English 103: Rhetoric and Writing

Section 1, MWF 8am, RB 114; Section 2, MWF 11am, RB 106 Instructor: Jeremy Carnes Office: RB 265 Office Hours: M: 9-10 am and W: 9-11am, or by apt. Course Content and Format: In this course we will be studying rhetoric and the way it functions within our society. Our texts will be Everythings An Argument by Lunsford and Ruskiewicz and Persepolis, the two-part graphic novel, by Marjane Satrapi. Through these texts, we will be focusing on the concept of difference. What makes someone different from you or I, and what sort of affects does that difference have on our perspective of that individual, whether consciously or not? Throughout the semester you will be expected to use some of your personal experiences with difference to study and write about the ways in which difference is seen in society as a whole. In order to look at this idea of difference in a new way, we are going to take what is called a multi-genre approach to our writing and research. We will explore this term throughout the course, but it is important to not that, with multi-genre writing, you will be expected to produce writing that is not solely academic in nature (i.e. research paper), but also creative or multi-modal (movie script, poem, podcast script, etc.). Course Description and Goals: You can find the course description and goals online at: http://cms.bsu.edu/Academics/CollegesandDepartments/English/ForCurrentStudents/WritingProgram/C ourses/103.aspx Required Texts and Materials: Everythings An Argument, 6th Ed. (Lunsford and Ruskiewicz) The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi Printed copies of all supplemental readings (with annotations) Laptop Computer Wordpress Account Ballpoint Online, V. 1: http://goo.gl/nMnnb1 o This is a PDF what you will need to download and save to your computer for reference throughout the course Pen/Pencil and Notebook Binder/Folder to organize class papers, readings, and research A positive attitude and willingness to participate Assignments and Assessment: Major Assignments These are just snippets of information for the assignments. I will provide more detailed assignment sheets as the semester progresses and we near each assignment. Office Phone: 5-0033 E-mail: jmcarnes@bsu.edu

Project #1: Difference Narrative For this project you will be required to write a three to five (3-5) page narrative about a time when either 1.) you felt different or othered in some significant way or 2.) you witnessed or maybe even were a part of othering someone else. You should be sure to use ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos in your writing where applicable to help make sure it remains an argument. Within this narrative, you are welcome to use multiple types of composition (poetry, letters, blog posts, tweets, etc.), but make sure that, through those pieces, your audience is able to follow the narrative you are providing and why that narrative is important to your understanding of the concept of difference. Project #2: Group Project/Presentation For this project you will join a group of 3-4 students each. In your groups you will need to first research some groups on campus. Next, you will need to attend one of their meetings and interview a member of the group and one of their officers. Finally, as a group, using your primary research, you will need to develop a project composed in any way you wish (website, podcast, film, etc.) in order to discuss the ways in which you consciously or subconsciously saw that group as different from yourself. Did your notions of the group affect your ability to see them in a positive or negative light? Be sure to ask some questions in your interviews about how the group sees themselves in the context of the campus at large, in other words, how are they different. You will then have to present your project to the class in about 10-15 minutes. Project #3: Difference Analytical Essay For this project you will be required to write a five to seven (5-7) page analytical essay. You will first take an example of a moment of difference from our graphic novel Persepolis, and then you will complete research on this moment. For example, if you chose to write about when Marjane becomes a drug-dealer, you would have to research drug-dealers and then compile an essay based on the graphic novel, the secondary research (you will need at least 4 strong sources), and your own assertions to argue something about that moment of difference in the text. This is the only project in the class that will not be multi-genre, but must be analytical, academic writing, but you may use some multi-genre research. Project #4: Personal Multi-genre Portfolio/Final Project Plan For this project you will need to compile all of your multi-genre writing and sources (or the necessary sections of your sources). You should have at least four sources coming into this project, but they may not all be multi-genre. By the end of the project you will need to have a minimum of ten (10) multi-genre sources. Finally, you will need to write a minimum four-page reflection on how these sources will work together to make an argument of some sort in the final project. Remember, you will be compiling all of your multi-genre writing (writing from all projects) in order to make your argument. Final Project In the final two weeks of class, you will be working to compile all of the work you have completed into a single, specific, project. Again, this project can take whatever form you wish, but it must work rhetorically with your argument. Also remember, as you bring in your multigenre writing and research, you will probably have to weave them together with some extra writing so your readers will know how it all relates.

Recurring Assignments Blog: For this course, you will be required to make a Wordpress account. Wordpress is a blogging site that allows you to customize your blog pages and post your blog privately or publicly. Much of our less formal writing (which will lead up to the formal projects) will take place on your blog. Once your blog has been created, you must email me your username and I will link your blog to the class website (also on Wordpress, see above). The blog you create does not have to be public, but it must be accessible by everyone in our class. Certain days you will be required to post on a variety of topics and in a variety of styles. Included in this assignment, you must comment on another students blog at least two (2) times a week (once for each class). You must vary whose blog you are commenting on. Try to comment on everyones blog at least once. All blog posts must be at least 150 words unless otherwise noted. Comments do not have to be a certain length, but they must have some substance to them. Readings: There will be a fair amount of reading in this course. It is an English course after all. You are expected to complete the days reading BEFORE coming to class. I will most always have some sort of way to make sure that you have done the reading (quizzes, impromptu blog posts, Q and A sessions, etc.). Without doing the reading, you cannot participate, and your participation grade will suffer. You also need to make sure you print the readings and bring your own copy to class. Participation: Come to class, do the readings, and be prepared to talk about your experiences with what we are discussing that day in class. If you can manage this, you will be fine in participation. Grading: Assignment Major Project 1: Major Project 2: Major Project 3: Major Project 4: Attendance and Participation Blog Final Project Product: TOTAL Course Policies: Late Assignments: Any assignment turned in late for any reason will automatically be lowered one full letter grade, and will continue to lower each day that I do not receive the assignment. Attendance: You are required to come to class. I will be taking attendance. You will be given three (3) non-penalized absences. Any absence after three will result in a final grade penalization of 5%. It is important to note that I am also grading on participation, which you cannot do if you are not here. So, your grade will actually suffer more than it may seem here. For every two (2) classes that you are tardy (fifteen minutes late) you will lose one absence. If you are more than 15 minutes late, you will be counted absent. If you miss the class more than nine (9) times this semester, you will automatically fail the course (BSU Departmental Policy) 3 Percentage 10 15 15 15 10 10 25 100

I will consider official documentation (university field trip form, doctors note) depending on how well you are keeping up with assignments but all absences count toward the 9 maximum allowed absences.

Classroom Expectations: Your behavior in class will count toward your participation grade. You can and will lose points for any of the following activities: arriving late (see above), leaving early (some policy as being tardy, see above), refusing to participate, being disruptive, being disrespectful to your classmates or to me, using any electronic device that is not approved for the class activities, or eating during class (please do so before or after class). If you have any doubt about whether or not an activity is appropriate, dont do it. Laptops: You will need to bring laptops to class, but you will only have them open to use when I have given permission. During that time, you should be focused on the task at hand. At all other times, laptops should be closed and placed in your backpacks. You will need to take notes by hand as this is not an approved activity for laptops. Academic Integrity: Cheating in any form will not be tolerated. This includes using someone elses ideas or words as your own on any assignment, or recycling one of your own assignments from a past course without my expressed permission plagiarism. Plagiarism is a violation of the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities as defined in the student handbook (www.bsu.edu/sa/dean/stucode/) and will be treated as such. Consequences could result in a failure from the course or even removal from the university. If you are concerned about inadvertently violating this policy, please see me before completing the assignment. Special Needs: If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me or come to my office hours as soon as possible. Contacting Me: If you need to contact me for any reason, the best way will be through email. Please be respectful when you email me. I am not your best friend. I am your instructor. I will check my email multiple times during the day, but that will significantly decrease on the weekends and in the evenings. Finally, if you need to talk to me face to face, the other way I can make myself available is through Skype (jamcarnes). Research and Writing Resources: Bracken Library: Get Familiar with the library facilities and the website at www.bsu.edu/libraries. Our librarians are able and willing to help you. Contact them by online chat, email, phone, or in person. You can even make an appointment to get individual help with your projects. The Writing Center: The Writing Center in RB 291 offers one-on-one conferences to improve your writing. The Writing Center is open 10 a.m. 8 p.m., Monday-Thursday and 10 a.m. 2 p.m., Friday. Make appointments online through www.ballstate.mywconline.com Purdue OWL: The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) is a great source to work on documentation for papers. They offer many different style types, and examples of things like academic papers and annotated bibliographies. Visit them at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

Tentative Course Schedule of Reading and Assignments: * EA = Everythings an Argument * See class website for blog assignments and other assignments as noted * See class website to download readings ALL PORTIONS OF THIS CALENDAR ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE Week One

Syllabus day Introduction to Multi-genre writing and research

Week Two

Persepolis Vol.1: 3-53; 54-102 Two blog posts (each day we read Persepolis) EA Chapter 1 (Everything Is An Argument)

Week Three Persepolis Vol. 1: Finish, 103-153 EA Chapter 2 (Arguments Based on Emotion), 3 (Arguments Based on Character), and 4 (Arguments Based on Facts and Reason) Blog post (on Persepolis reading) Week Four Week Five Week Six

Persepolis Vol. 2: 1-43; 44-91 Project 1 Due! (Monday of the week) 2 blog posts (each day we read Persepolis)

Persepolis Vol. 2: 92-137 Blog Post (on Persepolis reading) EA Chapter 5 (Fallacies of Argument)

Persepolis Vol. 2: Finish; 138-165; 166-187 EA Chapter 6 (Rhetorical Analysis) Two Blog Posts (each day we read Persepolis)

Week Seven EA Chapter 14 (Visual and Multimedia Arguments) and 15 (Presenting Arguments) Watch Persepolis (film) Week Eight Project 2 Due! (Monday of the week) Monday and Wednesday Group presentations Library Research Day

Week Nine 5

 Week Ten

EA Chapter 16 (Academic Arguments) Shitty First Drafts Anne Lamott

EA Chapters 17 (Finding Evidence) and 18 (Evaluating Sources)

Week Eleven Focus more on sources (EA 17 and 18) Conferences (2 class days) Week Twelve Project 3 Due! (Monday of the week) Watch About A Boy (Film) Week Thirteen EA: Chapter 7 (Structuring Arguments) Week Fourteen EA: Chapter 8 (Arguments of Fact) Project 4 Due! (Monday of the week) Week Fifteen EA Chapter 9 (Arguments of Definition) Conferences (two classes) Week Sixteen Finals Week! Final Project and short presentation on project due during final time.