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Richard Fantina ENC 2301: Expository Writing Syllabus Spring 2004 Monday and Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. Room: AC1-228
Instructor: Richard Fantina AC1, Room 381 • Phone (305) 919-5457 email: richard.fantina@fiu.edu Office Hour: Monday and Wednesday: 1-2:00 or by appointment
Course Description/Rationale This course will build upon skills learned in ENC 1101 and ENC 1102. Students will practice the art of written exposition and become well-versed in different types of argument. Students will further refine critical abilities to be able to devote written comments to a particular audience and become comfortable with providing written narratives, evaluations, proposals, and rebuttals. Topics will include the arts, social issues, politics, business, advertising, and other areas of student interest. Objectives and Methods This course is designed to help you develop your sense of self both as a writer and as a student. This course will be a combination of workshop and lecture and will incorporate class discussions that focus on the aims of different types of exposition and argument. Students will write both in class and out, and give and receive constructive feedback through peer review and collaborative projects. Students will practice and improve communication through writing and research. Students will be given wide latitude in the choice of subjects to write about. This course is meant to develop your interests or to help you discover new ones. You should write about a subject that appeals to you. Course Methods and Strategy. In this course, we will follow the process method of composition. The four major essays will be submitted three times each. The first copy will be a draft which will be reviewed by your peers. Then, after revisions, students will have individual conferences with the instructor who will comment and make suggestions. Finally, a third proof will be submitted for your grade. In-class essays, of course, will not go through this process. Course Materials Students are required to obtain either one of the books listed below. Do not buy both books. The second book listed is an expanded version of the first which includes many more readings which are optional. It will give you more choices and help you decide what you might like to write about. Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments, Second Edition, by Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer, Longman Publishers, 2003 Additional handouts and weblinks including: http://almaz.com/nobel/peace/MLK-jail.html Recommended: Any college level dictionary and a good thesaurus Course Policy You are expected to attend all class meetings. The course is structured so that writing assignments and discussions build on one another. To succeed, it is vital that you actively participate in peer review, in-class writing, and discussions. The policy of the Undergraduate Writing Program at FIU states that students who miss more than five classes could fail the course. Since a good part of your grade is contingent upon peer review, in-class writing assignments, participation in discussions and homework, attendance is important. Excessive tardiness can lower your participation grade as well. Late papers will adversely affect your grade. Students unable to attend class on the day papers are due may email the papers on the due date. Late papers handed in or emailed after the due date but by the next class meeting may be penalized by one letter grade. Late papers handed in or emailed by the second class meeting may be penalized by two letter grades. All paper assignments, except in-class essays, require two revisions: one peer review revision and one revision after a conference. Plagiarism We will dedicate class time to discussing what plagiarism is and what it isn't. See the FIU Student Handbook 2002-2003 regarding the university's policy on academic honesty. Any case of overt plagiarism will result in failure for the course, as mandated by the Undergraduate Writing Program. Grading: 3 short in-class essays at 10 each = 30 4 longer take-home essays at 15 each = 60 Class participation (includes in-class exercises, peer reviews, attendance) = 10. The four major essays will consist of 1) students will read an argument essay of their choice and write an essay commenting on it by identifying claims, evidence, and other elements of argument; 2) an examination of a social, political, moral, religious, racial or other contemporary issue; 3) a narrative or evaluation argument, which may include personal experiences, or a book or film review; 4) a rebuttal argument. The first three are described in the class schedule below. For Essay #4, each student should read an argument essay (from a book, magazine, newspaper, website, etc.) and write a rebuttal essay which disagrees with the points made by the author. Note: February 28 is the last day to drop the course (DR grade) or withdraw from the university (WI grade). Class Schedule Monday, January 5 Introduction to the course. Review of syllabus. Reminder to acquire book by September 3. Wednesday, January 7 Introduction to the course. Review of syllabus. Defining exposition and argument. 4 types of argument: to learn, to convince, to persuade, to negotiate. What argument is not: Fight, Debate Rhetorical triangle. Discussion of writing in General. Audience. Pre-writing. Drafting. Revising. Thesis statements, Topic sentences, etc. Find a convincing or persuasive advertisement or editorial to bring in for next class. Diagnostic. Monday, January 12 Discussion of argument. Examples from literature, politics, advertising, industry, etc. Diagnostic in-class essay. (Not graded.) Exercise: Explain how a print, radio, or TV ad makes an argument. What is the aim or claim of the argument. Does it appeal to reason (logos) or to goodness (ethos) or to sympathy (pathos). Does it appeal to vanity? Wednesday, January 14 Read Introduction to Part I in class. Discuss “ethos,” “pathos,” and “logos.” Suggest topics for Essay #1 (800-1500 words). Discuss the classic argument of Silent Spring. Monday, January 19 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holdiday Wednesday January 21 Discuss Silent Spring. Points, evidence, links, rebuttals. Continue with potential topics for Essay #1 (800-1500 words). In-class essay #1 on Silent Spring or alternative of your choice. Monday, January 26 Continue Chapter 1. Analyzing arguments. Critical thinking. Finding arguments. Positions and proposals. Wednesday, January 28 Begin Chapter 2, “Finding Good Reasons.” In-class exercise (not graded). Discuss an argument of your choice and refute it. Monday, February 2 First draft of Essay #1 due. Peer review workshops. Wednesday, February 4 Review topics for essay. Review pages 42-43, 46-47, and 54-55. Review “definitions,” “values,” “consequences,” and “comparisons” in Chapter 2 Monday, February 9 Second draft of Essay #1 due. Refining arguments. Discussion of audience and rhetoric. Who are you writing for and how and why are you writing? Wednesday, February 11 No classes. Conferences Monday, February 16 Final draft of Essay #1 due. For next class, bring in an editorial or advertisement and be prepared to define the potential audience and the means of persuasion. Wednesday, February 18 Discuss the ads or editorials. Workshops to identify audience, claims, evidence, etc. Monday, February 23 Continue discussion of rhetoric and audience. Prepare Essay #2. To argue a political, social, or moral position. Discuss Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
Wednesday, February 25 Begin Part 2, page 103 Suggest topics for Essay #2. Identify audience. Discussion of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” In-class essay #2 on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Monday, March 1 First draft of Essay #2 due. Peer review workshops. Wednesday, March 3 Look at comics on page 115-121. Begin Chapter 7: “Evaluation arguments.” page 153 Monday, March 8 Second draft of Essay #2 due. Continue discussion of evaluation and narrative. For next class (Nov. 3), read Leslie Marmon Silko’s “The Border Patrol State” p. 173 as example of narrative argument. Wednesday, March 11 No class. Conferences. Monday, March 15 Final draft of Essay #2 due. Begin discussion of Essay #3, an evaluation or narrative essay. This essay will require three outside sources from books, journals, or reputable websites. Suggest topics and audience. Discussion of Leslie Marmon Silko’s “The Border Patrol State.” In-class essay #3 on Leslie Marmon Silko’s “The Border Patrol State” or alternative of your choice. Wednesday, March 17 Library research. Class meets in Library Room 150. Monday, March 22 and Wednesday March 25 No Class - Spring Break Monday, March 29 First draft of Essay #3 due. Peer review workshops. Wednesday, March 31 Continue discussion of Essay #3. Suggest research for individual topics. Discussion of rebuttal and counterarguments. Monday, Arpil 5 Second draft of Essay #3 due. Discussion of Donna Lupiano’s “Don’t Blame Title IX” Wednesday, April 7 No class. Conferences. Monday, April 12 Final Draft of Essay #3 due Wednesday, April 14 Draft of Essay #4 due. Essay #4 due. Peer reviews. After peer reviews, students have the option of taking home Essay 4 for revisions and turning it in by the exam date. Exam Week: Final draft of Essay #4 due
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