ENGLISH 102: First Year Composition
FALL, 1998
Writing is a Thinking Skill
 
Judith C. Van
Office: Language and Lit. B 542
Office Hours: T-TH 9:00-11:00 & and by appt. on Wed.
Phone: 965-7655
E-mail address: jvan@asu.edu
Web address: http://www.public.asu.edu/~jvanasu (Students will find helpful information here).

 

Required Textbooks:

Guide to Composition: ASU English Publications, Online.

Axelrod, Rise, and Charles Cooper. The St. Martin's Guide to Writing , 5th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997. (Unless otherwise noted, all reading assignments refer to this textbook.)

Recommended Books: a college-level dictionary

Other Materials and Expenses:

Extensive photocopying

Binding cost of Anthology (Portfolio) about $2.50

Computer disks and carrying cases, various folders and magazines

A personal note from your Instructor:

Welcome to English 102. You are entering not only a classroom but a tradition of thinking and writing, known as Rhetorical Studies, today better known as Rhetoric and Composition. This tradition has its roots in early Greece, even before 500 B.C. James J. Murphy in A Synoptic History of Classical Rhetoric defines this tradition as, "the systematic analysis of human discourse (speech and writing) for the purpose of advancing useful principles for future communications." In other words, Rhetoric is the study and art of written and spoken communication. Further, it includes the study of logic and grammar.

The Rhetorical tradition, originating in the West and intimately involved with the democratic process, offers the modern student a system of knowledge created by the finest minds of antiquity and refined by modern scholars and citizens throughout the world. It is a body of knowledge available to you, and responsive to you. You are the writers and thinkers who will carry this tradition of inquiry and knowledge forward into your professional, civic, and personal lives. You, by practicing the principles, will extend this tradition to the next generation of thinkers and communicators.

Because everyone in class will be intimately involved in sharing and creating meaningful writing projects, it is important that we all follow the class guidelines. As your instructor I have certain responsibilities just as you have responsibilities as students. My responsibilities are to act as a facilitator and coach as you respond to writing assignments designed to build persuasive writing skills. The responsibility for your learning is your own. The process of writing well can only be learned through practice and often through failure. As in any learning endeavor, you will take risks, and you will not always succeed, but you frequently learn as much by your failures as your successes. I ask that you focus on your writing process, NOT only on your grade.

In each unit, I will offer lessons designed to reach students with various learning styles, therefore not everyone will respond in the same way to each lesson, but each student will, with an open mind, gain from even the activities that are not their personal favorites. For example some students prefer small group activities, while others say they gain more from lectures or class discussions. Difficult as it may be for some of us to comprehend, there are students who prefer to take quizzes and tests, even in their English classes! No matter how the material is presented, it is your responsibility to incorporate the lesson into your writing project.

For some of you this will be the last English class of your academic career, yet in English 102 we only have time to teach the basics of persuasive writing. We provide basic tools, a coach for you to work with, a supportive environment, and the opportunity to try your hand at four forms of persuasive writing. I hope that through the principles and methods practiced in this class you will extend and apply your knowledge, not only to your future profession but to your life as a citizen of our diverse democracy. Some students say they don't like English because there is not just one answer or solution to the problem as there is in math or in the hard sciences. Other students love English classes for the same reason. Since there is not just one answer, they feel that the study of composition frees them, allows them to express their individuality. Where do you stand?

However you feel about English today, I ask that you keep in mind that the study of Rhetoric and Composition has as much or more to do with you, the thinker, as it does with you, the writer. Persuasive Writing is about communicating and supporting your well-reasoned thoughts and ideas. As to my responsibilities, I assure you that any lesson I plan, or comment I make has to pass my own scrutiny. I ask myself if my comments or lesson plans will help you take the responsibility for communicating and supporting your ideas.

Regarding your writing projects, it is important that through investigation you come to conclusions, support those conclusions with reasons and can offer evidence in support of your reasons. When your ideas are challenged, you will be able to reason logically through the opposing argument and defend your position. If the oppositions reasons are more compelling, you will have the ability and objectivity to change your mind with confidence and poise. Thinking about issues, investigating them, then forming and defending your views appropriately gives one power and self confidence.

Here, a note about personalities in the classroom: I am here to teach, to create situations that challenge you to communicate effectively. I see these classes as an environment where a community of adult writers, this includes me, work to develop their craft. Some of you may balk at the work load, or feel that I am not as helpful as you think I should be. You may misunderstand and think I'm being hard or rude when I write, "So What?" or "What's your point," in the margin of your essay. Often these feelings and thoughts occur when you do not receive the grade you feel you deserve. Often they occur when a student thinks that my comments are directed at them personally rather than in response to their well, or perhaps not so well considered statements. My aim is always to challenge students to do their best. I will offer praise for work well done, and point out areas where you need improvement. My style tends to be more direct than chatty. The learning that takes place in our classroom and the projects we write about are important and meaningful, therefore mutual trust, respect and cooperation is very important to this process.

I can't teach a student to write well. I can only aid students by presenting learning situations and suggesting possible options for them to choose among so that they may solve their own writing problems. You are responsible for your learning. The only way to learn to write well is to practice, so I assign written homework, in-class essays, outlines, summaries and more. A good deal of our communication will be in writing, yet I will also call upon you in class, sometimes asking you to stand and illustrate a point or read from your work. Do not hesitate to mention any problems in the class discussion of the unit, we will all have problems. You are not alone!

If, after the class discussion at the end of each unit, you still feel that you do not understand why your paper received the grade it did, or if you are having problems with research or computers, then it is past the time to schedule an individual meeting with me. Schedule a meeting at any time during the writing process if you are having difficulties. Do not hesitate to discuss any problems you are experiencing, or to share your successes with me. My experience with students has shown that those who take the extra time to schedule a private meeting early in the semester develop a clearer picture of their goals for the class. I do not require you to come see me individually, but I encourage all of you to come and talk to me and/or email me about your work at any time during the process of writing. I look forward to working with all of you and hope that you will enjoy the challenge of this class as much as I enjoy the challenge of teaching it.



Course Description: As writers write, they need a set of strategies to move from thinking about a paper to polishing a final draft--strategies that vary depending on the nature of the writing task and audience. This course will help you explore and practice a variety of such strategies as you draft, revise, and edit different pieces of writing. The course emphasizes the importance of all stages of students' writing processes, including invention, drafting, revising, editing and proofreading. The writing projects in the course prepare students for the specific demands of persuasive writing. This includes, developing claims and grounds which acknowledge the needs of the audiences, the role of ethos and voice, the subtleties of language and the exigencies of subject and situation. Students also learn the various ways of engaging in research, and explore what it means to participate in a research and writing community. In our networked classrooms the technology is used as a tool for achieving these objectives.

Since each writer's needs are unique, this course will provide individual attention and feedback from me as well as from other students in class. I also encourage you to seek reactions to your ideas and drafts from people outside of this course. In addition to family and friends, consider soliciting advice from tutors in the Writing Center (3rd floor, B-wing of LL).

Note: Disability Resources for Students: ASU complies with all federal and state laws and regulations regarding discrimination, including the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). If you have a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for equal access to education at ASU, please call Disability Resources for Students at 965-1234. Please feel free to discuss special accommodations with me.

Deadlines for Withdrawals: I want to underscore the published deadlines for dropping courses at ASU. The deadline for unrestricted withdrawal from any course you have enrolled in for this semester is February  12, 1999The deadline for restricted
withdrawal--meaning that the teacher of the course you wish to drop must indicate that you
currently have a passing grade in the course, is


Course Requirements:

Attendance and Participation: Because so much of your learning will take place in class, you must attend on a regular basis to receive credit for this course. If you miss more than four classes, you cannot pass the course. NOTE: "Attendance" means being present, on time, and prepared for the entire class period. At the end of each class period, I will award you credit for participation: a zero(0) if you were absent, a minus(-) if you showed up but didn't contribute positively, and a plus (+) if you were there the whole class period and contributed positively.

To accommodate students who participate in university-sanctioned activities, the composition program offers sections of this course at various times of the day and week. We have asked advisors across the campus to help students enroll in appropriate sections. If you think that this course may conflict with a university sanctioned-activity in which you are involved--athletics, the debate team, or other university sanctioned activity--please see me after class today. While transferring to another section of this course may be the only viable option, let's discuss the possibilites.

Course Work: You must come to each class prepared to write, to share your drafts with others, and to revise what you have already written. This means you must work steadily both in class and on your own. Time management is an important element in writing and, thus, an important concern for you in this class.

NOTE: All students must have an email account by the second week of class.

CLASS ETIQUETTE: Please be on time and prepared. We will spend most of our classtime
in discussion and workshop. A portion of classes will also include traditional lectures and/or
oral presentations. Regardless of the class format, you will be expected to be prepared, to
listen, and to participate appropriately. Failure to do so is not only rude and immature, it is
distracting to other students and will not be tolerated: I may ask you to leave (which will
constitute an absence), or, if your problem persists, withdraw you from the class. Similar
penalties will occur to students who commit other forms of rudeness: offtask talking,
writing, or reading: insulting other classmembers; persistently arriving late to class.

COMPUTER CLASSROOMS: No food or drink is allowed in computer classrooms. Coming to a computer class without your disk is coming unprepared. coming without your
assignement is coming unprepared, so I would encourage you to copy and print your
assingment well before the deadline in case you have computer problems or there are lines
to use the computers in the dorms. Do not say anything on-line, via email, or on EF that you
wouldn't say in a public forum. Your password is available to teachers and administrators,
so mind your on-line manners, e.g. libel, slander, use of language inappropriate to the
classroom. *NOTE: Just as it is inappropriate to read the newspaper during any class
unless it is assigned reading, so it is inappropriate to reply to or read personal email during
class, or to use the computer for other than class work specified for that day. You may be
dropped from the class for failing to adhere to these policies.

Further classroom protocol:

Further, on the public nature of this class--writing and discussion: Part of becoming a good
writer is learning to appreciate the ideas and criticisms of others, and in this course our
purpose is to come together as a community of writers. Remember that you will often be
expected to share your writing with others. Avoid writing about things that you may not be
prepared to subject to public scrutiny or that you feel so strongly about that you are
unwilling to listen to perspectives other than your own. This does not mean that you are not
entitled to an opinion but that you adopt positions responsibly, contemplating the possible
effects on others. In particular, please do not write about any criminal activity that you have
personal knowledge of--as a witness, as a vicim, or a perpetrator. this may seem like an odd
thing to caution you about, but if your were to write about such an activity, I may be legally
required to report it to the authoritites.

Research Journal : You must keep a detailed log of your research activities. Note the time
spent in the Library, the articles you find and use, books you may have recalled , the call
numbers of books, the URL's you visit, any and all activities that have to do with your
research such as letters, phone interviews, in person interviews. I will check these logs
periodically to see how you are progressing in your research. You must include your
research log with your portfolio. Keep the log so that it can be bound with the portfolio.

Essay Format: All drafts of essays must be computer printed and double spaced. Place your
name, my name, course title, date, and title of the essay at top left of the first page. Please
don't submit a cover page with your essay. Since each paper is research based, you
MUST turn in photocopies of each article you use to prepare your essay, and
all the supporting work that you have done in preparing the paper ( See the list
in the PORTFOLIO section, below). Please present your papers and supporting material in
a manilla or Pee Gee type folder with your name outside on the top left hand corner. If your
supporting articles are not included with your essay you will receive a 0 for the essay.
Homework assignments may be handwritten, but remember that they will appear in your
final portfolio.

Portfolio: Keep ALL your writing for this course, including in-class and out-of-class working notes, drafts, revisions, final drafts, reader response answers, and journal entries. At the end of the semester, you will review your portfolio to analyze and evaluate your progress. Some of these assignments will be done in class, so always remember to bring your disk. Please see the Portfolio link on this web page for further information on preparing your portfolio.

Disposition of Papers: Students should keep their own papers. Among other things, any student who appeals a course grade will need to submit copies of all graded course papers with the appeal.

Plagiarism: Plagiarzing is stealing. To plagiarize is to present as your own any work that is not exclusively your own. Plagiarism of all or a portion of any assignment will be strictly penalized--in some cases with failing the class, in others with expulsion from the university. See the Guide to Composition for more information on plagiarism.

Revising: Revision will be a major part of the work that you do in the course. After your peer workshops you will have the opportunity to revise the paper before turning in the final version. Therefore the peer editing sessions are extremely important. After the peer editing sessions is a good time to consult with me and ask any questions you may still have about your work. Feel free to make an appointment with me to discuss your work or ask me to read portions of your essay. You will have the opportunity to rewrite one paper during the semester. After I have evaluated and graded the "final" version of the paper, you may, after consultation with me, revise your paper once more. However you may only improve your paper by one letter grade. For example if you did a fast job on a paper and turned in a rough draft in place of the final and you received a final grade of D, you could not revise that paper into an A paper. The reason for this stipulation is to insure that you concentrate on the quality of your work throughout the entire drafting/writing process. Please note: Any revisions are due within two weeks of my returning your paper.



Grading

4 Essays 40%

Portfolio & Portfolio Analysis (Anthology) 20%

Mid-Term 10%

In-class Work, Attendance & Participation 15%

Homework 15%

Note: Essays not turned in for evaluation on their due dates will be marked "late" and downgraded a letter grade for each day late. Essays that are more than one week late cannot receive a passing grade but must still be turned in to pass the class. Please note: You must turn in all essays and the Portfolio to pass the class. Late in-class and take-home assignments will not be accepted for credit. If you must miss a class you may turn in your paper the class period before it is due.

Grading Scale: Grades on individual assignments are computed according to the following scale.

A = 4.0 A- = 3.7 B+ = 3.3 B = 3.0 B- = 2.7 C+ = 2.3 C = 2.0 C- = 1.7 D+ = 1.3 .3 D = 1.0 D - = .7 E = No Paper = 0

(Note: There is a marked difference between failing a paper and not turning one in.)

Since there are no plus or minus final grades at ASU , the following scale will be used to determine the final grade. A student will receive a final grade no lower than the grade determined by the following formula:

A = 3.5-4.0/ B = 2.5-3.49/ C = 1.5-2.49/ D = .5-1.49/ E = .49 and below

Time Commitment: You should plan to spend TWO to THREE hours outside of class for every hour in class. Composition classes require more time from students than many other classes do. You will be spending lots of your time in the library!

Knowledge of Crimes: In this course please do not write about any criminal activity of which you have knowledge--as a witness, a victim, or a perpetrator. If you do write about such activity, I may be legally required to report it to the authorities.

As we will be exploring issues related to gender, class, race, sexuality and other location of identity as they relate to composition, we will sometimes disagree with each other; feel free to say anything that you want as long as you have no malicious intent. With this freedom also comes the responsibility to be accountable for what you say. This means that we will respect each other and will attempt to explain to each other--when necessary--how we hear, experience, feel, interpret, etc their words, giving each other the opportunity to clarify, correct, reconsider and re-state. True freedom of speech is never possible without the right to be accountable for that same speech. And from your comments to classmates about their work to your feedback to us about the class, we hope that you always strive to be respectful and honest.


SCHEDULE OF HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS AND DUE DATES FOR ESSAYS

NOTE: There may be schedule changes. All changes will be announced and discussed in
class. It is your responsibility to keep up to date with any changes. I suggest you record
them on the syllabus. Each class period, along with discussing pertinent material from the
homework assignments, I will give brief lectures and in class assignments as support material for the essays as we move through the semester. You are responsible for material and assignments presented in class. p.s. It's always good to get the phone number of several people in your group so in case you aren't in class, you will know of any changes.

HOMEWORK: The process of writing, the habits of scholarship are important to writers and in this class the evidence of your writing process, is your homework and your journal.  Your notes and outside work are the evidence of your involvement with your project.
GIVING CREDIT FOR THE HOMEWORK:  I will give the homework a check (satisfactory), a check + (good)or  a check -(you did it but not very well).  The homework can help/hurt you if you're on the edge, gradewise.   The homework is designed to help you with your writing project and to let me know if you are having difficulties as you move through the units. You must resubmit it with the essay packet for each unit.   I will not accept late homework.  And, I do not ask for it during class, or remind you to turn it in.  Please turn it in to me at the end of the class.  I ask that you turn it in at the end of the class as you may often refer to your homework in class discussions.  Under no circumstances may you use class time to DO homework.



                 UNIT ONE : DISCOVERY AND EVALUATION

  Evaluate: 1) To ascertain or fix the value or worth of. 2)To examine and judge carefully.

         Evaluate: X is or is not a good Y. Ramage & Bean, Writing Arguments

Critic: One who forms and expresses judgements of the merits, faults, value, or truth of a
matter. One who evaluates. (All definitions from Columbia Dictionary, where not otherwise
noted).

                  Week 1: WELCOME -- Chapter 12 St. Martin's

Tues. January 19: course introduction and overview .  For next class, read Chapter 12

Thurs. January 21: In class discussion 1) Choosing a Topic: Library, Library journal and
record keeping. 2) Sources and Summary: Their importance to this class. 3) In class diagnostic writing.
For next class:  read chapter 8. (p. 291) Do Invention activities "Choosing a Subject," pp. 317-318--Do all invention activities for the semester on YOUR OWN TOPIC.   Read "Black Eye," pp. 294-296.

January 22, Last Day of Final Drop/Add

              Week 2: Justifying an Evaluation--Chapter 8 & Chapter 21

Tues. January 26:  In Class Discussion: Plato, Artistotle and the Sophists or Who Wants to
Argue? -Choice of semester topic. -Assignment of groups for unit one. -In class exercise:
Summary of paragraph.
For next class, read Chapter 21, "Library and Internet Research," pp. 556-594. Refer to this chapter for assistance while working in the library and throughout the semester.

Thurs. January 28: Meet inside front door of  Hayden Library for library workshop.
For next class, read Chapter 11, "A Catalog of Invention Strategies." Do invention activities for "Exploring Your Subject," p. 318-319. Do exercises for "Analyzing Your Readers," "Developing an Argumentative Strategy," and "Testing Your Choice," pp. 319-322. Read "Talking Trash," pp. 304-307.

                               Week 3: Deeper into Evaluative Strategies-- "Let's Get the SOAP"
                (Situation, Occasion, Audience, Purpose) Chapter 22.

 Tues. Feb 2.   In Class: Discuss, "Talking Trash." First supporting activity for evaluation
essay.
For next class, Do "Finding a Subject" exercises on pp. 361-363. Prepare an outline of your essay to hand in.  The Planning and Drafting activities pp. 367, should help you with this.  Read "What Produces Outstanding Science Students," pp. 344-347.   Read, "Children Need to Play, Not Compete' by Jessica Statsky: An Evaluation," pp. 309-312.

Thurs. Feb. 4: Due in class:  Research Log # 1.  In class exercise: thesis and evidence in
draft of Evaluation Essay. In class discussion: "Children Need to Play . . .
For next class read Chapter 22.

Unrestricted Withdrawal deadline: February 12

                            Week 4: SM Chapter 19
"I always write a good first line, but I have trouble in writing the others." Moliere
(1622-73)

Tues. Feb, 9 : Draft of Evaluation essay (#1) due.  In-class workshop using questions from
"Critical Reading Guide," pp. 325-326. In-class discussion of Chapter 22, Academic
research and citation.
For next class, read pp. 526-532 in Chapter 19, "Arguing."

Class Eight, Thurs. Feb. 11: Revised draft of essay # 1 due. In-class full peer workshop. Do
"Revising and Editing and Proofreading," pp. 327-331.
For next class, read introduction to genre of speculating about causes, pp. 337-339. Read "Why We Crave Horror Movies." pp. 339-341. Read "Purpose and Audience," "Basic Features," and "The Writing Assignment," pp. 358-361.
 


UNIT TWO: SPECULATING ABOUT CAUSES

About Causes: Cause 1) Producer of an effect, result or consequence. B) The one such as a person, an event or a condition that is responsible for an action or a result.

To Account for: explain, say how it happens, theorize, hypothesize, postulate, assume, suppose, infer the cause, derive the reason.

Week 5: Speculating About Causes--Chapter 9

due Class Nine, Tues. 2/16: Final Draft of Evaluation essay and complete UNIT ONE packet due.
In class: Reflect on composing evaluation essay, read (funny) excerpts from Research Journals. Overview of requirements for Paper # 2 , Causes, and discussion of readings.
For next class, read "What Produces Outstanding Science Students," pp. 344-347.  Do "Finding a Subject" exercises on pp. 361-363.  (Remember to do this list of exercises for your own topic, not the example topics in the book.)

Class Ten, Thurs. 2/18: In class discussions: Ethos, Logos and Pathos: Who cares? And research for Cause Essays.
For next class: Read "The Strange Disappearance of Civic America," pp. 349-352. Do exercises on p. 353. Do "Exploring What You Know About Your Subject," "Considering Causes," "Researching Your Subject," "Testing Your Choice," "Researching Causes," 363-365
 

Week 6: WHY? WHEREFORE? WHENCE? HOW? HOW COME? CUI BONO?

Class Eleven, Tues. 2/23: In class discussion: Audience, Purpose, and Strategies for Causal essay.  Discuss "The Strange Disappearance . . ."

Class Twelve, Thurs 2/25:  Class will meet in Hayden Library.
For next class: Read "Considering Your Readers," pp. 366. Read "Where Will They Sleep Tonight?" pp. 355-357. Look at exercises 1 and 2 on pp. 357, you don't have to turn in the answers, but this kind of close analysis will help you write a better paper.  Do "Planning and Drafting" exercises, pp. 367-369.

Week 7: Particle, Wave, Field--Are you kidding me?

due Class Thirteen, Tues. 3/2.  Outline of  cause essay including claim and reasons.  Discussion of Particle, Wave, Field, and "Where Will They Sleep . . ." .

due Class Fourteen, Thurs. 3/4: Draft of Cause essay (#2)  In-class workshop using questions from "Critical Reading Guide," pp. 370-371.
For next class: I'm not giving homework so that you will have plenty of time to revise your essay.

Week 8:
  "I don't want to re-see it, I have all I can do to get out of bed on time."
                                         Welcome to Mid-Term

due Class Fifteen, Tues. 3/9: Revised draft of Cause essay due. In-class workshop. Do "Revising and Editing and Proofreading" activities, pp. 371-375.

due Class Sixteen, Thurs. 3/11: Cause essay (# 2) due. In class: Reflect on composing process. In class overview of Essay #3. Form new writers groups for Unit 3.

For next class: Read introduction to the genre of arguing a position on pp.201-202 in Chapter 6. Read "Purpose and Audience," "Summary of Basic Features," and "The Writing Assignment," pp. 222-225. Do "Invention and Research" on pp. 225-228. (Remember to list issues related to your own topic--use this exercise as prewriting to get you started thinking about your position). Try at least one new invention strategy from Chapter 11.


WEEK NINE: SPRING BREAK

UNIT THREE: ARGUING A POSITION--HYPER-TEXT-URL-LY SPEAKING
(Unfortunately, we won't be arguing hypertexturally this semester (Spring 1999).

Position Paper: A detailed policy report that usually explains, justifies, or recommends a particular course of action.

Position 1) place or location 2) the right or appropriate place--"in position." 3) a point of view or attitude on a certain question. Columbia Dictionary

"Extreme positions are not succeeded by moderate ones, but by contrary extreme positions." Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) German philosopher.
 
Week 10: Arguing a Position--Chapter 6

Class Seventeen, Tues. 3/23:  In class discussion, Assignment # 3, Arguing a Position.  In Class collaborative exercise.
For next class: Read . "Children Need to Play, Not Compete," pp. 218-221. Read  exercises 1-3. You don't need to write the answers, but pay attention to question 1, where they discuss transitions, and cueing.  Also, to question 2, about MLA style.  Read "A Writer at Work," pp. 240-242.

due Class Eighteen, Thurs. 3/25: Meet inside front doors of  Hayden Library.
For next class:  Read "In Defense of Talk Shows," pp. 204-208. Read "Planning and Drafting" activities, pp. 231-233--use these exercises to create your outline (outline due Tues. 3/30.)

Week 11:  Can you defend your position?

Restricted course withdrawal deadline, April 2.

Class Nineteen, Tues. 3/30:  Position outlines due.  In class: individual reports on your topics.  Collaborative exercise.
For next class: Read "The Declining Art of Political Debate," pp. 214-216. Respond in writing to exercises 1 and 2, p. 216. Please be sure to turn these in.

due Class Twenty, Thurs. 4/1: Draft of Position essay (# 3) due. In-class workshop using questions from "Critical Reading Guide," pp. 234-235.

Week 12: Revision means "re-seeing"

due Class Twenty-One, Tues., 4/6: Revised draft of Position essay (# 3) due. Workshop using "Revising and Editing and Proofreading," pp. 236-240.

due Class Twenty-Two, Thurs. 4/8: Position essay (# 3) due. In class: Reflect on composing Position essay.  Overview of Proposal essay. Choose writing groups for Unit 4.
For next class: Read introduction to genre of proposing solutions, pp. 247-248. Read "Universal E-Mail: Read pp. 250-253 and write a response to Exercise 2, p. 251.  Read "Purpose and Audience" and "Summary of Basic Features," pp.267-269.


UNIT FOUR: PROPOSING SOLUTIONS / CREATING PORTFOLIOS

Propose 1) to put forward for consideration, discussion, or adoption; suggest: propose a change in the law 2) to recommend (a person) for a position, office, or membership; nominate.

4) to make known as one's intention; purpose or intend: proposed to buy and run a farm. Columbia Dictionary

"It is the duty of the President to propose and it is the privilege of the Congress to dispose." Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945). Former U.S. President

Week 13: Proposing a Solution--Chapter 7

Due Class Twenty-Three, Tues. 4/13:  Proposal Assignment.  In class reading.
For next class, read "The Writing Assignment" and "Invention and Research," pp. 270-274. Do invention activity on pp. 270-275 Use this exercise as a checklist for synthesizing essays 1, 2, and 3 into the proposal, AND try at least one new invention strategy from Chapter 11.

Class Twenty-Four, Thurs. 4/15: Proposing a Solution--Chapter 7.  Class discussion of Portfolio Requirements( also see my web page for portfolio criteria).  In Class Collaborative Exercise: What is the difference between a Proposal and a Position?
 For next class: Read "Street Hassle," pp. 254-256.

Week 14: Proposal Thesis, and Outline.

due Class Twenty-Five, Tues., 4/20: Thesis for Proposal Paper.  In Class thesis workshop.
Discuss "Street Hassle"

due Class Twenty-Six, Thurs. 4/22: Outline of Proposal. In Class Workshop and discussion.
For next class: Do "Planning and Drafting" activities, pp. 276-279.  Read "Birth Control in the Schools," pp. 258-260, do exercises 1 and 2 on p. 260.  Close analysis of these essays will help you refine ideas about your proposal--and help you get a better grade :)

Week 15: Revising the Proposal

due Class Twenty-Seven, Tues. 4/27: Draft of Proposing a Solution essay (# 4)due. In-class workshop using questions from "Critical Reading Guide," pp. 279-280.
For next class: Read "Revising and Editing and Proofreading," pp. 281-284. Read "Strengthening the Argument," pp. 284-286.

Class Twenty-Eight, Thurs. 4/29:  Final Workshop

Restricted Complete Withdrawal Deadline:  April 29

Week 16: All Due

due Class Twenty-Nine, Tues. May 4: All work due.  Class evaluations.