Freshman Writing
Engl 030
English 030 Honors Freshman Composition
ENGL 030 is an honors composition course that qualified students take instead of ENGL 015. Since ENGL 030 replaces ENGL 015 as an introduction to upper-level writing courses, it is important that it perform the same function as ENGL 015. Like the students who take ENGL 015, students who take ENGL 030 should learn to invent various kinds of arguments and to adapt them to a variety of clearly defined audiences and purposes.
To that end, it is teaching argument that provides the unifying focus for both ENGL 015 and ENGL 030. This does not mean that we train students to become contentious debaters, but it does mean that we teach them to develop habits of critical thinking and reasoning that enable them to distinguish the issue at stake in any writing situation and to marshal evidence for the position they support. ENGL 030 is distinguished from ENGL 015 mainly by the range and depth of its required readings, which we can expect will challenge Penn State's most highly qualified students.
But it is important to remember that ENGL 030 is neither a theoretical course in argument nor a literature course with writing assignments; it is centrally a writing course. This means that the primary emphasis of the course is on helping students develop well-formed and clearly written papers on whatever subjects they are writing about. The following guidelines for teachers of ENGL 030 reflect this emphasis.
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
Quantity
Students in ENGL 030 should be expected to produce about twenty-five pages of final-draft writing during a semester, divided among five or six major writing assignments. That means that instructors should expect papers to be four or five pages long, not five-paragraph, 500-word themes. And it is important to remember that not all the writing that students produce exists in order to be graded; people learn to write by writing.
Instructors can expect students to perform supplementary short writing tasks, both in and out of class. They can write sentences and paragraphs to illustrate principles of invention and style. They can comment on the assigned readings. They can do written exercises that help them develop and test their positions. Students might even be asked to keep reading journals in which they record their responses to reading assignments.
As in any writing class, students should produce written proposals for their papers, and in peer review sessions make comments on the writing of their classmates.
All of these writing activities can be used to supplement and support the major writing assignments, just as they do in every writing course we teach.
Types of Assignments
It is important that ENGL 030 students should all be introduced to the essentials of rhetoric. These are defined for our purposes as follows:
- learning to use techniques of invention,
- learning to direct and modify writing for particular audiences and particular purposes,
- learning to establish exigence for every piece of writing,
- understanding and using the various kinds of logical, ethical, and emotional appeals,
- using narration effectively, and
- learning about style not just as decorative or as a series of rules for avoiding error, but as intrinsic to meaning.
To fulfill these requirements, all of the assignments should emphasize the development of effective arguments in support of clear theses.
Instructors may wish to assign one personal-narrative or autobiographical essay, as they sometimes do in ENGL 015. That assignment should emphasize the rhetorical purposes and functions of narrative, just as the discussion of any autobiographical reading selection emphasizes how events are selected and shaped to further purposes, complex and interwoven as these may be.
An assignment might well ask students to work closely with a particular text for analytic or interpretive purposes. Such a paper would require rhetorical, cultural, or literary analysis, and this type of analysis should also be taught as a special type of argument with its own kinds of definitional and evaluative issues.
In keeping with the rhetorical emphasis of all our composition courses, all writing assignments should ask students to consider audience and purpose: who might want to know this and why? This does not mean that teachers and students need to make up ingenious or farfetched situations that provide the exigence for the writing assignments; it does mean that students should always be asked to consider their audience's shared knowledge, attitudes, and assumptions about the subject they are writing about.
THE LIBRARY AND ENGL 030
Because our program views the development of writing skills as incremental, no single long research paper should become the centerpiece of the course, although any of the major writing assignments might reasonably send students to the library to do appropriate research. In fact, as part of the department's agreement with the Library, students in ENGL 015 and ENGL 030 should be required to use sources from Library databases (that's Pattee Library, not just the Internet) to support at least one paper.
USES OF READING
Reading is an integral part of ENGL 030, and there may be substantial reading in connection with every writing assignment. But it is important that discussion of the reading not take over the course to the extent that it becomes the only preparation for writing. The balance to aim for, precarious as it may be, is for the reading to serve the writing, not the other way around.
Instructors often select readings around a particular topic or issue from which general thematic coherence emerges, so the readings can serve as sources and occasions for writing.
The readings can also serve as the objects of analysis and can provide models for rhetorical technique.
It is suggested that the readings for ENGL 030 consist largely of nonfiction prose, either essay or book length, or a combination of the two. The emphasis on nonfiction prose reinforces the similarity between ENGL 015 and ENGL 030. That does not mean that fiction is inappropriate, but it should not be the only genre taught. Avoid blockbuster novels. In no case should ENGL 030 become a miniature survey course or a course in one author or literary genre. The reading assignments exist to serve the writing assignments, and the writing assignments do more than ask students to analyze texts closely.
There is no set reading list for ENGL 030; instructors can devise their own reading lists, but all reading lists should be approved by the Director of Composition. The attached syllabi indicate some of the formats and reading selections for ENGL 030 that previous instructors have used successfully.
Some instructors ask students to buy a handbook, which can be used either as a reference work or as a source of classroom exercises and activities. Some instructors use a rhetoric. Neither is required. Some use Penn Statements, the magazine of student writing to which previous ENGL 030 students have contributed.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
Class time in ENGL 030 should be spent exactly as it is in any writing course. Discussion and analysis of the readings is part (maybe a third) of the course, but does not occupy every period. Time should be spent generating arguments and proposals for papers, so that students acquire the habit of articulating their theses, the kinds of support they will use, and the kinds of assumptions their argument will appeal to.
Rhetorical techniques of definition and ways of elaborating arguments should be taught. There should be regular peer review sessions before papers are handed in, so students learn to become good readers and critics of each other's writing.
Class time should be spent teaching stylistic techniques so that students acquire control over a repertoire of skills; there can be short lectures, demonstrations, and exercises to teach the principles of style and their application.
It is very important for students to learn revision techniques and be offered the opportunity to revise their work.
Students may occasionally present their papers in class for the response of the instructor and their classmates; this kind of activity reinforces their sense of audience. Successful papers can be made public during the semester so that students can see models of effective writing. They can also be submitted for publication in Penn Statements for the benefit of future classes.
GRADES
Grading standards for ENGL 030 are exactly the same as those for ENGL 015. Students who take ENGL 030 should not be penalized by having to meet more stringent grading standards than students in other writing courses. Because the papers and the readings are more substantial in ENGL 030, the course is already more demanding. Given the selective nature of the course, it is not surprising or worrisome for final grades in an ENGL 030 class to consist mostly of As and Bs.
But unreasonable expectations should not be made of the freshmen who take this course. They are still freshmen, and many of them, despite strong test scores, are quite inexperienced at developing cogent extended arguments that use evidence and take account of audience effectively. They may come into ENGL 030 with more verbal facility than other students, and they are eager to learn, but they are not necessarily more accomplished writers at the start than ENGL 015 students.
SAMPLE SYLLABI
HONORS COMPOSITION
ENGLISH 30
Section 002, MWF 9:05-9:55, 105 Chambers
Professor X
Spring 20XX
Required Texts:
Marie Secor and Jeanne Fahnestock, A Rhetoric of Argument, 2nd ed.
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
Duncan Porter and Peter Graham, eds., The Portable Darwin
Course packet available at Gnomon Copy
Reserve Readings:
Albert R. Jonsen, The Birth of Bioethics
Richard B. Herrnstein and Charles Murray, The Bell Curve
Stephen Jay Gould, The Mismeasure of Man
Chris Anderson and Lex Runciman, eds., A Forest of Voices , 2nd ed.
Chandler Burr, "Homosexuality and Biology," Atlantic Monthly March 1993, pp.47-65
"Anatomy of a Massacre" and "Why the Young Kill," Newsweek May 3, 1999, pp.25-35
Several short articles from Time , May 3, 1999, pp.40-50
Course Objective and Policies
The purpose of this course is to help you to refine skills in communications and critical thinking that will make you an excellent writer and incisive reader. Whatever your plans at Penn State and beyond, communication skills will be integral to your success. Our job in this classroom is to discuss strategies for argumentation that will place you always in good stead when you are called upon to put pen to paper-or, in this day and age, fingers to keyboard. We're not talking about "arguing" in the sense of fighting, necessarily, but rather about arguing as an art of persuasion that inheres in what we say, what we wear, and even what we are. By reading extensively this term, we will learn to identify and analyze the ways in which others attempt to persuade us. By studying their rhetorical strategies, we will hopefully become skilled rhetoricians ourselves, capable of writing for any number of purposes and in a wide range of genres. Rhetoric is the real heart of this course, and we will approach it collectively, assess what it means, and help each other to communicate as persuasively and effectively as we possibly can.
Our work in this course will center on a theme that is particularly important as we enter the new millennium: nature, a term that might be more complicated than you think. For months we've heard presidential candidates spar over environmental issues, and Ralph Nader's strong showing in the election shows that nature has considerable political currency right now. But aside even from ecological and environmental concerns, perceptions of nature, its meaning, and its value inflect contemporary discussions in ways that most of us rarely stop to consider. Is nature "naturally" good or evil? Is it something that science and society should combat, or rather something that we should celebrate and preserve? What does it mean when we use "nature" to define differences in gender, race, and even sexual orientation? Is there such a thing as a "natural born killer," or should we blame teen violence on song lyrics and macabre video games? If there are "natural born killers," is that a more hopeful or more bleak view of our world and our hopes for improving it? In other words, our modern perception of "nature" underlies complex questions about the shape of society, culture, and individual identity in the twenty-first century, and many of the brightest writers and thinkers of the past two centuries--including Mary Shelley, Charles Darwin, and Stephen Jay Gould--have wondered about and written about nature and its relation to human existence.
As the schedule of assignments in the following pages shows, your primary task this semester is to join this select group by educating yourselves about "nature" broadly defined, and by writing about it in a number of different ways. During the term, aside from active reading and vigorous participation in class discussions, you will complete a rhetorical analysis essay, a personal narrative, a definition essay, an evaluation, and a proposal. The grading breakdown for these assignments will be as follows:
Class participation--15%
Rhetorical Analysis--10%
Narrative--15%
Definition--20%
Evaluation--20%
Proposal--20%
As you can see, this is a course for which cramming and procrastination are terrible strategies, since assignments are many and follow one another rapidly. You should always prepare readings in advance, and attendance is required except in cases of medical or family emergency. When such emergencies arise, you should notify me as soon as you possibly can, since University policy stipulates that poor attendance can be grounds for penalties against semester grades, even including failure of the course. I also expect you to observe rigorously the expectations of academic integrity, which include honorable and respectful conduct within the classroom and which prohibit plagiarism, fabrication of sources, and other such practices. Cases of academic dishonesty will result in a penalty for my course and action on the part of the Judicial Affairs office. Also, papers must be turned in on time, though extensions may occasionally be granted when they are requested at least 48 hours in advance of the due date. Know our syllabus, compare it with your others, and target "problem weeks" well ahead of time.
Read attentively and actively, participate thoughtfully and vigorously, and work hard at writing more and more effectively. If you do these things, you are bound to do well, and our course will be richer for containing so many voices. And, if you have questions at any point during the term, please come by my office at XX Scott Building, where I will hold office hours on Wednesday 11:15-12:30 and Friday 1:45-3:30. You may also make an appointment to see me, leave a note in my mailbox in Scott Building, contact me by email at XXX@psu.edu, or phone me at 86X-XXXX. No phone calls to my home, please--if you don't call me at home about extensions, I won't call you at home to ask how you're enjoying the reading. I am happy to speak with you quite candidly about the course and your performance at almost any other time, so please stop by.
One final note: Penn State encourages qualified people with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities and is committed to providing equal access to all resources without regard to personal characteristics unrelated to ability and performance. I hope to be particularly sensitive to such concerns. If you need special accommodations for this course, please tell me as soon as possible.
Syllabus
January
8--Introduction to the course. In-class writing.
10--Secor, Chs. 1 and 2. Introduction to argumentation.
12--Secor, Chs. 3,4, and 15. Introduction to audience and accommodation.
15--Introduction to the Rhetorical Analysis.
17-- Advertisements: the primal form of persuasion.
19--Shaping an argument about rhetoric. Prospectus due.
22-- NO CLASS. You may pick up your prospectus in my office.
24-- NO CLASS.
26--Course packet: Sample Rhetorical Analyses.
29-- Draft Workshop
31-- Rhetorical Analysis due. Introduction to the Narrative.
February
2-- Shelley, Frankenstein, "Author's Introduction" through "Letter IV" (pp. 5-31). Prospectus due.
5--Shelley, Frankenstein , the remainder of Volume I.
7-- Shelley, Frankenstein, Volume II.
9--Shelley, Frankenstein, Volume Ill.
12-- The mechanics of narration.
14-- Course packet: Sample Narratives.
16--Draft Workshop.
19-- Narrative due. Introduction to the Definition.
21-- Secor, Chs. 5-6.
23-- Darwin, "Struggle for Existence" and "Recapitulation and Conclusion" in The Portable Darwin, pp.147-179 and 194-215. Prospectus due.
26-- *McKibben, "Daybreak," in A Forest of Voices, pp.156-171.
28-- *Jonsen, The Birth of Bioethics, Ch. 6.
March
2-- *Burr, "Homosexuality and Biology," in Atlantic Monthly 271.3 (1993): 47-65.
3-11--SPRING BREAK! GET TAN. GET REST.
12-- Documentation, paragraph structure, and sentence coherence.
14-- "Anatomy of a Massacre" and "Why the Young Kill," Newsweek 133 May 3, 1999): 25-35; and selections from Time (May 3, 1999): 40-50.
16--Course packet: Sample Definitions.
19-- Draft Workshop.
21-- Definition due. Introduction to the Evaluation.
23--Secor, Ch. 12. Prospectus due.
26-- Herrnstein and Murray, The Bell Curve, Chs. 5-7.
28-- Gould, "Critique of The Bell Curve," in The Mismeasure of Man , pp.367- 391.
30-- Luke, "A Critical Analysis of Hunter's Ethics," in A Forest of Voices , pp. 509-531.
April
2-- Style workshop: smoothing out tangled sentences.
4-- Course packet: Sample Evaluations.
6--Draft Workshop.
9-- Evaluation due. Introduction to the Proposal.
11-- Secor, Ch. 13. Prospectus due.
12--Ervin, "A Life in Our Hands," in A Forest of Voices , pp.263-281.
16--Williams, "Save the Whales, Screw the Shrimp," in A Forest of Voices , pp. 497-508.
18--Structuring the Proposal: some considerations.
20--Course packet: Sample Proposals.
23--Draft Workshop.
25--NO CLASS. EXTENDED OFFICE HOURS INSTEAD.
27--Conclusions. Proposal and Final Portfolio due. English 30: Freshman Honors Rhetoric and Composition
Everyday Rhetoric: Where Pop Culture Intersects Vox Populi <>P>Instructor:
Office: X Scott Building
E-mail: XXX@psu.edu
Phone: 86X-XXXX(home)
86X-XXXX(office)
Office Hours: Tuesday 11:30 - 12:30, Thursday 11:30- 12:30, 4:00 - 5:00, and by appointment
Texts:
Lunsford, Ruszkiewicz, and Walters: Everything's an Arguments w/Readings , 2nd edition
Penn Statements
The New York Times
The world around you
Objectives:
The subject of this course is rhetoric: the effective use of language. The goal is to help you develop your skill in rhetoric- a skill essential to success both in the classroom and beyond. All persons possess rhetorical skill, in more or less intuitive ways. But the difference between intuitive rhetoric and conscious artful rhetoric is akin to the difference between walking and ballet. Our goal is to develop a more conscious skill, to teach you how to construct effective written rhetoric.
Acquiring skill in rhetoric means learning to write (and speak) with a coherent sense of purpose and audience, and with a strategic sense of argument and design. It also means learning to read rhetorically, with a critical yet open-minded attention to the methods of argument and purpose employed by other writers. Writers may to teach, explain, explore, persuade, recommend, alter beliefs, create knowledge, protect the innocent, indict the guilty, and reform society. They may also manipulate the public, exploit the weak, and deceive the naive. If we do not learn to look at rhetoric analytically, we risk putting ourselves into powerless situations, becoming the dupe of others.
In this course, we will focus attention on the main aspects of effective discourse (logos, ethos, pathos, structure, style) and on the parts of the writing process (invention, planning, drafting, revising, editing). By the end of the semester, you will be better able to evaluate others' arguments and to develop and articulate your own position more clearly, thoughtfully, persuasively, and eloquently.
The focus of this class will be everyday rhetoric. In addition to written texts, we will be engaging art, film, music, television, hyperspace, and private space. No one is immune to rhetoric. As such, this class will follow you everywhere for the next fifteen weeks. Moreover, I expect you to bring pieces of your world into the classroom. English 30 asks not simply for self-expression, but for participation in the public discourse. What you get out of this class depends largely on what you put into it.
Requirements:
In order to pass this course (with a grade of "C") you must satisfactorily fulfill the following requirements:
- Write five papers. Each paper must be submitted in a folder, along with rough draft(s), signed peer review comments from draft workshops, and all other materials that represent the stages of the paper's development (including photocopies and printouts from any research sources used), along with a revised argument proposal. Papers must be handed in on time: Late papers will be docked one letter grade per day, unless you get my approval for an extension before the due date.
- Complete the Library Research assignment.
- Come to class prepared; complete all homework assignments (reading and writing).
- Maintain regular attendance and active participation in all classroom exercises and discussions.
Attendance:
As noted above, regular attendance is required. Your grade may be lowered for poor attendance, down to and including "F." This is University policy. Specifically, you are permitted two unexcused absences. After that, your grade can be reduced, depending on the amount of absence and as I consider appropriate. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to get the assignments and complete the work. English 30 depends on your presence and participation every day.
Grades:
To pass this course, you must satisfactorily meet all requirements. Grades on individual assignments reflect the quality of the work. I will provide you with a copy of the department's grading standards. Please note: English 30 is a cooperative experience, not a competitive one. Helping your classmates succeed will only help your grade. Your final grade will be computed as follows:
Paper #1 (Slogan Analysis)--10%
Paper #2 (Definition)--15%
Paper #3 (Rhetorical Analysis)--15%
Paper #4 (Evaluation)--20%
Paper #5 (Proposal)--20%
Library Research Assignment--5%
Participation, homework, and peer review--15%
Office conferences:
Think of my office as an extension of the classroom and use my office hours to discuss any aspect of your reading or writing: problems, questions, papers you're working on, ideas you wish to develop, strategies you'd like to try, and so on. Plan on having at least two conferences with me this semester to discuss your work and your progress in the course.
E-mail:
I expect you to have an e-mail account and to check your e-mail daily. I often send additional assignments, corrections, clarifications, cancellations, announcements, and the occasional pep talk over e-mail. In addition, you will use e-mail to submit your argument proposals and some homework assignments. Argument proposals may be pasted into the e-mail message or sent as file attachments. Feel free to e-mail me any questions, problems, or concerns you may have-and you can (generally) expect a prompt reply.
Plagiarism:
I will be providing you with the departmental statement on what plagiarism is and why it is bad. If you still have questions about what plagiarism is after reading this document, see me. Plagiarism demonstrates contempt for ethical standards, your instructor, and your peers. If you are caught plagiarizing, you risk failing the course. You may also be referred to the Office of Judicial Affairs, who may recommend academic probation, suspension, or expulsion for academic dishonesty.
Format:
Keep in mind that formats are rhetorical decisions, but that normally your papers should be typed or word-processed, using blue or black ink, double-spaced, with approximately one and one-quarter inch margins. Please use a standard 12-point font and make sure the print is dark enough to be legible. No separate title page should be used. Place your name, the date, "English 15," and my name in the upper right hand corner of the first page. Place your title above the text on page one and double space beneath it. The title should not be underlined. Page one need not be numbered, but page numbers should be placed (along with your last name) in the upper right hand corner of all subsequent pages. Fasten the pages with a paper clip or staple. I expect all papers to be spell-checked and the spell-check to be verified with a good old-fashioned dictionary.
Reminder:
At the end of the semester, you will submit a portfolio of your work including all the major papers as well as any additional revisions that you and I have agreed you will undertake.
Another Reminder:
The Pennsylvania State University encourages qualified persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course or have questions, please tell me as soon as possible.
Finally:
Enjoy yourself (it's later than you think).
Syllabus: English 30 (Spring 20XX) (subject to change at the whim of the instructor)
EA = Everything's an Argument
PS = Penn Statements
Tu 1/9--Step right up: Introduction to the course and course procedures.
Tu 1/16--The writing process. FA.- chapter 2, 451-453. Sea of possibilities.
Th 1/18--Context. EA: chapter 3. PS: TBA.
Tu 1/23--Peer review. (Analysis proposals due by Sunday 6 PM.)
Th 1/25-- Paper #1 due: Slogan Analysis. Introduce stasis theory. Assign paper #2: Defining an Issue.
Tu 1/30--Structure. EA: chapter 8, 465-469.
Th2/1--Definitions. EA: chapter 9, 456-463.
Tu 2/6--Explain library assignment. Extrinsic proof: Using and documenting sources. EA chapters 18, 21, and 22. (Argument proposals due by Sunday 6 PM.)
Th 2/8--Definition wrap-up. PS: TBA
Tu 2/13--Peer review.
Th2/15-- Paper #2 due: Defining an Issue. Assign Paper #3: Rhetorical Analysis. The appeals. Dylanology.
Tu 2/20--Pathos. EA: chapter 4, 666-669. Write short response to Martin Luther King, Jr.
Th 2/22--Ethos. EA.- chapters 5 and 6, 649-660.
Tu 2/27--Logos. EA.- chapter 7, 661-665. (Analysis proposals due by Sunday 6 PM.)
Th 3/1--RA wrap-up. PS: TBA.
Spring break
Tu 3/13--Peer review.
Th 3/15-- Paper #3 due: Rhetorical Analysis. Assign Paper #4: Evaluation Beavis and Butt-Head Revisited.
Tu 3/20--Evaluation. EA: chapter 10,385-386. Criteria.
Th 3/22--Film: Smoke Signals (time and place TBA).
Tu 3/27--Deconstructing Alexie. FA: 379-383. Please visit Sherman Alexie's homepage: www.fallsapart.com, further readings TBA. (Argument proposals due by Sunday 6 PM.)
Th 3/29--Evaluation wrap-up. PS. TBA
Tu 4/3--Peer review.
Th 4/5-- Paper #4 due: Evaluation. Assign Paper #5: The Proposal. Voices of the Revolution: (Groucho) Marx and (John) Lennon.
Tu 4/10--Proposals. EA.- chapter 12, 519-527.
Th 4/12--Humor. EA: chapter 12. Further readings TBA.
Tu 4/17--Textual and visual metaphor. EA: chapters 13 and 14. Further readings TBA.
Th 4/19--Proposal wrap-up. PS. TBA.
Tu 4/24--Peer review.
Th 4/26-- Portfolio and revisions due. Conclusion and evaluation of course. Tearful good-byes.
