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Intermediate Academic Reading & Writing - Level 5: A
Spring Quarter
Class Meetings: M-F 9:10-10:10 AM
Instructor: Michael Buckhoff
Course Overview and Policy
Texts
Elements of Argument, by Annette T. Rottenberg
A Writers Reference, 4th Ed. By Hacker. Boston: Bedford Books,
1992
Other Materials
One blank 3.5 inch floppy disk
One notebook with loose leaf paper for class notes/ Journal
One folder for writing assignments
Hardback American Heritage or Websters Collegiate dictionary
Michaels ESL Web Site
Annette Rottenbergs Web Site: http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/composition/rottenberg/index.htm
Course Description and Objectives
Prerequisites for Intermediate Academic Reading & Writing - Level
5 are a score of 201+ on the English Placement Test or successful completion of
Introduction to Academic Writing Level 4. This course is designed to prepare you
for the reading and writing of persuasive essays, which are required in American
universities and professional settings. Writing affects the way we think and
learn, as well as for our chances of success, our personal development, and our
relations with other people. The emphasis in this class is on learning by doing,
so expect to write and read often. We will have two out of class essays, eight
in-class "essays", a common midterm, reading quizzes, an oral summary,
and a term project. To make your revision easier, you will need to type all your
papers on a computer or word processor.
The Composition Committee has set some guidelines which will help us have a
focus on what we want to accomplish in this class. Moreover, these guidelines
will help prepare you for the rigors of academic writing in the university or in
professional settings. It is my responsibility as the instructor for this course
to help each one of you satisfactorily complete the following:
Analyze, -understand, and incorporate the "system" that makes up
argumentative discourse - from the textbook, Elements of argument:
1) Claims
2) Definitions
3) Support
4) Warrants
5) Language and Thought
6) Induction, Deduction, and Logical Fallacies
Produce a 3-4 page argumentative essay for each of these types of
arguments: 1) Taking a Position 2) Proposing solutions
Produce a 5-7 page research term project in which 5-7 sources are used to
support different sides to an argument.
Take regular quizzes on each chapter of the textbook to demonstrate
understanding of the reading.
Learn and use strategies for taking the English Placement Test, such as
decoding instructions, time planning, and revising under pressure.
Understand and practice the pre-writing process, making serious and
thorough efforts to free-write, brainstorm, cluster, group, tree-diagram and
outline.
Understand and practice the process of revising, by completing multiple
drafts of an essay. Become familiar with the library facilities, research
databases, and methods of inquiry.
Learn to analyze the reader and shape rhetorical arguments according to the
audience.
Analyze and use a variety of organizational patterns.
Integrate and organize source information and documentation into essays.
Understand cultural issues concerning plagiarism and adhere to the academic
policies.
Read, comprehend, and use complex grammatical structures of subordination
and coordination.
Students will learn and use the system of organizing an argument by analyzing
the patterns in sample essays and by writing their own. Students will also
practice using complex grammatical structures, learn to utilize library
databases for research, and practice for the English Placement Test.
Requirements
Assignment #1: Kristin A Goss, "Taking a Stand Against Sexism",
Suzan Shown Hario, "Last Rites for Indian Dead," and Rachel
Richardson, "Abortion, Right and Wrong," all present examples of
argumentative writing. As you read these essays, consider how the titles are
appropriate for the essays. Closely evaluate how each writer presents the issue,
takes a position, and then develops a convincing, well reasoned argument.
In a similar fashion to these writers, write a 3-4 page paper using MLA
style documentation that argues a position on a controversial issue.
Be sure to examine the issue critically. In fact, instead of framing an
argument to support an already-formed opinion, I encourage you to analyze
the pros and cons of the issue before reaching your own conclusions.
Remember that it is important to think through the issue and base your
position on solid reasoning and evidence.
Though you do not want to waffle on the issue that you argue, you will
need to anticipate readers opposing arguments; in response to this, you
may have to modify your own position by acknowledging good points, or you
will have to defend your position by refuting arguments with which the
audience disagrees.
Assignment #2: Samuel D. Proctor, "To the Rescue: A National Youth
Academy", and Edward L. Palmer, "Improving TV for Americas
Children," present examples of yet another type of argumentative discourse:
that of "proposing solutions." As you closely examine these two
essays, consider how the titles are appropriate for the essays. Closely evaluate
how the writers define the problems, propose solutions, present convincing
arguments, and use reasonable tones.
In a similar fashion to these writers, write a 3-4 page essay using MLA
style documentation, which proposes a solution to a problem. Choose a
problem faced by the community or group to which you belong, and address
your proposal either to one or more members of the group or to an outsider
who might help solve the problem .
Be sure to choose a topic that concerns a group to which you belong so
that you can more easily anticipate possible objections to your solution and
alternative solutions others might offer. You will also be able to draw on
common values, interests, and experience to establish the seriousness of the
problem and argue for the feasibility of the proposed solution.
Assignment #3: The Term Project
This project requires you to do a literature review of 5-7 pages in length.
Choose a problem or question that is currently debated in a field of your choice
(preferably your academic major). You will research 5-7 sources that represent
different sides of the debate. These sources should include books and/or
articles from periodicals and academic journals. You should use the MLA
documentation style and organize your paper as follows:
1) Introduction: Present the research question, giving the necessary
background information. Then suggest the order you plan to discuss the
different sides of the debate.
2) Body: Organize your discussion in a clear and logical manner,
according to the different arguments you have found. Document the arguments
with quotes and paraphrases.
3) Conclusion: Summarize your findings, offer any additional comments
that may enlighten your paper, and make suggestions for more research.
4) Bibliography: List the sources you cited, following the MLA style.
You will work on this paper in 6 stages throughout the quarter:
Stage 1- weeks 1&2: Reading the assignment/developing a topic &
thesis
Stage 2- weeks 3&4: Revising thesis/pre-writing - listing, grouping,
tree-diagrams, etc.
Stage 3- weeks 5&6: Write first draft (to be revised based on
critical reading by writing center tutor).
Stage 4- weeks 7&8: 2nd draft (to be revised based on my reading)
Stage 5- week 9: 3rd draft (to be graded and revised based on my reading)
Stage 6- week 10: Final draft (to be submitted with all previous drafts
and pre-writing)
I will gladly accept papers that are double-spaced, typed and are in 12 point
courier font..
Writing Assignments: "Taking a postion" and "proposing a
solution" essays have a minimum of four stages and all stages must be
included when the final draft is turned in. If you do the optional fifth stage
of writing, be sure to turn in all previous work associated with that
"re-revised" essay. A brief description of the invention, planning and
drafting, middle draft peer review, final draft, and revised final draft stages
will be explained.
1. Invention writing : Each student will be expected to participate. It
is at this stage that you find a topic, discover what you know about it,
consider your purpose, and audience, and further develop your ideas by
listing, grouping, and naming related words about the selected topic.
2. Planning and drafting: Once the initial period of invention is
completed, you should review what you have learned about the topic and start
to plan your essay. Planning requires you to put your ideas into a coherent,
purposeful order appropriate to your readers; drafting challenges you to
find the words that will be understandable and interesting to those readers.
Invention continues as you draft, for you will continue to make further
discoveries about your topic as you work. But drafting requires you to shift
your focus from generating new ideas and gathering further information to
forging new and meaningful relations among your ideas and information. Your
objective at this stage of the process is to construct a point statement
which will serve as the introduction to the essay. After the point
statement, you will make a tree diagram showing the organization of your
essay. Your goal is to have three coherent layers of content at the point,
support, and sub-support layers of meaning.
3. Middle draft peer review: After you have finished drafting your essay,
you will show it to someone else for comments and advice on how to improve
it. Most experienced writers often seek advice from others. Be both positive
and skeptical- positive in that you are trying to identify what is workable
and promising in the draft, skeptical in that you need to question the
writers assumptions and decisions. Offer advice, but do not rewrite the
paper. Your role is to read carefully, to point out what you think is or is
not working, to make suggestions and ask questions. Leave the revising to
the writer. I suggest that you do the following things to make the middle
draft peer review as productive as possible: Have someone in the writing
center read your essay. Have a native speaker read your essay. Have an
advanced ESL student (i.e. TOEFL score = 550+) read your essay.
4. Final Draft: Even productive invention and smooth drafting rarely
result in the essay a writer has imagined. Experienced writers are not
surprised or disappointed when this happens, however. They expect to revise
a draft and revising will help move them closer to the essay they really
want to write. Read your middle draft critically and thoughtfully. Reflect
on the critical reading by others and see if you can find opportunities for
improvement. You may notice misspelled words or garbled sentences; most
important, however, you may discover ways to delete, move, rephrase, and add
material in order to express your ideas more clearly. It is at this point
that the instructor gets an opportunity to evaluate your writing in its
first four stages: namely the invention, planning and drafting, middle draft
peer review, and final draft stages.
5. Revised final draft (optional): I will write comments and suggestions
on your final draft and you may choose to keep the grade I give you or you
may revise and resubmit it for reassessment. If you choose to revise, you
will have one week from the time that I hand back the graded final draft
essay.
Grading
The number letter grading scale is set as follows:
A 95-100
A- 90-94
B+ 87-89
B 84-86
B- 80-83
C+ 76-79
C 70-75
NC 69& below
Scoring Grade
Your final grade will be broken down as follows:
Attendance and participation 5%
Taking a position 10%
Proposing a solution 10%
Term Project 20%
Oral Summary of Term Project 10%
Eight in-class essays 15%
Midterm exam 10%
Writing Center: Five visits 10%
Reading Quizzes 10%
Late Work
Assignments submitted after the due date will not be accepted. In other
words, you will receive no points at all for that essay. I will only allow you
to make up missed work if you have a written documented excuse from someone
stating the urgency of the situation (e.g. Doctors note, CHP accident report,
etc.).
Attendance
Your attendance is required at all class meetings. Only written documented
excuses for an absence may result in your making up an assignment or graded
daily work. Absences endanger your grade simply because of the amount of writing
done in class. Four absences will result in an overall reduction of one full
letter grade and six absences will result in a failing grade for this class.
Tutorials
You are required to go to the writing center before you turn in the final
draft of your essay. Make sure that you make an appointment in advance! There
are many knowledgeable, interested and friendly tutors in the center who are
ready to help you according to your needs. You must bring signed slips from the
tutors in order to get the credit. I expect you to go to the writing center at
least five times during the quarter.
Plagiarism
A pretty ugly word, wouldn't you say? Passing off someone else's work as your
own is ugly too. Those found guilty of plagiarism will receive an F on the
assignment, an F in the class, and may face expulsion from the program.
Plagiarism is the act of claiming someone else's work as one's own, and may show
up in the following forms:
a. Verbatim copying without proper acknowledgement.
b. Paraphrasing without proper acknowledgement.
c. Putting together a patch-work paper from diverse sources without
acknowledging the sources.
d. The out-and-out theft of someone else's significant idea(s) without
proper acknowledgement.
One key to understanding plagiarism is that the student's INTENTIONS are not
necessarily the problem. A student can be guilty of plagiarism without
necessarily intending to "cheat" on an assignment.
Assessment of Written Work
I will use the Scoring Guide for the English Placement Test at California
State University, San Bernardino when I evaluate your papers for a grade. A copy
of that guide is attached.. Use the following scale to find the letter grade
equivalent to the holistic numbers on your papers:
6=A
5=B
4=C
3=D
2=F
1=F
EPT Scoring Guide
Superior 6 demonstrates superior writing, but may have minor flaws. An essay
in this category:
addresses the topic clearly and responds effectively to all aspects of
the task;
explores the issues thoughtfully and in depth; is coherently and
logically organized, with ideas supported by apt reasons and well-chosen
examples;
is generally free from errors in mechanics, usage, and sentence
structure.
Strong 5 demonstrates clear competence in writing. It may have some errors,
but they are not serious to distract or confuse the reader. An essay in this
category:
clearly addresses the topic, but may respond to some aspects of the task
more effectively than others;
shows some depth and complexity of thought;
is well organized and developed with appropriate reasons and examples;
displays some syntactic variety and facility in the use of language;
may have a few errors in mechanics, usage, and sentence structure.
Adequate 4 demonstrates adequate writing. It may have some errors that
distract the reader, but they do not significantly obscure meaning. An essay in
this category:
addresses the topic, but may slight some aspects of the task;
may treat the topic simplistically or repetitively; is adequately
organized and developed, generally supporting ideas with reasons and
examples;
demonstrates adequate facility with syntax and language; may have some
errors, but generally demonstrates control of mechanics, usage, and sentence
structure.
Marginal 3 demonstrates developing competence, but is flawed in some
significant way(s). An essay in this category reveals one or more of the
following weaknesses:
distorts or neglects aspects of the task; lacks focus, or demonstrates
confused or simplistic thinking;
is poorly organized or developed; does not provide adequate or
appropriate details to support generalizations, or provides details without
generalizations;
has problems with or avoids syntactic variety; has an accumulation of
errors in mechanics, usage, and sentence structure.
Inadequate 2 is seriously flawed. An essay in this category reveals one or
more of the following weaknesses:
indicates confusion about the topic or neglects important aspects of the
task;
lacks focus and coherence, or often fails to communicate its ideas; has
very weak organization, too little development;
provides simplistic generalizations without support;
has inadequate sentence control and a limited vocabulary; is marred by
numerous errors in mechanics, usage, and sentence structure.
Incompetent 1 demonstrates fundamental deficiencies in writing skills. An
essay in this category reveals one or more of the following weaknesses:
suggests an inability to comprehend the question or to respond
meaningfully to the topic;
is unfocused, illogical, incoherent, or disorganized; is undeveloped;
provides little or no relevant support;
has serious and persistent errors in word choice, mechanics, usage, and
sentence structure.
Course Syllabus
(This schedule may be subject to change throughout the quarter).
Week 1: Chapter1 of text (Understanding Argument)
April 5 Course syllabus presented
6 Writing as a process: the concept of the tree diagram; Discuss The
Nature of Argument pp. 3-6
7 Group inquiry page 178 of handout: Choosing and debating an issue;
Discuss basic features of positon papers; Discuss Why Study Argument
pp. 6-9
Stage 1 of term project: Reading
the assignment/developing a topic & thesis
Week 2: Chapter1 of text (Understanding Argument)
10 NInvention writing for Taking a
Position; Discuss Why Write and The Terms of Argument pp. 9-13
11 Persuading genre Reading exercise; Discuss The Audience, Assessing
Credibility, and Acquiring Credibility pp. 13-17
12 NPlanning and drafting for Taking
a Position; quiz on Chapter 1 of text
13 Tour of Phau Library: "Using the library to conduct research "
14 NEPT Practice Essay # 1: 45
minutes
Stage 1 of term project: Reading the assignment/developing a topic
& thesis (present topic, thesis to me)
Week 3: Chapter 3 of text (Claims)
17 NMiddle draft peer review for
Taking a Position
18 Discuss Claims of Fact 51-53
19 Discuss Sufficient and Appropriate data, Reliable Sources, Facts of
Inferences, and Defending a Claim of Fact pp. 53-56
20 Sample Annotated Analysis: Discuss Claim of Fact pp. 56-58
21 NEPT Practice Essay # 2 : 45
minutes
Stage 2 of term project: Revising thesis/pre-writing - listing,
grouping, tree-diagrams, etc.
Week 4: Chapter 3 of text (Claims)
24 Discuss Writers guide to the Proposal Paper pp. 72-77
25 Discuss Happiness Is a Warm Planet pp. 77-79
26 Discuss Proposing a Solution writing assignment
27 Group inquiry page 216 of handout: Consider possible solutions to a
problem
Basic features of Proposing a Solution essay; quiz on Chapter 3 of text
28 NEPT Practice Essay # 3: 45
minutes; Final Draft due: Taking a Position
Stage 2 of term project: Revising thesis/pre-writing - listing,
grouping, tree-diagrams, etc. (Present thesis and all prewriting to me)
Week 5: Chapter 4 of text (Definition)
May 1 NInvention writing for
Proposing a Solution
2 Proposing a Solution genre reading exercise
3 Discuss The Purposes of Definition pp. 106-110
4 NPlanning and drafting for
Proposing a Solution
5 NMidterm Exam
Stage 3 of term project: Write first draft (to be revised based on
critical reading by writing center tutor).
Week 6: Chapter 4 of text (Definition)
8 Discuss Methods of Defining Terms pp. 115
9 Discuss The Definition Essay pp. 115-116
10 Discuss A Note on Comparision and Contrast pp. 117-119
11 Read and Discuss The Nature of Prejuduce pp. 135-137; Quiz on
Chapter 4 of text
12 NEPT Practice Essay # 4: 45
minutes
Stage 3 of term project: Write first draft (to be revised based on
critical reading by writing center tutor).
Week 7: Chapter 5 of text (Support)
15 Discuss Types of Support: Evidence and Appeals to Needs and Values
pp. 152-160
16 Discuss Evaluation of Evidence: statistics and opinions pp.
160-166
17 Discuss Evaluation of Evidence: when experts disagree pp.
166-1168
18 NMiddle draft peer review for
Proposing a Solution
19 NEPT Practice Essay # 5: 45
minutes; Final Draft due: Proposing a Solution
Stage 4 of term project: 2nd draft
(to be revised based on my reading)
Week 8: Chapter 5 of text (Support)
22 Discuss Evaluation of Evidence: appeal to needs, values pp.
168-174
23 Discuss Evaluation of appeals to needs to values p. 174
24 Read and Discuss Single-Sex Education Benefits Men Too pp.
175-179
25 Quiz on Chapter 5 of text
26 NEPT Practice Essay # 6: 45
minutes
Stage 4 of term project: 2nd draft
(to be revised based on my reading)
Week 9: Chapter 6 of text (Warrants)
29 Memorial Day: no class
30 Discuss Warrants pp. 199-200
31 Discuss Warrants pp. 201-202
June 1 NEPT Practice Essay # 7: 45
minutes
Stage 5 of term project: 3rd draft (to be graded and revised based
on my reading)
Week 10: Chapter 6 of text (Warrants)
5 Discuss Warrants pp. 203-205
6 Discuss Warrants pp. 206-207
7 Read and Discuss The Case for Torture pp. 207-211
8 Oral summaries of term project
9 NEPT Practice Essay # 8: 45 minutes
Stage 6 of term project: Final draft (to be submitted with all
previous drafts and pre-writing)
Week 11: Finals Week
12 Quiz on Chapter 6 of text
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