108-09: 11:00-11:50 MWF, JGM 106
108-14: 1:00-1:50 MWF, JGM 105
Instructor: Elaine Arvan-Andrews
Office: SS/C 222-T
Phone: 271-4239
Office Hours: 12:00-12:50 MWF or by appt.
E-mail: andrewse@missouriwestern.edu or elainarvand@yahoo.com
Required Texts/Materials:
1. Lunsford, Andrea et al. Everything’s an Argument with Readings. 2nd Edition. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001.
2. Maner, Martin. The Research Process: A Complete Guide and Reference for Writers. 2nd Edition. Mayfield, 2000.
3. Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 5th Edition. MLA, 1999.
4. An up-to-date, unabridged college dictionary
5. At least 2 computer disks for backing up work
6. 3 folders (2-pocket) for final drafts
Recommended: *Index cards for research notes and bibliography cards
*Three-ring binder or expandable folder to organize research
Course Description:
ENG 108 is designed to help you do two things: to assemble persuasive arguments and to gain important skills for writing research-based prose. Both in college and in the workplace, it is important for you to be able to interpret information from outside sources, ranging from scientific data to researching controversial social issues. Often, you will be required to persuade a possibly skeptical audience. In this course, you will learn about the nature and process of research, how to find and use source materials, and how to write researched essays. At the same time, you will also learn how to synthesize information from a variety of sources in order to represent an original, persuasive point of view.
Here is a breakdown of the major goals of this course. (They are described in further detail at the General Studies English Courses web site at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj/genstud.asp)
*To complete three formal research projects in addition to other graded and ungraded work.
*To keep up with outside readings and class discussions, intended to stimulate critical thinking.
*To help you learn how to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the thinking of others in order to discover, develop, and test your own points of view.
*To sharpen your ability to find print sources in the library
*To cite outside sources responsibly, always giving credit to other writers’ ideas
*To help you develop original points of view in the face of many secondary sources.
*To practice various strategies for persuading a skeptical audience
*To correctly apply MLA format
Important Policies:
The nature of a syllabus is a contract between the instructor and the student. Staying in this course implies an acceptance of the following policies. If you anticipate any difficulty following these rules, please drop this class.
1. Attendance. Attendance will be regarded in the same light as it is in the workplace: it’s
mandatory. In the workplace, chronic absenteeism can result in getting fired; in this class, it can result in a failing grade. You will be allowed three absences, both excused and unexcused, before your grade is penalized. Any absence beyond three will result in a 10% deduction (= one letter grade) from your final points total per each additional day missed. For example, if you have a B in the class and you miss a total of 5 classes, 20% of your points total (2 letter grades) will be subtracted from your grade, and you will earn a D. Included in the three free absences are unavoidable situations like illness, emergency, or when acting as a representative of MWSC so use these 3 “personal days” wisely. If you anticipate missing more than 3 classes due to acting as a representative for MWSC, please see me immediately.
2. Student Conduct. All students are required to behave in a mature and considerate manner in
the classroom in order to promote the best possible learning environment. Behavior that disrupts the classroom environment or interferes with other students' learning will result in dismissal from the classroom. Three such dismissals from the classroom will result in failure in the course.
Students are expected to act responsibly in accordance with good taste and to respect fully the rights of others. Passionate and forceful language are sometimes appropriate; intolerance and dogmatism are not.
3. Plagiarism Policy. Plagiarism is defined as the act of representing the ideas or words of others as your own without acknowledging them as sources. Plagiarism not only includes turning in entire papers you did not write, but also borrowing information from a source without citing it or quoting directly from a source without using quotation marks. Plagiarism will result in failure in the course and possibly expulsion. If you are not sure whether you are plagiarizing, please make sure and ask.
4. Disabled Student Policy. Any student enrolled in this course who has a disability that
prevents the fullest expression of his or her potential to succeed in this course must notify me in writing as soon as possible so we may discuss course requirements, options, and accommodations.
5. Revision Policy.
Revision is an important component of this course, as it is with any polished, thoughtful writing. For this reason, you are required to revise all first drafts. If you have not written a first draft, or if the first draft is incomplete or thrown together, your grade will be deducted. Similarly, there must be evidence of meaningful changes between drafts. Grades for all major essays will be partly determined by evidence that you have taken this process seriously. You have the option to revise up to two graded essays (Paper #1 or #2) for a higher grade. (You may raise your letter grade up to one full letter grade.)
Course Requirements/Assignments:
1. Three Researched Argument Papers. The first paper will be an argument of definition paper
(4-6 pages); the second will be an argument of evaluation paper (5-7 pages); and the third will be a causal argument essay (6-8 pages).
2. Bibliographies, Annotated Bibliographies, and Prospectuses. A bibliography is an
alphabetical list of sources for a paper. Its purpose is to help you organize and prioritize your source material. An annotated bibliography is like a regular bibliography, but it also includes a paragraph beneath each source that summarizes and evaluates it. The prospectus is a plan that includes your thesis and overall blueprint for your paper. You will write a prospectus for all three essays. You will write a regular bibliography for the first paper and an annotated bibliography for second and third essays.
4. Organized records of research. Keep track of all research (page number, author, book, etc.) on note cards, photocopies, computer files or notebook paper. Keeping good records will help you save time in the drafting process.
5. Revisions/Peer Critiques. You will write a rough draft and a final draft for each paper. The
rough drafts will not be graded or commented on by the instructor, but they must always be turned in on the designated workshop day or the final grade will be penalized. For each essay, you will exchange papers with classmates and write peer critiques of each other’s essays. Then you will have the opportunity to revise your paper for the final draft.
6. Required conference about your writing. Please sign up for one at any time during the semester. It is to your advantage to confer with me as you research or revise an upcoming paper. Of course, you may sign up for as many as you want or email me as frequently as you need to, but at least one conference is mandatory.
7. Homework, reading, quizzes. I expect you to be prepared for every class. This includes keeping up with readings and completing required homework. Unannounced quizzes will be given regularly to ensure that everyone is keeping up with the readings.
8. Class participation. Everyone is expected to participate thoughtfully in class discussions.
Emphasize quality over quantity in your contributions. If you have a borderline grade (79% C), quality class participation will add a percentage point (80% B)
9. Final Exam.
General Assignment Requirements:
*All major assignments must be word processed and should follow MLA format unless otherwise specified.
*Every graded draft must include evidence of research and previous drafts in a two-pocket folder
*All assignments are due at the beginning of the hour on the due date. Grades will be lowered for each day late on major papers.
* All major assignments must be turned in to pass this course
* There is no "make up" for quizzes or in-class assignments
Grading Breakdown:
3 Research papers/600 pts.
3 Prospectuses/150 pts
3 Bibliographies (2 Annotated)/125 pts
3 Peer Critiques/150 pts
Homework and Reading Quizzes*/100 pts
Final Exam/125 pts
Total points/ 1,250 pts*
*Approximate—this total is relative to change depending on homework/quizzes
Grading scale: 100-90%=A; 89-80%=B; 79-70%=C; 69-60%=D; Below 60%=F
Class Schedule:
This schedule is fairly firm, but stay tuned for any changes.
Week 1
1/14 Syllabus and introduction to course
1/16 Lunsford, Ch. 1 “Everything Is an Argument”; Maner, Introduction
1/18 Lunsford, Ch. 2 “Reading and Writing Arguments”; Maner, Ch. 1 “The Nature of Research Writing”
Week 2
1/21 No Class; MLK Day
1/23 Lunsford, Ch. 9 “Arguments of Definition”
1/25 Lunsford, Ch. 24 “What’s Public? What’s Private?” Read pp. 436-40; pp. 448-49; and
pp. 454-66
Week 3
1/28 Lunsford, Ch. 29 “Technology Redefining the Meaning of Life” Read pp. 694-705; pp. 723-28; pp. 729-35
1/30 Maner, Ch. 2 “Finding and Narrowing the Topic”
2/1 Lunsford, Ch. 8 “Structuring Arguments”; Topic for Essay #1 due
Week 4
2/4 Maner, Ch. 5 “Writing a Short Plan”
2/6 Maner, Ch. 4 “Finding Sources”
2/8 Maner Ch. 6 “Gathering Information”; Prospectus (plan and thesis only) due
2/11 Lunsford, Ch. 22 “Documenting Sources” 342-56); Bring Maner Ch. 7 “Research Paper Formats: MLA” (pp. 153-79) and MLA Handbook (See Ch. 4)
2/13 Library Research Day
2/15 Maner, Ch. 9 “Writing the Rough Draft”; Bibliography for Essay #1 due (in MLA format)
2/18 No Class; President’s Day
2/20 Lunsford, Ch. 3 “Readers and Contexts Count”; guidelines for Peer Critiques
2/22 Workshop; First Draft of Essay #1 due
Week 7
2/25 Maner, Ch. 10 “Revising”; Peer Critique Due (2 copies)
2/27 Maner, Ch. 11 “Editing”
3/1 Lunsford, Ch. 10 “Evaluations”; Final (Graded) Draft due
Week 8
3/4 Lunsford, Ch. 23 “Mirror, Mirror”: Read pp. 371-74; pp. 375-77; pp. 385-86; pp. 391-94
3/6 Ch. 23 continued: Read pp. 395-400; 404-414; 428-31
3/8 Lunsford, Ch. 27 “Language(s) and Identities”: Read pp. 577-79; pp. 581-82; pp. 595-601; pp. 604-16; Topic Due for Essay #2
**3/11-3/15 Spring Break**
Week 9
3/18 Lunsford, Ch. 5 “Arguments Based on Values”
3/20 Lunsford, Ch. 18 “What Counts as Evidence”
3/22 Lunsford, Ch. 19 “Fallacies of Argument”; Prospectus due for Essay #2
3/25 Review Guidelines for Annotated Bibliography in Maner, Ch. 5; Library Research Day
3/27 Lunsford, Ch. 20 “Intellectual Property”
3/29 Lunsford, Ch. 26 “Who Owns What?”: Read 562-575; Annotated Bibliography for Paper #2 due
Week 11
4/1 Draft of Essay #2 due; Workshop
4/3 Lunsford, Ch. 11 “Causal Arguments”; Peer Critique due
4/5 Lunsford, Ch. 25 “Time Off, Time Out”: Read pp. 480-507
Week 12
4/8 Ch. 25 continued: Read pp. 509-31; Final Draft of Paper #2 due
4/10 Lunsford, Ch. 7 “Arguments Based on Facts and Reason”
4/12 Library Research Day; Prospectus due for Paper #3
Week 13
4/15 Lunsford, Ch. 4 “Arguments from the Heart”; Read “The Long Goodbye” pp. 736-45
4/17 In-Class Drafting Day
4/19 In-Class Drafting Day; Annotated Bibliography due for Paper #3
Week 14
4/22 Workshop Day; First Draft Paper #3 due
4/24 Revising Day; Peer Critique due
4/26 Editing Day
4/29 Review Day for Final Exam; Final Draft of Paper #3 due; Optional Revisions due
5/1 No Class; Study Day
Final Exam: TBA