School of Arts and Sciences
Eastern Oregon University
Writing 121: Expository Prose Writing
Fall 2005--4 credits
MTRF 1 - 1:50 PM
New General Education (Communication)

Instructor: Nancy Knowles, Loso Hall 146 (mailbox LH 154), 962-3795, nknowles@eou.edu
Office Hours: M noon, TR 2 PM, and by appointment
Course Home Page: http://www.eou.edu/~nknowles/fall2005/wr121f05.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: Students are required to visit the Writing Lab once per writing assignment and submit a form demonstrating their work. Conferences with tutors and/or with me in addition to these constitute extra credit.
In-Class Writing: We will do quite a bit of in-class writing, including timed-writing. In-class writing will be awarded full credit for completion, with some partial or extra credit awarded for weak or excellent work. The final examination will be graded. Because this kind of writing is rooted in our classroom activities, it will not be possible to make it up. 
Formal Writing Assignments: We will write four formal papers. 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. All draft deadlines must be met; I will not accept final drafts without a tutor form and without the writer having participated in in-class response groups. I may require further revision beyond the final drafts, and I will accept any revisions you choose to make until the deadlines indicated. 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.
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:

Changes to this syllabus may be made during class. Bring Hacker daily.
 

Date		 Class Activities Assignments Due
WEEK 1
9/26M		 Course introduction
Diagnostic Essay
  
9/27T
 Academic reading and writing about reading
How to read writing assignments
Discuss Précis Assignment
 Print and bring Précis Assignment
Read Hacker section MLA-2-3 (regarding integrating sources; beginning on p. 331)
9/29R
 Adding your ideas to your writing about reading
Brainstorming your own ideas: Creative Proposal Assignment
 Précis Assignment due
Print and bring copy of Creative Proposal Assignment
9/30F
 No class
     
WEEK 2
10/3M
Developing ideas, developing voice

 Bring Creative Proposal assignment and any ideas
Read Hacker C1-2 (planning and drafting)
Visit Writing Center tutor with Creative Proposal before 10/10M
10/4T Focusing and organizing ideas
 Bring Creative Proposal assignment and any ideas
Read Hacker C4-5 (paragraphs and arguments), MLA-1 (thesis)
10/6R Response Groups--attendance mandatory
 Bring 3 copies of Creative Proposal draft
Bring Creative Proposal assignment
10/7F
 Proofreading
  
     
WEEK 3
10/10M		 Self-evaluation
Precis and reading discussion

Bring final draft of Creative Proposal and supporting materials
Bring [ESSAY]
10/11T From personal to academic writing: Academic Proposal brainstorming
Print and bring Academic Proposal assignment
10/13R
 Timed Writing 1A
  
10/14 F Timed Writing 1B
  
     
WEEK 4
10/17M		 Development
 Bring Academic Proposal assignment and any ideas
Visit Writing Center tutor with Academic Proposal before 10/24M
10/18T Focus and organization
 Bring Academic Proposal assignment and any ideas
10/20R Response Groups--attendance mandatory
 Bring 3 copies of Academic Proposal draft
Bring Academic Proposal assignment
10/21F Proofreading
  
     
WEEK 5
10/24M		 Self-evaluation
Precis and reading discussion
Bring final draft of Academic Proposal and supporting materials
Print and bring [ESSAY]
10/25T Evaluating reading: Essay Evaluation assignment brainstorming
 Print and bring Essay Evaluation assignment
10/27R Meet in Pierce Library computer lab
 Bring Essay Evaluation assignment and any ideas
Bring blank paper
10/28F
 Evaluating reading: Essay Evaluation assignment brainstorming
 Bring Essay Evaluation assignment and any ideas
Bring essay located 10/27R
     
WEEK 6
10/31M		 Development
 Bring Essay Evaluation assignment and any ideas
Bring essay located 10/27R
Visit Writing Center tutor with Essay Evaluation before 11/7M
11/1T
 Focus and Organization
 Bring Essay Evaluation assignment and any ideas
Bring essay located 10/27R
11/3R
 Response Groups--attendance mandatory
 Bring 3 copies of Essay Evaluation draft
Print and bring Essay Evaluation Rubric
11/4F
 Proofreading
  
     
WEEK 7
11/7M		 Self-evaluation
Precis and reading discussion 		Bring final draft of Essay Evaluation and supporting materials
Print and bring [ESSAY]
11/8T
 Synthesizing reading: Synthesis assignment brainstorming
 Print and bring Synthesis assignment
11/10R
 Research day
  
11/11F
 Research day
   
     
WEEK 8
11/14M		 Working with sources
 Bring Synthesis assignment and any ideas
Bring copies of all source materials located 11/10 and 11/11 (minimum 3)
11/15T Working with sources
 Bring Synthesis assignment and any ideas
Bring copies of all source materials located 11/10 and 11/11 (minimum 3)
Visit Writing Center tutor with Synthesis before 11/22T
11/16R
11/17F
 No class--work on Synthesis assignment
  
     
WEEK 9
11/21M		 Development Bring Synthesis assignment and any ideas
Bring copies of all source materials located 11/10 and 11/11 (minimum 3)
11/22T
 Focus and organization
 Bring Synthesis assignment and any ideas
Bring copies of all source materials located 11/10 and 11/11 (minimum 3)
11/24R
11/25F
 No class--Thanksgiving
  
     
WEEK 10
11/28M
 Response Groups--attendance mandatory
 Bring 3 copies of Essay Evaluation draft
Print and bring Synthesis Rubric (in assignment)
11/29T Proofreading
  
12/1R
 No class--work on Synthesis assignment
  
12/2F Course wrap-up
 Bring final draft of Synthesis and supporting materials
Any revisions due
     
FINALS
12/7W		 Final Examination 10 AM -12 PM
Timed Writing 2
 Final exam prompt and rubric.