Course Information and Syllabus

English 1010

Introduction to Writing

Instructor: Dr. Tom Plummer

Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays

Section 27: 11:30 AM-12:45 AM

Section 38: 1:00 PM-2:15 PM


Please contact me by email: plumuvuenglish@gmail.com
http://english1010plummerspring.blogspot.com

SPRING SEMESTER CALENDAR:

Classes begin: Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Please note updated information on Martin Luther King Day:
Monday, January 16, Martin Luther King Day--Tuesday class held as usual
Thursday January 19, 2012: No class
Martin Luther King Day, keynote lecture by Julian Bond,  "The Road to Freedom From Alabama to Obama."Grande Ballroom, UVU Sorensen Student Center. No class. Extra credit for writing a one-page report on Bond's lecture. 

Tuesday, February 21, President's Day (Monday classes meet on Tuesday-no class)
Monday-Friday, March 12-16, Spring Break Holidays
Thursday, April 19, last day of class

THE CLASS:

This is a writing course. The two areas of focus in this class are writing and thinking. I want you to learn to write better and think more critically than ever before. No matter how you choose to spend your life, you will have to think and write about problems. These may be problems about computer programming, parenting, marriage, living a gay life, running for office, or engineering a new super computer. Most of you will be wrestling with how to solve those problems. There is no way to escape them. The difference between success and failure is how you think about and solve the problems you face.

This class will show you how to write about problems. Writing is problem solving. You will learn how to approach a problem in writing, how to develop an argument, and how to draw it to a conclusion. You will learn about documenting the thoughts of others. You will learn about how to think smarter, how to write smarter. No other class in the university is more important than this one. Engineers spend 75% of their time writing. Good mechanics have to spot a problem and find their way to a solution. Good doctors who can’t think and write will kill off their patients. This class is rock-solid fundamental.   

A big part of this class involves you talking to each other as a community of writers. I will require you to participate both in the larger class and in small groups.


ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY:

Since so much of this class involves communicating with each other, it follows that you need to be in class on time every day. Some professors in the university require that you not miss more than three classes to pass the course.  I'm choosing a little different track. Every class you attend I will give you twenty points. Every class that you come more than five minutes late, will give you 10 points. If you come more than ten minutes late, you will not get any points. Some may think that coming late is not worth coming. WRONG. We will still be discussing strategies for writing and thinking, and if you're not in class, you will miss a great deal of material that will help you succeed. I will not accept excuses on this policy. If you're here, you get points, if you're not here, you get no points. And I will deduct points if you leave class early to go to work or to get to another class. Do the math. This class will meet about 28 times. Twenty-eight times 20 points equals 560 points. That's a big chunk of the class.


There. I've said it.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

John D. Ramage, et al, The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing, 6^th Edition.

Lester Faigley, The Little Penguin Handbook.

Please bring both books with you daily. I know these books are expensive. If you can find one online or if you can find an earlier edition, buy that instead. 

GRADES:

Your grade in this class depends on 1) punctuality and attendance: 2) turning work in on time; and 3) showing improvement in your writing and thinking. Frankly, I hate grading, but we have to talk about it.

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

Assignments completed outside the classroom should be typed, double-spaced and error-free. Leave sufficient margins for comments. Put your name in the upper left or right hand corner of the paper. Like this:

Staple (DON'T FORGET TO STAPLE--NO DOG EARS)


Top of page

Your name: Julie Smith

Date: September 9, 2010

Assignment: Why is Harley Davidson on the brink of going out of business?

Your paper follows xxxxxxxxxx

Writing assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. I DO NOT ACCEPT PAPERS BY EMAIL.  

Please have 8 1/2 by 11" lined paper with you for in-class writing (no odd sized paper, no paper with frayed edges).

Daily Rushwriting

The first five minutes of every class will be spent rush writing. Begin at the time class is to begin. I will stop you after five minutes and collect the writing.

RUSH WRITING MAY NOT BE TURNED IN LATER IN THE HOUR OR ON ANOTHER DAY.

Short Writing Assignments:

In addition to longer pieces, I will assign short writing, to be turned in at the beginning of class. Please type, double-space as before. Staple. Be sure your name, date, and type of assignment is at the top of the page (see above).

Longer Writing Assignments:

On every longer writing assignment, we will have in-class workshops. I’ll explain this when the time comes. YOU MUST BE HERE ON THOSE DAYS AND YOU MUST PARTICIPATE IN A WORKSHOP.

Final Writing Assignment:

Your final writing assignment will be a short research paper. We will discuss the elements of that paper as the class goes along.

Schedule of activities and assignments

Weeks 1 and 2: Writing for a purpose. Asking questions and problematizing a topic

Reading: Chapters 1, 2, and 16

Tuesday

Jan 10

Let’s get acquainted.
Rush writing—introduce yourself.
Introductions all around.

What’s the apple for?

The art of taking various points of view. 

What points of view might be valid to ask about the apple?

EXAMPLE OF TAKING DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW: 

A research essay starts with a QUESTION OR A PROBLEM.

WHAT IS THE QUESTION OR PROBLEM THAT YOUR ESSAY ADDRESSES?

Asking questions about an apple.

Good questions do not ask for a yes or no or simple answer.

Good question words: why? what if? how? if…then why?

Thursday

Jan 12

Read "Diagnosing and Treating the Ophelia Syndrome" 

Assignment for today: 

1) Write in a sentence or two defining what you understand the "Ophelia Syndrome" to be.

2) Write a brief summary of the six points in the essay. 

3) Write two or three reasons why you agree with the essay and why. 

4) Write two or three reasons why you disagree with the essay and why.  

This whole assignment should be not more two pages long, typed, double spaced,  following the format for papers given above. 

Tuesday

Jan 23

Good writers address interesting problems. This is true of research writing as well as romance writing. Formulating productive questions or questions that lead to interesting answers. 

Brainstorm interesting problems that may lead to interesting answers. 

This is called "problematizing" a topic. 

To problematize a topic is to explore its pros and cons, to ask questions and to experiment with answers that lead to new insights.

Start with something that interests you, something that you’re curious about. What do you think about? What magazines do you read? Why do you think about what you think about? 

People in this class are majoring in digital media, philosophy, information systems/technology, business management, English, and paramedic. When you think about those areas of interest, what questions come to you? What problems are people in your field of interest trying to solve? 

Brainstorming in pairs: three questions, one after the other, about a topic of your choosing. 

 

Thursday 

Jan 26

Be sure to bring the Allyn Bacon textbook to class with you. 

Assignment: 

Chapter 1: Asking questions to lay the foundation for writing. Assignment: Read pages 11 to 15 in your book and write a list of 10 questions that you wonder about or don’t understand as you read these pages. 

Then: Write a list of ten questions about a topic that interests you. 

Type, double-space, and print your questions to hand in at the end of class.

Tuesday

Jan 30

important assignment: over the weekend, find a professional in some field that you are interested in. Ask them what the biggest problem is that they face in their line of work and how they are trying to solve it. If you're thinking of a career in nursing, talk to someone who's in nursing; if you're thinking of real estate, talk to a real estate broker. This is preferably not an uncle or aunt or parent or sibling. Meet someone you don't know well. You're not asking for a long interview--but you need enough time for this person to tell you about a major problem in his or her line of work. 

If you find yourself stumped at the outset, Google has a "Google Scholar" site:  http://scholar.google.com. 

Or look at some of the problems being discussed on Ted.com

Then go talk to someone about one major problem they face in their profession. 

THEN:

Write up the details of this conversation, 3-4 pages: what problem does this person face, and what solutions have they considered or are they planning to carry out? 

Thursday

Feb 2

How to write a problem statement. We will do a number of in-class exercises. This is an important preparation for the library meeting on Tuesday, February 7.  It is time now to choose a research project. Go to this site:

http://www.sac.edu/students/library/nealley/websites/controversial.htm

How to summarize a peer-reviewed, academic article. 

Choose a topic from this list that interests you. we will discuss this in class today. It is important that you have a topic before going to the library sessions on Thursday. 

Tuesday

February 7

Class meets in 207 Library for library training. 

ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED. I WILL ASSIGN EXTRA POINTS FOR ATTENDANCE, AND I WILL DEDUCT POINTS FROM YOUR CURRENT SCORE FOR MISSING. PLEASE BE ON TIME. THE CLASS WILL BE CONDUCTED BY A LIBRARIAN, AND I WILL ALSO BE THERE. YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO MISS THIS CLASS. 

After class and as an assignment for Thursday, find one complete article in your subject, find the correct MLA note, and write a summary of the article. 

THURSDAY 

FEB 9

The assignment for today is related to the time you spent in the library. In the library, you should have found at least one academic article or book on your topic. Copy the article or book chapter and summarize it. Double space, print, staple--2-3 pages. 

Part 2: Writing the problem statement. Each final paper will discuss a controversial issue or one on which experts disagree. The first paragraph of your paper will be the discussion of the problem your paper addresses.  We will reference pages 42-44 in the Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing. 

February 14 HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

But we still have work to do. 

THE SUBJECT FOR THIS CLASS AND THE NEXT CLASS (AND FOR THE REST OF THE SEMESTER IS RHETORICAL ANALYSIS). 

For today, read pages 11-21 in the Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing. 

Summarize (do not just write  a list these pages. Answer the question first, WHAT IS RHETORICAL ANALYSIS?  Then address the questions in your summary, 

How do writers think about purpose? 

How do writers think about audience? 

How do writers think about genre? 

In class, we'll address these questions, then have groups try writing the same piece of writing with different purpose, for a different audience, and in a different genre.  

What is rhetoric? 

Rhetorical analysis is to examine how an author goes about persuading readers. THIS IS NOT A PERSONAL RESPONSE--WHETHER YOU LIKE THE ESSAY OR NOT. THIS IS ANALYTICAL WRITING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE PIECE WORKS RHETORICALLY. (WHAT'S UNDER THE HOOD?) IT IS ALSO NOT WRITTEN TO ME, AS AUTHOR OF THE PIECE. YOU ARE WRITING TO AN INTELLIGENT BUT SOMEWHAT UNINFORMED AND CURIOUS AUDIENCE.  

What devices does the author use to keep the reader's attention? What devices does the author use to involve the reader? 

Preparation for next time: re-read the "Ophelia Syndrome" once again. Write a rhetorical analysis of the piece. Guidelines: 

• Do not assume your intended reader knows about the piece. This means you will have to write a short explanation. 
• Explore then write about the variety of rhetorical strategies the author uses to keep the intended audience involved. 
• Rhetoric is a persuasive device. How does the author use rhetoric in the "Ophelia Syndrome" to persuade the reader. 
• List in class some of the rhetorical devices in the "Ophelia Syndrome." 

February 16

BEFORE WRITING, SKIM THROUGH PAGES 51-81 IN THE "ALLYN & BACON GUIDE TO WRITING."

ASSIGNMENT FOR TODAY: 
Below is a copy of "DIAGNOSING AND TREATING THE OPHELIA SYNDROME" for the assignment.  

Write a rhetorical analysis of "Diagnosing and Treating the Ophelia Syndrome with examples from the text of your analysis. (3-4 typed, stapled, double-space pages.) PLAN IN ADVANCE THAT YOUR PRINTER WILL NOT WORK AND ARRANGE FOR A BACK UP PRINTER. 

Workshop: Rhetorical analysis of Ophelia Syndrome. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT WORKSHOP. PLEASE BE ON TIME. 
2-4 typed, stapled, double-spaced pages. Three copies. 

February 21

NO CLASS TODAY. MONDAY CLASSES WILL HAVE CLASSES ON TUESDAY THIS WEEK (PRESIDENTS; DAY).  

February 23

Final draft of rhetorical analysis due. Typed, double spaced, stapled.

Topic for today:

The art of writing paragraphs: it's more than just writing about one idea. It's the art of developing one idea at a time. 

Paragraphs, generally speaking, have a consistent structure: 

1) a transition if the paragraph is continuing from a previous paragraph.

2) a topic sentence

3) development of details that come from the topic sentence

4) possibly a brief summary and lead into the next paragraph. 

Read together and discuss pages 470-472 in class. 

In-class exercises--reading paragraphs and identifying their components. 

February 28

For class today, review pages 470, Paragraph 17.5 (at bottom of page) to 473 (end of page) in the Allyn and Bacon Guide and write three paragraphs related to the topic of your research paper. Double space each paragraph and make THREE COPIES OF YOUR WORK. Develop a single idea in each paragraph. These may be paragraphs independent of each other--not necessarily three consecutive paragraphs. 

Writing workshop. 

March 1

For today, make a revised copy of each paragraph that you wrote for February 28 (Tuesday). In preparation for this work, read pages 442-445 in The Allyn Bacon Guide and write a summary of each of the 10 points on pages 441 and 442. These are important guides for writing that you must ingest and make your own. Revisions will be due today. 

Classwork today will focus on your revised paragraphs. Be prepared to read your work aloud to the class for discussion.  

Msrch 6

Missed class. My apologies. We will combine the assignments for today with the the work on March 8, 

MARCH 8

Required material: Lester Faigley, The Little Penguin Handbook.  (Cited on the books required for the course). 

Todays discussion will focus on citing sources using the MLA format (MLA means Modern Language Association) and on plagiarism. Both of these topics are crucial for writing your research paper for the class. 

Bring to class 1) copies of three articles that you plan to use in your research paper. These must come from a library source. 2) Write a works cited page (as outlined in Tuesday's handout), listing these three works. Follow the format precisely. The source, if you have lost your sheet, is http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/05/
3) Create an outline of each article as demonstrated on the handout in Tuesday's class. Copy is also included here: 

Format for outlining an article or chapter

Your name

Date

Author’s name

Title of article or chapter

Source of article or chapter

Page numbers of article or chapter

Publication date

For an academic journal, include volueme and issue number

Sample for above:

AUTHOR(S):	Johnson, Sarah Lindstrom Burke, Jessica G. Gielen, Andrea C., et al.
TITLE:	Prioritizing the School Environment in School Violence Prevention Efforts
SOURCE:	The Journal of School Health 81 no6 331-40 Je 2011

Issue being examined:

Violence in schools: do interventions succeed?

Thesis or hypothesis:

This study provides support from students for the role of the school environment in school violence prevention, particularly in preventing the initiation and reducing the severity of school violence.

Supporting points:

1. 

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Conclusion:

Your personal reactions

SPRING BREAK. YIPPEEEEEE. 


Tuesday, March 20
WELCOME BACK
NOTE: THE LAST DAY OF CLASSES IS APRIL 19. THE FINAL DRAFT OF YOUR RESEARCH PAPER WILL BE DUE ON THAT DAY. BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, WE WILL FOCUS ON HELPING YOU FINISH A WILL-WRITTEN PAPER. IF YOU HAVE DECIDED ON A TOPIC OR NEED HELP NARROWING IT DOWN, YOU MUST SEE ME NOW SO THAT I CAN HELP YOU.  
I HAVE SCHEDULED THREE CLASS DAYS FOR CONSULTING EITH ME.  THESE ARE REQUIRED CONSULTATIONS, AND I WILL GIVE 100 POINTS FOR PROMPT ATTENDANCE. MEETINGS WILL BE 20 MINTUES APIECE.  THESE WILL TAKE PLACE ON TUESDAY, APRIL 3, THURSDAY, APRIL 5, AND TUESDAY, APRIL 10.  BY THEN YOU WILL HAVE WRITTEN A SEMI-FINAL DRAFT OF YOUR RESEARCH PAPER,WHICH YOU WILL BRING TO THE CONSULTATION. 


TODAY'S WORK: CITING TEXTS IN YOUR PAPER USING MLA FORMAT. YOUR REFERENCE GUIDE: THE LITTLE PENGUIN HANDBOOK, PAGES 70-115.  


Thursday, March 22
Continued discussion and practice on the MLA style of citing texts. 


Tuesday March 27
Returning papers and discussing the papers. How to improve on what you've already accomplished. 


Preparing your papers for the first draft. 


Thursday March 29
Today we will discuss the following: 

Preparing your papers for the first draft. 

Advance notice on your consultation. You should bring with you

1. Six summaries of articles that will be on your works cited page. The format for summaries is shown on the blog entry for March 8 (highlighted in yellow).

2. The completed first draft of your paper. 

• Margins should be one inch on both sides,
• Size 12 font.
• Double spaced.
• The works cited page, which should be the last page of your essay, with the title, "Works Cited." 
• All pages must be numbered, with the number at the top right of the page. 

3. When I look at your paper I will look at the following:

• the title of your essay. It must indicate the issues under discussion in your paper.
• the works cited page for correct MLA format.
• your summaries of listings on the works cited page. 
• the opening paragraph of your paper, which should be the problem statement.
• the thesis statement
• well rounded paragraphs that explore professional research on both sides of the issue you are writing about.
• a concluding paragraph that briefly summaries the paper and presents your own logical, balanced view of your position on the issue. 

During the consultation, we will explore your questions and concerns about your next draft of the paper. 

Student consultations will be on April 


3, 5, and 10

100 points for being on time
Location: one of the tables in the hall, west end, Sparks Building, 3rd floor. I don't have an office or meeting space, so this will have to do. Look for me there. 

Tuesday, April 3

11:00 

11:20  Chantry

11:40  Jenny

12:00  Haley

12:20  Elena

Lunch

1:00  Cory

1:20  Ryklee

1:40 

2:00  Carly

2:20 

3:00

3:20

3:40

Consultations

Thursday, April 5

11:00  Garrett

11:20 Joseph

11:40

12:00 Nathan

12:20 Brandon

Lunch
1:00 Melissa

1:20 Marcus

1:40 Jason

2:00 Jordan

2:20 Dallin

2:40 Corey

3:00 Cynthia

3:20 Jeremy

3:40 Debbie

Consultations

Tuesday, April 10

11:00  Scott

11:20  Cameron

11:40  Jake

12:00  Tony

12:20  Brian

Lunch

1:00  Tracy

1:20  Cami

1:40  Mariah

2:00  Trevin

2:20  Dustin

2:40

3:00

3:20  Connor

3:40  Sabrina


Thursday
April 12
Workshop
Second draft of final essay due. Bring three copies to class for workshop. 

Tuesday
April 17
Discussion of final draft of papers, questions.
This will not be a formal class meeting. I will be in the classroom, available to any of you who need last minute help. 


Thursday
April 19
LAST DAY OF CLASS
PARTY
FINAL DRAFT OF ESSAY DUE