RHET 1302, Fall 2011, Sections 018 and 021

RHET 1302: Rhetoric Course Syllabus Fall 2011 Section 021 TR 11:30-12:45 Class location: JO 3.908 Prof. Christine Hand Jones Email: christine.rh.jones@utdallas.edu Office Number: JO 3.702 Office Hours: TR 12:50-1:50 pm or by appointment.

NOTE: All matters associated with this course are subject to change at the instructor's discretion. Any and all changes will be communicated to students in writing. 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. 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. Second edition. Thomson/Wadsworth, 2011. Websites Major assignments in this class will be submitted to turnitin.com. Class ID: 4238836 Password: Toulmin We will also use http://adventuresinrhetoric.blogspot.com for our class blog. You must set up a user name and password after I send you an invitation to join via your UTD email.

RHET 1302, Fall 2011, Sections 018 and 021

Fall 2011 Assignments and Academic Calendar Date Thu, Aug 25 Topic Introduction to the Course **Diagnostic Essay** Course syllabus and class expectations Basics of college writing Writing and the Writing Process The Process of Critical Analysis Finding, Citing, and Integrating Sources Introduce Essay #1 Assignment Introduce Blog project Writing About Reading Reading Analytically Writing Analytically, Chapter 1 Writing Analytically, Chapters 2-3 Writing Analytically, Chapter 14 Plagiarism Tutorial at http://www.utdallas.edu/library/he lp/PlagiarismTutorial/Plagiarism.h tm Writing Analytically, Chapter 5 Our Cell Phones, Our Selves Rosen Disconnected Urbanism Goldberger Writing Analytically, Chapter 9 Writing Analytically, Chapter 8 In Defense of Distraction Anderson Writing Analytically, Chapters 11 and 12 Writing Analytically, Chapter 15 Readings Due Assignments Due Diagnostic Essay

Tue, Aug 30 Thu, Sep 1 Tue, Sep 6

Thu, Sep 8

Tue, Sep 13 Thu, Sep 15 Tue, Sep 20 Thu, Sep 22 Tue, Sep 27

Analyzing Arguments Using Evidence

Thesis Statements

Essay #1 First Draft due in class Continue to bring draft to class. Essay #1 Polished Rough Draft 8:00 am on turnitin.com; bring paper copy to class. Continue to bring draft to class.

Organization

Style and Sentence Structure In-Class Workshop/Peer Revision/Conferences

Writing Analytically, Chapter 18

Thu, Sep 29

Grammar and Punctuation In-Class Workshop/Peer Revision/Conferences

Writing Analytically, Chapter 19

RHET 1302, Fall 2011, Sections 018 and 021

Tue, Oct 4 Thu, Oct 6

Analyzing the Visual Introduce Essay #2 Assignment Analyzing the Visual

Tue, Oct 11 Thu, Oct 13 Tue, Oct 18 Thu, Oct 20 Tue, Oct 25

The Process of Critical Analysis Making Interpretations Organizing the Essay using 10 on 1 Introductions and Conclusions In-Class Conferences Arrive prepared for your conference at assigned time In-Class Conferences Arrive prepared for your conference at assigned time Library Resources Introduce Essay #3 Assignment **Last day to drop with a WP/WF** Making ordinary topics more analytical Finding, Citing, and Integrating Sources

Images of Women in European Art Berger Beauty (Re)discovers the Male Body Bordo Listening to Khakis Gladwell Writing Analytically, Chapter 4 Writing Analytically, Chapter 6 Writing Analytically, Chapter 10 Writing Analytically, Chapter 16

Essay #1 Final Draft 11:59 pm turnitin.com Midterm blog entries and comments due by 11:59 pm. 2 entries required.

Essay #2 First Draft in class continue to bring drafts to class Essay #2 Polished rough draft 8:00 am turnitin.com. Bring copy to conference.

Thu, Oct 27

Bring copy to conference.

Tue, Nov 1

Essay #2 Final Draft 11:59 pm turnitin.com.

Thu, Nov 3 Tue, Nov 8

Writing Analytically, Chapter 7 Writing Analytically, Chapter 13 Essay #3 Proposal with bibliography of 5 sources in class. Bring bibliography and copies of sources

Thu, Nov 10

Style and Word Choice

Writing Analytically, Chapter 17 Interview with Frank Luntz

RHET 1302, Fall 2011, Sections 018 and 021

Tue, Nov 15

Revising the Academic Essay

Thu, Nov 17 Tue, Nov 22

Revising the Academic Essay In-Class Conferences Arrive prepared at your assigned time.

The Framing Wars Bai

Obama and the Language of Politics: Two short articles

Essay #3 first draft with annotated bibliography of 5 sources in class. continue to bring drafts to class Polished rough draft for Essay #3, 8:00 am turnitin.com; bring draft to conference.

Nov 24-26 Tue, Nov 29 Thu, Dec 1 Tue, Dec 6

Thanksgiving Holiday (no classes) In-Class Conferences Arrive prepared at your assigned time In-Class Workshop Revising the Portfolio Course Wrap-Up

Bring draft to conference.

Essay #3 Final Draft 11:59 pm turnitin.com All remaining blog entries and comments (5 total) 11:59 pm. Portfolio with reflection essay, 11:59 pm turnitin.com

Grading Blog Project Essay #1: Community Writing Essay #2: Visual Analysis Essay #3: Academic Research Essay & Proposal (Proposal = 5% of total 30%) Portfolio Homework/Peer Review/Other Assignments (drop 2) Participation (drop 3) Total 5% 15% 20% 30% 10% 10% 10% 100%

RHET 1302, Fall 2011, Sections 018 and 021

(I will make use of the +/- system in grading as stipulated by The University of Texas at Dallas Undergraduate Catalogue, 2010-2012.)

Grade A+ A AB+ B BC+ C CD+ D DF 97 93 90 87 83 80 77 73 70 67 63 60 0

Minimum Excellent

Description

Good

Fair

Poor Failure

Grade Points per Semester Hour 4.00 4.00 3.67 3.33 3.00 2.67 2.33 2.00 1.67 1.33 1.00 0.67 0.00

Assignment Descriptions (Note: You must submit all major assignments to Turnitin.com by the due date.) Essay #1: Community Writing Due Date: First draft: Tue, Sep 20 in class Polished rough draft: Tue, Sep 27, 8:00 am turnitin.com and in class Final draft: Tue, Oct 4, 11:59 pm turnitin.com Length: 750-1000 words (not including Works Cited) in MLA format, 11 or 12-point font Sources: One (1) source minimum You must include a Works Cited page and use correct MLA format for in-text (parenthetical) citations. You, yourself, are a member of several communities. These communities can range from very broad classifications like your status as a student at this university, or the very specific like your participation in an activist group that supports a local cause. The Community Writing assignment asks you to think critically about the communities of which you are a part and to select a community that you can discuss with some competence. Once you have selected a community, identify a problem within that community, form an opinion about the problem, and propose action(s) that might solve it. For examples of community writing, peruse the forums, blogs, and online magazines associated with your community. These texts will not only inform you about issues related to your community, but may also give you some idea of style. You should adapt your writing to your intended audience. The style of this essay may be informal, but should be free of technical errors. This essay asks you about your own experiences, and therefore should not require you to do much research or rely on the ideas of others. However, you are required to use one source in this essay.

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Below are links to a few examples:

http://media.www.utdmercury.com/media/storage/paper691/news/2009/02/09/Opinion/Profes sors.Can.Prevent.Another.Textbook.Fleecing-3618684.shtml http://www.randsinrepose.com/archives/2007/11/11/the_nerd_handbook.html http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=women-tenured-science-professors

Essay #2: Visual Analysis Due Date: First draft: Tue, Oct 18 in class. Polished rough draft: Tue, Oct 25, 8:00 am, turnitin.com (bring to class/conference) Final draft: Tue, Nov 1, 11:59 pm, turnitin.com Length: 1000-1250 words (not including Works Cited) in MLA format, 11 or 12-point font Sources: Two (2) sources minimum. One of these sources may be the primary source that you are analyzing; however, at least one of these sources must be a secondary source that aids you in your analysis. You must include a Works Cited page and use correct MLA format for in-text (parenthetical) citations. The Visual Analysis assignment asks you to select a photograph, print advertisement, work of art, television commercial or music video and analyze its features to discover a deeper meaning. (You may also choose to work with a few scenes of a movie or television show; however, you must narrow your focus to only a few scenes or artistic elements for analysis). In working with something visual, you will apply the techniques and strategies you have read about in Chapters 2-4 and 6 of Writing Analytically with Readings. The visual analysis requires you make the five analytical moves we have previously discussed: 1. 2. 3. 4. Suspend judgment (understand before you judge). Define significant parts and how they are related. Look for patterns of repetition and contrast and for anomalies (aka The Method). Make the implicit explicit (convert to direct statement meanings that are only suggested make details speak). 5. Keep reformulating questions and explanations (what other details seem significant? what else might they mean?). (Rossenwasser and Stephen 53) Just like a written text, a visual communicates meaning on a deeper level beyond merely the literal. Your essay will illuminate this meaning helping your audience understand your interpretation of the image.

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Essay #3: Academic Research Essay Length: 1500-2000 words (not including Works Cited) in MLA format, 11- or 12-point font, doublespaced Due: Proposal with 5 sources: Tue, Nov 8, in class. First draft with annotated bibliography: Tue, Nov 15, in class. Polished rough draft: Tue, Nov 22, 8:00 am, turnitin.com. (bring copy to conference) Final draft: Thu, Dec 1, 11:59 pm, turnitin.com. Sources: 5 sources total. At least three (3) must be scholarly and no more than two (2) may be popular sources. You must include a Works Cited page and use correct MLA format for in-text (parenthetical) citations. 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 subordinated claims. At least five sources (three scholarly and two popular) must cited in the final draft 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. The proposal for this paper must be at least 250 words in which you introduce your topic and articulate your primary research questions or working thesis. The annotated bibliography, due with the first draft, must include, in addition to a properly formatted works cited page, a very brief summary of each source (about 2 sentences), and an explanation of how this source will be used in your paper (2-3 sentences). *Note on drafts of papers: In this class, you will complete 3 drafts for each paper. The first draft must be at least a page and may be extremely rough. I will give you a completion grade that goes toward the general assignments portion of your grade. The polished rough draft counts toward 5% of your grade for the final paper. It must demonstrate a serious effort toward the final draft and, while it need not meet the length requirements of the final, it must reveal significant progress in thought development and word count.

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Blog Project Length: at least 250 words Minimum five (5) due during the semester; at least 5 meaningful comments on other entries. Due dates: Midterm entries: Thu, Oct 6 -- 2 entries and 2 comments Final entries: Tue, Dec 6 remaining 3 entries and 3 comments; 5 entries total. I will not accept or read late entries or comments. Please post midterm and final blog entries before or by the due date for full credit. At five (5) different times this semester, you will post to a blog designated for your particular RHET 1302 section. Your blog entries should offer a thoughtful response to course readings and/or class discussions. For each blog entry, find and link to an online article, video, picture, advertisement, etc. that relates to something we have been discussing in class, and write about how the ideas relate to either our class content or your current writing project. You should also comment in a meaningful way on your classmates' entries at least 5 times in the semester. Abbreviated responses or simply saying, I agree, in answering a classmate will not suffice. 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. Keep in mind that these are writing exercises, so avoid txt msg spk. 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. The address for this class blog is http://adventuresinrhetoric.blogspot.com. After I send you an invitation email to join the blog, you will be able to set up a profile, post entries, and comment on other entries. This blog will be private for my rhetoric sections; only participating members with a password will be able to see it. Course Portfolio (E-Portfolio) Due Date: Tue, Dec 6 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: 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.

RHET 1302, Fall 2011, Sections 018 and 021

Completed Blog Project Copies of both drafts of your: Rhetorical Analysis/Community Writing Essay Visual Analysis Essay Academic Essay If you have properly submitted two drafts of all essays to turnitin.com, you do not need to turn them in again for the portfolio. Simply submit your reflection essay to turnitin.com by Tue, Dec. 6th, as well as all remaining blog entries to complete your portfolio. 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

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) unexcused absences, no questions asked. Save them for when you really need them. Your final grade will suffer a 1% reduction for each unexcused absence you accumulate over three. You are responsible for your attendance. You must make sure you sign the roll sheet and/or notify me if you arrive late and after I have taken roll. 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

RHET 1302, Fall 2011, Sections 018 and 021

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. 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 computers or other personal electronic devices for personal messaging, research, or entertainment. If you sleep during class or participate in non-class-related activities, I will count you tardy or absent for that day depending on the length of your engagement in those activities. Late Work All drafts, including final, must be submitted when and as required in order to successfully complete this course. A late final draft will suffer deductions of 10 points per calendar day. I will not accept drafts that are more than 5 days late. This penalty also applies to the proposal for essay #3 and the portfolio/reflection essay. I will not give a grade for late first drafts. However, you will still need to complete rough drafts in order to participate in class work, and polished rough drafts are necessary in order to complete your portfolio; therefore, you should submit them, even if they are late. I will not accept late blog entries after either of the due dates. I will not accept late general assignments or homework; however, I will drop 2 of these assignment grades at the end of the semester to make up for unexpected absences. If you are hospitalized or suffer other serious extenuating circumstances, contact me before the due date to discuss the possibility of an extension. An extension may be granted or denied depending on the severity of the circumstances, at the sole discretion of the professor. 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. If you have an emergency situation that requires you to have access to your phone, please notify me in advance. 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/or entering a classroom without the instructors permission constitutes criminal trespass. The Director of Rhetoric and Writing will pursue action through the Dean of

RHET 1302, Fall 2011, Sections 018 and 021

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 Academic Integrity The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one's own work or material that is not one's own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying academic records. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings. Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university's policy on plagiarism (see general catalog for details). Penalties may range from failing an individual paper to failing the course. This course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective. Please review additional university policies at http://go.utdallas.edu/syllabus-policies.

RHET 1302, Fall 2011, Sections 018 and 021

I have read the policies for RHET 1302.*** and understood them. I agree to comply with the policies for the Fall 2011 semester. 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 whats 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): __________________________