Rhetoric 1302 Ð 015
Fall 2003
University of Texas at Dallas
School of Arts & Humanities
JO 4.306
Office: JO 4.118
Office Hours: Mondays and Fridays 2:00 Ð 2:50
and by appointment
Phone: 972-883-2018
*Email:swindler227@aol.com
UTD Rhetoric Website: http://lingua.utdallas.edu/rhetoric
Contains links to course syllabus,
reference and research resources, LRO, and LinguaMoo
Learning Record Online (LRO): http://lro.cwrl.utexas.edu
Course
Description
This course
focuses on critical thinking by using an integrated approach to writing that
teaches various rhetorical strategies for reading and constructing arguments,
both written and visual. You will learn to read texts critically according to
key components in argumentative discourse (i.e., claims, grounds, explicit and
implicit assumptions, fallacies, etc.) and to recognize the different purposes
of argument (i.e., to inquire, to convince, to persuade, to negotiate). You
will write and revise three to four papers based on issues and controversies
raised in the various texts read during the semester. The assignments will give
you extensive practice in reading critically and writing according to the
rhetorical conventions of an argumentative essay.
Student work will
be collected in an electronic portfolio called the ÒLearning Record OnlineÓ
(LRO) throughout the semester. Use of online technology will enhance the level
of feedback you receive, as well as give you experience in the kinds of
collaborative work that many organizations use routinely. Online interaction
and argumentative writing will comprise a large part of the evaluation in the
course. Other assignments will include interviews, observations, and notes, all
of which will be entered into your LRO. The LRO portfolio is your most
important argument in the course as it shows the sum evidence of your learning,
including your own observations and analysis of your learning. You will belong
to a Òwork groupÓ for various collaborative activities (i.e., discussion of
readings, peer critiques), and you will participate in mid-term and
semester-end moderation readings of your LRO portfolio for feedback from your
peers. Because learning to read critically and write responsively entails
mastery of a process, your work will undergo extensive revisions in response to
peer readings and collaboration as well as conferencing with your instructor.
The Aims of
Argument: A Rhetoric and Reader by Timothy Crusius and Carolyn Channell, fourth edition (not the
ÒbriefÓ edition), 2002.
Penguin Brief
Handbook by Lester
Faigley, brief edition, 2002.
Also bring a
floppy disk (PC-formatted if you use a PC, Mac-formatted if you use a Mac). The
Rhetoric classroom uses Macintosh computers that can read either format. Most
documents will be produced in Microsoft Word. Whether you use MS Word outside
of the classroom or not, it is best to save your files as rich text format (RTF) to insure compatibility between the
word processing program you use and the one in your classroom.
Because
participation is vital to successful completion of Rhetoric 1302, you should
attend every class. If you must be absent, check with your classmates or with
me for any work you missed that can be made up. Much of the work is done
collaboratively in class. Alternative assignments are generally not given, nor
can the instructor Òre-teachÓ missed classes for individual students. If you
miss more than three classes, your grade will be negatively affected and/or you
may be encouraged to drop the class. Two tardies will count as one absence. Chronic tardiness is
unacceptable, as are coming to class unprepared, doing work that is not for
this course during class, sleeping in class, or using the computers or other
personal electronic devices for personal messaging, research, or entertainment.
Please turn off cellular/mobile phones, pagers, and other personal
electronic devices during class.
Please note my
regular office hours above. You also can arrange to see me at other times that
are mutually convenient. Office hours belong to you just as much as our class
time. DonÕt hesitate to take advantage of my availability and the help I am
ready to offer. If you need to contact me outside of classtime or office hours,
it is best to communicate with me by email ( swindler227@aol.com ) rather than
the office phone.
This class offers
you an approach to learning that may be different from your past experiences.
Because the course is concerned with your development as a critical reader and
writer, the grading strategy will track and monitor that development. Your work
will be collected in an electronic portfolio called the Learning Record Online
(LRO). Your assignments will not receive individual grades, but will receive
individual attention from me and your classmates. Your mid-term and final
grades will be based on your portfolio of written observations and your work
samples, including collaborative work and your three major essays, as well as
completion of each component of your LRO. In the final step to completing your
LRO, you will argue for your grade by summarizing your learning and estimating the grade that the
evidence of your learning supports. In other words, you will directly apply
what you learn in this course, argumentative writing, by arguing for your own
grade. However, each component of the LRO is vital to a quality body of work:
your attendance, participation, promptness, level of writing. effective
arguments, creativity, collaboration, sound rhetorical skills, competent use of
technologyÑall of these things and more contribute to an outstanding portfolio.
Your goal is to
demonstrate your development toward mastery of five course strands (rhetoric,
research, technology, collaboration, and critical thinking) and development
across five dimensions of learning (confidence and independence, skills and
strategies, knowledge and understanding, use of prior and emerging experience,
and reflectiveness). These goals will be discussed throughout the course. Keep
in mind that although we do give + and Ð grades at UTD, the general criteria
for grading your Learning Record is still based on the A-F scale.
The following grade criteria describe very general indicators that
both you and your instructor may take into consideration when assessing your
work and progress in the course. Your estimation of your mid-term and final
grades should be more detailed and specific and may include a Ô+Õ or ÔÐÔ if
your work tilts above or below the central grade for which you argue. But the
final interpretation and assessment of your grade remains the responsibility of
your teacher.
A: Represents outstanding participation in all course
activities (including attendance and promptness); all assigned work completed on
time, with very high quality in all work
produced for the course. Evidence of significant and sustained development
across the five dimensions of learning and five course strands.
B: Represents excellent participation in all course
activities (including attendance and promptness); all assigned work completed on
time, with consistently high quality in course work. Evidence of marked and above
average development across the five dimensions of learning and five
course strands.
C: Represents good (but average) participation in all
course activities; all assigned work completed, with generally good quality
overall in course work. Evidence of some development across the five
dimensions of learning and five course strands.
D: Represents uneven participation in course activities; some gaps
in assigned work completed, with inconsistent quality in course work. Evidence
of development across the five dimensions of learning and five course strands
is partial or unclear.
F: Represents minimal participation in course activities; serious
gaps in assigned work completed, or very low quality in course work. Evidence
of development is not available.
UTD Grading scale (http://www.utdallas.edu/student/catalog/undergrad02/progress.html#Grading%20Scale)
Plagiarism
Policy
Plagiarism is the
representation of another personÕs work as your own, whether you mean to or
not. For example, copying or paraphrasing passages from another writerÕs work
without acknowledging that youÕve done so is plagiarism. Allowing another
writer to write any part of your essay is plagiarism. Copying or purchasing a
paper from any source is plagiarism.
Plagiarism is a
serious offense. The possible consequences range from failing the assignment to
failing the course, or worse. Each incident of plagiarism at UTD must be
reported to the administration. If you are not sure how to properly cite a
quoted or paraphrased source, or if you need help with the format of a
citation, check with the New Century Handbook and/or with your teacher. Although
you can (and, in fact, should) seek help and advice from friends, classmates,
tutors, and others, be sure that your written work is your own.
See the
Undergraduate Catalog for information about the consequences of Scholastic
Dishonesty, or view the policy here (which is also a link on the Rhetoric
Program website):
http://www.utdallas.edu/student/slife/dishonesty.html.
Major
Assignments
First Essay: An essay to convince or persuade on the topic of race and class. Using the
assigned readings in Aims and your own research, make an argument using multiple reasons
supported by evidence to convince your audience to accept your argument or to
persuade your audience to perform a specific action based on the principles of
your argument.
First draft due:
September 22
Final draft
due: September 29
Second Essay: An integrated textual and visual essay that examines and analyzes the
argument of a visual image in terms of its rhetorical elements: composition,
presentation, intended audience, and effect. This essay may be created and archived in Lingua MOO or
the WWW, or it may be a traditional Word document that simply displays the
image(s) in the body of your essay. Your image may come from the visuals in Aims, other publications, Internet, or other
media.
First draft
due: October 15
Final draft
due: October 17
Third Essay: An essay to resolve a conflict by addressing the needs of opposing
sides. Using readings from Chapter 12 ÒFeminism: Evaluating the Effects of
Gender RolesÓ in Aims
and your own research, make an argument that mediates and offers a possibility for consensus
that can move the opposing views to new ground.
Brief for
essay due: November 7
First draft
due: November 12
Second draft
due: November 19
Final draft
due: November 26
Learning Record
Online: This is an online
resource for managing and documenting the work and learning you do in this
class. Various assignments will be due throughout the semester, and all
observations, drafts, and essays must be included in the LRO on the date due.
Parts A.1 and
A.2 are due: September 3
Parts B.1 and
C.1 are due: October 13
Parts B.2 and
C.2 are due: December 1
Remember: all
drafts and final drafts must be recorded online in your LRO and turned in to me
in hard copy (using MLA format and citation and including a Works Cited page)
on the dates they are due.
Syllabus
Itinerary (subject to change)
[Assignments are
due by the next class period unless noted otherwise]
Fri 8/22: In-class: Intro to course and Rhetoric program
website
Assignments: Read Aims Chs 1-2; Send email to me by Monday, 8/25
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Mon 8/25: In-class: Intro to LRO and keeping a notebook;
Discussion of Aims Chs
1-2
Assignments: Record an observation in your LRO; Read Ch 3
in Aims; Familiarize yourself with the Penguin Handbook; Complete
LRO parts A.1 and A.2 by 9/3
Wed 8/27 In-class: Discussion of Ch 3 on Toulmin method and
Penguin Handbook and
its resources
Assignments: Do Toulmin analysis of Amber YoungÕs ÒCapital
PunishmentÓ (p 63);
Fri 8/29: In-class: Groups workshop on Toulmin diagrams of
YoungÕs essay
Assignments: Record an observation on this exercise
in your LRO; Read Aims
Ch 6 and Introduction to Ch 16, ÒRace and Class: Examining Social InequalityÓ,
Bruce RobertÕs photograph, and Ryszard KapuscinskiÕs ÒSecond Thoughts about
AmericaÕs Racial ParadiseÓ (Aims 840-849).
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Mon 9/1: LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
Wed 9/3: In-class: DUE: LRO parts A.1 and A.2; Discussion of Aims Ch 6, RobertÕs photograph, and
Kapuscinski essay.
Assignments: Record an observation in your LRO; Read
Michael LindÕs ÒThe Beige and the BlackÓ and Abigail and Stephan ThernstromÕs
ÒBlack Progress: How Far WeÕve Come-And How Far We Have to GoÓ (Aims 850-62)
Fri 9/5: In-class: Groups workshop on Questions for
Discussion following Lind and Thernstrom essays.
Assignments: Record an observation in your LRO; Read
Ramey photograph, Darling-HammondÕs ÒUnequal Opportunity: Race and Education,Ó
and Shelby SteeleÕs ÒThe Recoloring of Campus LifeÓ (Aims 863-883)
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Mon 9/8: In-class: Discussion of Ramey photograph,
Darling-Hammond, and Steele essays.
Assignments: Record an observation in your LRO; Read Aims
Ch 7 on Arguing to
Convince
Wed 9/10: In-class: Discussion of Aims Ch 7: whole group revision strategies
Assignments: Read Aims Ch 8 on Arguing to Persuade,
especially a close reading of Martin Luther KingÕs ÒLetter from Birmingham
JailÓ
Fri 9/12: Library Tour
Assignments: Record an observation in your LRO; Read Penguin
Handbook on MLA format
and how to cite and create a works cited page; read student samples of LRO
Parts B.1 (Analysis) and C.1 (Evaluation) in LRO;
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Mon 9/15: In-class: Discussion of Aims Ch 8 and KingÕs ÒLetterÓ
Assignments: Read Aims Ch 5 on Writing Research-based
Arguments; Decide on your essay topic and create a working rhetorical
prospectus in your Notebook (see Aims p 21) and paste into your LRO as work sample by 9/15
Wed 9/17:
In-class: Wrap-up discussion of Ch 8 and 16;
Discussion of specific forms of appeal, constructing your audience, and
creating briefs
Assignments: Record an observation in your LRO;
Create a brief for your essay to convince/persuade (see Aims p 220-242) and bring to class on 9/19
Fri 9/19: In-class: Paired discussions of briefs; Class
discussion of LRO parts B.1 and C.1; Grammar, format, and mechanics discussion
(bring Penguin Handbook)
Assignment: Work on draft of essay #1, due 9/22
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Mon 9/22: In-class: First draft of essay #1 due today.
Peer reviews.
Assignments: Record an observation in your LRO
Wed 9/24: In-class: Teacher conference and in-class writing.
Assignments: Continue work on essay # 1
Fri 9/26: In-class: Teacher conference and writing on essay
#1 revisions
Assignments: Read pp 69-86 of Ch 4 in Aims ÒReading and Writing about Visual
ArgumentsÓ
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Mon 9/29: Final draft of Essay #1 due; In-class: Discussion of Aims Ch 4 pp 69-86
Assignments: Complete reading Ch 4 in Aims, pp 86-105; Do Following Through #2 in Aims, p 79 and enter your notes as a work
sample in LRO, plus be prepared to discuss your cartoon with the class; Record
an observation in your LRO
Wed 10/1: In-class: Discuss your editorial cartoon and
explain its argumentative tactics
Assignments: Research on image to use for Visual
Rhetoric Essay #2; Look over photos in Aims, Casebook on 9/11 (pp 347-353) and be
prepared to discuss photos as persuasion using emotional appeal (review Aims pp 252, 276-278)
Fri 10/3: In-class: Discuss photos in 9/11 Casebook; discuss
copyright policies on the use of images
Assignments: Record an observation in your LRO;
decide on image for your essay #2 and bring it to class on Mon, 10/6 [If you
are linking to the image elsewhere on the Internet, BE SURE TO NOTE EXACT
SOURCE OF IMAGE and OBTAIN PERMISSION TO LINK TO IT IF IT IS NOT ON A PUBLIC
SITE].
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Mon 10/6: In-class: Introduction to Lingua MOO (integrated
and interactive visual and textual argument)
Assignments: Set your preferences and describe your
character at Lingua MOO (link to your own photo if you want)
Wed 10/8: In-class: MOO workshop on creating rooms and
objects to support visual rhetoric analysis
Assignments: Describe your room(s) at Lingua MOO and
experiment with using your room(s) and objects to analyze your chosen image;
Record an Observation in your LRO
Fri 10/10 In-class: Using Lingua MOO for research and
collaboration (create note objects; link to images; set up recorders in your
rooms, etc.); Creating LRO work sample for MOO visual argument rooms
Assignments: Complete parts B.1 and C.1 of LRO due
Mon, 10/13
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Mon 10/13: In-class: Parts B.1 and C.1 of LRO due today.
Moderation readings.
Assignments: Record an Observation about moderation
readings in your LRO;
Wed 10/15: In-class: First draft of Visual argument MOO
rooms due; Class tour of
MOO rooms and peer critiques of rooms
Assignments: Work on revisions of MOO rooms based on
feedback recorded during class tour
Fri 10/17: In-class: Final draft of Visual argument MOO
rooms due (make sure LRO link to MOO rooms is complete and accurate, and create
additional LRO work sample that links to MOO logs of peer critiques);
Assignments: Read Ch 9 ÒResolving Conflict: Arguing
to Negotiate and MediateÓ
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Mon 10/20: In-class: Discussion of Ch 9 (293-320)
Assignments: Record an Observation in your LRO;
Complete Follow Through #1 at top of p 319 in Aims by writing a short 1-page response and
enter it as a Work Sample in your LRO by 10/22
Wed 10/22: In-class: Discussion of Ch 9 (320-339)
Assignments: Read Aims Ch 12 ÒFeminism: Evaluating the Effects
of Gender RolesÓ(pp 623-654)
Fri 10/24: In-class: Discussion of Chapter 12 (pp 623-654)
Assignments: Groups meet at Lingua MOO to record
discussion as you each recall your own experiences with sexism; create Work Sample
that links to the MOO log by Wednesday, 10/29; Read Aims Ch 12 (655-688) and reserve article about
gender roles.
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Mon 10/27: In-class: Discuss Aims Ch 12 pp 655-688 and reserve article.
Assignments: Read Aims Chapter 12 pp 689-699 and 2 articles on
reserve about the objectification of women.
Wed 10/29: In-class: Group MOO discussion due in LRO; Discussion of Aims Ch 12 pp 689-699 and the 2 articles.
Assignments: Record an Observation in your LRO. Bring
an image of a woman in an advertising campaign or in popular culture. Be prepared to discuss your image.
Choose a topic from Chapter 12 and/or reserve readings.
Fri 10/31: In-class: Discussion of images. Brainstorming session on topic ideas.
Assignments: Read Chapter 12 pp 700-705 and article
on reserve about womenÕs rights.
Create a working rhetorical prospectus for your mediatory essay #3 in
your Notebook
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Mon 11/3: In-class: Discussion of Aims Ch 12 pp 700-705 and reserve article.
Assignments: Record an Observation in your LRO; Write
a brief for your essay #3 and enter it as a Work Sample in your LRO by Friday,
11/7
Wed 11/5: In-class: 9/11 Roleplay in Lingua MOO
Assignments: Create LRO Work Sample that links to the
MOO roleplay log in which you participated; finish Brief for essay #3 due in
LRO on 11/7
Fri 11/7: In-class: Brief for Essay #3 due in LRO; Review Ch 9 on Arguing to Mediate or Negotiate;
Review Ch 5 on researching arguments and evaluating sources
Assignments: Work on first draft of essay #3 due
Wed 11/12 in LRO (visual
component is allowed, but not required)
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Mon 11/10: In-class: Writing in class on first draft of essay
#3
Assignments: Continue working on first draft; bring
hard copy of first draft to class on Wed 11/12
Wed 11/12: In-class: First draft of essay #3 due in LRO; Peer reviews of first draft of essay #3
Assignments: Continue working on essay #3 using peer
feedback
Fri 11/14: In-class writing of revisions of first draft of
essay #3
Assignments: Continue working on essay #3
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Mon 11/17: In-class: Discussion of revision techniques and
elevating style (bring Penguin Handbook); In-class writing on essay #3
Assignments: Continue work on essay #3
Wed 11/19: In-class: Second draft of essay #3 due in LRO; in class writing.
Assignments: prepare for conference with instructor
Fri 11/21: In-class: Conference with instructor
Assignments: Work on revisions of 2nd draft of essay
#3
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Mon 11/24: In-class: Conference with instructor
Assignments: Complete final draft of essay #3 in LRO
for 11/26
Wed 11/26: In-class: Final draft of essay #3 due in LRO; student evaluations of course
Assignments: Complete LRO parts B.2 and C.2 due
Monday 12/1
Fri 11/28: Thanksgiving Holiday
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Mon 12/1: LRO parts B.2 and C.2 due today.
Moderation readings.
(possible
continuation of moderation readings in lieu of final exam; date tba)