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JENNIFER ROSE FORSTHOEFEL 1327 S PONCE DE LEON AVE NE
ATLANTA, GA 30306 (850) 545-5913
EDUCATION Ph.D., English, Georgia State University, Atlanta, expected Spring 2013
Women’s Studies Certificate Concentration: Rhetoric and Composition
M.A., English, Literary Studies, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Summer 2009 Thesis: “Naming Experience and Revealing Sentiment: The Archetypal Journey in
Edna St. Vincent Millay’s ‘Renascence’ ” Chair: Dr. Marti Singer; Committee Members: Dr. Paul Schmidt; Dr. Mary Hocks
M.Ed., University of Florida, Gainesville, Summer 2006 Secondary English Education with endorsement in ESL instruction
B.A., English, minor in Education, University of Florida, Spring 2005
HONORS AND ACADEMIC AWARDS
Sigma Tau Delta, International English Honor Society, Omega Iota Chapter, Georgia State University, 2009-present.
Golden Key International Honor Society, Alpha Chapter, Georgia State University, 2007-present.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Writing Center Studies/Writing Program Administration, Composition Theory, Feminist Theory, Feminist Pedagogy, Feminist Rhetorics, Digital Rhetorics
WORK IN PROGRESS/ON-GOING RESEARCH
“Fostering Resistance Through Digital Strangeness” Re-visioning the Public and Private in New Media Spaces: Writing, Community, and Materiality. Conference Presentation. Computers and Writing. May 2011. Accepted.
“Composing Student Learning Communities as Assistant Director of the Writing Studio.” Graduate Students as University Administrators. Learning, Seeing, Building Frameworks for Success. Conference Presentation. Writing Program Administrator Conference. Summer 2011. Submitted.
ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS
Graduate Teaching Assistant, English Department, Georgia State University, August 2007–present
Assistant Director, The Writing Studio, Georgia State University, August 2010-present
Online Tutor, The Writing Studio, Georgia State University, August 2010-present
Graduate Assistant and Writing Tutor, The Writing Studio Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, January 2008-present
TEACHING EXPERIENCES
Post-secondary Teaching
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Courses Taught:
English 1101 (Freshman Composition I)—Fall 2007, Spring 2008, Fall 2008, Summer 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011
RGTE 0199 (Regents’ Writing; Basic Writing), Summer 2008
English 1102 (Freshman Composition II)—Fall 2009, Spring 2010
Teacher Education
Writing Studio Staff Half-day Workshop: “The Conversational Model: Education, Collaboration, Improvisation,” January 8, 2010.
Writing Studio Staff Half-day Workshop: “Pedagogy and Practice in the Writing Studio,” October 1st, 2010.
Writing Studio Staff Half-day Workshop: “Working with ESL Students and Online Tutor Training,” December 3rd, 2010.
Writing Studio Staff Half-day Workshop: “The Writing Studio this Semester,” January 7th, 2011.
EPY 7975: Seminar for Psychology Department Graduate Assistants, “Academic and Professional Writing: An Introduction to Genres and Strategies for Publication,” Guest Lecturer, with Dr. Beth Burmester, Andrew Davis, and Oriana Gatta., November 8 & 12, 2010.
Writing Across the Curriculum Staff Training Workshop: “The Conversational Model and Conferencing Strategies.” August 16th, 2010.
Guest lecture, in collaboration with Diana Yildiz and Benjamin Barrett, for Dr. Beth Burmester's Senior Seminar: Secondary English Education (ENGL 4330) class on February 25, 2010.
Secondary Teaching
Student Teacher, Gainesville High School, Gainesville, FL, January 2006-May 2006 11th Grade American Literature; 11th Grade Honors American Literature ESL Tutor, Gainesville High School, Gainesville, FL, August 2005-December 2005
PUBLICATIONS
“Expressing Ourselves.” In First Essays: A Peer Approach to Freshman Composition, 4th edition. Eds. Marti Singer and Cara Minardi. Hayden McNeil, Plymouth, MI, 2009. 27-47.
“Beginning.” In First Arguments: A Peer Approach to Persuasion, 2nd edition. Ed. Cara Minardi. Hayden McNeil, Plymouth, MI, 2011. 1-14.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
National
"(Little) Five Points: Navigating the Boundaries of Graduate Student Administrative Experience" 2011 IWCA@CCCC Collaborative, Atlanta, GA. April 2011. Workshop. April 5, 2011.
"’From now on, we're gonna have a little less ritual... and a little more fun around here’:The Scooby Squad as Heuristic” Saving the World with the Talking from Their Mouths: Rhetoric, Pedagogy, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Presenter Spring 2009 National Popular Culture Association and American Culture Association. New Orleans, Louisiana, April 9, 2009.
“Lowering the Drawbridge: Connecting Teaching and Tutoring in Pictures and Words” 2009 IWCA @CCCC Collaborative, San Francisco, CA. March 2009. Workshop. March 11, 2009.
Regional
“The Conversational Model of Tutoring: Talking As Teaching.” Panel Presenter Spring 2011. Georgia Tutoring Association (GATA) Eleventh Annual Conference. Macon, Georgia. Macon State College, February 26, 2011.
“Considerations for Using the F-word in Recuperating “Peer” for Graduate Student Tutors.” Identity, Mutuality, and Agency in the Writing Center Panel, Presenter. Southeastern Writing Center Association Conference. University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. February 18, 2011.
“Historical Development of Improvisation in Writing Center Pedagogy and Practice.” Panel Presenter and Chair Spring 2011 Southeastern Writing Center Association Conference. Tuscaloosa, Alabama. University of Alabama, February 18, 2011.
“Releasing the OWL: The Burkean Pentad as Generative Method for Inquiry.” Explorations in Theory Panel, Presenter. Sigma Tau Delta Xi Alpha Chapter Graduate Student Conference, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, October 17, 2009.
“Writing Center Pedagogy in the Classroom: Secondary and Post-Secondary Perspectives on Student Success.” Panel Presenter. Southeastern Writing Center Association Annual Conference. North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro. February 27, 2009.
Local
“Who’s Laughing Now? Humor and Improvisation in Writing Center Practice.” Panel Presenter. New Voices International Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Conference. Theme: “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.” Atlanta, GA. October 21st 2010.
“The Conversational Approach to Student Conferences.” Presenter Fall 2010. GTA Pedagogy Conference. Atlanta, Georgia, Georgia State University August 19, 2010.
“Popular Culture and Cultural Studies in the Composition Classroom” Presenter Fall 2009 English Department Semi-Annual Pedagogy Conference. Atlanta, Georgia, Georgia State University August 14, 2009.
Writing Studio: “Talking to Students About Writing: The Student Conference” Presenter. Spring 2008 English Department Semi-Annual Pedagogy Conference. Georgia State University, January 26, 2008.
ACADEMIC SERVICE
Professional Sponsorships Coordinator and Conference Planning Committee, Southeastern Writing
Center Association (SWCA) State-by State Mini-Regional Conference-Georgia, “Back to the Tutor/Back to the Future,” February 12-13, 2010.
University Sherpa, University-wide Graduate Teaching Assistants’ Conference; Georgia State
University, January 25th-26th 2008
Departmental
President, Graduate English Association (GEA) Executive Board elected member; January 2011-present
Tutoring Mentor, The Writing Studio, Georgia State University, August 2009-August 2010
Teaching Mentor, Lower Division Studies, Georgia State University, August 2009-August 2010
Event Chair, Graduate English Association Executive Board elected member; January 2009-2010
Coordinator, Graduate English Association; Conference for Professional Development, Georgia State University, April 3, 2009.
Co-Chair, Graduate English Association Executive Board elected member; New Voices International Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Conference Theme: “Transitioning (Through) Tradition,” Atlanta, GA, September 25-27, 2008.
Fundraising Coordinator (Book Sale), Graduate English Association; for New Voices Conference; Theme: “Maps and Boundaries,” Atlanta, GA, September 2007.
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Spanish: reading and translation knowledge.
ACADEMIC AFFILIATIONS International Writing Center Association (IWCA); National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE); Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC); National Council of Teaching English (NCTE); Writing Program Administrators Association (WPA; Popular Culture Association (PCA); Southeastern Writing Center Association (SWCA), Georgia Tutoring Association (GATA)
REFERENCES
Dr. Beth Burmester Associate Professor of English and Director of The Writing Studio 2011 Southeastern Writing Center Association (SWCA) Achievement Award Department of English
Georgia State University Atlanta, GA [email protected] Dr. Mary Hocks Associate Professor of English Dr. Michael Harker Assistant Professor of English
Teaching/Tutoring Philosophy
I firmly believe that there is a “good writer” in everyone. While we will not all
necessarily become the great classic authors of our time, it is possible to encourage students to
write in a way that speaks to a variety of audiences under various contexts. I believe that it is my
role as a teacher and tutor to facilitate students in discovering tools and resources that may assist
in their journey towards confidence in their abilities as writers. For example, while the process in
place for moving from brainstorming to a final draft can be explained in a step-by-step process, I
feel that helping students to become more confident within themselves, and thus their writing,
brings a more individualized development in their abilities than sticking to a rigid procedure.
Therefore, I explain the writing process in detail when teaching and when necessary as a tutor,
but invite students to expand upon this explanation with insights into their own writing processes
drawn for their experiences as writers.
As students provide insights into their processes in class and tutorial discussions by
drawing from their own experiences, I hope to cultivate a writing community in the classroom
and in the Writing Studio that fosters individual graduate and undergraduate student growth, both
in terms of the students’ writing and as well as critical thinking abilities. I hope to nurture a
collaborative environment that invites collective encouragement in the classroom and in the
Writing Studio. Thus, I frequently incorporate group work into my classroom activities that
facilitate the feeling of a community of writers, rather than focusing on individual instruction.
However, having been a tutor in the Writing Studio, I can recognize individual concerns within
these group activities and call upon my experience assisting in a student’s understanding of a
similar problem in the tutorial space, practice that I can also draw from in individual
conferencing sessions that I hold throughout the semester. Inversely, I can use experience from
collaborative discussions that I have had in the classroom setting when I have conversations with
students that I tutor, employing what is applicable from the more generalized experience from
the classroom to the individual student’s writing needs addressed in a tutorial.
My preparation for each class period usually includes a short lecture, collaborative work
in groups of three or four, and a final discussion with the class as a whole. Having been
influenced by tutoring in the Writing Studio, this format supports a teaching style that fosters a
conversation as a class, with students taking a portion of the responsibility for comprehending
their learning processes and achieving the intended outcomes of the course. I believe that this
collaboration not only increases the depth of ideas expressed within the time limitations of the
class period and tutorial session, but also provides the affirmation that students often need when
tackling unfamiliar material in their specific essays as well as in a writing course overall. While
students may be initially unsure of themselves and their abilities as writers, listening to the ideas
of their peers in both small groups and larger class discussions can encourage students to bring
their own perspective to the writing community. Similarly, engaging with a tutor in a
conversation, asking questions and receiving support, can foster the student’s voice within the
tutorial space, rather the encouraging the student to view the tutorial as extended class instruction
by implementing directive approaches primarily.
Having been influenced by feminist theory, I am drawn to the idea of having a greater
understanding of the individual tutors that are working in the Writing Studio space. As Sandra
Harding states in “The Instability of the Analytical Categories of Feminist Theory,”“once we
understand the destructively mythical character of the essential and universal “man” which was
the subject and paradigmatic object of nonfeminist theories, so too do we begin to doubt the
usefulness of analysis that is essential, universal woman as its subject and or object-as its thinker
or the object of its thought” (646). Similarly, training manuals and workshops often essentialize
the tutor, simplifying appropriate tutoring practice to a single method. I, however, would like to
become increasingly familiar with each tutor on an individual level, learning and understanding
what each of our strengths and interests are so that we can consider these when working with
students. For example, some tutors may be particularly comfortable discussing titles,
introductions, conclusions, or even specific points of grammar. With this knowledge, I am better
able to refer certain students, who plan to return to our service in the future, to tutors that I know
have these particular strengths, thus adding to my efficiency as a tutor and assisting in making
the students tutorial experience more helpful. This knowledge of the individuals that make up
our community can also be advantageous in terms of teaching; I hope to learn from the practices
of individual instructors in the Department and thus apply what I think would be successful to
my own classroom, considering the particular conditions that each new group of students bring.
Geller et al’s discussion of the “Trickster--an icon of spontaneity, shape-shifting, and the creative
potential of chaos” in The Everyday Writing Center captures the role of my own, as well as my
community’s, ever-changing practice in these various spaces, with the “ordinary disruptions”
evolving into learning moments. These “Trickster” moments call for an acknowledgement of the
fluid identity embodied in my role a teacher within the larger classroom community and English
Department as a whole, as well as a tutor within the Writing Studio community and, again, the
Department as a whole.
Having taught Composition and worked in the Writing Studio since 2007, it is the
formation of relationships with the individual tutors and fellow teachers in the Department that
have strengthened by pedagogical abilities, both in the classroom as well as the in the Studio
space. Although teachers and tutors should have a general understanding of the expectations of
the discipline, it is the individual’s molding of these ideas into a workable practice that actually
influences the service we provide as instructors and tutors. Therefore, with this knowledge of
what each of us focus on and feel is our strength, we can tap into the recourses of our collogues,
recommending to students particular tutors that might be helpful in terms of engaging with
specific skills that each student might need, and engaging in particular teaching practices that we
have learned from one another. As Geller, et.al discuss Etienne Wenger’s concept of
"community of practice" in The Everyday Writing Center, we as teachers, students, tutors, and
administrators are co-learners in a dynamic practice that evolves through our influences on one
another and as a result of our ever-changing audiences.
Course Reflections
Spring 2010 Engl 1102
Feeling like I was in a bit of a teaching rut, particularly in terms of 1102, I decided to
include a popular text in my list of required materials. I chose David Sedaris’s Me Talk Pretty
One Day because I personally find this text to be simultaneously entertaining and thought-
provoking. I saw including a Sedaris’s memoirs as a way to generate discussion in class on
topics of various kinds, including issues of personal space, addiction, self-discovery, and career
advancement. Unfortunately, I was not able to use this text as much as I would have liked. As
my student evaluations reflect, I would often schedule this as discussion material but the
“business” of the class and the consistent need to revisit the rhetorical texts required for the
course often put Sedaris on the back burner. Therefore, I assigned a text for the class that I did
not actually use at any great length. This seemed to frustrate students primarily because of the
money spent on materials that went unused and, unsurprisingly, this was the text they had most
looked forward to reading and discussing in class.
Summer 2010 Engl 1101
Having taught 1102 for several semesters, I decided to revisit 1101 for this summer
course. This was my first time teaching in the summer and I began the semester particularly
worried about the lengthy class periods and frequent meetings. I was concerned that the time
needed between classes to read and critically engaged with the assigned texts would not be
available to students, thus making actual class time less productive and harder for me to conduct
for the assigned time period. In addition, I was interested in reexamining my perception of the
function of 1101, exploring how I could teach this course in a way that would both prepare
students for the expectations of 1102 while also serving the students’ needs for writing
instruction that will benefit their engagement in the future academic demands that their
individual degrees will entail. I decided I would focus primarily on analysis throughout the
course, but attempted to make the subject of analysis the students themselves instead of
advertisements or literature. The sequence of assignments necessitated that every piece of
writing that the student composed play an integral part in the assignments to follow, culminating
in a better understanding of the way the students understand and articulate their own experiences
in comparison to the ways popular culture and scholarly work interprets experiences similar to
their own.
Overall I found this to be a successful semester, despite some frustration on the part of
the students, as I did not tell them at the onset that the subject of their narrative assignment
would influence their topics for the remainder of the course. I hoped that by withholding this
information, the students would be forced to focus on an event or experience that was not chosen
with a larger plan in mind. Instead, the larger plan would develop and encourage students to look
at this event from a multitude of perspectives through various modes of writing and finish the
course with the skills to analyze themselves and the world around them. As the assignments
seemed particularly difficult for the students, the longer class periods were exceptionally
conducive to workshop and peer review sessions, activities students frequently requested.
Engl 1101 Fall 2010
While my 1101 assignments worked very well for the summer course, this success did
not transfer to my classes in the Fall. It seemed that the students that semester were more
frustrated and less available (or willing) to put in the time necessary to meet the expectations in
place for each of the assignments. In addition, I was assigned an FLC for the first time and,
unfortunately, did not have a very rewarding experience. Several problems arose throughout the
semester, particularly in terms of my attempts to navigate the dynamics within the student
community as well as my role as their instructor. These students were in large part science and
health majors and expressed several times that my course was too demanding, inappropriate for
freshman students going into the sciences. In addition, one student who was not a part of the
FLC was admitted into the course several weeks into the semester, a circumstance I know is
common and necessary to ensure that the classes meet capacity. This student, however, posed
quite a few problems for the class as a whole, frequently ignoring class policies and procedures
and complaining that she was being treated unfairly simply because she was a nontraditional
student and was not a formal member of the FLC. Even when exceptions were made and rules
were bent, she still did not seem comfortable with the way I ran my class. In addition, the rest of
the class recognized that she was then getting special treatment, and as you might expect,
resentment was felt on all sides. I am still working to understand why that class in particular was
exceptionally difficult for me, but I now feel better prepared to teach an FLC in the future
knowing the potential conflicts that might exist and ways that they can be addressed.
Georgia State University English 1102 Spring 2010
English 1102 10530
T/Th 1-2:15
Classroom South 219
Instructor: Jennifer Forsthoefel
Office: General Classroom Building 952
Office Hours: Wednesday 2:00-4:00
Phone: TBA
Email: [email protected]
Course Description
Prerequisite: grade of C or higher in English 1101. This course is designed to develop writing
skills beyond the levels of proficiency required by English 1101. It focuses on critical thinking
and critical reading, as well as the production of short argumentative essays. The readings for the
course readings will be drawn from a wide variety of texts, focusing on social and cultural
concerns. A passing grade is C.
Learning Outcomes
In addition to the skills acquired in 1101, by the end of the course, the student will be able to
analyze, evaluate, document, and draw inferences from various sources
identify, select, and analyze appropriate research methods, research questions, and
evidence for a specific rhetorical situation
use argumentative strategies and genres in order to engage various audiences
integrate others’ ideas with his/her own
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate to
rhetorical situations and audience constraints
produce well-reasoned, argumentative essays demonstrating rhetorical engagement
reflect on what contributed to his/her writing process and evaluate his/her own work
Course Policies
Attendance – This class relies heavily on student participation, so your attendance is expected.
The majority of our class meetings will begin with a short quiz or written response to the
readings assigned for that day. Therefore, in addition to your participation, your attendance will
be apparent to me throughout the semester. I make no distinction between “excused” or
“unexcused” absences. It’s simple: either you are here, or you are not. If you are not here, you
are not participating, and your participation portion of the overall grade will suffer as a result. If
you must miss class, consult a classmate to find out what you have missed and for copies of the
handouts.
Tardiness – Please do not be late to class. It is distracting and takes away from the learning
environment. I define “late” as more than ten minutes after the course is scheduled to begin. If
you are tardy, you will not be allowed extra time to complete the quizzes given at the beginning
of class. If you arrive after the ten minute grace period, you will not be permitted into the
classroom and you will be counted as absent. If you think you might have a problem arriving to
class on time despite this grace period, please consider registering for a different section of this
course.
Essay Submission –Please staple all final drafts (no binders or paperclips) BEFORE coming to
class. I will not accept papers that are not stapled. They should be typed on a word processor,
double-spaced with standard margins and font (Times New Roman, 12 point). I will not accept
emailed or faxed papers for final submission without prior discussion.
Late work – Assignments are due at the beginning of class. If you anticipate a problem with a
particular deadline, confer with me at least one class period before the assignment due date to
discuss the issue. Otherwise, I will not accept late work.
Technology –Please turn off cell phones and keep them out of sight throughout the duration of
the class period. Please do not listen to your iPod (or any variation thereof) in class. I also
request that you keep laptops off and closed unless you discuss it with me prior to class and have
a valid reason for its use. If any of this becomes a problem, you will be asked to leave the class
and your participation grade will be affected. I am sure that I am leaving something out, so for
that reason I will close by stating: If it beeps, blinks, buzzes or generally risks disrupting the
riveting class that I am sure we will be having, please be sure to turn it off, keep it closed, shut it
down, or leave it at home.
Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism
The Department of English expects its students to adhere to the university’s code of student
conduct, especially as it pertains to academic conduct, including plagiarism, cheating, and
multiple submissions. See http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwdos/codeofconduct.html for the policy.
Plagiarizing means you thwart your own education and forego your responsibilities as a writer.
Furthermore, you violate the ethical, academic standards of the academic community. These
standards include the value of research and informed argument, open and honest debate and
sharing of ideas, critical thinking about evidence, the careful presentation of research, and
acknowledgement of sources and ideas. We will devote class time to learning how to incorporate
others’ ideas honestly and effectively. Students who violate these policies in this course will
receive a range of academic and disciplinary penalties; see the handout provided for definitions
and consequences.
Accommodations for Students with Special Needs
Georgia State University complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans
with Disabilities Act. Students with disabilities who seek academic accommodations must first
take appropriate documentation to the Office of Disability Services
(http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwods/) located in Suite 230 of the New Student Center. Students with
special needs should then make an appointment with me during the first week of class to discuss
any accommodations that need to be made.
Writing Studio
The Writing Studio, located in room 976 in the General Classroom Building, provides personal,
one-on-one service for students in order to help them at all levels of the writing process. You can
schedule an appointment or just drop by and wait. The service is free. This is a valuable resource
for writers, and I highly recommend that you use it.
English Major Senior Portfolios
The English Department at GSU requires an exit portfolio of all students graduating with a
degree in English. Ideally, students should work on this every semester, selecting 1-2 papers
from each course and revising them, with direction from faculty members. The portfolio includes
revised work and a reflective essay on what you have learned. Each concentration (literature,
creative writing, rhetoric/composition, and secondary education) within the major may have
specific items to place in the portfolio, so be sure to check the booklet located at the front office
of the English Department. Senior Portfolios due dates are published in the booklets or you may
contact an advisor or Dr Goodman, Director of Undergraduate Studies. See the main office for
additional information.
Required Texts
Lunsford, Andrea and John J. Ruszkiewicz. Everything’s An Argument.4th
ed. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2007.
Lunsford, Andrea. The Everyday Writer Georgia State University Edition. 4th
ed. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2009.
Sedaris, David. Me Talk Pretty One Day. New York: Little, Brown, and Company, 2000.
Recommended Text
Singer, Marti and Cara Minardi, eds. First Arguments: A Peer Approach to Persuasion.
Plymouth, Michigan, Hayden-McNeil Publishing, 2008.
Grading Scale-Point Value
A+ 97-100
A 93-96
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 76-79
C 70-75 (GPA = 2.0)
C- 65-69
D 60-64
F below 60
The Board of Regents requires a grade point of 2.0 in a freshman composition course to be
considered as “passing.”
A rubric which describes in greater detail how essays will be graded will be distributed at a later
date, prior to the due date of the first essay.
Course Requirements
Class Participation 20%
This includes reading responses, quizzes, homework, and in-class writing assignments. The
majority of our class meetings will begin with a short quiz or written response to the readings
assigned for that day. In addition, you are expected to participate in class discussion and
activities. Work done in class cannot be made-up or handed in late.
Essays and Presentation 80%
These will be discussed in more detail in class. An assignment sheet with explicit
instructions will be provided
Assignment 1: Argument From Personal Experience (3-4 pages) 10%
For this essay you will construct an argument without any outside research.
Assignment 2: Scholarly Essay Analysis (4-5 pages) 15%
Part of preparing to argue means researching what has already been written about the issue. In
order to thoroughly understand what others have written on the issue, we need to critically
examine how the arguments being made in our sources are constructed. The scholarly essay
analysis encourages you to do just that.
Assignment 3: Topic Proposal (1-2 pages) and Annotated Bibliography (5 sources) 20%
For this assignment you will select and propose a topic about which you wish to do further
research. You will then research that topic and provide annotations that summarize and critique
the arguments found in your sources.
Assignment 4: Final Paper (6-8 pages) 30%
In this essay, you will present a fully developed argument
Final Paper Presentation 5%
You will present your argument in a 5-7 minute presentation
Course Schedule
Note: You are required to bring to every class the book(s) which contain(s) the reading(s)
assigned for that particular meeting. The reading is due on the day it is listed. You must be
prepared to discuss the reading before you come to class that day.
Week 1: Jan 11-15
T: Introductions. Discuss Syllabus
Th: Introduce Assignment 1; MTPOD pgs 3-15
Week 2: Jan 18- 22
T: EAA Chapter 1 pgs 3-32
Th: EAA Chapter 1 pgs 32-44
Week 3: Jan 25-29
T: EAA Chapter 2 pgs 45-58
Th: EAA Chapter 3 pgs 60-76
Week 4: Feb 1-5
T: EAA Chapter 4 pgs 78-100
Th: Assignment 1 Due; Introduce Assignment 2
Week 5: Feb 8-12
T: EAA Chapter 5 pgs 102-115, 120-122
Th: EW 105-118
Week 6: Feb 15-19
T: EAA Chapter 7 pgs 174-194
Th: EAA Chapter 8 pgs 217-233
Week 7: Feb 22-26
T: Assignment 2 Due; Introduce Assignment 3
Th: EW 149-171
Week 8: March 1-5
Semester Midpoint: Last Day to Withdraw and Receive a ‘W’
T: EAA Chapter 6 pgs 139-171
Th: EAA Chapter 9 pgs 250-268
Week 9: March 8-12
Spring Break
Week 10: March 15-19
T: Library Day
Th: Assignment 3 Due; Introduce Assignment 4
Week 11: March 22-26
T: EAA Chapter 10 pgs 285-306
Th: no class
Week 12: March 29-April 2
T: EAA Chapter 16 pgs 469-489
Th: TBA
Week 13: April 5-9
T: Draft of Assignment 4 due
Th: Conferences
Week 14: April 12-16
T: Conferences
Th: Conferences
Week 15: April 19-23
T: Presentations
Th: Presentations
Week 16: April 26-30
T: Presentations
Th: Final Paper Due
Disclaimer: This Syllabus represents a plan for the semester. Deviations from this plan may
become necessary as the semester progresses. Students are responsible for taking note of
any changes that may occur.
Assignment 1: Argument from Personal Experience
Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize you with writing an argument.
Through identifying an issue in your everyday life and your perspective to toward that issue, you
can begin constructing a cohesive argument out of the essential materials from their own
experience. The assignment also allows you to use their expository writing skills while beginning
to develop their argumentative skills.
Objectives
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate to
rhetorical situations and audience constraints
produce well-reasoned, argumentative essays demonstrating rhetorical engagement
Assignment: In this first paper, you will write an argument based on personal experience,
without using sources. Therefore, you should explore what you already know about a particular
issue, formulate an argument, and defend you position logically. Your goal in this assignment is
to present and argue the issue, not in the way it is argued by the world at large, or determined by
research, but as you would argue it. As a result this essay will largely be expository in nature.
However, the exposition is to be used towards the purpose of identifying and outlining an
argument with which you have had personal experience. This means incorporating to a certain
extent the terms and characteristics of certain kinds of argument you learned about in Chapters 1-
4 in Everything’s an Argument. Focus on presenting an arguable issue, on presenting yourself as
a capable arguer, on establishing a common ground with your audience, and on creating a
suitable forum in which your argument can be heard and understood. Exploring the issue you
have chosen and explaining your understanding and experience with it best accomplishes this.
Choose a topic that interests you and that you have a strong perspective about, experience
with, and an opinion on
Your goal is to present and argue the issue not as it is argued by other people, or
determined by research, but as you understand it
All arguments (even personal ones) are based on evidence and a clear thesis
See the sample student paper, and analysis, on page 33 of First Arguments
Requirements
3-4 pages
MLA Format
1” margins top, bottom, left and right; left justified
Name block includes your name, instructor’s name, the class, and the date
Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and page number
The entire document should be double-spaced (no extra space between paragraphs) and in 12-
point Times New Roman font
Assignment 2
Scholarly Essay Analysis Purpose and Topic:
Part of preparing to argue is fully understanding and researching what has already been written
about the issue. We consider what others have written, think about what further ideas need to be
written, and then develop these in an analysis. This scholarly essay encourages you to do just
that.
Outcomes:
analyze, evaluate, document, and draw inferences from various sources
identify, select, and analyze appropriate research methods, research questions, and
evidence for a specific rhetorical situation
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate to
rhetorical situations and audience constraints
Assignment:
1. Choose a scholarly article/essay from a scholarly publication/journal (approximately 10-
20 pages long) from one of the following online databases: MLA International
Bibliography, Proquest Databases, or EbscoHost Databases.
2. Write a 4-5 page essay that analyzes the structure, rhetorical situation (and all the
elements included in that rhetorical situation), use of ethos, pathos, and/or logos,
language, tone, thesis of the article. And other information discussed in Chapter 5 of
Everything’s an Argument.
3. Provide your critical analysis (opinion) of the article and how it successfully argues its
thesis or unsuccessfully argues its thesis.
4. With all academic essays in the English Department, use MLA format. Also, your essay
should be double-spaced, use 12-point font, and 1” margins. Since you will cite only one
essay, your final page will read “work cited” and will be formatted according to MLA
style.
Evidence:
In an analysis of this nature, you will use ample borrowed material from the essay that is
paraphrased, summarized, and quoted. However, your essay should do more than summarize.
Instead, you should point out rhetorical moves and explain how they create meaning and
understanding.
Arrangement (Organization):
Part One
This part of the essay includes the introduction (which should provide the argument and support
being made in the article), background information about the author, the journal, and a
discussion of the structure of the article. Include a discussion of the author’s thesis, evidence,
transition sentences, and rebuttal/refutation sections.
Part Two
Use the second part of your essay to discuss the rhetorical situation, ethos, logos, and/or pathos,
language, tone, audience, and the other issues that are discussed in Chapter 5 of Everything’s an
Argument (pg 105).
Part Three
This is the conclusion of your paper . Here you should reflect upon the effectiveness of the
article. Does the article make its claim effectively? Are there issues/concerns that made the
article difficult to read? What would you change?
Requirements
4-5 pages in length
A copy of the scholarly article you are analyzing (10-20pgs and adhering to the
guidelines for that I deem “scholarly”)
MLA format
o 1” margins on top, bottom, left and right; left justified
o Name block includes your name, instructor’s name, the class (Engl 1102), and the
date
o Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and
page number
o Double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font
o A correctly formatted Work Cites page in MLA style
Assignment 3: Topic Proposal and Annotated Bibliography.
English 1102 Topic Proposal
Purpose
Crafting an argument step by step often helps you assess an issue of interest. While crafting your
proposal, you should determine whether or not your topic is arguable and how you want to focus
your issue.
Objectives
identify, select, and analyze appropriate research methods, research questions, and
evidence for a specific rhetorical situation
produce well-reasoned, argumentative essays demonstrating rhetorical engagement
reflect on what contributed to his/her writing process and evaluate his/her own work
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate to
rhetorical situations and audience constraints
Assignment
For this assignment, write a 1-2 page paper highlighting the issue you are interested in exploring
for your annotated bibliography and ultimately your final research paper. You should begin by
setting up the issue, providing your current understanding of the topic in order to establish the
context. This portion of your paper should end with the focus or thesis of your future argument
paper.
Following this section, provide an explanation of what you need to research further in order
construct an argument on this topic. Include a general plan of the way(s) you anticipate obtaining
this information and any constraints or concerns you anticipate encountering when constructing
the final research paper on this topic.
Requirements
1-2 pages in length
A title
MLA format
o 1” margins on top, bottom, left and right; left justified
o Name block includes your name, instructor’s name, the class (Engl 1102), and the
date. This should be single spaced.
o Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and
page number
o Double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font
Annotated Bibliography
Purpose
An annotated bibliography is the next step in writing your research paper. In your annotated
bibliography, you will demonstrate what research you have done for your final research paper.
This assignment should help you to organize this material and encourage you to consider the
value of your sources before you attempt to use them.
Objectives
analyze, evaluate, document, and draw inferences from various sources
identify, select, and analyze appropriate research methods, research questions, and
evidence for a specific rhetorical situation
integrate others’ ideas with his/her own
Assignment
For this assignment, you will provide a list of FIVE sources listed in MLA format that you have
considered using in your final paper (meaning they must relate to the topic you turned in for the
proposal portion of the assignment).
Of these FIVE sources, at least TWO must support the stance you plan to argue in your final
research paper.
Of these FIVE sources, at least TWO must refute the stance you plan to argue in your final
research paper.
The remaining 5th
source can either support or refute your argument. It is at your
discretion.
Of these FIVE sources, at least ONE must be a book or chapter of a book (depending on its
relevance to your argument)
Of these FIVE sources, you may include ONE popular source. The other four must be scholarly.
After providing the MLA citation for the source, you will write a summary/annotation of the
work. Each annotation should be about 200 words in length and should include:
the major assertion/claim of the text
how the author supports his claim
how you would use this source in your final paper
Requirements
5 sources each with an annotation of about 200 words in length
The support sources should be grouped together and placed in alphabetical order. This
should also be done for the refutation sources.
MLA format
o 1” margins on top, bottom, left and right; left justified
o Name block includes your name, instructor’s name, the class (Engl 1102), and the
date. This should be single spaced.
o Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and
page number
o Double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font
Assignment 4: Final Paper
Purpose
The purpose of writing an argument essay is to learn how to persuade your readers and offer a possible
solution to conflicts. You will draw on the research and writing you conducted in your earlier essays and
bibliography to build a focused, sustained, and developed argument.
Objectives
analyze, evaluate, document, and draw inferences from various sources
identify, select, and analyze appropriate research methods, research questions, and evidence for a
specific rhetorical situation
use argumentative strategies and genres in order to engage various audiences
integrate others’ ideas with his/her own
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate to rhetorical
situations and audience constraints
produce well-reasoned, argumentative essays demonstrating rhetorical engagement
reflect on what contributed to his/her writing process and evaluate his/her own work\
Assignment
To get started, you will need to:
Identify the argument you wish to pursue
Identify the rhetorical situation
Identify your own position
In your final argument, you will develop and support a particular claim or perspective in order to persuade
an audience. As a responsible and ethical writer of an argumentative essay, you must also present the
complexity of the issue and distinguish the main arguments surrounding it, including those that refute
your argument. Drawing upon the research you have done and further research needed, and be sure to
incorporate more than one perspective on the argument, but only focus on one particular claim.
Provide background information on the issue followed by a clearly constructed thesis statement. Include
evidence and support for your claim, identifying and addressing the rebuttals and refutation arguments on
your stance. Consider the rhetorical situation, demonstrate your recognition of these elements, and
appropriately include appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos to support your stance while also maintaining an
appropriate tone for this academic essay.
Requirements
6-8 pages
A Works Cited pages with at least 6 sources (not a part of the page count). At least four of these sources
must be scholarly sources (including scholarly books or book chapters) and two may be “popular”
sources.
MLA format
o 1” margins on top, bottom, left and right; left justified
o Name block includes your name, instructor’s name, the class (Engl 1102), and the date
o Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and page
number
o Double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font
o A correctly formatted Work Cited page in MLA style
Final Paper Presentation
Purpose
The purpose of presenting your final paper’s claim and support to the class is to not only solidify these
elements for yourself, but to ensure that you can clearly articulate them to an audience of your peers.
Objectives
analyze, evaluate, document, and draw inferences from various sources
identify, select, and analyze appropriate research methods, research questions, and evidence for a
specific rhetorical situation
use argumentative strategies and genres in order to engage various audiences
integrate others’ ideas with his/her own
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate to rhetorical
situations and audience constraints
produce well-reasoned, argumentative essays demonstrating rhetorical engagement
reflect on what contributed to his/her writing process and evaluate his/her own work
Assignment
You will be asked to present the argument that you are making for your final paper in a 3 to 5 minute
presentation for the class. This presentation can take several formats must include a handout for the class
(25 copies) that clearly states:
1. your claim
2. support for your claim
3. rebuttal arguments and how you plan refute those rebuttals.
4. a bibliography of sources that you plan to cite in your essay, correctly formatted in MLA
style.
These can be bullet points or paragraphs, whatever you would prefer, and can be made visually
appealing in any manner that you choose (pictures, designs, colors, etc).
Your grade will be based on the clarity and creativity with which you tackled this assignment as well as
whether or not you met all of the aforementioned necessary requirements.
Please keep in mind that I will be giving attendance quizzes the week of April 19th and April 26
th to
encourage each of our presenters to have an audience.
Checklist for Assignment 4 and Final Paper Presentation
□ Schedule a conference with Miss Forsthoefel…………………..Date_____________ Time________
□ Turn in Draft of Assignment 4 on April 6
□ Attend Conference as scheduled with Miss Forsthoefel to receive feedback on my draft
□ Schedule Presentation on Assignment 4…………………………Date_____________ Time________
□ Make handout (25 copies) for presentation
□ Turn in Assignment 4 on April 29
Georgia State University English 1102 Spring 2010
English 1102 11917
T/Th 2:30-3:45
Classroom South 510
Instructor: Jennifer Forsthoefel
Office: General Classroom Building 952
Office Hours: Wednesday 2:00-4:00
Phone: TBA
Email: [email protected]
Course Description
Prerequisite: grade of C or higher in English 1101. This course is designed to develop writing
skills beyond the levels of proficiency required by English 1101. It focuses on critical thinking
and critical reading, as well as the production of short argumentative essays. The readings for the
course readings will be drawn from a wide variety of texts, focusing on social and cultural
concerns. A passing grade is C.
Learning Outcomes
In addition to the skills acquired in 1101, by the end of the course, the student will be able to
analyze, evaluate, document, and draw inferences from various sources
identify, select, and analyze appropriate research methods, research questions, and
evidence for a specific rhetorical situation
use argumentative strategies and genres in order to engage various audiences
integrate others’ ideas with his/her own
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate to
rhetorical situations and audience constraints
produce well-reasoned, argumentative essays demonstrating rhetorical engagement
reflect on what contributed to his/her writing process and evaluate his/her own work
Course Policies
Attendance – This class relies heavily on student participation, so your attendance is expected.
The majority of our class meetings will begin with a short quiz or written response to the
readings assigned for that day. Therefore, in addition to your participation, your attendance will
be apparent to me throughout the semester. I make no distinction between “excused” or
“unexcused” absences. It’s simple: either you are here, or you are not. If you are not here, you
are not participating, and your participation portion of the overall grade will suffer as a result. If
you must miss class, consult a classmate to find out what you have missed and for copies of the
handouts.
Tardiness – Please do not be late to class. It is distracting and takes away from the learning
environment. I define “late” as more than ten minutes after the course is scheduled to begin. If
you are tardy, you will not be allowed extra time to complete the quizzes given at the beginning
of class. If you arrive after the ten minute grace period, you will not be permitted into the
classroom and you will be counted as absent. If you think you might have a problem arriving to
class on time despite this grace period, please consider registering for a different section of this
course.
Essay Submission –Please staple all final drafts (no binders or paperclips) BEFORE coming to
class. I will not accept papers that are not stapled. They should be typed on a word processor,
double-spaced with standard margins and font (Times New Roman, 12 point). I will not accept
emailed or faxed papers for final submission without prior discussion.
Late work – Assignments are due at the beginning of class. If you anticipate a problem with a
particular deadline, confer with me at least one class period before the assignment due date to
discuss the issue. Otherwise, I will not accept late work.
Technology –Please turn off cell phones and keep them out of sight throughout the duration of
the class period. Please do not listen to your iPod (or any variation thereof) in class. I also
request that you keep laptops off and closed unless you discuss it with me prior to class and have
a valid reason for its use. If any of this becomes a problem, you will be asked to leave the class
and your participation grade will be affected. I am sure that I am leaving something out, so for
that reason I will close by stating: If it beeps, blinks, buzzes or generally risks disrupting the
riveting class that I am sure we will be having, please be sure to turn it off, keep it closed, shut it
down, or leave it at home.
Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism
The Department of English expects its students to adhere to the university’s code of student
conduct, especially as it pertains to academic conduct, including plagiarism, cheating, and
multiple submissions. See http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwdos/codeofconduct.html for the policy.
Plagiarizing means you thwart your own education and forego your responsibilities as a writer.
Furthermore, you violate the ethical, academic standards of the academic community. These
standards include the value of research and informed argument, open and honest debate and
sharing of ideas, critical thinking about evidence, the careful presentation of research, and
acknowledgement of sources and ideas. We will devote class time to learning how to incorporate
others’ ideas honestly and effectively. Students who violate these policies in this course will
receive a range of academic and disciplinary penalties; see the handout provided for definitions
and consequences.
Accommodations for Students with Special Needs
Georgia State University complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans
with Disabilities Act. Students with disabilities who seek academic accommodations must first
take appropriate documentation to the Office of Disability Services
(http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwods/) located in Suite 230 of the New Student Center. Students with
special needs should then make an appointment with me during the first week of class to discuss
any accommodations that need to be made.
Writing Studio
The Writing Studio, located in room 976 in the General Classroom Building, provides personal,
one-on-one service for students in order to help them at all levels of the writing process. You can
schedule an appointment or just drop by and wait. The service is free. This is a valuable resource
for writers, and I highly recommend that you use it.
English Major Senior Portfolios
The English Department at GSU requires an exit portfolio of all students graduating with a
degree in English. Ideally, students should work on this every semester, selecting 1-2 papers
from each course and revising them, with direction from faculty members. The portfolio includes
revised work and a reflective essay on what you have learned. Each concentration (literature,
creative writing, rhetoric/composition, and secondary education) within the major may have
specific items to place in the portfolio, so be sure to check the booklet located at the front office
of the English Department. Senior Portfolios due dates are published in the booklets or you may
contact an advisor or Dr Goodman, Director of Undergraduate Studies. See the main office for
additional information.
Required Texts
Lunsford, Andrea and John J. Ruszkiewicz. Everything’s An Argument.4th
ed. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2007.
Lunsford, Andrea. The Everyday Writer Georgia State University Edition. 4th
ed. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2009.
Sedaris, David. Me Talk Pretty One Day. New York: Little, Brown, and Company, 2000.
Recommended Text
Singer, Marti and Cara Minardi, eds. First Arguments: A Peer Approach to Persuasion.
Plymouth, Michigan, Hayden-McNeil Publishing, 2008.
Grading Scale-Point Value
A+ 97-100
A 93-96
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 76-79
C 70-75 (GPA = 2.0)
C- 65-69
D 60-64
F below 60
The Board of Regents requires a grade point of 2.0 in a freshman composition course to be
considered as “passing.”
A rubric which describes in greater detail how essays will be graded will be distributed at a later
date, prior to the due date of the first essay.
Course Requirements
Class Participation 20%
This includes reading responses, quizzes, homework, and in-class writing assignments. The
majority of our class meetings will begin with a short quiz or written response to the readings
assigned for that day. In addition, you are expected to participate in class discussion and
activities. Work done in class cannot be made-up or handed in late.
Essays and Presentation 80%
These will be discussed in more detail in class. An assignment sheet with explicit
instructions will be provided
Assignment 1: Argument From Personal Experience (3-4 pages) 10%
For this essay you will construct an argument without any outside research.
Assignment 2: Scholarly Essay Analysis (4-5 pages) 15%
Part of preparing to argue means researching what has already been written about the issue. In
order to thoroughly understand what others have written on the issue, we need to critically
examine how the arguments being made in our sources are constructed. The scholarly essay
analysis encourages you to do just that.
Assignment 3: Topic Proposal (1-2 pages) and Annotated Bibliography (5 sources) 20%
For this assignment you will select and propose a topic about which you wish to do further
research. You will then research that topic and provide annotations that summarize and critique
the arguments found in your sources.
Assignment 4: Final Paper (6-8 pages) 30%
In this essay, you will present a fully developed argument
Final Paper Presentation 5%
You will present your argument in a 5-7 minute presentation
Course Schedule
Note: You are required to bring to every class the book(s) which contain(s) the reading(s)
assigned for that particular meeting. The reading is due on the day it is listed. You must be
prepared to discuss the reading before you come to class that day.
Week 1: Jan 11-15
T: Introductions. Discuss Syllabus
Th: Introduce Assignment 1; MTPOD pgs 3-15
Week 2: Jan 18- 22
T: EAA Chapter 1 pgs 3-32
Th: EAA Chapter 1 pgs 32-44
Week 3: Jan 25-29
T: EAA Chapter 2 pgs 45-58
Th: EAA Chapter 3 pgs 60-76
Week 4: Feb 1-5
T: EAA Chapter 4 pgs 78-100
Th: Assignment 1 Due; Introduce Assignment 2
Week 5: Feb 8-12
T: EAA Chapter 5 pgs 102-115, 120-122
Th: EW 105-118
Week 6: Feb 15-19
T: EAA Chapter 7 pgs 174-194
Th: EAA Chapter 8 pgs 217-233
Week 7: Feb 22-26
T: Assignment 2 Due; Introduce Assignment 3
Th: EW 149-171
Week 8: March 1-5
Semester Midpoint: Last Day to Withdraw and Receive a ‘W’
T: EAA Chapter 6 pgs 139-171
Th: EAA Chapter 9 pgs 250-268
Week 9: March 8-12
Spring Break
Week 10: March 15-19
T: Library Day
Th: Assignment 3 Due; Introduce Assignment 4
Week 11: March 22-26
T: EAA Chapter 10 pgs 285-306
Th: no class
Week 12: March 29-April 2
T: EAA Chapter 16 pgs 469-489
Th: TBA
Week 13: April 5-9
T: Draft of Assignment 4 due
Th: Conferences
Week 14: April 12-16
T: Conferences
Th: Conferences
Week 15: April 19-23
T: Presentations
Th: Presentations
Week 16: April 26-30
T: Presentations
Th: Final Paper Due
Disclaimer: This Syllabus represents a plan for the semester. Deviations from this plan may
become necessary as the semester progresses. Students are responsible for taking note of
any changes that may occur.
Assignment 1: Argument from Personal Experience
Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize you with writing an argument.
Through identifying an issue in your everyday life and your perspective to toward that issue, you
can begin constructing a cohesive argument out of the essential materials from their own
experience. The assignment also allows you to use their expository writing skills while beginning
to develop their argumentative skills.
Objectives
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate to
rhetorical situations and audience constraints
produce well-reasoned, argumentative essays demonstrating rhetorical engagement
Assignment: In this first paper, you will write an argument based on personal experience,
without using sources. Therefore, you should explore what you already know about a particular
issue, formulate an argument, and defend you position logically. Your goal in this assignment is
to present and argue the issue, not in the way it is argued by the world at large, or determined by
research, but as you would argue it. As a result this essay will largely be expository in nature.
However, the exposition is to be used towards the purpose of identifying and outlining an
argument with which you have had personal experience. This means incorporating to a certain
extent the terms and characteristics of certain kinds of argument you learned about in Chapters 1-
4 in Everything’s an Argument. Focus on presenting an arguable issue, on presenting yourself as
a capable arguer, on establishing a common ground with your audience, and on creating a
suitable forum in which your argument can be heard and understood. Exploring the issue you
have chosen and explaining your understanding and experience with it best accomplishes this.
Choose a topic that interests you and that you have a strong perspective about, experience
with, and an opinion on
Your goal is to present and argue the issue not as it is argued by other people, or
determined by research, but as you understand it
All arguments (even personal ones) are based on evidence and a clear thesis
See the sample student paper, and analysis, on page 33 of First Arguments
Requirements
3-4 pages
MLA Format
1” margins top, bottom, left and right; left justified
Name block includes your name, instructor’s name, the class, and the date
Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and page number
The entire document should be double-spaced (no extra space between paragraphs) and in 12-
point Times New Roman font
Assignment 2: Scholarly Essay Analysis
Purpose and Topic:
Part of preparing to argue is fully understanding and researching what has already been written
about the issue. We consider what others have written, think about what further ideas need to be
written, and then develop these in an analysis. This scholarly essay encourages you to do just
that.
Outcomes:
analyze, evaluate, document, and draw inferences from various sources
identify, select, and analyze appropriate research methods, research questions, and
evidence for a specific rhetorical situation
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate to
rhetorical situations and audience constraints
Assignment:
5. Choose a scholarly article/essay from a scholarly publication/journal (approximately 10-
20 pages long) from one of the following online databases: MLA International
Bibliography, Proquest Databases, or EbscoHost Databases.
6. Write a 4-5 page essay that analyzes the structure, rhetorical situation (and all the
elements included in that rhetorical situation), use of ethos, pathos, and/or logos,
language, tone, thesis of the article. And other information discussed in Chapter 5 of
Everything’s an Argument.
7. Provide your critical analysis (opinion) of the article and how it successfully argues its
thesis or unsuccessfully argues its thesis.
8. With all academic essays in the English Department, use MLA format. Also, your essay
should be double-spaced, use 12-point font, and 1” margins. Since you will cite only one
essay, your final page will read “work cited” and will be formatted according to MLA
style.
Evidence:
In an analysis of this nature, you will use ample borrowed material from the essay that is
paraphrased, summarized, and quoted. However, your essay should do more than summarize.
Instead, you should point out rhetorical moves and explain how they create meaning and
understanding.
Arrangement (Organization):
Part One
This part of the essay includes the introduction (which should provide the argument and support
being made in the article), background information about the author, the journal, and a
discussion of the structure of the article. Include a discussion of the author’s thesis, evidence,
transition sentences, and rebuttal/refutation sections.
Part Two
Use the second part of your essay to discuss the rhetorical situation, ethos, logos, and/or pathos,
language, tone, audience, and the other issues that are discussed in Chapter 5 of Everything’s an
Argument (pg 105).
Part Three
This is the conclusion of your paper . Here you should reflect upon the effectiveness of the
article. Does the article make its claim effectively? Are there issues/concerns that made the
article difficult to read? What would you change?
Requirements
4-5 pages in length
A copy of the scholarly article you are analyzing (10-20pgs and adhering to the
guidelines for that I deem “scholarly”)
MLA format
o 1” margins on top, bottom, left and right; left justified
o Name block includes your name, instructor’s name, the class (Engl 1102), and the
date
o Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and
page number
o Double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font
o A correctly formatted Work Cites page in MLA style
Assignment 3: Topic Proposal and Annotated Bibliography.
English 1102 Topic Proposal
Purpose
Crafting an argument step by step often helps you assess an issue of interest. While crafting your
proposal, you should determine whether or not your topic is arguable and how you want to focus
your issue.
Objectives
identify, select, and analyze appropriate research methods, research questions, and
evidence for a specific rhetorical situation
produce well-reasoned, argumentative essays demonstrating rhetorical engagement
reflect on what contributed to his/her writing process and evaluate his/her own work
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate to
rhetorical situations and audience constraints
Assignment
For this assignment, write a 1-2 page paper highlighting the issue you are interested in exploring
for your annotated bibliography and ultimately your final research paper. You should begin by
setting up the issue, providing your current understanding of the topic in order to establish the
context. This portion of your paper should end with the focus or thesis of your future argument
paper.
Following this section, provide an explanation of what you need to research further in order
construct an argument on this topic. Include a general plan of the way(s) you anticipate obtaining
this information and any constraints or concerns you anticipate encountering when constructing
the final research paper on this topic.
Requirements
1-2 pages in length
A title
MLA format
o 1” margins on top, bottom, left and right; left justified
o Name block includes your name, instructor’s name, the class (Engl 1102), and the
date. This should be single spaced.
o Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and
page number
o Double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font
Annotated Bibliography
Purpose
An annotated bibliography is the next step in writing your research paper. In your annotated
bibliography, you will demonstrate what research you have done for your final research paper.
This assignment should help you to organize this material and encourage you to consider the
value of your sources before you attempt to use them.
Objectives
analyze, evaluate, document, and draw inferences from various sources
identify, select, and analyze appropriate research methods, research questions, and
evidence for a specific rhetorical situation
integrate others’ ideas with his/her own
Assignment
For this assignment, you will provide a list of FIVE sources listed in MLA format that you have
considered using in your final paper (meaning they must relate to the topic you turned in for the
proposal portion of the assignment).
Of these FIVE sources, at least TWO must support the stance you plan to argue in your final
research paper.
Of these FIVE sources, at least TWO must refute the stance you plan to argue in your final
research paper.
The remaining 5th
source can either support or refute your argument. It is at your
discretion.
Of these FIVE sources, at least ONE must be a book or chapter of a book (depending on its
relevance to your argument)
Of these FIVE sources, you may include ONE popular source. The other four must be scholarly.
After providing the MLA citation for the source, you will write a summary/annotation of the
work. Each annotation should be about 200 words in length and should include:
the major assertion/claim of the text
how the author supports his claim
how you would use this source in your final paper
Requirements
5 sources each with an annotation of about 200 words in length
The support sources should be grouped together and placed in alphabetical order. This
should also be done for the refutation sources.
MLA format
o 1” margins on top, bottom, left and right; left justified
o Name block includes your name, instructor’s name, the class (Engl 1102), and the
date. This should be single spaced.
o Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and
page number
o Double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font
Assignment 4: Final Paper
Purpose
The purpose of writing an argument essay is to learn how to persuade your readers and offer a possible
solution to conflicts. You will draw on the research and writing you conducted in your earlier essays and
bibliography to build a focused, sustained, and developed argument.
Objectives
analyze, evaluate, document, and draw inferences from various sources
identify, select, and analyze appropriate research methods, research questions, and evidence for a
specific rhetorical situation
use argumentative strategies and genres in order to engage various audiences
integrate others’ ideas with his/her own
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate to rhetorical
situations and audience constraints
produce well-reasoned, argumentative essays demonstrating rhetorical engagement
reflect on what contributed to his/her writing process and evaluate his/her own work\
Assignment
To get started, you will need to:
Identify the argument you wish to pursue
Identify the rhetorical situation
Identify your own position
In your final argument, you will develop and support a particular claim or perspective in order to persuade
an audience. As a responsible and ethical writer of an argumentative essay, you must also present the
complexity of the issue and distinguish the main arguments surrounding it, including those that refute
your argument. Drawing upon the research you have done and further research needed, and be sure to
incorporate more than one perspective on the argument, but only focus on one particular claim.
Provide background information on the issue followed by a clearly constructed thesis statement. Include
evidence and support for your claim, identifying and addressing the rebuttals and refutation arguments on
your stance. Consider the rhetorical situation, demonstrate your recognition of these elements, and
appropriately include appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos to support your stance while also maintaining an
appropriate tone for this academic essay.
Requirements
6-8 pages
A Works Cited pages with at least 6 sources (not a part of the page count). At least four of these sources
must be scholarly sources (including scholarly books or book chapters) and two may be “popular”
sources.
MLA format
o 1” margins on top, bottom, left and right; left justified
o Name block includes your name, instructor’s name, the class (Engl 1102), and the date
o Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and page
number
o Double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font
o A correctly formatted Work Cited page in MLA style
Final Paper Presentation
Purpose
The purpose of presenting your final paper’s claim and support to the class is to not only solidify these
elements for yourself, but to ensure that you can clearly articulate them to an audience of your peers.
Objectives
analyze, evaluate, document, and draw inferences from various sources
identify, select, and analyze appropriate research methods, research questions, and evidence for a
specific rhetorical situation
use argumentative strategies and genres in order to engage various audiences
integrate others’ ideas with his/her own
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate to rhetorical
situations and audience constraints
produce well-reasoned, argumentative essays demonstrating rhetorical engagement
reflect on what contributed to his/her writing process and evaluate his/her own work
Assignment
You will be asked to present the argument that you are making for your final paper in a 3 to 5 minute
presentation for the class. This presentation can take several formats must include a handout for the class
(25 copies) that clearly states:
5. your claim
6. support for your claim
7. rebuttal arguments and how you plan refute those rebuttals.
8. a bibliography of sources that you plan to cite in your essay, correctly formatted in MLA
style.
These can be bullet points or paragraphs, whatever you would prefer, and can be made visually
appealing in any manner that you choose (pictures, designs, colors, etc).
Your grade will be based on the clarity and creativity with which you tackled this assignment as well as
whether or not you met all of the aforementioned necessary requirements.
Please keep in mind that I will be giving attendance quizzes the week of April 19th and April 26
th to
encourage each of our presenters to have an audience.
Checklist for Assignment 4 and Final Paper Presentation
□ Schedule a conference with Miss Forsthoefel…………………..Date_____________ Time________
□ Turn in Draft of Assignment 4 on April 6
□ Attend Conference as scheduled with Miss Forsthoefel to receive feedback on my draft
□ Schedule Presentation on Assignment 4…………………………Date_____________ Time________
□ Make handout (25 copies) for presentation
□ Turn in Assignment 4 on April 29
Georgia State University
English 1101 50263 Summer 2010
T/Th 1:50-4:35
Sparks 321
Instructor: Jennifer Forsthoefel
Office: GCB 952
Office Hours: T/Th 4:45-5:45
Email: [email protected]
Course Description
This course is designed to increase the student’s ability to construct written prose of various
kinds. It focuses on methods of organization, analysis, research skills, and the production of short
expository and argumentative essays; readings consider issues of contemporary social and
cultural concern. A passing grade is C.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
engage in writing as a process, including various invention heuristics (brainstorming, for
example), gathering evidence, considering audience, drafting, revising, editing, and
proofreading
engage in the collaborative, social aspects of writing, and use writing as a tool for
learning
use language to explore and analyze contemporary multicultural, global, and
international questions
demonstrate how to use writing aids, such as handbooks, dictionaries, online aids, and
tutors
gather, summarize, synthesize, and explain information from various sources
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate for a
variety of audiences
critique their own and others’ work in written and oral formats
produce coherent, organized, readable prose for a variety of rhetorical situations
reflect on what contributed to their writing process and evaluate their own work
Course Policies
Attendance – This class relies heavily on student participation, so your attendance is expected.
While I will take attendance the first few weeks of class to learn your names and to verify the
roll, this will not be a habit throughout the semester. Instead, the majority of our class meetings
will begin with a short quiz or written response to the readings assigned for that day. Thus, in
addition to your comprehension of the readings, your attendance will be apparent to me
throughout the semester. These quizzes/responses cannot be “made-up” at a later date. Please
note that I make no distinction between “excused” or “unexcused” absences. It’s simple: either
you are here, or you are not. If you are not here, you are not participating, and your participation
portion of the overall grade will suffer as a result. If you must miss class, consult a classmate to
find out what you have missed and for copies of the handouts.
Tardiness – Please do not be late to class. It is distracting and takes away from the learning
environment. I define “late” as more than fifteen minutes after the course is scheduled to
begin. If you arrive before the fifteen minute grace period ends but are still late to class, you will
not be allowed extra time to complete the quiz given at the beginning of that class. If you arrive
after the fifteen minute grace period, you will not be permitted into the classroom and are
considered absent. If you think you might have a problem arriving to class on time despite this
grace period, please consider registering for a different section of this course.
E-mail- I will only read and respond to emails sent to [email protected]. Although I am a
student at GSU as well as an instructor, and thus have a student account, I do not check my
student account regularly, and therefore will not respond to email sent to this or any other
address that is not my langate account. Although I check my langate e-mail often, there is a
chance that I will not receive an email from you on the day that you send it. Therefore, please
anticipate waiting at least 24 hours for me to respond to emails.
Plan to check your GSU email daily for announcements regarding this class. If you prefer an
email address other than your GSU one set your GSU account to forward your email to that
address. It is against university policy for me to discuss private information with students
through any address other than their GSU account.
Essay Submission –Please staple all final drafts of your essays (no binders or paperclips)
BEFORE coming to class. I will not accept papers that are not stapled. They should be typed on
a word processor, double-spaced with standard margins and font (Times New Roman, 12 point).
I will not accept emailed or faxed papers for final submission without prior discussion.
Peer Response-The class before the final due date of your essays with be dedicated to peer
response workshops, during which we will be reading each other’s work. In addition, you will
have the opportunity to discuss with me any questions or concerns you have about your essay at
that time. You are required to bring a draft of your essay to participate in this activity. The credit
for this will be a part of the 25% participation grade discussed later in the syllabus. I strongly
encourage that you take advantage of this portion of this course.
Late work – Assignments are due at the beginning of class. If you anticipate a problem with a
particular deadline, confer with me at least one class period before the assignment due date to
discuss the issue. Otherwise, I will not accept late work.
Technology –Please turn off cell phones and keep them out of sight throughout the duration of
the class period. Please do not listen to your iPod (or any variation thereof) in class. I also
request that you keep laptops off and closed unless you discuss it with me prior to class and have
a valid reason for its use. If any of this becomes a problem, you will be asked to leave the class
and your participation grade will be affected. I am sure that I am leaving something out, so for
that reason I will close by stating: If it beeps, blinks, buzzes or generally risks disrupting the
riveting class that I am sure we will be having, please be sure to turn it off, keep it closed, shut it
down, or leave it at home.
Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism
The Department of English expects its students to adhere to the university’s code of student
conduct, especially as it pertains to academic conduct, including plagiarism, cheating, and
multiple submissions. See http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwdos/codeofconduct.html for the policy.
Plagiarizing means you thwart your own education and forego your responsibilities as a writer.
Furthermore, you violate the ethical, academic standards of the academic community. These
standards include the value of research and informed argument, open and honest debate and
sharing of ideas, critical thinking about evidence, the careful presentation of research, and
acknowledgement of sources and ideas. We will devote class time to learning how to incorporate
others’ ideas honestly and effectively. Students who violate these policies in this course will
receive a range of academic and disciplinary penalties; see the handout provided for definitions
and consequences.
Accommodations for Students with Special Needs
Georgia State University complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans
with Disabilities Act. Students with disabilities who seek academic accommodations must first
take appropriate documentation to the Office of Disability Services
(http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwods/) located in Suite 230 of the New Student Center. Students with
special needs should then make an appointment with me during the first week of class to discuss
any accommodations that need to be made.
Writing Studio
The Writing Studio, located in room 976 in the General Classroom Building, provides personal,
one-on-one service for students in order to help them at all levels of the writing process. You can
schedule an appointment at writingstudio.gsu.edu. There are only virtual tutoring sessions
offered this summer enabled by a chat feature available through Windows Live, a service
provided free through your student account. The tutoring service is free. This is a valuable
resource for writers, and I highly recommend that you use it. I will provide more detailed
information about this in class.
English Major Senior Portfolios
The English Department at GSU requires an exit portfolio of all students graduating with a
degree in English. Ideally, students should work on this every semester, selecting 1-2 papers
from each course and revising them, with direction from faculty members. The portfolio includes
revised work and a reflective essay on what you have learned. Each concentration (literature,
creative writing, rhetoric/composition, and secondary education) within the major may have
specific items to place in the portfolio, so be sure to check the booklet located at the front office
of the English Department. Senior Portfolios due dates are published in the booklets or you may
contact an advisor or Dr Goodman, Director of Undergraduate Studies. See the main office for
additional information.
Required Texts
Lunsford, Andrea. The Everyday Writer Georgia State University Edition. 4th
ed. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2009.
Sedaris, David. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. New York: Little, Brown, and
Company, 2004.
Singer, Marti. First Essays: A Peer Approach to Freshman Composition. Plymouth: Hayden
McNeil Publishing, 2008.
Recommended Text
Bean, John C, Virginia A. Chappell and Alice M. Gillam. Reading Rhetorically. GSU ed. New
York: Pearson Longman, 2007.
Grading Scale-Point Value
A+ 97-100
A 93-96
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 76-79
C 70-75 (GPA = 2.0)
C- 65-69
D 60-64
F below 60
The Board of Regents requires a grade point of 2.0 in a freshman composition course to be
considered as “passing.”
A rubric which describes in greater detail how essays will be graded will be distributed at a later
date, prior to the due date of the first essay.
Course Requirements
Essays (4-5 pages) 75%
You will complete four essays over the course of this semester. These essays will increase in
value as the semester progresses. In addition, you will do an individual class presentation
towards the end of the semester.
1. Narrative Essay (20%)
3. Analysis Essays (25%)
4. Persuasive Essay (25%)
5. Class Presentation (5%)
In-Class Assignments 25%
This grade will include
1. Daily Quizzes
2. Daily written assignments
3. Participation in peer response workshops
4. Participation in class discussions
5. Homework
Guidelines for Writing From Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism
Department of English, Georgia State University
The following descriptions are designed to help explain plagiarism and its consequences to help
you avoid it in your writing for this course. We will devote class time to learning and
understanding how to use sources in your writing, how to research and take notes effectively,
how to use and cite electronic resources, and how to get help from various writing aids and
resources.
Insufficient Citation and Undocumented Paraphrasing: Students are expected to cite both written
(print and electronic), oral, and visual sources consulted in writing papers. All borrowed
ideas―both direct quotations and paraphrasing from another’s work―require accurate citation,
and direct quotations require quotation marks. Fully paraphrase and summarize borrowed ideas
to avoid stylistic plagiarism, which is using the same words and sentence structure as the source.
Drafts of papers with insufficient citation or undocumented paraphrasing will require mandatory
revisions; final papers will receive an F.
Patchwriting, or Cutting and Pasting: Cutting and pasting passages from your source into your
own paper and turning in the paper as your own is plagiarism. Students are expected to
accurately and amply paraphrase borrowed material using their own stylistic features rather than
the source’s style and language and cite this material accurately. In addition, students are
expected to develop their own framework for their papers rather than borrowing their source’s
argument wholesale (even if acknowledged). Drafts with these problems will require mandatory
revision; final papers will receive an F.
False Submissions, Ghostwriting, or Fraud: Students are expected to write their own original
papers for each assignment, from development of ideas and research to revision. If students turn
in final papers written by someone else (i.e. acquired or bought through the Internet, an
organization, friends, family members, another student, etc.), the paper will receive an F for the
course and face disciplinary action as per the GSU College of Arts and Sciences policy. If such a
paper is submitted for a rough draft, the student will receive a 0 for the draft and be required to
do a mandatory revision.
If you have any doubt about whether or not you’re plagiarizing, talk with your professor or a
Writing Studio tutor before submitting your paper.
Course Schedule
Note: You are required to bring to every class the book(s) which contain(s) the reading(s)
assigned for that particular meeting. The reading is due on the day it is listed. You must be
prepared to discuss the reading before you come to class that day.
In addition, you are required to bring to every class Dress Your Family in Corduroy and
Denim as we will be reading sections of this book in class.
Week 1: June 14-18
T: Introductions; Discuss syllabus; Discuss writing studio
watch National Conversation on Writing video:
< http://ncow.org/browse/video/who/who_is_writer.html>
Th: Everyday Writer “The Composition Program at Georgia State University” GSU-1-GSU
7; “Expectations for College Writing” 12-17; “US Academic Conventions” p 493-496
“Writing Situations” 43-51; Syllabus Quiz
Week 2: June 21-25
T: First Essays Chapter 1&2
Introduce Narrative Essay assignment
Th: First Essays Chapter 3 and First Essays “Peer Response” 65-66
Discuss grading rubric and peer response guidelines
Week 3: June 28-July 2
T: Narrative Essay Draft due for workshop
Th: Narrative Essay due
Introduce Analysis Essay assignment
Week 4: July 5-July 9
T: First Essays Chapter 4
Th: Handouts provided
Week 5: July 12-July 16
T: Analysis Essay workshop
Th: Analysis Essay due
Introduce Argument Essay assignment
Week 6: July 19-July 23
T: First Essays Chapter 5
Th: Everyday Writer p105-125
Week 7: July 26-July 30
T: Class Presentations
Th: Argumentative Essay due
Disclaimer: This syllabus represents a plan for the semester. Deviations from this plan may
become necessary as the semester progresses. Students are responsible for taking note of
any changes that may occur
Assignment 1: Narrative Essay
“We use narrative in everyday life beyond the classroom, when we tell a friend about our day, when we describe a
sporting event, when we write in diaries, journals, or personal correspondence such as email. We narrate annoying
problems when we write complaint letters, entertaining anecdotes when we write speeches, inspiring stories when
we write sermons. Narratives form the basis of religious systems, myths, and legends the world over in documents
such as the Holy Bible, the Koran, the Torah, classical mythology, as well as in the oral tradition of tribal cultures.
Picture accounts of events are found in Neanderthal cave drawings, chambers in pyramids, frescoes in Roman ruins,
art galleries, advertising campaigns, as well as television and movie dramatizations” (2). Narration: A Short
History by Maurice Scharton.
Purpose and Topic
Your purpose for this assignment is to reflect on a personal experience and explore how that special moment in your
life has affected you, influenced the person you are today, or perhaps how it changed your outlook on life. When
you finally reach these conclusions, you should compose a short essay in which you narrate the event to your
audience and explain the impact that this previous experience had on you.
Objectives
engage in writing as a process, including various invention heuristics (brainstorming, for example),
gathering evidence, considering audience, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate for a variety of audiences
produce coherent, organized, readable prose for a variety of rhetorical situations
reflect on what contributed to their writing process and evaluate their own work
Things to Remember
You must have some distance from the experience to write about its meaning effectively. You really need
to understand the changes you went through as a result of this occurrence if you hope to explain them to
your audience.
This essay is short so it is important that you make good decisions about what details should be included.
On the other hand, your audience is not familiar with the people and places you will be mentioning in your
essay, so relevant details are important.
Use plenty of description to narrate your experience. Rely on narration to tell your audience what
happened. Be creative about using dialogue and details from your past (hint: you may take poetic license to
fill in details you may have forgotten).
Be sure to indicate the time and sequence of events clearly. Consider variations on chronological order, but
be sure to save an effective scene for the end.
This is an academic essay and should be treated as such. Thus, while your tone for the paper may be serious
or more lighthearted, but you should be writing with your intended audience in mind (intelligent adults).
Requirements
4-5 pages in length
MLA format
o 1” margins on top, bottom, left and right; left justified
o Name block includes your name, instructor’s name, the class (Engl 1101), and the date
o Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and page number
o Double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font
You will need to bring three copies of a COMPLETE typed draft to class on June 29th
for peer workshop.
The final draft of your paper is due July 1st along with your rough drafts, including the three copies of your draft
which were used for peer workshop
Assignment 2: Analysis Essay
Purpose
When we analyze something, we break down information into parts which we then consider more closely
to determine what the information means or why it is important. With analysis we move to explain why
we view, understand, or use the subject the way we do. Thus, the analysis essay explores specific aspects
of information from the writer’s perspective and uses specific criteria in order to come up with a
conclusion that is frequently not obvious with a quick look. This assignment should demonstrate your
abilities to analyze literature, music, film, television, etc., and describe your analysis in detail providing
your own comments and critiques.
Objectives
engage in writing as a process, including various invention heuristics (brainstorming, for
example), gathering evidence, considering audience, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading
gather, summarize, synthesize, and explain information from various sources
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate for a variety of
audiences
critique their own and others’ work in written and oral formats
produce coherent, organized, readable prose for a variety of rhetorical situations
Assignment
For your first assignment you have constructed a narrative that describes a significant event in your life
and you have reflected on why this has affected you, influenced the person you are today, or perhaps how
it changed your outlook on life. For this next assignment, you will select two pieces of popular culture, be
it literature, music, film, television, etc. that echo your experience/reflection or an aspect of the
experience/reflected that you described your narrative essay. These popular culture pieces do not need to
mirror your experience as a whole, but can merely reflect parts, be it actions, reactions, emotions,
thoughts, or feelings about the initial impactful experience you described in your personal narrative. You
will summarize these two pieces of popular culture (remember to consider your audience as I might not
be familiar with the material you are describing) and construct criteria which you will then apply to your
own experience/reflection that you wrote for your narrative essay in order to find similarities and
differences to your own experiences. In a sense, this is a compare and contrast essay, as you are
comparing your own experiences to those reflected in the popular culture pieces. For example, should
your narrative have been about a loved one passing away and your own reflections on how this has caused
you to appreciate certain aspects of your life, you may select a popular culture piece that deals with death,
grief, or newfound hope, and, using criteria that indicates how you define these emotions, conclude how
the piece reflects and does not reflect your own experiences. These conclusions should be reflected in a
thesis statement that you provide in your essay.
Requirements
4-5 pages in length
MLA format
o 1” margins on top, bottom, left and right; left justified
o Name block includes your name, the class (Engl 1101), and the date
o Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and page
number
o Double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font
o A correctly formatted Work Cites page in MLA style for the popular culture pieces you
select
Assignment 3: Persuasive Essay
Purpose and Topic:
Part of preparing to argue is fully understanding and researching what has already been written about the issue. We consider what
others have written, think about what further ideas need to be written, and then develop these in an analysis. This scholarly essay
encourages you to do just that.
Outcomes:
engage in the collaborative, social aspects of writing, and use writing as a tool for learning
demonstrate how to use writing aids, such as handbooks, dictionaries, online aids, and tutors
gather, summarize, synthesize, and explain information from various sources
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate for a variety of audiences
critique their own and others’ work in written and oral formats
produce coherent, organized, readable prose for a variety of rhetorical situations
Assignment:
9. Choose a scholarly article/essay from a scholarly publication/journal (approximately 10-20 pages long) from one of
the following online databases: MLA International Bibliography, Proquest Databases, or EbscoHost Databases. This
article should relate in some way to an issue you have discussed in your narrative and analysis essays.
10. Write a 4-5 page essay that analyzes the organization, rhetorical situation (author, audience, purpose), use of ethos,
pathos, and/or logos, language (is it specialized? For a specific discourse community?), and over all thesis/claim of the
article.
11. Provide your critical analysis (opinion) of the article and how it successfully argues its thesis/claim or unsuccessfully
argues its thesis/claim.
12. With all academic essays in the English Department, use MLA format. Also, your essay should be double-spaced, use
12-point font, and 1” margins. Since you will cite only one scholarly essay, your final page will read “work cited” and
will be formatted according to MLA style. You may also include other citations that reference background information
that you have acquired. The work cited page is not included in your page count.
Evidence:
In an analysis of this nature, you will use ample borrowed material from the essay that is paraphrased, summarized, and quoted.
You should appropriate cite this material in MLA format. Keep in mind that your essay should do more than summarize. Instead,
you should point out rhetorical moves and explain how they create meaning and understanding.
Arrangement (Organization):
Part One
This part of the essay includes the introduction which explains to me a bit about why you have chosen the article that you have,
more specifically how it relates to your personal experience (narrative essay) and the trends you see in popular culture (analysis
essay).
Part Two
This part of the assignment should discuss the argument and support being made in the article you have chosen, background
information about the author , the journal (gives hints about the audience and purpose of the article), and a discussion of the
organization of the article. Include a discussion of the author’s thesis, evidence, and rebuttal/refutation sections.
Part Two
Use the second part of your essay to discuss the use of ethos, pathos, and/or logos, and language (is it specialized? For a specific
discourse community?) in the article.
Part Three
This is the conclusion of your paper . Here you should reflect upon the effectiveness of the article. Does the article make its
claim effectively? Are there issues/concerns that made the article difficult to read? What would you change?
Requirements
DUE JULY 29th
4-5 pages in length
A copy of the scholarly article you are analyzing (10-20pgs and adhering to the guidelines for that I deem “scholarly”)
MLA format
o 1” margins on top, bottom, left and right; left justified
o Name block includes your name, instructor’s name, the class (Engl 1102), and the date
o Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and page number
o Double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font
o A correctly formatted Work Cites page in MLA style
Final Paper Presentation
Purpose
The purpose of presenting your article’ claim and support to the class is to not only solidify these
elements for yourself, but to ensure that you can clearly articulate them to an audience of your
peers.
Objectives
engage in writing as a process, including various invention heuristics (brainstorming, for
example), gathering evidence, considering audience, drafting, revising, editing, and
proofreading
engage in the collaborative, social aspects of writing, and use writing as a tool for
learning
use language to explore and analyze contemporary multicultural, global, and
international questions
demonstrate how to use writing aids, such as handbooks, dictionaries, online aids, and
tutors
gather, summarize, synthesize, and explain information from various sources
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate for a
variety of audiences
critique their own and others’ work in written and oral formats
produce coherent, organized, readable prose for a variety of rhetorical situations
reflect on what contributed to their writing process and evaluate their own work
Assignment
You will be asked to present the information you are providing for your final paper in a 5 minute
presentation for the class. This presentation can take several formats must include a handout for
the class (25 copies) that clearly states:
9. how the article relates to what you wrote for your narrative and analysis essays
10. the article’s claim and support
These can be bullet points or paragraphs, whatever you would prefer, and should be made
visually appealing in any manner that you choose (pictures, designs, colors, etc).
Your discussion of the handout should include your critical analysis (opinion) of the article and
how it successfully argues its thesis/claim or unsuccessfully argues its thesis/claim citing the
rhetorical elements asked for on the assignment sheet (rhetorical situation, ethos, pathos, and
logos, etc)
Your grade will be based on the clarity and creativity with which you tackled this assignment as
well as whether or not you met all of the aforementioned necessary requirements.
The presentations will be made to the class on July 27th
Georgia State University
English 1101 80396 Fall 2010
M/W 12:00-1:15
GCB 521
Instructor: Jennifer Forsthoefel
Office: GCB 966
Office Hours: T 2:30-4:30 and by appointment
Email: [email protected]
Course Description
This course is designed to increase the student’s ability to construct written prose of various
kinds. It focuses on methods of organization, analysis, research skills, and the production of short
expository and argumentative essays; readings consider issues of contemporary social and
cultural concern. A passing grade is C.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
engage in writing as a process, including various invention heuristics (brainstorming, for
example), gathering evidence, considering audience, drafting, revising, editing, and
proofreading
engage in the collaborative, social aspects of writing, and use writing as a tool for
learning
use language to explore and analyze contemporary multicultural, global, and
international questions
demonstrate how to use writing aids, such as handbooks, dictionaries, online aids, and
tutors
gather, summarize, synthesize, and explain information from various sources
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate for a
variety of audiences
critique their own and others’ work in written and oral formats
produce coherent, organized, readable prose for a variety of rhetorical situations
reflect on what contributed to their writing process and evaluate their own work
Course Policies
Attendance – This class relies heavily on student participation, so your attendance is expected.
While I will take attendance the first few weeks of class to learn your names and to verify the
roll, this will not be a habit throughout the semester. Instead, the majority of our class meetings
will begin with a short quiz or written response to the readings assigned for that day. Thus, in
addition to your comprehension of the readings, your attendance will be apparent to me
throughout the semester. These quizzes/responses cannot be “made-up” at a later date. Please
note that I make no distinction between “excused” or “unexcused” absences. It’s simple: either
you are here, or you are not. If you are not here, you are not participating, and your participation
portion of the overall grade will suffer as a result. If you must miss class, consult a classmate to
find out what you have missed and for copies of the handouts.
Tardiness – Please do not be late to class. It is distracting and takes away from the learning
environment. I define “late” as more than 10 minutes after the course is scheduled to begin.
If you arrive before the fifteen minute grace period ends but are still late to class, you will not be
allowed extra time to complete the quiz given at the beginning of that class. If you arrive after
the fifteen minute grace period, you will not be permitted into the classroom and are considered
absent. If you think you might have a problem arriving to class on time despite this grace period,
please consider registering for a different section of this course.
E-mail- I will only read and respond to emails sent to [email protected]. Although I am a
student at GSU as well as an instructor, and thus have a student account, I do not check my
student account regularly, and therefore will not respond to email sent to this or any other
address that is not my langate account. Although I check my langate e-mail often, there is a
chance that I will not receive an email from you on the day that you send it. Therefore, please
anticipate waiting at least 24 hours for me to respond to emails.
Plan to check your GSU email daily for announcements regarding this class. If you prefer an
email address other than your GSU one set your GSU account to forward your email to that
address. It is against university policy for me to discuss private information with students
through any address other than their GSU account.
Essay Submission –Please staple all final drafts of your essays (no binders or paperclips)
BEFORE coming to class. I will not accept papers that are not stapled. They should be typed on
a word processor, double-spaced with standard margins and font (Times New Roman, 12 point).
I will not accept emailed or faxed papers for final submission without prior discussion.
Peer Response-The class before the final due date of your essays with be dedicated to peer
response workshops, during which we will be reading each other’s work. In addition, you will
have the opportunity to discuss with me any questions or concerns you have about your essay at
that time. You are required to bring a draft of your essay to participate in this activity. The credit
for this will be a part of the 25% participation grade discussed later in the syllabus. I strongly
encourage that you take advantage of this portion of this course.
Late work – Assignments are due at the beginning of class. If you anticipate a problem with a
particular deadline, confer with me at least one class period before the assignment due date to
discuss the issue. Otherwise, I will not accept late work.
Technology –Please turn off cell phones and keep them out of sight throughout the duration of
the class period. Please do not listen to your iPod (or any variation thereof) in class. I also
request that you keep laptops off and closed unless you discuss it with me prior to class and have
a valid reason for its use. If any of this becomes a problem, you will be asked to leave the class
and your participation grade will be affected. I am sure that I am leaving something out, so for
that reason I will close by stating: If it beeps, blinks, buzzes or generally risks disrupting the
riveting class that I am sure we will be having, please be sure to turn it off, keep it closed, shut it
down, or leave it at home.
Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism
The Department of English expects its students to adhere to the university’s code of student
conduct, especially as it pertains to academic conduct, including plagiarism, cheating, and
multiple submissions. See http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwdos/codeofconduct.html for the policy.
Plagiarizing means you thwart your own education and forego your responsibilities as a writer.
Furthermore, you violate the ethical, academic standards of the academic community. These
standards include the value of research and informed argument, open and honest debate and
sharing of ideas, critical thinking about evidence, the careful presentation of research, and
acknowledgement of sources and ideas. We will devote class time to learning how to incorporate
others’ ideas honestly and effectively. Students who violate these policies in this course will
receive a range of academic and disciplinary penalties; see the handout provided for definitions
and consequences.
Accommodations for Students with Special Needs
Georgia State University complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans
with Disabilities Act. Students with disabilities who seek academic accommodations must first
take appropriate documentation to the Office of Disability Services
(http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwods/) located in Suite 230 of the New Student Center. Students with
special needs should then make an appointment with me during the first week of class to discuss
any accommodations that need to be made.
Writing Studio
The Writing Studio, located in room 976 in the General Classroom Building, provides personal,
one-on-one tutoring in order to help you at all levels of the writing process. The Studio offers a
space for conversation, coffee, and writers, by creating a welcoming community for graduate and
undergraduate students to practice the art of writing. Their purpose is to enhance the writing
instruction that happens in academic classrooms by pairing you with an experienced reader, who
engages you in conversation about your writing assignments and ideas and familiarizes you with
audience expectations and academic genre conventions. The Studio focuses on the rhetorical
aspects of the text and provides one-on-one, student-centered teaching on works in progress.
In addition to face-to-face sessions in the physical space, the Writing Studio offers online
tutoring sessions. One of their online programs enables you to chat with a tutor about your
writing through Windows Live Messenger, which is accessible for free through your student
account. The program also has a feature that allows you to email papers, along with the
assignment sheets and explanations of the kinds of feedback needed, to [email protected].
All tutoring sessions are free of charge and are valuable resources for you as a writer. I highly
recommend that you use them. You can find out more information about the Writing Studio and
schedule an appointment for all of their services at www.writingstudio.gsu.edu. Or feel free to
contact the Writing Studio directly at [email protected]. They are looking forward to seeing you!
English Major Senior Portfolios
The English Department at GSU requires an exit portfolio of all students graduating with a
degree in English. Ideally, students should work on this every semester, selecting 1-2 papers
from each course and revising them, with direction from faculty members. The portfolio includes
revised work and a reflective essay on what you have learned. Each concentration (literature,
creative writing, rhetoric/composition, and secondary education) within the major may have
specific items to place in the portfolio, so be sure to check the booklet located at the front office
of the English Department. Senior Portfolios due dates are published in the booklets or you may
contact an advisor or Dr Goodman, Director of Undergraduate Studies. See the main office for
additional information.
Required Texts
Lunsford, Andrea. The Everyday Writer Georgia State University Edition. 4th
ed. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2009.
Sedaris, David. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. New York: Little, Brown, and
Company, 2004.
Singer, Marti. First Essays: A Peer Approach to Freshman Composition. Plymouth: Hayden
McNeil Publishing, 2008.
St. John, Warren. Outcasts United. New York: Spiegal & Grau Trade Paperbacks, 2009.
Recommended Text
Bean, John C, Virginia A. Chappell and Alice M. Gillam. Reading Rhetorically. GSU ed. New
York: Pearson Longman, 2007.
Grading Scale-Point Value
A+ 97-100
A 93-96
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 76-79
C 70-75 (GPA = 2.0)
C- 65-69
D 60-64
F below 60
The Board of Regents requires a grade point of 2.0 in a freshman composition course to be
considered as “passing.”
A rubric which describes in greater detail how essays will be graded will be distributed at a later
date, prior to the due date of the first essay.
Course Requirements
Essays (4-5 pages) 75%
You will complete four essays over the course of this semester. These essays will increase in
value as the semester progresses. In addition, you will do an individual class presentation
towards the end of the semester.
1. Outcasts United Response (5%)
2. Narrative Essay (10%)
3. Analysis Essays (15%)
4. Annotated Bibliography (20%)
5. Rhetorical Analysis (25%)
In-Class Assignments 25%
This grade will include
6. Daily Quizzes
7. Daily written assignments
8. Participation in peer response workshops
9. Participation in class discussions
10. Homework
Outcasts United
Georgia State University has implemented a program in which several of your classes will be
engaging with a text called Outcasts United. On August 30th
we will take class time to write a
response paper to this text on a prompt that I will provide. This essay will be worth 5% of your
grade and will be evaluated on both your writing capabilities as well as your reading
comprehension. Following your completion of this essay and my evaluation of it, I will be
submitting copies of this essay to the Assessment Office at GSU for further conclusions to be
drawn about freshman student reading and writing capabilities. I encourage you all to read
Outcasts United and to take your response essay to this text very seriously.
Guidelines for Writing From Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism
Department of English, Georgia State University
The following descriptions are designed to help explain plagiarism and its consequences to help
you avoid it in your writing for this course. We will devote class time to learning and
understanding how to use sources in your writing, how to research and take notes effectively,
how to use and cite electronic resources, and how to get help from various writing aids and
resources.
Insufficient Citation and Undocumented Paraphrasing: Students are expected to cite both written
(print and electronic), oral, and visual sources consulted in writing papers. All borrowed
ideas―both direct quotations and paraphrasing from another’s work―require accurate citation,
and direct quotations require quotation marks. Fully paraphrase and summarize borrowed ideas
to avoid stylistic plagiarism, which is using the same words and sentence structure as the source.
Drafts of papers with insufficient citation or undocumented paraphrasing will require mandatory
revisions; final papers will receive an F.
Patchwriting, or Cutting and Pasting: Cutting and pasting passages from your source into your
own paper and turning in the paper as your own is plagiarism. Students are expected to
accurately and amply paraphrase borrowed material using their own stylistic features rather than
the source’s style and language and cite this material accurately. In addition, students are
expected to develop their own framework for their papers rather than borrowing their source’s
argument wholesale (even if acknowledged). Drafts with these problems will require mandatory
revision; final papers will receive an F.
False Submissions, Ghostwriting, or Fraud: Students are expected to write their own original
papers for each assignment, from development of ideas and research to revision. If students turn
in final papers written by someone else (i.e. acquired or bought through the Internet, an
organization, friends, family members, another student, etc.), the paper will receive an F for the
course and face disciplinary action as per the GSU College of Arts and Sciences policy. If such a
paper is submitted for a rough draft, the student will receive a 0 for the draft and be required to
do a mandatory revision.
If you have any doubt about whether or not you’re plagiarizing, talk with your professor or a
Writing Studio tutor before submitting your paper.
The Writing Studio at Georgia State
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why should I go to the Writing Studio?
A: At the Writing Studio tutors will work with you one-on-one at whatever stage of writing
you are in – the idea-development stage, the drafting stage, or the revision stage – and can help
you with writing issues such as how to choose an appropriate topic, how to develop a thesis
statement and paragraphs, and how to revise your essay for clarity.
Q: Do I need to make an appointment or can I just walk in?
A: You can do both. You may go online for an appointment (www.writingstudio.gsu.edu) or you
may walk in and make an appointment at the Writing Studio’s computer that is available to
students for this purpose.
Q: What should I do to prepare for a tutoring session?
A: It is a good idea to have a copy of the assignment sheet, so you can give the tutor you’re
working with an idea of what requirements your project is expected to fulfill. Also, having an
idea of the kind of feedback you would like on your work (e.g. thesis, clarity, organization),
will help you and the tutor create a set of goals for the session and for further revision. Many
tutors prefer looking at paper copies of drafts, so please also bring one of these as well.
Q: How long is a tutorial session? How often may I come to the Studio?
A: Undergraduate students have the opportunity to participate in one 30-minute session on
each day that the Writing Studio is open, and graduate students have the opportunity to
participate in one 1-hour session on each day that the Writing Studio is open.
Q: I don’t have a printed copy of my paper with me, but it’s in my laptop. Can I we just
use the laptop during my tutorial?
A: Maybe. Our goal is not to “fix” your paper but to help you become a better writer; tutorials
are not proof-reading sessions, which is why we don’t encourage lap-top based tutorials.
However, some of our tutors do use laptops, but this is an individual choice they make. Bottom
line: it’s your tutor’s decision!
Q: Who are the tutors?
A: All of the tutors are graduate students in Georgia State’s Department of English focusing
their studies on rhetoric and composition, literary studies, or creative writing. Many of the tutors
also teach English 1101, 1102, and Business Writing. To get a better sense of who the tutors are,
you can also read their bios when making an appointment on the Writing Studio website.
Q: What should I expect from a tutoring session?
A: We emphasize writing as an art-- an art that students learn through conversation and practice
within a community of writers and readers. So, you should expect to have a conversation,
rather than a proof reading session, with a tutor about your writing.
Q: What do I do if I arrive late to a session?
A: Students are given a 5-minute grace period when arriving to their sessions. If students arrive
to their sessions beyond that 5-minute grace period, their session will have to be cancelled. So,
please do your best to arrive to sessions on time.
Q: I heard somewhere that the Writing Studio also does tutoring online. What does that
mean?
A: This means that we now offer online chat sessions and email sessions, in addition to the
face-to-face sessions held in the Writing Studio.
For more information on the chat sessions: http://www.writingstudio.gsu.edu/online.html.
For more information on the email sessions: http://www.writingstudio.gsu.edu/email.html
Course Schedule
Note: You are required to bring to every class the book(s) which contain(s) the reading(s)
assigned for that particular meeting. The reading is due on the day it is listed. You must be
prepared to discuss the reading before you come to class that day.
In addition, you are required to bring to every class Dress Your Family in Corduroy and
Denim as we will be reading sections of this book in class.
Week 1: August 23rd
-27th
M: Introductions; Discuss syllabus; Discuss writing studio
Read “Shitty First Drafts” by Anne Lamott (handout)
W: Everyday Writer “The Composition Program at Georgia State University” GSU-1-GSU
7; “Expectations for College Writing” 12-17; “US Academic Conventions” p 493-496
“Writing Situations” 43-51; Syllabus Quiz
Week 2: August 30th
–September 3rd
M: Outcasts United response essay
W: TBA
Week 3: September 6th
- September 10th
M: NO CLASS Labor Day
W: First Essays Chapter 1&2
Introduce Narrative Essay assignment and grading rubric
Week 4: September 13th
-September 17th
M: First Essays Chapter 3
W: Kurt Vonnegut “How to Write With Style” (handout)
Sarah Allen “The Inspired Writer vs. The Real Writer” (handout)
Week 5: September 20th
-24th
M: No Class
W: Peer Review
Week 6: September 27th
-October 1st
M: Narrative Essay Due
Introduce Analysis Essay
W: First Arguments “Analyzing Texts” Chapter 2 (handout)
Week 7: October 4th
- 8th
M: First Essays Chapter 4
W: Toni Morrison Nobel Lecture 1993 (handout)
Week 8: October 11th
-15th
M: Peer Review
W: Analysis Essay Due
Introduce Annotated Bibliography
Week 9: October 18th
-22nd
M: Library Research Class
W: First Arguments “Conducting Research” Chapter 4 (handout)
Week 10: October 25th
-29th
M: First Essays Chapter 5
W: Peer Review
Week 11: November 1st-5
th
M: Annotated Bibliography Due
Introduce Rhetorical Analysis
W: The Everyday Writer pg 105-125
Week 12: November 8th
-12th
M: The Everyday Writer pg 168-192
W: TBA
Week 13: November 22nd
-26th
NO CLASS THANKSGIVING BREAK
Week 14: November 29th
-December 3rd
M: Peer Review
W: Rhetorical Analysis Due
Disclaimer: This syllabus represents a plan for the semester. Deviations from this plan may
become necessary as the semester progresses. Students are responsible for taking note of
any changes that may occur.
Narrative Essay
“We use narrative in everyday life beyond the classroom, when we tell a friend about our day, when we
describe a sporting event, when we write in diaries, journals, or personal correspondence such as email.
We narrate annoying problems when we write complaint letters, entertaining anecdotes when we write
speeches, inspiring stories when we write sermons. Narratives form the basis of religious systems, myths,
and legends the world over in documents such as the Holy Bible, the Koran, the Torah, classical
mythology, as well as in the oral tradition of tribal cultures. Picture accounts of events are found in
Neanderthal cave drawings, chambers in pyramids, frescoes in Roman ruins, art galleries, advertising
campaigns, as well as television and movie dramatizations” (2). Narration: A Short History by Maurice
Scharton.
Purpose and Topic
Your purpose for this assignment is to reflect on a personal experience and explore how that special
moment in your life has affected you, influenced the person you are today, or perhaps how it changed
your outlook on life. When you finally reach these conclusions, you should compose a short essay in
which you narrate the event to your audience and explain the impact that this previous experience had on
you.
Objectives
engage in writing as a process, including various invention heuristics (brainstorming, for
example), gathering evidence, considering audience, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate for a variety of
audiences
produce coherent, organized, readable prose for a variety of rhetorical situations
reflect on what contributed to their writing process and evaluate their own work
Things to Remember
You must have some distance from the experience to write about its meaning effectively. You
really need to understand the changes you went through as a result of this occurrence if you hope
to explain them to your audience.
This essay is short so it is important that you make good decisions about what details should be
included. On the other hand, your audience is not familiar with the people and places you will be
mentioning in your essay, so relevant details are important.
Use plenty of description to narrate your experience. Rely on narration to tell your audience what
happened. Be creative about using dialogue and details from your past (hint: you may take poetic
license to fill in details you may have forgotten).
Be sure to indicate the time and sequence of events clearly. Consider variations on chronological
order, but be sure to save an effective scene for the end.
This is an academic essay and should be treated as such. Thus, while your tone for the paper may
be serious or more lighthearted, but you should be writing with your intended audience in mind
(intelligent adults).
Requirements
4-5 pages in length
MLA format
o 1” margins on top, bottom, left and right; left justified
o Name block includes your name, instructor’s name, the class (Engl 1101), and the date
o Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and page
number
o Double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font
Analysis Essay
Purpose
When we analyze something, we break down information into parts which we then consider
more closely to determine what the information means or why it is important. With analysis we
move to explain why we view, understand, or use the subject the way we do. Thus, the analysis
essay explores specific aspects of information from the writer’s perspective and uses specific
criteria in order to come up with a conclusion that is frequently not obvious with a quick look.
This assignment should demonstrate your abilities to analyze literature, music, film, television,
etc., and describe your analysis in detail providing your own comments and critiques.
Objectives
engage in writing as a process, including various invention heuristics (brainstorming, for
example), gathering evidence, considering audience, drafting, revising, editing, and
proofreading
gather, summarize, synthesize, and explain information from various sources
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate for a
variety of audiences
critique their own and others’ work in written and oral formats
produce coherent, organized, readable prose for a variety of rhetorical situations
Assignment
For your first assignment you have constructed a narrative that describes a significant event in
your life and you have reflected on why this has affected you, influenced the person you are
today, or perhaps how it changed your outlook on life. For this next assignment, you will use this
narrative to construct criteria that reflects your experience. You will select two pieces of popular
culture, be it literature, music, film, television, etc. that echo your experience/reflection or an
aspect of the experience/reflected that you described your narrative essay. These popular culture
pieces do not need to mirror your experience as a whole, but can merely reflect parts, be it
actions, reactions, emotions, thoughts, or feelings about the initial impactful experience you
described in your personal narrative.
After providing a brief summary of the experience you discussed in your narrative, you will then
explain to me the criteria you have constructed as a result of that experience. You will then
summarize the two pieces of popular culture (remember to consider your audience as I might not
be familiar with the material you are describing). You will then apply the criteria you constructed
from your narrative essay to the popular culture pieces in order to find similarities and
differences to your own experiences. In a sense, this is a compare and contrast essay, as you are
comparing your own experiences to those reflected in the popular culture pieces.
For example, should your narrative have been about a loved one passing away and your own
reflections on how this has caused you to appreciate certain aspects of your life, you may select a
popular culture piece that deals with death, grief, or newfound hope, and, using criteria that
indicates how you define these emotions because of your experience, conclude with a statement
of how the piece reflects and does not reflect your own experiences. These conclusions should be
reflected in a thesis statement that you provide in your essay.
In Brief:
1. Create criteria from you narrative experience
2. Summarize you narrative experience in a way that supports the criteria you have chosen.
3. Choose two popular culture pieces
4. Summarize these popular culture pieces
5. Apply your criteria ( drawn from your narrative) to these popular culture pieces to draw
conclusions about how the popular pieces reflect what you know from your own
experience.
Requirements
4-5 pages in length
MLA format
o 1” margins on top, bottom, left and right; left justified
o Name block includes your name, the class (Engl 1101), and the date
o Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and
page number
o Double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font
o A correctly formatted Work Cites page in MLA style for the popular culture
pieces you select
Annotated Bibliography
Purpose
An annotated bibliography is the next step in writing your research paper. In your annotated
bibliography, you will demonstrate what research you have done for your final research paper.
This assignment should help you to organize this material and encourage you to consider the
value of your sources before you attempt to use them.
Objectives
analyze, evaluate, document, and draw inferences from various sources
identify, select, and analyze appropriate research methods, research questions, and
evidence for a specific rhetorical situation
integrate others’ ideas with his/her own
Assignment
You will begin with a brief introduction (about 250 words) to the annotated bibliography that
entails a discussion of the relevance of the sources you have chosen in terms of a particular area
of focus. In addition, you should relate this area of focus in some way to your narrative essay
and/or your analysis essay.
Then you will provide a list of FIVE sources listed in MLA format that relate to in some way to
your focus in addition to the personal narrative and/or your analysis essay.
Of these FIVE sources, at least ONE must be a book or chapter of a book (depending on its
relevance to your area of focus)
Of these FIVE sources, you may include ONE popular source that is not one of sources you
discussed in your analysis essay. The other four must be scholarly.
After providing the MLA citation for the source, you will write a summary/annotation of the
work. Each annotation should be about 150-200 words in length and should include:
the major assertion/claim of the text
how the author supports this claim
a explanation of the author’s apparent purpose including an “in order to” phrase
how this sources in particular relates to the focus of your annotated bibliography that you
discussed in your introduction
Requirements
5 sources each with an annotation of about 150-200 words in length
Sources should be in alphabetical order
MLA format
o 1” margins on top, bottom, left and right; left justified
o Name block includes your name, instructor’s name, the class (Engl 1101), and the
date. This should be single spaced.
o Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and
page number
o Double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font
Rhetorical Analysis
Purpose and Topic:
Part of preparing to argue is fully understanding and researching what has already been written about the issue. We
consider what others have written, think about what further ideas need to be written, and then develop these in an analysis.
This scholarly essay analysis encourages you to do just that.
Outcomes:
engage in the collaborative, social aspects of writing, and use writing as a tool for learning
demonstrate how to use writing aids, such as handbooks, dictionaries, online aids, and tutors
gather, summarize, synthesize, and explain information from various sources
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate for a variety of audiences
critique their own and others’ work in written and oral formats
produce coherent, organized, readable prose for a variety of rhetorical situations
Assignment:
Choose TWO scholarly articles from a scholarly publication/journal (approximately 10-20 pages long) from one
of the following online databases: MLA International Bibliography, Proquest Databases, or EbscoHost
Databases. This article should relate in some way to an issue you have discussed in your narrative, analysis
essays, and/or annotated bibliography. ONE of the articles you choose may come from you annotated
bibliography but not both. You may also choose two complete new articles if you would like.
The two articles that you choose should represent two different viewpoints/perspectives on a single issue.
Write a 4-5 page essay that analyzes the organization, rhetorical situation (author, audience, purpose), use of
ethos, pathos, and/or logos, language (is it specialized? For a specific discourse community?), and over all
thesis/claim of the two articles. You should be comparing and contrasting the two articles in terms of these
criteria, explaining how you see each of these articles tackling these elements in similar and/or different ways.
Consider investigating information about the journal and author of each article to help you come to a clearer
understanding of these elements.
Provide your overall critical analysis of the articles and how they each successfully argue their thesis/claim or
unsuccessfully argue their thesis/claim. What was done well? What would you change? AT THIS POINT, YOU
SHOULD NOT BE PROVIDING YOUR OPINION ON THE ISSUE DISCUSSED, BUT YOUR OPINION OF
HOW WELL THE ARGUMENT WAS CONSTRUCTED.
Conclude your essay with your opinion on the subject matter ( what #4 said not to do) that the two articles are
focusing on, citing information you discussed/examined in your narrative, analysis, and annotated bibliography
to explain how these things have influenced you to come to the conclusions that you have about the issue.
With all academic essays in the English Department, use MLA format. Also, your essay should be double-
spaced, use 12-point font, and 1” margins. Since you will cite only two scholarly essay, your final page will read
“work cited” and will be formatted according to MLA style. You may also include other citations that reference
background information that you have acquired. The work cited page is not included in your page count.
Evidence:
In an analysis of this nature, you will use ample borrowed material from the essay that is paraphrased, summarized, and
quoted. You should appropriate cite this material in MLA format. Keep in mind that your essay should do more than
summarize. Instead, you should point out rhetorical moves and explain how they create meaning and understanding.
Requirements
DUE DECEMBER 2ND
4-5 pages in length
MLA format
o 1” margins on top, bottom, left and right; left justified
o Name block includes your name, instructor’s name, the class (Engl 1101), and the date
o Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and page number
o Double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font
o A correctly formatted Work Cites page in MLA style
Georgia State University
English 1101 84177 Fall 2010
M/W 3:00-4:15
Kell 290
Instructor: Jennifer Forsthoefel
Office: GCB 966
Office Hours: T 2:30-4:30 and by appointment
Email: [email protected]
Course Description
This course is designed to increase the student’s ability to construct written prose of various
kinds. It focuses on methods of organization, analysis, research skills, and the production of short
expository and argumentative essays; readings consider issues of contemporary social and
cultural concern. A passing grade is C.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
engage in writing as a process, including various invention heuristics (brainstorming, for
example), gathering evidence, considering audience, drafting, revising, editing, and
proofreading
engage in the collaborative, social aspects of writing, and use writing as a tool for
learning
use language to explore and analyze contemporary multicultural, global, and
international questions
demonstrate how to use writing aids, such as handbooks, dictionaries, online aids, and
tutors
gather, summarize, synthesize, and explain information from various sources
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate for a
variety of audiences
critique their own and others’ work in written and oral formats
produce coherent, organized, readable prose for a variety of rhetorical situations
reflect on what contributed to their writing process and evaluate their own work
Course Policies
Attendance – This class relies heavily on student participation, so your attendance is expected.
While I will take attendance the first few weeks of class to learn your names and to verify the
roll, this will not be a habit throughout the semester. Instead, the majority of our class meetings
will begin with a short quiz or written response to the readings assigned for that day. Thus, in
addition to your comprehension of the readings, your attendance will be apparent to me
throughout the semester. These quizzes/responses cannot be “made-up” at a later date. Please
note that I make no distinction between “excused” or “unexcused” absences. It’s simple: either
you are here, or you are not. If you are not here, you are not participating, and your participation
portion of the overall grade will suffer as a result. If you must miss class, consult a classmate to
find out what you have missed and for copies of the handouts.
Tardiness – Please do not be late to class. It is distracting and takes away from the learning
environment. I define “late” as more than 10 minutes after the course is scheduled to begin.
If you arrive before the fifteen minute grace period ends but are still late to class, you will not be
allowed extra time to complete the quiz given at the beginning of that class. If you arrive after
the fifteen minute grace period, you will not be permitted into the classroom and are considered
absent. If you think you might have a problem arriving to class on time despite this grace period,
please consider registering for a different section of this course.
E-mail- I will only read and respond to emails sent to [email protected]. Although I am a
student at GSU as well as an instructor, and thus have a student account, I do not check my
student account regularly, and therefore will not respond to email sent to this or any other
address that is not my langate account. Although I check my langate e-mail often, there is a
chance that I will not receive an email from you on the day that you send it. Therefore, please
anticipate waiting at least 24 hours for me to respond to emails.
Plan to check your GSU email daily for announcements regarding this class. If you prefer an
email address other than your GSU one set your GSU account to forward your email to that
address. It is against university policy for me to discuss private information with students
through any address other than their GSU account.
Essay Submission –Please staple all final drafts of your essays (no binders or paperclips)
BEFORE coming to class. I will not accept papers that are not stapled. They should be typed on
a word processor, double-spaced with standard margins and font (Times New Roman, 12 point).
I will not accept emailed or faxed papers for final submission without prior discussion.
Peer Response-The class before the final due date of your essays with be dedicated to peer
response workshops, during which we will be reading each other’s work. In addition, you will
have the opportunity to discuss with me any questions or concerns you have about your essay at
that time. You are required to bring a draft of your essay to participate in this activity. The credit
for this will be a part of the 25% participation grade discussed later in the syllabus. I strongly
encourage that you take advantage of this portion of this course.
Late work – Assignments are due at the beginning of class. If you anticipate a problem with a
particular deadline, confer with me at least one class period before the assignment due date to
discuss the issue. Otherwise, I will not accept late work.
Technology –Please turn off cell phones and keep them out of sight throughout the duration of
the class period. Please do not listen to your iPod (or any variation thereof) in class. I also
request that you keep laptops off and closed unless you discuss it with me prior to class and have
a valid reason for its use. If any of this becomes a problem, you will be asked to leave the class
and your participation grade will be affected. I am sure that I am leaving something out, so for
that reason I will close by stating: If it beeps, blinks, buzzes or generally risks disrupting the
riveting class that I am sure we will be having, please be sure to turn it off, keep it closed, shut it
down, or leave it at home.
Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism
The Department of English expects its students to adhere to the university’s code of student
conduct, especially as it pertains to academic conduct, including plagiarism, cheating, and
multiple submissions. See http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwdos/codeofconduct.html for the policy.
Plagiarizing means you thwart your own education and forego your responsibilities as a writer.
Furthermore, you violate the ethical, academic standards of the academic community. These
standards include the value of research and informed argument, open and honest debate and
sharing of ideas, critical thinking about evidence, the careful presentation of research, and
acknowledgement of sources and ideas. We will devote class time to learning how to incorporate
others’ ideas honestly and effectively. Students who violate these policies in this course will
receive a range of academic and disciplinary penalties; see the handout provided for definitions
and consequences.
Accommodations for Students with Special Needs
Georgia State University complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans
with Disabilities Act. Students with disabilities who seek academic accommodations must first
take appropriate documentation to the Office of Disability Services
(http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwods/) located in Suite 230 of the New Student Center. Students with
special needs should then make an appointment with me during the first week of class to discuss
any accommodations that need to be made.
Writing Studio
The Writing Studio, located in room 976 in the General Classroom Building, provides personal,
one-on-one tutoring in order to help you at all levels of the writing process. The Studio offers a
space for conversation, coffee, and writers, by creating a welcoming community for graduate and
undergraduate students to practice the art of writing. Their purpose is to enhance the writing
instruction that happens in academic classrooms by pairing you with an experienced reader, who
engages you in conversation about your writing assignments and ideas and familiarizes you with
audience expectations and academic genre conventions. The Studio focuses on the rhetorical
aspects of the text and provides one-on-one, student-centered teaching on works in progress.
In addition to face-to-face sessions in the physical space, the Writing Studio offers online
tutoring sessions. One of their online programs enables you to chat with a tutor about your
writing through Windows Live Messenger, which is accessible for free through your student
account. The program also has a feature that allows you to email papers, along with the
assignment sheets and explanations of the kinds of feedback needed, to [email protected].
All tutoring sessions are free of charge and are valuable resources for you as a writer. I highly
recommend that you use them. You can find out more information about the Writing Studio and
schedule an appointment for all of their services at www.writingstudio.gsu.edu. Or feel free to
contact the Writing Studio directly at [email protected]. They are looking forward to seeing you!
English Major Senior Portfolios
The English Department at GSU requires an exit portfolio of all students graduating with a
degree in English. Ideally, students should work on this every semester, selecting 1-2 papers
from each course and revising them, with direction from faculty members. The portfolio includes
revised work and a reflective essay on what you have learned. Each concentration (literature,
creative writing, rhetoric/composition, and secondary education) within the major may have
specific items to place in the portfolio, so be sure to check the booklet located at the front office
of the English Department. Senior Portfolios due dates are published in the booklets or you may
contact an advisor or Dr Goodman, Director of Undergraduate Studies. See the main office for
additional information.
Required Texts
Lunsford, Andrea. The Everyday Writer Georgia State University Edition. 4th
ed. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2009.
Sedaris, David. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. New York: Little, Brown, and
Company, 2004.
Singer, Marti. First Essays: A Peer Approach to Freshman Composition. Plymouth: Hayden
McNeil Publishing, 2008.
St. John, Warren. Outcasts United. New York: Spiegal & Grau Trade Paperbacks, 2009.
Recommended Text
Bean, John C, Virginia A. Chappell and Alice M. Gillam. Reading Rhetorically. GSU ed. New
York: Pearson Longman, 2007.
Grading Scale-Point Value
A+ 97-100
A 93-96
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 76-79
C 70-75 (GPA = 2.0)
C- 65-69
D 60-64
F below 60
The Board of Regents requires a grade point of 2.0 in a freshman composition course to be
considered as “passing.”
A rubric which describes in greater detail how essays will be graded will be distributed at a later
date, prior to the due date of the first essay.
Course Requirements
Essays (4-5 pages) 75%
You will complete four essays over the course of this semester. These essays will increase in
value as the semester progresses. In addition, you will do an individual class presentation
towards the end of the semester.
1. Outcasts United Response (5%)
2. Narrative Essay (10%)
3. Analysis Essays (15%)
4. Annotated Bibliography (20%)
5. Rhetorical Analysis (25%)
In-Class Assignments 25%
This grade will include
11. Daily Quizzes
12. Daily written assignments
13. Participation in peer response workshops
14. Participation in class discussions
15. Homework
Outcasts United
Georgia State University has implemented a program in which several of your classes will be
engaging with a text called Outcasts United. On August 30th
we will take class time to write a
response paper to this text on a prompt that I will provide. This essay will be worth 5% of your
grade and will be evaluated on both your writing capabilities as well as your reading
comprehension. Following your completion of this essay and my evaluation of it, I will be
submitting copies of this essay to the Assessment Office at GSU for further conclusions to be
drawn about freshman student reading and writing capabilities. I encourage you all to read
Outcasts United and to take your response essay to this text very seriously.
CLA Testing
The Office of Institutional Research has chosen your section of English 1101 to complete the
Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA). Every student who completes the assessment will
receive a Georgia State University t-shirt. The CLA will measure your critical thinking, analytic
reasoning, problem solving, and written communication skills. After the assessments have been
scored, you will receive a copy of your performance report. This report will provide you
information on your strengths and weaknesses in the aforementioned skills, compare your scores
to other students at Georgia State University and nationwide, and help the University gauge its
performance in helping students develop these skills. Your scores will be kept confidential and
will not be a part of your academic records.
The CLA is designed to be completed in approximately 90 minutes. The test will be
administered in room 200 of the Arts and Humanities Building during one of your English 1101
class periods as indicated on the syllabus. Participation in the CLA is voluntary. If you have
questions, feel free to contact Sheika Kendi at [email protected] or (404) 413-2591.
Guidelines for Writing From Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism
Department of English, Georgia State University
The following descriptions are designed to help explain plagiarism and its consequences to help
you avoid it in your writing for this course. We will devote class time to learning and
understanding how to use sources in your writing, how to research and take notes effectively,
how to use and cite electronic resources, and how to get help from various writing aids and
resources.
Insufficient Citation and Undocumented Paraphrasing: Students are expected to cite both written
(print and electronic), oral, and visual sources consulted in writing papers. All borrowed
ideas―both direct quotations and paraphrasing from another’s work―require accurate citation,
and direct quotations require quotation marks. Fully paraphrase and summarize borrowed ideas
to avoid stylistic plagiarism, which is using the same words and sentence structure as the source.
Drafts of papers with insufficient citation or undocumented paraphrasing will require mandatory
revisions; final papers will receive an F.
Patchwriting, or Cutting and Pasting: Cutting and pasting passages from your source into your
own paper and turning in the paper as your own is plagiarism. Students are expected to
accurately and amply paraphrase borrowed material using their own stylistic features rather than
the source’s style and language and cite this material accurately. In addition, students are
expected to develop their own framework for their papers rather than borrowing their source’s
argument wholesale (even if acknowledged). Drafts with these problems will require mandatory
revision; final papers will receive an F.
False Submissions, Ghostwriting, or Fraud: Students are expected to write their own original
papers for each assignment, from development of ideas and research to revision. If students turn
in final papers written by someone else (i.e. acquired or bought through the Internet, an
organization, friends, family members, another student, etc.), the paper will receive an F for the
course and face disciplinary action as per the GSU College of Arts and Sciences policy. If such a
paper is submitted for a rough draft, the student will receive a 0 for the draft and be required to
do a mandatory revision.
If you have any doubt about whether or not you’re plagiarizing, talk with your professor or a
Writing Studio tutor before submitting your paper.
The Writing Studio at Georgia State
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why should I go to the Writing Studio?
A: At the Writing Studio tutors will work with you one-on-one at whatever stage of writing
you are in – the idea-development stage, the drafting stage, or the revision stage – and can help
you with writing issues such as how to choose an appropriate topic, how to develop a thesis
statement and paragraphs, and how to revise your essay for clarity.
Q: Do I need to make an appointment or can I just walk in?
A: You can do both. You may go online for an appointment (www.writingstudio.gsu.edu) or you
may walk in and make an appointment at the Writing Studio’s computer that is available to
students for this purpose.
Q: What should I do to prepare for a tutoring session?
A: It is a good idea to have a copy of the assignment sheet, so you can give the tutor you’re
working with an idea of what requirements your project is expected to fulfill. Also, having an
idea of the kind of feedback you would like on your work (e.g. thesis, clarity, organization),
will help you and the tutor create a set of goals for the session and for further revision. Many
tutors prefer looking at paper copies of drafts, so please also bring one of these as well.
Q: How long is a tutorial session? How often may I come to the Studio?
A: Undergraduate students have the opportunity to participate in one 30-minute session on
each day that the Writing Studio is open, and graduate students have the opportunity to
participate in one 1-hour session on each day that the Writing Studio is open.
Q: I don’t have a printed copy of my paper with me, but it’s in my laptop. Can I we just
use the laptop during my tutorial?
A: Maybe. Our goal is not to “fix” your paper but to help you become a better writer; tutorials
are not proof-reading sessions, which is why we don’t encourage lap-top based tutorials.
However, some of our tutors do use laptops, but this is an individual choice they make. Bottom
line: it’s your tutor’s decision!
Q: Who are the tutors?
A: All of the tutors are graduate students in Georgia State’s Department of English focusing
their studies on rhetoric and composition, literary studies, or creative writing. Many of the tutors
also teach English 1101, 1102, and Business Writing. To get a better sense of who the tutors are,
you can also read their bios when making an appointment on the Writing Studio website.
Q: What should I expect from a tutoring session?
A: We emphasize writing as an art-- an art that students learn through conversation and practice
within a community of writers and readers. So, you should expect to have a conversation,
rather than a proof reading session, with a tutor about your writing.
Q: What do I do if I arrive late to a session?
A: Students are given a 5-minute grace period when arriving to their sessions. If students arrive
to their sessions beyond that 5-minute grace period, their session will have to be cancelled. So,
please do your best to arrive to sessions on time.
Q: I heard somewhere that the Writing Studio also does tutoring online. What does that
mean?
A: This means that we now offer online chat sessions and email sessions, in addition to the
face-to-face sessions held in the Writing Studio.
For more information on the chat sessions: http://www.writingstudio.gsu.edu/online.html.
For more information on the email sessions: http://www.writingstudio.gsu.edu/email.html
Course Schedule
Note: You are required to bring to every class the book(s) which contain(s) the reading(s)
assigned for that particular meeting. The reading is due on the day it is listed. You must be
prepared to discuss the reading before you come to class that day.
In addition, you are required to bring to every class Dress Your Family in Corduroy and
Denim as we will be reading sections of this book in class.
Week 1: August 23rd
-27th
M: Introductions; Discuss syllabus; Discuss writing studio
Read “Shitty First Drafts” by Anne Lamott (handout)
W: Everyday Writer “The Composition Program at Georgia State University” GSU-1-GSU
7; “Expectations for College Writing” 12-17; “US Academic Conventions” p 493-496
“Writing Situations” 43-51; Syllabus Quiz
Week 2: August 30th
–September 3rd
M: Outcasts United response essay
W: CLA Testing
Week 3: September 6th
- September 10th
M: NO CLASS Labor Day
W: First Essays Chapter 1&2
Introduce Narrative Essay assignment and grading rubric
Week 4: September 13th
-September 17th
M: First Essays Chapter 3
W: Kurt Vonnegut “How to Write With Style” (handout)
Sarah Allen “The Inspired Writer vs. The Real Writer” (handout)
Week 5: September 20th
-24th
M: No Class
W: Peer Review
Week 6: September 27th
-October 1st
M: Narrative Essay Due
Introduce Analysis Essay
W: First Arguments “Analyzing Texts” Chapter 2 (handout)
Week 7: October 4th
- 8th
M: First Essays Chapter 4
W: Toni Morrison Nobel Lecture 1993 (handout)
Week 8: October 11th
-15th
M: Peer Review
W: Analysis Essay Due
Introduce Annotated Bibliography
Week 9: October 18th
-22nd
M: Library Research Class
W: First Arguments “Conducting Research” Chapter 4 (handout)
Week 10: October 25th
-29th
M: First Essays Chapter 5
W: Peer Review
Week 11: November 1st-5
th
M: Annotated Bibliography Due
Introduce Rhetorical Analysis
W: The Everyday Writer pg 105-125
Week 12: November 8th
-12th
M: The Everyday Writer pg 168-192
W: TBA
Week 13: November 22nd
-26th
NO CLASS THANKSGIVING BREAK
Week 14: November 29th
-December 3rd
M: Peer Review
W: Rhetorical Analysis Due
Disclaimer: This syllabus represents a plan for the semester. Deviations from this plan may
become necessary as the semester progresses. Students are responsible for taking note of
any changes that may occur.
Narrative Essay
“We use narrative in everyday life beyond the classroom, when we tell a friend about our day, when we describe a
sporting event, when we write in diaries, journals, or personal correspondence such as email. We narrate annoying
problems when we write complaint letters, entertaining anecdotes when we write speeches, inspiring stories when
we write sermons. Narratives form the basis of religious systems, myths, and legends the world over in documents
such as the Holy Bible, the Koran, the Torah, classical mythology, as well as in the oral tradition of tribal cultures.
Picture accounts of events are found in Neanderthal cave drawings, chambers in pyramids, frescoes in Roman ruins,
art galleries, advertising campaigns, as well as television and movie dramatizations” (2). Narration: A Short
History by Maurice Scharton.
Purpose and Topic
Your purpose for this assignment is to reflect on a personal experience and explore how that special moment in your
life has affected you, influenced the person you are today, or perhaps how it changed your outlook on life. When
you finally reach these conclusions, you should compose a short essay in which you narrate the event to your
audience and explain the impact that this previous experience had on you.
Objectives
engage in writing as a process, including various invention heuristics (brainstorming, for example),
gathering evidence, considering audience, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate for a variety of audiences
produce coherent, organized, readable prose for a variety of rhetorical situations
reflect on what contributed to their writing process and evaluate their own work
Things to Remember
You must have some distance from the experience to write about its meaning effectively. You really need
to understand the changes you went through as a result of this occurrence if you hope to explain them to
your audience.
This essay is short so it is important that you make good decisions about what details should be included.
On the other hand, your audience is not familiar with the people and places you will be mentioning in your
essay, so relevant details are important.
Use plenty of description to narrate your experience. Rely on narration to tell your audience what
happened. Be creative about using dialogue and details from your past (hint: you may take poetic license to
fill in details you may have forgotten).
Be sure to indicate the time and sequence of events clearly. Consider variations on chronological order, but
be sure to save an effective scene for the end.
This is an academic essay and should be treated as such. Thus, while your tone for the paper may be serious
or more lighthearted, but you should be writing with your intended audience in mind (intelligent adults).
Requirements
4-5 pages in length
MLA format
o 1” margins on top, bottom, left and right; left justified
o Name block includes your name, instructor’s name, the class (Engl 1101), and the date
o Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and page number
o Double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font
Analysis Essay
Purpose
When we analyze something, we break down information into parts which we then consider more closely
to determine what the information means or why it is important. With analysis we move to explain why
we view, understand, or use the subject the way we do. Thus, the analysis essay explores specific aspects
of information from the writer’s perspective and uses specific criteria in order to come up with a
conclusion that is frequently not obvious with a quick look. This assignment should demonstrate your
abilities to analyze literature, music, film, television, etc., and describe your analysis in detail providing
your own comments and critiques.
Objectives
engage in writing as a process, including various invention heuristics (brainstorming, for
example), gathering evidence, considering audience, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading
gather, summarize, synthesize, and explain information from various sources
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate for a variety of
audiences
critique their own and others’ work in written and oral formats
produce coherent, organized, readable prose for a variety of rhetorical situations
Assignment
For your first assignment you have constructed a narrative that describes a significant event in your life
and you have reflected on why this has affected you, influenced the person you are today, or perhaps how
it changed your outlook on life. For this next assignment, you will use this narrative to construct criteria
that reflects your experience. You will select two pieces of popular culture, be it literature, music, film,
television, etc. that echo your experience/reflection or an aspect of the experience/reflected that you
described your narrative essay. These popular culture pieces do not need to mirror your experience as a
whole, but can merely reflect parts, be it actions, reactions, emotions, thoughts, or feelings about the
initial impactful experience you described in your personal narrative.
After providing a brief summary of the experience you discussed in your narrative, you will then explain
to me the criteria you have constructed as a result of that experience. You will then summarize the two
pieces of popular culture (remember to consider your audience as I might not be familiar with the material
you are describing). You will then apply the criteria you constructed from your narrative essay to the
popular culture pieces in order to find similarities and differences to your own experiences. In a sense,
this is a compare and contrast essay, as you are comparing your own experiences to those reflected in the
popular culture pieces.
For example, should your narrative have been about a loved one passing away and your own reflections
on how this has caused you to appreciate certain aspects of your life, you may select a popular culture
piece that deals with death, grief, or newfound hope, and, using criteria that indicates how you define
these emotions because of your experience, conclude with a statement of how the piece reflects and does
not reflect your own experiences. These conclusions should be reflected in a thesis statement that you
provide in your essay.
In Brief:
Create criteria from you narrative experience
Summarize you narrative experience in a way that supports the criteria you have chosen.
Choose two popular culture pieces
Summarize these popular culture pieces
Apply your criteria ( drawn from your narrative) to these popular culture pieces to draw
conclusions about how the popular pieces reflect what you know from your own experience.
Requirements
4-5 pages in length
MLA format
o 1” margins on top, bottom, left and right; left justified
o Name block includes your name, the class (Engl 1101), and the date
o Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and page
number
o Double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font
o A correctly formatted Work Cites page in MLA style for the popular culture pieces you
select
Annotated Bibliography
Purpose
An annotated bibliography is the next step in writing your research paper. In your annotated
bibliography, you will demonstrate what research you have done for your final research paper.
This assignment should help you to organize this material and encourage you to consider the
value of your sources before you attempt to use them.
Objectives
analyze, evaluate, document, and draw inferences from various sources
identify, select, and analyze appropriate research methods, research questions, and
evidence for a specific rhetorical situation
integrate others’ ideas with his/her own
Assignment
You will begin with a brief introduction (about 250 words) to the annotated bibliography that
entails a discussion of the relevance of the sources you have chosen in terms of a particular area
of focus. In addition, you should relate this area of focus in some way to your narrative essay
and/or your analysis essay.
Then you will provide a list of FIVE sources listed in MLA format that relate to in some way to
your focus in addition to the personal narrative and/or your analysis essay.
Of these FIVE sources, at least ONE must be a book or chapter of a book (depending on its
relevance to your area of focus)
Of these FIVE sources, you may include ONE popular source that is not one of sources you
discussed in your analysis essay. The other four must be scholarly.
After providing the MLA citation for the source, you will write a summary/annotation of the
work. Each annotation should be about 150-200 words in length and should include:
the major assertion/claim of the text
how the author supports this claim
a explanation of the author’s apparent purpose including an “in order to” phrase
how this sources in particular relates to the focus of your annotated bibliography that you
discussed in your introduction
Requirements
5 sources each with an annotation of about 150-200 words in length
Sources should be in alphabetical order
MLA format
o 1” margins on top, bottom, left and right; left justified
o Name block includes your name, instructor’s name, the class (Engl 1101), and the
date. This should be single spaced.
o Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and
page number
o Double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font
Rhetorical Analysis
Purpose and Topic:
Part of preparing to argue is fully understanding and researching what has already been written about the issue. We
consider what others have written, think about what further ideas need to be written, and then develop these in an analysis.
This scholarly essay analysis encourages you to do just that.
Outcomes:
engage in the collaborative, social aspects of writing, and use writing as a tool for learning
demonstrate how to use writing aids, such as handbooks, dictionaries, online aids, and tutors
gather, summarize, synthesize, and explain information from various sources
use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate for a variety of audiences
critique their own and others’ work in written and oral formats
produce coherent, organized, readable prose for a variety of rhetorical situations
Assignment:
Choose TWO scholarly articles from a scholarly publication/journal (approximately 10-20 pages long) from one
of the following online databases: MLA International Bibliography, Proquest Databases, or EbscoHost
Databases. This article should relate in some way to an issue you have discussed in your narrative, analysis
essays, and/or annotated bibliography. ONE of the articles you choose may come from you annotated
bibliography but not both. You may also choose two complete new articles if you would like.
The two articles that you choose should represent two different viewpoints/perspectives on a single issue.
Write a 4-5 page essay that analyzes the organization, rhetorical situation (author, audience, purpose), use of
ethos, pathos, and/or logos, language (is it specialized? For a specific discourse community?), and over all
thesis/claim of the two articles. You should be comparing and contrasting the two articles in terms of these
criteria, explaining how you see each of these articles tackling these elements in similar and/or different ways.
Consider investigating information about the journal and author of each article to help you come to a clearer
understanding of these elements.
Provide your overall critical analysis of the articles and how they each successfully argue their thesis/claim or
unsuccessfully argue their thesis/claim. What was done well? What would you change? AT THIS POINT, YOU
SHOULD NOT BE PROVIDING YOUR OPINION ON THE ISSUE DISCUSSED, BUT YOUR OPINION OF
HOW WELL THE ARGUMENT WAS CONSTRUCTED.
Conclude your essay with your opinion on the subject matter ( what #4 said not to do) that the two articles are
focusing on, citing information you discussed/examined in your narrative, analysis, and annotated bibliography
to explain how these things have influenced you to come to the conclusions that you have about the issue.
With all academic essays in the English Department, use MLA format. Also, your essay should be double-
spaced, use 12-point font, and 1” margins. Since you will cite only two scholarly essay, your final page will read
“work cited” and will be formatted according to MLA style. You may also include other citations that reference
background information that you have acquired. The work cited page is not included in your page count.
Evidence:
In an analysis of this nature, you will use ample borrowed material from the essay that is paraphrased, summarized, and
quoted. You should appropriate cite this material in MLA format. Keep in mind that your essay should do more than
summarize. Instead, you should point out rhetorical moves and explain how they create meaning and understanding.
Requirements
DUE DECEMBER 2ND
4-5 pages in length
MLA format
o 1” margins on top, bottom, left and right; left justified
o Name block includes your name, instructor’s name, the class (Engl 1101), and the date
o Header should be ½” from the top right margin and include your last name and page number
o Double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font
o A correctly formatted Work Cites page in MLA style
.
Walt Foreman’s Observation of Jennifer Forsthoefel 9/15/10 Jen entered just before 3:00, greeted the class, introduced me and explained briefly to the class about observations; she then segued smoothly to asking the class to take out some paper for a quiz. She wrote a two-part question on the blackboard, the question pertaining to reading the class had been assigned for that day, two essays on the writing process: “What did you find most relatable about the readings in terms of your own writing process? What surprised you?” I felt the question was a well-chosen one that not only required students to display knowledge of the reading material but also called on them to synthesize said knowledge with their own pre-existing knowledge, thereby using a higher order of thinking than just rote memory. A couple students asked questions trying to clarify which essay was which, and then began writing; the students for the most part wrote freely, seeming to indicate a good connection with the readings. After collecting the quiz, Jennifer asked the students what would be happening the following class period, and several of them responded, “Peer Review,” indicating the upcoming class activity had been well-discussed in previous classes. Jennifer talked briefly about the Outcasts United essays the students had recently done, then returned to talking about the upcoming peer review. She mentioned the Writing Studio and encouraged students to go there for help with their essays. She then reiterated a point made a few moments before of how many copies students needed to bring of their essays on Monday. She discussed with the students what a peer review is and how to do one; this included having the students look at a handout they had already that details what to look for in an essay when peer reviewing, and Jennifer went over each point on the handout, explicating briefly each one. She then told the students they did not have to bring a full draft of their essays, but enjoined them that they would get more out of the process if they did. She asked if there were any questions, and a student asked a question about how much of a draft to bring. Jennifer clarified the length requirement for the essay and encouraged students again to bring as close to a full draft as possible, for their own benefit. Jennifer then talked very briefly about why she had had the class read those certain readings for that day. She then transitioned smoothly to the novel the class is currently reading, one by David Sedaris. She asked the class to take out a handout about Sedaris; she asked them for details about the author, and the class responded immediately with several details, evincing a high level of engagement with the material and author. Jennifer then asked what kind of writing the book was, and more than one student responded correctly that it was personal writing. Jennifer stated that the class would look at how details of Sedaris’s life had influenced his writing. She asked the class to look at the beginning of the book for answers to this question, and some of the students were able to make good observations that answered the question. Jennifer related the novel to the essays the students would be bringing in on Monday by suggesting the students tell someone their story as a way of finding an introduction and a conclusion for their essays, which I thought was an indication of how well-planned and coherent the entire lesson was. Jennifer then had the class read aloud the first essay of the book, which I thought was a good exercise that was very specific to this particular
institution and the average level of students here; this particular exercise would not be as apt at an Ivy-league university, but I felt it was insightful and well-chosen for this class, and showed that Jennifer knows her students well. The students seemed to genuinely enjoy reading aloud. Roughly seventeen minutes were spent on this portion of the class. After reading the essay aloud, Jennifer asked the class to get into groups of three; she wrote questions on the board for the groups to consider:
1. What was the implied thesis or message of the essay?
2. How does the author introduce the narrative? How does he conclude?
3. How is background info reflected in the story?
The students worked well together, and most focused in on the task at hand though there were a couple who seemed less engaged; but for the most part the class dove in and worked well in the small groups. After roughly fifteen minutes, Jennifer led a discussion of the essay, and participation was excellent; the students seemed eager to respond to her questions, which not only indicates an admirable engagement with the text but also a respect for and rapport with Jennifer. After a few minutes of discussion, Jennifer deftly concluded with a very down-to-earth and student-centered question: did they like the book? More than one student said they did, not always an easy response to generate in a freshman comp class.
Overall I feel Jennifer was extremely well-prepared and handled the class well from beginning to end. The activities were varied enough that the students never tuned out, and along those same lines talking or other disruptions were very minimal, not an easy feat at an inner-city state university. The pacing was excellent from beginning to end, and I felt that Jennifer had really thought out every phase of the lesson and that every phase tied in well with the others. What I admired the most about the lesson and Jennifer’s teaching was how every phase of the class period was very elegantly focused and streamlined around one or two ideas: it’s often the most difficult thing to achieve for a teacher to teach simply and effectively moment by moment, and I felt Jennifer did an exceptional job of this; here again, she knows her students well, and teaches in a way that is very relatable to them and that I am sure cannot fail to make them better writers. Jennifer is an exemplary composition teacher, one that I believe any English department would be fortunate to employ.
PDC Reflection/Proposal
While I believe that the concept of professional development communities is a good one,
I think there are improvements that can be made to the current organization of this program. I
welcome the opportunity to engage with faculty on ways to augment my professional progress
and mentor me in creating a professional plan; however, it seems that there are far too many
demands placed on faculty, making it difficult for them to meet the intended objectives of the
professional development communities. Instead, I propose that advanced graduate students be
given the opportunity to be PDC leaders as a “professionalization” option provided in the
teaching contract, similar to the ways in which “advisement” is already counted as such. In
addition to meeting with the other GTAs that have been assigned to their individual PDCs, PDC
leaders would be a community unto themselves, meeting to brainstorm ideas and collaborate on
presentations and projects, allowing the possibility several PDCs to meet at one time if
appropriate. With this proposal, I am not implying that graduate students have more time to do
this kind of mentoring and advisement work than faculty members. Instead, I hope to promote
department appointed opportunities for advanced graduate students to prepare for their future
academic careers, careers that often entail leading committees and facilitating the success of
continuing programs. In addition, having peer leaders for the communities will allow a more
timely discussion of the professional landscape that graduate students face, terrain that changes
frequently with little reassurance from the academy at large. Thus, graduate students who have
navigated the graduate space for several years prior are able to mentor others in their community
on how to problem-solve when concerns arise. In addition, if given the responsibility to mentor
graduate students on how to professionalize, this will encourage our advanced graduate students
to lead by example, making their own professional development a priority.