverty” p.534-41. Answer all the Questions on Meaning for
each essay (J12).
|
Read
Colleen Wenke “Too Much Pressure” p557-61. Answer the Questions on Meaning
and Questions on Writing Strategy p. 561 (J13). Journals
10-13 Due |
Review
syllabus options. Choose a topic for your essay. What data (facts,
statistics, expert opinion, etc.) would help you make your point? In
class, Electronic Library research w/Librarian Tom Prein. |
|
Mar.
21, 23, 25 |
Spring Break |
Spring Break |
Spring Break |
|
Mar.
28, 30, Apr. 1* |
Gather
sources; write tentative thesis. Try
Toulmin method p504-06 and Aristotle’s method p506-08 |
Workshop: Use p511 to revise your own draft. Bring
the revised rough draft to class today for group analysis. |
Workshop:
Bring revised & self-edited paper to class today. |
|
Apr.
4, 6, 8** |
Argument Essay Due; introduce research paper |
Curious Researcher p25-49 Bring
topic idea(s) |
Curious Researcher p49-62; Topic Proposal Due w/research
question |
|
Apr.
11, 13, 15 |
Curious Researcher p63-85; gather sources |
Curious Researcher p85-105; gather sources |
Curious Researcher p106-124 Bring
5 sources & citations |
|
Apr.
18, 20, 22 |
Curious Researcher p125-45; Annotated Works
Cited Page Due (6 or more) |
Curious Researcher p145-60. Bring notes for 5
sources, using the 3 techniques described in the text. |
Curious Researcher p160-72 Bring 3 more sources
w/notes & citations. Work on thesis & topic sentences to create
outline. |
|
Apr.
25, 27, 29 |
Sentence Outline Due today—include parenthetical
citations |
Curious Researcher p173-200; writing the draft |
Curious Researcher p200-220; continue the draft |
|
May
2, 4, 6 |
Rough Draft due today—bring 3 copies w/complete
WC page (10 or more sources) ; Curious Researcher p221-25 |
Curious Researcher p225-28 (do w/groups).
Continue working on revising in class w/peers. |
Curious Researcher p229-50. Begin working on
editing in class w/peers. |
|
May
9, 11, 13 |
Final
Draft due today. Research papers
returned Tues, Wed., Thurs. Check your campus e-mail for notification. |
Last day of classesCourse evaluation, return
papers. |
Final Exam period begins. Revisions of Research
Papers are due by noon in Business Office on Mon., May 16.
|
*Midterm
grades will be available this week.
**The last day to drop, change, or withdraw from classes is April 8th. If your grade is below a C, you may want to consider this option.