ENGLISH 110: INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING

Section 7--Fall, 2015

Times: MWF 9:00 - 9:50 a.m.
W 8:00-8:50 a..m.
Instructor: Dr. Simon Lewis
E-mail: lewiss@cofc.edu
English Department Office: 26 Glebe Street
Office-hours: TR, 8:15-10:00 a.m., and by appointment

Classroom:

MYBK 210
MYBK 210
Office: Room 318, 96 Wentworth Street
Telephone: 953-1920
Telephone: 953-5664

Course goals: to improve the students expository and argumentative writing by:
enhancing grammatical, compositional, and editing skills;
encouraging critical thinking;
improving research and analytical skills;
developing an uncomfortable eye to the world around us, to the writing of others,
and to the students own writing.
Course objectives: specifically, by the end of this course students should
* Write and read for college-level inquiry, learning, thinking, and communicating in response to
a variety of texts
* Read actively to understand and analyze the content and rhetoric of texts
* Focus on a purpose when creating a text
* Shape a written work according to the requirements of genre, occasion, and audience
* Understand a writing assignment as a series of tasks, which may include finding, evaluating,
analyzing, and synthesizing appropriate primary and secondary sources
* Integrate their ideas with the ideas of others effectively
* Document their work appropriately
* Recognize that creating and completing a successful text is a process requiring multiple drafts
* Develop strategies for invention, and drafting, revising, editing, and proof-reading essays
* Understand conventions of organization and structure
* Follow the conventions of standard American English

General Education Student Learning Outcomes, Writing:

Students articulate clear analytical theses
Students effectively situate their ideas in relation to sources
Students select and correctly document relevant and credible sources
These outcomes will be assessed using the analytical research essay (essay 7).
Course description: in order to meet the goals and objectives stated above we will be working
our way through a textbook specifically designed to develop your abilities to produce carefully
and appropriately crafted argumentative essays for a range of academic disciplines, and reading
and responding to a selection of short stories. Because informed writing is always better than
uninformed writing, time will be devoted to explanation and discussion of general content as well
as to explanation and discussion of writing techniques. Wherever possible I will seek to
demonstrate the relationship between writing and the known world, specifically showing how
writing shapes the world around us, and our sense of ourselves as social individuals in that
world. Your task in all this is to read actively and thoughtfully, discuss actively and thoughtfully,
write actively and thoughtfully. Our task is to be active and thoughtful in making you eager to do
the above. Specifically, you will need to do the following:
1: keep up with the reading and writing assignments in the following texts and
with the following aids (available at the College Bookstore, and University
Books):

Lunsford, Andrea A., John J. Ruskiewicz, and Keith Walters, eds. Everythings an
Argument (sixth edition). Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012.
Gwynn, R.S., ed. Fiction: A Pocket Anthology. New York: Longman, 2012.
Any appropriate Handbook (e.g., Lunsford and Connors The Everyday Writer, The
Harbrace Handbook, Watkins and Dillinghams Practical English Handbook, Hacker,
Diana: A Writer's Reference, etc.; on-line versions are fine).
Any appropriate college-level Dictionary (e.g., Funk and Wagnalls, Websters).
Supplies: flat folder with pockets for essays/drafts, standard white paper, pen, etc.
2: do writing assignments and prepare for in-class exercises and discussions
before class;
3: participate attentively and actively in class. To do this you will need to (a) do
your assignments carefully and thoughtfully before class begins, and (b) bring
assigned texts to class.
4: attend at least one approved extra-classroom performance, reading, or lecture;
5: refrain from using cell-phones and other such devices during classes.
The fourth hour (W 8-8:50) will allow me to do some one-on-one and small group tutoring, and
you will receive additional feedback from peer reviews of drafts. We will also use the extra hour
for extended writing (mid-term exam) and short story explication sharing.
GRADING
1. Short papers, exercises, quizzes:
c. 17 per cent (160 points)
2. Finished out-of-class essays (numbers 2,3,5,6,7)
c. 50 per cent (500 points)
3. In-class essays (numbers 1 and 4):
c. 10 per cent (100 points)
4. Peer review and class participation:
c. 8 per cent (80 points)
5. Final exam:
c. 14 per cent (140 points)
(Please note that these figures are approximate and subject to alteration.)
A+ 97-100; A 93-96; A- 90-92; B+ 87-89; B 83-86; B- 80-82; C+ 77-79; C 73-76; C- 70-72; D+
68-69; D 65-67; F 64 and below.

A couple of quotations to consider:

The world is the totality of facts, not of things
Ludwig Wittgenstein, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus
We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the
tormentor, never the tormented.
Elie Wiesel

Summary of Assignments
August
26
In-class: introduction to coursewhat are we doing here?
Extra hour: answering your questions
Homework: prepare for in-class essay (essay 1) by skimming Lunsford 3-29 and
reviewing College Reads book Freedom Summer
28

In-class: write essay 1

Homework: read Lunsford 30-54 (pathos, ethos)

31

In-class: pathos and ethos

Homework: read Lunsford 55-73 (logos)

September
2
In-class: logos; discuss reading and basic evidence-based research techniques
Extra hour: essays back; debrief
Homework: corrections; read Lunsford 123-151 (structure)
4

In-class: structure; discuss reading; paragraphing and using quotations

Homework: read Lunsford 187--213 (definition), plus readings for FSO 1

In-class: fact, summary, opinion exercise (FSO) 1; discuss reading and essay 2
Homework: re-read Lunsford 131-46; 196-99

In-class: definition, criteria, and warrants

Extra hour: Research exercises and Toulmin-style outline for essay 2
Homework: write first draft of essay 2

11

In-class: evidence; read and discuss Lunsford 152-72

Homework: read Lunsford 395-409 (evidence); plus readings for FSO 2

14

In-class: FSO 2; discuss reading;

Homework: work on essay 2

16

In-class: how to peer review effectively

Extra hour: peer review 1
Homework: complete essay 2

18

In-class: essay 2 due; read Lunsford 242-72 (cause and effect)

Homework: research article search

21

In-class: discuss reading; passive voice and Lard Factor

Homework: read research articles (tba)

23

In-class: discuss reading; short writing exercise (SW) 1

Extra hour: essays back; debrief
Homework: read research articles (tba)

25

In-class: discuss reading; varying sentence structure

Homework: read research articles (tba)

28

In-class: FSO 3; discuss reading

Homework: draft essay 3

30

In-class: peer review 2

Extra hour: essay 3 trouble-shooting
Homework: write essay 3

October
2
In-class: video Life and Debt
Homework: complete essay 3
5

In-class: essay 3 due; read and discuss Lunsford 214-33 (evaluation);

Homework: readings tba

In-class: FSO 4; discuss reading

Extra hour: evaluating and using sources (Lunsford 410-35)
Homework: read Lunsford 309-23

In-class: style and figurative language

Homework: read Lunsford 324-25, Lincolns Gettysburg Address, and readings re
language tba

12

In-class: style and structure; language and culture

Homework: prepare for in-class essay

14

In-class: write essay 4

Homework: read Sandra Cisneros on language

16

In-class: Sandra Cisneros on language; connotative riffing

Homework: re-read Lunsford 22-29 (audience); advertisement search; rhetorical
exercises
Fall Break

21

In-class: discuss logic of advertising; interpellation

Extra hour: Public Mind/Ad and the Ego (video)
Homework: read Lunsford 326-343 (visual argument)

23

In-class: discuss reading; rhetorical exercises

Homework: read Lunsford 273-306 (proposals)

26

In-class: writing a proposalaudience and tone; discuss reading

Homework: write first draft of essay 5

28

In-class: peer review 3

Extra hour: essay 5 trouble-shooting
Homework: complete essay 5 and rhetorical exercises

30

In-class: essay 5 due; read Gwynn 1-20, and Reunion (Gwynn 184-87)
Homework: read Gwynn 21-28, 308-12 (Atwood), and 349-51 (Kincaid) how to read
(and write about) stories; SW 2

Homework: read any one story not on syllabus; write summary of story
November
2
In-class: swap summaries of stories
Homework: read Gwynn 76-83 (Maupassant); 83-86 (Chopin); Gwynn 135-40 (Joyce)
4

In-class: swap summaries of stories

Extra hour: quiz; different kinds of story
Homework: read Gwynn 140-52 (Hurston);

In-class: quiz regional writing;

Homework: read 187-93 (Ellison)

In-class: quiz; voice and irony

Homework: read Gwynn 205-20 (OConnor), and OConnor on Reasonable Use of the
Unreasonable

11

In-class: assessing a writers work

Extra hour: MLA documentation
Homework: read OBriens The Things They Carried

13

In-class: discuss reading

Homework: read Gwynn 373-82 (Erdrich); bibliographic exercises; draft essay 6

16

In-class: further discussion of stories and essays

Homework: work on essay 6

18

In-class: lively openings

Extra hour: essay 6 workshop
Homework: work on essay 6

20

In-class: peer review 4

Homework: complete essay 6

23

In-class: essay 6 due; bibliographic exercises due; discuss essay 7; sign up for
individual conferences
THANKSGIVING BREAK

30

Individual conferences
Homework: work on essay 7

December
2
Individual conferences
Homework: work on essay 7
4

Individual conferences
Homework: complete essay 7

In-class: essay 7 due; course review; exam preview

Homework: prepare for exam

Final exam Monday, December 14th, 8:00-11:00 a.m. NBthis is LATEDo not book flights
home, etc. earlier than this date
(Dates, assignments, etc. are subject to change, but if you are away for any reason you should still
expect to have to do the homework indicated here. Missed in-class work may be made up only in
the case of an excused absence.)
Students are, of course, bound by the guide to civil and honorable conduct as outlined in the
College of Charleston Student Handbook (http://studentaffairs.cofc.edu/honorsystem/studenthandbook/). Your attention is particularly drawn to the sections on plagiarism,
what to do in case of missed classes, and so on. Since this is a writing-intensive course, you may
miss only ONE class before your class participation grade will be reduced. Each additional
unexcused absence will cost you more dearly. Similarly, it is absolutely critical that you turn all
work in on time. All work must be completed before you can receive a grade for the course.
Come and talk to me if you have, or anticipate having, a significant problem. Please dont wait
until its too late!
Students in the SNAP program should see me as soon as possible so that we can arrange
appropriate accommodations.
_______________________________
Center for Student Learning: I encourage you to utilize the Center for Student Learnings
(CSL) academic support services for assistance in study strategies, speaking & writing skills, and
course content. They offer tutoring, Supplemental Instruction, study skills appointments, and
workshops. Students of all abilities have become more successful using these programs
throughout their academic career and the services are available to you at no additional cost. For
more information regarding these services please visit the CSL website at http://csl.cofc.edu or
call (843)953-5635.