Instructor: Professor Sarah Pogell
Class Meets T, Th 1:30-2:45 p.m., in Van Meter, G02
Office and Office Hours: Van Meter, G48 – T, Th 3-4:30 and by appointment
Office Phone: 410-337-6165
Email: spogell@goucher.edu
Mailbox: Van Meter, G33
To become a self-assured, skillful writer is the purpose of this course, an end achieved by writing, writing, and more writing. College asks you to engage deeply and to think critically about information, twin emphases you will bring to bear on the texts we read, the judgments we make about them, and the arguments you construct in your essays. Since sharing your work with others widens the response to your prose, providing you as it does with fresh perspectives and new insights, you will also participate in peer review workshops and conferences with me.
Barnet, Sylvan and Hugo Bedau, Eds. Current Issues and Enduring Questions. 6th ed. NY: Bedford/St.
Martins, 2002.
Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference. 4th ed. NY: St. Martin’s P, 1999.
Course Calendar:
v All assignments are subject to change but not without sufficient warning; if something is added, something else will be subtracted.
v Unless otherwise noted, all readings come from Current Issues and Enduring Questions.
WEEK I : WELCOME TO ACADEMIC WRITING I
Thurs., 8/29 – Introductions; Course Description; Syllabus Review; Punctuation and Grammar Diagnostic.
WEEK 2: ESSAY OVERVIEW, PLAGIARISM, SUMMARIES AND PARAPHRASES, ACTIVE READING
Tues., 9/3 - In-class: definitions of the essay; discussion of plagiarism; and exercises on quoting,
summarizing, and paraphrasing; Paper 1Due.
Thurs., 9/5 – pps. 27-41, from Chap. 2, “Critical Reading: Getting Started” and pps. 46-50, “On Racist
Speech;” in-class discussion of readings; write summaries, paraphrases, and quote directly.
WEEK 3: DEFINING TERMS, EVIDENCE, THE APPEALS, AND AUDIENCE
Tues., 9/10 - pps. 59-halfway through 66 and 73-82 from Chap. 3, “Getting Deeper into Arguments” and
pps. 839-54, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”; in-class discussion of definition, the appeals,
evidence; and King’s essay. Discussion may carry over into our next class.
Thurs., 9/12 – pps. 103-104, “The Harmful Myth of Asian Superiority”; pps. 115-17, “The Case for
Torture” (also answer #1 on p. 117); pps. 120-22, “I Want a Wife”; in-class discussion of essays and audience.
WEEK 4: PERSONAL CONFERENCES
Tues., 9/17 - No Class: bring any questions about the course and/or Paper 2 to your conference.
Thurs., 9/19 – No Class: bring any questions about the course and/or Paper 2 to your conference.
WEEK 5: THE ANATOMY OF AN ARGUMENT
Tues., 9/24 - pps. 133-41 from Chap. 4, “Writing an Analysis of an Argument”; pps. 152-55, “It Takes
Two: A Modest Proposal for Holding Father’s Equally Accountable”; 159-62, “School Prayer:
When Constitutional Principles Clash” (Readings to be discussed IN OUR NEXT CLASS, 9/26);
Meet at Library for Research Instruction.
Thurs., 9/26 – In-class discussion of 9/24 essays; authorial persona, voice, and tone; Paper 2 Due.
WEEK 6: FURTHER WORK ON ARGUMENTS
Tues., 10/1 - Come to class having read papers by each of your group members and having answered for
each the questions on pps. 146-47; Peer Review; in-class work on Thesis Statements.
Thurs., 10/3 – pps. 193-204 and 206-209 from Chap. 5, “Developing an Argument of Your Own”; in-class
discussion of readings; exercises on titles and opening and closing paragraphs; Final Draft of Paper 2 Due.
WEEK 7: QUOTING TECHNIQUES AND EXAMINING ASSUMPTIONS
Tues., 10/8 – pps. 220-top of 223 and 225-halfway through 231, from Chap. 6, “Using Sources” and pps.
599-612, “Against the Legalization of Drugs”; in-class discussion of readings
and quoting techniques.
Thurs., 10/10 – pps. 289-94, from Chap. 7, “A Philosopher’s View: The Toulmin Model” and pps. 757-
-764, The Prince (excerpt); in-class discussion of warrants, claims, and
supports and essay.
WEEK 8: LOGICAL FALLACIES, PARAGRAPH DEVELOPMENT, AND WRITING ABOUT LITERATURE
Tues., 10/15 – pps. 317-28 from Chap. 8, “A Logician’s View: Deduction, Induction, Fallacies” and pps.
476-81, “Ending Affirmative Action”; in-class discussion of readings and
reading aloud “Love is a Fallacy,” (pps. 329-37); begin to discuss paragraph
development techniques..
Thurs., 10/17 – pps. 425-30 and bottom of 451-top of 459 from Chap. 12, “A Literary Critic’s View:
Arguing About Literature”; “The End of FIRPO” (handout); in-class discussion of readings and finish paragraph work with development.
WEEK 9: SENTENCES THAT MOVE YOU AND DESCRIPTIVE/NARRATIVE MODES
Tues., 10/22 – Paper 3 Due; in class work on constructing effective sentences.
Thurs., 10/24 – Come to class having read each of your group members’ papers and answered for each the
checklist questions on p. 430; Peer Review focusing both on your written comments and sentences; in-class discussion of descriptive and narrative modes of development.
WEEK 10: PERSONAL CONFERENCES
Tues., 10/29 – No Class; bring to your conference a draft of Paper 3 and any questions.
Thurs., 10/31 – No Class; bring to your conference a draft of Paper 3 and any questions.
WEEK 11: FIGURES OF SPEECH AND PRECISE DICTION
Tues., 11/5 – Final Draft of Paper 3 Due; in-class discussion and exercises on the use of stylistic devices,
including figurative language; “the buck stops here” grammar and punctuation review.
Thurs., 11/7 – pps. 656-66, “Juvenile Justice Is Delinquent” and 726-37, “ ‘It’s Important to Feel
Something When You Kill,’ “ and read one of the published student essays; in-class discussion of readings; your classmate a letter about his/her paper; exercises on the precise use of diction.
WEEK 12: INDUCTION, MLA CITATION REVIEW, ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHIES
Tues., 11/12 – pps. 231-top of 233 on Annotated Bibliographies; pps. 492-96, essays on Gay Marriage and
pps. 530-42, essays on Business Ethics; in-class discussion of essays and annotated bibliographies. Begin thinking about your topic for Paper 4.
Thurs., 11/14 – pps. bottom of 309–top of 312 from Chap. 8, “A Philosopher’s View”; pps. 105-08, “Just
Take away Their Guns”; in-class discussion of readings; exercises on MLA citation.
WEEK 13: PERSONAL CONFERENCES
Mon., 11/18 – Annotated Bibliography Due by 4 p.m. in my mailbox
Tues., 11/19 – No Class: bring to your conference a working thesis statement and questions for Paper 4.
Thurs., 11/21 – No Class: bring to your conference a working thesis statement and questions for Paper 4.
WEEK 14: TRYING YOUR HAND AT EDITING
Tues., 11/26 – Draft of Paper 4 Due by 5 p.m. in my mailbox; pair work on clarity vs. brevity; edit
student essays (essays are not by your classmates).
Thurs., 11/28 – Thanksgiving Holiday – No School.
WEEK 15: COURSE WRAP UP
Tues., 12/3 – Quiz on Grammar, Punctuation, Syntax, and Sentence types.
Thurs., 12/5 – Holiday Reading: “Season’s Greetings to Our Friends and Neighbors” (handout);
Course Evaluations.
WEEK of 12/9-13 – I will be available for conferences all week about your final paper. If interested, sign
up for a time-slot on the sheet posted outside of my office. Final Draft of Paper 4 Due at 12 noon,
Friday, 12/13 in my mailbox.
Course Requirements:
Because so much of what you learn in this course depends upon your active participation, you must arrive to class prepared, on time, and with textbook(s) in hand. Tardiness will adversely affect your final grade as will more than two absences. A missed conference counts as an absence unless you notify me beforehand and make up the conference within a week after it was originally scheduled. For every absence, you must find out from a classmate what you missed.
In addition to participation in discussions, random quizzes on the readings, conferences, and peer reviews, you will write (informally) in every class so that I might review your progress and give you immediate feedback. Outside of class, you will write 3 formal papers, 2-3 pages in length; an annotated bibliography with at least 6 entries; and a research paper of 5-7 pages using 5 outside sources. With the exception of Paper 1, you will revise the formal essays substantially--first turning in a draft and receiving comments from your peers and me, then revising the draft into a relatively polished essay. Although first drafts of papers are not graded, they are commented on; therefore, a final paper without a first draft will be reduced 2/3 of a grade. Late papers are highly frowned upon because, as I see it, it is far better to turn in SOMETHING—even if it is not written to your complete satisfaction--than nothing on the day the paper is due. I feel so strongly about this that handing in a paper with which you are unhappy may well receive less of a grade reduction than a late paper, which will automatically be reduced 2/3 of a grade for every day of our class it is late. Please keep ALL formal papers for your final portfolio, something that allows me to assess your strides over the course of the semester.
Formal Paper Assignments and Due Dates (Please note that more extensive descriptions of each paper will be handed out as the due dates draw near):
v Paper 1, Diagnostic, Due 9/3. In 2-3 pages, answer #2 on p. 26 of Current Issues.
v Paper 2, Analysis and Evaluation of an Argument. Rough Draft Due 9/26. Final Draft Due 10/3. Read any essay on pps. 149-78 and write in 2-3 pages an analysis and evaluation of the essay’s argument.
v Paper 3, Analysis of Literary Text. Rough Draft Due 10/22. Final Draft Due 11/5. In 3 pages, construct an argument about some aspect of a literary text. You may choose from any story we have read in class or any story or belles lettres essay on pps. 743-831. Although I advise against it because of its difficulty, you may alternately analyze any of the poems contained in the reader as well.
v Annotated Bibliography in preparation for Paper 4 Due Mon., 11/18 by 4 p.m. in my mailbox. Read 6 or more secondary sources on any topic suggested by the essays on pps 461-737, Chaps. 13-26, that you think you will write about for Paper 4. (If you are not interested in any of the subjects or issues raised by these essays, check with me about another topic). Annotate each of the sources you read--many of which, it is hoped, you will be able to use to support Paper 4’s argument.
v Paper 4, Argumentative Stance Paper, using 5 secondary sources. Rough Draft Due 11/26. Final Draft Due During Exam Week, Friday, 12/13, by 12 noon in my mailbox. In 5-7 pages, take a stand on an issue you believe to be important. Your paper can be highly aggressively argued (while keeping within the bounds of acceptable academic writing) or less so, constructed more as an opinion paper. In either case, you must address both pros and cons for your position, drawing on outside sources to substantiate your claims.
Policy on Electronic Submission of Papers:
For many reasons, it is best to turn in all work on paper. If, however, you find you absolutely must submit a paper or written exercise electronically, you must first obtain permission from me. If and when you secure my permission, email your attachment with the “return receipt” function enabled, and remember that you, ultimately, bear full responsibility for ensuring that your written work was delivered to me in a properly formatted, readable file. To aid you in this effort, save and back up your work frequently and again after a session of drafting or editing; update your virus and worm detection programs to avoid infecting my computer or anyone else’s. (Note: The computer screen has an uncanny ability to hide mistakes and typos in writing, so you should edit and proofread your work on paper before sending any email submissions). Computer crashes and disk failures, without proper documentation that the paper was indeed written, are unacceptable excuses for not turning work in on time.
Final Grades:
Final course grades will be calculated by combing marks on Papers 1, 2, 3, and 4 (again: although final drafts only will be graded, you MUST complete a rough draft first); the annotated bibliography; the informal writing and quizzes in class (which will receive a check-plus, check, or check-minus); class participation, conferences, and peer editing. The percentage value for each course component is as follows: Paper 1 – 5%; Paper 2 - 10%; Paper 3 – 15%; Annotated Bibliography – 10%; Paper 4 – 25%; Class Participation (which includes engagement in discussions, peer reviews, and conferences) – 20%; and Informal Writing Assignments and Quizzes – 15%.
Plagiarism and Cheating:
We at Goucher College are a community of scholars whose work must respect and credit the work of others. This means that all of us—you, me, and the rest of the faculty and staff--must observe the basic principles of academic honesty. For you this means that in all courses you will not collaborate with other students on assigned work (although in OUR course, talking about texts and discussing ideas out of class is encouraged). You will, moreover, distinguish clearly between your writing and that of others, acknowledging all borrowed ideas and phrases by using proper citation techniques. To wit, all quotations must be cited in the exact wording and punctuation of the original, unless a change is indicated as such in brackets; others’ quotations, information, or interpretations may neither be falsely claimed as your own nor erroneously attributed to a nonexistent source. Finally, no student may submit work for this course that has already received a grade in a prior course, unless both your other instructor and I first grant permission. For a complete description of academic honor and integrity at Goucher, please refer to the Academic Honor Code included in the Campus Handbook.
Name: ______________________________________________________________________
Course Name, Number and Section: ______________________________________________
Date: ______________________________
I, the undersigned, have read all of the foregoing syllabus and understand all of the course requirements and procedures it details.
Signature