Schedule+&+Syllabus

Current Weekly Schedule

Note: You will need to check your CU email account on a regular basis for announcements and updates to the class schedule.

WEEK 16 Mon. Dec. 7 Writing day

Wed. Dec. 9 Writing day

Fri. Dec. 11 DUE: Cultural Analysis portfolio • reflective writing about Cultural Analysis essay • course review Have a great winter break!
 * There is no final exam for this course. *

WEEK 1 Mon, Aug. 24: • intro to the course and goals Wed, Aug. 26: DUE: read the syllabus; read section from King, “On Writing”
 * Schedule Completed**:

• discuss syllabus, course policies, schedule and King reading • introduction to Textual Analysis essay

THINK AHEAD: Remember that you need to watch Thank You for Smoking at least once before next Wednesday’s class. Friday, Aug. 28 DUE: read Knowing Words Chapters 1 and 2 and write response journal #1: (two-column: text and response)

WEEK 2 Mon, Aug. 31 DUE: read “It’s Just a Movie” (Smith) in the "Files" section of this wiki; bring a copy of the reading to class; write response journal #2 (two-column: text and your response) and write three discussion questions; read the Textual Analysis assignment sheet and bring any questions you have to class



• discuss “It’s Just a Movie” and film analysis • discuss process of/define analysis • draft exploratory questions for Textual Analysis

Wed, Sept. 2 DUE: watch the film Thank You For Smoking (on reserve in the library, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HC3xwlfcFM and subsequent sections 2-9, or in the wiki on the Thank You For Smoking page); write response journal #3: How would you describe Nick Naylor? Likable? Why or why not? Is he ethical? Why or why not? In addition, how is the power of language portrayed in the film?

• discuss film • workshop essay ideas

Fri, Sept. 4 DUE: Choose a character from the movie. For response journal #4, imagine how the movie might change if this character made a different choice at a strategic point in the film. You will need to: • Identify/describe the character • Describe the strategic scene/event • Describe the alternate choice the character might make • Analyze the possible effects of this alternate choice both for the plotline and for the other characters.

In Knowing Words, skim chapter 5, read “Path to Heritage” and write response journal #5

NOTE: RESPONSE JOURNALS #4 and #5 CAN BE TURNED IN DURING THIS CLASS. IF YOU NEED MORE TIME, I WILL STILL ACCEPT THEM IN CLASS ON WEDNESDAY.


 * Please bring a written draft of thesis ideas for your Textual Analysis essay**

• discuss film (cont.) • academic writing discussion/review • thesis workshop

WEEK 3 Mon. Sept. 7 - NO CLASS - LABOR DAY

Tues. Sept. 8 DUE: email the introductory paragraph of your Textual Analysis essay to me by midnight TODAY (cut and paste into email; no attachments, please)

Wed. Sept. 9 DUE: bring three copies of your full Textual Analysis draft to class for peer review and one copy to turn in to me; skim Knowing Words Chapter 5; bring Knowing Words to class

• whole class workshop - introductions • small group workshop - Textual Analysis drafts Fri. Sept. 11 DUE: Turn in a HARD COPY of the revised draft of your Textual Analysis essay, self review, and peer reviews

WEEK 4 Mon. Sept. 14 General revision strategies – thesis and introductions Wed. Sept. 16 • continue discussion on revision strategies • specific revision workshop with first drafts and my comments Fri, Sept. 18 NO CLASS - DUE: email your sentence revisions to me by midnight TODAY (include the three original sentences and two revisions for each of the original sentences; cut and paste into email; no attachments, please)

WEEK 5 Mon. Sept. 21 DUE: bring one copy of your sentence revisions to class and save a copy for your portfolio; come prepared to explain your revised sentences to the class; bring a current draft of your essay to class

• discuss sentence revisions and grading rubric

Tues. Sept. 22 DUE: email two or three topic suggestions for the Rhetorical Analysis essay (social, political, economic, or cultural issue) to me by midnight TODAY Wed. Sept. 23 DUE: Textual Analysis portfolio due

• reflective writing on Textual Analysis essay • intro to rhetoric • choose topic for Rhetorical Analysis essay Fri. Sept. 25 Continue discussion from Wednesday

WEEK 6 Mon. Sept. 28 DUE: read Chapter 3 in Knowing Words; response journal # 7: based on the reading, write a paragraph that summarizes your interpretation of rhetoric; also, pick four other key terms from the reading and write one or two-sentence definitions for each term; bring Knowing Words to class; read Rhetorical Analysis assignment sheet and bring to class any questions you have

• define/discuss rhetoric • discuss Rhetorical Analysis essay

Wed. Sept. 30 DUE: read the primary and background readings (http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/pwr/themes/poverty.htm); write response journal # 8: two or three paragraphs that summarize the central questions for this issue; bring a copy of the readings to class

• discuss readings • discuss website analysis • in-class practice with rhetorical analysis Fri. Oct. 2 Continue discussion from Wednesday

WEEK 7 Mon. Oct. 5 DUE: review “Logical Fallacies” and “Rhetoric and Ethics” in Chapter 3 of Knowing Words; bring Knowing Words and all issue articles to class; write response journal # 9: what is a logical fallacy? Browse a magazine, newspaper or website and identify/describe one logical fallacy you find and describe the fallacy in your journal – how does it function within the text?

• discuss logical fallacies Tues. Oct. 6 DUE: email one body paragraph of your Rhetorical Analysis essay to me by midnight TODAY (cut and paste into email; no attachments, please)

Wed. Oct. 7

Fri. Oct. 9

• whole class workshop - body paragraphs • small group workshop - Rhetorical Analysis drafts

WEEK 8 Mon. Oct. 12 DUE: bring three copies of your full Rhetorical Analysis draft to class for peer review and one copy to turn in to me; turn in a HARD COPY of the revised draft of your Rhetorical Analysis essay, self review, and peer reviews; bring Knowing Words to class • general revision strategies – body paragraphs and structure

Wed. Oct. 14 - DUE: bring a copy of your selected body paragraph, with your description of the function of each sentence; be working on RIOT Tutorials 1 – 4 (MUST BE COMPLETE BY Nov. 4, http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/pwr/) • specific revision workshop with first draft and my comments

Fri. Oct. 16 - DUE: read "Reagan and the Bear" as sample rhetorical analysis - discuss rhetorical analysis - body paragraphs cont'd

WEEK 9 Mon. Oct. 19 DUE: bring a copy of your sentence revisions to class and save a copy for your portfolio; come prepared to explain your revised sentences to the class; bring a current draft of your essay to class

• revision workshop Wed. Oct. 21 DUE: Rhetorical Analysis portfolio

• reflective writing on Rhetorical Analysis essay • begin discussion of research unit Fri. Oct. 23 Continue discussion of research unit

WEEK 10 Mon. Oct. 26 DUE: read Knowing Words Chapter 4 and bring Knowing Words to class; read "cultural analysis" (in Assignments section); response journal #10: in your own words, define “culture” and “ideology”; also, describe two or three examples of ideologies that shape your identity; bring copies of all the readings to class; read Cultural Analysis assignment sheet and bring to class any questions you have

• discuss/define ideology and the Cultural Analysis essay • discuss portfolio items

Wed. Oct. 28 DUE: response journal #11: write a list of five or six topics you are interested in researching and include a one-sentence description for each that describes why you are interested in this topic

• workshop tentative topics • discuss reading • discuss research process, annotated bibs, and documenting sources

Fri. Oct. 30 Continue discussion from Wednesday

WEEK 11 Mon. Nov. 2 DUE: read three general sources on your chosen topic (encyclopedia, website, news article, etc.) and write response journal #12: a summary paragraph for each source and draft of annotated bibliography of your three general sources to be turned in to me; RIOT 1, 2, 3, 4 (all tutorials) (access at: http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/pwr/ )

• discuss library tutorials and library seminar • discovery/invention exercises for Cultural Analysis essay Tues. Nov. 3 DUE: email me your primary research question and three or four secondary questions, 6-10 keywords for searching, and a list of possible sources

Wed. Nov. 4 DUE: bring a copy of your primary research question and three or four secondary questions, 6-10 keywords for searching, and a list of possible sources

• library seminar (meets in Norlin E303, unless otherwise announced) Fri. Nov. 6 TBA

WEEK 12 Mon. Nov. 9 DUE: Final version of primary question and 3-4 secondary questions; informal presentation on research progress; bring any questions you have about the Cultural Analysis essay or annotated bibliography • informal topic presentations • annotated bibliography discussion

Wed. Nov. 11 • discuss crafting an argument for a specific audience • discuss persuasive statements • style workshop #2

Fri. Nov. 13 NO CLASS - Matt attending conference in Chicago

WEEK 13 Mon. Nov. 16 prepare draft of your annotated bibliography, a detailed outline of your Cultural Analysis essay, and any questions you have about any documents in Portfolio 3 • general drafting strategies – conclusions • in-class conferences over outline and draft of annotated bib

Wed. Nov. 18 DUE: draft of your annotated bibliography, a detailed outline of your Cultural Analysis essay, and any questions you have about any documents in Portfolio 3 • in-class conferences over outline and draft of annotated bib (cont.)

Fri. Nov. 20 Continue discussion from Wednesday

WEEK 14 – No classes, Thanksgiving Break

WEEK 15 Mon. Nov. 30 DUE: bring three copies of your full draft of your Cultural Analysis essay to class • whole class – conclusion workshop • small groups – Cultural Analysis draft workshop

Wed. Dec. 2 DUE: bring three copies of the draft of both of your persuasive statements • whole class and small groups - persuasive statements workshop

Fri. Dec. 4 Continue discussion from Wednesday __

Syllabus:** WRTG 1150: First-Year Writing and Rhetoric Fall 2009 Instructor: Matt Sonneborn Offices: Hellems, ENVD Section: 052 Office Hours: Mondays 3-6pm or by appointment Time: MWF, 2:00-2:50 Office Phone: 303-492-7306 (Hellems) Location: CLRE 302 e-mail: matthew.sonneborn@colorado.edu (this is the most reliable way to reach me!)

Course Description Welcome! This course is an introduction to college-level academic writing. The course emphasizes thinking, reading and writing critically—that is, thinking, reading and writing that does more than absorb the content of a text but also develops your skills in: • Textual Analysis: significant points and arguments in a text and various interpretations of the same text • Rhetorical Analysis: structure and rhetorical content of a text • Cultural Analysis: ideologies, assumptions, and beliefs underlying a text.

The aim of the course is to help you: • write with fluency; to acquire a practical and reflective understanding of the writing process Throughout the semester, you will use a variety of strategies to approach the various the stages of writing—brainstorming, researching, brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading—to help you refine your own writing process. One of the most important strategies that you will practice is work-shopping each other’s writing. Small- and large-group workshops in which you will read and critique each other’s work will be a recurring in-class activity. The benefits of a workshop approach are two-fold: as a writer, you receive a range of responses to your work and, as a reader, you learn from reading and critiquing your peers’ writing.

• develop rhetorical awareness, making informed choices as you adapt your writing to the opportunities and constraints of a rhetorical situation: your audience, specific context and situation, and particular purpose We will begin by analyzing the rhetorical situation in a variety of texts—that is, we will ask questions about the relationships between the text, writer, audience, and context, and we will discuss how these relationships shaped the writer’s choices. Then you will apply this rhetorical knowledge by writing in different genres and for different audiences, adapting the voice, tone, format and structure of your writing to meet the needs of your audience. We will also discuss the ethical use of rhetoric and its personal, social and civic consequences.

• become a proficient reader, approaching texts with a writer’s awareness of craft and a critic’s ability to interpret and respond to a text’s meaning and effects We will explore texts that come from a variety of sources (both scholarly and popular, for example) and from a variety of media (traditional print, film, websites, etc.). You will be asked to read critically: to recognize the rhetorical strategies an author has chosen—in form, style and content—that negotiate how the audience can/will interpret the text. We will also discuss the character and possibilities of this negotiation.

• develop research strategies necessary for your study of values, identities, cultures, etc. You will learn about research technologies available here at CU (on-line databases, electronic books and journals, bibliographic software, etc.) through a library seminar. More importantly, we will discuss how to evaluate a source for accuracy, relevance, credibility, reliability and bias by examining the source’s rhetorical position and situation/context. These skills are crucial for developing information literacy, a well-contested term that we will explore further. In other words, as part of this course you will learn how to pursue, evaluate, use, design and share information for a variety of purposes. • understand and apply conventions of standard linguistic usage, including proper grammar, syntax, punctuation, and spelling as you compose, revise, and edit your writing across a range of rhetorical tasks and genres. Yes, grammar counts. Fortunately, what counts as “good” grammar will depend on the given rhetorical situation. Because this is an academic course, in most of your major assignments you will be expected to use a writing style and tone that is considered appropriate for a general academic audience. However, as part of the course you will also write in other genres and for other audiences, so you will need to think carefully about how to adapt your writing for the rhetorical situation at hand. My concern then is that you learn and use grammatical conventions with your own rhetorical intent. Grammar is a system that helps us negotiate the inherent ambiguities in using language. Use it well.

These five course goals express the PWR’s commitment to preparing you for the other kinds of reading and writing you will perform in your other classes. They also fulfill the course criteria given to all state institutions by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, the governmental body that contributes to the policies for college education in Colorado. In other words, this writing class is not just about what I, your writing teacher here on the CU campus, thinks is important. It is about deepening your skills in rhetorical knowledge, writing processes, and language conventions so that you can write effectively for a variety of audiences in a variety of situations, to the satisfaction of the Colorado state legislature and its many contributing interests.

See Knowing Words Chapter 1 for more information about the course description and goals.

Required Texts/Materials • Writing handbook of your choice – see me if you want suggestions • Ellis, Erik and Lonni Pearce, eds. Knowing Words. Boulder, CO: Program for Writing and Rhetoric, 2009. This is the Program for Writing and Rhetoric’s custom text. It introduces you to the course goals/objectives and key rhetorical concepts and also provides samples of student writing. • Reading assignments on e-reserve available through the library’s website (click on the “Reserves” link from http://libraries.colorado.edu/). These reading assignments will introduce you to key course concepts, such as definitions of analysis, rhetoric, audience, ideology, etc., and will also introduce thematic content relevant to the various assignments. Note: You may need to set up remote access if you want to view these readings from an off-campus computer. Contact ITS for help (303-735-HELP) or check the UCB libraries’ website for information on setting up remote access: http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/research/offcampusaccess.htm. • Loose-leaf notebook paper for in-class writing • Copies of your work when needed for class discussion • College dictionary of your choice (optional)

Grading To complete this course successfully, you must attend class and scheduled conferences, complete assignments on time, and participate in class activities and discussions. For major essay assignments, you must turn in all drafts before I will grade the final version of your essay. If you have a question about your grade, please ask me about it. As a standard policy, I require students to wait 24 hours before contesting a grade with me. Questions of clarification, however, are always welcome. An important thing to remember: even if you feel you have done poorly on an assignment, turn it in anyway! If you turn the assignment in, you will at least receive some points that count toward your final grade. Otherwise, you will not receive any points for the assignment. A word to the wise—keep copies of all of your assignments! Although I don’t often lose things, it can happen. If you have a copy, we will both be happier in the rare event that I misplace your paper.

Your grade for the course will be determined according to the following scale:

Week One In-class Essay - required/ungraded Portfolio 1: Textual Analysis Essay 150 Portfolio 2: Rhetorical Analysis Essay 200 Portfolio 3: Cultural Analysis Essay 250 Portfolio 3: Annotated Bibliography 100 Portfolio 3: Persuasive Statements (75 points each) 150 Library Tutorials (RIOT) 50 Informal Writing & Journal Entries 100 TOTAL Total Points: 1000 A= 900-1000 points; B = 800-899 points; C = 700-799; D = 600-699

See the PWR Assessment Criteria for a more detailed description of the guidelines I use to determine grades.

Major Assignments • Textual Analysis Essay: This essay is an opportunity to think carefully about the film Thank You For Smoking. Your task is to write an essay that discusses your interpretation of what is significant and important about the content of the text (film). • Rhetorical Analysis Essay: The focus of this essay is an analysis not of what a text is saying, but how the text is presented. As a class, you will vote on a topic, and then I will select background readings and one or two websites to serve as our primary texts for this unit. In the essay, you will analyze the website(s) and discuss some of the rhetorical strategies you see at work. You will also be asked to discuss your interpretation of the purposes for the website(s), primary and secondary audiences, and ethical implications. In addition, you may discuss any logical fallacies that you detect. • Cultural Analysis Essay: This essay is your opportunity to investigate a text of interest to you. The purpose of this essay is not to “take a stand” on the issue—it is, instead, to carefully investigate a variety of sources in order to develop an understanding of why the text exerts a particular power in a specific cultural context. To do this, you will need to examine the ideologies, assumptions, and beliefs that give the text its cultural power. Some questions that will help you do this are the same kinds of questions that we ask in the Textual Analysis and Rhetorical Analysis essays. • Annotated Bibliography: In conjunction with your Cultural Analysis Essay, you will write an annotated bibliography in which you use MLA guidelines to properly cite your sources. In your annotations, you will discuss the credibility, validity, bias, and relevance of each source. • Persuasive Statements: In conjunction with your Cultural Analysis Essay, you will write two statements, each addressed to a different audience, in which you make an argument in relation to your cultural analysis topic. You will decide on your purposes and audiences and—based on those choices—choose ethical and effective rhetorical appeals/strategies for persuading your audiences. In other words, what you write and how you write (your style) in these statements may look very different than traditional academic writing. • Library Tutorials (RIOT): You are required to complete all four of the Research Instruction Online Tutorials. These tutorials prepare you to research your topic for the Cultural Analysis Essay. For more information on the tutorials, see Chapter 4 in Knowing Words.

Attendance If you miss more than four classes, you may be dropped from the course or fail the course. This may seem harsh, but the reasoning is simple—if you are absent more than four times, you have missed a significant amount of the course material and in-class work and it will be difficult for you to achieve the goals of this course. In addition, your enrollment in this class constitutes membership in a community that depends on your attendance and engagement at every class meeting. There are always exceptions. If you have a legitimate reason for being absent for certain class periods, contact me as early as possible and we can discuss the situation; most legitimate absences are scheduled well in advance of the required occasion and should therefore be discussed well before the necessary absence Note: if you are absent, you cannot make up in-class work for the class period you missed. You will be responsible for all material presented in class and I do not re-teach classes for absent students. If you are absent, contact a classmate for the information and assignments you missed.

Late Papers Late papers are, well, late. Unless you have spoken with me beforehand to arrange for an extension, your grade on the assignment grade will drop one full letter for each day the paper is late. I do not grant extensions very often, but if you absolutely cannot meet the deadline because of something unavoidable, contact me as soon as possible so we can discuss the situation. Computer problems are not an acceptable excuse for a late paper—with the variety of resources on campus, you should have ample opportunity to complete your paper on time. Develop responsible work habits and this should never be a problem.

Writing Center If you want additional help with your writing, the Writing Center in Norlin Library is a great place to go to talk about ideas, improve your thesis or essay organization, or just generally work on your writing skills. Check the Writing Center website for more information about hours and services, or request an appointment online at: http://www.colorado.edu/pwr/writingcenter.html.

Revising Graded Assignments At the end of the semester, if you would like to resubmit one of your major assignments, you may revise your work and turn in a Revision Portfolio for reevaluation. If you resubmit work you must: • Choose one of the major assignments and revise your work. (You are welcome to schedule an appointment with me to discuss some strategies for revision.) • Attach the original graded version and relevant drafts so that I can evaluate your revisions. • Write a one-page reflective statement describing and advocating for your revisions. • Submit your Revision Portfolio by Dec. 1.

Disabilities* If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability Services in a timely manner so that your needs may be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities (303-492-8671, Willard 322, www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices).

If you have a temporary medical condition or injury, see the guidelines at http://www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices/go.cgi?select=temporary.html.

Religious Observances* Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to deal reasonably and fairly with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments, or required attendance. In this class, I ask that you contact me at least one week ahead of the date(s) that you will be absent so that we can discuss any assignments/class material that you will miss. See full details at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html.

Classroom Behavior* Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Those who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance, and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. (See policies at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html and at http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code.)

Discrimination and Harassment* The University of Colorado at Boulder policy on Discrimination and Harassment, the University of Colorado policy on Sexual Harassment and the University of Colorado policy on Amorous Relationships apply to all students, staff and faculty. Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been the subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. Information about the ODH, the above referenced policies and the campus resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained at http://www.colorado.edu/odh.

The Honor Code* All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (honor@colorado.edu; 303-725-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Other information on the Honor Code can be found at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html and at http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/.


 * University of Colorado - Boulder recommended syllabus statement