Shaw University
English 113, Spring 2007 (MWF)
Instructor: Dr. E. Weil Office: 203 The Cottage (on Wilmington next to
Duplex)
Office Phone: 546-8207 Office Hours: MW 11 - 12:00, 1-2:00; TTh 11-1:00;
F 11-12:00
Home: 870-6038; before 10 PM e-mail: eweil@shawu.edu
Web: www.shawuniversity.edu; click “Faculty Websites”; click my name; follow
Eng 113 links
TEXTBOOKS
1. Goshgarian, Gary, and Kathleen Krueger. Dialogues: An Argument,
Rhetoric and Reader, 5th ed. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2006.
2. A dictionary and a thesaurus
3. Keys for Writers or another grammar handbook
Course Description: English 113 is a course in research writing. It
develops skills of interpreting, evaluating, and synthesizing. It gives
students practice in writing position and proposal arguments and analytical
essays informed by research. Prerequisite: English 112 or its equivalent.
Course Objectives are to help students:
1. improve the ability to write
2. define an appropriate research thesis
3. select appropriate source material
4. read accurately and critically to improve analysis of source material
5. sharpen basic research skills (summarizing, paraphrasing, quoting,
integrating, and documenting source material)
6. synthesize source material into original argumentative papers
7. participate in the discourse of academic communities; that is, realize that
writing is a vital part of all academic disciplines, not just English
English 113 is intended to comply with the following “Core Standards for
Teachers in North Carolina,” including their accompanying indicators, as
approved by the NC State Board of Education March 7, 2002:
Conceptual Framework Theme: To produce graduates who are critical thinkers and
problem solvers with the professional dispositions and technological skills
necessary to function as competent and effective teachers in a diverse world.
Standard 1: Teachers know and understand the English language.
Standard 2: Teachers know and understand the reading process.
Standard 3: Teachers know and understand written and oral composing processes.
Standard 5: Teachers understand the range, impact, and influence of technology,
print and non-print media in constructing meaning.
Standard 10: Teachers use instruction that promotes understanding of varied
uses and purposes for language.
Standard 11: Teachers foster in students an awareness of their own and others’
cultures.
Standard 12: Teachers recognize commonalities and individual differences within
the classroom.
Technology:
Standard 1, Indicator 1: Teachers demonstrate introductory knowledge, skills,
and understanding of concepts related to technology.
Standard 2, Indicator 3: Teachers identify and locate technology resources and
evaluate them for accuracy and suitability.
Standard 3, Indicator 1: Teachers facilitate technology-enhanced experiences
that address content standards and student technology standards.
Core Standard 2, Indicator 8: Teachers teach communication, thinking,
and problem solving skills.
Diversity Standard 2, Indicator 2: Teachers assist students in developing
multiple learning strategies to address discipline specific content,
communication, critical thinking, and problem solving skills.
Diversity Standard 4, Indicator 3: Teachers promote appreciation and
respect for diversity by rejecting the use of stereotypes.
Schedule of Readings and
Assignments
F Jan 12: Introduction to the course; diagnostic writing sample; buy the book.
M Jan 15: M.L. King Holiday
W Jan 17: Brief Grammar Review; The Writing Process.
F Jan 19: Read Goshgarian, Dialogues, 1-21. In-class exercise: Thesis
statements.
M Jan 22: Read Goshgarian, 28-46, especially 35-40. In-class: Writing
summaries.
W Jan 24: Read Lewis, “The Case Against Tipping,” 21-23 and Finkelman, “This
One’s for the Birds,” 23-25. Write a summary of either essay. (10 points)
F Jan 26: Read Goshgarian, 49-61 on recognizing logical fallacies.
M Jan 29: Read Goshgarian, Ch 4, 85-103. Write a summary of either Jeff
Jacoby’s essay or Robert J. Samuelson’s essay. (10 pts.)
W Jan 31: Read Goshgarian, Ch 5, 123-136. Write a summary of either Clara
Spotted Elk’s essay or Ron Karpati’s essay. (10 points)
F Feb 2: Read Goshgarian, Ch 5, 136-162. Write a summary of “Poetry is Dead.
Does Anybody Care?,” by Bruce Wexler. (10 points)
M Feb 5: Read Goshgarian, Ch 9, 252-277. In class: Using NC LIVE.
W Feb 7: Handling Quotations. Read Goshgarian, Ch 3, 62-73.
F Feb 9: More on handling quotations. In Class: How to write a Prospectus &
Bibliography.
M Feb 12: Read Goshgarian, 278-303, Works Cited in MLA Style. Turn in a
prospectus & bibliography for your first essay. (10 pts.)
W Feb 14: Catch-up; Review for Midterm.
F Feb 16: Midterm Exam (50 pts.)
M Feb 19: We’ll go over the test. Manuscript format.
M Feb 19 & T Feb 20: Optional but highly recommended: Bring a rough draft of
your first essay to an individual conference with me in my office.
W Feb 21: Your first essay is due. (100 pts.) Come to class even if
you are not finished!
F Feb 23: Read Adult Crime, Adult Time: Outdated Juvenile Laws Thwart
Justice,” by Linda J. Collier, 717-720. Write a summary of Collier’s essay.
(10 pts.)
M Feb 26: Read “The ‘M’ Word,” by Andrew Sullivan, 620-621 AND “’Gay Marriage’
Confusions,” by Thomas Sowell, 631-633. Write a summary of either
essay. (10 pts.)
W Feb 28: Strategies for revision.
F Mar 2: Read “Americans Don’t Understand That Their Heritage is Itself a
Threat,” by Caleb Carr, 480-483. Write a summary of Carr’s essay (10 pts.)
M Mar 5: Bring a prospectus & bibliography for the second essay (10 pts).
W Mar 7: Oral Presentations (30 pts.) / Work on research. Revision of first
essay due (optional).
F Mar 9: Oral Presentations / Work on your draft
M Mar 12: Oral Presentations / Work on your draft
W Mar 14: Oral Presentations / Work on your draft.
F Mar 16: Bring any research notes and/or photocopies of essays from your
research. Review of how to handle and document quotations.
M Mar 19: In class writing exercise. (Optional: Rough draft conferences with
Dr. Weil.)
W Mar 21: Your second essay is due. (100 pts.) Come to class, even if
not finished. (Th Mar 23 is the last day to withdraw.)
F Mar 23: Read “Which One of These Sneakers is Me?,” by Doug Rushkoff,
339-342. Write a summary of Rushkoff’s essay. (10 pts.)
M Mar 26: Read “You Can’t Judge a Crook by His Color,” by Randall Kennedy,
688-692. Write a summary of Kennedy’s essay. (10 pts.)
W Mar 28: Read “Why We’re Not One Nation ‘Under God’.” by David Greenberg,
766-770. Summarize Greenberg’s essay. (10 pts.)
F Mar 30: In-class exercises on improving style and voice.
M Apr 2: Review of The Classical Scheme of Arrangement.
W Apr 4: Turn in a prospectus & bibliography for your third essay (10 pts.)
F Apr 14 - Sunday Apr 15: Easter Holiday & Spring Break
M Apr 16: MLA review and intro to the APA style of documentation.
W Apr 18: Awards Day (No class?)
F Apr 20: Writing exercises.
M Apr 23: Writing exercises.
W Apr 25: Writing exercises.
F Apr 27: Writing Exercises.
M Apr 30: Writing Exercises. (Optional: rough draft conferences)
W May 2: Your last essay is due. (100 pts.)
F May 4: Last day of class. Review for competency exam (TBA).
Here is how your final grade will be figured:
Essay 1: 100 pts.
16.7% of your final grade
Essay 2: 100 pts. 16.7%
Essay 3: 100 pts. 16.7%
Best 10 sketches: 100 pts. 16.7%
Midterm exam: 50 pts. 8.3%
Oral Presentation: 30 pts. 5.0%
Edited pages: 20 pts. 3.3%
Class attendance: 100 pts. 16.7%
Total: 600 pts.
540 - 600 = A 480 - 539 = B 420 - 479 = C 360 - 419 = D
Some explanations:
1. Please remember that this is a course in composition and research, and I
will expect to find properly documented research in all three essays. An essay
without research fails, scoring 0 points. Also, an essay which includes any
plagiarized material fails, scoring 0 points.
2. There will be 13 10-point assignments (aka “sketches”); I will count your
best 10, so don’t worry if you miss one or two. Only sketches that are typed
can earn the maximum 10 points; 9 is the highest score for handwritten sketches.
3. Edited pages: Your three essays need to be 5 pages each. Also turn in at
least 5 sketches in typed form. You get a point for each typed page, up to 20.
Works Cited pages don’t count.
A few words about plagiarism:
There are two kinds of plagiarism, unintentional and intentional. Unintentional
plagiarism is the sloppy, careless, unclear, or incorrect citation of sources.
In other words, unintentional plagiarism happens when you make certain kinds of
mistakes. Avoiding and/or correcting those mistakes is what this course is all
about. Pay careful attention to corrections I make on your papers so that you
can earn better grades on subsequent papers. Intentional plagiarism means
cheating -- turning in someone else’s work as your own or copying from sources
without providing citations. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, such
activities as buying ready-made term papers, either from a person or from a
website; cutting and pasting material (even one sentence) from a website to your
essay without proper documentation; having someone else write your paper or
revise it for you; turning in a paper someone else has turned in, either for
this course or another; turning in the same paper for two different courses.
Please note that anything you can find on the internet, I can find on the
internet, whether it’s a term paper mill or a website. To repeat: an essay
which includes any plagiarized material fails, scoring 0 points with no
opportunity for revision.
Attendance, Lateness, and
Deadlines
Consistent class attendance is essential to success in this course;
therefore, I have devised a policy which allows you to determine part of your
grade based on attendance. We have 43 class meetings scheduled. Each time you
come to class you get 2.33 points (43 x 2.33 = 100.19). Think of it as if you
are getting paid for attending class. You may miss all the class meetings you
want, but each miss costs you 2.33 points, and if assignments are late, there
may be other penalties (see below). Exceptions are made for University duties.
I am not interested in listening to other excuses, so please don’t bother me
with them. Conduct your personal business at times when you don’t have class;
that’s what I do. And please remember that you are responsible for making up
all missed work. When in doubt, check this syllabus.
Coming to class late (defined as arriving after I have taken attendance)
counts against you. If you are tardy, you get only 1 attendance point for that
day. In addition, sleeping in class, acting as if you are asleep, or failing to
do in-class writings will also cause me to mark you “tardy” for that day. If
you arrive 15 or more minutes late, you will not be counted present. If your
cell phone, beeper, or any other electronic device goes off during class, you
will gain a “tardy” mark. Leaving early without prior permission (for example,
to answer a cell phone call) will cause me to mark you “absent.” You are
grown-ups; get a drink or go to the bathroom before or after class, not during
class.
Deadlines are important to success in college. If you turn assignments in late,
there will be consequences. Turning an essay in late means that you give up the
opportunity to revise it for a potentially higher grade. (Revisions are
possible for the first two essays, not the third.) If the essay is less than a
week late, only 5 points will be deducted. If the essay is turned in a week
late, and for each week of additional lateness, there will be a reduction of 10
points. An essay which is wholly or partly plagiarized earns 0 points. Turning
a sketch-writing in late means a 7 (rather than 9 or 10) will be the highest
possible grade. Sketches that are over a week late get 3 points.
I try to be extremely careful with my record-keeping; however, mistakes
can be made. Keep either a disk copy or a hard copy of all your essays, and you
should keep all graded, returned writing in a safe place. At any time during
the semester, if you want to know your current grade in the course, please see
me during my office hours or email me.