ENGLISH 1000



|English 1000, Section 68 |Ms. Katie Zimolzak, instructor |

|GCB 115 |email (recommended): kezqm5@mizzou.edu |

|MWF 1:00-1:50 |office: Tate Hall 6, M & T 11-12:30 and by appointment |

| |office phone (not recommended): 882-3460 |

Course Overview:

Welcome to English 1000, Exposition and Argumentation. The purpose of this course is to strengthen critical thinking and writing skills that will be useful to you throughout your college career. This course emphasizes the process of writing, especially as concerns brainstorming, composing, and revising analytical papers. Please familiarize yourself with the English 1000 web site: .

This section of English 1000 will focus on bias and the ways that we, as readers and humans, can challenge biases. We will “read” texts — including fiction, non-fiction, written, visual, and spoken works — in which narrators present biased views of the world. Moreover, we will challenge our own assumptions about the world by focusing on concerns of culture, race, gender, social status, and other influencing factors.

Required Texts:

Envision – Christine Alfano and Alyssa O’Brien

Crash – dir. Paul Haggis

Shorter works in handouts and on Ellis Library’s Electronic Reserves (eRes)

Assignments:

Informal Assignments:

Microthemes: You will be required to write five exploratory/reflective essays (about one page each) throughout the semester. These assignments are designed to help you in the brainstorming phase of your writing. A sheet with detailed descriptions of the five microthemes is attached to this syllabus.

Homework & Discussion: Be prepared and willing to participate in class! This grade includes preparation for class, peer review sessions, and daily discussions.

In-Class Assignments: This includes brainstorming activities, freewriting, and other in-class exercises not categorized as discussion. These assignments might be either individual or group work.

Formal Assignments:

Paper 1: Reading Words, Reading Images: This assignment asks you to compare written and visual tourist advertisements and the ways in which they portray destination countries. What is significant about how the adverts differ? Which do you find most effective? Why?

Paper 2: The Body as Text: This assignment asks you to analyze the way body language can take the form of an argument. Is body rhetoric a fair and effective form of argument? Can you make a counterargument against a body? Why or why not?

Paper 3: Arguments Around Us: This assignment asks you to assess a controversial current event, and to analyze the central arguments of the controversy. How does your knowledge of argument help you understand the biases at play? Can this conflict be resolved? Why or why not?

All formal assignments should be typewritten in 12-point font, double-spaced, with 1 inch margins. Sources should be cited in MLA style, which we will discuss before your first paper submission. Assignments are due at the beginning of class, and one letter grade will be deducted for each day of the week an assignment is handed in late, unless I have okayed an extension at least one class period in advance.

You will submit two drafts of each paper that you write for this class. There are fewer points possible on a first submission than in a final submission. From this, you should understand that earning a good grade on a first submission and resubmitting the same essay with only a few grammatical and sentence-level mistakes corrected does not necessarily mean you will receive the same grade on your final submission. A paper revision should exactly what it sounds like: you should be critically re-seeing your argument from a new perspective, finding what you did or did not do effectively, and changing your work accordingly. This class is not only about analyzing others’ arguments, but also analyzing your own.

Please resist the temptation to submit a “rough draft.” I use the term “first submission” because you should consider your work a completed work at this stage in the process. “Rough draft” implies that your work is not polished and is still lacking evidence, structure, or significance. Do not submit your essay with the assumption that the final submission is the “real grade,” so the first submission is somehow less important. Both submissions are important stages in the writing process, and therefore both will be graded as finished essays.

With each final submission, you will also include any research notes that demonstrate the quantity and quality of your work. These research notes may include: typed, handwritten, photocopied notes; peer reviewed or instructor marked drafts; any other ancillary material that supports your level of academic rigor or your serious work ethic.

Detailed assignment sheets will be distributed when each topic is assigned.

Classroom Policies:

Respect: As part of this class involves questioning our assumptions and opinions, keep in mind that you should be respectful of your classmates’ opinions, as you would expect them to be respectful of yours. This respect includes, but is not limited to: arriving to class on time and prepared, turning off electronic devices, refraining from disruptive behavior, waiting your turn to speak, and using courteous language.

Attendance: I will not mark you down for absences. However, you should let me know in advance of class if you will need to miss a class, and you should not insult my intelligence by asking “Did I miss anything important?” The answer to this question is always yes. If you do not show up, you will miss information that you will need to earn a passing grade. Moreover, participation and in-class writing count for 10% of your grade, and you will not have the option to make up missed in-class assignments. It is common practice for students who miss two weeks of classes to drop the course.

Plagiarism: The University of Missouri policy on plagiarism can be found in the M-Book. The University defines academic dishonesty as “any act that is intended to produce an academic assessment that is not commensurate with an individual’s performance, or any act that is intended to unfairly assist or hinder an individual’s academic efforts” (M-Book 11). In other words, do not cheat or attempt to pass others’ work as your own. This policy does not discriminate between intentional or unintentional plagiarism, so you must be sure to always cite your sources properly.

Accommodations: If you need any assistance due to a disability, please let me know. You should also contact and register with Disability Services at 882-4696.

Technology Access: For this class, you will need access to the internet and word processing software. If you do not own your own computer, you should familiarize yourself with computer lab locations around campus. You may also want to familiarize yourself with your personal Bengal web space—you can use this space to store files so you will not have to worry about them being deleted from a lab computer’s hard drive.

Grading:

A: Presents an interesting and original argument resulting from a clear understanding of the assignment and strong analysis of texts; logically organized, with effective transitions and topic sentences; clear, concise writing style and no grammatical or sentence-level mistakes.

B: Meets all of the criteria of an A paper, but with slightly less sophisticated analysis of texts, and some stylistic issues and grammatical or sentence-level mistakes.

C: Meets all of the criteria of a B paper, but with an underdeveloped argument, organizational problems, and limited analysis of primary texts to support thesis.

D: Meets all of the criteria of a C paper, but with no discernable argument.

F: Does not meet any of the above requirements.

Participation: 10% of final grade (100 points total): Includes (but is not limited to) microthemes, in-class assignments, and discussion.

Paper 1: Reading Words, Reading Images: 20% of final grade (200 points total)

Research Notes: 10 points

First Submission: 50 points

Final Submission: 140 points

Paper 2: The Body as Text: 30% of final grade (300 points total)

Research Notes: 15 points

First Submission: 75 points

Final Submission: 210 points

Paper 3: Arguments Around Us: 40% of final grade (400 points total)

Research Notes: 20 points

First Submission: 100 points

Final Submission: 280 points

Microtheme Prompts

Prompt 1: Where Have You Been?

Due (date)

Write a page about a recent vacation you took: Where did you go? Why did you or your family choose that particular destination? What did you expect to see? Did your expectations differ from your actual tourist experience? Why or why not?

Prompt 2: Discrimination Testimonial

Due (date)

Write about an instance in which you were subjected to discrimination, whether based on race, gender/sexuality, social class, age, or another factor. It should be something you are comfortable sharing with the class. Did it change you? How? Why do you think you were discriminated against?

Prompt 3: Current Event Research

Due (date)

Read five articles of local, national, or international importance from The Maneater, The Missourian, or The Daily Tribune. Give a sentence summary of the “who, what, when, where” in the article. Then explain why you picked these articles and why you think they were included in the news.

Prompt 4: Letter to a Scholarly Writer

Due (date)

Based on the scholarly article you read about your chosen controversy, write a letter in response to the author to tell him/her what you think. What do you agree and disagree with? Why? What do you still have questions about? What would you suggest the author add to his/her research?

Prompt 5: Current Controversy Brainstorming

Due (date)

Brainstorm some ideas about your chosen controversy. Why is this a heated debate? Why do people’s opinions vary? What sorts of arguments are being used? How effectively are arguments being used?

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