Topics:
1. Introductions and course overview
2. Audiences and language (formal and informal)
3. Paragraphs and paragraph structure
Required reading / viewings / listening:
None.
Homework due:
None.
In-class assessment:
None.
27 July 2009
Week 2 (5 Oct - 9 Oct)
Topics:
1. Claims / thesis statements
2. Summaries
3. Images: Argument, Evidence, Story 1: Discuss Morris, Tufte
Required reading / viewing / listening:
E. Morris,
E. Tufte,
Homework due:
Response paper 1
Write two short papers in which you summarize the readings by Morris and Tufte. Each summary should be 250 to 400 words. You should assume your audience has not read either text. The papers will become the basis of work we do in class, and of our discussion of the readings.
In-class assessment:
Quiz 1
Paragraphing, identify audience
Divide the following text into paragraphs:
It is difficult to determine precisely when coffee was introduced to Arabic culture. According to legend, Mohammed was cured of narcolepsy with coffee. There are indications in Arabic medical literature that coffee was used medicinally as early as the tenth century. But in the Islamic world, too, it became a popular beverage relatively late, certainly no earlier than the fifteenth century. Although the dating may be vague, the logic of coffee drinking for Arabic-Islamic civilization is incontestable. As a nonalcoholic, nonintoxicating, indeed even sobering and mentally stimulating drink, it seemed to be tailor-made for a culture that forbade alcohol consumption and gave birth to modern mathematics. Arabic culture is dominated by abstraction more than any other culture in human history. Coffee has rightly been called the wine of Islam. Until the seventeenth century, coffee remained a curiosity for Europeans, mentioned in accounts of journeys to the exotic lands of the Orient. They could not imagine consuming a hot, black, bitter-tasting drink – much less with pleasure. It reminded them too much of hot pitch, which was used in medieval times for battle and torture. The situation changed around the middle of the seventeenth century. Suddenly a whole set of hitherto unknown exotic substances became fashionable. Together with chocolate, tea, and tobacco, coffee made its entrance upon the stage of European luxury culture. It appeared in several different places at once, then spread in a quasi-strategic pattern of encirclement: in the south it surfaced in the Levantine trade centers, Venice and Marseilles; in the north, in the transshipping ports of the new international trade, London and Amsterdam. From these bridgeheads it quickly conquered the hinterlands. Around 1650 coffee was virtually unknown in Europe, at most used as medication. By about 1700 it was firmly established as a beverage, not, of course, for the entire population but certainly among the trend-setting strata of society.
Schivelbusch, W. (1993). Tastes of Paradise: A social history of spices, stimulants, and intoxicants. New York: Vintage.
[Translation of Paradies, der Geschmack und die Vernunft (1980).]
Identify the audience:
Describe the audience of the following texts. Support your claim with specific reasons and examples drawn from the text.
Text 1
Vaillant brings a healthy dose of subtlety to a field that sometimes seems to glide past it. The bookstore shelves are lined with titles that have an almost messianic tone, as in Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment. But what does it mean, really, to be happier? For 30 years, Denmark has topped international happiness surveys. But Danes are hardly a sanguine bunch. Ask an American how it’s going, and you will usually hear “Really good.” Ask a Dane, and you will hear “Det kunne være værre (It could be worse).” “Danes have consistently low (and indubitably realistic) expectations for the year to come,” a team of Danish scholars concluded. “Year after year they are pleasantly surprised to find that not everything is getting more rotten in the state of Denmark.”
Of course, happiness scientists have come up with all kinds of straightforward, and actionable, findings: that money does little to make us happier once our basic needs are met; that marriage and faith lead to happiness (or it could be that happy people are more likely to be married and spiritual); that temperamental “set points” for happiness—a predisposition to stay at a certain level of happiness—account for a large, but not overwhelming, percentage of our well-being. (Fifty percent, says Sonja Lyubomirsky in The How of Happiness. Circumstances account for 10 percent, and the other 40 percent is within our control.) But why do countries with the highest self-reports of subjective well-being also yield the most suicides? How is it that children are often found to be a source of “negative affect” (sadness, anger)—yet people identify children as their greatest source of pleasure?
The questions are unresolved, in large part because of method. The psychologist Ed Diener, at the University of Illinois, has helped lay the empirical foundation for positive psychology, drawing most recently on data from the Gallup World Poll, which interviewed a representative sample of 360,000 people from 145 countries. “You can say a lot of general things from these data that you could never say before,” Diener says. “But many of them are relatively shallow. People who go to church report more joy. But if you ask why, we don’t know. George has these small samples—and they’re Harvard men, my goodness, not so generalizable. Yet he has deep data, and he brings so many things together at once.”
Text 2
Do You Want To Be Cool Like Barak Obama?
A Key Happiness Habit is:
Don't hand control of your thoughts, actions or feelings over to outside forces or people who try to hurt or harass you.
Don't Give Them Emotional Control Over You.
Decide How You Are Going To Think, Act and Feel.
Choose Your Mood and Your Attitude.
Emotional Independence, Freedom and Balance are key Happiness Habits.
This does Not mean that you don't get angry or that you don't decide to take decisive corrective action when necessary.
It does mean you weight your options carefully, decide when and how you will act and that you don't automatically react in anger.
Choose the timing, the place and substance of your response.
We all have an Optimal Best Self - a sweet spot or optimal zone where we feel our best, do our best and perform our best. Habitually Happy people try to maintain their optimal Best Self State all of the time. Getting angry and irrational is not part of the process.
Much has been written about Barak Obama’s Cool calm demeanor. His actions and reactions epitomize Emotional Independence. He decides how he will act, react and project himself. He doesn’t let outside forces control his emotions easily.
If you let another person make you angry, you’re giving them control of you, your thoughts, actions, feelings and your well-being. Don’t do it!
The next time someone tries to hook you into an angry response, simply think, I’m not giving them control. It’s that easy.
This does not mean stuffing your feelings or suppressing your emotions. It means not giving them control over you, your attention or your emotions.
Channel Anger To Achieve Positive Goals.
Choose Emotional Independence and Spiritual Freedom. It’s that easy. Decide how you’re going to act, don’t simply react to them. Take command and lead them where you want to go. Make this a Happiness Habit.
Don’t give them control.
It’s a great way to stay cool and happy!
Text 3
An emerging branch of economics has begun to examine the empirical determinants of happiness (for example, Easterlin 2001 and Frey and Stutzer 2002). This paper continues that avenue of research in a different sphere. It focuses on the - still relatively unexplored - links between income, sexual activity and wellbeing.
Human beings are interested in sex. There are also scientific reasons to study it. For example, recent work by Daniel Kahneman, Alan Krueger, David Schkade, Norbert Schwartz and Arthur Stone (Kahneman et al 2003) finds, among a sample of 1000 employed women, that sex is rated retrospectively as the activity that produces the single largest amount of happiness. Commuting to and from work produces the lowest levels of psychological wellbeing. These two activities come top and bottom, respectively, of a list of 19 activities.
In this paper we estimate what may be the first econometric happiness equations in which sexual activity is an independent variable. Like the rest of the recent wellbeing literature, we study the numbers that people report when asked questions about how happy they feel with life. Our data set is a randomly selected group of approximately 16,000 Americans. Although, for the sake of persuasive identification, it would be desirable to have instrumental variables for sexual activity, in this paper we follow the simpler route of providing single-equation estimates with no adjustment for possible endogeneity. Our instinct is that solving the endogeneity problem - working out whether sex causes happiness or causality runs in the reverse direction - will be particularly difficult here. Future work will have to return to this issue.
Easterlin, R.A. (2001). Income and Happiness: Towards a Unified Theory, Economic Journal 111, 465-484.
Frey, B.S. and Stutzer, A. (2002). Happiness and Economics, Princeton University Press, Princeton.
Kahneman, D., Krueger, A, Schkade, D., Schwarz, N. and Stone, A. (2003). Measuring the Quality of Experience, Princeton University, working paper.
Text 4
The two cerebral hemispheres play different roles not only in the recognition of facial expressions, but also in the expression of positive and negative emotions. This specialization is apparent in infants (Davidson, 1992). Regions of the left hemisphere appear to be specialized for the processing of such positive emotions as happiness, whereas regions of the right hemisphere are specialized for such negative emotions as fear and sadness. Damage to the left hemisphere tends to produce excessive anger or depression; damage to the right hemisphere is associated with excessive displays of mania and laughing. Even in people without brain damage, those who are clinically depressed have less activation in the left frontal regions than non-depressed people do (Henriques & Davidson, 1991).
Davidson, Richard J. (1992). Anterior cerebral asymmetry and the nature of emotion. Brain and Cognition, 20, 125-151.
Henriques, Jeffrey B., & Davidson, Richard J. (1991). Left frontal hypoactivation in depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 535-545.
1. Claims / thesis statements
2. Summaries
3. Images: Argument, Evidence, Story 1: Discuss Morris, Tufte
Required reading / viewing / listening:
E. Morris,
E. Tufte,
Homework due:
Response paper 1
Write two short papers in which you summarize the readings by Morris and Tufte. Each summary should be 250 to 400 words. You should assume your audience has not read either text. The papers will become the basis of work we do in class, and of our discussion of the readings.
In-class assessment:
Quiz 1
Paragraphing, identify audience
Divide the following text into paragraphs:
It is difficult to determine precisely when coffee was introduced to Arabic culture. According to legend, Mohammed was cured of narcolepsy with coffee. There are indications in Arabic medical literature that coffee was used medicinally as early as the tenth century. But in the Islamic world, too, it became a popular beverage relatively late, certainly no earlier than the fifteenth century. Although the dating may be vague, the logic of coffee drinking for Arabic-Islamic civilization is incontestable. As a nonalcoholic, nonintoxicating, indeed even sobering and mentally stimulating drink, it seemed to be tailor-made for a culture that forbade alcohol consumption and gave birth to modern mathematics. Arabic culture is dominated by abstraction more than any other culture in human history. Coffee has rightly been called the wine of Islam. Until the seventeenth century, coffee remained a curiosity for Europeans, mentioned in accounts of journeys to the exotic lands of the Orient. They could not imagine consuming a hot, black, bitter-tasting drink – much less with pleasure. It reminded them too much of hot pitch, which was used in medieval times for battle and torture. The situation changed around the middle of the seventeenth century. Suddenly a whole set of hitherto unknown exotic substances became fashionable. Together with chocolate, tea, and tobacco, coffee made its entrance upon the stage of European luxury culture. It appeared in several different places at once, then spread in a quasi-strategic pattern of encirclement: in the south it surfaced in the Levantine trade centers, Venice and Marseilles; in the north, in the transshipping ports of the new international trade, London and Amsterdam. From these bridgeheads it quickly conquered the hinterlands. Around 1650 coffee was virtually unknown in Europe, at most used as medication. By about 1700 it was firmly established as a beverage, not, of course, for the entire population but certainly among the trend-setting strata of society.
Schivelbusch, W. (1993). Tastes of Paradise: A social history of spices, stimulants, and intoxicants. New York: Vintage.
[Translation of Paradies, der Geschmack und die Vernunft (1980).]
Identify the audience:
Describe the audience of the following texts. Support your claim with specific reasons and examples drawn from the text.
Text 1
Vaillant brings a healthy dose of subtlety to a field that sometimes seems to glide past it. The bookstore shelves are lined with titles that have an almost messianic tone, as in Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment. But what does it mean, really, to be happier? For 30 years, Denmark has topped international happiness surveys. But Danes are hardly a sanguine bunch. Ask an American how it’s going, and you will usually hear “Really good.” Ask a Dane, and you will hear “Det kunne være værre (It could be worse).” “Danes have consistently low (and indubitably realistic) expectations for the year to come,” a team of Danish scholars concluded. “Year after year they are pleasantly surprised to find that not everything is getting more rotten in the state of Denmark.”
Of course, happiness scientists have come up with all kinds of straightforward, and actionable, findings: that money does little to make us happier once our basic needs are met; that marriage and faith lead to happiness (or it could be that happy people are more likely to be married and spiritual); that temperamental “set points” for happiness—a predisposition to stay at a certain level of happiness—account for a large, but not overwhelming, percentage of our well-being. (Fifty percent, says Sonja Lyubomirsky in The How of Happiness. Circumstances account for 10 percent, and the other 40 percent is within our control.) But why do countries with the highest self-reports of subjective well-being also yield the most suicides? How is it that children are often found to be a source of “negative affect” (sadness, anger)—yet people identify children as their greatest source of pleasure?
The questions are unresolved, in large part because of method. The psychologist Ed Diener, at the University of Illinois, has helped lay the empirical foundation for positive psychology, drawing most recently on data from the Gallup World Poll, which interviewed a representative sample of 360,000 people from 145 countries. “You can say a lot of general things from these data that you could never say before,” Diener says. “But many of them are relatively shallow. People who go to church report more joy. But if you ask why, we don’t know. George has these small samples—and they’re Harvard men, my goodness, not so generalizable. Yet he has deep data, and he brings so many things together at once.”
Text 2
Do You Want To Be Cool Like Barak Obama?
A Key Happiness Habit is:
Don't hand control of your thoughts, actions or feelings over to outside forces or people who try to hurt or harass you.
Don't Give Them Emotional Control Over You.
Decide How You Are Going To Think, Act and Feel.
Choose Your Mood and Your Attitude.
Emotional Independence, Freedom and Balance are key Happiness Habits.
This does Not mean that you don't get angry or that you don't decide to take decisive corrective action when necessary.
It does mean you weight your options carefully, decide when and how you will act and that you don't automatically react in anger.
Choose the timing, the place and substance of your response.
We all have an Optimal Best Self - a sweet spot or optimal zone where we feel our best, do our best and perform our best. Habitually Happy people try to maintain their optimal Best Self State all of the time. Getting angry and irrational is not part of the process.
Much has been written about Barak Obama’s Cool calm demeanor. His actions and reactions epitomize Emotional Independence. He decides how he will act, react and project himself. He doesn’t let outside forces control his emotions easily.
If you let another person make you angry, you’re giving them control of you, your thoughts, actions, feelings and your well-being. Don’t do it!
The next time someone tries to hook you into an angry response, simply think, I’m not giving them control. It’s that easy.
This does not mean stuffing your feelings or suppressing your emotions. It means not giving them control over you, your attention or your emotions.
Channel Anger To Achieve Positive Goals.
Choose Emotional Independence and Spiritual Freedom. It’s that easy. Decide how you’re going to act, don’t simply react to them. Take command and lead them where you want to go. Make this a Happiness Habit.
Don’t give them control.
It’s a great way to stay cool and happy!
Text 3
An emerging branch of economics has begun to examine the empirical determinants of happiness (for example, Easterlin 2001 and Frey and Stutzer 2002). This paper continues that avenue of research in a different sphere. It focuses on the - still relatively unexplored - links between income, sexual activity and wellbeing.
Human beings are interested in sex. There are also scientific reasons to study it. For example, recent work by Daniel Kahneman, Alan Krueger, David Schkade, Norbert Schwartz and Arthur Stone (Kahneman et al 2003) finds, among a sample of 1000 employed women, that sex is rated retrospectively as the activity that produces the single largest amount of happiness. Commuting to and from work produces the lowest levels of psychological wellbeing. These two activities come top and bottom, respectively, of a list of 19 activities.
In this paper we estimate what may be the first econometric happiness equations in which sexual activity is an independent variable. Like the rest of the recent wellbeing literature, we study the numbers that people report when asked questions about how happy they feel with life. Our data set is a randomly selected group of approximately 16,000 Americans. Although, for the sake of persuasive identification, it would be desirable to have instrumental variables for sexual activity, in this paper we follow the simpler route of providing single-equation estimates with no adjustment for possible endogeneity. Our instinct is that solving the endogeneity problem - working out whether sex causes happiness or causality runs in the reverse direction - will be particularly difficult here. Future work will have to return to this issue.
Easterlin, R.A. (2001). Income and Happiness: Towards a Unified Theory, Economic Journal 111, 465-484.
Frey, B.S. and Stutzer, A. (2002). Happiness and Economics, Princeton University Press, Princeton.
Kahneman, D., Krueger, A, Schkade, D., Schwarz, N. and Stone, A. (2003). Measuring the Quality of Experience, Princeton University, working paper.
Text 4
The two cerebral hemispheres play different roles not only in the recognition of facial expressions, but also in the expression of positive and negative emotions. This specialization is apparent in infants (Davidson, 1992). Regions of the left hemisphere appear to be specialized for the processing of such positive emotions as happiness, whereas regions of the right hemisphere are specialized for such negative emotions as fear and sadness. Damage to the left hemisphere tends to produce excessive anger or depression; damage to the right hemisphere is associated with excessive displays of mania and laughing. Even in people without brain damage, those who are clinically depressed have less activation in the left frontal regions than non-depressed people do (Henriques & Davidson, 1991).
Davidson, Richard J. (1992). Anterior cerebral asymmetry and the nature of emotion. Brain and Cognition, 20, 125-151.
Henriques, Jeffrey B., & Davidson, Richard J. (1991). Left frontal hypoactivation in depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 535-545.
Week 3 (12 Oct - 16 Oct)
Topics:
1. Outlines
2. Abstracts
3. Images: Argument, Evidence, Story 2: Discuss Coles, "The Tradition: Fact and Fiction"
Required reading / viewing / listening:
R. Coles, "The Tradition: Fact and Fiction"
Homework due:
Response paper 2
Briefly (in 300 to 500 words) summarize the essay by Coles that we read for this week. The summaries will form the basis for work we do in class this week, and for our discussion of Coles.
In-class assessment:
Quiz 2
identify claims
Identify the key claim (thesis statement or topic statement) of the paragraphs below:
The years since the early 1970s are unprecedented in terms of the volatility in the prices of commodities, currencies, real estate and stocks, and the frequency and severity of financial crises. In the second half of the 1980s, Japan experienced a massive bubble in its real estate and in its stock markets. During the same period the prices of real estate and of stocks in Finland, Norway, and Sweden increased even more rapidly than in Japan. In the early 1990s, there was a surge in real estate prices and stock prices in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and most of the nearby Asian countries; in 1993, stock prices increased by about 100 percent in each of these countries. In the second half of the 1990s, the United States experienced a bubble in the stock market; there was a mania in the prices of the stocks of firms in the new industries like information technology and the dot.coms.
Kindleberger, C.P. (2005). Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A history of financial crises. 5th ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Identify the better thesis statement, and explain why it is better than the others:
Queen Victoria set the tone of the British Empire, and she allowed powerful prime ministers to take political control of Britain.
Victoria set the tone for later monarchs by ruling through a series of prime ministers.
The United Nations Organization has major weaknesses and cannot prevent a major war.
The organization of the UN makes it incapable of preventing a war between major powers.
There are serious objections to today's horror movies.
Because modern cinematic techniques have allowed filmmakers to get more graphic, horror flicks have desensitized young American viewers to violence.
Although the timber wolf is a timid and gentle animal, it is being systematically exterminated.
Although the timber wolf is actually a timid and gentle animal, it is being systematically exterminated because people wrongfully believe it to be a fierce and cold-blooded killer.
There are advantages and disadvantages to using statistics.
In order to ensure accurate reporting, journalists must understand the real significance of the statistics they report.
In this paper, I will discuss the relationship between fairy tales and early childhood.
Not just empty stories for kids, fairy tales shed light on the psychology of young children.
We must save the whales.
Because our planet's health may depend upon biological diversity, we should save the whales.
Hoover's administration was rocked by scandal.
The many scandals of Hoover's administration revealed basic problems with the Republican Party's nominating process.
Because the Montessori method was thought to weaken school discipline, it aroused much opposition in the 1930s, but interest revived and many schools adopted it in the 1960s.
I will never forget the two years I spent attending a Montessori school.
The Bonus March in 1932 was a spontaneous uprising by unemployed veterans.
Suppression of the Bonus March was a major reason for Herbert Hoover's defeat in the election of 1932.
Insistence on economy and efficiency and ruthless pressure on competitors enabled John D. Rockefeller to dominate the early years of the oil refining industry.
John D. Rockefeller was born in 1839 in Richford, New York.
American English and British English are very different.
Different terms for the same professions illustrate differences between British and American English.
This paper will discuss the sodhouse days on the central plains of the United States.
The sodhouse illustrates the pioneers' ability to adapt to their environment and to use what nature provided.
The polygraph was developed by Dr. John A. Larson in 1921.
Even under the most controlled conditions, the polygraph test has not been proved reliable; this is why its use by employers should be banned.
Examples of abstracts
Most conventional accounts of India’s recent economic performance associate the pick-up in economic growth with the liberalization of 1991. This paper demonstrates that the transition to high growth occured around 1980, a full decade before economic liberalization. We investigate a number of hypotheses about the causes of this growth—favorable external environment, fiscal stimulus, trade liberalization, internal liberalization, the green revolution, public investment—and find them wanting. We argue that growth was triggered by an attitudinal shift on the part of the national government towards a pro-business (as opposed to pro-liberalization) approach. We provide some evidence that is consistent with this argument. We also find that registered manufacturing built up in previous decades played an important role in influencing the pattern of growth across the Indian states.
Rodrik, D., & Subramanian, A. (2004, March). From "Hindu Growth" to Productivity Surge: The mystery of the Indian growth transition. NBER Working Paper. Cambridge, MA.
The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between self-reported depressive symptoms, intelligence, and academic achievement. The sample consisted of 635 school children (304 boys and 331 girls) aged 9-11 years. The variables were assessed using the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), and the grade point average. The data indicate that depressive symptoms are related to academic achievement, in boys also to intelligence. The relationship between depressive symptoms and school grades reached statistical significance in both sexes. In boys, the CDI total scores were associated with full-scale and verbal IQ. Academic achievement was significantly related to full-scale, verbal, and performance IQ in both boys and girls. No gender differences in depressive symptoms or academic achievement were found. Significant gender differences in favor of boys emerged in full-scale and performance IQ.
Preiss, M., & Fráňová, L. (2006). Depressive symptoms, academic achievement, and intelligence. Studia Psychologica 48(1), 57-67.
1. Outlines
2. Abstracts
3. Images: Argument, Evidence, Story 2: Discuss Coles, "The Tradition: Fact and Fiction"
Required reading / viewing / listening:
R. Coles, "The Tradition: Fact and Fiction"
Homework due:
Response paper 2
Briefly (in 300 to 500 words) summarize the essay by Coles that we read for this week. The summaries will form the basis for work we do in class this week, and for our discussion of Coles.
In-class assessment:
Quiz 2
identify claims
Identify the key claim (thesis statement or topic statement) of the paragraphs below:
The years since the early 1970s are unprecedented in terms of the volatility in the prices of commodities, currencies, real estate and stocks, and the frequency and severity of financial crises. In the second half of the 1980s, Japan experienced a massive bubble in its real estate and in its stock markets. During the same period the prices of real estate and of stocks in Finland, Norway, and Sweden increased even more rapidly than in Japan. In the early 1990s, there was a surge in real estate prices and stock prices in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and most of the nearby Asian countries; in 1993, stock prices increased by about 100 percent in each of these countries. In the second half of the 1990s, the United States experienced a bubble in the stock market; there was a mania in the prices of the stocks of firms in the new industries like information technology and the dot.coms.
Kindleberger, C.P. (2005). Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A history of financial crises. 5th ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Identify the better thesis statement, and explain why it is better than the others:
Queen Victoria set the tone of the British Empire, and she allowed powerful prime ministers to take political control of Britain.
Victoria set the tone for later monarchs by ruling through a series of prime ministers.
The United Nations Organization has major weaknesses and cannot prevent a major war.
The organization of the UN makes it incapable of preventing a war between major powers.
There are serious objections to today's horror movies.
Because modern cinematic techniques have allowed filmmakers to get more graphic, horror flicks have desensitized young American viewers to violence.
Although the timber wolf is a timid and gentle animal, it is being systematically exterminated.
Although the timber wolf is actually a timid and gentle animal, it is being systematically exterminated because people wrongfully believe it to be a fierce and cold-blooded killer.
There are advantages and disadvantages to using statistics.
In order to ensure accurate reporting, journalists must understand the real significance of the statistics they report.
In this paper, I will discuss the relationship between fairy tales and early childhood.
Not just empty stories for kids, fairy tales shed light on the psychology of young children.
We must save the whales.
Because our planet's health may depend upon biological diversity, we should save the whales.
Hoover's administration was rocked by scandal.
The many scandals of Hoover's administration revealed basic problems with the Republican Party's nominating process.
Because the Montessori method was thought to weaken school discipline, it aroused much opposition in the 1930s, but interest revived and many schools adopted it in the 1960s.
I will never forget the two years I spent attending a Montessori school.
The Bonus March in 1932 was a spontaneous uprising by unemployed veterans.
Suppression of the Bonus March was a major reason for Herbert Hoover's defeat in the election of 1932.
Insistence on economy and efficiency and ruthless pressure on competitors enabled John D. Rockefeller to dominate the early years of the oil refining industry.
John D. Rockefeller was born in 1839 in Richford, New York.
American English and British English are very different.
Different terms for the same professions illustrate differences between British and American English.
This paper will discuss the sodhouse days on the central plains of the United States.
The sodhouse illustrates the pioneers' ability to adapt to their environment and to use what nature provided.
The polygraph was developed by Dr. John A. Larson in 1921.
Even under the most controlled conditions, the polygraph test has not been proved reliable; this is why its use by employers should be banned.
Examples of abstracts
Most conventional accounts of India’s recent economic performance associate the pick-up in economic growth with the liberalization of 1991. This paper demonstrates that the transition to high growth occured around 1980, a full decade before economic liberalization. We investigate a number of hypotheses about the causes of this growth—favorable external environment, fiscal stimulus, trade liberalization, internal liberalization, the green revolution, public investment—and find them wanting. We argue that growth was triggered by an attitudinal shift on the part of the national government towards a pro-business (as opposed to pro-liberalization) approach. We provide some evidence that is consistent with this argument. We also find that registered manufacturing built up in previous decades played an important role in influencing the pattern of growth across the Indian states.
Rodrik, D., & Subramanian, A. (2004, March). From "Hindu Growth" to Productivity Surge: The mystery of the Indian growth transition. NBER Working Paper. Cambridge, MA.
The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between self-reported depressive symptoms, intelligence, and academic achievement. The sample consisted of 635 school children (304 boys and 331 girls) aged 9-11 years. The variables were assessed using the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), and the grade point average. The data indicate that depressive symptoms are related to academic achievement, in boys also to intelligence. The relationship between depressive symptoms and school grades reached statistical significance in both sexes. In boys, the CDI total scores were associated with full-scale and verbal IQ. Academic achievement was significantly related to full-scale, verbal, and performance IQ in both boys and girls. No gender differences in depressive symptoms or academic achievement were found. Significant gender differences in favor of boys emerged in full-scale and performance IQ.
Preiss, M., & Fráňová, L. (2006). Depressive symptoms, academic achievement, and intelligence. Studia Psychologica 48(1), 57-67.
Week 4 (19 Oct - 23 Oct)
Topics:
1. Introductions, conclusions, and titles
2. Revising for concision and clarity
3. Images: Argument, Evidence, Story 3: Discuss Berger, "Appearances"
4. Sign up for next week's individual meetings
Required reading / viewing / listening:
J. Berger, "Appearances"
Homework due:
Response paper 3
Using your summary of the essay by Coles that you wrote for last week, write a brief (300 to 500 words) essay defining what a reader of your summary would miss by not reading Cole's essay. What is Coles doing that your summary overlooked or oversimplified? That your essay could not represent? What, in short, is the difference between the reader of your summary and the reader of Coles's essay?
In-class assessment:
Quiz 3
outline and abstract
Below are lists of specific items; fill in the blank with a general heading that accurately describes the list provided.
Calculus, European History, Macroeconomics, Human Biology
book, newspaper, magazine, journal
1. Introductions, conclusions, and titles
2. Revising for concision and clarity
3. Images: Argument, Evidence, Story 3: Discuss Berger, "Appearances"
4. Sign up for next week's individual meetings
Required reading / viewing / listening:
J. Berger, "Appearances"
Homework due:
Response paper 3
Using your summary of the essay by Coles that you wrote for last week, write a brief (300 to 500 words) essay defining what a reader of your summary would miss by not reading Cole's essay. What is Coles doing that your summary overlooked or oversimplified? That your essay could not represent? What, in short, is the difference between the reader of your summary and the reader of Coles's essay?
In-class assessment:
Quiz 3
outline and abstract
Below are lists of specific items; fill in the blank with a general heading that accurately describes the list provided.
Calculus, European History, Macroeconomics, Human Biology
book, newspaper, magazine, journal
(Adapted from Langan, J. (1999). English Skills with Readings, 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
For the paragraph below, identify the topic sentence and create an outline for the paragraph using alphnumeric, sentence, or decimal outline format:
The years since the early 1970s are unprecedented in terms of the volatility in the prices of commodities, currencies, real estate and stocks, and the frequency and severity of financial crises. In the second half of the 1980s, Japan experienced a massive bubble in its real estate and in its stock markets. During the same period the prices of real estate and of stocks in Finland, Norway, and Sweden increased even more rapidly than in Japan. In the early 1990s, there was a surge in real estate prices and stock prices in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and most of the nearby Asian countries; in 1993, stock prices increased by about 100 percent in each of these countries. In the second half of the 1990s, the United States experienced a bubble in the stock market; there was a mania in the prices of the stocks of firms in the new industries like information technology and the dot.coms.
Kindleberger, C.P. (2005). Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A history of financial crises. 5th ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Notes:
Sample academic titles
Wilsson, L. (1974). Observations and Experiments on the Ethology of the European Beaver.
Cheney, D. L., and Seyfarth, R. M. (1990). How Monkeys See the World.
Lewis, W.A. The Evolution of the International Economic Order.
Linn, J. (2002). Ten Years of Transition in Central Europe and the Former Soviet Union: The Good News and the Not-So-Good News.
Krasner, S. (1999). Sovereignty: Organized Hypocrisy.
Week 5 (26 Oct - 30 Oct)
No class meeting. Individual meetings in my office on the 3rd floor (L72).
Topics:
1. Review of grades, participation, and performance thus far;
2. Discussion of Essay 1
Required reading / viewing / listening:
None.
Homework due:
Essay 1 due.
In-class assessment:
None.
Topics:
1. Review of grades, participation, and performance thus far;
2. Discussion of Essay 1
Required reading / viewing / listening:
None.
Homework due:
Essay 1 due.
In-class assessment:
None.
Week 6 (2 Nov - 6 Nov)
Topics:
1. Common fallacies
2. Education and Expertise 1: Discuss Freire
Required reading / viewing / listening:
Freire, P. "The 'banking' concept of education."
Homework due:
Response paper 4
Freire's description of what he calls the "banking" type of education is what most readers grab hold of when they first read this chapter because it appears familiar; most of us can think of concrete examples where "Instead of communicating, the teacher issues communiqués and makes deposits which the students patiently receive, memorize, and repeat." But what Freire contrasts to "banking" education - "problem-posing" education - is more difficult to define (which should also be a hint to us that the "banking" concept of education may be a little more complicated, and less familiar, than we think).
In class, we will try to define what Freire means, and test his ideas. As a way to begin organizing your thoughts on this, write a brief page (250 to 400 words) outlining what, concretely, a "problem-posing" class in your major would look like. Be sure to connect the examples you give with specific reference to what Freire says in his essay.
In-class assessment:
Quiz 4
Rewrite the following sentences for concision and clarity:
The author is supporting a very unique policy: a public works administration. The reason why is due to the fact that she grew up during the time of the Great Depression. The policy is designed to put people to work. The policy is supported by several of her friends.
1. Common fallacies
2. Education and Expertise 1: Discuss Freire
Required reading / viewing / listening:
Freire, P. "The 'banking' concept of education."
Homework due:
Response paper 4
Freire's description of what he calls the "banking" type of education is what most readers grab hold of when they first read this chapter because it appears familiar; most of us can think of concrete examples where "Instead of communicating, the teacher issues communiqués and makes deposits which the students patiently receive, memorize, and repeat." But what Freire contrasts to "banking" education - "problem-posing" education - is more difficult to define (which should also be a hint to us that the "banking" concept of education may be a little more complicated, and less familiar, than we think).
In class, we will try to define what Freire means, and test his ideas. As a way to begin organizing your thoughts on this, write a brief page (250 to 400 words) outlining what, concretely, a "problem-posing" class in your major would look like. Be sure to connect the examples you give with specific reference to what Freire says in his essay.
In-class assessment:
Quiz 4
Rewrite the following sentences for concision and clarity:
The author is supporting a very unique policy: a public works administration. The reason why is due to the fact that she grew up during the time of the Great Depression. The policy is designed to put people to work. The policy is supported by several of her friends.
Identify the common methods of introductions
Example 1:
"The system of corporate life," Charles Francis Adams, Jr., wrote in 1869, is "a new power, for which our language contains no name." "We have no word," he noted in "A Chapter of Erie," "to express government by monopolied corporations." My purpose in this book can be described as an effort to find appropriate words and names for the powers which transformed American life in the three decades following the Civil War. I am less concerned than Adams with effects of "monied corporations" on either government or industry, though some of those consequences, so crucial in the emergence of modern society in America, figure in my account. I am concerned chiefly with effects of the corporate system on culture, on values and outlooks, on the "way of life." And just as my subject encompasses more than politics and economics, so my treatment of the corporate system extends beyond the technical device of incorporation in business enterprise. BY "incorporation" I mean a more general process of change, the reorganization of perceptions as well as of enterprise and institutions. I mean not only the expansion of an industrialist capitalist system across the continent, not only tightening systems of transport and communication, the spread of a market economy into all regions of what Robert Wiebe has called a "distended society," but also, and even predominantly, the remaking of cultural perceptions this process entailed. By "the incorporation of America" I mean, then, the emergence of a changed, more tightly structured society with new hierarchies of control, and also changed conceptions of that society, of America itself.
Trachtenberg, A. (1982). The Incorporation of America: Culture and society in the Gilded Age. New York: Hill and Wang.
Example 2:
Many decisions are based on beliefs concerning the likelihood of uncertain events such as the outcome of an election, the guilt of a defendant, or the future value of the dollar. These beliefs are usually expressed in statements such as "I think that...," "chances are ...," "it is unlikely that...," and so forth. Occasionally, beliefs concerning uncertain events are expressed in numerical form as odds or subjective probabilities. What determines such beliefs? How do people assess the probability of an uncertain event or the value of an uncertain quantity? This article shows that people rely on a limited number of heuristic principles which reduce the complex tasks of assessing probabilities and predicting values to simpler judgmental operations. In general, these heuristics are quite useful, but sometimes they lead to severe and systematic errors.
Tversky, A., and Kahneman, D. (1974, September 27). Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and biases. Science vol 185, no 4157 (1124-1131). [p. 1124]
Example 3:
When Beethoven left Bonn in 1792, he had with him an album in which his patron, Count Waldstein, had written: "You are going to Vienna in fulfillment of your long frustrated wishes...You will receive the spirit of Mozart from the hands of Haydn." It was, indeed, with Mozart that Beethoven wished to study; he had traveled to Vienna some years earlier and, it seems, impressed Mozart with his playing. But Mozart had recently died, and the twenty-one-year-old Beethoven turned to Haydn, who had already encouraged him during a visit to Bonn.
It would appear as if our modern conception of the great triumvirate had been planned in advance by history. The idea was, in fact, already sanctioned by Beethoven's contemporaries. Years after the death of Haydn, but long before that of Beethoven, when music-lovers complained of the frivolity of Viennese musical life, they compared the infrequent performances of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven with the popularity of the new and more modern Italian opera. Even those who believed that music had stopped with Mozart thought of Beethoven not as a revolutionary but as an eccentric betrayer of a great tradition. The more perceptive placed him quite simply on a level with Haydn and Mozart. As early as 1812, in the writings of the finest contemporary music critic, E. T. A. Hoffman (who loved Mozart so much that he changed one of his names from Friedrich to Amadeus), these were the three great figures, and there was no other to set by their side except Gluck, who stood out for the seriousness and the integrity of his conception of opera. "Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven," Hoffman wrote in 1814, "developed a new art, whose origins first appear in the middle of the eighteenth century. Thoughtlessness and lack of understanding husbanded the acquired treasure badly, and, in the end, counterfeiters tried to give the impression of the real thing with their tinsel, but this was not the fault of these masters in whom the spirit was so nobly manifest."
Rosen, C. (1972). The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven. New York: Norton.
Identify the common methods of concluding:
I have described the path to the fast track that college graduate women have taken starting with Cohort 1, who graduated in the first two decades of the twenthieth century and who had "family or career" to the latest group, Cohort 5, who has achieved a modicum of success in combing career and family. Each generation built on the successes and frustrations of the previous ones. Each stepped into a society and a labor market with loosened constraints and shifting barriers. The road was not only long, but it has also been winding. Some cohorts of college graduate women gained "family," whereas others gained "career." Only recently has a substantial group been able to grasp both at the same time.
Goldin, C. (2004, March). The Long Road to the Fast Track: Career and family. Working Paper. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.
Week 7 (9 Nov - 13 Nov)
Topics:
1. Citation
2. Plagiarism and academic integrity
3. Education and Expertise 2: Discuss Rodriguez
Required reading / viewing / listening:
Rodriguez, R. "The Achievement of Desire."
Homework due:
Response paper 5
In class this week, we will discuss how Freire might make sense of the story Rodriguez tells in "The achievement of desire." To prepare for this, read Making Connections #1 in Ways of Reading (8th ed., p. 256), and write a brief (250 to 400 word) page in which you outline how Freire would interpret Rodriguez's story.
In-class assessment:
Quiz 5
fallacies
Identify the fallacy.
ad hominem
circular reasoning
non sequitur
slippery slope
equivocation
false alternatives
post hoc
spurious relationship / correlation
hasty generalization
fallacy of the continuum
loaded question
Instructors and administrators should not be permitted to come to student council meetings because student council meetings should be for students only.
My academic advisor suggested to me that I should take logic because logic, he said, teaches one how to argue. But I think that people argue too much as it is. Therefore, I do not intend to take any course in logic, and I think that perhaps logic shouldn't be taught at all. It will only contribute to increasing the tension that already exists in the world.
You can't believe what he says about the economy because he doesn't even have a job.
Either learn how to operate a computer of you will never have a decent job.
Why is it that the children of divorce are emotionally more unstable than those children raised in unbroken homes?
You're trying to quit smoking? But surely just one more cigarette can't make any real difference.
Since the new mayor took office, unemployment has risen. The mayor should be tossed out of office.
If we ban alcohol at staff parties, soon we'll see bans on coffee and tea as well.
As sales of ice cream increase, so do incidents of drowning. Therefore, consuming ice cream leads to more deaths by drowning.
If you buy this car, your family will be safer.
1. Citation
2. Plagiarism and academic integrity
3. Education and Expertise 2: Discuss Rodriguez
Required reading / viewing / listening:
Rodriguez, R. "The Achievement of Desire."
Homework due:
Response paper 5
In class this week, we will discuss how Freire might make sense of the story Rodriguez tells in "The achievement of desire." To prepare for this, read Making Connections #1 in Ways of Reading (8th ed., p. 256), and write a brief (250 to 400 word) page in which you outline how Freire would interpret Rodriguez's story.
In-class assessment:
Quiz 5
fallacies
Identify the fallacy.
ad hominem
circular reasoning
non sequitur
slippery slope
equivocation
false alternatives
post hoc
spurious relationship / correlation
hasty generalization
fallacy of the continuum
loaded question
Instructors and administrators should not be permitted to come to student council meetings because student council meetings should be for students only.
My academic advisor suggested to me that I should take logic because logic, he said, teaches one how to argue. But I think that people argue too much as it is. Therefore, I do not intend to take any course in logic, and I think that perhaps logic shouldn't be taught at all. It will only contribute to increasing the tension that already exists in the world.
You can't believe what he says about the economy because he doesn't even have a job.
Either learn how to operate a computer of you will never have a decent job.
Why is it that the children of divorce are emotionally more unstable than those children raised in unbroken homes?
You're trying to quit smoking? But surely just one more cigarette can't make any real difference.
Since the new mayor took office, unemployment has risen. The mayor should be tossed out of office.
If we ban alcohol at staff parties, soon we'll see bans on coffee and tea as well.
As sales of ice cream increase, so do incidents of drowning. Therefore, consuming ice cream leads to more deaths by drowning.
If you buy this car, your family will be safer.
Week 8 (16 Nov - 20 Nov)
Topics:
1. Evaluating sources
2. Education and Expertise 3: Discuss Tompkins
Required reading / viewing / listening:
Tompkins, J. " 'Indians' "
Homework due:
Response paper 6
Tompkins' essay is difficult. It requires some work on the part of us, her readers, to make sense of what she is saying and doing in this essay - to make connections between the pieces of the essay. She begins by telling a story from her childhood - a story that "stands for the relationship most non-Indians have to the people who first populated this continent." She goes on to state that "The present essay ... doesn't have much to do with actual Indians, though its subject matter is the histories of European-Indian relations in seventeeth-century New England. In a sense, my encounter with Indians as an adult doing 'research' replicates the childhood one, for while I started out to learn more about Indians, I ended up preoccupied with a problem of my own."
As a way to start the work of making sense of Tompkins' essay, reread the essay paying attention to how her "encounter with Indians as an adult doing 'research'" could be said to "replicate" her childhood encounter. Write a page (250 to 400 words) describing some of the connections you can make between her childhood story and the work of her essay. Remember to refer to specific examples from the text.
In-class assessment:
Quiz 6
citation format; plagiarism spotting
Below are bibliographic entries for several sources. For each, give the correct in-text cite in APA format.
Rosen, C. (1972). The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven. New York: Norton.
David, P.A. (1990). The Dynamo and the Computer: An historical perspective on the modern productivity paradox. The American Economic Review, 80 (2), 355-361.
Blair, J. (2003, March 27). Relatives of missing soldiers dread hearing worse news. The New York Times, p. B13.
Blair, J. (2003, March 27). Relatives of missing soldiers dread hearing worse news. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/27/us/nation-war-military-families-relatives-missing-soldiers-dread-hearing-worse.html?pagewanted=print
Delong, B. (2009, July 25). Education and equal opportunity. Message posted to http://delong.typepad.com/
ElecticGlue. (2008, July 21). A Night at the Opera: Contract scene [Video file]. Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-zR2pM_S5U
1. Evaluating sources
2. Education and Expertise 3: Discuss Tompkins
Required reading / viewing / listening:
Tompkins, J. " 'Indians' "
Homework due:
Response paper 6
Tompkins' essay is difficult. It requires some work on the part of us, her readers, to make sense of what she is saying and doing in this essay - to make connections between the pieces of the essay. She begins by telling a story from her childhood - a story that "stands for the relationship most non-Indians have to the people who first populated this continent." She goes on to state that "The present essay ... doesn't have much to do with actual Indians, though its subject matter is the histories of European-Indian relations in seventeeth-century New England. In a sense, my encounter with Indians as an adult doing 'research' replicates the childhood one, for while I started out to learn more about Indians, I ended up preoccupied with a problem of my own."
As a way to start the work of making sense of Tompkins' essay, reread the essay paying attention to how her "encounter with Indians as an adult doing 'research'" could be said to "replicate" her childhood encounter. Write a page (250 to 400 words) describing some of the connections you can make between her childhood story and the work of her essay. Remember to refer to specific examples from the text.
In-class assessment:
Quiz 6
citation format; plagiarism spotting
Below are bibliographic entries for several sources. For each, give the correct in-text cite in APA format.
Rosen, C. (1972). The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven. New York: Norton.
David, P.A. (1990). The Dynamo and the Computer: An historical perspective on the modern productivity paradox. The American Economic Review, 80 (2), 355-361.
Blair, J. (2003, March 27). Relatives of missing soldiers dread hearing worse news. The New York Times, p. B13.
Blair, J. (2003, March 27). Relatives of missing soldiers dread hearing worse news. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/27/us/nation-war-military-families-relatives-missing-soldiers-dread-hearing-worse.html?pagewanted=print
Delong, B. (2009, July 25). Education and equal opportunity. Message posted to http://delong.typepad.com/
ElecticGlue. (2008, July 21). A Night at the Opera: Contract scene [Video file]. Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-zR2pM_S5U
Shines, J. (1975). Too wet to plow. On Too wet to plow [Vinyl disk]. New York: Tomato Records.
Read the following text and the three examples of using the text in an essay. Which uses may be considered plagiarism, and why?
From page 233 of:
Grafton, A. (1999). The Footnote: A curious history. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Historians' practice of citation and quotation have rarely lived up to their precepts; footnotes have never supported, and can never support, every statement of fact in a given work. No apparatus can prevent all mistakes or eliminate all disagreements. Wise historians know that their craft resembles Penelope's art of weaving: footnotes and text will come together again and again, in ever-changing combinations of patterns and colors. Stability is not to be reached. [12] Nonetheless, the culturally contingent and eminently fallible footnote offers the only guarantee we have that statements about the past derive from identifiable sources. And that is the only ground we have to trust them. [13]
Notes:
12. Cf. N. Z. Davis, "On the Lame," American Historical Review, 93 (1988), 572-603.
13. I agree strongly with the discussion of problems of historical knowledge offered by R. Chartier, "Zeit der Zweifel," Neue Rundshau, 105 (1994), 9-20 at 17-19. Cf. also A. B. Spitzer, Historical Truth and Lies about the Past (Chapel Hill and London, 1996).
Examples using the text:
Footnotes can't support every statement of fact. There will always be errors and disagreements. The best historians know that their stories of the past will be continually written and rewritten. But footnotes give us the only reason to trust what historians say (Grafton, 1999, p. 233).
Footnotes "have never supported, and can never support, every statement of fact in a given work." But, as Grafton argued (1999), the "culturally contingent and eminently fallible footnote offers the only guarantee we have that statements about the past derive from identifiable sources" (p. 233).
No amount of footnotes can prevent all mistakes or eliminate all disagreements. But the footnote is the "only guarantee we have that statements about the past derive from identifiable sources" (Grafton, 1999, p. 233).
Week 9 (23 Nov - 27 Nov)
Topics:
1. Find resources using ProQuest
2. Education and Expertise 4: Discuss Percy
3. Sign up for next week's individual meetings
Required reading / viewing / listening:
Percy, W. "The loss of the creature."
Homework due:
Reponse paper 7
We will begin discussing Percy's essay by looking at one aspect of it: the distinction between "complex" and "common" approaches, using the figure of the complex traveler visiting the Grand Canyon. Write a brief (250 to 400 words) paper that describes the difference between complex and common approaches as Percy describes them. What would the common traveler see and do at the Grand Canyon? What would a complex traveler see and do?
In-class assessment:
Quiz 7
Evaluate a source using this rubric:
Who, When, Audience, Reasoning, Sources, External evaluations / reviews, "Clues"
1. Find resources using ProQuest
2. Education and Expertise 4: Discuss Percy
3. Sign up for next week's individual meetings
Required reading / viewing / listening:
Percy, W. "The loss of the creature."
Homework due:
Reponse paper 7
We will begin discussing Percy's essay by looking at one aspect of it: the distinction between "complex" and "common" approaches, using the figure of the complex traveler visiting the Grand Canyon. Write a brief (250 to 400 words) paper that describes the difference between complex and common approaches as Percy describes them. What would the common traveler see and do at the Grand Canyon? What would a complex traveler see and do?
In-class assessment:
Quiz 7
Evaluate a source using this rubric:
Who, When, Audience, Reasoning, Sources, External evaluations / reviews, "Clues"
Week 10 (30 Nov - 4 Dec)
No class meeting. Individual meetings in my office on the 3rd floor (L72).
Topics:
1. Review of grades, participation, and performance thus far.
2. Discussion of Essay 2.
Required reading / viewing / listening:
None.
Homework due:
Essay 2
In-class assessment:
None.
Topics:
1. Review of grades, participation, and performance thus far.
2. Discussion of Essay 2.
Required reading / viewing / listening:
None.
Homework due:
Essay 2
In-class assessment:
None.
Week 11 (7 Dec - 11 Dec)
Topics:
1. Workshop student papers (Essay 1, group a)
Required reading / viewing / listening:
Student papers (Essay 1, group a), to be posted on NetLearn
Homework due:
Critiques (250-400 words each) of this week's student papers
In-class assessment:
None.
1. Workshop student papers (Essay 1, group a)
Required reading / viewing / listening:
Student papers (Essay 1, group a), to be posted on NetLearn
Homework due:
Critiques (250-400 words each) of this week's student papers
In-class assessment:
None.
Week 12 (14 Dec - 18 Dec)
Topics:
1. Workshop student papers (Essay 1, group b)
Required reading / viewing / listening:
Student papers (Essay 1, group b), to be posted on NetLearn.
Homework due:
Critiques (250-400 words each) of this week's student papers
In-class assessment:
None.
1. Workshop student papers (Essay 1, group b)
Required reading / viewing / listening:
Student papers (Essay 1, group b), to be posted on NetLearn.
Homework due:
Critiques (250-400 words each) of this week's student papers
In-class assessment:
None.
Week 13 (4 Jan 2009 - 8 Jan)
Topics:
1. Workshop student papers (Essay 2, group a)
Required reading / viewing / listening:
Student papers (Essay 2, group a), to be posted on NetLearn.
Homework due:
Critiques (250-400 words each) of this week's student papers.
In-class assessment:
None.
1. Workshop student papers (Essay 2, group a)
Required reading / viewing / listening:
Student papers (Essay 2, group a), to be posted on NetLearn.
Homework due:
Critiques (250-400 words each) of this week's student papers.
In-class assessment:
None.
Week 14 (11 Jan - 15 Jan)
Topics:
1. Workshop student papers (Essay 2, group b)
2. Sign up for next week's individual meetings
Required reading / viewing / listening:
Student papers (Essay 2, group b), to be posted on NetLearn.
Homework due:
Critiques (250-400 words each) of this week's student papers.
In-class assessment:
None.
1. Workshop student papers (Essay 2, group b)
2. Sign up for next week's individual meetings
Required reading / viewing / listening:
Student papers (Essay 2, group b), to be posted on NetLearn.
Homework due:
Critiques (250-400 words each) of this week's student papers.
In-class assessment:
None.
Week 15 (18 Jan - 22 Jan)
No class meeting. Individual meetings in my office on the 3rd floor (L72).
Topics:
1. Review of participation and performance in course.
2. Review of final portfolio.
Required reading / viewing / listening:
None.
Homework due:
Final portfolio due
In-class assessment:
None.
Topics:
1. Review of participation and performance in course.
2. Review of final portfolio.
Required reading / viewing / listening:
None.
Homework due:
Final portfolio due
In-class assessment:
None.
Essay 1 assignment
Images: Argument, Evidence, Story
Choose two essays from the four we've read for this sequence. One of the essays should be either Tufte or Morris, and the other should be either Coles or Berger. Write an essay of 1,000 to 1,500 words in which you compare and contrast the uses and meanings of images in the two essays you've chosen. What is at stake for the writers in the use of images? What uses do they consider correct or meaningful? What is a meaningful image? How do the writers use images in their own essays? You should assume that your audience is not familiar with the work of the authors you choose, so you will need to introduce the essays to your readers.
Your essay is due by email no later than * *.
Paper requirements
All essays must:
* be word processed;
* use a 12-point font;
* be double-spaced;
* have numbered pages;
* include your name and a title on the first page;
* use APA citation format;
* use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation;
* use either Rich Text Format (.rtf) or Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format.
This assignment meets or partially meets these learning outcomes:
* write complex analytic arguments, well-supported by evidence/examples;
* incorporate material from external sources in their writing projects, using correct citation;
* understand the requirements of academic integrity;
* understand the concept of plagiarism and know how to avoid it;
* correctly use APA citation format.
To complete this assignment, students will:
* develop coherent, sustained arguments or interpretations in writing, supported by appropriate examples;
* manage self and time to successfully meet course requirements, including preparation (homework and studying), attendance, active participation, and the timely submission of assignments.
The following General Education learning outcomes and competencies are demonstrated in completing this assignment:
* produce coherent texts within common college-level written forms;
* research a topic, develop an argument, and organize supporting details;
* identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments as they occur in their own or others' work;
* develop well-reasoned arguments;
* perform the basic operations of personal computer use;
* locate, evaluate and synthesize information from a variety of sources.
Grading criteria
An “A” paper:
This paper is exceptional. It takes some intellectual risks, and carries out its project with an impressive sophistication of thought and style. The main idea or thesis is clearly communicated. While significant and worthy of being developed, it is also limited enough to be manageable. The paper shows an awareness of some complexity in the thesis: it may discuss possible contradictions or qualifications of the thesis and their implications. The paper’s terms and keywords are clearly defined and all sources are critically examined. The structure of the paper is clear, whether it is a “logical” structure or a more “associational” organization. The paper is generally free from grammatical and spelling errors.
A “B” paper:
This paper does more than fulfill the assignment. It carries out its project with a noticeable degree of skill and competence. It has a clearly stated thesis and organization. It touches on the complexity of the thesis and shows careful reading of the sources. All relevant terms are defined. The paragraphs are unified and relate to the thesis. It has not major distracting errors in usage or mechanics (grammar and spelling), and no major lapses in diction or organization.
A “C” paper:
This paper acceptably fulfills the assignment, though in a routine way. There is a thesis, though it may be rather general. The complexity of the thesis may be touched upon but is not really addressed. The paper’s terms and keywords tend to show a similar generality. The paper’s concepts and thesis are clear enough, but their generality is often a way for the writer to avoid engaging the issues in any real depth. The paper may use sources and cite counter-arguments, but does not critically engage them. The paper has a structure that the reader can discern, though it may be interrupted at times by random or unclear paragraphs and sentences. There may be errors in usage or mechanics.
A “D” paper:
This paper does not have a clearly defined and meaningful thesis, or shows a lack of engagement on the part of the writer. The paper may lack a meaningful purpose: that purpose could be so vague that the reader is unsure why the writer is writing the essay, or the purpose could be so specific that the reader is uncertain why he or she is reading the essay. The paper does not have a coherent structure, uses few or inappropriate transitions and lacks coherent paragraph structure. Specific and relevant evidence is often missing to support the paper’s assertions. There are enough mechanical errors to make it difficult for the reader to understand the writer’s point clearly and quickly. Typically, this paper will have problems such as vague diction, ambiguous phrasings, awkward sentences, undefined terms, unexamined sources, or no sources at all.
An “F” paper:
This paper does not respond to the assignment, or has no main idea or thesis and uses no sources. There is no clearly discernable organization or structure to the paper. There is no relevant supporting evidence. The amount of mechanical errors makes it difficult to follow the sequence of ideas. A stylistically adequate paper that does not respond to the assignment is an “F” paper, as is a paper that is not turned in on time.
Choose two essays from the four we've read for this sequence. One of the essays should be either Tufte or Morris, and the other should be either Coles or Berger. Write an essay of 1,000 to 1,500 words in which you compare and contrast the uses and meanings of images in the two essays you've chosen. What is at stake for the writers in the use of images? What uses do they consider correct or meaningful? What is a meaningful image? How do the writers use images in their own essays? You should assume that your audience is not familiar with the work of the authors you choose, so you will need to introduce the essays to your readers.
Your essay is due by email no later than * *.
Paper requirements
All essays must:
* be word processed;
* use a 12-point font;
* be double-spaced;
* have numbered pages;
* include your name and a title on the first page;
* use APA citation format;
* use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation;
* use either Rich Text Format (.rtf) or Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format.
This assignment meets or partially meets these learning outcomes:
* write complex analytic arguments, well-supported by evidence/examples;
* incorporate material from external sources in their writing projects, using correct citation;
* understand the requirements of academic integrity;
* understand the concept of plagiarism and know how to avoid it;
* correctly use APA citation format.
To complete this assignment, students will:
* develop coherent, sustained arguments or interpretations in writing, supported by appropriate examples;
* manage self and time to successfully meet course requirements, including preparation (homework and studying), attendance, active participation, and the timely submission of assignments.
The following General Education learning outcomes and competencies are demonstrated in completing this assignment:
* produce coherent texts within common college-level written forms;
* research a topic, develop an argument, and organize supporting details;
* identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments as they occur in their own or others' work;
* develop well-reasoned arguments;
* perform the basic operations of personal computer use;
* locate, evaluate and synthesize information from a variety of sources.
Grading criteria
An “A” paper:
This paper is exceptional. It takes some intellectual risks, and carries out its project with an impressive sophistication of thought and style. The main idea or thesis is clearly communicated. While significant and worthy of being developed, it is also limited enough to be manageable. The paper shows an awareness of some complexity in the thesis: it may discuss possible contradictions or qualifications of the thesis and their implications. The paper’s terms and keywords are clearly defined and all sources are critically examined. The structure of the paper is clear, whether it is a “logical” structure or a more “associational” organization. The paper is generally free from grammatical and spelling errors.
A “B” paper:
This paper does more than fulfill the assignment. It carries out its project with a noticeable degree of skill and competence. It has a clearly stated thesis and organization. It touches on the complexity of the thesis and shows careful reading of the sources. All relevant terms are defined. The paragraphs are unified and relate to the thesis. It has not major distracting errors in usage or mechanics (grammar and spelling), and no major lapses in diction or organization.
A “C” paper:
This paper acceptably fulfills the assignment, though in a routine way. There is a thesis, though it may be rather general. The complexity of the thesis may be touched upon but is not really addressed. The paper’s terms and keywords tend to show a similar generality. The paper’s concepts and thesis are clear enough, but their generality is often a way for the writer to avoid engaging the issues in any real depth. The paper may use sources and cite counter-arguments, but does not critically engage them. The paper has a structure that the reader can discern, though it may be interrupted at times by random or unclear paragraphs and sentences. There may be errors in usage or mechanics.
A “D” paper:
This paper does not have a clearly defined and meaningful thesis, or shows a lack of engagement on the part of the writer. The paper may lack a meaningful purpose: that purpose could be so vague that the reader is unsure why the writer is writing the essay, or the purpose could be so specific that the reader is uncertain why he or she is reading the essay. The paper does not have a coherent structure, uses few or inappropriate transitions and lacks coherent paragraph structure. Specific and relevant evidence is often missing to support the paper’s assertions. There are enough mechanical errors to make it difficult for the reader to understand the writer’s point clearly and quickly. Typically, this paper will have problems such as vague diction, ambiguous phrasings, awkward sentences, undefined terms, unexamined sources, or no sources at all.
An “F” paper:
This paper does not respond to the assignment, or has no main idea or thesis and uses no sources. There is no clearly discernable organization or structure to the paper. There is no relevant supporting evidence. The amount of mechanical errors makes it difficult to follow the sequence of ideas. A stylistically adequate paper that does not respond to the assignment is an “F” paper, as is a paper that is not turned in on time.
Essay 2 assignment
Education and Expertise
You have been at university a little over two months. That's not a long time, but it's long enough for you to have had experiences that you can begin to reflect upon. (Since midterms are over, you also have certainly had feedback on work you've done for your courses.)
The readings we've done for this sequence (Freire, Rodriguez, Tompkins, and Percy) deal with the "work" of education: how a system of education places us in the world, and the ways schools characteristically represent knowledge, the novice, and the expert. All of them use of stories to illustrate or enact their points.
Write an essay in which you tell a story of your own, one meant to serve as a corrective or supplement to the stories they tell. Your authority rests on the fact that you are a student at university, and as a consequence have ways of understanding that position that they do not.
You should present your story not just as an example of what Freire, Rodriguez, Tompkins, and Percy describe (and it can't be, since they do not all articulate a single, shared concept of education), but rather as a way to test their differing ideas and concepts. Since your essay is not that long, pick only three of the four readings to work with.
Be sure to directly engage the work of the other writers. You should assume your readers have read the texts, but may not have them at hand as they read your essay. You will not need to present detailed summaries of them, but you will want to adopt (or adapt) their concepts, their words, or their methods to your own purposes.
Your essay should be 1,000 to 1,500 words. It is due by email no later than * * *
Assignment adapted from Bartholomae and Petrosky, Ways of Reading, 4th ed., p. 526.
Paper requirements
All essays must:
* be word processed;
* use a 12-point font;
* be double-spaced;
* have numbered pages;
* include your name and a title on the first page;
* use APA citation format;
* use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation:
* use either Rich Text Format (.rtf) or Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format.
This assignment meets or partially meets these learning outcomes:
* write complex analytic arguments, well-supported by evidence/examples;
* incorporate material from external sources in their writing projects, using correct citation;
* understand the requirements of academic integrity;
* understand the concept of plagiarism and know how to avoid it;
* correctly use APA citation format.
To complete this assignment, students will:
* develop coherent, sustained arguments or interpretations in writing, supported by appropriate examples;
* manage self and time to successfully meet course requirements, including preparation (homework and studying), attendance, active participation, and the timely submission of assignments.
The following General Education learning outcomes and competencies are demonstrated in completing this assignment:
* produce coherent texts within common college-level written forms;
* research a topic, develop an argument, and organize supporting details;
* identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments as they occur in their own or others' work;
* develop well-reasoned arguments;
* perform the basic operations of personal computer use;
* locate, evaluate and synthesize information from a variety of sources.
Grading criteria
An “A” paper:
This paper is exceptional. It takes some intellectual risks, and carries out its project with an impressive sophistication of thought and style. The main idea or thesis is clearly communicated. While significant and worthy of being developed, it is also limited enough to be manageable. The paper shows an awareness of some complexity in the thesis: it may discuss possible contradictions or qualifications of the thesis and their implications. The paper’s terms and keywords are clearly defined and all sources are critically examined. The structure of the paper is clear, whether it is a “logical” structure or a more “associational” organization. The paper is generally free from grammatical and spelling errors.
A “B” paper:
This paper does more than fulfill the assignment. It carries out its project with a noticeable degree of skill and competence. It has a clearly stated thesis and organization. It touches on the complexity of the thesis and shows careful reading of the sources. All relevant terms are defined. The paragraphs are unified and relate to the thesis. It has not major distracting errors in usage or mechanics (grammar and spelling), and no major lapses in diction or organization.
A “C” paper:
This paper acceptably fulfills the assignment, though in a routine way. There is a thesis, though it may be rather general. The complexity of the thesis may be touched upon but is not really addressed. The paper’s terms and keywords tend to show a similar generality. The paper’s concepts and thesis are clear enough, but their generality is often a way for the writer to avoid engaging the issues in any real depth. The paper may use sources and cite counter-arguments, but does not critically engage them. The paper has a structure that the reader can discern, though it may be interrupted at times by random or unclear paragraphs and sentences. There may be errors in usage or mechanics.
A “D” paper:
This paper does not have a clearly defined and meaningful thesis, or shows a lack of engagement on the part of the writer. The paper may lack a meaningful purpose: that purpose could be so vague that the reader is unsure why the writer is writing the essay, or the purpose could be so specific that the reader is uncertain why he or she is reading the essay. The paper does not have a coherent structure, uses few or inappropriate transitions and lacks coherent paragraph structure. Specific and relevant evidence is often missing to support the paper’s assertions. There are enough mechanical errors to make it difficult for the reader to understand the writer’s point clearly and quickly. Typically, this paper will have problems such as vague diction, ambiguous phrasings, awkward sentences, undefined terms, unexamined sources, or no sources at all.
An “F” paper:
This paper does not respond to the assignment, or has no main idea or thesis and uses no sources. There is no clearly discernable organization or structure to the paper. There is no relevant supporting evidence. The amount of mechanical errors makes it difficult to follow the sequence of ideas. A stylistically adequate paper that does not respond to the assignment is an “F” paper, as is a paper that is not turned in on time.
You have been at university a little over two months. That's not a long time, but it's long enough for you to have had experiences that you can begin to reflect upon. (Since midterms are over, you also have certainly had feedback on work you've done for your courses.)
The readings we've done for this sequence (Freire, Rodriguez, Tompkins, and Percy) deal with the "work" of education: how a system of education places us in the world, and the ways schools characteristically represent knowledge, the novice, and the expert. All of them use of stories to illustrate or enact their points.
Write an essay in which you tell a story of your own, one meant to serve as a corrective or supplement to the stories they tell. Your authority rests on the fact that you are a student at university, and as a consequence have ways of understanding that position that they do not.
You should present your story not just as an example of what Freire, Rodriguez, Tompkins, and Percy describe (and it can't be, since they do not all articulate a single, shared concept of education), but rather as a way to test their differing ideas and concepts. Since your essay is not that long, pick only three of the four readings to work with.
Be sure to directly engage the work of the other writers. You should assume your readers have read the texts, but may not have them at hand as they read your essay. You will not need to present detailed summaries of them, but you will want to adopt (or adapt) their concepts, their words, or their methods to your own purposes.
Your essay should be 1,000 to 1,500 words. It is due by email no later than * * *
Assignment adapted from Bartholomae and Petrosky, Ways of Reading, 4th ed., p. 526.
Paper requirements
All essays must:
* be word processed;
* use a 12-point font;
* be double-spaced;
* have numbered pages;
* include your name and a title on the first page;
* use APA citation format;
* use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation:
* use either Rich Text Format (.rtf) or Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format.
This assignment meets or partially meets these learning outcomes:
* write complex analytic arguments, well-supported by evidence/examples;
* incorporate material from external sources in their writing projects, using correct citation;
* understand the requirements of academic integrity;
* understand the concept of plagiarism and know how to avoid it;
* correctly use APA citation format.
To complete this assignment, students will:
* develop coherent, sustained arguments or interpretations in writing, supported by appropriate examples;
* manage self and time to successfully meet course requirements, including preparation (homework and studying), attendance, active participation, and the timely submission of assignments.
The following General Education learning outcomes and competencies are demonstrated in completing this assignment:
* produce coherent texts within common college-level written forms;
* research a topic, develop an argument, and organize supporting details;
* identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments as they occur in their own or others' work;
* develop well-reasoned arguments;
* perform the basic operations of personal computer use;
* locate, evaluate and synthesize information from a variety of sources.
Grading criteria
An “A” paper:
This paper is exceptional. It takes some intellectual risks, and carries out its project with an impressive sophistication of thought and style. The main idea or thesis is clearly communicated. While significant and worthy of being developed, it is also limited enough to be manageable. The paper shows an awareness of some complexity in the thesis: it may discuss possible contradictions or qualifications of the thesis and their implications. The paper’s terms and keywords are clearly defined and all sources are critically examined. The structure of the paper is clear, whether it is a “logical” structure or a more “associational” organization. The paper is generally free from grammatical and spelling errors.
A “B” paper:
This paper does more than fulfill the assignment. It carries out its project with a noticeable degree of skill and competence. It has a clearly stated thesis and organization. It touches on the complexity of the thesis and shows careful reading of the sources. All relevant terms are defined. The paragraphs are unified and relate to the thesis. It has not major distracting errors in usage or mechanics (grammar and spelling), and no major lapses in diction or organization.
A “C” paper:
This paper acceptably fulfills the assignment, though in a routine way. There is a thesis, though it may be rather general. The complexity of the thesis may be touched upon but is not really addressed. The paper’s terms and keywords tend to show a similar generality. The paper’s concepts and thesis are clear enough, but their generality is often a way for the writer to avoid engaging the issues in any real depth. The paper may use sources and cite counter-arguments, but does not critically engage them. The paper has a structure that the reader can discern, though it may be interrupted at times by random or unclear paragraphs and sentences. There may be errors in usage or mechanics.
A “D” paper:
This paper does not have a clearly defined and meaningful thesis, or shows a lack of engagement on the part of the writer. The paper may lack a meaningful purpose: that purpose could be so vague that the reader is unsure why the writer is writing the essay, or the purpose could be so specific that the reader is uncertain why he or she is reading the essay. The paper does not have a coherent structure, uses few or inappropriate transitions and lacks coherent paragraph structure. Specific and relevant evidence is often missing to support the paper’s assertions. There are enough mechanical errors to make it difficult for the reader to understand the writer’s point clearly and quickly. Typically, this paper will have problems such as vague diction, ambiguous phrasings, awkward sentences, undefined terms, unexamined sources, or no sources at all.
An “F” paper:
This paper does not respond to the assignment, or has no main idea or thesis and uses no sources. There is no clearly discernable organization or structure to the paper. There is no relevant supporting evidence. The amount of mechanical errors makes it difficult to follow the sequence of ideas. A stylistically adequate paper that does not respond to the assignment is an “F” paper, as is a paper that is not turned in on time.
Final Portfolio assignment
Your final portfolio consists of the work you have done on Essays 1, 2, and 3 over the course of the semester, and your critiques of the essays you workshop.
Each essay, and the critique section, should be presented as a unit and include:
the original version of the essay;
the written critiques of the essay, if any, from your classmates;
the revised version of the essay.
Your final portfolio is your collection of these units for Essays 1, 2, and 3, plus the critiques you wrote. The portfolio should be presented as a single electronic file.
Your final portfolio is due by email no later than x x x
As with all assignments in this class, late portfolios will not be accepted under any circumstances.
The portfolio is graded on evidence of ability to work with writing as a process - a process that includes, as a necessary component, interrelated stages of revising, rewriting, and rethinking. The evidence of this process is in the stages you have taken your essays through. The result of the process is seen in the final versions of the essays, which are evaluated according to the grading criteria below.
Paper requirements
All essays must:
* be word processed;
* use a 12-point font;
* be double-spaced;
* have numbered pages;
* include your name and a title on the first page;
* use APA citation format;
* use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation;
* use either Rich Text Format (.rtf), Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or Google documents format.
This assignment meets or partially meets these learning outcomes:
* write complex analytic arguments, well-supported by evidence/examples;
* incorporate material from external sources in their writing projects, using correct citation;
* understand the requirements of academic integrity;
* understand the concept of plagiarism and know how to avoid it;
* correctly use APA citation format.
To complete this assignment, students will:
* develop coherent, sustained arguments or interpretations in writing, supported by appropriate examples;
* use research skills to discover material relevant for course work;
* manage self and time to successfully meet course requirements, including preparation (homework and studying), attendance, active participation, and the timely submission of assignments.
The following General Education learning outcomes and competencies are demonstrated in completing this assignment:
* produce coherent texts within common college-level written forms;
* demonstrate the ability to revise and improve such texts;
* research a topic, develop an argument, and organize supporting details;
* identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments as they occur in their own or others' work;
* develop well-reasoned arguments;
* perform the basic operations of personal computer use;
* understand and use basic research techniques;
* locate, evaluate and synthesize information from a variety of sources.
Grading criteria
An “A” paper:
This paper is exceptional. It takes some intellectual risks, and carries out its project with an impressive sophistication of thought and style. The main idea or thesis is clearly communicated. While significant and worthy of being developed, it is also limited enough to be manageable. The paper shows an awareness of some complexity in the thesis: it may discuss possible contradictions or qualifications of the thesis and their implications. The paper’s terms and keywords are clearly defined and all sources are critically examined. The structure of the paper is clear, whether it is a “logical” structure or a more “associational” organization. The paper is generally free from grammatical and spelling errors.
A “B” paper:
This paper does more than fulfill the assignment. It carries out its project with a noticeable degree of skill and competence. It has a clearly stated thesis and organization. It touches on the complexity of the thesis and shows careful reading of the sources. All relevant terms are defined. The paragraphs are unified and relate to the thesis. It has not major distracting errors in usage or mechanics (grammar and spelling), and no major lapses in diction or organization.
A “C” paper:
This paper acceptably fulfills the assignment, though in a routine way. There is a thesis, though it may be rather general. The complexity of the thesis may be touched upon but is not really addressed. The paper’s terms and keywords tend to show a similar generality. The paper’s concepts and thesis are clear enough, but their generality is often a way for the writer to avoid engaging the issues in any real depth. The paper may use sources and cite counter-arguments, but does not critically engage them. The paper has a structure that the reader can discern, though it may be interrupted at times by random or unclear paragraphs and sentences. There may be errors in usage or mechanics.
A “D” paper:
This paper does not have a clearly defined and meaningful thesis, or shows a lack of engagement on the part of the writer. The paper may lack a meaningful purpose: that purpose could be so vague that the reader is unsure why the writer is writing the essay, or the purpose could be so specific that the reader is uncertain why he or she is reading the essay. The paper does not have a coherent structure, uses few or inappropriate transitions and lacks coherent paragraph structure. Specific and relevant evidence is often missing to support the paper’s assertions. There are enough mechanical errors to make it difficult for the reader to understand the writer’s point clearly and quickly. Typically, this paper will have problems such as vague diction, ambiguous phrasings, awkward sentences, undefined terms, unexamined sources, or no sources at all.
An “F” paper:
This paper does not respond to the assignment, or has no main idea or thesis and uses no sources. There is no clearly discernable organization or structure to the paper. There is no relevant supporting evidence. The amount of mechanical errors makes it difficult to follow the sequence of ideas. A stylistically adequate paper that does not respond to the assignment is an “F” paper, as is a paper that is not turned in on time.
Course Outline
Course: UNYP 41160 English Composition 1
Credits: 3 semester credits / 6 ECTS
Length: 1 semester (15 weeks)
In-class contact hours: 45
Language of Instruction: English
Level: Lower-level course in a bachelor's degree program
Pre-requisites: Score of 530 or above on institutional English language placement test
Teaching methods: Lectures, readings, discussion
Class times, rooms
xxx
Instructor
William Barnard, Ph.D.
Catalog Description
Continuation of English Composition 1 with a focus on longer, more complex writing projects.
Over the course of a semester, students will produce 3,000 to 5,000 words of revised prose, plus additional assignments. At least 40% of the final grade will be based on evaluation of revised prose.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
* write complex analytic arguments, well-supported by evidence/examples;
* use online academic databases to find relevant information for writing projects;
* incorporate material from external sources in their writing projects, using correct citation;
* understand the requirements of academic integrity;
* understand the concept of plagiarism and know how to avoid it;
* correctly use APA citation format.
To successfully complete the course, students will:
* develop coherent, sustained arguments or interpretations in writing, supported by appropriate examples;
* use research skills to discover material relevant for course work;
* articulate ideas, and respond to the ideas of others, in the context of group discussions;
* manage self and time to successfully meet course requirements, including preparation (homework and studying), attendance, active participation, and the timely submission of assignments.
General Education Requirements
A grade of C- or better in this course satisfies the General Education requirements in the following categories:
Basic Communication
Students will:
* produce coherent texts within common college-level written forms;
* demonstrate the ability to revise and improve such texts;
* research a topic, develop an argument, and organize supporting details;
* develop proficiency in oral discourse; and
* evaluate an oral presentation according to established criteria.
The competencies of Critical Thinking / Reasoning and Information Management are infused throughout this course.
Critical Thinking / Reasoning
Students will:
* identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments as they occur in their own or others' work; and
* develop well-reasoned arguments.
Information Management
Students will:
* perform the basic operations of personal computer use;
* understand and use basic research techniques; and
* locate, evaluate and synthesize information from a variety of sources.
Required Readings, Viewings, Listenings
Bartholomae, D., & Petrosky, A. (2008). Ways of Reading (8th ed.). Boston: Bedford/St. Martins.
Bartholomae, D., & Petrosky, A. (2003). Ways of Reading: Words and Images. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins.
Morris, E. (2008, April 3). Play It Again, Sam (Re-enactments, Part 1). Message posted to http://morris.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/03/play-it-again-sam-re-enactments-part-one/
Tufte, E. (1997). Visual and Statistical Thinking: Displays of evidence for making decisions. In E. Tufte, Visual Explanations: Images and quantities, evidence and narrative. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press.
All readings are available on reserve in paper format in the UNYP library.
Course Requirements, with estimated workloads
* Homework assignments - 30 hours total
* Quizzes - 15 hours
* Essays (2) - 10 hours of preparation, writing, and revising per essay - 20 hours total
* Portfolio - 20 hours of revision
* Active participation in class meetings - 45 hours total
* Weekly readings - 20 hours total
Total estimated workload for the semester: 150 hours
Criteria for Determination of Grade, including evaluation methods
* 10 % Homework assignments
* 10 % Quizzes
* 10 % Participation
* 15 % Essay 1
* 15 % Essay 2
* 40 % Final portfolio
Criteria for evaluating specific assignments are included with the assignment.
General Requirements
* All course work is governed by the UNYP Honor Code, and students are expected to maintain the highest standards of honesty and academic integrity in their work. All students are expected to be familiar with the UNYP Honor Code.
* All readings / viewings / listenings should be completed before that week's class meeting; they form the basis of that week's work in class.
* Students should have a copy (paper or electronic) of the week's readings at each class meeting.
* Mobile phones should be on silent; no calling or texting during class meetings (wait until the breaks).
* All media and communication devices, including computers, may not be used in ways that distract you or other students from our work during class meetings.
* Unless otherwise specified, papers / essays are due by email.
* Late work is not accepted.
* Missed work / assignments / assessments may not be made up.
Students with disabilities
Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact their teacher as soon as possible to discuss reasonable accommodation.
Grading scale
A: Outstanding work
B: Good work, distinctly above average
C: Acceptable work
D: Work that is significantly below average
F: Work that does not meet minimum standards for passing the course
Specific grading criteria are included with each assignment.
Technology Expectations
* Regular use of word processing software
* Regular use of internet
* Regular use of online databases
* Regular use of UNYP NetLearn
* Regular use of email.
Please note that this course makes substantial use of a course blog and electronic communciation via email. Regular checking of the course blog and the email address listed for you in UNYP's database is required.
Credits: 3 semester credits / 6 ECTS
Length: 1 semester (15 weeks)
In-class contact hours: 45
Language of Instruction: English
Level: Lower-level course in a bachelor's degree program
Pre-requisites: Score of 530 or above on institutional English language placement test
Teaching methods: Lectures, readings, discussion
Class times, rooms
xxx
Instructor
William Barnard, Ph.D.
Catalog Description
Continuation of English Composition 1 with a focus on longer, more complex writing projects.
Over the course of a semester, students will produce 3,000 to 5,000 words of revised prose, plus additional assignments. At least 40% of the final grade will be based on evaluation of revised prose.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
* write complex analytic arguments, well-supported by evidence/examples;
* use online academic databases to find relevant information for writing projects;
* incorporate material from external sources in their writing projects, using correct citation;
* understand the requirements of academic integrity;
* understand the concept of plagiarism and know how to avoid it;
* correctly use APA citation format.
To successfully complete the course, students will:
* develop coherent, sustained arguments or interpretations in writing, supported by appropriate examples;
* use research skills to discover material relevant for course work;
* articulate ideas, and respond to the ideas of others, in the context of group discussions;
* manage self and time to successfully meet course requirements, including preparation (homework and studying), attendance, active participation, and the timely submission of assignments.
General Education Requirements
A grade of C- or better in this course satisfies the General Education requirements in the following categories:
Basic Communication
Students will:
* produce coherent texts within common college-level written forms;
* demonstrate the ability to revise and improve such texts;
* research a topic, develop an argument, and organize supporting details;
* develop proficiency in oral discourse; and
* evaluate an oral presentation according to established criteria.
The competencies of Critical Thinking / Reasoning and Information Management are infused throughout this course.
Critical Thinking / Reasoning
Students will:
* identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments as they occur in their own or others' work; and
* develop well-reasoned arguments.
Information Management
Students will:
* perform the basic operations of personal computer use;
* understand and use basic research techniques; and
* locate, evaluate and synthesize information from a variety of sources.
Required Readings, Viewings, Listenings
Bartholomae, D., & Petrosky, A. (2008). Ways of Reading (8th ed.). Boston: Bedford/St. Martins.
Bartholomae, D., & Petrosky, A. (2003). Ways of Reading: Words and Images. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins.
Morris, E. (2008, April 3). Play It Again, Sam (Re-enactments, Part 1). Message posted to http://morris.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/03/play-it-again-sam-re-enactments-part-one/
Tufte, E. (1997). Visual and Statistical Thinking: Displays of evidence for making decisions. In E. Tufte, Visual Explanations: Images and quantities, evidence and narrative. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press.
All readings are available on reserve in paper format in the UNYP library.
Course Requirements, with estimated workloads
* Homework assignments - 30 hours total
* Quizzes - 15 hours
* Essays (2) - 10 hours of preparation, writing, and revising per essay - 20 hours total
* Portfolio - 20 hours of revision
* Active participation in class meetings - 45 hours total
* Weekly readings - 20 hours total
Total estimated workload for the semester: 150 hours
Criteria for Determination of Grade, including evaluation methods
* 10 % Homework assignments
* 10 % Quizzes
* 10 % Participation
* 15 % Essay 1
* 15 % Essay 2
* 40 % Final portfolio
Criteria for evaluating specific assignments are included with the assignment.
General Requirements
* All course work is governed by the UNYP Honor Code, and students are expected to maintain the highest standards of honesty and academic integrity in their work. All students are expected to be familiar with the UNYP Honor Code.
* All readings / viewings / listenings should be completed before that week's class meeting; they form the basis of that week's work in class.
* Students should have a copy (paper or electronic) of the week's readings at each class meeting.
* Mobile phones should be on silent; no calling or texting during class meetings (wait until the breaks).
* All media and communication devices, including computers, may not be used in ways that distract you or other students from our work during class meetings.
* Unless otherwise specified, papers / essays are due by email.
* Late work is not accepted.
* Missed work / assignments / assessments may not be made up.
Students with disabilities
Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact their teacher as soon as possible to discuss reasonable accommodation.
Grading scale
A: Outstanding work
B: Good work, distinctly above average
C: Acceptable work
D: Work that is significantly below average
F: Work that does not meet minimum standards for passing the course
Specific grading criteria are included with each assignment.
Technology Expectations
* Regular use of word processing software
* Regular use of internet
* Regular use of online databases
* Regular use of UNYP NetLearn
* Regular use of email.
Please note that this course makes substantial use of a course blog and electronic communciation via email. Regular checking of the course blog and the email address listed for you in UNYP's database is required.
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