Using The Call to Write Sample Syllabi and Assignments with Narratives on Book Chapters

Using The Call to Write: Sample Syllabi and Assignments with Narratives on Book Chapters Authors: Anthony Edgington, Linda Panczner, Suzanne Smith, and Paul Wise Created Summer 2008 The following handbook was created to assist both new and experienced instructors in using the Brief Fourth Edition of John Trimbur’s Call to Write Within this handbook, teachers will find the following: • • • • Sample syllabi Sample assignments (including both full assignment sheets and ideas for possible assignments) Narratives about how the four instructors created the course syllabi and assignments Narratives on Section III (Writing and Research Projects) and Section IV (Writers at Work) These narratives focus on the strengths and weaknesses of each chapter, along with pointing out important sections and noting how the chapters could be used with other chapters/genres in the Trimbur text Before you read over this handbook, it is important to look at two other documents first: The University of Toledo Composition Program’s Faculty Handbook This handbook contains information on course objectives and goals, course policies (such as attendance, late work, and plagiarism policies), prerequisites for the course, and course requirments In addition, information on select teaching tools, such as peer review, conferencing, and responding to student texts, is included The Call to Write textbook We would advise scanning through the textbook before reading this handbook so that you have a better sense of the layout of the book and so that you will be better able to understand the syllabi and assignments offered here Table of Contents Anthony Edgington’s Course Documents………………………………………………… page • Includes Course Narrative, Sample Syllabus, Sample Profile Assignment, and Sample Commentary Assignment Linda Panczner’s Course Documents………………………………………………….page 16 • Include Sample Syllabus, Sample Letter Assignments (with chapter narrative) and Sample Review Assignments (with chapter narrative) Suzanne Smith’s Course Documents…………………………………………… … page 22 • Includes Course Narrative, Sample Syllabus, Overviews of Chapters (Reports) and 10 (Proposals), and Sample Proposal Assignments Paul Wise’s Course Documents…………………………………… ……………page 47 • Includes Sample Syllabus, Overview of Chapter (Memoir) and Sample Assignments, and Overview of Chapter (Argument) with Sample Assignments Information about Section III (Writing and Research Projects) …………………………………………………….page 62 Information about Section IV (Writers at Work) ……………………………………………… …… page 67 Anthony Edgington’s Course When designing my syllabus for ENGL 1110, the first question I often ask myself is “What incoming students at the University of Toledo need most?” I have found that I usually answer that question in three different ways, each of which influence the syllabus that encompasses the next few pages First, students entering a first semester composition course need to be introduced to successful writing strategies, ones they can incorporate into not only the current course, but into other writing intensive courses they will take throughout their academic career They need to know about strong invention strategies, like freewriting, journaling, and brainstorming They need to be able to conduct both rhetorical and audience analysis as they create and review different texts They need to be taught systems of proofreading and revision, something that is easier to using a portfolio system They need to be able to not only find and use research, but should come to see themselves as researcher, able to create research through their own primary researching skills And, they need to come to realize the importance of grammar, especially how it affects readers’ views of a writer’s credibility Second, new students need to be able to learn about this new community they are entering For many students, the first year in the university brings with it new faces and environments and often challenges previously held beliefs and assumptions Thus, the writing assignments I ask students to complete during the course are designed to now only introduce them to genres and writing strategies they will encounter in future classes, but also offers them the chance to learn more about the University of Toledo and life as a college student I will talk more about these assignments in the section titled “Discussion of Assignments.” Finally, new students should also participate in many of the activities expected inside of a college classroom I organize the course so that students have the opportunity to discuss various topics and issues in small and large group formats Students also receive feedback on their writing through workshop groups and have the chance to talk with me several times during the semester in one-on-one conferences Having an opportunity to speak to others about a topic they have researched is important; an informal presentation on findings from their researched commentary is also included in the course Finally, I want students to take time to think about their strengths and weaknesses as writers and researchers, something that is done through reflective journals, letters, and in-class writings This reflection will help them come to a better understanding of what they can accomplish as writers and sets the stage for their future development in later writing courses Discussion of Assignments As outlined on the syllabus on the next few pages, students are asked to complete four formal assignments for this course The following are brief overviews of the four assignments, including pertinent information from the chapters that would be highlighted: • Memoir Assignment: Typical of most first semester writing courses, the memoir assignment asks student to write a narrative-based text the recounts experiences and memories on a particular topic For this course, keeping with the theme of • • introducing students to college, I plan to ask students to write a memoir on a fellow family member’s experiences in college or a memoir about when the student first decided to attend college In teaching the assignment, I would take time to point out the reading selections in the chapter, focusing on use of detail, how the texts are organized, and the moment of revelation (I think Trimbur’s discussion of this on page 149-150 is a good starting point) The information about social networking sites on page 153 is short and a little vague, but could provide a nice starting point for a class discussion on the topic There is also a list of additional assignments for this genre on page 157-158 Finally, I plan to use a good amount of the information in second half of the chapter, with a focus on the invention strategies and information on introduction and conclusions under the Working Draft section Profile Assignment: The assignment sheet for the profile assignment is listed in this section of the handbook My goal for the profile assignment is to not only have students learn about this genre, but also to introduce them to different organizations and groups on campus The assignment has worked very well in the past and, semesters later, I still hear from students who were working with the group they profiled (including students working for Habitat for Humanity, the Black Student Union, and holding an office with the Student Government) For the profile chapter, I would use all three examples offered in the first half of the chapter, but would stress how their profile would be not only focusing on the group member, but also the group I really like Trimbur’s discussion on open form and dominant impression on page 220-221 and would make sure to point that out to students Again, more assignment ideas are listed on page 231-232 During the writing strategies section of the chapter, I would point out the important information on background information (pgs 233-234), deciding on the dominant impression (pg 234) and establishing perspective (pg 237-238) Commentary Assignment: The assignment sheet for the commentary assignment is listed in this section of the handbook As outlined on the assignment sheet, students are asked to research and write a commentary on a problem affecting college students today In addition to information from the commentary chapter, I often bring in short readings on possible topics, including the economic realities of attending college, school violence, drunk driving, and paying athletes Newsweek’s My Turn articles work well for this assignment Make sure to point out the section on Ethics of Writing on page 289-290 to students The readings for this chapter are okay, but don’t relate directly to the assignment topics, so I tend to use the shorter readings listed above instead and link them to Trimbur’s analysis of his readings throughout the chapter I’ve also found that incorporating material from chapter three works well here, especially Trimbur’s discussion of logos, pathos, ethos and counterarguments Additional assignments are listed on page 304-305 Invention strategies are important for an assignment of this nature (especially since students will need to devote significant time to research), so make sure to spend some time with the invention section on page 306-308 There is good information on planning introductions and conclusions later in the chapter And, while short, the section on maintaining a reasonable tone is important to point out to students who may be more accustomed to television and radio • commentators yelling and screaming at each other Letter Assignment: The final assignment for the course will ask students to write a reflective letter about their writing and themselves as writers This letter will be used to introduce the final portfolio that will be submitted at the end of the semester Students will be asked to reflect on and assess their writing in relation to the program objectives outlined in the faculty handbook I will use the samples and information in Chapter to point out to students the features of writing a formal letter to a specific audience The reflective letter is the one formal paper students will create that will not receive initial feedback from the instructor Students will be able to get feedback from peers on the letters, but I will treat this document almost like a final exam, gauging student writing ability and progress without my assistance The Portfolio The final project for this course is a showcase portfolio Students will include the reflective letter along with two of the other three formal papers written for this course Students will also be asked to include some in-class and informal writing in the portfolio Odds and Ends The course is built around some lecture and small and large group discussion Most of this discussion will focus on assisting students in better understanding the genres they are writing and in introducing to them strategies that can be used as the create these genres Students will also work in peer groups offering feedback on peers’ texts and will meet with me periodically for one-on-one conferences English 1110-074: College Composition I MW 5:45-7 pm UH 4280 Instructor: Dr Anthony Edgington Phone: 419-530-8578 E-mail: anthony.edgington@utoledo.edu (send email before trying to call) Office: UH 6050 Office Hours: MW 4:00-5:00 (or by appointment) Required Texts: Aaron, Jane E The Little, Brown Compact Handbook (5th edition) Longman, 2003 Trimbur, John The Call to Write (Brief Fourth Edition) Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008 Course Description: Welcome to English 1110, a course that will assist you in both your college and professional future The goals of this course are two-fold First, we will engage in academic discussions and write about the role of popular culture in our everyday lives Second, you will be introduced to different genres of writing, including narrative, argument, summary, and rhetorical analysis You will be practicing your writing skills constantly within these genres Ideally, this course will sharpen your critical thinking and writing skills and allow you to consider in depth a variety of complex issues through discussion and writing When I think about writing, I am reminded of how individuals learn to ride a bike, play an instrument, or drive a car It’s all about practice, and you will be practicing your writing a lot this semester You will be writing texts for the instructor, along with texts for possible outside audiences You will be writing for and with your peers And, you will write just for yourself The goal is to keep writing; the more you write, the easier it will get From a fortune cookie: Practice is the best of all instructors Prerequisites: Prerequisite for ENGL 1110 - completion of ENGL 1100 with an NC grade or placement through a test score or writing sample Learning Objectives: Students who successfully complete ENGL 1110 will learn to the following: • Identify the purpose and thesis in both their own writing and in the writing of others; • Display knowledge about multiple ways to arrange a text, including the successful use of organizational patterns, transitional and topic sentences, and audience awareness; • Showcase the ability to develop arguments and perspectives through the successful incorporation of research, examples, details, and counter-arguments; • Demonstrate effective revision skills (global revision, editing, and proofreading) that leads to clear, concise and error-free prose; • Develop critical reading skills, including the ability to locate rhetorical features in a text, identify the audience for a given text, and identify strengths and weaknesses in an author’s arguments and reasoning; and • Understand academic researching skills, including how to locate scholarly source, evaluate the reliability of a source, and effectively use sources within a text The ability to cite sources in-text and develop a works cited page must be shown Course Requirements: Students will produce a minimum of 5,000 words in final draft form over the course of the semester This will mean roughly 18 to 20 finished pages At least one paper will be a documented essay using MLA format and incorporating a number of sources with a sustained discussion that results in a paper of at least pages Assignments (more information will be provided about each assignment later in the semester) Final Portfolio (40% of final grade) a Students will submit a portfolio consisting of formal papers, in-class writings, and other class documents More information about the final portfolio will be handed out during the last three weeks of the semester In-Class Writings (20% of final grade) a Students will complete both individual and group in-class writings about the course readings throughout the semester In-class writings will be evaluated based on knowledge of course texts, arguments within, organization, grammar and mechanics More information about the in-class writings will be handed out throughout the course Draft Grades (20% of final grade) a Students will receive credit for workshopping and submitting drafts of formal papers More information about the draft grades will be included on each formal paper assignment sheet Reflection Journal (10% of final grade) a Students will maintain a reflective journal of their writing experiences throughout this semester The journal will be collected periodically for teacher comments Students will use the journal in writing their reflective letter at the end of the semester Classroom Work (10 % of final grade) a Students will be evaluated based upon their work in class This includes in-class writing, participation in small and large group discussions, participation in workshop groups, and any other work done during class Simply showing up for class does not guarantee a high class work grade; students must be active members during group discussions, complete all written work, arrive prepared for workshops, and respect the views and opinions of others Grading Scale: 89-88: B+ 79-78: C+ 100-92: A 87-82: B 77-72: C 91-90: A81-80: B- Anything below a 72 is classified as NC In order to pass this course, your final grade must be a C or higher Grades below a C are recorded as No Credit (NC) While NC does not affect your GPA, Composition I will have to be repeated until a grade of C or better is achieved GROUND RULES Cell phones must be turned to vibrate or turned off If you must answer the call, please quietly walk out of the room to answer Anyone who has a disability (physical, speech, hearing, etc) that may influence their performance in this class should talk to me about this as soon as possible and should have the disability documented with the Office of Accessibility (x4981 or http://www.studentservices.utoledo.edu/accessibility/) Workshops: All students must bring the required number of copies of their paper to workshop sessions Students who not have their paper ready and/or enough copies will not be allowed to participate and will find his/her classroom work grade adversely affected Students who arrive more than five minutes late for class will not be allowed to participate Decisions on how to arrange groups will either be made early in the semester or on a class-to-class basis Late Work Policy: My policy on late work is simple: I don’t accept it without a legitimate excuse (including doctor’s note, tow truck bill, etc) All papers are due before or during class time (see schedule) A paper turned in after the class has ended is considered late regardless of the situation Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as "representing the words or ideas of someone else as one's own in any academic exercise." Plagiarism can take different forms, including: • Outright plagiarism: using someone else’s entire paper as your own; • Ghostwriting: having someone else write your paper for you; • Cut and paste: taking sections from another paper/website and including it in your own; • Insufficient citation: failing to cite information obtained from other sources and/or your research Thus, all writing you for this course must be your own and must be exclusively for this course, unless the instructor stipulates differently Please pay special attention to the quotes, paraphrases, and documentation practices you use in your papers If you have any questions about plagiarism, please ask me If you plagiarize, I reserve the right to grant you a failure for the course and your case may be reported to the College of Arts and Sciences For additional information concerning plagiarism, please consult the undergraduate catalog and/or consult a writing specialist in the Writing Center All work in this class is public, and will be read by the instructor and fellow students Please keep this in mind when writing texts Attendance is vital to this class; we will be discussing various concepts and issues each class period and if you are not here, you will miss important information PLEASE BE AWARE that poor attendance can affect your classroom work grade; if you are not here, you cannot participate and you will find your grade lowered Students are responsible for finding out what was missed and completing all work a The University recognizes the following as excused absences: 1) personal emergencies, including illness or death in the family; 2) religious observances; 3) participation in University-sponsored events, such as athletics and academic competitions; 4) government-required activities, such as military assignments and jury duty; and 5) other absences approved by the professor in advance ONLY THESE ABSCENCES WILL BE RECOGNIZED IN THIS CLASS For more information on the universities missed class policy, please see the University of Toledo’s Missed Class Policy b Students must have a viable excuse, documentation (doctor’s note, mechanic bill, obituary, etc) may be asked for, and, if necessary, the student may have to schedule a conference with me before turning in any major assignments Each case will be handled on an individual basis and the instructor reserves the right to accept or refuse absences c IMPORTANT: Any student who misses three weeks (six classes) of this course without notifying the instructor of the reasons for the missed classes may fail the course If you miss six classes in a row without notifying me, you WILL fail the course NO EXCEPTIONS Students who have questions or concerns about grades, the class, or an assignment are encouraged to see the instructor as soon as possible Students looking for extra assistance during this course should contact the Writing Center, (530-4939 or http://writingcenter.utoledo.edu/about.htm) Students can meet with writing tutors to discuss ideas and arguments in texts; the center is not a “fix-it” shop set up to correct errors in grammar and mechanics When going to the Center, make sure to take two copies of your essay and the assignment sheet for the class Feel free to have the Writing Center contact me about your visit Course Schedule • • • This schedule is subject to change if necessary The instructor will make every effort to inform students about changes as soon as possible All readings should be read for the day listed, and the instructor may increase or decrease reading loads if necessary If the instructor feels readings are not being finished, he reserves the right to schedule unannounced quizzes to gauge student reading August 25: Introductions 27: Read Chapter (5-30) September 1: NO CLASS (Labor Day) 3: Introduce Memoir Assignment; Read 137-157 8: Read 159-170 10: Read 521-541 15: Discuss Peer Workshops 10 It is a good idea to instruct students to keep and draw upon lists or observations generated though the sketching activity and other invention exercises as they work on their memoir draft—sometimes things get lost if they’re not being collected You may wish to ask students to submit all invention work along with drafts and count them as a portion of the assignment grade What students often struggle most with in the memoir assignment is presenting the significance of the experience they write about Some simply recount the experience with little interpretation, while others not adequately connect the experience with its significance The exercise “Exploring Past and Present Perspectives” on p 161 will help students better define and set in context the meaning they draw from the experience “Background Research: Putting Events in Context” on pp 161-62 prompts students to look beyond their immediate experience to its broader historic or cultural context, a too seldom attempted move that can greatly enhance the import of the students’ observations The Planning/Arranging prompts on pp 162-63 have the benefit not only of giving students ideas for structuring the paper but of prompting them to think about how they might incorporate analysis of the experience and presentation of its meaning into different sections of the paper Chapter readings suggest a variety of ways to incorporate the revelation emerging from the experience into the memoir; these should receive attention in discussions of the readings or in conjunction with the invention exercises looking at past and present perspectives or the experience’s broader context (Discussion prompts often address this) Point out how writers foreshadow or reinforce the significance of an episode throughout their narrative Focusing attention on conveying this significance also will help students sort through details generated though sketching to pull out those which can support or communicate it (This, incidentally, gives students an experience of how a paper’s controlling idea or thesis can help to organize a paper and to identify which research findings are pertinent and which aren’t; you can refer back to this when your class takes up assignments that require work with external sources.) Memoir projects risk eliciting purely expressive writing that lacks the awareness of purpose and audience work in college composition requires, but they can avoid this result by deliberately challenging students to bring the world of their past to life for readers and to illuminate what something in it meant They allow students to keep one foot in their comfort zone while cultivating the rhetorical consciousness they will need in writing that takes them beyond it ENG 1110 F08 P Wise Assignment #1 Memoir Directions: Write a personal essay of 3-4 pp relating a memorable experience in your life You may wish to use one of the suggested approaches on p 158 The essay should combine direct description with personal reflection on the things you see, or saw Your objectives in this assignment are: 1) To convey a rich and detailed impression of the experience and its setting What are the sights, sounds, or smells you encounter What happens there? What was happening or what was of interest at the time you observed it? Help the reader to see or experience what you did 2) To communicate some significance about the experience What about your experience is noteworthy? Does it help you understand something about yourself or your world? Did it mark a turning point in your life or have a lasting effect or you or those close to you? The significance of the experience -whether your state it overtly or imply it should provide a center of gravity (or thesis) for your essay Present the experience to the reader in ways that will support and develop that idea The narration of the experience and your interpretation of it should be integrated Descriptive details should prepare reader for and support the meaning you discern in your experiences Use transitions that smoothly connect descriptive/narrative and reflective passages Write in the first person, and keep your perspective in front in this essay You are presenting the experience and its importance through your eyes‚ not giving a purely objective description See the memoir project page on our web site for due dates and information on peer reviews and submitting drafts ENG 1140 F07 P Wise Assignment #1 Place Memoir Directions: Write a personal essay of approximately pp relating a visit to or observation of a certain location, either recently or in the past The essay should combine direct description with personal reflection on the things you see, or saw Your objectives in this assignment are: 1) To convey a rich and detailed impression of the place What are the sights, sounds, or smells you encounter What happens there? What was happening or what was of interest at the time you observed it? Help the reader to see or experience what you did 2) To communicate some significance about the place What about this place or your experience there is noteworthy? Does this place help you understand something about yourself your world? Is this a place especially worth paying attention to? Does it play some important role in the life of a community? Does it register some kind of larger social or environmental trend? Help the reader understand why this place is meaning-ful The significance you perceive in the place -whether your state it overtly or imply it-should provide a center of gravity (or thesis) for your essay Present the place to the reader in ways that will support and develop that idea To begin your essay, look to journal entries you’ve made for your individual or class outings, or about memories of other places Where those contain details that can help the reader see this place vividly? What did you record there that helps you get a sense of why the place is significant? Through freewriting and drafting, build upon those details to create a coherent narrative of your experience in the place and the significance it reveals: try to remember more about what you saw or what was happening when you recorded those details, or to reconstruct the context in which you saw them; think about what impressions lay behind your sense of the place, its significance, and how they may translate into ideas about that significance What ideas or emotions inform your reactions to the place? Write in the first person, and keep your perspective in front in this essay You are presenting this place and its importance through your eyes, not giving a purely objective description A first draft is due in class on Mon., 9/15 for peer review Turn in revised drafts on Wed., 9/17 Teaching Argument with Ch of The Call to Write Chapter of The Call to Write is a versatile resource that can be used as the basis for a major assignment or to complement work on other assignments that call for argumentation, especially commentaries or research projects It examines concepts of logical argument and presents argumentative strategies and structures The chapter ends with an assignment directing students to write an analysis of a brief argumentative essay, but instructors may adapt it to “reverse engineer” a more traditional, issue-focused argumentative essay assignment The “Working Together” exercise on pp 57-58 invites students to think through their experiences of argument and begin forming their own sense of what makes arguments effective and of the interpersonal considerations behind successful argument The opening section on Understanding Argument builds on this by distinguishing reasoned argument from shouting matches or simple assertions of opinion, and examining expectations audiences bring to reading arguments It might be interesting to look concurrently at some of poorly reasoned, uncontextualized, or hyperbolic arguments that abound in popular discourse; the letter exchange presents a starting point for this discussion Pp 64-69 comprise some of the most valuable portions of the chapter, and possibly of the book Here, Trimbur discusses how to define a suitable argumentative approach to a topic and form an arguable claim about it The section opens up a view of argumentative paper topics as active controversies that comprehend a variety of different issues that writers argue about rather than monolithic propositions one may take a position for or against It is common for composition students to take these simplistic, pro/con approaches to argumentative writing The section could be used to expand upon the guide to formulating a research question on pp 420-25 The sections on argumentative appeals and argument structure give students tools for turning opinions about issues into purposeful and credible arguments When introducing these elements, it is often helpful to have students work in groups to lay out tentative arguments on topics of their choosing that employ and identify them Have each group outline their argument on the blackboard/screen for class critique The outline of an argument about school uniforms on pp 83-84 offers a model for this exercise If you use the commentary assignment from ch 9, you might present the structure for presenting claims and backing points discussed ch as an option for developing ideas in the body of the paper Likewise, it can be used to help students expand upon “topic chains” for outlining research papers discussed on p 539 in ch 17 (“The Shape of the Essay”) The argument analysis project on pp 94-97 will help students analyze and practice argumentation more proficiently, and is useful to assign even (and perhaps especially) if your syllabus does not include a designated “argumentative essay.” Students may initially need help recognizing a suitable piece of writing to analyze Some class time may be devoted to learning to distinguish argumentative writing from writing that makes some reference to an argument ( a common point of confusion), and directing students to the “Opinion” section of Yahoo! News (or a similar resource) will lead them to appropriate pieces quickly In addition to writing the analytic essay, students should annotate a copy of their chosen article, noting the various elements, appeals, etc and turn it in with the essay Argumentation will feature in many of the genres that The Call to Write presents, though it doesn’t receive the attention it needs in many of the assignment chapters Ch can fill that lack, or provide an intensive introduction to argument through a major assignment built around it ENG 1110 P Wise F08 Project #3—Argument For this assignment, you will create an essay or website that interprets and/or argues a position on topic of your choosing Whatever you choose to write about should be controversial, and subject to varying interpretations or points of view Pp 66-67 and 304-05 suggest some possible approaches to the assignment Your objective, regardless of subject or approach, is to present and support, a well-defined position on some issue within the chosen the subject; your document should attempt to bring readers to accept your opinion about the issue and give them good reason to so Your genre options for completing the assignment are as follows: 1) A pp argumentative essay Your paper must contain (explicitly or implicitly) all the features of argument outlined on p 75, and incorporate the three rhetorical appeals from p 70 Which appeal to give priority to is a choice you will need to make as a writer, based on the subject and the audience’s relation to it and to you Give your audience enough background information about the topic to understand the controversy surrounding it and follow the argument you make about it You must use at least THREE outside sources, documented in MLA format, including a Works Cited page (The WC page does not count toward the pp requirement.) Sources may help you to support claims, to provide background on the issue, or to present opposing views 2) Create a website gathering opinion and information about your topic The site should itself be argumentative, representing a particular point of view on the subject rather than an objective overview This site should consist of pages developing, through words AND images important issues and ideas related to the topic—in some way, the pages should develop through various media your perspective on and major claim about the topic The pages might combine several of these elements: photos, videos, quotes, graphs, other self-created designs Include a link to an essay of roughly pp presenting your opinion on the subject, which should have the same features as the longer essay described in the option above Along with your essay, include links to at least three other opinion articles on the subject that take a position similar to yours and at least three news articles on the subject (Think carefully about how to integrate these links into the site) Your links may include sources used for writing your essay Your essay should include a Works Cited list in MLA format If you choose the essay option, bring a rough draft to class on Wed., 10/29 for peer review If you are creating a web site, be sure your site is complete and functional by that day and tell your peer review the URL when you come to class A revised draft is due on Mon 11/3 ENG 1110 Argument Analysis Assignment Select one brief piece of argumentative writing and evaluate its structure and credibility This assignment consists of two parts: 1) Clip or copy/print the article you will discuss On it, underline (or highlight) and label the thesis (central point/argumentative statement), all reasons offered in support of the argument, and any counterarguments (consideration of opposing or alternative views) it contains This portion of the assignment will count for half your score 2) An essay of @ ½ pp in which you— a) describe the purpose and likely audience of the article, as well as the kinds of evidence (statistics, examples, comparisons, expert opinion, etc.) offered in support of each of the reasons b) Identify the types of appeals (emotional, logical, ethical) the author makes on behalf of his/her argument c) evaluate how convincing the argument is Do you accept the writer’s conclusions? What questions you have about his/her reasoning? How effectively does the writer refute opposing views? When you turn in your analysis, please staple your copy/printout of the article to your essay The assignment is due Thurs., 10/11 Teaching from Section III of The Call to Write Despite the groans that inevitably accompany any announcement that some class time will be devoted to the subject of research, the various aspects of research (therefore, the chapters in Part 3), are important inclusions that should be presented to students Part (Writing and Research Projects) points out that research is a skill students have already practiced in academics and in their personal lives Sure, anyone can seek answers, but can they discern among legitimate sources by knowing where to look, what to look for, how to extract relevant information, and understand the correct ways in which to apply it? Chapter 12: “The Research Process: Critical Essays and Research Projects” Textbook author, John Trimbur, distinguishes between simply researching a topic for information and researching a topic in order to understand the opposing viewpoints of various spokespeople In so doing, students find which views and authors they agree with, and methods for arguing for that perspective In the first half of chapter 12 are three student papers that illustrate how a student writer develops an argument and supports it, based on their research If time permits pointing out only one of these writings, I prefer the second paper, “The Prison Privatization Debate: The Need for a New Focus” (398-408), because of its clear-cut, organized style, appropriate MLA citations, and directional transitions Also, the conclusion effectively summarizes opposing viewpoints, showing not only which perspective the student writer agrees with, but why Any student can conduct research; this research paper exemplifies how that research is applied (both with appropriate citation extractions and correct MLA formatting) and what opinion the writer surmises from it Before students read this research paper, I’d point out Trimbur’s Analysis: Finding a Place in a Debate on pages 408-409 Next, I’d assign students to “quick-read” this research paper on their own time, so that it can be picked apart in the next class I’d also address a common problem with citation use (in-text citations that not match with reference page citations) by asking students to use a highlighter to match every use of a citation in-text with its notation on the Works Cited page Moving along in chapter 12, the MLA/APA Checklist on page 410 is a handy source of information, though the following chapter 13 presents much more detailed facts The second half of chapter 12 backtracks to the preliminary steps taken before the actual writing process begins On pages 420-438, Trimbur breaks down the initial process with definitive and illustrative step-by-step details (select a topic overview – search for appropriate sources – analyze the worthiness of sources and take notes on relevant citations – determine whose opinion reflects the student’s view – and how to formulate an argument that effectively reflects those opinions) The example assignment in the second half of chapter 12 calls for students to choose any aspect in the history of American immigration to research What a topical issue this is: not only are immigration issues popular commentaries in the news, but it’s a hot topic in the current presidential candidate debates A writing assignment for practicing the research process: students could meet in a reserved computer classroom in Carlson Library, or in their regular classroom if a computer/overhead screen is present, so that a librarian representative can give a presentation about the library’s research tools Practice gathering information on a given topic by demonstrating a search for (three) legitimate sources As each source is obtained, ask students to record the citation information, as noted on page 428 in the citation checklist, that they’ll need to cite on a bibliography (Works Cited) page Then have students format that information into the correct arrangement for the reference page Chapter 13: “Working with Sources” A common misconception among many students is that their job merely is to report what others state about a topic; if they’re honest, they’ll credit those sources as they present those statements Although it is understandable why intentional plagiarism needs to be addressed, so does unintentional Students who try to credit sources are halfway there, but they need to know why they’ve made mistakes, what to cite, and the correct way to it Finally, another problem that accompanies plagiarism is when students assume that simply presenting source material (cited or not) fulfills the writing assignment; yet, they’ve neglected to balance the paper by presenting their point of view They have to understand why and how their writing should present their own thoughts and words; and the citation information should only enhance the student’s view rather than substitute for the student’s voice Chapter 13 includes clear explanations that point out: 1) what plagiarism is; 2) how to identify it and avoid it; and 3) how to incorporate citations around the writer’s commentary Many textbooks present this information, but chapter 13 includes enough explanation and examples so students can understand the research rationale and application For those who prefer a backup, the Little Brown Handbook devotes a significant portion to referencing techniques In preparation for the citation work that students produce in their major papers, I assign at least a few small assignments that practice creating both in-text and Works Cited citations A writing assignment for practice with citations: hand out to students copies of the one or two pages that contain the citation information from each of these sources: a book with two authors, and an article within a magazine/journal Ask the students to prepare a Works Cited page from the information on these pages In addition, ask them to include the citation information for: 1) a personal interview, 2) the course textbook, and 3) an online source (assign a topic) For the online source, students are required to print out the first page of that source, (the page that includes the citation information for that source), and highlight that citation information When they submit their Works Cited page, submit that highlighted printout of the online site as well Also, on the back of their Works Cited page, students are required to write a few sentences on the source topic, in which they include a (properly formatted) in-text citation, which can be a direct quote or a paraphrase Because the instructor has provided two of the citation sources, and the student has to print out the online source citation information, the instructor is able to see if the students have correctly chosen what information to cite, and if they have done so correctly Another writing assignment distinguishes a paraphrase from a direct quote Read something to the class (such as a politically-correct bedtime story, a paragraph-long quotation, excerpt from a speech, …) and then ask students to write a few sentences on that topic, including a paraphrase from the reading Next, hand out printed copies of that reading and ask students to write a few more sentences on the topic, this time including a direct quote from that source Before the reading, instructors could put the author’s name and the source on the blackboard or overhead screen so students can correctly note the intext citation information as well A third option on this assignment is to practice using ellipses: rather than record a long quotation, extract only the key words in the quote, using ellipses in between Chapter 14: A Guide to Print, Electronic, and Other Sources Chapter 14 focuses on helping students understand the differences between many of the sources they will encounter when working in the library on research papers Trimbur goes into detail about many of these sources and explains how they are similar to and different from each other The first section deals with books and periodicals Under books, Trimbur offers information on scholarly books and trade books, including how reputable each one is in the area of research There is also a listing for other books, where he includes texts from nonprofits, trade unions, and religious or political presses The section on periodicals goes into detail about the differences between scholarly journals (a particularly difficult topic for new students that is explained well here), public affairs magazines, newsmagazines, trade magazines, and popular magazines Trimbur then offers some discussion on how to work within the library, including basic information on the library catalog (you may have to supplement this information with information from the UT library), using reference books, and working with electronic sources (such as Lexis/Nexis and InfoTrac) Trimbur then includes a short section on using online search engines (Google, Yahoo, AltaVista); there is a nice discussion on the bottom of page 473 on using keywords with search engines that would be very beneficial for new students Finally, the chapter ends with a short section on government documents and then information on other potential research sources such as performances, museums, and media (if you plan on working with the Toledo Museum of Art at all, the section here could be valuable) Chapter 14 would work well as an introduction for students to doing secondary research One idea would be to assign the chapter as reading prior to library orientation (for more information on setting up an orientation to the library for your class, go to http://www.utoledo.edu/library/serv/fac.html and look under Instructional Services for your class) The chapter may also work well when an instructor begins to discuss how to conduct web research, including how to analyze and evaluate potential web sources The section on periodicals is especially important, as students have difficulty understanding the differences between journals and magazines The section here would work well as a starting point for beginning a discussion on these types of sources Chapter 15: Fieldwork and the Research Report Chapter 15 deals with one of my favorite topics: students conducting their own fieldwork while conducing research Pay particular attention to the Ethics of Research section on the top of page 477; while most freshman papers not require the submission of informed consent forms, students should be aware of the ethical responsibilities that comes with studying other individuals and should be prepared to ask for consent before doing research Trimbur then moves into a discussion of the research report, including providing a sample research paper with marginal notes on different issues to recognize and understand Following the sample paper, he provides a nice overview and analysis of the text, helping students note how the different sections of the paper work together (teachers may find the information on page 485 under Introduction to be important for new students to understand) The working together section on page 486 is a good classroom activity students can work on to better understand the research paper Trimbur then moves into discussions of different field research After offering some strong questions to consider on pages 486-487 and a brief overview of how to write a fieldwork proposal (this may need to be supplemented with more specific information), he begins his discussion of fieldwork with a look at observations A detailed overview of the steps needed to conduct observations is included (don’t move to quickly past the information on the bottom of page 488 under Three Considerations This is information that can prove useful to students as they conduct their research) The section on analyzing your notes is a strong one; I would also mention to students to conduct this analysis as soon after their observation as possible, so they don’t forget anything The next section deals with interviews Again, there is a detailed overview of the interview process (Trimbur does not include an overly strong discussion of types of interview questions—i.e open, closed, leading—so you may need to supplement this with additional information) I was happy to see that Trimbur included information on doing email and telephone interviews; because of time and difficulty getting off campus, many students will rely on these two types for their research Again, there is a good discussion of how to analyze notes/transcripts from an interview The last method discussed is using surveys I would stress the shorter section on Getting Background Information, as students often don’t reflect on what they already know before creating the survey Again, the Ethics of Research section on page 496 is important (you may also want to stress this when discussing interviews) On pages 497499, Trimbur gives a nice overview of the different types of questions that can be included on a survey; I would stress to students to use different types of questions on the survey, not all of one type This will help them get back different perspectives and types of data for their projects Finally, the section ends with information on compiling, analyzing, and presenting results This is a quick overview of this topic, but one sufficient enough for the type of survey data a first year student will create Chapter 15 is one that can be used in conjunction with many of the projects in Part Discussing observations would work well with profiles, reports, commentary, maybe even reviews (depending upon what is being reviewed) Interviews are a necessary part of profiles, and can also be used with public documents, reports, commentary and proposals Surveys could work well with reports, proposals, commentaries, and possibly reviews Teaching from Section IV of The Call to Write The chapters in Part IV of The Call to Write acquaint students with habits and practices essential to developing a mature approach to writing Its contents can be used in conjunction with other assignments or for creating short exercises to prepare students for genre-based assignments presented by other chapters Chapter 16 leads students through basic stages of the writing process, explaining them and demonstrating them by following one student’s work on a paper You might employ this chapter as the class begins working through its first major paper assignment, as it is not uncommon for students to arrive at college accustomed to writing a paper in one sitting the night before it is due The exercise on p 503, asking students to analyze a recent writing task, is suitable to use in class or to assign as an informal essay, to start students thinking about their own writing process Whether or not you work through the entire chapter, the section on peer commentary (pp 510-18) is especially worth the class’s attention It provides a model of how peer reviewers can write well-developed and targeted responses to their peers’ work and how writers can incorporate those responses into the revision process Students often claim that they are not qualified to review each others' papers and may not put much effort into the process unless strategies and guidelines are discussed in class Chapter 17, “The Shape of the Essay,” offers a palate of options for how to organize written work and raises considerations to help student writers decide which to employ and how The three ordering strategies examined in pp 522-34—top-down, culminating and “open”— might be discussed in relation to informative, argumentative, commentary, and research projects, or any assignment requiring students to present complex ideas in purposeful and accessible ways Students often come into their first college writing course with arbitrary and inflexible notions of the “5-paragraph” essay with a thesis at the beginning Chapter 17 gets them thinking about why a writer may decide to use that “topdown” order or another strategy according to his or her purpose, genre and awareness of reader needs Since the hardest part of a writing project often is getting it started, the discussion of introductions (pp 535-36) is helpful to bring up in the course of at least one major writing assignment In addition to—or in place of—the exercise at the top of p 536, you may wish to spend a class period asking students to draft tentative introductions to their paper using at least two of the strategies listed on p 535 then read each to their classmates and receive feedback on which is most effective and why You might something similar with conclusions—perhaps in the course of a different assignment Returning to parts of Chapter 17 intermittently throughout the semester as writers gain more experience may help to reinforce the strategies presented While it is common for many handbooks and textbooks to focus on introductions and conclusions, too often they offer few ideas on connecting the body of the essay in a cohesive sequence, aside from employing transitional words and phrases Trimbur’s emphasis on “the middle section” (539) is helpful Using “reasons” to explain an idea, as demonstrated on pp 538-39, models an approach to developing an argumentative essay or research paper (You can equate these reasons with backing points described in Ch 3.) The “topic chain” sketched there suggests a means of establishing and maintaining an essay's center of gravity through a useful metaphor that students can visualize This is followed by the more customary discussion of transition strategies The chapter’s approach to paragraph design as both a “visual” and “psychological” unit also offers a unique way to get students to think about the shape that their writing may take— while also introducing the more traditional notions of topic sentences and paragraph unity The exercise on p 543 could result in good discussion in small groups about paragraphing on both levels—appearance and focus Trimbur’s discussion of the topic sentence (546) as driven by the writer’s purpose and the reader’s needs and not as a necessary “rule” of writing may be meaningful to students The presentation of traditional rhetorical patterns of paragraph development would be most usefully introduced as they may be needed in different writing assignments where, for instance, comparison/contrast is called for, or a definition needs to be established— such as in commentary and research A class period could be devoted to developing paragraphs according to one or more of these patterns with topics provided by the instructor, perhaps related to a current writing project If your course will include collaborative work, Chapter 18 surveys matters that are important for you and your students to take into consideration Review "Guidelines for Collaborating in Groups" on pp 551-55 with your class at the beginning of any collaborative project Collaborative work usually goes more smoothly when students prepare and submit several documents to plan and assess their work First, a project proposal as described on pp 555-56 greatly increases the likelihood of successful collaboration; assigning specific responsibilities to each group member and outlining a timetable for completing stages of the project gives members a direction and helps eliminate confusion over how the work should proceed Second, requiring groups to submit progress reports at some stage in the project helps prevent procrastination and can help identify problems the members may be having with the assignment or each other You might also ask groups to submit (with the progress report and/or with the final draft of their project) minutes of each meeting or at least a short summary of what happened at each Finally, either at different stages in the project or at the end, self-evaluations will help bring into focus for students what worked, or didn’t, in collaborative efforts Confidential self-evaluations can also help instructors assess grades for a collaborative project Paul Wise, Suzanne Smith ... fashion, students can be assigned to two-people teams to write opposing reviews and present them in front of the class In response, the other students can write their response to the presentation,... in the chapter And, while short, the section on maintaining a reasonable tone is important to point out to students who may be more accustomed to television and radio • commentators yelling and. .. meet with me periodically for one -on- one conferences English 1110-074: College Composition I MW 5:45-7 pm UH 4280 Instructor: Dr Anthony Edgington Phone: 419-530-8578 E-mail: anthony.edgington@utoledo.edu