Rhetoric 1302 – section 025 and section 028
Fall 2003
University of Texas at Dallas
School of Arts & Humanities
DAYS/TIME [TR/12:30 – 1:45 p.m.]
[TR/ 2-3:15]
LOCATION
[JO 4.122]
Office: JO 4.118
Office Hours: Tues./Thurs. 3:20 – 4:20 p.m., and by select appointment
Phone: 972-883-2018
Email:
cj_pearson@sbcglobal.net
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 “Learning Record
Online” (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 “work group” 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
“brief” edition), 2002.
Brief
Penguin Handbook by Lester Faigley,
brief edition, 2002.
Also
bring CD-write able disks if you want to save your work to disk during class.
Since you cannot save multiple times on a CD-R disk, bring several if you have
many files. Also, for those that still will be using floppy disks, floppy disk
drives will be provided on an as needed basis and will attach to the USB-port
on the I-Mac. The Rhetoric classroom uses I-Mac computers that can read disks
with either PC or Mac formatting. 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 “re-teach” 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. Don’t hesitate to take advantage of my availability and the
help I am ready to offer. If you need to contact me outside of class time or
office hours, it is best to communicate with me by email: (cj_pearson@sbcglobal.net) 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 technology—all 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 – 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 midterm and final grades should
be more detailed and specific and may include a + or – 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. Note:
Excessive absences will not be tolerated.
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.
Plagiarism
is the representation of another person’s work as your own, whether you mean to
or not. For example, copying or paraphrasing passages from another writer’s
work without acknowledging that you’ve 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 Brief Penguin Handbook, the Aims
book, 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.
First
Essay: An essay to convince or
persuade on the topic of race or 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 23
Final
draft due: September 30
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 will be created and archived in Lingua MOO. Your image may
come from the visuals in Aims,
other publications, Internet, or other media.
First
draft due: October 16
Final
draft due: October 23
Third
Essay: An essay to resolve a
conflict by addressing the needs of opposing sides. Using readings from Chapter
10 “Casebook on 9/11” 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 4
First
draft due: November 11
Second
draft due: November 18
Final
draft due: November 25
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. You will be expected to
enter at least three observations a week, of which two we will start in class as the in-class
writing assignment.
Parts
A.1 and A.2 are due: September 4
Parts
B.1 and C.1 are due: October 14
Parts
B.2 and C.2 are due: November 25
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]
Thu 8/21: In-class: In-class writing and selected read back; Intro to
course and Rhetoric program website; informal discussion of rhetoric
techniques; intro to computers; write down e-mail addresses
Assignments: Read Aims Chs 1-2
Tue 8/26: In-class: In-class writing and selected read back; Intro to
LRO; Discussion of Aims Chs 1-2;
writing exercise
Assignments: Remember to meet in library lobby next class period; Record an observation in your LRO; Read Ch 3 in Aims; familiarize yourself with Brief Penguin Handbook; Complete LRO parts A.1 and A.2 by 9/4
Thu 8/28: In-class: Library Tour
Assignments: Review Ch. 3 on Toulmin Method; Brainstorm ideas on
race and class issues for first paper; Start entering in writing prompts done
in class as observations and write more observations; Practice browsing
electronic journals and assessing validity of Internet sites for research
Tue 9/2: In-class: In-class writing and selected read back; Discussion
of Ch 3 on Toulmin method and Brief Penguin Handbook and its resources; Small Groups Toulmin analysis of
Amber Young’s “Capital Punishment” (p 63)
Assignments: Record an observation on this exercise in your LRO;
Read Aims Ch 6 and Introduction
to Ch 16, “Race and Class: Examining Social Inequality”, Bruce Robert’s
photograph, and Ryszard Kapuscinski’s “Second Thoughts about America’s Racial
Paradise” (Aims 840-849)
Thu 9/4: In-class: DUE: LRO parts A.1 and A.2; In-class writing and selected read back; Discussion
of Aims Ch 6, Robert’s
photograph, and Kapuscinski essay; open up discussion about other current
racial issues
Assignments: Record an observation in your LRO; Read Michael
Lind’s “The Beige and the Black” and Abigail and Stephan Thernstrom’s “Black
Progress: How Far We’ve Come-And How Far We Have to Go” (Aims 850-62)
Tue 9/9: In-class: In-class writing and selected read back; General
class and Small Groups discussions of Questions for Discussion following Lind
and Thernstrom essays; open up discussion about other issues related to race
Assignments: Record an observation in your LRO; Read Ramey
photograph, Darling-Hammond’s “Unequal Opportunity: Race and Education,” and Shelby
Steele’s “The Recoloring of Campus Life” (Aims 863-883); bring in a photo or drawing with a racial
connotation
Thu 9/11: In-class: In-class writing and selected read back; Discussion
of Ramey photograph, Darling-Hammond, and Steele essays; discussion of
students’ photographs
Assignments: Record an observation in your LRO; Read Aims Ch 7 on Arguing to Convince; read Patricia Williams’s
essay, “The Distribution of Distress,” (in Aims 884-892)
Tue 9/16: In-class: In-class writing and selected read back; Discussion
of Aims Ch 7; Discussion of
Williams’s essay; Discussion of specific forms of appeal, constructing your
audience, and creating briefs; in-class brainstorming session and writing
exercise
Assignments: Read Aims Ch 8 on Arguing to Persuade, especially a
close reading of Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”; Record an
observation in your LRO; Decide on your essay topic and create a working
rhetorical prospectus in your Work Sample section (see Aims p 21) and paste into your LRO as work sample by
9/18; Create a brief for your essay to convince/persuade (see Aims p 220-242); enter it as a Work Sample, and bring it
to class on 9/18
Thu 9/18: In-class:
In-class writing and selected read back; Discussion of Ch 8 and King’s
“Letter”; paired discussions of briefs and teacher feedback; class discussion
of grammar, format, and mechanics (bring Brief Penguin Handbook)
Assignments: Record Observations in your LRO; Read Aims Ch 5 on
Writing Research-based Arguments; Read Brief Penguin Handbook on MLA format and how to cite and create a works
cited page; Write first draft of essay #1 and enter in LRO, and bring hard copy
to class on 9/23
Tue 9/23: In-class: First draft of essay #1 due today in LRO. Peer
reviews; in-class writing and
selected read back
Assignments: Record Observations in your LRO; Continue work on
essay # 1
Thu 9/25: In-class: In-class writing and selected read back; Individual
conferences and writing on essay #1 revisions
Assignments: Read Ch 4 in Aims “Reading and Writing about Visual Arguments”;
Complete final draft of essay #1 due 9/30
Tue 9/30: In-class: Final
draft of Essay #1 due; Discussion of
Aims Ch 4; in-class writing
exercise and selected read back
Assignments: 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 Observations in
your LRO.
Thu 10/2: In-class: In-class writing and selected read back; Discuss
your editorial cartoon and explain its argumentative tactics; Class discussion
of photos in Aims Ch 10, 9/11
Casebook; brainstorming session for ideas; discuss copyright policies on the
use of images
Assignments: Do research on image to use for Visual Rhetoric
Essay #2; Decide on image for your essay #2 and bring it to class on Thu, 10/9;
Record Observations in your LRO
Tue 10/7: In-class: In-class writing and selected read back;
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); e-mail me if you do not yet
have a Lingua MOO password; read student samples of LRO Parts B.1 (Analysis)
and C.1 (Evaluation) in LRO to learn how to evaluate yourself for midterm;
Parts B.1 and C.1 of LRO due on Thu, 3/6
Thu 10/9: In-class: In-class writing and selected read back; MOO
workshop on creating rooms and objects to support visual rhetoric analysis;
Class discussion of LRO parts B.1 and C.1 and creating LRO work sample for MOO
visual argument rooms; discussion of students’ visual rhetoric paper ideas
Assignments: Describe your room(s) at Lingua MOO and experiment
with using your room(s) and objects to analyze your chosen image; Record
Observations in your LRO; Complete parts B.1 and C.1 of LRO due Tue, 10/14
Tue 10/14: In-class: Parts B.1 and C.1 of LRO due today. Moderation
readings; in-class writing and
selected read back
Assignments: Record an Observation about moderation readings in
your LRO; Complete first draft of Visual Argument MOO Essay #2 by 10/16 (if so
desired, create recorders for each room, drop them in the room, and turn them
on).
Thu 10/16: In-class: First draft of Visual argument MOO rooms due; Class tour of MOO rooms and peer critiques of rooms
and also peer critiques of visual rhetoric essays; in-class writing and
selected read back
Assignments: Read Aims Ch 9 “Resolving Conflict: Arguing to Negotiate and Mediate”; Record
Observations in your LRO
Tue 10/21: In-class: In-class writing and selected read back; Discussion
of Aims Ch 9
Assignments: 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 10/23; Read Part 1 of Aims Ch 10 (pp 345-361, Getting Oriented and Recalling
the Attack)
Thu 10/23: In-class: Final draft of Visual argument MOO rooms due
(make sure LRO link to MOO rooms is complete and accurate); Discussion of Part I of Aims Ch 10; In-class discussion about 9/11; in-class
writing exercise
Assignments: Finish short paper about your reactions to 9/11 and
post as work sample in LRO by Tuesday, 10/28; Read Part II of Aims Ch 10 (361-422); Record Observations in your LRO
Tue 10/28: In-class: In-class writing and selected read back; Discuss Aims Part II of Ch 10 pp 361-422
Assignments: Record Observations in your LRO; Read first half of
Part III of Aims Ch 10 (pp
423-448)
Thu 10/30: In-class: In-class writing and selected read back; Discussion
of Aims Ch 10 pp 423-448;
brainstorming ideas for papers and briefs
Assignments: Read last half of Aims Part III of Ch 10 (448-465); Choose topic from 9/11
Casebook (or your own personal idea) and create a working rhetorical prospectus
for your mediatory essay #3 in your Work Sample section; then create a Brief as
Work Sample due Tue, 11/4
Tue 11/4: In-class: Brief for Essay #3 due in LRO; Group discussions of briefs and possible
re-conceiving of essay; brainstorming session; Discussion of Aims Ch 10 (448-465), in-class writing and selected read
back
Assignments: Record Observations in your LRO; review Lingua MOO Roleplay categories; may begin working on first draft of essay #3
Thu 11/6: In-class: Roleplay in Lingua MOO; if time then further
discussions about mediatory essay and ideas for first draft of essay #3
Assignments: Review Ch 9 on Arguing to Mediate or Negotiate;
Review Ch 5 on researching arguments and evaluating sources; Work on first
draft of essay #3 due Tue, 11/11 in LRO; bring hard copy to class for peer review
Tue 11/11: In-class: First draft of essay #3 due in LRO; peer reviews of first drafts; In-class writing and
selected read back
Assignments: Continue working on essay # 3; record Observations
in your LRO
Thu 11/13: In-class: Writing in-class on second draft of essay #3;
individual student conferences; in-class writing exercise and selected read
back
Assignments: Continue working on second draft; bring hard copy
of second draft to class on Tue 11/18 for peer review
Tue 11/18: In-class:
Second draft of essay #3 due in LRO;
In-class writing and peer reviews; In-class writing exercise and selected read
back
Assignments: In-class writing exercise and selected read back;
Continue working on essay #3; record Observations in your LRO; Final draft
of essay #3 due Tue 11/25; review LRO B.2 and C.2 section, due Tue 11/25 (final
evaluation of your class performance)
Thu 11/20: In-class: Conference with instructor; student evaluations of
course; In-class writing exercise and selected read back; In-class writing on
essay #3 or any incomplete LRO assignments
Assignments: Complete final draft of essay #3 in LRO by Tue
11/25 and Complete LRO parts B.2
and C.2 all due Tue 11/25
Tue 11/25: In-class: Final draft of essay #3 due in LRO; LRO parts
B.2 and C.2 due today. Moderation readings; in-class writing exercise and selected read back; in-class writing on
any unfinished assignments in LRO
Thu
11/27: Thanksgiving Holiday