Department of English, Foreign Languages, Journalism

Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences

English 104-65 -- College Writing and Rhetoric

Instructor: Dawn Terrick

Fall 2002

MWF 2:00-2:50 JGM 104

Instructor: Dawn Terrick

Office: SSC 222Q

Office Phone: 816-271-4313

Office Hours: M-F 1:00-2:00 PM and by appointment

Email: terrick@missouriwestern.edu

• Computer disks for revising and saving work.

• Notebook for notes, class work, journal entries, etc.

• Folder(s) to keep all writing and portfolio work.

• "Language is the most vivid and crucial key to identity: It reveals the private identity, and connects one with, or divorces one from, the larger, public, or communal identity."

-James Baldwin

• "Good writers are also good readers – of the works of other writers and of their own notes and drafts. The habits they develop as readers of others – for instance evaluating assumptions, scrutinizing arguments and perceiving irony – empower them when they write, read and revise their own notes and drafts."

-Marcia Stubbs and Sylvan Barnett

• "One thing that is always with the writer – no matter how long he has written or how good he is – is the continuing process of learning how to write."

-Flannery O’Connor

Reading and Writing: Reading can help us to make sense of our experiences and of our lives by providing us with connections between ourselves and the larger world. We, as human beings, must understand our complex and changing world and we can accomplish this by understanding how language reflects and affects our world. In this course, we will be reading various texts and then writing about those texts. Writing about a text leads us to read that text critically and intelligently, stimulates our thinking and will enable us to react to that text. In order to achieve these goals, we will:

• Summarize, analyze and evaluate texts.

• Engage in journal writing and collaborative writing.

• Revise our written work.

• Participate in peer revision groups.

Journals: You will write (informal) journal entries/responses to most of your assigned readings. Please refer to your assignment schedule for journal entries. These entries will be your explanations of and reactions to the readings. Each journal entry will consist of both summary and analysis and be, on average, one full page. Entries can be hand-written or word-processed and must be clearly labeled. The collection dates will coincide with the collection dates of your formal writing assignments/mini-portfolios; your journal entries will be a component of your mini-portfolio. Journal entries will be graded on content and will be part of your grade for the portfolio and the course.

Peer Revision Groups: Prior to submitting your formal writing assignments, you will be required to participate in peer revision groups in which you will bring in word-processed copies of your rough draft to share with your group and receive feedback from your group in order to help you strengthen and revise your own written work. This is a required activity and will be part of your grade for the portfolio and the course. (Note: During these sessions I will also evaluate drafts).

Attendance and Class Preparation/Participation: Students are expected to attend every scheduled class meeting. Each student will be allowed four absences. More than four absences will likely affect your final grade. However, please feel free to speak to me about any extenuating circumstances for I reserve the right to excuse some absences. If you are going to miss class due to a school-sponsored event you must notify me in advance. Also, arriving to class late is disruptive. As a result, chronic lateness will likely affect your final grade. Students are also expected to come prepared to every class meeting and participate in class discussion for this is the only way we can all share ideas, ask questions and learn.

Late Work: All writing assignments are due at the beginning of the class period on the due date. Each student is allowed one late paper (and only one late paper) and this must be discussed with the instructor. I will not accept/grade any other late papers. This is important because you must complete, turn in and receive a grade for all papers in order to pass this class. Consequently, if you submit more than one late paper, you will fail the course. If you are not in class on the due date you are still responsible for submitting your assignment on time. Late journals and in-class writing assignments will not be accepted.

Grading Policy: Your grade will be determined on the writings and portfolios you submit and your class attendance and participation over the course of the semester. Please note that smaller assignments and class preparation/participation are very important and do affect your grade. The components of your grade in the course are:

· Five formal writing assignments. A student who does not turn in responses to all five writing assignments will not pass the course even if the grades achieved in the other writing assignments are satisfactory.

Summary: 100 points

Essay One Mini-Portfolio: 100 points

Essay Two Mini-Portfolio: 100 points

Essay Three Mini-Portfolio: 125 points

Essay Four Mini-Portfolio: 125 points

· Final exam and compilation of all major writing assignments: 100 points

Students with Disabilities: Anyone who has a disability that prevents the fullest expression of his or her potential to succeed in this course must notify me as soon as possible so that we can discuss class requirements and accommodations.

Miscellaneous:

Civility and Cooperation: Missouri Western requires all students to help us maintain good conditions for teaching and learning. All students will treat their classmates and teachers with civility and respect, both inside and outside the classroom. Students who violate this policy may, among other penalties, be counted absent and asked to leave. You should review your Missouri Western student handbook for further information.

Please note that you must complete all writing assignments in order to pass this course. In addition, admission into ENG 108 requires a "C" or higher in ENG 104. All drafts and final papers for this course must be word-processed. It is also important to save all work on disks, keeping back-ups if necessary.

Please feel free to come see me if you have any problems or questions. I believe communication is very important between an instructor and her students and, as a result, I will make myself available to you for any reason.

Please note that this is a tentative schedule and changes can be made.

Week One

Jan. 17: Distribute and review syllabus; Introduction to the course; In-class writing

Week Two

Week Three

HW: Begin work on essay #1

Please note that this is a tentative schedule and changes can be made.

Week Four

Week Five

Feb. 12: Discuss video; In-class group work

HW: Read essay on reserve for Friday, Feb. 16

Feb. 14: Essay #1 Due; Watch video

Week Six

Feb. 19: President’s Day – no class

Feb. 21: In-class exercise on description, analysis and interpretation

Feb. 23: Review sample essays/writing instruction

Week Seven

Feb. 26: Essay #2 Rough Draft Due -- Peer Revision Groups

Feb. 28: TBA; Editing exercises for rough draft of essay #2

HW: Read "A Question of Language" p 309 and write journal entry

Week Eight

Mar. 5: Essay #2 Due; Discuss "A Question of Language"

Week Nine

March 11-18: Spring Break!

Please note that this is a tentative schedule and changes can be made.

Week Ten

Mar. 21: Discuss "Here Comes the Groom" and Chapter 4 on Argument

Mar. 23: Writing Review/Instruction

HW: Work on rough draft of Essay #3

Week Eleven

Mar. 26: Essay #3 Rough Draft Due -- Peer Revision Groups

Week Twelve

Apr. 6: Review HW; Writing review for Essay #4

HW: Read pp 107-116 ("Using Sources") in The New Century Handbook

(continued)

Week Thirteen

Apr. 11: Discussion and exercise on documentation and incorporation of borrowed material into own work

Week Fourteen

Week Fifteen

Apr. 23: Essay #4 Rough Draft Due – Peer Revision Groups

Apr. 25 TBA

Apr. 27: TBA

Week Sixteen

Apr. 30: Last day of regular class; Essay #4 Due (will not accept late papers)

Final Exam Week: May 3-May 9