Rhetoric 1302 – 028

Spring 2006

Desirée Ward
University of Texas at Dallas
School of Arts & Humanities

*DAYS/TIME: TR 2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.

*LOCATION: JO 4.306

Syllabus website: http://lingua.utdallas.edu/rhetoric/faculty.html

*Office: JO 4.118

*Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.; 3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
and by appointment

*Phone: 972-883-2018 (use only during office hours)

*Email: desiree.ward@student.utdallas.edu

UTD Rhetoric Website: http://lingua.utdallas.edu/rhetoric

Contains links to course syllabus, reference and research resources, MTB, and Lingua Moo

MoTime Blogspace: http://rhet1302.motime.com

Course Description

This course focuses on critical thinking by using an integrated approach to writing that teaches
various rhetorical strategies for reading and constructing arguments, both written and visual. You
will learn to read texts critically according to key components in argumentative discourse (i.e.,
claims, grounds, explicit and implicit assumptions, fallacies, etc.) and to recognize the different
purposes of argument. You will write and revise several papers using the key elements of the
various types of argument covered this semester. The assignments will give you extensive
practice in reading critically and writing according to the rhetorical conventions of an
argumentative essay. Emphasis will be placed on clean written work (ethos is crucial to
establishing credibility in argument) and analysis and synthesis of reading assignments. This
course utilizes computer technology extensively.

MoTime Blog

Student work samples and daily observations will be collected in an electronic portfolio in the
“MoTime” Blog space (MTB) throughout the semester. Use of online technology will enhance
the level of feedback you receive, as well as give you experience in the kinds of collaborative
work that many organizations use routinely. Online interaction and argumentative writing will
comprise a large part of the evaluation in the course. Other assignments will include interviews
and self-evaluation/reflections, all of which will be entered into your MTB. The MTB portfolio
is your most important argument in the course because it shows the sum evidence of your
learning, including your own observations and analysis of your learning. You will belong to a
“work group” for various collaborative activities (i.e., discussion of readings, peer critiques), and
throughout the semester, you will participate in moderation readings of your MTB portfolio for
feedback from your peers. Because learning to read critically and write responsively entails
mastery of a process, your work will undergo extensive revisions in response to peer readings
and collaboration as well as conferencing with your instructor.

Required Texts & Supplies

Everything’s an Argument by Andrea Lunsford, John Ruszkiewicz, and Keith Walters, 3rd ed.

Internet Sites for Grammar

Wire: Rutgers University’s Grammar Website

http://wire.rutgers.edu/
The Owl at Purdue: Purdue University’s Web Resource for Grammar:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

IMPORTANT: Also bring a floppy disk (PC-formatted if you use a PC, Mac-formatted if you
use a Mac) or CD/RW or USB Flash drive (*recommended). The Rhetoric classroom uses
Macintosh computers that can read either format. Most documents will be produced in Microsoft
Word. Whether you use MS Word outside of the classroom or not, it is best to save your files as
rich text format (RTF) to insure compatibility between the word processing program you use and
the one in your classroom.

Recommended Texts

One of the following or other Style and Grammar Handbook

Quick Access Reference for Writers by Lynn Troyka, 4th ed.
Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White, 4th ed.
Dr. John’s Eazy-Peazy Guides, by Dr. John Barber:
http://adsl-68-91-180-249.dsl.rcsntx.swbell.net/john/ez/ezindex.html

Note: The following is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.

Attendance Policy

Because participation is vital to successful completion of Rhetoric 1302, you should attend every
class. If you must be absent, check with your classmates for any information you may have
missed in class. Check with your instructor for any handouts you might have missed. We do an
extensive amount of work during class time, and work done in class can not be made up.
Alternative assignments are not given, nor can the instructor “re-teach” missed classes for

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individual students. More than one unexcused absence will negatively affect your grade. If
you miss three or more classes you may be encouraged to drop the class. Each absence
(after one) lowers your final grade by one letter grade. Tardiness will significantly lower your
final grade because in-class writing activities occur in the first ten minutes of class. Chronic
tardiness is unacceptable, as are coming to class unprepared, doing work that is not for this
course during class, sleeping in class, or using the computers or other personal electronic devices
for personal messaging, research, or entertainment. The printer is for printing in-class activities
only. Homework assignments found in the classroom printer will not be accepted.
Please avoid disrupting the class. Please turn off cellular/mobile phones, pagers, and other
personal electronic devices during class.

Drop Policy

See here for details on deadlines and procedures for dropping:

http://www.utdallas.edu/student/registrar/lookup/dropadd.html

Office Hours

Please note my regular office hours above. You also can arrange to see me at other times that are
mutually convenient. Office hours belong to you just as much as our class time. Don’t hesitate to
take advantage of my availability and the help I am ready to offer. If you need to contact me
outside of class time or office hours, it is best to communicate with me by email rather than the
office phone.

Email Policy

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO UTD STUDENTS: As of August 1, 2004, all email

correspondence with students will be sent ONLY to the student's U.T. Dallas email address. U.T.
Dallas provides each student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication
with university personnel. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in
the identity of all individuals corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. The
Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method for students to forward
email from other accounts to their U.T. Dallas address and have their U.T. Dallas mail sent on to
other accounts. Students may go to the following URL to establish or maintain their official U.T.
Dallas computer account: <http://netid.utdallas.edu/>.

Due to virus threats, emails sent with attachments will not be opened.

Writing Lab

The UTD Writing Lab is a valuable resource for UTD students who want to improve their
writing. You may, for example, work on: finding a topic for a paper, organizing ideas and
clarifying your thoughts, drafting and revising your paper, and/or eliminating problems with
grammar, punctuation, and English usage.
For more information, go to http://www.utdallas.edu/dept/ugraddean/lrcwrit.html

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Disability Services

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational

opportunities equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in
room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 AM to 6:30
PM, Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 AM to 7:30 PM, and Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments
necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. It is the student’s
responsibility to notify his or her professors. Disability Services provides students with
letters to present to faculty members verifying that the student has a disability and needs
accommodations. Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor
after class or during office hours. Disability Services: 972-883-2098 (voice or TTY).

Grading Policy

This class offers you an approach to learning that may be different from your past experiences.
Because the course is concerned with your development as a critical reader and writer, the
grading strategy will track and monitor that development. Your work will be collected in an
electronic portfolio in the MoTime web space. Your assignments will not receive individual
grades, but will receive individual attention from your classmates and me. Your mid-term and
final grades will be based on your portfolio of written observations and your work samples,
including collaborative work and your three major essays, as well as completion of each
component of your portfolio. In the final step to completing your portfolio, you will argue for
your grade by summarizing your learning and estimating the grade that the evidence of your
learning supports. In other words, you will directly apply what you learn in this course,
argumentative writing, by arguing for your own grade. However, each component of the
portfolio is vital to a quality body of work: your attendance, participation, promptness, level of
writing. effective arguments, creativity, collaboration, sound rhetorical skills, competent use of
technology—all of these things and more contribute to an outstanding portfolio.

Your goal is to demonstrate your development toward mastery of five course strands (rhetoric,
research, technology, collaboration, and critical thinking) and development across five
dimensions of learning (confidence and independence, skills and strategies, knowledge and
understanding, use of prior and emerging experience, and reflectiveness). These goals will be
discussed throughout the course. Keep in mind that although we do give + and – grades at UTD,
the general criteria for grading is still based on the A-F scale.

The following grade criteria describe very general indicators that both you and your
instructor may take into consideration when assessing your work and progress in the course.
Your estimation of your mid-term and final grades should be more detailed and specific and
may include a ‘+’ or ‘–’ if your work tilts above or below the central grade for which you
argue. But the final interpretation and assessment of your grade remains the responsibility of
your teacher.

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A: Represents outstanding participation in all course activities (including attendance and
promptness); all assigned work completed on time, with very high quality in all work
produced for the course. Evidence of significant and sustained development across the five
dimensions of learning and five course strands.

B: Represents excellent participation in all course activities (including attendance and

promptness); all assigned work completed on time, with consistently high quality in course
work. Evidence of marked and above average development across the five dimensions of
learning and five course strands.

C: Represents good (but average) participation in all course activities; all assigned work
completed, with generally good quality overall in course work. Evidence of some
development across the five dimensions of learning and five course strands.

D: Represents uneven participation in course activities; some gaps in assigned work

completed, with inconsistent quality in course work. Evidence of development across the five
dimensions of learning and five course strands is partial or unclear.

F: Represents minimal participation in course activities; serious gaps in assigned work

completed, or very low quality in course work. Evidence of development is not available.

UTD Grading scale

http://www.utdallas.edu/student/catalog/undergrad02/progress.html#Grading%20Scale

Plagiarism Policy

No tolerance policy. The university is an academy of ideas, and as students we must respect the
economy of intellect. Presenting the ideas of others as your own—even unintentionally—is a
breach of the foundation of our academic pursuit, and therefore will not be tolerated. Any
incident of plagiarism will result in failure of the particular assignment, and possibly failure in
the entire class. Each incident of plagiarism at UTD must be reported to the administration.
Penalties issued by the administration depend on severity of offence, and might include
expulsion.

Plagiarism is the representation of another person’s work as your own, whether you mean to or
not. For example, copying or paraphrasing passages from another writer’s work without
acknowledging that you’ve done so is plagiarism. Allowing another writer to write any part of
your essay is plagiarism. Copying or purchasing a paper from any source is plagiarism.

If you are not sure how to properly cite a quoted or paraphrased source, or if you need help with
the format of a citation, check with the New Century Handbook and/or with your teacher.
Although you can (and, in fact, should) seek help and advice from friends, classmates, tutors, and
others, be sure that your written work is your own.

See the Undergraduate Catalog for information about the consequences of Scholastic Dishonesty,
or view the policy here (which is also a link on the Rhetoric Program website):

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http://www.utdallas.edu/student/slife/dishonesty.html.

***Note: The following is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. Changes
will be issued to students in writing. ***

Major Assignments

All assignments (major and minor) must be typed in 12pt. Arial or Times New Roman font,
double spaced, and fastened with a staple, paper clip, or binder clip. You must turn in paper
copies to the instructor on the due date and also submit electronic samples to your MoTime blog.
In addition to Major Assignments, students will be responsible for completing several homework
assignments listed on the syllabus. Additionally, there will be several in-class assignments not
necessarily listed on the course syllabus. All assignments done outside of class, and most
done in class, must be typed. Please note, the printer is for in-class use only. If the printer is
used for printing homework assignments, I will collect those assignments and recycle them.
They will not be accepted. It is the student’s responsibility to print homework.

Late Work: As a general rule, NO LATE WORK will be accepted. In extenuating

circumstances, I may be willing to accept late work only if arrangements are made in advance.

Reading Journal: You will keep a reading journal for all of your readings. This journal should
be kept in a spiral notebook (can be hand-written). It must be brought to every class meeting.
You may refer to your journal in discussion. Guidelines will be discussed in class.
-I will collect reading journals randomly.

First Essay: An essay that presents a definition or evaluation argument using the principles and
criteria in Everything’s an Argument (Chapter 9 or 10). Essay should be 4-5 double-spaced pages
using MLA format for Works Cited.
-First draft due: February 9
-Final draft due: February 21

Second Essay: An essay that presents a causal or proposal argument using the principles and
criteria in Everything’s an Argument (Chapter11 or 12). This essay should be 6-7 double-spaced
pages and should use MLA format for all works cited.
-First draft due: March 3
-Final draft due: November 17

Visual Rhetoric—Third Essay: An integrated textual and visual essay that examines and
analyzes the argument of a visual image (or images) using the criteria in Chapter 15 of
Everything’s an Argument. This essay may be created and archived in Lingua MOO or the
WWW, or it may be a traditional Word document that simply displays the image(s) in the body
of your essay. Your image may come from the visuals in Everything’s an Argument, other
publications, Internet, or other media. This project should be 5-6 double-spaced pages and should
cite all sources using MLA format for online sources.

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-First draft due: April 11
-Final draft due: April 18

Mo’Time Portfolio: This is an online resource for managing and documenting the work and
learning you do in this class. Various assignments will be due throughout the semester, and all
observations, some drafts and essays, and peer comments must be included in the Mo’Time blog
(MTB) on the date due. In addition to observations assigned as homework, in-class daily
entries will be entered into the Mo’Time web space. You will also complete Evaluation and
Reflection Activities and record them in MoTime.
Parts A.1 and A.2 are due: Jan. 26 (e-copy due in blog; hard copy due in class)
Parts B.1 and C.1 are due: March 3 (e-copy due in blog; hard copy due in class)
Parts B.2 and C.2 are due: *date* (e-copy due in blog; hard copy due in class)

Final Portfolio: A collection of all drafts of essays, peer reviews, and in-class and daily
observations and assignments. You will refer to the portfolio as evidence for the argument for
your grade in MTB Portfolio Component Part C.2. You may wish to single out observations that
most strongly reflect your development. Throughout the semester, you will be adding and
building your portfolio.
Portfolio should be complete by due date: *date*

Remember: all drafts and final drafts must be uploaded online in your Mo’Time web space and
turned in to me in hard copy (using MLA format and citation and including a Works Cited
page) on the dates they are due. Extra copies of rough drafts will be required for peer reviews.
I will not accept assignments via email. Assignments entered into Mo’Time but not turned
in as a hard copy will be not be counted as being turned in.

Note: The classroom printer is not for homework. Any homework found in the classroom
printer will not be accepted. Under no circumstances will a student be allowed to use the
classroom printer for printing homework. Part of your work as a student is preparation. Plan
ahead.

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 Syllabus Itinerary (subject to change)

All assignments and reading are due by the class period under which they are listed.
Reading Assignments: Texts abbreviated as follows:
Everything’s an Argument = EA;The Owl at Purdue = OAP; Quick Access Handbook = QA
TBA = To Be Announced… For links to most online reading, see the class Mo’Time Blog Site.

WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE

T 1/10 In-class: Introduction to the course; Introductions; Sample essays written in class; Fill
out surveys. See Rhetoric Website.
Discuss: What is rhetoric? Syllabus.

TH 1/12: Read: EA Ch 1.
Recommended: QA Chs 1-3.
In-class: Intro to Wire; Intro to Mo’Time Blog. Discuss: EA Chapter 1: Is everything an
argument? Discuss QA Chs 1-3. Guidelines for Reading Journals.
Assignment due: Email to instructor from UTD email account.

WEEK 2: READING AND WRITING ARGUMENTS

T 1/17: Read: EA Chs 2-3; Letter from Clergy and Letter from Birmingham Jail (online)
In-class: Group Work: Examine arguments in Letter. Discuss: EA Chs 2-3. How does
knowing the illuminate our reading of the letter?
Assignment due: Bring Print-out of letters to class; Entry in Reading Journal; Record an
observation for your MTB.

TH 1/19: Read: EA Chs 6-7; EA Ch 20 & 22 and articles TBA.

Recommended: Elements of Style .
In-class: Discuss grammar and good writing. Discuss: EA Chs 6-7 and handouts/web
readings. How do we create a strong sense of ethos? Plagiarism discussion.
Assignment due: Entry in Reading Journal; Record an observation for your MTB

WEEK 3: ANALYZING ARGUMENTS

T 1/24: Read: EA Chs 4-5; EA articles: “Selling Men’s Underwear across the Decades” (490);
Angela Neustatter, “Why Shouldn’t the Epidermally Challenged Get Help?”; Louisa
Young, “Men Should Have Better Things to Do” (483)
In-class: Small group rhetorical analysis of emotional and values appeals in magazine
ads. Discuss: Readings. What emotions and values are appealed to by Neustatter and
Young? Why are appeals to values and emotions effective in argumentation? When
might they be ineffective?
Assignment due: Bring magazine ads to class today; Entry in Reading Journal; Record
an observation for your MTB.

TH 1/26: Read: EA Ch 8; articles TBA.

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 In-class: Toulmin analysis of articles from readings and commercials viewed in class.
Practice writing arguments using Toulmin analysis.
Assignment due: MTB parts A.1 and A.2; Entry in Reading Journal; Record an
observation for your MTB.

WEEK 4: ARGUMENTS OF DEFINITION AND EVALUATION

T 1/31: Read: EA Ch 9 and articles TBA; and Wire “The Writing Process” sections “Prewriting”
and “Planning”
In-class: Discuss: EA Ch 9. Definitions. Terms that might need to be defined and why.
How do we get started on our papers.
Assignment due: Entry in Reading Journal; Record an observation for your MTB

TH 2/2: Read: EA Ch 10 and from EA Arguments: John Levesque, “Sitcom Dads Rarely Know
Best” (506); and online reading (see MTB)
In-class: Criteria of Evaluation. Discuss: How do evaluations make arguments? What
kinds of evaluation arguments do we see every day? Criteria for good papers. How do
we evaluate ourselves as students? Discuss assignment for Essay #1.
Brainstorming and Prewriting done in class.
Assignment due: Decision for type of argument (definition or evaluation) and topic for
Essay #1 due; and Entry in Reading Journal; and Record an observation for your MTB

WEEK 5: RESEARCH: GATHERING INFORMATION

T 2/7: Read: OAP “Research and Citation: Research Overview” and Wire “Drafting”
In-class: Library Tour. Class meets at McDermott Library today.
Assignment due: Library Tour Handout

TH 2/9: Read: EA Ch 18 & 21; OAP: “Research and Citation: Evaluating Sources”; and Wire
“Grammar: Top 10 Problems”
Recommended: QA Chs 22-26
In-class: Determining if a website is credible. Research methods: Where do I go for
information? More help with searches. Discuss Peer Evaluations. How can we help our
classmates achieve a well-written final draft?
Assignment due: Topic Sentence Outline and First draft of Essay #1; Entry in
Reading Journal; Record an observation for your MTB

WEEK 6: REVISING AS PART OF THE WRITING PROCESS

T 2/14: Read: EA Ch 19; and Wire: “Grammar: Nuts & Bolts”; from EA Arguments: Amy Tan,
Mother Tongue (712)
Recommended: QA Ch 27
In-class: Discuss: Peer reviews. EA Ch 19. Revision techniques. Grammar and
Improving Writing. If time: Work on revisions of Essay #1 in class and begin
conferences.

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 Assignment due: Peer Review of Essay #1; Make an Entry in Reading Journal; and
Record an observation for your MTB

TH 2/16: Read: OAP “Grammar and Mechanics” both sections (adjectives, adverbs, and
articles); Wire “Revising”
In-class: Continue editing and revision of Essay #1. Brief conferences with instructor
on Essay #1.
Assignment due: Prepare for conference with instructor; Record an observation for your
MTB

WEEK 7: CAUSAL ARGUMENTS AND PROPOSALS

T 2/21: Read: EA Ch 11; and other readings linked from MTB.

In-class: Discuss EA Ch 11 and articles.
Assignment due: Final Draft of Essay #1; Make an Entry in Reading Journal; and
Record an observation for your MTB.

TH 2/23: Read: EA Ch 12 and from EA Arguments: Two Advertisements Soliciting Egg Donors
(647); and other readings TBA.
In-class: Discuss readings. Discuss Assignment for Essay #3. If time: Prewriting in
class.
Assignment due: Decide on argument/topic for essay #2; Make an Entry in Reading
Journal; and Record an observation for your MTB.

WEEK 8: MIDTERM REFLECTION

T 2/28: In-class: Discuss what we’ve learned so far. Writing exercises.

Assignment due: Record an Observation in your MTB.

TH 3/3: Read: from EA Arguments: Martin Luther King Jr., I Have a Dream (811)
In-class: View MLK I Have a Dream speech. Discuss: MLK speech.
Assignment due: Topic Sentence Outline and First Draft of Essay #2; Parts B.1 and
C.1 of MTB.

WEEK 9: SPRING BREAK

WEEK 10: REVISION TECHNIQUES

T 3/14: Read: EA Ch 14 and Articles TBA: and Wire “Style”—all sections.

In-class: Discuss peer reviews and revision techniques. Adding depth to the essay.
Assignment due: Peer Reviews of Essay #2; Make an Entry in Reading Journal; and
Record an observation for your MTB

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 TH 3/16: In-class: Conferences with instructor on Essay #2.

WEEK 11: RHETORIC AND THE COMMUNITY

T 3/21: Read: NPR “This I Believe” Essays to be assigned; and reading TBA.
In-class: How can use rhetoric in order to benefit our community?
Assignment due: Make an Entry in Reading Journal; and Record an observation for your
MTB.

TH 3/23: Read: Readings linked from MTB. View Michael Moore’s documentary film:
Fahrenheit 9/11
In-class: View clips from documentaries and discuss.
Assignment due: Final Draft of Essay #2; Entry in Reading Journal; Record an
observation for your MTB.

WEEK 12: VISUAL ARGUMENTS

T 3/28: Read: EA Ch 15 and articles TBA

In-class: Discuss: EA Ch 15. Work on Visual Exercises Applications in class.
Assignment due: Bring Visual Exercises CD to class today; Entry in Reading Journal;
Record an observation in your MTB.

TH 3/30: In-class: Discuss Image(s) from assignment. Examine images in class.

Assignment due: Bring images you might use in Visual Rhetoric Essay #3. [If you are
linking to the image elsewhere on the Internet, BE SURE TO NOTE EXACT SOURCE
OF IMAGE and OBTAIN PERMISSION TO LINK TO IT IF IT IS NOT ON A PUBLIC
SITE; see EA p 408-409]; Record an observation for your MTB.

WEEK 13: VISUAL ARGUMENTS

T 4/4: Read: EA Ch 16 and Blogs linked from MTB.

In-class: Discuss: Electronic arguments. Group work: blog project.
Assignment due: Make an Entry in Reading Journal; and Record an observation in your
MTB.

TH 4/6: In-class: Present blogs. Individual work on visual projects.

Assignment due: Record an observation in your MTB.

WEEK 14: SPOKEN ARGUMENTS

T 4/11: In-class: Peer reviews in class

Assignments due: First draft of Visual argument.

TH 4/13: Read: EA Ch 17.

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 In-class: Discuss: How are spoken arguments different? What must we consider when
preparing an argument for presentation?
Assignment due: Record an observation for your MTB.

WEEK 15: VISUAL PROJECTS

T 4/11: In-class: Teacher-student conferences on Visual Essay #3; In class work on visual
projects
Assignment due: Work on revision of visual argument analysis paper based on peer
review suggestions due Tuesday 4/18.

TH 4/13: In-class: No meeting. Work on Visual Presentations.

Assignment due: Record an observation for your MTB.

WEEK 16: PRESENTATIONS: LAST WEEK

T 4/18: In-class: Presentations.

Assignment due: Final draft of Visual Rhetoric Essay #3; 5-8 minute presentation of
Visual Project.

TH 4/20: In-class: Presentations, continued. Closure.

Assignment due: 5-8 minute presentation of Visual Project; Final Portfolios due; MTB
parts B.2 and C.2 due today. Moderation readings. LAST DAY OF CLASS.

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