ENG 106: Composition 2
Fall 2001

General

All American
Assignments
Be Your Best
ETL
Grades		 Instructor
Objectives
Resources
Rosters
Supplies

Schedule

Aug. 20-24: Preparation
Aug. 27-Sept. 14: Argument
Sept. 17-28: Research
Oct. 1-Nov. 9: Revision
Nov. 12-Dec. 7: Speaking

Updated October 16, 2001
© Mark Canada, 2001
mark.canada@uncp.edu
 

Introduction

This course is unlike any English course you have had.  It will be harder--and better.  Through a variety of challenging readings, research projects, and stimulating discussions, we will explore the world of colonial America.  Along the way, you will learn to find information, write clear and thorough analyses, even design and publish your own World Wide Web site.  By the time the semester ends, you will have an online portfolio you can show to potential employers and perhaps even a publication to include on your resume.  Most important, you will have a vast new knowledge of research and argument, as well as skills you can use for the rest of your college years and, indeed, the rest of your life.

To achieve these goals, we will have to work--very long and very hard.  Plan to read this syllabus carefully, using the links at the left to find information about assignments, individual units, and other details of the course.  Plan to spend many hours tracking down and poring over books, writing drafts, revising, proofreading, discussing, and writing some more.  Plan to be tired and frustrated.  And plan to look back on a very challenging semester and say, "I'm glad I did that."

Resources

Objectives

Language: Success in college and the world beyond requires more than basic literacy. In this course, you will learn not only how to decipher language, but also how to analyze it for clues about purpose, audience, and agenda.  Specifically, we will study logical fallacies, ethos, and other concepts.

Ideas: As you develop your understanding of language, you also will explore the world of colonial America and become familiar with some of the ideas of the time.

Research: One of the most valuable skills you will learn in college is the ability to gather detailed, reliable information so that you can make informed decisions.  In this course, you will learn how to locate and evaluate information, as well as how to quote, paraphrase, and cite source material.

Communication: Knowledge confined to a single person's brain has limited use.  It is through sharing this knowledge that humans make progress in medicine, science, politics, and every other human endeavor.  In this course, you will explore every major component of effective rhetoric, from well-formed arguments and general organization down to precise, lively words and carefully placed commas.  In addition, we will examine the fundamentals of graphic communication, oral communication, and World Wide Web design.

Supplies

Ready Reference Handbook
Good Reasons
Ben Franklin's autobiography
Hardback college dictionary
3-ring binder
3 IBM-formatted diskettes

Rosters

 
8-9:15 a.m.

Mark Canada
Alston Brintle
Jeanette Chavis
Tifaine Childress
Allen Elks
Billy Eskins
Jennifer Jackson
Christopher Jones
Kris Kerson
Carrie Lewis
Beth Locklear
Sheneen Locklear
Mandi Lynch
U. McClennahan
Amy McNeill
Michael Pruitt
Eric Stewart
Sheila Swift
 

 9:30-10:45

Mark Canada
Ramsey Arram
Michael Baker
R. Blankenship
Janita Brunson
Cari Campbell
Michelle Enloe
Erica Handon
Dustin Hinson
Ashley Jones
Bryan McGirt
Ryan McGirt
A. Moerman
Latoya Morrison
Bryony Moultrie
Michael Munger
Pierre Ortiz
Carrie O'Shea
Bonnie Rogers
Ivra Trice
Raymond Yip

Instructor

Professor Mark Canada
118 Dial Building
ETL Department
UNC-Pembroke
mark.canada@uncp.edu
(910) 521-6431
Office hours:
Mondays 8-10 a.m., 3-4 p.m.
Fridays 8-10 a.m.		 You are at the center of this course.  In addition to reading material in your text books, you will conduct research and write several essays, including a major research project.  In short, what you get out of this course depends on what you put into it.  Of course, you are not on your own.  As your teacher, I have created a number of resources designed to help you get the most out of your abilities.  Because we will be posting our work on online portfolios, you also will have access to information produced by your classmates.  Below are some specific suggestions for how to get the most out of all of these resources.

Syllabus

Read this syllabus carefully and highlight important points.  In particular, make sure you understand the course objectives in the box at the left.

Lesson Plans

At the beginning of each unit, read the lesson plan for that unit.  Pay especially close attention to the unit objectives.  Next, complete the reading assignments, jotting down notes you come across concepts mentioned in the lesson plan.  Before you come to class, skim the practice section of the lesson plan.  After class, identify the activities that we did not do in class and use them to review the material covered in the unit.  Finally, read the objectives again.  If you have met those objectives, you are ready to move on to the next unit.

Outside Resources

For further assistance learning the material and creating your research project, you may want to investigate some of the resources that accompany the lesson plans and reading assignments.  Although I have tried to choose credible resources, you should not assume that everything you find is accurate.  If you doubt something you see, please let me know, and I will try to clear up any confusion or correct any inaccuracies.  Finally, I encourage you to visit Be Your Best, a Web site designed to help students improve their study skills. 

Assignments

Before you begin any assignment, read the instructions carefully and review the criteria on this syllabus.  Do your best on the assignment.  After you finish writing, revising, and proofreading, check your work against the instructions and criteria.  When you are satisfied that you have followed the instructions and met the criteria, post your assignment before the deadline. 

Classmates

The roster in the box at the left features links to each student's online portfolio.  Early in the semester, visit your classmates' portfolios to get to know them.  Then revisit these portfolios and read your classmates' postings to study the various subjects we are covering in the course.  Use the e-mail links on the portfolios to pose questions or offer suggestions.  In class, use the group activities as opportunities to share and discuss ideas.

Instructor

Whenever you have a question about anything related to the course or composition in general, get in touch with me.  You can visit me in Dial 118, call me at (910) 521-6431, or e-mail me at mark.canada@uncp.edu.  I will do my best to respond to you  promptly.  If you post the drafts of your assignments on time, I will respond to them with a detailed evaluation.  Use this evaluation to improve your future work.

 

Assignments

Basic Requirements

Index

Length: 100-200 words
Sources: 0
Draft Due: 5 p.m. Aug. 24

Evaluation

Length: 500-600 words
Sources: 5
Draft 1 Due: 5 p.m. Aug. 31
Draft 2 Due: 5 p.m. Nov. 9

Presentation

Length: 10 minutes
Sources: 5
Draft 1 Due: Sept. 18-Oct. 9
Final Due: Dec. 3-7

Proposal

Length: 500-600 words
Sources: 3
Draft 1 Due: 5 p.m. Sept. 7
Draft 2 Due: 5 p.m. Sept. 14

Definition

Length: 600-700 words
Sources: 5
Sidebar Due: 5 p.m. Sept. 21
Annotated Bibliography Due: 5 p.m. Sept. 21
Overview Due: 5 p.m. Sept. 28

Causal Analysis

Length: 1,500-2,000 words
Sources: 10
Outline Due: 8 a.m. Oct. 18
Draft 1 Due: 8 a.m. Oct. 23
Draft 2 Due: 8 a.m. Oct. 30

Portfolio

Length: 3-4 essays
Draft 1 Due: 8 a.m. Nov. 12
Final Draft Due: 8 a.m. Nov. 29		 You complete several written assignments, which you will post on an online portfolio, as well as an oral presentation.  Below are detailed descriptions of each assignment:

Index

As the "home page" for your online portfolio, the index will be the first thing that I and other visitors see when we visit it on the World Wide Web.  It should include your name, your e-mail address, links to the other components of your portfolio, and a paragraph that describes your major, career aspirations, and perhaps other aspects of your professional life.  You also may include a picture and links to other appropriate Web sites.  Due: 5 p.m. August 24, 2001.

Evaluation

In a concise, detailed, clear, organized, and engaging essay (500-600 words), evaluate your performance in this course and assign yourself the grade you believe this performance merits.  You must support your claim by referring to at least five sources, including essays you wrote for this course, this syllabus, the department guidelines for ENG 106, and at least one of the text books for this course. Due: 5 p.m. August 31, 2001 (first draft), 5 p.m. November 9, 2001 (second draft). 

Presentation

In addition to writing an evaluation, you will make the same argument in the form of an oral presentation (10 minutes).  After your presentation, you will have 5 to 10 minutes to answer questions about course material.  You must bring hard copies of all of your assignments, along with all of the material you used or created in preparing your these assignments, including rough drafts, notes, and photocopies of your sources with quoted or paraphrased passages highlighted.  Due: September 18-October 9, 2001 (first presentation), Dec. 3-7, 2001 (final presentation).

Proposal

In a concise, detailed, clear, organized, and engaging essay (500-600 words), propose that Benjamin Franklin's autobiography should or should not be required reading for a particular group of people--high school students, for example, or immigrants.  Support your claim with evidence drawn from the autobiography itself, as well as two secondary sources. Due: 5 p.m. Sept. 7, 2001 (first draft), 5 p.m. Sept. 14, 2001 (second draft).

Definition

In this project, you will conduct research on a subject in colonial America.  You then will produce a World Wide Web page that introduces this subject to an audience with little or no knowledge of colonial America.  Your page must contain the following components below.  For help setting up your page correctly, see "Creating a Page for All American."
  • Sidebar: Compile a list of at least five relevant people and three relevant events.  Due: 5 p.m. September 21, 2001.
  • Annotated Bibliography Entry: Choose two thorough, relevant, and credible print or electronic sources on this subject.  In two concise, detailed paragraphs (about 50 words each), identify the sources as primary or secondary, summarize their content, and evaluate their timeliness and credibility. Due: 5 p.m. September 21, 2001.
  • Overview: In a concise, detailed essay (500-600 words) that includes facts and interpretation drawn from at least five sources, define this subject.  Include a list of works cited.  Due: 5 p.m. September 28, 2001.

Causal Analysis

In this research article (1,500-2,000 words), you will build on your previous research on a particular subject in colonial America.  This time, you will state and support a causal claim.  That is, you will explain the causes behind an event or phenomenon or analyze the effects of an event or person.  For instance, you might identify the tactical maneuvers that helped the Continental Army win the Revolutionary War.  You may include part or all of the overview you wrote for the definition project as background in this article.  In addition, you must support your claim with numerous facts, as well as interpretations drawn from at least 10 credible sources.  At the end of your essay, you must list all of the works you cited, using standard MLA conventions.  Due: 8 a.m. October 18, 2001 (outline), 8 a.m. October 23, 2001 (first draft), 8 a.m. October 30, 2001 (second draft).

Portfolio

To demonstrate their abilities, many professional artists, journalists, and educators maintain something called a portfolio.  In this portfolio, which may be a folder or large carrying case, they store samples of their work--logos they have designed, for example, or news articles they have written.  Then, when they go to a job interview, they can do more than simply talk about their skills.  They can show what they have done.

In this course, you, too, will build a portfolio, which will contain all of your writing assignments.  In addition to placing these essays in a folder or case, you will publish them on the World Wide Web, where you can show them off to classmates, friends, parents, and potential employers.  In addition to publishing each essay as you complete drafts of it, you will have the opportunity to revise all of the essays and publish them in the form of a complete portfolio to be graded.  Due: 8 a.m. November 12, 2001 (first draft, which must include all four essays), 8 a.m. November 29, 2001 (final draft, which must include evaluation, causal analysis, and either proposal or definition).

Grades

A

A student who earns an A has excelled in both skills and knowledge.  In content, clarity, style, and integrity, the student's work fully or almost fully meets course criteria.  In short, the student has mastered the material and is likely to succeed in future challenges.

B

A student who earns a B has demonstrated many of the same qualities shown by the student who earns an A, but is deficient a few minor areas.  The student has generally mastered the material and is likely to succeed in future challenges.

C

A student who earns a C has demonstrated some of the same qualities shown by the student who earns an A or a B.  Although the work is adequate, it suffers from several minor deficiencies.  Nevertheless, the work suggests that the student is competent and is ready to take on future challenges, though he or she may need to shore up some of these deficiencies to succeed.

D

A student who earns a D is deficient in at least one major area or many minor areas. Students who receive a D in the course must take it again.

F

A student will earn an F for one of the following reasons:
  • The student's work contains a glaring example of plagiarism.
  • The student's work does not meet the requirements of the assignment, such as number of sources or deadline.
  • The student's work contains glaring deficiencies, indicating that the student is unprepared to meet future challenges.
  • The student has missed more than four class meetings for any reason.
Students who receive an F in the course must take it again.		 I will evaluate your portfolio and presentation three times over the course of the semester.  On each occasion, I will assign a grade according to the criteria at the left.
  1. Review 1: Before midterm, I will review your portfolio, listen to your first presentation, write you a detailed evaluation of both, and assign you a grade worth 20 percent of your final course grade (A=18-20 points, B=16-17 points, C=14-15 points, D=12-13 points, F=0-11 points).  You should then use my comments to improve your portfolio.
  2. Review 2: After midterm, I will again review your portfolio, write you a detailed evaluation, and assign you a grade worth 40 percent of your final course grade (A=36-40 points, B=32-35 points, C=28-31 points, D=24-27 points, F=0-23 points).  You should then use my comments to improve your portfolio.
  3. Review 3: After the deadline for the final portfolio, I will review your portfolio for the last time and listen to your final presentation.  In addition, at least one other composition professor will review your final portfolio and determine whether it meets the department criteria for a passing grade.  If it does, I will use my own judgment to assign it an A, B, or C   (A=36-40 points, B=32-35 points, C=28-31 points).  If it does not, I will use my own judgment to assign it a D or F (D=24-27 points, F=0-23 points).  This grade is worth 40 percent of your final grade. 
Finally, I will add your three scores and assign your final course grade, (A=90-100 points, B=80-89 points, C=70-79 points, D=60-69 points, F=0-59 points).  The purpose of this system is to give you an opportunity to continue learning and improving over the course of the semester.  For example, you might earn only 12 points on the first portfolio evaluation and thus have a D at midterm.  If you work hard to improve your portfolio, however, you might earn 35 points on the second evaluation and 38 points on the final evaluation.  Thus, you would have 85 total points and earn a B in the course.

When I evaluate your work on each of these three occasions, I will use the criteria below:

Content

The portfolio must contain all the assignments described on this syllabus.  Each individual project in the portfolio should thoroughly and insightfully address its subject with accurate, credible, timely, and relevant information.  Oral remarks made during the presentation and interview, furthermore, should be accurate.  Argumentative essays should state clear, substantive, contestable, and precise claims early and support these claims with appropriate evidence.

Clarity

Each written project in the portfolio, as well as oral remarks made during the presentation and interview, should present information in a clear, logical fashion. In general, each paragraph in the written projects generally should begin with a precise topic sentence, followed by clear, well-organized sentences that support the topic sentence. Transitional words and phrases should effectively guide the audience through the information.

Style

All work should engage the audience with lively, concise writing or oral presentation and should generally lack lapses in tone, register, punctuation, mechanics, spelling, word choice, and grammar.  Each project should effectively incorporate source material with proper use of attribution, paraphrases, and quotations.  Longer projects should begin with engaging introductions and include satisfying conclusions.  Both written and oral projects should be functional and attractive, conforming to all appropriate professional standards.  In particular, all parenthetical citations and lists of works cited in the written projects should conform to MLA style. 

Integrity

Each project must be your own work. That is, except for properly cited quotations, every sentence and phrase must be in your own words. All interpretations, except for those properly cited, also must be your own. If you turn in someone else's work, use a source's exact words without placing these words in quotation marks, or use an interpretation you found in a source without giving credit to the source, you are guilty of plagiarism and may fail this course. You must be prepared to prove that you have done all your own work by showing me your sources and discussing the details of your project with me in conference.

Schedule

Our schedule for the entire semester appears below.  Before you come to class each week, read the announcements for that week, review the unit study guide, and read the weekly assignments.  The assignments, listed in the third column, are due on your Web site at 5 p.m. the Friday of that week.  As indicated in the last column, we occasionally will meet outside our regular classroom, Dial 152.  Make sure that you know where we are scheduled to meet so that you will not be late to class.
 
Week Read Publish Meet
Aug. 20-24: Web Design Good Reasons, Chapters 11 and 12 Index Dial 149
Aug. 27-31: Argument Good Reasons, Chapters 2 and 10 First draft of evaluation Dial 152
Sept. 3-7: Claim Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin First draft of proposal Dial 152
Sept. 10-14: Support Good Reasons, Chapter 7 Second draft of proposal Dial 152
Sept. 17-21: Research Good Reasons, Chapter 13 First draft of definition Library
Sept. 24-28: Incorporating Sources Good Reasons, Chapter 5 Library
Oct. 1-5: Organization Second draft of definition Dial 149
Oct. 8-12: Clarity Good Reasons, Chapter 6 Dial 152
Oct. 15-19: Style Outline of causal analysis Dial 152
Oct. 22-26: Proofreading First draft of causal analysis Dial 152
Oct. 29-Nov. 2: Format Second draft of causal analysis Dial 152
Nov. 5-9: Revision Good Reasons, Chapter 15 Second draft of evaluation Dial 152
Nov. 12-16: Review First draft of portfolio Dial 152
Nov. 19-23: Oral Communication Dial 152
Nov. 26-30: Oral presentations Final draft of portfolio Dial 149
Dec. 3-7: Oral presentations Presentation Dial 149

The following statements come from UNCP Disability Support Services:

"Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments is requested to speak directly to Disability Support Services and the instructor, as early in the semester (preferably within the first week) as possible.  All discussion will remain confidential."

"This publication is available in alternative formats upon request.  Please contact Mary Helen Walker, Disability Support Services, Career Services Center, Room 210, 521-6270."