For Monday, November 9th

At the end of class, I mentioned that I wanted you to compose one works cited entry with an annotation. I've set up a dropbox on D2L for you to turn in this assignment. Here are the guidelines:

-Compose this in a Word document

-Heading (Name, Class, Date) should be in the upper left hand corner

-Title this assignment, Annotated Bibliography, and center justify it

-12 point, Times New Roman font

-Double Spaced, with 0 pt between paragraphs

-One works cited entry in proper MLA format (please refer to Rules for Writers)

Annotation

-3-5 sentences that summarize IN YOUR OWN WORDS what information is included in the article, book, website, etc.

-3-5 sentences that evaluate the material. Here you will be determining whether or not you'll use this source for your paper.

NOTE: The source you use for this exercise does not necessarily have to be included as a source for your final paper. This assignment will help you get a feel for composing an annotated works cited and help choose/eliminate sources during your research process.

I-Search Paper

For more guidelines and information on the I-Search paper click the following link:

I-Search

The following link will help you navigate the school's library site. It's the address that Justine gave us in class.

MSU Library

Today I picked up the handouts the library offers to help assist you with research. I'll pass them out on Monday. They cover the major databases to which the school subscribes and provides space to take notes while researching.

Due dates established during Monday's class:

Monday, November 16th--Rough Drafts of the I-Search paper are due via D2L (We'll go over the assignment sheet on the 9th)

Monday, November 23rd--Annotated Bibliographies due (Conference Week to discuss rough drafts)

Monday, November 30th--Final Drafts of the I-Search paper are due

Monday, December 7th--Our final is scheduled for 6:00pm in AH 203. I'll be there, but attendance is not required. If you want your final paper and grade, stop in.

Writing Prompt #9

Think about someone you know--a friend, relative, co-worker, the crazy guy in your home town--making sure this person has some sort trait that can be researched.  For example, if a friend of yours has some sort of disorder or illness that you could research further, or if you wanted to write about a family member and decide to research the reltionships between siblings or parents and children--all of these are fair game.

Identify this person, listing physical attributes, habits they have, things they say.  Identify what it is you could research that pertains to this person.  If you decide to write about a coworker, for example, you could do research on the company where you work or about the workforce in general.  If you know someone who has gotten involved in drugs or has had legal issues, you can incorporate laws, punishments, etc. into your narrative.

I'm leaving this prompt open and vague so that you take it in any direction you seem fit.  You don't necessarily have to bring research into this blog post; rather, this is a way to help you brainstorm ideas for possible research topics that pertain to a person or people you know.

In-Class Prompt #8

Make a list of your interests/passions/obsessions. The example in class was Steve Almond's obsession with candy. After you've made your list, choose one of the items and write about it.

Include the following:

-Identify the interest

-Describe what's involved (ex.: if you love a sport, describe how the game is played, the rules, its national popularity)

-How did you get interested in this?

-Why do you love this activity/interest so much?

-Has this activity taught you anything or made you look at the world differently? If so, how or why?

Reading Assignment for Monday, October 26th

Read the following essays and be prepared to discuss them in class on Monday. If you come across something during the course of your reading, please feel free to bring it up during our class discussion.

"Alpha Girl," by Laura Sessions Stepp

"Offensive Play," by Malcolm Gladwell

In-Class Prompt #7

To be completed as homework--post to your blogs by Monday, October 12th:

Write about the worst teacher you've ever had. Make sure you identify the teacher (you don't have to use his or her real name), the class (English, Math, etc.), the grade level/your age when you were under the instruction of this teacher. Provide as many concrete details as possible about this person: what does s/he look like, what did s/he say, and how did s/he act? These details should be used to paint a specific picture of this person and to convey your mood toward him or her.

For the purposes of this blog post, write a scene about a specific event that showcases why you feel the way you do about this teacher. Include scene description, dialog, and action. If you decide to use this prompt and develop it into a rough draft, you can include more than one event, more than one scene (the way Sedaris does in "Me Talk Pretty One Day").

In-Class Discussion

Respond to the following questions on your blogs. Remember to include examples from the text--"Me Talk Pretty One Day"--to support your claims.

-What's happening on the surface of this essay?
-What's below the surface (the focus/main idea/the 'so what')
-What's the tone of the piece?-Why might the writer be using this tone?
-What effects could this tone have on a piece of writing?
-What's the writer's attitude toward his subject?

In-Class Prompt #6

Write about the worst or best job you've ever had. Take the following questions into consideration when writing:
-ID the place of employee, your job title, and your responsibilities.
-When (date/season/your age) and where did this specific job take place?
-Who did you work with (friends/people your age/older people)? What did they look like, how did they act, what did they say?
-Was anything else of significance going on in your life (or in the world)?
-Why was this the best or worst job you've ever had?

You can choose to write about one specific event that sums up your entire experience, or you can tell a series of events that all point to the same idea/focus. Remember to provide reflection, in addition to scenes.

In-Class Prompt #5

Write about the most interesting person you know. Identify the person and their relationship to you. Make three lists (they can be complete sentences, or they can contain a bullet list). In the first list, include any pertinent physical characters (size, hair color, any unique physical details, etc.). In the second list, write down any dialog (speech) you can remember. For example, if the person constantly says something on a daily basis--any catch phrases, if you will. In third list, write down this person's specific behaviors.

From these lists, take one or more items and develop a scene, based on a specific memory you have of this person. Remember to include setting/place, the time, physical descriptions, dialog, and action.

For Homework:
In addition to the scene, provide some reflection on the event. Why is this s/he the most fascinating person you know? Did anything important in your life occur around the same time as this scene? Do you still keep in touch with this person? Reflect on this time or this person in any way you'd like.

Also, read "Black Hair," by Gary Soto. You can find the link to this essay on the right-hand column of the class blog. Be prepared to discuss the piece on Monday.

Extra Credit

Just a reminder: tomorrow there are two Good Thunder events. You can receive extra credit by attending either the Craft Talk at 3:00pm (in CSU 284) or the Reading at 7:30pm (in CSU 253). In order to receive extra credit, you will need to write at least 150 words and post that write-up to your blog. Identify the writer and report on what he talked about or read in your write-up. You'll have a week to post your response. Please check in with me before the event begins so I know to check your blog.

The write-up and your attendance will earn you 1% onto your final grade. There are four Good Thunder events this semester, which means you can possibly gain four extra percentage points if you go to all of them. Because MSU uses grade shading (+/- system), these points could become valuable at the end of the term. Note: there is only 1% available for each Good Thunder date. If you go to both the reading and the craft talk on any of the dates, you will not receive 2% extra credit. For a full schedule of Good Thunder dates and events, click the link on the right-hand side of this blog.

Homework for Monday, September 21st

The final draft of your Summary/Responses are due this next Monday. There's a dropbox set up on D2L, marked Summary/Response--Final Draft. Remember to submit a copy of your paper into the dropbox in addition to turning in a hard copy. Failure to do both will result in a lowering of your paper's final grade. For full assignment details, please reference the assignment sheet provided under the content section of D2L.

Also, you have a reading assignment for Monday. There is a link on the right-hand side of this blog titled, "The American Male at Age Ten." Make sure you have read and are prepared to discuss this essay in class on the 21st.

In-Class Prompt #4

Write a formal letter to your advisor (if you don't know your advisor's name, make one up), declaring your major (if you don't have a major picked out yet, just pick one for the assignment's sake). Pay close attention to tone, audience, and word choice. Use the following template:

Your Name

123 Main

Mankato, MN 56001

Date

Advisor's name

220 Centennial Student Union

Mankato, MN 56001

Dear Professor______:

First Paragraph: Formally declare your major

Second Paragraph: Write about why you'd like to major in this field.

Third Paragraph: Explain why you'd be a good candidate to major in this field.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Note: Make sure the letter is single-spaced and left justified. Use an additional space to separate paragraphs. Turn in this letter as a Word document on D2L (there's a dropbox marked Formal Letter to Advisor).

Homework for Monday, September 14th

Chose a song and write a summary/response about it. This could be your favorite song, or the song you hate the most. It can be any genre.

Summary

Describe the song in full detail. What is the title of the song? Who is the artist? What genre is it? What instruments are used? Are there any effects being used? If you know musical terms, provide them.

Response

Why do you like this song? Why do you hate it? Provide specific reasons, such as lyrics or the way the music makes you feel. Be thorough in your explanations.

Your summary/response should be at least two FULL pages, double-spaced. Please use Times New Roman, 12-point font. The page's margins should be 1". There is a dropbox on D2L, where the paper is to be submitted by the beginning of class on September 14th.

In-Class Prompt #3

View Kevin Carter's photo (see link in right margin titled, "Carter Photo").

-Describe the scene in full detail, using concrete images.

-What is your reaction to the photo?

-What does the image mean? What is the message being conveyed?

In-Class Prompt #2

"A Modest Proposal" Summary Response

Summary

-What is the focus (main idea) of the essay?

-What are Swift's arguments/points?

-What is the purpose of the essay?

Response

-Agree, disagree, propose an alternate solution/method for fixing the problem

-Use logic to validate or deconstruct Swift's argument/proposal

-Use logic to validate or deconstruct Swift's method/form (satire)

In-Class Prompt #1

What writing experience do you have?

-Has it been strictly academic?

-Do you write in your free time?

-Provide examples.

If you have written in your free time, what purpose(s) did it serve? If you don't write on your own, have you ever felt the desire to do so?

What are your expectations for this course?

What do you hope to gain from the class?

Syllabus - Fall 2009

Course: ENG 101–09 Composition

Course Meeting: 6:00pm–9:45pm M

Course Location: AH 203

Instructor: Daniel DeWolf

Office: AH 206A

Office Hours: 12:00pm–2:00pm T, 2:00pm–4:00pm W

Office Phone: 507-389-1022

Email: daniel.dewolf@mnsu.edu

Website: http://dewolfsyllabus.blogspot.com

Course Description: Students will practice strategies for generating and developing ideas, locating and analyzing information, analyzing audience, drafting, writing sentences and paragraphs, evaluating drafts, revising, and editing in essays of varying lengths. Students will also become experienced in computer-assisted writing and research.

Course Goals: To develop writers who use the English language effectively and who read and write critically. The course objective is to prepare students for the writing that they’ll be required to do throughout their college careers. By the end of the class, students will be able to do the following:

a.) demonstrate and practice strategies for idea generation, audience analysis, organization of texts, drafting, evaluation of drafts, revision, and editing;


b.) write papers of varying lengths that demonstrate effective explanation, analysis, and argumentation;


c.) become experienced in computer-assisted writing and research;


d.) locate and evaluate material, using PALS, the Internet, and other sources;


e.) analyze and synthesize source material, making appropriate use of paraphrase, summary, quotation, and citation conventions;


f.) employ syntax and usage appropriate to academic writing and the professional world.

Required Text: Rules for Writers Sixth Edition (2009 MLA Update)

Diana Hacker

ISBN-13: 978-0-312-59339-1

ISBN-10: 0-312-59339-2

Required Coursework/Grading:

Summary/Responses 15%

Informative Research Paper 25%

Multi-Genre Research Project 20%

Personal Narrative 15%

Each essay will be generated from an in-class prompt. Students will engage in the three steps of writing: pre-writing, drafting, and revising. Rough drafts are to be posted to D2L for in-class peer editing. The final draft of each essay will be submitted to D2L on the assigned due date and a hard copy will be required, as well. Essays will be graded on how well the students follow and apply the criteria for each essay outlined on the assignment sheets (to be provided).

Participation 15%

Students will be required to engage in free-writing (to be posted as a blog) during specified times, conduct peer reviews of essay drafts via D2L, and participate in class discussions based on the assigned reading. Failure to participate in any of these activities will result in the loss of some or all of a day’s participation points.

Attendance 10%

You cannot receive participation points if you are not in class. If you miss class and have not exceeded the allotted two absences, you can complete in-class assignments as homework and receive no penalty. In-class assignments will be posted on D2L (under the Discussions heading) for those who have missed class and are eligible for the homework alternative.

Grading Scale:

A- = 90-92 A = 93-97 A+ = 98-100

B- = 80-82 B = 83-86 B+ = 87-89

C- = 70-72 C = 73-76 C+ = 77-79

D = 60-69

F = 0-59

NOTE: the lowest PASSING grade a student can earn in English 101 is a C. If a student earns a C- or lower, he/she will have to repeat the course. This is a policy that has been set by the university.

Class Policies: Students are allowed 1 absence. Any absence after the allotted one will result in the lowering of the student’s final grade by 10% per absence. There are no distinctions between excused and unexcused absences. All coursework must be completed to pass this class. Failure to turn in work at the beginning of class on its due date will result in a full letter grade deduction for that assignment. Writing done for this class is considered public text. Assignments are tentative and subject to change. 
 Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated; it may result in failure of the class. Students who need to meet with the instructor and are unable to do so during scheduled office hours can make an appointment via email. Students are required to meet with the instructor for conferences twice during the course of the fall semester to review course work and class progress.

Academic Dishonesty: MSU has a zero tolerance policy regarding Academic Dishonesty. Students caught plagiarizing, cheating, or colluding will receive an automatic failing grade, and they will be required to retake the course. Academic Dishonesty—per MSU Policies and Procedures—is defined as follows:

Plagiarism – Submission of an academic assignment as one’s own work, which includes critical ideas or written narrative that are taken from another author without the proper citation. This does not apply only to direct quotes, but also to critical ideas that are paraphrased by the student. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to:

• submitting the work of others as your own

• submitting others’ work as your own with only minor changes

• submitting others’ work as your own without adequate footnotes, quotations, and other reference forms

• multiple submission of the same work, written or oral, for more than one course without both instructor’s permission, or making minor revisions on work which has received credit and submitting it again as new work.

Cheating – Use of unauthorized material or assistance to help fulfill academic assignments. This material could include unauthorized copies of test materials, calculators, crib sheets, help from another student, etc.

Collusion – Assistance to another student or among students in committing the act of cheating or plagiarism.

Center for Academic Success: In addition to working with the instructor, students are encouraged to take advantage of the services offered by MSU’s Center for Academic Success located in the basement of Memorial Library (ML 116). These services include free tutoring sessions in nearly all subject areas, including composition. By appointment or walk-in, the Center is open to students Monday through Friday. MavCard required. Go to http://www.mnsu.edu/supersite/academics/success or call 507-389-1791.

Note for Students with Disabilities: From the Office of Disability Services: “MSU provides students with disabilities reasonable accommodation to participate in educational; programs, activities, or services. Students with disabilities requiring accommodation to participate in class activities or meet course requirements should first register with the Office of Disability Services, located in 0123 Memorial Library, telephone 389-2825, TDD 711 and then contact me as soon as possible.”

Additional Information: Cell phone use in class is not permitted. Please silence or power off phones while in class. If an emergency arises, please exit the classroom quietly to take the call outside. Drinks and food are not allowed in the computer lab. You will be asked to discard or put away any food or drink you bring to class.

Reading for Tuesday, April 21st

Please read, "Black Hair" by Gary Soto for Tuesday.  Please bring in any questions, concerns, comments to class, and be prepared to discuss the essay, as well.  You can access the piece by clicking here.

Prompt for Tuesday, April 21st

Please complete the following on your own blog.  This is in lieu of in-class writing from Thursday, due to the Good Thunder Craft Talk.  

Write about the worst teacher you ever had.

-What was the situation? (year in school, name of class, outside factors [family, friends, work, geographical situation])

-Provide examples of why this teacher was the worst (what did s/he say? what did s/he do?)

-How did these situations make you feel?

-How did you respond, or want to respond?

Just write for ten to fifteen minutes and post it to your blog by our next class.  If you think you'd like to write about the worst job you've ever had (our in-class writing prompt for Tuesday), you can get started on it.  Otherwise, you can wait for the in-class time to work on it.

Worst Job

-Where did you work and what were your responsibilities?

-Who did you work with? (Bosses, co-workers, etc.)

-Provide descriptions of place, co-workers, or any other relevant info

-Were there any factors outside of work that made this experience especially tough? (relationships, school, family, geographical situation)

-What made this the worst job you've ever had?

Homework for Thursday, April 16th

Please read, "Me Talk Pretty One Day," by David Sedaris for Thursday. Be prepared to discuss the essay, and bring any questions you may have to class. You can access the text by clicking here. You do not have to worry about answering the questions that follow the essay.

Personal Narrative Assignment Sheet

Assignment: Personal Narrative
Due Date: Rough draft due Wednesday, April 22nd; Final draft due Thursday, April 30th
Page Requirements: 4-7 pages, double-spaced; MLA format; 12 point font, Times New Roman; Include page numbers in the right header; 1” margins.

Assignment Description: Write a personal narrative based on one of the prompts assigned in class. You can choose to write about a subject we’ve discussed from the readings—the most interesting person you know, the worst job you’ve ever worked, or the worst teacher you’ve ever had. You can also choose to write about an event based on any of the blog post prompts—summary responses, Good Thunder writers, your research topic, etc.—from this semester. If you’d like to write a personal narrative on some other event or idea, please let me know before you turn in your first draft.

Rough Drafts: You will be required to write at least one rough draft of the essay and submit it to the D2L dropbox—Personal Narrative—by 2:00pm on April 22nd. I will be conducting conferences from the 23rd till the 28th to go over your rough drafts, provide suggestions, and answer any questions you may have about the assignment.

Late Papers: The last day I will accept late papers is on our finals day—May 5th—with a penalty of 10% reduced from your paper’s final grade. If you turn in your paper late, I will most likely not have it graded by our finals day. You will be required to turn in a final draft via the D2L dropbox marked, Personal Narrative—Final Draft, and you will be required to turn in a hardcopy in class on the due date. This assignment counts for 15% of your overall grade, so it would be to your benefit to turn it in on time.

Plagiarism: If you decide you want to imitate the style or sentence structure of a writer whose work we have read, remember to replace their content with your own. MSU has a zero tolerance policy on plagiarism. Also, if you decide to incorporate newspaper articles or research, make sure to give credit where credit is due. If you feel unsure about whether you’re plagiarizing, feel free to ask for some assistance. I’m available to look over your work during my office hours.

If you have any questions regarding the assignment requirements, grading criteria (provided as a supplement to this sheet), or policies, please contact me via email, my office phone, or stop by during office hours. Please refer to your syllabus for contact information.

Questions for Consideration

The following questions will serve as criteria for your personal narrative essay.

-Does the writer narrate a single event, or a series of events? How does the writer handle the use of anecdote?
-Does the writer use concrete, specific details and description?
-Does the writer make a point?
-Does the writer reflect (i.e. is the question, “so what?” answered)?
-Do all of the examples (details, images, word choice) point to the essay’s primary focus?
-Does the introduction hook the reader?
-Does the conclusion end abruptly or trail off?
-Does the essay have a logical organization?
-Are the transitions from paragraph to paragraph clear?
-Does the writer maintain a consistent tone?
-Is the level of diction appropriate for the audience, the ethos, and the essay’s point?
-Is the prose readable?
-Does the writer use correct grammar/mechanics?
-Does the writer vary sentence length and structure?
-Is the text free from distracting surface errors?

Homework for Thursday, April 9th

Please read, "The American Male at Age 10," by Susan Orlean--we will discuss it on Thursday. You can access the essay by clicking here.

Multi-Genre Research Questions for Consideration

-Is there a cover letter for each genre (3)?
-Do the cover letters address all of the objectives, as presented in class? (See example posted on D2L)
-Are the cover letters formatted correctly?
-Is a reflection paper provided?
-Does the reflection paper cover the objectives, as presented in class?
-Is the reflection properly formatted? (See blog post)
-Does the writer use correct grammar/spelling in the cover letters/reflection paper?
-Is a works cited page included?
-Is the works cited page properly formatted?
-Are there three genres included in the package?
-Do all three genres connect to form a cohesive package?
-Has research been incorporated into each genre?
-Is there a clear message/theme incorporated into the project?

Homework for Tuesday, March 24th

Rough drafts of one cover letter are due this Tuesday.  Please refer to the example provided on D2L under the "Content" section.  Additional guidelines: 12 point font, Times New Roman; single-spaced, left-justified.  Please turn in a signed hard copy at the beginning of class Tuesday.  

Also, the Craft Talk for Oliver De La Paz is on Tuesday at 3pm--that's not a typo on the website.  Class will be shortened in order to allow you the chance to attend.  The reading is still on Thursday at 7:30pm in CSU 253.

Reflection

Times New Roman
12 point font
Double-spaced
At least two FULL pages
Make sure to include a heading (MLA format) and title

-ID genres you used and the title of each piece
-Explain how each individual project connects to form a cohesive package
-Explain the theme or message you are trying to convey

-How did you incorporate research into your project?
-What approach did you take when researching, or when determining which research would go into your project?
-How did your approach differ from researching for the conventional paper?
-How do you feel about this project? (Was it easier/harder, frustrating/fun, etc.?)
-Include any other thoughts, observations, suggestions if you’d like.

Questions for Consideration

1. Does the writer narrow his/her topic to a single, specific and clear focus?
2. Does the writer provide an in-depth look at his/her topic?
3. Does the writer incorporate sources that are credible, timely, and relevant?
4. Does the writer define terms for the lay person audience?
5. Does the writer properly cite sources?
6. Does the writer rely too heavily on any one source?
7. Does the writer paraphrase in a clear and accurate way?
8. Does the writer remain objective?
9. Does the introduction hook the reader?
10. Does the essay have a logical organization?
11. Does the writer vary sentence length/structure?
12. Is the text free from distracting surface errors?
13. Is the text readable prose?
14. Does the conclusion trail off or end abruptly?
15. Does the writer maintain a consistent tone?

Research Paper Assignment Sheet

Assignment: Informative Research Paper
Due Date: Rough draft due Thursday, February 26th; Final Draft due Tuesday, March 17th
Page Requirements: 5-7 pages, double-spaced; MLA format; 12 point font, Times New Roman; include page numbers in the right header; 1” margins.

Assignment Description: Write an informative research paper based on the tentative thesis statement you emailed to me. This paper should incorporate 5-10 sources that work to support your thesis. I have posted on D2L and the class blog a list of questions to consider when writing, reviewing, and revising your drafts. This assignment will display your ability to research a narrowed topic, interpret the information, and present that information in the form of a formal research paper. You will be required to properly cite sources within the body of the text and compose a works cited page, as well. Examples can be found in your Rules for Writers handbook.

Rough Drafts: You will be required to write multiple drafts of this paper. The first draft is due on Thursday, February 26th and must be submitted to the appropriate dropbox on D2L. We will conduct one-on-one conferences the week before Spring Break, and the second drafts will be due the Tuesday after break. The rough draft must be complete with a clear intro, body, and conclusion; you will not need to turn in a hard copy of this draft. I will email you a commented version of your rough draft and go over it with you in our conference.

Late Papers: If you turn in your final draft late, you will receive a penalty of 10% reduced from the paper’s final grade. Whether it’s late one day or seven, your grade for this assignment will be lowered 10% if it’s not turned in on time. You will be required to turn in a final draft via the D2L dropbox marked, Research Paper—Final Draft, and you will be required to turn in a hardcopy in class on the due date. This assignment counts for 25% of your overall grade, so it would be to your benefit to turn it in on time.

Plagiarism: If you do not give credit where credit is due, if you fail to cite sources or blatantly steal someone else’s work, you will receive an automatic zero for both the assignment and the class. MSU has a zero tolerance policy on plagiarism. If you feel unsure about citing and paraphrasing from your sources, feel free to ask for some assistance.

If you have any questions regarding the assignment requirements, grading criteria (provided as a supplement to this sheet), or policies, please contact me via email, my office phone, or stop by during office hours. Please refer to your syllabus for contact information.

Homework for Tuesday, February 17th

Please have five sources that you wish to use for your research paper. Bring in the information needed to create a works cited sheet (i.e., author, title, publisher, year, page numbers, date of publication, etc.). You will need to bring in notes from each source, as well. We will be working on annotated bibliographies in class, so you will need to have summaries of the sources--IN YOUR OWN WORDS--available to complete this assignment.

Also, remember to sign in to D2L this Thursday for the class discussion. If you do not participate in the discussion, you will be marked absent for that day.  Under the discussion tab in D2L, click on Thursday, February 12th between 2:00pm and 3:45pm (our normal meeting time).  Make sure you do this on February 12th.  D2L keeps track of the time and date of your post.  Leave some sort of message (nothing obscene, please), stating that you are 'here'.  

Paraphrase

Direct Quote: You might say there are two kinds of writers: those who keep a journal in the hope that its contents might someday be published, and those who do not keep a journal for fear that its contents might someday be published.

Paraphrase: Sante believes that writers who keep journals either want the contents to be published or they are afraid that the contents will be published.

Direct Quote: In the end, Rieff decided that Sontag’s narrative of self-creation trumped any concern for discretion.

Paraphrase: Reif felt the development of honesty in Sontag's writings made it possible for her to avoid worrying about self-censoring.

Direct quote: Even if, later on, she was able to examine and analyze certain aspects of popular culture...she could undertake such a thing only in service to a higher goal — she was immune to subintellectual cultural pleasures.

Paraphrase: Even though Sontag examined and analyzed popular culture, she only engaged in these activities in order to write about them.

Homework for Tuesday, February 2nd

Chose a topic for your research paper and write a tentative thesis statement. This thesis sentence should be narrow enough to yield a focused, five to six page paper, but broad enough to where you're not limited to finding one or two resources on the subject. The topic and the thesis statements are tentative, so you don't have to worry about these being set in stone. Please email me your thesis statements by Monday, February 1st. We will workshop them in class the following day (the sentences will be presented anonymously).

Things to remember:
-Make sure you are not setting up an argument (i.e., Leopards are viewed as being superior to squirrels in the animal kingdom)
-Be sure to avoid taking a stance (i.e., I think leopards are cooler than squirrels)
-Avoid being too general (i.e., I'm writing a paper on leopards)
-Avoid being too specific (i.e., I'm writing about a single spot on Larry the leopard's coat)

MLK Summary/Response

Things to think about/identify when summarizing the text:

• Who is the intended audience?
• Is there a secondary or broader audience, too?
• What is MLK's persona (ethos) and tone?
• Does MLK use pathos or logos in his argument?
• What is the main problem, or why is MLK in jail?
• What is his purpose?

Use the same guidelines provided in the post below for your response and formatting.

Summary/Response Questions

Summary

• What is the problem/issue Brady addresses in "I Want a Wife"?
• What is her purpose for writing the piece?
• What is she trying to say (her message)?
• Who is her intended audience?
• What is the writer's tone?
• What are some of the points she makes in the piece?

Possible Responses (You can address more than one of these options)

• Do you agree/disagree with what she is saying? Why or why not?
• Is this a fitting response to the stated problem/issue?
• How well does she say what she is trying to say, or is her message effective?
• Is there a more effective way to get this message across to her intended audience?
• Does the writer use any logical fallacies in her argument?

Remember: The paper needs to be composed in MLA format. Please refer to page 467 in your book for formatting/layout guidelines. The paper should be two pages (about 500 words). Upload a digital copy of your paper to the appropriate dropbox in D2L, and bring a hard copy to class on Thursday. We will discuss the Brady essay in class. Please email me if you have any questions/concerns regarding this assignment.

Course Schedule

Week 1
Tuesday, January 13th—Introduction, Blogs, Writing Assessment,
Homework: Read, “A Modest Proposal,” by Jonathan Swift
Thursday, January 15th—How to write a summary response, Discuss reading assignment
Homework: Write example summary response

Week 2
Tuesday, January 20—Swift response due; Logical fallacies
Homework: Read, “I Want a Wife,” by Judy Brady; write
summary/response
Thursday, January 22—Brady response due; Writing to a specific audience
Homework: Read “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” by Martin
Luther King, Jr.; write summary/response

Week 3
Tuesday, January 27—MLK response due; Begin research unit
Thursday, January 29—Brainstorming topics, tentative theses, narrowing the thesis
*Good Thunder*

Week 4
Tuesday, February 3—In-class Library orientation
Thursday, February 5—Outlining, structuring, in-text citations, works cited

Week 5
Tuesday, February 10—The writing process, revising
Thursday, February 12—NO CLASS

Week 6
Tuesday, February 17—In-class research day
Thursday, February 19—Research Paper Rough Draft Due
*Good Thunder*

Week 7
Tuesday, February 24—Conferences
Thursday, February 26—Conferences

Week 8
Tuesday, March 3—Conferences
Thursday, March 5—Research Paper Final Draft Due

Week 9
SPRING BREAK

Week 10
Tuesday, March 17—Begin Multi-Genre Research Project Unit
Thursday, March 19—TBD

Week 11
Tuesday, March 24—TBD
Thursday, March 26—TBD
*Good Thunder*

Week 12
Tuesday, March 31—TBD
Thursday, April 2—Multi-Genre Research Project Due
Homework: Read, “The American Male at Age 10,” by Susan
Orlean

Week 13
Tuesday, April 7—Discuss homework, work on in-class writing prompt
Homework: Read, “The Boy,” by Diana Joseph
Thursday, April 9—Discuss homework, work on in-class writing prompt
Homework: Read, “Black Hair,” by Gary Soto

Week 14
Tuesday, April 14—Discuss homework, work on in-class writing prompt
Homework: Read, “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” by David Sedaris
Thursday, April 16—Discuss homework, work on in-class writing prompt
*Good Thunder*

Week 15
Tuesday, April 21—Conferences
Thursday, April 23—Conferences

Week 16
Tuesday, April 28—Conferences
Thursday, April 30—Personal Narrative Final Draft Due

Finals Week
Tuesday, May 5 12:30pm–2:30pm
Location TBD

English Composition Syllabus

Minnesota State University
Fall 2008

Course: ENG 101–30 Composition
Course Meeting: 2:00pm–3:45pm TTh
Course Location: AH 327

Instructor: Daniel DeWolf
Office: AH 206A
Office Hours: 12:00pm–2:00pm TTh
Office Phone: 507-389-1022
Email: daniel.dewolf@mnsu.edu
Website: http://dewolfsyllabus.blogspot.com

Course Description: Students will practice strategies for generating and developing ideas, locating and analyzing information, analyzing audience, drafting, writing sentences and paragraphs, evaluating drafts, revising, and editing in essays of varying lengths. Students will also become experienced in computer-assisted writing and research.

Course Goals: To develop writers who use the English language effectively and who read and write critically. The course objective is to prepare students for the writing that they’ll be required to do throughout their college careers. By the end of the class, students will be able to do the following:
a.) demonstrate and practice strategies for idea generation, audience analysis, organization of texts, drafting, evaluation of drafts, revision, and editing;

b.) write papers of varying lengths that demonstrate effective explanation, analysis, and argumentation;

c.) become experienced in computer-assisted writing and research;

d.) locate and evaluate material, using PALS, the Internet, and other sources;

e.) analyze and synthesize source material, making appropriate use of paraphrase, summary, quotation, and citation conventions;

f.) employ syntax and usage appropriate to academic writing and the professional world.

Required Text: Rules for Writers Sixth Edition
Diana Hacker
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-45276-6
ISBN-10: 0-312-45276-4

Required Coursework/Grading:

Summary/Responses 15%
Informative Research Paper 25%
Multi-Genre Research Project 25%
Personal Narrative 15%

Each essay will be generated from an in-class prompt. Students will engage in the three steps of writing: pre-writing, drafting, and revising. Rough drafts will be posted on D2L for small group peer editing. The final draft of each essay will be submitted to D2L on the assigned due date and a hard copy will be required, as well. Essays will be graded on how well the students follow and apply the criteria for each essay outlined on the assignment sheets (to be provided).

Participation 10%

Students will be required to engage in free-writing (to be posted as a blog) during specified times, conduct peer reviews of essay drafts via D2L, and participate in class discussions based on the assigned reading. Failure to participate in any of these activities will result in the loss of some or all of a day’s participation points.

Attendance 10%
You cannot receive participation points if you are not in class. If you miss class and have not exceeded the allotted two absences, you can complete in-class assignments as homework and receive no penalty. In-class assignments will be posted on D2L (under the Discussions heading) for those who have missed class and are eligible for the homework alternative.

Grading Scale:

A- = 90-92 A = 93-97 A+ = 98-100
B- = 80-82 B = 83-86 B+ = 87-89
C- = 70-72 C = 73-76 C+ = 77-79
D = 60-69
F = 0-59

NOTE: the lowest PASSING grade a student can earn in English 101 is a C. If a student earns a C- or lower, he/she will have to repeat the course. This is a policy that has been set by the university.

Class Policies: Students are allowed 2 absences. Any absence after the allotted two will result in the lowering of the student’s final grade by 4% per absence. There are no distinctions between excused and unexcused absences. All coursework must be completed to pass this class. Failure to turn in work at the beginning of class on its due date will result in a full letter grade deduction for that assignment. Writing done for this class is considered public text. Assignments are tentative and subject to change.
 Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated; it may result in failure of the class. Students who need to meet with the instructor and are unable to do so during scheduled office hours can make an appointment via email. Students are required to meet with the instructor for conferences twice during the course of the fall semester to review course work and class progress.

Academic Dishonesty: MSU has a zero tolerance policy regarding Academic Dishonesty. Students caught plagiarizing, cheating, or colluding will receive an automatic failing grade, and they will be required to retake the course. Academic Dishonesty—per MSU Policies and Procedures—is defined as follows:

Plagiarism – Submission of an academic assignment as one’s own work, which includes critical ideas or written narrative that are taken from another author without the proper citation. This does not apply only to direct quotes, but also to critical ideas that are paraphrased by the student. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to:
• submitting the work of others as your own
• submitting others’ work as your own with only minor changes
• submitting others’ work as your own without adequate footnotes, quotations, and other reference forms
• multiple submission of the same work, written or oral, for more than one course without both instructor’s permission, or making minor revisions on work which has received credit and submitting it again as new work.

Cheating – Use of unauthorized material or assistance to help fulfill academic assignments. This material could include unauthorized copies of test materials, calculators, crib sheets, help from another student, etc.

Collusion – Assistance to another student or among students in committing the act of cheating or plagiarism.


Center for Academic Success: In addition to working with the instructor, students are encouraged to take advantage of the services offered by MSU’s Center for Academic Success located in the basement of Memorial Library (ML 116). These services include free tutoring sessions in nearly all subject areas, including composition. By appointment or walk-in, the Center is open to students Monday through Friday. MavCard required. Go to http://www.mnsu.edu/supersite/academics/success or call 507-389-1791.

Note for Students with Disabilities: From the Office of Disability Services: “MSU provides students with disabilities reasonable accommodation to participate in educational; programs, activities, or services. Students with disabilities requiring accommodation to participate in class activities or meet course requirements should first register with the Office of Disability Services, located in 0123 Memorial Library, telephone 389-2825, TDD 711 and then contact me as soon as possible.”

Additional Information: Cell phone use in class is not permitted. Please silence or power off phones while in class. If an emergency arises, please exit the classroom quietly to take the call outside. Drinks and food are not allowed in the computer lab. You will be asked to discard or put away any food or drink you bring to class.