This course is designed to prepare you for writing throughout the rest of your academic career and in your everyday and professional lives with an emphasis on rhetorical strategies including argumentative and research practices. It provides in-depth and sustained writing practices that include summary, analysis, argument and persuasion, reflection, and evaluation as well as a review of grammar, usage, and mechanics, an understanding of the significance of the writing process, an emphasis on critical reading, and a comprehension of the research process. Skills in written and oral communication are developed through a cycle of reading, discussion and writing.
The goals of this course are to promote:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
Read and respond critically to a variety of texts, including multimodal and visual texts.
Analyze and evaluate audience and purpose, claims, cultural context, and implicit messages of texts.
Analyze and evaluate texts using rhetorical strategies such as pathos, logos, and ethos.
Argue a position on an issue, using specific evidence to support claims.
Revise drafts in order to develop greater fluency in composition.
Identify appropriate sources and incorporate them effectively in an argument using correct documentation.
Employ stylistic choices and revise for style and consistency at the essay, paragraph, and sentence levels.
Additionally, here are some pointers for how to succeed in the class.
Throughout the semester, I will guide you through the process of accomplishing the student learning objectives outlined in the Welcome section. I will work with you closely on writing the required assignments, providing feedback at various stages of the writing process. Analyzing your audience, discovering your purpose for writing an essay, and experimenting with different kinds of argumentative essay writing and different media are techniques you will learn throughout the semester. I will also help you learn how to organize and develop your ideas in a clear, unified manner and to revise and edit your own work and to help others improve their writing. Since this is a reading and writing class, we will be reading about contemporary issues related to immigration, digital culture, and visual rhetoric.
This class will involve lectures/presentations, reading quizzes, class or online discussions, reading and writing assignments, and cooperation among students. The latter means that students might share their compositions with each other and sometimes with the whole class. Making suggestions and providing constructive feedback to your peers are important aspects of this class. Not only do these activities give you the chance to share your writing with an audience but reading others’ papers will help you hone your own writing and revising skills.
Being a critical reader is an important aspect of becoming a good writer. It is important that you READ the assigned readings (or view if videos), do the weekly writing assignments, and participate in class discussions. The readings you do will help generate ideas for your own essays and develop critical thinking skills.
Finally, I cannot stress this enough: If you want to improve as a writer and pass this class, you must become a full participant which means A) doing the work assigned weekly, B) being prepared to work, and C) putting in the necessary work to improve your writing. This is not a passive, listen to me lecture class! If you don’t participate, your grade will suffer!
Suggestions for how to get a good grade in the class:
Your success in this class is important to me. If there are aspects of this course that prevent you from learning or exclude you, please let me know as soon as possible. I have tried to make my teaching materials as accessible as possible. Together we’ll develop strategies to meet both your needs and the requirements of the course. If you need official accommodations, you have a right to have these met and need to contact the Office of Disability Services (information in the Course Syllabus). There are also a range of resources on campus, including the Writing Center, Tutoring/Writing Center, and Academic Advising Center that are available to you as resources.
Use this forum to tell us a little about yourself and your interests. Some topic ideas:
Post a picture! We look forward to meeting you.
Use this forum to ask your instructor any questions you have about the course. You may post at any time, and your instructor will respond here. Be as specific as possible.
Please keep in mind that others can see your posts, so do not post any personal information. If you have questions about your grade, please email your instructor directly. You can expect a response to posts and emails within 24 hours M-F.
Use the information in this module to customize the template to your
needs. This module is currently hidden from students, and available for
you to refer to throughout the semester.
To achieve these objectives:
To achieve these objectives:
To achieve these objectives:
To achieve these objectives:
This Module introduces students to the writing of the Argumentative Essay
To achieve these objectives:
This final Module focuses on writing the Argumentative Research Paper. In addition, students will implement appropriate research strategies and techniques and incorporated into their writing proper citation practices.
Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:
To achieve these objectives: