School of Arts and Sciences
Eastern Oregon University
Writing 121: Expository Prose Writing
linked with SOC 204
Fall 2003--4 credits
MTRF 12 - 12:50 PM ACK 114
New General Education (Communication)

Instructor: Nancy Knowles, Loso Hall 146 (mailbox LH 154), 962-3795, nknowles@eou.edu
Office Hours: M 4-5, F 2-4, and by appointment
Course Home Page: http://www2.eou.edu/~nknowles/fall2003/wr121f03.html

Catalog Description:

College-level practice of writing skills with a special emphasis on writing analytically, usually about texts. Students learn to adapt their writing processes to the rhetorical constraints of academic writing. Prerequisite: TSWE of 41-49 or completion of WR 115 and a satisfactory in-class diagnostic essay.

Learning Outcomes:

  1. Quality of Thinking:  Develop, support, and convey clear, focused, and substantive ideas in ways appropriate to topic, context, audience, and purpose.
  2. Organization and Coherence:  Organize writing in clear, coherent sequences, making connections and transitions among ideas, paragraphs, and sentences.
  3. Sentence Structure and Word Choice:  Use and vary sentence structures and word choices to achieve clear and fluent writing.
  4. Editing:  Edit for correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, paragraph structure, sentence construction, formatting, and, when appropriate, citations.
  5. Writing Process:  Use effective processes--including drafting, peer responses, and, when appropriate, tutorial assistance--to generate, compose, organize, revise, and present writing.
  6. Research Process:  Identify and frame topics, questions, and purposes for inquiry; plan and conduct research.
  7. Analysis of Information Sources:  Locate and interpret varied information sources; distinguish among facts, supported inferences, and opinions; evaluate information.
  8. Use of Researched Information:  Use, integrate, and cite researched information and evidence.
  9. Single Source and Multisource Analytic Prose:  Integrate a single source or multiple sources that have been critically evaluated into an essay, while presenting the writer's own carefully and thoughtfully considered point of view on a topic.
  10. Reflection:  Evaluate and articulate one's own strengths and weaknesses as a writer; plan ways to address weaknesses and take advantage of strengths.
Means of Assessment (each related to all above outcomes): Required Materials: Course Requirements:
 
Reading: Read all assigned texts by the date they appear on the syllabus. Bring assigned readings to class. 
Participation: Successful learning in this course depends upon active, thoughtful participation in class discussion. Absence, lack of preparation, and unwillingness to share ideas or to work during class time detract from participation credit. Help me help you to manage absences by contacting me in advance when absence is necessary. 
Conferences: I expect each student to conference with me outside class once during the term. Students will also be required to visit the Writing Lab once per writing assignment and submit a form demonstrating their work. Conferences in addition to these constitute extra credit.
In-Class Writing: We will do quite a bit of in-class writing, including timed-writing practice. In-class writing will be awarded full credit for completion, with some partial or extra credit awarded for weak or excellent work. Because this kind of writing is rooted in our classroom activities, it may not be possible to make it up. 
Formal Writing Assignments: We will write four formal papers, three of which will be assigned in SOC 204. All final drafts submitted to me must be accompanied by generative writing, rough drafts demonstrating substantial revision, response group work, a self-evaluation, a References page, and copies of any cited secondary material from outside class. Because our work is coordinated with SOC 204 deadlines, all WR 121 deadlines must be met. I may require further revision beyond the final drafts, and I will accept any revisions you choose to make until the last day of class (Week 10). All revisions must be accompanied by the graded draft. Revision grades, if higher, will replace the initial grade, but revision does not guarantee a higher grade. GRADES FOR WR 121 MAY NOT NECESSARILY MATCH GRADES FOR SOC 204. 
Writing Evaluation: We will work in response groups to evaluate one another's writing. Note: collaboration in response groups is expected, but response groups may not rewrite the work of individuals; instead, they should identify strong and weak sections in the writing and make suggestions for improvement. To receive credit for response, responders must write comments on drafts and return those drafts to the writers who must then submit those drafts with the final draft. Group members will be graded individually based on the quality and thoughtfulness of the comments. Students who attend response groups without drafts will be asked to leave and will receive zeros for that day's response group work. See Response Group handout for guidelines. 
Final: Attendance at the final examination is an institutional requirement.

Grading information, rules, and guidelines common to all my syllabi

Schedule:

See SOC 204 syllabus for additional required reading and writing assignments. Changes to this syllabus may be made during class.
 

Date		 Class Activities Assignments Due
WEEK 1
9/29M		 Course introduction  
9/30T Academic reading and writing about reading Bring Schwalbe
10/1R Academic reading and writing about reading Bring Schwalbe, Ferguson, and Hacker
Read Hacker APA3 (beginning on p. 386)
10/2F No class Précis Assignment due to my mailbox in LH 154
     
WEEK 2
10/6M		 Adding your ideas to your writing about reading
How to read writing assignments		 Read Hacker C1-2, Espada, Brooks
Bring Ferguson and Schwalbe
10/7T Adding your ideas to your writing about reading Bring Beals and Schwalbe
Extra credit: attend film series (ZH 142 7-10 PM) and write short analysis
10/9R Drafting Bring Test #1 assignment and any related materials
Visit Writing Center tutor before the Test #1 deadline
10/10F Writing workshop Read Hacker C3
Bring Test #1 materials
     
WEEK 3
10/13M		 Response groups Bring 3 copies of Test #1, response handout, and rubric
Read Hacker C4-5
10/14T Bambara discussion Read Bambara (on reserve)
10/16R Writing workshop Bring Hacker
10/17F TBA Submit final Test #1 with my required supporting materials
     
WEEK 4
10/20M		 Gender socialization discussion Bring Bambara, Brooks, Ferguson, and Schwalbe
Read Lorde
10/21T Gender socialization discussion
Timed writing introduction		 Bring Bambara, Brooks, Lorde, Ferguson, and Schwalbe
Extra credit: attend film series (ZH 142 7-10 PM) and write short analysis
10/23R Timed writing Bring Bambara, Brooks, Lorde, Ferguson, and Schwalbe
10/24F No class  
     
WEEK 5
10/27M		 Review timed writing
Discussion of secondary sources
Writing workshop		 Bring Test #2 materials and secondary source located during research section
10/28T Drafting Bring Test #2 assignment and any related materials
Visit Writing Center tutor before the Test #2 deadline
10/30R Writing workshop Bring Ferguson, Schwalbe, and Test #2 materials
10/31F Baldwin discussion Read Baldwin (on reserve)
**CAUTION--some disturbing description
     
WEEK 6
11/3M		 Response groups Bring 3 copies of Test #2 and rubric
11/4T Head discussion Read Head (on reserve)
Extra credit: attend film series (ZH 142 7-10 PM) and write short analysis
11/6R Writing workshop Bring Hacker
11/7F No class Submit final Test #2 with my required supporting materials to my mailbox in LH 154
     
WEEK 7
11/10M		 View selected film Rewrite of Test #1 due
11/11T View selected film  
11/13R Complete selected film and discuss Bring Ferguson and Schwalbe
11/14F Timed writing Bring Ferguson and Schwalbe
     
WEEK 8
11/17M		 Review timed writing
Drafting		 Bring Test #3 assignment and any related materials
Visit Writing Center tutor before Test #3 deadline
11/18T Writing workshop Bring Test #3 materials
Extra credit: attend film series (ZH 142 7-10 PM) and write short analysis
11/20R Unsupervised response groups Bring 3 copies of Test #3 and rubric
Submit one copy to my mailbox in LH 154
11/21F No class Submit rewrite of Text #2 to my mailbox in LH 154
     
WEEK 9
11/24M		 Writing workshop Bring Test #3 materials and Hacker
11/25T Review WR 121 Final Assignment Bring WR 121 Final Assignment
Submit final Test #3 with my required supporting materials
11/27R -
11/28F		 Thanksgiving Holiday--no class  
     
WEEK 10
12/1M		 Writing workshop  Read Hughes,Le Guin, Soto
Bring Ferguson and Schwalbe
12/2T Drafting Visit Writing Center tutor THIS WEEK
Extra credit: attend film series (ZH 142 7-10 PM) and write short analysis
12/4R Writing workshop
Course evaluations		 Bring Final Assignment materials
12/5F Response groups Bring 3 copies of Final Assignment
Any revisions due
     
FINALS
12/8M		 Pick up comments on Final Assignment My office LH 146
TBA Final Examination Submit WR 121 Final Assignment with required supporting materials

Last update 9/03.