Course Schedule

Week One

W, 8/28          

Course overview, syllabus and Blackboard introduction

Introduction of key terms:     Rhetorical Situation, Author & Audience, Tone & Purpose, Genre & Medium, and Stance & Language

Homework: Look for a short piece of writing that interests you. It can be anything from a brief movie review to a newspaper article about the presidential race, or about something happening in your community or the world. Look for something that speaks to you (keep it short—no more than 3 pages). Bring in a copy to class next Wednesday and prepared to discuss it with the class. Think about why you felt engaged with the piece. Did it leave you with an emotional reaction? Did you agree with the writer? What did the writer do well? And, conversely, where was the writer unsuccessful?

Week Two

M, 9/2            

LABOR DAY – no class  Homework: Rhetorical Analysis in the Real World by Phyllis Ryder and post a summary to Blackboard Discussion Forum. 

W, 9/4            

Introduce Blackboard [Bb] Discussion Forum and assign groups for semester

Read: San Francisco Will Spend $600,000 to Erase History and discuss in groups

Use key terms to analyze text

Who is the author? Is the author credible? Why? Who is the audience? How do you know? What is the author’s tone? How do you know? What is the author’s purpose? How do you know? What is the genre? What are the features of this genre? What is the author’s stance toward his subject? How do you know?

Homework: Post a Rhetorical Analysis of your chosen article or of San Francisco Will Spend $600,000 to Erase History on Blackboard.  

Th, 9/5

Research project topic discussion in groups.

Homework: Reflection #1   Tell me what you know about writing and the kinds of writing assignments you’ve been given in the past. How did you approach those assignments? How do you assess your ability to write effectively? Please include any non-school related writing, too. This includes anything you do for work, at home or for pleasure.  Due 9/9

Week Three

M, 9/9            

Introduction to Essay Assignment #1: A Source-Based Essay

Introduction to CCNY Academic Databases and MLA Citations.

Homework: Read “Reflective Writing and the Revision Process: What Were You Thinking?” by Sharon Giles and post a brief summary of the essay in a discussion forum. 

W, 9/11          

Librarian Presentation of CCNY Academic Databases

This class meets in Cohen Library classroom STC3

Before this class please: visit the Cohen Library circulation desk and activate the barcode on the back of your student ID, and know your Citymail username and password so you can sign into the library computers.

Homework: Post first draft of Source Based Essay on Blackboard and bring printout to class on 9/16 for peer review. It should include at least one source found using the CCNY Academic Database.

Week Four

M, 9/16          

In-class groups: Peer review of first drafts of Source Based Essay – groups of three

MLA Citation Workshop. Present in-text and end-of-text citations.

In-class groups: Have each group discuss / critique the citations and present strongest to the class.

Homework: Read and post a brief summary of Lloyd Bitzer’s The Rhetorical Situationinto the discussion forum. 

W, 9/18          

In-class discussion: Lloyd Bitzer’s The Rhetorical Situation 

Rhetorical analysis of Bitzer’s essay

Discuss reading strategies

Homework: Read Chapters 1, 3, 5, 13 and 16 in They Say I Say and post a summary of each chapter and your thoughts on the ideas presented into the discussion forum. 

Week Five

M, 9/23

Discuss readings in They Say I Say

Homework: Post final draft of Source-Based Essay on Blackboard due 9/25

W, 9/25          

Final drafts Source-Based Essay due

Introduction to Essay Assignment #2: An Inquiry-Based Research Essay

Final draft 11/11

Homework: Begin research for your Inquiry Based Research Essay

Week Six

M, 9/30

NO CLASS

Homework: Read Navigating Genresby Kerry Dirk and post a summary into the discussion forum. 

W, 10/2          

Introduce Genres. Discuss the concept and identify a genre you might be interested in.

Introduction of Writing Genre #1: Research Topic Reflection:

Discussion of Genre and Design. In-class discussion of Navigating Genres.

Homework: Research Topic Reflection   Post research topic and paragraph on why you want to study it. Also post your genre choice and why that choice fits your topic. Due 10/7

Week Seven

M, 10/7          

In-class discussion: Research Essay Questions

Introduce examples of and discuss good research questions. What makes a good research question? Develop research questions.

Need ideas for your research topic: Research Paper Topics

Homework: Reflection #2 What have you learned about rhetoric so far?   Write a post and answer the following: How has your approach to writing changes or stayed the same in relation to your first post. Has your understanding of rhetorical terms changed since the beginning of the semester and has this effected your writing? Describe the process writing your first essay. How did you incorporate the research and the rhetorical terms?  Due 10/9

W, 10/9          

NO CLASS

Homework (Essay #2): Post research proposal on discussion board Due 10/14

Week Eight

M, 10/14        

COLUMBUS DAY – NO CLASS

Homework: What Writing Is  by Stephen King and discussion forum post. 

W, 10/16        

Introduce Portfolio Assignment

Create a CAC site

Post Source Based essay to CAC site and forward me your link. 

Week Nine

M, 10/21        

Introduction of Writing Genre #2: Research Proposal

Homework: Post Writing Genre #2: Research Proposal (1-2 typed, single-spaced pages) due 10/23 

W, 10/23        

Introduction of Writing Genre #3: Report on Research in Progress

Homework: Post Writing Genre #3: Report on Research in Progress (1-2 typed, single-spaced pages)due 10/28 

Week Ten

M, 10/28        

Rhetorical Analysis of Why is Hollywood so Afraid of Climate Change?(group discussion)

Use the key terms to analyze the written text and respond to these questions:

Who is the author of this piece? Is this author credible? Why? Who is the author’s audience, and how do you know? What is the author’s tone, and how do you know? What is the author’s purpose, and how do you know? What is the genre? What are the features of this genre? What is the author’s stance toward his subject? How do you know?

Homework: Post first draft of Inquiry-Based Essay. Bring copy of draft to class for peer review Due 10/30

W, 10/30        

Peer review of Inquiry Based Essays

Week Eleven

M, 11/4          

Conferences

W, 11/6          

Conferences

Week Twelve

M, 11/11        

Final draft of An Inquiry-Based Research Essay due 

Introduction of Essay Assignment  #3: Composition in Two Genres  Due 12/4

Homework: Writing Genre #4: Post-Essay Reflection and post 1-2 typed pages of reflection of your Inquiry Based Essay on Blackboard. Due 11/13

W, 11/13        

Introduction of Short Assignment #1: Potential Genres Proposal 

Homework: Post 1-page Potential Genres Proposal

Week Thirteen

M, 11/18        

Introduction of Short Assignment #2: Audience Strategy

Homework: Post 1-page Audience Strategy

Homework: Post Inquiry Based Essay to CAC Site

W, 11/20        

Introduction of Short Assignment #3: Reflection on Your Composition

Homework: Post 1 page Reflection on Your Composition

Week Fourteen

M, 11/25        

Conferences

W, 11/27        

Conferences

Homework: Complete first draft of Essay #3: Composition in Two Genres

Students to receive Checklist for final portfolio

Week Fifteen

M, 12/2          

Introduction of Essay Assignment #4: Theory of Writing

Homework Assignment:  Post final draft of Essay 3: Composition in Two Genres before next class.

Read George Orwell’s Why I Write and Joan Didion’s Why I Write and Zadie Smith’s That Crafty Feeling before next class.

W, 12/4          

Essay Assignment #3 Due

Theory of Writing workshop

Discuss Orwell and Smith’s Theories of Writing. Are they theories?

Week Sixteen

M, 12/9          

Post first draft of Theory of Writing on Blackboard

W, 12/11        

Post final Writing Portfolio and email me the URL link.