Syllabus for the First Assignment
Jan. 16 Introduction to the Course, the lab, and each other
Assignments: Buy the materials for the course. Complete the Personal Profile online and bring a paper copy of it to class on Thursday. Read Chapter 1 in the textbook p 3-23. In your own words, capture the authors' definition of argument and bring this writing to the next class. Be sure to bring your 2 floppy disks and case to the next class. Read the Policy Statement for the course.
1/18 Argument Defined, Website, Topic Inventory
Assignment: Read p. 55-62 and p.68-70 in the text. The focus of these pages is finding a good topic. Write your first Journal entry. Bring a paper copy of this entry to class on 1/23. Your goal is to have a topic to write your first assignment about by the end of class on 1/23! Study the Policy Statement for this course. Come with your clarifying questions on 1/23 so you are prepared for a Policy Statement quiz.
1/23 Clarify Policy Statement, Policy Statement Quiz, Classical Argument Pattern
Assignment: Read Ch. 4 p.75-87 Write your answers to Tasks 1-7 on p. 70-71 in your text. (This will help you develop the CORE of your first argument).
1/25 Rhetorical Triangle, Sharing Positions and Reasons, Conditions of Rebuttal
Assignment: Write your answers to Tasks 8-10 on p. 71 in your text. ( This will help you prepare the confutatio section of your first argument.) Write a journal page.
1/30 Shaping your Essay--In-class interviews
Assignment: Read the sample essay. Write a response letter using the guide online to the author of this essay as though the author were your classmate. Bring this letter to the next class. Assignment number 1 Rewrite the argument ideas from your last two homework assignments in classical argument form. This essay should be at least 3 full typewritten pages long. This essay is due Feb. 6.
2/1 Model Revision Group Work (Features of a Good Argument from class discussion)
Assignment: Complete Assignment number 1 and bring 2 copies of it to class on 2/6. Write a journal page. Complete an Audience Analysis using the questions online
2/6 Essay exchange and Response
Assignment: Revise your first assignment based on the ideas you got from your classmates. What changes will you make in the next draft of this essay? Why? What suggestions will you overlook and why? This revised assignment is due on Feb. 8 in class. Bring 2 copies of the revised essay, 1 copy of your earlier draft, the letters you received from your classmates, and your audience analysis.
* This syllabus is subject to change.