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ENGL 0122, Persuasive Voice, Winter 2000

Section 24: T/Th 9.00 - 10.30

Instructor: Shamim Ansari

 

Office Room: 424, Pioneer Hall Office Hours: T and Th, 10:30-12.00.
Office Phone: E-Mail:sansari@du.edu
Voice Mail: 871-4395 URL:http://www.du.edu/~sansari

 

Required Texts:

Lunsford, Andrea; Ruszkiewicz. Everything's an Argument.Bedford:St.Martin's, 1999.
Bloom, Lynn Z, ed. The Essay Connection. 5th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998.
A Student's Guide To First-Year English, 11th Edition

Purpose:

Persuasive Voice is the second course in the First-Year English sequence. Your goal will be learning how to take a stand effectively in your writing. My purpose in this course will be to acquaint you with various strategies for developing argumentative essays, to guide you through the process of an inquiry and assessment casebook, to spend time with you in the library, and to encourage you towards a more fluent style of writing. As a result of this course, your ability to analyze your reading and express your ideas persuasively in writing should improve. Casebook topics will address a controversial issue of your own interest.

Requirements:

1) Essay Assignments: You are required to write two 5-page essays and a 10-page casebook. All paper assignments will be explained clearly in class -- in discussion and written form. 

2) Editing Sheets: You are required to complete Editing Sheets for each of your papers. An error in your paper will be marked according to the notation of the Handbook (Part III) in the Guide. After you have identified the problem in your handbook, you must correct your errors (please follow the Editing Policy described in the Guide, pp. 49-53) and submit the editing sheets back to me. An editing sheet for a paper is due the class period immediately following my return of your paper. Your editing sheets will be graded and will count as quizzes.

3) Reading Assignments: You will be asked to read essays outside of class. To make sure that you have actually read them, I will ask you to write, either at home or in class, a few lines in response to a reading assignment.

4) Attendance: Regular attendance is mandatory. If you miss more than three classes, your grade will be lowered by one full letter grade. (see Guide, p. 57)

5) Conferences: You must schedule at least one conference with me during the quarter. A conference is for the purpose of discussing your writing with me in more detail than class time permits. Besides seeing me at the conference, the more often you visit me during my office hours, the more I will be able to help you individually with your paper assignments. 

Assignments and Grading: 

Essay One (4-5 pages)  10 percent
Essay Two (4-5 pages) 10 percent
Inquiry and Assessment Casebook (10 pages) + Presentation  30 percent
Mid-Term Exam (will include an in-class essay) 10 percent
Library Assignments 10 percent
Quizzes, Editing Sheets, Homework, Participation  10 percent
Final  Exam 20 percent

Important Dates:

Last day you may drop class without a signature: February 11, 2000
Last day you may drop class with a signature: February 25, 2000
First Essay Due: Thursday, January 27, 2000
Mid-Term Exam: Tuesday, February 1, 2000
Casebook Due: Thursday, February 17, 2000
Second Essay Due: Tuesday, March 7, 2000
Final Exam: Tuesday, March 14, 2000

Schedule of Readings, Assignments and Activities:

Week 1, Jan. 3-7

ARGUMENTATION and PERSUASION

Tue., Jan. 4th

Introduction/Overview of course

Thurs., Jan. 6th Read "Everything Is an Argument" and "Reading and Writing Arguments,"  pp.3-3 in Ruszkiewicz
Explanation of CASEBOOK ASSIGNMENT, Plagiarism
Week 2, Jan.10-14 AUDIENCE and the EMOTIONAL APPEAL
Tue., Jan. 11th Read "Readers and Contexts Count," pp.32-39 in Ruszkiewicz.
Read "Letter from Birmingham Jail," pp.569-587 in Bloom.
Thurs., Jan. 13th Read "Arguments from the Heart," pp. 43-49 in Ruszkiewicz.
Read "Arguments of Value," pp. 50-54 in Ruszkiewicz.
Read "The Sanctuary of School," pp.647-651 in Bloom.
Week 3, Jan. 17-21 WORKING with SOURCES & TYPES of EVIDENCE
Tue., Jan. 18th Read "Assessing and Using Sources," pp.287-293 in Ruszkiewicz and "Documenting Through the Disciplines," in Guide
Meet at the Library for Introduction to Research Methods.
Thurs., Jan. 20th Read "What Counts As Evidence," pp.255-266 in Ruszkiewicz.
Casebook Topic Due.
On-Line Library Quiz Due
ESSAY ONE ASSIGNED
Week 4, Jan. 24-28 The ETHICAL and RATIONAL APPEAL
Tue., Jan. 25th ROUGH DRAFT and OUTLINE of ESSAY ONE DUE
Read "Arguments Based on Facts and Reason," pp.64-76 in Ruszkiewicz .
Read "Philosophy: Who Needs It" (Handout)
List of six sources for Casebook due in MLA format. (annotated)
Thurs., Jan. 27th FINAL DRAFT of ESSAY ONE DUE
Read "Arguments Based on Character," pp. 56-62, Ruszkiewicz.
Read "The Clan of One-Breasted Women," pp.653-661 in Bloom
Week 5, Feb. 1 - 4 The STRUCTURE of ARGUMENTS
Tue., Feb. 1st MIDTERM
Thurs., Feb. 3rd Read "Structuring Toulmin Arguments," pp.79-94 in Ruszkiewicz.
Essay Reading TBA 
ESSAY ONE RETURNED
Week 6, Feb.7-11 ARGUMENTS of DEFINITION and EVALUATION
Tue., Feb. 8th OUTLINE of CASEBOOK DUE
Read "Arguments of Definition," pp. 97-113 in Ruszkiewicz
Read "Racism" (Handout)
Editing Sheet for Essay One due. 
Thurs., 10th ROUGH DRAFT of CASEBOOK DUE
Read "Arguments of Evaluation," pp.120-135 in Ruszkiewicz.
Essay Reading TBA
Week 7, Feb.14-18 CASEBOOK
Tue., Feb. 15th Read "Causal Arguments," pp.144-159 in Ruszkiewicz
Essay Reading TBA
Thurs., Feb. 17th CASEBOOKS DUE
Sign up for Oral Presentations
Week 8, Feb. 21-25 "I'LL TAKE MY STAND"
Tue., Feb. 22nd CLASS CANCELLED FOR "I'll Take My Stand"
Thurs., Feb. 24th ESSAY TWO ASSIGNED
Casebook Presentations
Discussion of "I'll Take My Stand" event
Week 9, Feb. 28 - Mar.3 CASEBOOK PRESENTATIONS
Tue., Feb. 29th Read "Fallacies of Argument," pp.268-280 in Ruszkiewicz.
Casebook Presentations
Thurs., Mar. 2 ROUGH DRAFT and OUTLINE of ESSAY TWO DUE
CASEBOOKS RETURNED
Week 10, Mar. 6-10 REVIEW
Tue., Mar. 7th ESSAY TWO DUE
Review for Final
Thurs., Mar.9th      Review for Final

FINAL EXAM: TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 9.00-11.00 a.m (same classroom).