ENGLISH 2000
Spring 2015
Instructor: Section:
Office: Office Hours:
Phone:
e-mail:
TEXTS AND SUPPLIES
Required
Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with
Readings. Concise 6th Edition. New York: Pearson, 2012. (WA: Writing Arguments)
Moodle
Back-up drive (flash or external or Google docs)
OUTCOMES
1. Use writing and reading for inquiry, learning, thinking, communicating and persuading.
2. Learn how to conduct research and use it effectively in your written works:
a. Interpret, evaluate, integrate, and document information gathered from primary and
secondary sources;
b. Understand a research assignment as a series of tasks that include: finding, evaluating,
analyzing, and synthesizing information from primary and secondary sources;
c. Use a variety of research strategies (interviews, surveys, online and print journal articles,
books and databases, etc.);
d. Integrate information from sources into your writing, documenting it according to
appropriate conventions.
3. Respond appropriately to different kinds of rhetorical situations, with a focus on purpose
and the needs of various audiences using appropriate genre conventions.
4. Adopt appropriate voice, tone, and level of formality.
5. Apply knowledge of structure and organization, paragraphing, and mechanics.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
According to section 10.1 of the LSU Code of Student Conduct, “A student may be charged with
Academic Misconduct” for a variety of offenses, including the following: unauthorized copying,
collusion, or collaboration; “falsifying” data or citations; “assisting someone in the commission
or attempted commission of an offense”; and plagiarism, which is defined in section 10.1.H as a
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“lack of appropriate citation, or the unacknowledged inclusion of someone else's words,
structure, ideas, or data; failure to identify a source, or the submission of essentially the same
work for two assignments without permission of the instructor(s).”
DISABILITY SERVICES
According to our General Catalogue, “The Office of Disability Services assists students in
identifying and developing accommodations and services to help over-come barriers to the
achievement of personal and academic goals. Services are provided for students with temporary
or permanent disabilities. Accommodations and services are based on the individual student's
disability-based need.” Students must provide current documentation of their disabilities to their
1001 teacher. Students should contact the office early so that necessary accommodations can be
arranged.
ATTENDANCE
When students have valid reasons for absence (see PS-22), they are responsible “for providing
reasonable advance notification and appropriate documentation of the reason for the absence”
and “for making up examinations, obtaining lecture notes, and otherwise compensating for what
may have been missed.” Teachers “will assist those students who have valid reasons,” but some
in-class activities are difficult to make up. Valid reasons that must be documented include:
Illness; serious family emergency; special curricular requirements such as judging trips or field
trips; court-imposed legal obligations such as subpoenas or jury duty; military obligations;
serious weather conditions; religious observances (see the interfaith calendar website); official
participation in varsity athletic competitions or university musical events.
Absences without valid reasons, or unexcused absences, are limited to three per term in classes
that meet three times a week (e.g., MWF) and two per term in classes that meet two times a week
(e.g., TTH or MW). Beyond these limits, each unexcused absence will lower the final course
grade by half a letter grade, or five points on a 100-point scale.
NOTE: DOCUMENTATION FOR ABSENCES ARE DUE TO THE INSTRUCTOR WITHIN
A WEEK FOLLOWING THE ABSENCE.
DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING
Annotated Bibliography 500 words Due Feb 6 10%
Research Proposal 500 words Due Feb 13 10%
Causal Argument Essay Draft-5% 1000 words Due Mar 9 20%
Issue Analysis Essay Draft-5% 1500 words Due Apr 3 20%
Researched Argument Essay Draft-5% 1500 words Due Apr 27 25%*
Visual Analysis Presentation 5%
Participation/In-class Writing/Homework 10%
TOTAL: 100%
*Assessed Document
PLUS/MINUS GRADE POLICY
According to the Office of the University Registrar, “Plus/Minus Grading is required for all
undergraduate, graduate, and professional courses using the A through F letter grading system. The letter
grades A, B, C, and D have the suffix plus (+) or minus (-) included to distinguish higher and lower
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performances within each of these letter grades. The letter grade F does not include the plus/minus
distinction.”
For determining mid-term and final grades, the following scale will be used:
100-97=A+
89-87=B+
79-77=C+
69-67=D+
59 and below=F
96-93=A
86-83=B
76-73=C
66-63=D
92-90=A-
82-80=B-
72-70=C-
62-60=D-
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
Homework will not be graded if it is submitted late. Quizzes and other classroom activities
cannot be made up if you miss them. If you have a valid excuse that is documented, the
instructor will then assist you in making up the assignment. (see attendance policy above)
*Hardcopies of assignments are due at the beginning of class. If you are going to be absent on
the day that an assignment is due, you are still responsible for turning it in on (or before) the
scheduled due date. I will not grade work turned in after the due date and time, unless you have
made arrangements with me in advance or you provide valid documentation for your
absence (see attendance policy above). You must turn in a hardcopy of each assignment and
upload a copy to our course Moodle page as back-up; however, only hardcopy assignments will
be graded and returned.
CONFERENCES
You will be required to discuss your work with me in one or more conferences.
COURSE SCHEDULE
(subject to change)
Week 1
W 1/14: Introduction to course, syllabus, and text
In-Class Writing
Homework: Read WA: Ch. 1 and 2.
F 1/16: Discuss Ch. 1 and 2.
Homework: Read WA: Ch. 3, 4, and 5.
Week 2
M 1/19: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – No Class
W 1/21: Discuss Ch. 3, 4, and 5.
Analyze “Why Violent Video Games are Good for Girls” sample essay .
Discuss reading and writing strategies.
F 1/23: In-class writing on Ch. 3, 4, and 5
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Final day for dropping the course without receiving a “W” (4:30 p.m.)
Week 3
M 1/26: Discuss annotated bibliography assignment.
Students brainstorm issues for the assignment.
W 1/28: Library Day
F 1/30: Discuss MLA, citation, and research.
Homework: Read WA: Appendix 2 on evaluating sources and MLA format.
Week 4
M 2/2: Discuss WA: Appendix 2.
Source evaluation and MLA exercises
W 2/4: Looking at sample sources
Students discuss quality sources from annotated bibliographies.
F 2/6: Annotated Bibliography Due
Introduce research proposal assignment
Homework: Read WA: Ch. 11 and 12 (including the sample essays from Ch. 12) to prepare
for Causal Argument Essay.
Week 5
M 2/9: Discuss WA: Ch. 11 and 12.
In-class writing responses to sample essays
W 2/11: Introduce Causal Argument Essay assignment and requirements.
F 2/13: Research Proposal Due
Discuss causal argument further
Week 6
M 2/16: Mardi Gras Holiday
W 2/18: Mardi Gras Holiday, continued
F 2/20: Integrate research proposal into causal argument essay.
Week 7
M 2/23: In-class writing day
W 2/25: Causal Argument Essay Rough Draft Due
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Discuss peer review strategies
F 2/27: Peer Review
Homework: Read WA: Ch. 6 and 7.
Week 8
M 3/2: Discuss Ch. 6 and 7.
W 3/4: Discuss audience awareness, objections, alternate views.
Student response to peer review
F 3/6: Discuss making writing more persuasive.
Week 9
M 3/9: Causal Argument Essay Due
Homework: Read WA: Ch. 8 and 9
T 3/10: Midterm Grades Due
W 3/11: Rhetorical analysis of (visual) arguments
Visual argument exercise
Group students
F 3/13: Students work in groups to select image for visual analysis presentation
Week 10
M 3/16: Students give group presentation of visual argument analysis.
Read WA: Ch. 10, 13, and 14 on evaluation, proposal, and hybrid arguments.
W 3/18: Finish group presentations.
Moving from visual argument analysis to issue analysis essay
Discuss logical fallacies
F 3/20: In-class writing/research day
Week 11
M 3/23: In-class writing/research day
W 3/25: Issue Analysis Rough Draft Due; peer review
F 3/27: Conferences
Final day for dropping the course (4:30 p.m.)
Week 12
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M 3/30: Conferences
W 4/1: Issue Analysis Essay Due
Introduce research argument assignment.
Brief review of key chapters
Discuss sources for final paper
Integrating student argument with source arguments
Homework: write a working thesis and outline for the essay
F 4/3: Spring Break begins – No Class
Week 13
Spring Break
Week 14
M 4/13: Drafting/researching final paper
Mini-conferences on thesis statements and outlines
W 4/15: Briefly review logical fallacies
Drafting/researching final paper
F 4/17: Researched Argument Rough Draft Due; peer review
Week 15
M 4/20: Drafting/researching final paper
W 4/22: Drafting/researching final paper
F 4/24: In-class writing day
Week 16
M 4/27: Final Researched Argument Essay Due
Brief Presentations on Argument Essays
W 4/29: Brief Presentations on Argument Essays
F 5/1: Conclusion; Reflection on argument and how argument is constructed in your major.
Final Grades Due (for degree candidates): Tuesday, May 12, 9:00 a.m.
Final Grades Due (for non-degree candidates): Wednesday, May 13, 9:00 a.m.
By remaining enrolled in this course, you agree to the policies outlined in this syllabus and
the university’s academic integrity, conduct, and attendance policies.
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