ENG 106: Composition 2 |
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Lesson
1: Foundations (Jan. 9-12) Topics: Syllabus, review of rhetoric, argument Reading: Everything’s an Argument (Ch. 1) Due: Introduction to portfolio Place: Dial 147 Lesson
2: Evaluation (Jan. 13-19) Topics: Evaluations, outlines Reading: Everything’s an Argument (Ch. 10), Smith,
Bradford Due: Outline of evaluation Place: Dial 149 Lesson
3: Using Sources (Jan. 20-26) Topics: Quotation, paraphrase, summary, documentation Due: Evaluation Place: Dial 147 Lesson
4: Causal Argument (Jan.
27-Feb. 2) Topics: Causal argument, colonial America Reading: Everything’s an Argument (Ch. 11) Due: Outline of causal argument Place: Dial 147 Lesson
5: Reading Critically (Feb. 3-9) Topics: Reading, listening, colonial America Reading: Raleigh, Delgado, Powhatan, Canassatego Due: Causal argument Place: Dial 147 Lesson
6: Definition (Feb. 10-16) Topics: Definition Reading: Everything’s an Argument (Ch. 15), Crevecoeur Due: Outline of definition Place: Dial 147 Lesson
7: Visual Argument (Feb. 17-23) Topics: Graphic design, critical viewing Reading: Everything’s an Argument (Ch. 15) Due: Definition Place: Dial 149 Midterm
Presentations (Feb. 24-March 2) Due: Presentation 1 Place: Dial 118 Spring Break (March 3-9) Lesson
8: Proposals (March 10-16) Topics: Proposals Reading: Everything’s an Argument (Ch. 12) Due: Outline of proposal Place: Dial 147 Lesson
9: Evidence (March 17-23) Topics: Observation, interviews, surveys Reading: Everything’s an Argument (Ch. 18) Due: Research plan Place: Dial 147 Lesson
10: Library Research (March 24-30) Topics: Monographs, periodicals Reading: Sources Due: Bibliography Place: Sampson-Livermore Library Lesson
11: Internet Research (March 31-April 6) Topics: Subject directories, searches Reading: Sources Due: Revised outline of proposal Place: Sampson-Livermore Library Lesson
12: Revision (April 7-13) Topics: Editing, proofreading Due: Proposal Place: Dial 147 Lesson
13: Portfolio Preparation (April 14-20) Topics: Selection, presentation Due: Final portfolio Place: Dial 147 Lesson
14: Oral Argument (April 21-27) Topics: Preparation, delivery, demeanor Reading: Everything’s an Argument (Ch. 17) Place: Dial 147 Final
Presentation (April 28-May 2) Due: Printed portfolio Place: Dial 118 |
IntroductionImagine a force that would allow you to move objects and even people without ever touching them. This force can also open doors—both the physical kinds made of wood or metal and the figurative ones that lead to good jobs and healthy relationships. Is this force magical? You might say that. The force is language, and you already know something about how to use it. Indeed, you have been using it almost as long as you have been alive, and over that time it probably has helped you attain more than you realize—a later curfew, perhaps, or a favor from a friend. In this course, you will begin to learn to use language even more effectively to attain loftier goals, such as good grades, scholarships, acceptance into graduate school, a rewarding career, leadership positions, a successful family life, improvements to the world around you, and more. Specifically, you will learn the skill of argument, a skill that has enabled Christopher Columbus, Anne Hutchinson, and Thomas Jefferson—not to mention modern leaders in science, business, education, and virtually every other profession—to move objects, people, and even whole nations. As any of these writers could have told you, mastering the magical force of language is not easy. To achieve our goals in this course, we will have to work—very long and very hard. 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.” ObjectivesBefore you begin any endeavor, you should
give some serious thought to what you want to get out of it. If you work hard in this course, you
can expect to grow in four broad areas: 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, bias, tone, 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 a variety of sources, including monographs, periodicals,
and Internet sites. You also
will learn how to use these sources to make your own argument; specifically,
we will study quotation, paraphrase, summary, and documentation. Finally, we will study various
methods of conducting primary research through observation, interviews, and
surveys. 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. LessonsTo help you achieve these objectives, I have designed 14 weekly lessons, which I have posted on the Internet. Before you come to class each week, you should visit the appropriate lesson by clicking on the link in the schedule at the left. Use this lesson to prepare for our class activities in the coming week. Specifically, you should read the objectives carefully, complete all reading and writing assignments on time, mentally prepare for the class activities, learn the meaning and significance of each term, and read the announcements and discussion carefully. Make a note of where the class will meet and what you need to bring. If you have trouble visiting these lessons on the Internet, please let me know, and I will provide you with hard copies. Class ActivitiesYou should plan to use every minute of your time in class to work toward becoming a better reader, communicator, and thinker. As you will see when you read the lessons, our class activities will provide you with numerous opportunities to learn through writing, listening, viewing, and discussion. We will begin each unit with a “Think Fast” exercise, in which you will respond in writing to a question about the material covered in the lesson. I then will set the stage for the lesson by giving a brief audio-visual presentation. You then will take center stage for much of the remainder of the lesson as you collaborate in groups, discuss the material with me as a class, review the material in a “Think Again” writing exercise, and meet with me in one-on-one conferences. Finally, I will close the lesson with some announcements about upcoming lessons and assignments. I encourage you to make the most of each of these course components by participating actively and thoughtfully. AttendanceTo benefit from our class activities, of course, you must be present. You should plan to come prepared to every class, to arrive on time, and to stay until I dismiss you. If you must miss class for a legitimate reason, such as serious illness or a personal emergency, use the online lesson to keep up with our class activities. Finally, please note that, according to department policy, you will fail this course if you miss more than four class meetings for any reason, including illness or emergency. AssignmentsAs described below, you will complete a number of written and oral assignments in this course. Please purchase a three-ring binder to store hard copies of all of these assignments, along with class notes, prewriting, outlines, drafts, and photocopies of your sources with paraphrased and quoted passages highlighted. Bring this notebook, along with a diskette containing all of your writing for the course, to every class meeting and both of your presentations. Keep backup copies of all of your assignments on a separate diskette and store this diskette in a safe place. Introduction: This brief assignment has four components. First, you should place your name and
e-mail address at the top. Next,
write a one-paragraph profile providing basic background information about
yourself. For example, you might
describe your family, hometown, major, and interests. In the next paragraph, please
describe your previous experience with and feelings about writing. You might discuss what you like and
dislike about writing, for instance, and identify your strengths and
weaknesses. In the final paragraph,
please identify three specific goals you have set for your progress as a
writer this semester. You may
want to refer to specific objectives mentioned on this syllabus. Specify some strategies you plan to
use to achieve these goals. (Length: 200-300 words. Sources: 0. Due:
Jan. 12, 2003.
Value: 5 points.) Evaluation: Using the format described in your textbook, write a
concise, detailed, clear, organized, and engaging evaluation of your
performance in this course. This
essay should contain a clear claim stating the grade you believe your
performance merits, along with appropriate criteria and supporting evidence
drawn from 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. (Length: 500-600 words. Sources: 5. Due: Jan.
26, 2003. Value: 10
points.) Causal Argument: Using the format described in your
textbook, write a concise, detailed, clear, organized, and engaging causal
argument regarding some aspect of early America. Your argument should answer the question “Why?” This essay should contain a clear
claim stating a cause and an effect, a strong rebuttal, and supporting
evidence drawn from at least five relevant, credible sources. (Length: 500-600
words. Sources: 5. Due: Feb. 9,
2003. Value: 10 points.) Definition: Using the format described in your textbook, write a
concise, detailed, clear, organized, and engaging definition of the word
“American.” This essay should
contain a clear claim stating a definition, a strong rebuttal, and supporting
evidence drawn from at least five credible sources from more than one time
period. (Length: 500-600 words. Sources: 5. Due: Feb. 23, 2003.
Value: 10 points.) Midterm Presentation: Drawing on the material in your evaluation,
make a concise, detailed, clear, organized, and engaging presentation arguing
for the midterm grade you believe your performance thus far in the course
merits. Like the written
evaluation, this presentation should state a clear claim and support it with
evidence drawn from 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.
You also must use at least one visual aid to make your case. Finally, you will demonstrate your
understanding of concepts and terms covered in the course by answering
questions from me. You must
bring hard copies of all of your assignments, along with all of the material
you used or created in preparing these assignments, including rough drafts,
notes, and photocopies of your sources with quoted or paraphrased passages
highlighted. (Length: 10 minutes. Sources: 5. Dates: Feb. 24-March 2, 2003. Value: 5
points.) Proposal: Using the format described in your text book, write a
concise, detailed, clear, organized, and engaging proposal arguing that some
action should or should not take place.
Although your argument will deal with a contemporary issue, such as
immigration or free speech, you must draw on lessons drawn from our study of
the colonial period. This essay
should contain a clear claim stating a proposal, a strong rebuttal, and
supporting evidence drawn from at least 10 sources, including a mixture of
secondary sources and primary sources from the colonial and contemporary
periods. (Length: 2,000-3,000 words. Sources: 10. Due:
April 13, 2003.
Value: 20 points.) 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
three of the four essays you have written this semester. Specifically,
it must include your evaluation, your proposal, and either your definition or
your causal analysis. This
portfolio should demonstrate the best written and visual communication you
are capable of creating. After I
grade it, I will pass along the hard copy to two of my fellow professors, who
will also evaluate it, assigning it a grade of “P” if it is “passing”
material and “NP” if it is “not passing” material. Please note that you should submit the hard copy in a
3-ring binder and include notes and photocopies for all of the assignments
you are submitting. (Length: 3 essays. Due: April
20, 2003. Value: 30
points.) Final Presentation: As in your first presentation, you will draw on
the material in your evaluation to make a presentation. In this case, however, you will be
arguing for the final grade you believe your portfolio merits. Once again, this presentation should
include at least one visual aid, state a clear claim, and support it with
evidence drawn from 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.
Furthermore, you will need to use eye contact, articulation, and other
strategies of spoken communication to make your case effectively. Finally, you again will need to
demonstrate your understanding of concepts and terms covered in the course by
answering questions from me. You
must bring the hard copy of your final portfolio, along with all of the
material you used or created in preparing the individual assignments,
including rough drafts, notes, and photocopies of your sources with quoted or
paraphrased passages highlighted.
(Length: 15 minutes. Sources: 5. Dates: April
28-May 1, 2003. Value: 10 points.) GradesI will use the criteria below when I evaluate your work. You should keep these criteria in mind as you prepare, write, and revise your drafts. Content: Each assignment should contain all of the components described on the syllabus and should thoroughly and insightfully address its subject with accurate, credible, timely, and relevant information. Clarity: Each assignment should present information in a clear, logical fashion. Claims should be clear, argumentative, specific, and obvious. Supporting paragraphs generally should begin with precise topic sentences, followed by clear, well-organized sentences that support the topic sentences. Transitional words and phrases should effectively guide the audience through the information. Style: Each assignment should engage the audience with lively, concise, and appropriate language that is free from lapses in tone, register, punctuation, mechanics, spelling, word choice, and grammar. Furthermore, each assignment should begin with an engaging introduction, end with a satisfying conclusion, and generally be functional and attractive, conforming to all appropriate professional standards. Integrity: Each assignment 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 your grade will suffer. 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 work with me in conference. Each assignment should effectively incorporate source material with proper use of attribution, paraphrases, summaries, quotations, and documentation. Parenthetical citations and lists of works cited should conform to MLA style. As part of my evaluation of your work, I will include a point score corresponding to the grading scale in the box at the left. Before you submit any assignment, be sure to use my checklist to evaluate and to improve your work. InstructorI had the good fortune of discovering the magical force of language early in my life. After a childhood spent reading and making up stories, I worked for my high school newspaper and then went on to Indiana University, where I studied journalism and English. After I graduated, I worked as a copy editor for newspapers in Franklin and Fort Wayne, Indiana, before enrolling in graduate school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1997, I completed my Ph.D. in English, majoring in American literature and minoring in the English language, and I came to work as a professor at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. In my job, I use language every day, not only when I write a lesson plan or an article, but also when I work one-on-one with students, participate in committee meetings, and argue for raises. Language has also proved to be an asset for me at home, where I use it to build and maintain healthy relationships with my wife, Lisa, and our two children, 4-year-old Esprit and 1-year-old Will. I hope that I can help you develop your language skills, as well. I will be working with each of you extensively during our regular class meetings, but I also encourage you to get in touch with me outside class. You can e-mail me at mark.canada@uncp.edu, call me at 521-6431, or visit me in my office, Dial 118. The best times to catch me are my office hours: 7-8 a.m. Monday through Friday and 9-10 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Finally, if you would like to get to know me a bit better, I invite you to visit my family’s Web site (http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada) and my online portfolio (http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/markport/markwork). |
“This publication is available in alternative formats upon request. Please contact Mary Helen Walker,
Disability Support Services, DF Lowry building, 521-6695.”