Assignments

We have a variety of assignments to help every student succeed. You might like certain activities better or certain lessons better. Each is ultimately designed though to help you learn a concept and succeed on a major paper. There is no busy work, because like you, I'm busy. I respect your time and understand that this isn't the only "thing" you have going on. So, try not to skip an assignment or lesson. Chances are then you will have to spend more time later trying to relearn that concept.

What kinds of assignments do we do?

Field Research & High Engagement Activities

In-Person classes allow for dynamic discusses and collaborative learning. We use this benefit to learn from each other through various activities, both written and verbal, including discussions and even debates. To ensure every learning modality is accommodated, there will be lectures, small group work, and individual work. We also have a heavy focus on field research. This means if we are learning about something, we will often take a hands on approach to discovering deeper levels of this material.

Group Facilitated Discussions

Oftentimes this course will be led by you the student. and since in the real world we often work in groups, pairs, and collaborate, we will mirror this real world scenario in our class. The class will be broken into 5 groups each conducting 2- 20 minute group discussions throughout the semester. Each group will be responsible for reading material, generating questions, organizing the discussion, and keeping the discussion on task. This is an exciting opportunity for the student to become the teacher!

Reading Material

& Skill Builders

We have two types of reading material in this course. One type will help develop different writing techniques or skills. The other reading will give us multiple perspectives on a complex issue that may be new to us. These readings will directly apply to our larger papers, making each piece relevant to our coursework, and hopefully interesting!

Good writing takes practice. So we use these low stakes, skill builders to work on areas of our writing that may be challenging or use them as a way to practice aspects of our writing we hope to use in full length essays. We can use them to examine reading material and deepen our understanding of complex concepts.

Major Papers & Presentation

Paper #1: 10% of grade

Personal Narrative/Research Essay

3+pages/ 900 Words Minimum

Paper #2: 15% of grade

Analytical, Direct Response

3+pages/ 900 Words Minimum

Paper #3: 20% of grade

4+ pages/1000 Words Minimum

2 Scholarly Sources

Annotated Bibliography (1000 Words)

Paper #4: 22% of grade

5+ pages/ 1200+ words

Multiple Scholarly Sources

Annotated Bibliography
Research Project & Presentation based on your final paper
Abstract

Learning Objectives

Read, analyze, and evaluate diverse texts, primarily non-fiction, for rhetorical strategies and styles. [HONORS]: Find, read, analyze, interpret, use, synthesize and evaluate outside sources, including online information and scholarly sources featuring complex, interdisciplinary content.

Apply a variety of rhetorical strategies in academic writing, including well-organized essays with effective theses and support.

Develop varied and flexible strategies for generating, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading formal writing.

Analyze rhetorical choices in students’ own and peers’ writing and effectively provide and incorporate feedback.

Write in various genres and modalities, including low stakes, analytical, argumentative, collaborative, reflective writing, synthesis, literature review, and other forms.

Exhibit acceptable college-level control of mechanics, organization, development, and coherence.

Identify, evaluate, and effectively integrate material from source texts through paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting using appropriate documentation conventions.

Compose a minimum of 5,000 words of formal writing across major assignments. [HONORS]: Develop a capstone project involving a 4-6 page argumentative paper that uses at least two scholarly outside sources and an accompanying oral presentation.

Learning Outcomes

Students who complete this course will be able to write an essay that contains the following:

Students will demonstrate understanding of and the ability to analyze complex and scholarly texts in different genres representing various forms of authority.

Students will engage in a process of recursive planning, writing, and revision.

Students will be able to make creative and effective choices in their use of language.

Students will develop an authentic authorial voice that reflects their values, identities, and/or communities.

Students will find, evaluate, and integrate relevant and scholarly sources that deepen their initial perspective and/or lead to new insight.

Students will reflect on the connections between assigned texts and real-world experiences and issues.

Students will produce original work that reflects their own thinking, documenting their composing processes, and making ethical choices when using digital tools.

Students will conduct primary and/or field research as part of at least one major assignment.

Students will share a multi-modal presentation, highlighting the research devoted to an extended argument.

OBJECTIVES/OUTCOMES

At the completion of this course, the student should be able to:

Read analytically to understand and respond to diverse academic texts.

Compose thesis-driven academic writing that demonstrates analysis and synthesis of sources as appropriate to the rhetorical situation.

Demonstrate strategies for planning, outlining, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading written work.

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