RHET 1302, Spring 2011

RHET 1302: Rhetoric

Course Syllabus Instructor: Don Menzies
Spring 2011 Email: dmenzies@utdallas.edu
Section 018 Office Number: JO 4.120
TR (1:00 – 2:15 pm) Office Hours: TR 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Class location: JO 4.124 Office Phone: (972) 883-2050

NOTE: All matters associated with this course are subject to change at the instructor's discretion.

Course Description
RHET 1302 will prepare you for college-level writing while helping you develop your critical thinking skills. Rhetoric
is the study and practice of how people communicate messages, not only in writing and speech, but also through
visual and digital mediums. In this class, you will develop skills to analyze the way rhetoric, in its various forms,
addresses audiences. By paying attention to the strategies that good writers and speakers use to persuade their
particular audiences, you will learn to reason better and to persuade others in your own writing, both through
rhetorical appeals and through analysis of audience, purpose, and exigency that is at the heart of the study of
rhetoric. For RHET 1302, you will read and reread texts and write multi-draft essays. Practically speaking, you will
learn skills that you can use in your future course work regardless of your major.

Visual Course Description

Essay #1 Interdisciplinary
Rhetorical Reading Project
Analysis of a
Written Text Essay #3
Research Paper
combines the sources
you’ve read, the analysis
of those sources, and the
blog writing/thinking
you’ve done about those
sources and the writing
process.

Essay #2
Analysis of Blog Project
Visual Text

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Student Learning Objectives

 Students will be able to write in different ways for different audiences.
 Students will be able to write effectively using appropriate organization, mechanics, and style.
 Students will be able to construct effective written arguments.
 Students will be able to gather, incorporate, and interpret source material in their writing.

Required Texts
Rosenwasser, David and Stephen, Jill. Writing Analytically with Readings. Thomson/Wadsworth, 2008.

Recommended: Students, if they own such devices, are encouraged (not required) to bring laptop computers to class.

Turnitin.com (All final drafts of your three major essays must be submitted to Turnitin.com)
Student must go to turnitin.com and register for an account, then use the following information to access and sign up
for this course:
Class Name: Rhetoric 1302.018
Class ID: 3739519
Class Password: Rhetoric018

Spring 2011 Assignments and Academic Calendar

Tue, Jan 11 Introduction to the Course

Review of Syllabus
Diagnostic Essay (maximum of 1 page, double spaced, revised at least once, and error free)
Thu, Jan 13 What are the characteristics of a good analyst and how do I become one?
Examination and application of close reading strategies
Discuss the basics of reading->analysis->writing process:
 language-based vs. image-based sources
 discipline-specific vocabulary
Writing Analytically, Ch 1 & 15, Goldberger: “Disconnected Urbanism”
Introduction to Interdisciplinary Reading and Blog Project (Blog post and hard copy of annotated
text due each Tuesday)
Tue, Jan 18 What is analysis and how do I do it?
Writing Analytically, Ch 2 & Ch 15, Rosen: “The Naked Crowd”
Annotated IR text and Blog Post #1
Thu, Jan 20 In-class writing, writing workshop, interdisciplinary reading, blogging, individual writing
conferences, pitch sessions, project updates
Tue, Jan 25 What does analysis look like?
Writing Analytically, Chapters 3 & 18, Salins: “Assimilation, American Style”
Annotated IR text and Blog Post #2

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Thu, Jan 27 In-class writing, writing workshop, interdisciplinary reading, blogging, individual writing
conferences, pitch sessions, project updates
Tue, Feb 1 What should I do with my sources as I read them and after I read them?
Writing Analytically, Chapters 4 & 18, Mcintosh: “White Privilege and Male Privelege:
Annotated IR text and Blog Post#3
Thu, Feb 3 In-class writing, writing workshop, interdisciplinary reading, blogging, individual writing
conferences, pitch sessions, project updates
Tue, Feb 8 What are the elements of argument and how do they work together?
Writing Analytically, Chapters 5 & 18, Rodriquez: “The Fear of Losing a Culture”
Annotated IR text and Blog Post#4
Thu, Feb 10 In-Class Workshop of First Draft – Essay #1
Tue, Feb 15 What makes a good thesis statement?
Writing Analytically, Chapters 6, 7, & 19, Orwell: “Politics and the English Language”
Annotated IR text and Blog Post#5
Thu, Feb 17 DUE: Essay #1 Final Draft with Process Packet
Written reflection and discussion of Essay #1 (in-class)
Tue, Feb 22 Introduce Essay #2: Analysis of Visual Text
Analyzing the Visual: What is visual rhetoric?
How should I begin and end my essays?
Writing Analytically, Chapters 8 & 17, Lopez, “Learning to See”
Annotated IR text and Blog Post#6
Thu, Feb 24 In-class writing, writing workshop, interdisciplinary reading, blogging, individual writing
conferences, pitch sessions, project updates
Tue, Mar 1 How should I organize my essay?
Writing Analytically, Chapters 9 & 18, Demott, “Put on a Happy Face: Masking the Differences
Between Blacks and Whites”
Annotated IR text and Blog Post#7
Thu, Mar 3 In-class writing, writing workshop, interdisciplinary reading, blogging, individual writing
conferences, pitch sessions, project updates
Tue, Mar 8 In-Class Workshop/Peer Revision/Conferences – Essay #2
Style: What does that mean?
Writing Analytically, Chapters 10, 11, & 20, Gopnik, “The Unreal Thing: What’s Wrong with the
Matrix?” & Bai, “King of the Hill Democrats”
Annotated IR text and Blog Post#8
Reminder: Turn It In and Writing Lab
Thu, Mar 10 DUE: Essay #2 Final Draft with Process Packet
Written reflection and discussion of Essay #2 (in-class)
Mar 14-18 Spring Break
Mon Mar 14? **Last day to drop with a WP/WF**

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Tue, Mar 22 Introduce Essay #3

How do I begin the research paper and what is my role?
Writing Analytically, Chapters 12 & 15, Franzen, “Imperial Bedroom”
Annotated IR text and Blog Post#9
Thu, Mar 24 In-class writing, writing workshop, interdisciplinary reading, blogging, individual writing
conferences, pitch sessions, project updates
Tue, Mar 29 Where do I find scholarly sources?
Writing Analytically, Chapters 13 & 20, Peck, “September 11th: A National Tragedy?”
Annotated IR text and Blog Post#10
Thu, Mar 31 In-class writing, writing workshop, interdisciplinary reading, blogging, individual writing
conferences, pitch sessions, project updates
Tue, Apr 5 DUE: Proposal/Abstract and Works Cited for Essay #3 for in-class pitch and feedback
Annotated IR text and Blog Post #11
Thu, Apr 7 DUE: Proposal/Abstract and Works Cited for Essay #3 for in-class pitch and feedback
In-class writing, writing workshop, interdisciplinary reading, blogging, individual writing
conferences, pitch sessions, project updates
Tue, Apr 12 Ok, what about grammar and mechanics?
Writing Analytically, Chapter 14
Thu, Apr 14 DUE: first draft of Essay #3
In-class writing, writing workshop, interdisciplinary reading, blogging, individual writing
conferences, pitch sessions, project updates
Reminder: Turn It In and Writing Lab
Tue, Apr 19 DUE: second draft of Essay #3
In-class writing, writing workshop, interdisciplinary reading, blogging, individual writing
conferences, pitch sessions, project updates
Proofreading, ratiocination, MLA formatting
Thu, Apr 21 DUE: Essay #3 Final Draft (including process packet)
Draft reflection essay for portfolio (in-class)
Tue, Apr 26 In-Class Workshop
Revising and Uploading the Portfolio (in-class)
Thu, Apr 28 DUE: Portfolio
Course Wrap-Up and Discussion; Course Evaluation by Students

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Assignment Descriptions
All first drafts of the three essays require a visit to the UTD writing lab & proof of visit. These drafts Writing Lab
conferences must occur prior to my conference with you about your paper. Failure to do so will result in a grade
reduction. See Writing Lab info at the following link: http://www.utdallas.edu/GEMS/writing/index.html. Please
make these appointments in a timely manner to ensure you get an appointment.

Interdisciplinary Reading Project

Identify three to five reading sites where you can find popular sources related to a chosen field of study;
collect, read, and annotate one article or essay each week; length of the text should be no less than five
pages) You are strongly encouraged to work in an area where you are reading sources that could lead you
to a topic for your final research paper in this course.)

The first table shows the sites I use for my area of study—the humanities.
Popular Sources URL for site

The Atlantic http://theatlantic.com

New York Times www.nytimes.com
Economist www.economist.com
Arts and Letters Daily www.aldaily.com
Slate http://www.slate.com
The Onion www.theonion.com
Wired www.wired.com
TED www.ted.com
Discover Magazine www.discovermagazine.com
Smithsonian Magazine www.smithsonianmag.com
Documentary Film site
Student’s Choice

Essay #1: Rhetorical Analysis: Common Essay

Due Date: Tue, Feb 17
Length: 750-1000 words (not including Works Cited) in MLA format, 11 or 12-point font
Source requirement: One (1) source minimum
You must include a “Works Cited” page and use correct MLA format for in-text (parenthetical) citations.

For this assignment, you will write an analysis of the rhetorical strategies and techniques used by a writer in
constructing a short essay. The purpose of this assignment is to think and write critically about a text. The skills you
use in this exercise will also apply to the images or media you analyze for your Visual Rhetoric essay and the
research you use in your Academic Argument essay.

To begin your analysis, look at the different rhetorical choices evaluated in the first three chapters of our text, and
other writing strategies we have discussed in class, such as the writer’s use of a claim, use of evidence, logic (or

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logical fallacies), address of counterarguments, organizational strategies, style, humor, and/or tone. Choose an
approach and be selective: you cannot cover all of these elements in a single paper. You must have a thesis about the
essay and elements of its rhetoric. You might, for example, write a thesis that addresses a single important technique
of the writer, a few of the central strategies used by the writer to structure the article, or the effectiveness or
ineffectiveness of the essay in achieving its purpose for a particular audience, using selected criteria. It is fine to have
a nuanced thesis that does not conclude the essay is entirely good or entirely bad. Remember that this piece is
composed by a published, respected writer who has quality to his writing; at the same time, you may find gaps in the
writing, disagree with the logic or approach, or find significant concerns that are not addressed by the piece. While
you may include a very brief summary of what the writer says, summary should only be a small portion of your
essay, and you should concentrate on developing your argument/thesis about the essay, using evidence and insight
to support your claim.

Essay #2: Analysis of Visual Text

Due Date: Tue, Mar 10
Length: 1000-1250 words (not including Works Cited) in MLA format, 12-point font
Source limit: Two (2) sources minimum

You must include a “Works Cited” page and use correct MLA format for in-text (parenthetical) citations. Don’t
forget to include your visuals and appropriately cite the sources for all images used.

This essay should be completed in a formal tone. Imagine that you are writing this essay to be included in a major
magazine or an academic publication. You must include a minimum of two sources in your essay, so ensure there are
sources discussing your media selection, type of media, or a pertinent reference that supports your thesis. As in the
previous essay, the final draft of this essay should be free of technical errors.

For this essay you should select a piece of visual media and engage in an analysis that strives to identify the
underlying culturally significant myths, archetypes, concepts, ideas, or symbols that are being explored through the
piece, the claims and assertions the author is making in the piece, and the formal elements and techniques used to
put forward the claims and assertions.

I would say that a good approach to this assignment would be to…

 Ask yourself “What key terms do I need to define to understand what I’m trying to do with this project?”
Make a list and define five or six key terms .
 Brainstorm a list of texts you might analyze for this project.
 Make a list and define key terminology that you must know to effectively write about and talk about your
project in a formal manner (see glossary of film terms on elearning).
 View the piece over and over again and make a long list of everything you notice (elements, patterns,
binaries, motifs, visual elements, formal elements, strands, etc.) basing your observations of the three ways of
looking at a visual text.
 Push these observations toward conclusions by selecting an interpretive context (WA, 90)
 Collect two sources that either talk about your particular piece of media (text-specific source) or that talk
about some ideas related to some aspect of your piece of media (a lens through which you learn more about
your piece).

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 Formulate a thesis statement that hypothesizes on what the author is exploring and what claims and
assertions he’s making about what he’s exploring based on what you see in the piece of media you are
critiquing.
 Decide what type of structure your paper might take based on your piece of media and your thesis statement
and begin drafting and organizing your ideas (try giving each section of your paper a heading even if you
remove it later, it may help you organize and stay focused)
 Revisit and modify your thesis to make it more focused and accurate.
 Revise, expand, and compress your content, ideas, and organization.
 Identify subordinate and coordinate sentence structure in your paragraphs
 Trim the Lard (pg. 197 in handout)
 Edit for mechanics and punctuation and stylistic issues
 Confirm correct use of MLA citations

Note: You do not have the space to fully elaborate on longer pieces like film and television shows. Therefore, if you
decide to work with a larger media piece like a film or television show, you should pick one sequence or scene or
element to analyze.

Essay #3: Academic Research Essay

Length: 1500-2000 words (not including Works Cited) in MLA format, 11- or 12-point font, double-spaced
Due: Tue April 21
Source limit: Three (3) scholarly and two (2) popular sources (5 sources total)

You must include a “Works Cited” page and use correct MLA format for in-text (parenthetical) citations. Your topic
must be approved by me, no later than Tue Mar 29. At least three of these sources must be cited in the first and final
drafts of your Academic Essay. Your drafts are expected to contain a cogent, well-formed argument based on that
preliminary work and to be presented in the MLA style, which is a required, graded element of this assignment.

In this assignment, write an essay that examines an issue of importance within your academic discipline. You will be
graded on your ability to present an informed, effective argument that demonstrates your understanding of the
subject, displays your research into its issues, effectively uses source material (in summary, paraphrase, and cogent
quotations), and reaches logical, substantiated conclusions based on well organized and well supported claims.

Blog Project
Length: 100-250 words
Due Date: one per week beginning Week 3 (a total of 11 over an 11 week period; you must complete 10 to receive
maximum points for this project; you get one throwaway)

At least once a week, you will post to a blog designated for your particular RHET 1302 section. Your blog entries
should offer a thoughtful response to the interdisciplinary readings you are collecting and annotating.

Use your blog freely within the bounds of good sense. Think of blog entries as something you would be willing to
say in class (or have someone read aloud in class). Entries should conform to a good sense of propriety and
classroom etiquette.

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Keep in mind that these are writing exercises, so avoid “txt msg spk”. Furthermore, abbreviated responses or simply
saying, “I agree”, in answering a classmate will not suffice. Although individual entries are not graded, the blog is
graded writing as a whole. I will be looking for improvement over time in your ability and willingness to express
ideas in controlled, focused blog entries.

Course Portfolio (E-Portfolio)

Due Date: Thur April 28

The course portfolio is a complete collection of the work you have done during the semester. It is an opportunity for
you to assess your progress as a writer, and evaluate those areas in which you still need work.

The complete portfolio will include the following:

1. Reflection Essay: A 750-1,000 word reflection essay examining your work. It should highlight problems you
faced, how you feel you improved, and areas in which you are still unclear or feel you need more help. The
essay should address these questions for each of the essays you submitted during the semester and for the
blog project, as well as providing an overview of the work you did during the semester as a whole.

2. Completed Blog Project

3. Copies of both drafts of your:

◦ Rhetorical Analysis Paper
◦ Visual Rhetoric Paper
◦ Academic Research Paper

Keep in mind that the reflection essay serves as a guide to help me evaluate your portfolio. It is your chance to direct
my attention to what you have done best, as well as explain weaknesses in your pieces, demonstrating an awareness
of how you might improve. This is not an argument for me to positively evaluate you. Rather, it is an opportunity to
reflect on the individual assignments as well as your work as a whole.

Some things the reflection essay might address include:

• Important revisions you made in the process of writing a paper
• Patterns you seem to have in your writing
• Differences between drafts
• Challenges with specific assignments
• What you learned
• What is still confusing?
• How you look at writing differently than when the semester began
• How has your writing changed?
• How your writing process has changed

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Grading

Note: Midterm grades are due Friday, March 5th (normally by 10:00 a.m. – exact time may vary). Final grades are due
no later than Wednesday, May 18th.

Blog Project & Journals 20%

Essay #1: Rhetorical Analysis 10%
Essay #2: Visual Rhetoric 15%
Essay #3: Academic Research Essay & Proposal 25%
(Abstract/ Works Cited = 5% of total 25%)
Portfolio 10%
Homework: Peer Reviews, Drafts, & Other assignments 10%
Participation 10%
Total 100%

Course Policies
Attendance
Because each class period consists of a mixture of class discussion, group work and freewriting, your thoughtful,
attentive, and active participation is essential (and will form a portion of your grade). If you sleep, engage in non-
class-related activities, or interfere with your classmates' ability to learn you will be counted absent for that day. Be
on time - class starts promptly. Leaving early will count as an absence.

Each student is allowed three (3) missed classes, no questions asked. Save them for when you really need them. Each
additional absence above the noted three will cause 4% to be deducted off your final grade for the semester. You are
responsible for your attendance.

Punctuality
Persistent tardiness to class is disrespectful to both your instructor and your peers. Continually arriving late to class
will affect your participation grade in the course. Three tardies will result in one unexcused absence for the course; I
will consider you absent if you arrive more than 20 minutes late to class.

Class Participation
Your success in this course is a function of your level of engagement. I am interested in the quality of your remarks
rather than the quantity; however, the art of discussion is one that is developed through use. Please use your analysis
of the readings, your blog posts, and prior research and/or study when responding orally in class, and please be
prepared to back up any points you make.

Participation in this course does not include doing work unrelated to this course during class, sleeping in class, or
using the computers or other personal electronic devices for personal messaging, research, or entertainment.

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Late Work
All drafts, including final, must be submitted when and as required in order to successfully complete this course.
Late assignments will suffer grade deductions or may not be accepted.

Personal Communication Devices

Turn off all cell phones, pagers, and other personal communication devices before the start of class. Do not use such
devices during class.

Room and Equipment Use

Tampering with or destroying any of the computers, printers, modems, or wiring in the classroom is strictly
prohibited. Violations will result in disciplinary action by the Dean of Students’ office.

Hacking a door code and entering a classroom without the instructor’s permission constitutes criminal trespass. The
Director of Rhetoric and Writing will pursue action through the Dean of Students’ Office and/or the UTD Police
Department against any student who engages in such behavior. The Director of Rhetoric and Writing will also
pursue action against students who are caught attempting to enter a room without permission (i.e., entering possible
number combinations in an attempt to open a classroom door).

University Policies
In an effort to go green (by cutting back on photocopying), University Policies can now be viewed at the following
site:

http://go.utdallas.edu/syllabus-policies

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I have read the policies for RHET 1302 and understood them. I agree to comply with the policies. I realize that failure
to comply with these policies will result in a reduced grade the course.

Signature: ______________________ Date: ________________________

Name (print): __________________________

UTD e-mail address: __________________________

The use of students’ work during Rhetoric class allows instructors to demonstrate writing concepts with examples
specifically tailored for this course. Use of a sample paper or an excerpt from a paper benefits students by allowing
them to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses in others’ writing and to apply what’s learned to their own work. If
you agree to allow your instructor to share your writing samples, your name and other identifying information will
be removed from writing samples. Your work will be treated respectfully by instructors, who also expect that
students demonstrate such respect. All students are expected to participate in peer review. If you agree to share your
work for class demonstration and exercises, please sign the following statement:

I allow my instructor to use samples of my writing for demonstration during this class and for other sections of
Rhetoric. I may revoke my permission by letting my instructor know I no longer wish my work to be shared.

Signature: ______________________ Date: ________________________

Name (print): __________________________

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