Final Schedule Reminders:
Thursday, November 15 - Blog Entries Due. Bring Copies of Rough Drafts to Class
Tuesday, November 20 - Library Research Day. NO CLASS
Thursday, November 22 - Thanksgiving Holiday. NO CLASS
Tuesday, November 27 - Bring Copies of Rough Drafts to Class. In-Class Writing Workshop
Thursday, November 29 - Bring Copies of Rough Drafts to Class. In-Class Writing Workshop
Tuesday, December 4 - Final Papers Due. 15 Total Blog Entries Due.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Homwork for Thursday September 27th
2nd Drafts Due (Minimum Five Complete Pages. Bring a copy for every group member and one for yourself).
Peer Response in class.
Peer Response in class.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Homework for Tuesday September 18th
Bring typed rough draft to class along with copies for all of your group members
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Essay Assignment #1
Essay Assignment #1 – Writing Arguments About Literature
Davidson – English 102
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
For the purposes of this assignment you will need to select either one short story or one poem from Writing Arguments. You will then need to select a movie, television show, or song to use in connection with this text. The focus of your analysis should be human interactions. This is a broad concept that should allow for a wide range of original interpretations. However, since a litany of associations could be considered “human interactions” you should be specific in your paper proposal as to not only what you wish to explore, but also why you feel that it is important to the study of these pieces. Your argument should be an assessment of these works and how they function to create both the character relationships and a reader reaction to them.
A FEW EXAMPLES OF POSSIBLE TOPICS:
Choose a subject matter that you enjoy. If your favorite show is American Idol, then use American Idol as a way to look at your choice of literary text. First you need to look at both of your choices (story/poem and movie/show/song) and decide what sort of terms you could use to evaluate both. For American Idol, you might decide that hope, honesty, talent, confidence, judgment, popularity, etc. are all areas that you could write easily. Then using this information you decide that the most complete argument could be written about the judgment of people based on a specific aspect of their appearance and/or performance. With this in mind you choose Grace Paley’s “Samuel” and set about establishing the boundaries of their connection and how both work to help illuminate this concept in the other.
Do not make connections based on the obvious, inane, or ridiculous. Writing an essay comparing Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called to Say I Love You” with Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” because a character is blind and because Wonder is blind would not be a wise or effective approach to this essay. Try to come up with an analysis and connection that is not available to every astute reader. A few more examples of interesting connections: The female body as a commodity (in romantic relationships) in Sex in the City/ Kanye West’s “Golddigger” and Anne Sexton’s “Cinderella.” Notions of loyalty, faith, and commitment examined by looking at the interactions of Tony and A.J. Soprano and Luke’s “The Parable of the Prodigal Son.”
APPROACHES TOWARDS ANALYSIS:
Your thesis statement should introduce your subject and suggest the reason why you have chosen this specific subject to focus your analysis. Most importantly it should state the ideas you want your readers to accept. (The argument that follows should be why they should accept this). This analysis should go further than the primary relationship to explore ideas extending past a first time reading. What do you have to offer that your reader did not initially discover in the text? How can you support your reading and convince the reader of what you have discovered as being a suitable interpretation?
Some topics/ideas to get you started:
• Are there similarities between the two works? If, so what are they and how does their link enhance or help support your argument?
• How would you define each character? How would you define this character in relation to others?
• What do these works say about the ways in which people treat each other? How do they say it?
• Consider the idea of the intimate (those close to someone) vs. the stranger (someone unfamiliar to someone). How do these roles play out in the respective stories? What does this say about people/society in general?
• Re-evaluate character motivations. Why do the characters feel a certain way about the other characters? Are these ideas justified? What causes certain characters to act the way they do? What do these motivations tell us about the author’s intentions and the overall story?
FORMAT:
The minimum length of this assignment is Four complete pages. Papers must be typed, double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman, with one-inch margins. Any papers that deliberately manipulate any of these stipulations in order to gain length will be docked a minimum of a full letter grade. For the purposes of this assignment you should not consult secondary materials, nor use another writer’s critical work to supplement your argument. E-mailed assignments will not be accepted. You must turn your paper in to turnitin.com by no later than midnight on Tuesday, October 2nd. All papers must be turned in stapled and in a folder with both peer response drafts.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:
T Sep 11 – Paper Proposals Due
R Sep 13 – Introduction and Thesis Paragraph Due (Bring a copy for every group member and one for yourself)
T Sep 18 – In Class Writing Workshop
R Sep 20 – 1st Drafts Due (Minimum Two Pages. Bring a copy for every group
member and one for yourself). Peer Response.
T Sep 25 - Finish Peer Response/ Writing Workshop. Bring copies to class.
R Sep 27 – 2nd Drafts Due (Minimum Five Complete Pages. Bring a copy for every group member and one for yourself).
Peer Response.
T Oct 2 – Final Drafts Due
Davidson – English 102
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
For the purposes of this assignment you will need to select either one short story or one poem from Writing Arguments. You will then need to select a movie, television show, or song to use in connection with this text. The focus of your analysis should be human interactions. This is a broad concept that should allow for a wide range of original interpretations. However, since a litany of associations could be considered “human interactions” you should be specific in your paper proposal as to not only what you wish to explore, but also why you feel that it is important to the study of these pieces. Your argument should be an assessment of these works and how they function to create both the character relationships and a reader reaction to them.
A FEW EXAMPLES OF POSSIBLE TOPICS:
Choose a subject matter that you enjoy. If your favorite show is American Idol, then use American Idol as a way to look at your choice of literary text. First you need to look at both of your choices (story/poem and movie/show/song) and decide what sort of terms you could use to evaluate both. For American Idol, you might decide that hope, honesty, talent, confidence, judgment, popularity, etc. are all areas that you could write easily. Then using this information you decide that the most complete argument could be written about the judgment of people based on a specific aspect of their appearance and/or performance. With this in mind you choose Grace Paley’s “Samuel” and set about establishing the boundaries of their connection and how both work to help illuminate this concept in the other.
Do not make connections based on the obvious, inane, or ridiculous. Writing an essay comparing Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called to Say I Love You” with Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” because a character is blind and because Wonder is blind would not be a wise or effective approach to this essay. Try to come up with an analysis and connection that is not available to every astute reader. A few more examples of interesting connections: The female body as a commodity (in romantic relationships) in Sex in the City/ Kanye West’s “Golddigger” and Anne Sexton’s “Cinderella.” Notions of loyalty, faith, and commitment examined by looking at the interactions of Tony and A.J. Soprano and Luke’s “The Parable of the Prodigal Son.”
APPROACHES TOWARDS ANALYSIS:
Your thesis statement should introduce your subject and suggest the reason why you have chosen this specific subject to focus your analysis. Most importantly it should state the ideas you want your readers to accept. (The argument that follows should be why they should accept this). This analysis should go further than the primary relationship to explore ideas extending past a first time reading. What do you have to offer that your reader did not initially discover in the text? How can you support your reading and convince the reader of what you have discovered as being a suitable interpretation?
Some topics/ideas to get you started:
• Are there similarities between the two works? If, so what are they and how does their link enhance or help support your argument?
• How would you define each character? How would you define this character in relation to others?
• What do these works say about the ways in which people treat each other? How do they say it?
• Consider the idea of the intimate (those close to someone) vs. the stranger (someone unfamiliar to someone). How do these roles play out in the respective stories? What does this say about people/society in general?
• Re-evaluate character motivations. Why do the characters feel a certain way about the other characters? Are these ideas justified? What causes certain characters to act the way they do? What do these motivations tell us about the author’s intentions and the overall story?
FORMAT:
The minimum length of this assignment is Four complete pages. Papers must be typed, double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman, with one-inch margins. Any papers that deliberately manipulate any of these stipulations in order to gain length will be docked a minimum of a full letter grade. For the purposes of this assignment you should not consult secondary materials, nor use another writer’s critical work to supplement your argument. E-mailed assignments will not be accepted. You must turn your paper in to turnitin.com by no later than midnight on Tuesday, October 2nd. All papers must be turned in stapled and in a folder with both peer response drafts.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:
T Sep 11 – Paper Proposals Due
R Sep 13 – Introduction and Thesis Paragraph Due (Bring a copy for every group member and one for yourself)
T Sep 18 – In Class Writing Workshop
R Sep 20 – 1st Drafts Due (Minimum Two Pages. Bring a copy for every group
member and one for yourself). Peer Response.
T Sep 25 - Finish Peer Response/ Writing Workshop. Bring copies to class.
R Sep 27 – 2nd Drafts Due (Minimum Five Complete Pages. Bring a copy for every group member and one for yourself).
Peer Response.
T Oct 2 – Final Drafts Due
Friday, August 31, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Homework for Thursday August 30th
1). Post one new blog (due by every Thursday this semester)
2). Read Anne Sexton's "Cinderella" pgs 429-431
Read William Carlos Williams's "This Is Just to Say" pg. 435
2). Read Anne Sexton's "Cinderella" pgs 429-431
Read William Carlos Williams's "This Is Just to Say" pg. 435
Course Syllabus
English 102 / Fall 2007
College Hall 203
TTH 2:25 -3:40
Instructor: Ryan Davidson
Email: ryan.davidson@usm.edu
Phone: (602) 391-7442
Office: 336 Liberal Arts Building
Office Hours: TR 1:30 - 2:15 and by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
English 102 focuses on research and argument—the basic components of academic writing. Building upon what you learned about writing in English 101, English 102 will help you develop critical thinking skills, construct strong persuasive arguments, and find and effectively utilize sources to support and verify your written claims.
REQUIRED TEXT
• Writing Arguments, Custom Edition for USM, by Ramage, Bean & Johnson
COURSE POLICIES
Attendance: Attendance is vital to success in this course. There will be an attendance signup sheet distributed during class every day. You are responsible for signing in every day you are present for class. You are allowed four unexcused absences. Upon the fifth unexcused absence your final grade will drop 10%. (You will no longer be able to make an A in the course). A sixth absence will mean you fail the course. All absences will be considered unexcused unless I have been notified on or before the date of absence and received proper documentation.
Cell phones and laptops: Cell phones must be turned off and put away before class begins. Do not send or read text messages in class. Anyone caught using their phone during class will be counted absent for that day and their overall participation grade will be adversely affected.
Plagiarism: The instructor will investigate all instances of suspected plagiarism. Anyone found to have intentionally plagiarized material will immediately FAIL the course and be referred to the proper university officials for reprimands, suspensions, and/or expulsions. If you have questions about proper citation and documentation of any sources you are using, please see me.
Midterm Grades: Freshmen will receive a midterm grade report. A grade of “C” on this report means your work has been satisfactory; a “D” means unsatisfactory work and an “F” means you have missed too many and are in danger of failing the course. Please note that a “C” on your midterm grade report does not necessarily mean that your final course grade will be a “C.”
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Grade Distribution: In order to receive credit for the course, ALL of the following must be completed. Failure to complete any one assignment will result in failure of the course. There will be NO FINAL in this course.
Essay 1 20%
Essay 2 20%
Essay 3 20%
Writer’s Blog 15%
Peer Response 15%
Participation 10%
Writer’s Blog: Every student is required to start and maintain a blog. If you already have a blog or personal website you may use it for the requirements of this assignment, although you may choose to create a new site. Visit http://www.blogger.com or http://www.xanga.com for a few free options. You will be required to write a least one entry per week. There will be specific entries assigned in class throughout the semester and you should make every effort to make your blog as full and creative as possible. All student blogs will have links posted at http://ryandavidson102fall2007.blogspot.com/
Participation: All students are expected to participate fully in class. Your participation grade consists of not only involvement in classroom discussion and activities but will take into account attendance, in-class writings, and other related activities. If you are unsure about your participation grade during the semester please contact me directly.
Paper Format: All papers and assignments must be typed, double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman, with one-inch margins. Any papers, which deliberately manipulate any of these stipulations in order to gain length will be docked a minimum of a full letter grade. All papers should include a properly formatted works cited page in MLA style along with proper in-text citations. E-mailed assignments will not be accepted.
Paper Proposals: You will need to submit a paper proposal for every essay assignment of the semester. These are typed one page statements of your intentions for your essay. While I understand that your ideas may completely change (and this is okay) I need to have an idea of what you think your focus is before you start. A finished paper will not be accepted without completion and turn in of the paper proposal.
Turnitin.com: All papers must be turned in to turnitin.com by no later than midnight on the date which the paper is due. You must first create your own user profile (if you have not done so already for a previous course) and then may enroll in this course. The class id for this course is: 1961233 and the password is: southernmiss
Late Work: Students are allowed ONE opportunity during the semester to turn in an assignment late. ONE assignment may be turned in, up to one week after the original due date, without loss of credit. After this opportunity any work turned in late will begin with the lowest grade of the assignments turned in on time by your classmates. Hence if the lowest grade in the class were a C, the highest grade an absolutely perfect paper could receive would be a C. Handing in more than one late paper will drastically reduce your chances of receiving a satisfactory grade in the course. The late paper opportunity may not be used for the final paper.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Writing Lab: USM’s Writing Lab is located in LAB 218. Writing consultants in the lab can help you develop ideas for your papers, articulate your thesis, organize your material, and hone your grammar skills. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of the writing lab’s free services. You can schedule an appointment by calling (601) 266-4821.
Accommodation for Students With Special Needs: If a student has a disability that
Qualifies under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires accommodations, he/she should contact the Office for Disability Accommodations (ODA) for information on appropriate policies and procedures. Disabilities covered by ADA may include learning, psychiatric, physical disabilities, or chronic health disorders. Students can contact ODA if they are not certain whether a medical condition/disability qualifies. Mailing address: 118 College Dr. #8586, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001; Telephone: 601-266-5024; TTY: 601-266-6837; FAX: 601-266-6035
This Course is Part of the General Education Curriculum of the University
At the successful completion of this course, you will have demonstrated the ability to:
• develop and focus on one topic in speaking and writing assignments and present ideas in an organized, logical, and coherent form
• use Standard English grammar, punctuation, spelling, and usage
• connect ideas in a coherent essay
• connect course content to other disciplines and/or to real world situations
• write an analytical essay
• find and use (and cite) relevant sources
• analyze the components of an argument
College Hall 203
TTH 2:25 -3:40
Instructor: Ryan Davidson
Email: ryan.davidson@usm.edu
Phone: (602) 391-7442
Office: 336 Liberal Arts Building
Office Hours: TR 1:30 - 2:15 and by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
English 102 focuses on research and argument—the basic components of academic writing. Building upon what you learned about writing in English 101, English 102 will help you develop critical thinking skills, construct strong persuasive arguments, and find and effectively utilize sources to support and verify your written claims.
REQUIRED TEXT
• Writing Arguments, Custom Edition for USM, by Ramage, Bean & Johnson
COURSE POLICIES
Attendance: Attendance is vital to success in this course. There will be an attendance signup sheet distributed during class every day. You are responsible for signing in every day you are present for class. You are allowed four unexcused absences. Upon the fifth unexcused absence your final grade will drop 10%. (You will no longer be able to make an A in the course). A sixth absence will mean you fail the course. All absences will be considered unexcused unless I have been notified on or before the date of absence and received proper documentation.
Cell phones and laptops: Cell phones must be turned off and put away before class begins. Do not send or read text messages in class. Anyone caught using their phone during class will be counted absent for that day and their overall participation grade will be adversely affected.
Plagiarism: The instructor will investigate all instances of suspected plagiarism. Anyone found to have intentionally plagiarized material will immediately FAIL the course and be referred to the proper university officials for reprimands, suspensions, and/or expulsions. If you have questions about proper citation and documentation of any sources you are using, please see me.
Midterm Grades: Freshmen will receive a midterm grade report. A grade of “C” on this report means your work has been satisfactory; a “D” means unsatisfactory work and an “F” means you have missed too many and are in danger of failing the course. Please note that a “C” on your midterm grade report does not necessarily mean that your final course grade will be a “C.”
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Grade Distribution: In order to receive credit for the course, ALL of the following must be completed. Failure to complete any one assignment will result in failure of the course. There will be NO FINAL in this course.
Essay 1 20%
Essay 2 20%
Essay 3 20%
Writer’s Blog 15%
Peer Response 15%
Participation 10%
Writer’s Blog: Every student is required to start and maintain a blog. If you already have a blog or personal website you may use it for the requirements of this assignment, although you may choose to create a new site. Visit http://www.blogger.com or http://www.xanga.com for a few free options. You will be required to write a least one entry per week. There will be specific entries assigned in class throughout the semester and you should make every effort to make your blog as full and creative as possible. All student blogs will have links posted at http://ryandavidson102fall2007.blogspot.com/
Participation: All students are expected to participate fully in class. Your participation grade consists of not only involvement in classroom discussion and activities but will take into account attendance, in-class writings, and other related activities. If you are unsure about your participation grade during the semester please contact me directly.
Paper Format: All papers and assignments must be typed, double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman, with one-inch margins. Any papers, which deliberately manipulate any of these stipulations in order to gain length will be docked a minimum of a full letter grade. All papers should include a properly formatted works cited page in MLA style along with proper in-text citations. E-mailed assignments will not be accepted.
Paper Proposals: You will need to submit a paper proposal for every essay assignment of the semester. These are typed one page statements of your intentions for your essay. While I understand that your ideas may completely change (and this is okay) I need to have an idea of what you think your focus is before you start. A finished paper will not be accepted without completion and turn in of the paper proposal.
Turnitin.com: All papers must be turned in to turnitin.com by no later than midnight on the date which the paper is due. You must first create your own user profile (if you have not done so already for a previous course) and then may enroll in this course. The class id for this course is: 1961233 and the password is: southernmiss
Late Work: Students are allowed ONE opportunity during the semester to turn in an assignment late. ONE assignment may be turned in, up to one week after the original due date, without loss of credit. After this opportunity any work turned in late will begin with the lowest grade of the assignments turned in on time by your classmates. Hence if the lowest grade in the class were a C, the highest grade an absolutely perfect paper could receive would be a C. Handing in more than one late paper will drastically reduce your chances of receiving a satisfactory grade in the course. The late paper opportunity may not be used for the final paper.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Writing Lab: USM’s Writing Lab is located in LAB 218. Writing consultants in the lab can help you develop ideas for your papers, articulate your thesis, organize your material, and hone your grammar skills. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of the writing lab’s free services. You can schedule an appointment by calling (601) 266-4821.
Accommodation for Students With Special Needs: If a student has a disability that
Qualifies under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires accommodations, he/she should contact the Office for Disability Accommodations (ODA) for information on appropriate policies and procedures. Disabilities covered by ADA may include learning, psychiatric, physical disabilities, or chronic health disorders. Students can contact ODA if they are not certain whether a medical condition/disability qualifies. Mailing address: 118 College Dr. #8586, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001; Telephone: 601-266-5024; TTY: 601-266-6837; FAX: 601-266-6035
This Course is Part of the General Education Curriculum of the University
At the successful completion of this course, you will have demonstrated the ability to:
• develop and focus on one topic in speaking and writing assignments and present ideas in an organized, logical, and coherent form
• use Standard English grammar, punctuation, spelling, and usage
• connect ideas in a coherent essay
• connect course content to other disciplines and/or to real world situations
• write an analytical essay
• find and use (and cite) relevant sources
• analyze the components of an argument
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