ENGL215-001: English Composition II
Spring Semester 2001, 10:30-11:20 MWF

General Information

Instructor: Bruce Closser
Classroom: Nethery Hall 205
Office: Nethery Hall 116
Hours: As posted. If I am not in, call or leave an email message.
Phones: 471-3172 (office); 473-5480 (home)
E-mail: closserb@andrews.edu

Required Texts

Irving, John. A Prayer for Owen Meany. New York: Ballantine Books, 1989.

Rosenwasser, David and Jill Stephen. Writing Analytically. 2nd Edition. Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers, 2000.

Tor, James D. The 1980s. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2000.

Course Description and Objectives

This course, ENGL215: English Composition II, is the second of two general education writing courses required of all students graduating with a degree from Andrews University. The course, as described in the University Bulletin, is "an introduction to text-based, academic writing which will include practice in summarizing, analyzing, synthesizing, and reading from a critical perspective. Writing tasks will include summary, abstract and precis construction, critical analysis and response papers, and a minimum of one extended (7-10 page), text-based writing project." Pre-requisite: ENGL115 and 24 credit hours at the college level.

At the conclusion of this course students will

1. Employ critical reading skills in response to academic sources.

2. Enlarge and adapt their composing processes (including pre-writing, drafting, revision, and editing) to various academic writing tasks.

3. Respond to academic texts with writing that analyzes, synthesized, interprets and assesses meaning and significance.

4. Respond to the rhetorical demands of various academic writing tasks.

5. Realize the power of academic writing to foster discovery and learning.

6. Produce finished papers which conform to the guidelines of a documentation style manual (APA, MLA, etc)

7. Present finished papers which conform to American standard written English.

Writing Assignments

During the next fifteen weeks you will complete six major writing assignments, each of which is described below. Each essay will require you to make use of source material drawn from research in the James White Library, on the Internet, or gathered in other ways. Upon first glance, the number of pages you will write this semester may seem high; however, the essays are sequenced in such a way that each project you complete prepares you for the subsequent project. In many cases, you will find yourself using material from a previous essay in a later essay. Additional directions, guidelines, and due dates for each essay will be provided as necessary and will also be posted on the course web page after they have been provided in class (see the Schedule of Activities below).

Exploration Essay (3-5 pages): Write an essay in which you review what happened on the day (in the week or month) you were born. Consult news magazines (Newsweek, TIME, U.S.News and World Report, etc), newspapers (The New York Times), or other popular interest magazines (LIFE, for instance) to discover important events happening when you were born. Additional instruction in how to find these events will be provided. This essay will introduce you to the area where you'll find topic for your writing assignments.

Reaction Essays (4 at 1-2 pages 3 each) Read selected chapters from The 1980s text book and write reactions to them. These essays will provide opportunities to practice the strategies discussed in the Writing Analytically textbook as well as providing additional ideas for future writing assignments.

Annotated Bibliography (7-10 pages): From your exploratory essay or reaction essays, identify a topic of interest, a movie that won a lot of awards, a TV show which affected the American people significantly, an event in national or international politics, a famous figure in sports, politics, science, or religion. Locate 7-10 magazine, journal, or newspaper, or book chapters discussing this topic. Document each article or chapter in MLA style, and write a one-page summary listing the author(s)' main point(s), supporting evidence, and any bias or agenda you notice in the piece. This exercise will serve as notes for the two subsequent essays.

Synthesis Essay (2-3 pages): This essay helps you to develop a personal position on the topic you explored in the Annotated Bibliography. Don't be concerned about incorporating sources in this essay. Write straight from your own understanding of the material. If you've been writing about an important TV show or film, explain why you think it was significant, or explain briefly why you think it was well or poorly made, etc.

Research Project (8-10 pages): Develop your synthesis essay into a full researched essay. Here you have an opportunity to argue for or defend the observations you made in the synthesis essay above. Incorporate supporting material from your Annotated Bibliography. Cite your sources in MLA style.

Critical Essay (3-5 pages)By the end of the semester, you will have finished reading John Irving's Prayer for Owen Meany. Use this book as the subject of your last essay in which you analyze how Irving treats some issue such as predestination, or write a review of how Irving makes the book work.

Course Policies

During the semester, class time will be devoted to a variety of activitiesclass discussions, small group meetings, conferences, and library research. Since this is a text-based writing course, much of your time will be spent reading and gathering ideas to be used in the different essays you will write. Class time will be devoted to 1) discussing our reading from the course textbooks, 2) practicing strategies for writing analytically, and 3) reviewing with the course librarian strategies for gathering, recording, and analyzing source material. In addition, you will write the different essays described above. In the course of writing these essays, you'll have opportunities to share drafts of or ideas from these essays with class members and with me in conference and small group activities, or perhaps on the class web page.

Because the emphasis is on process, you'll find yourself working on multiple drafts of your writing. At each stage, you'll discover ways to find out what you want to say, how to locate other writers who can help you develop your own thinking, and how to incorporate the thoughts of other writers into your own writing honestly and efficiently. These strategies will be useful in writing assignments you encounter in the remainder of your academic experience.

Your attendance and participation in each of the class activities is absolutely necessary. Absences, excused or otherwise, may lower your final grade by as much as one full letter, depending on number and circumstances. I will abide by the University Bulletin policy regarding absences which states that students who miss more than 20% of the total course appointments may receive a failing grade. In this course, 20% is approximately eight absences. If you accrue more than eight absences plan to withdraw from the course to avoid failure.

Since computers do malfunction, make a practice of saving your work regularly in multiple locations. It is your responsibility to keep copies of your work until the final grade is submitted.

It is also your responsibility to be able to prove "ownership" of each essay you write. You must be able to produce on demand any research notes, source material (either the actual sources or photocopies thereof) used in your research. Evidence of academic dishonesty will result in either failure of the specific work or of the course in general. Attached to this document is the English department policy on plagiarism. Please note that Andrews University takes seriously the issue of academic honesty.

All written work which is not completed in class must be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point, Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins. Material must be documented in MLA style. Guidelines will be provided in class. Please include the official Andrews University cover page (see below) with each essay you submit.

Written work is due when announced in the Schedule of Activities available on the class web page. If you are unable to meet a due date, please make prior arrangements.

Grading

Each essay or writing project you write will be worth 100 points. You may obtain a copy of the form I use when responding to your essays. Studying this form will help you get an idea of the sorts of things I look for in your writing. If you have any questions about the form, be sure to ask them.

Your grade, based on the total number of points possible, will be determined according to this scale:

• A (95-100%)
• A- (90-94%)
• B+ (87-89%)
• B (84-86%)
• B- (80-83%)
• C+ (75-79%)
• C (70-74%)
• C- (65-69%)
• D (60-64%)
• F (below 60%)

Schedule of Activities

In the space below you will find a schedule of activities for the up-coming unit or section of the class and reminders of due dates. Wherever possible, links to important information covered in class will be made available in the event you should wish to check your notes or catch up on something you missed. Watch this schedule carefully; it reflect any changes or adjustments in due dates or class discussion topics or reading/writing assignments.

Wednesday 1/10

Introductions. Overview of Syllabus. First assignment: Read pp 1-17 of Writing Analytically (WA). Think about the categories of topics you might include in your "What happened on the day I was born?" essay.

Friday 1/12

Discussion: What sorts of categories might one include in the "What happened on your birthday?" essay. What is the nature of creativity and how does it relate to analytical writing? What is analysis and how does it work? What are complaints against analysis? Practice in analyzing two kinds of text.

Assignment: Do the applications on pages 5 and 7 (WA). Write 1-2 pages each. Read the remainder of chapter 1 (WA). Know the meanings of the Key Words at the end of the chapter. Friday, meet in the library with Ms. Pusey to learn how to find sources for the first essay. Monday, turn in "What happened on my birthday" essay.

Monday 1/15

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. HOLIDAY. NO CLASS

Wednesday 1/17

Discussion: Distinguishing analysis from other kinds of writing. Comparing analysis and summary. Practice in analysis and summary. Basic documentation strategies.

Assignment: For Friday, do the application on page 25 (WA). Write 1-2 pages. Supply a copy of the photograph (or picture from magazine) with your assignment. Know the meanings of the Key Words at the end of chapter 1 (WA). Friday, meet in the library with Ms. Pusey to learn how to find sources for the first essay. Monday, turn in "What happened on my birthday essay" (3-5 pages). You may use your actual birthday, or, if you were not born in the decade of the eighties, any of your ten birthdays in the decade.

Friday 1/19

Meet at the reference desk in the James White Library. Ms. Sabrina Pusey, our course librarian, will demonstrate helpful sources you can use in finding information for your "what happened on the day I was born?" essay. You will complete and submit at the end of the class a worksheet for credit. Turn in the application from page 25.

Assignment: Begin gathering information and reading for "what happened on my birthday" essay. Read WA31-39. After you have written a draft of this essay, you can earn five extra points if you make a Writing Center visit with your draft sometime before you submit it for evaluation.

Monday 1/22

Overview of WA chapter 2, Key Words, WA 74; Guidelines for Analyzing Evidence, WA 75. Discuss concepts of "unsubstantiated claims" and "pointless evidence." Do application WA 34, 39 or equivalent in class.

Assignment: Read WA40-50. Read 1980s 12-32.

Wednesday 1/24

Discuss Evidence and Argument: Toulmin vs. Aristotle and Analyzing Evidence in Depth. Do Application WA 49 using 1980s reading.

Assignment: Read WA 57-72, 1980s 34-43..

Friday 1/26

Turn in "What happened on my birthday" essay. Discuss Evidence and Logic: Three Common Errors, What Counts as Evidence, and Kinds of Evidence. Read Love is a Fallacy. Examine 1980s reading for kinds of evidence.

Assignment: Read 2 Reagan-related sections from chapter 1 of 1980s. Make some observation about Reagan as a president and support this observation based on your reading (Reagan's influence, greatest strengths/weaknesses, contributions, explanations of his success, etc). Apply the notions you've learned from the first two chapters of WA to this reaction essay. Bring your draft to class on Monday. You will use it in class.

Monday 1/29

Discussion: Revisions strategies from WA 56-57. Apply revision strategies to first reaction essay in small groups.

Assignment: Revise first reaction essay for Friday. Five extra points if you visit the Writing Center with this draft sometime before you submit it for evaluation.

Wednesday 1/31

Overview of WA Chapter 3, Key Words, Guidelines for Recognizing and Fixing Weak Thesis Statements, WA107-108. Discuss: What's a Thesis, Five Weak Theses and How to Fix Them, WA77-90. Do Application WA90.

Assignment: For Friday, read WA91-94. Begin reading 1980s Chapter 2, The End of the Cold War

Friday 2/2

Submit first reaction essay. Discuss Working with Categorical Thinking: How to Improve the Logic of Your Thesis Statements. In class do Application WA95-96.

Assignment: Read WA96-103. Continue reading Chapter 2 of 1980s.

Monday 2/5

Discuss Developing a Thesis by Reasoning Back to Premises. Analyze Sample Essay WA100-103.

Assignment: Read WA103-105. Finish reading Chapter 2 of 1980s.

Wednesday 2/7

Discuss Strategies for Developing the Thesis by Reasoning Back to Premises, WA103-105. In class, do Application WA105-107.

Assignment: Finish reading 1980s Chapter 2.

Friday 2/9

In class, develop and refine thesis statements on the topic of the Cold War.

Assignment: Begin writing the second reaction essay on the topic of the Cold War. Make some observations, claim, point about the Cold War and develop it from your reading of 1980s chapter 2. Apply the knowledge you've developed so far to this essay. Submit final draft of this essay next Friday. Five extra points if you visit the Writing Center with this draft sometime before you submit it for evaluation.

Monday 2/12

Overview of WA Chapter 4, Key Word, Guidelines for Finding and Developing a Thesis WA141-142. Discuss basic concepts, Developing a Thesis Is More than Repeating an Idea, What's Wrong with Five Paragraph Form, WA109-113. Citing Sources Guidelines

Assignment: Read WA113-117. Read Part 3, "The Personal Computer Revolution," plus one section of your choice from 1980s Chapter 3.

Wednesday 2/14

Discuss Six Steps for Making the Thesis Evolve. In class develop and evolve a thesis about your reading in 1980s (Application WA122).

Assignment: Read WA 122-128. Read a second section of your choice from 1980s Chapter 3.

Friday 2/16

Submit second reaction essay on the Cold War. Discuss the Evolving Thesis and the Final Draft. In class do Application WA126 using 1980s reading. Analyze 1980s reading for placement of thesis, introductory and concluding paragraphs.

Assignment: Develop a thesis about some topic from your reading in 1980s Chapter 3. Bring the draft to class next Wednesday. Five extra points if you visit the Writing Center with this draft sometime before you submit it for a grade.

Monday 2/19

PRESIDENTS' DAY. Holiday.

Wednesday 2/21

Discuss The Evolving Thesis and Logic: Three Common Errors. In class, work with draft of third reaction essay on a topic from 1980s Chapter 3 using information from Revising the Thesis in an Exploratory Draft: Applying the Six Steps WA133-137.

Assignment: Read WA 140.

Friday 2/23

Discuss "All-Purpose" Organizational Scheme.

Assignment: Using "All-Purpose" Organizational Scheme, consider any revisions you might make to the draft of the third reaction essay. Turn this essay in on Monday.

Monday 2/26

Submit third reaction essay. Overview of WA Chapter 5 (Key Words, Guidelines for Attending to Matters of Form, WA184-185).

Assignment: Read WA 143-147, and 1980s Chapter 4, part 1, Pop culture in the 80s: Plenty of Pleasant Distractions" plus any other section of your choice.

Wednesday 2/28

Discuss Functions of Formats, and Using Formats Heuristically. Offer additional formats. In class do Application WA150, adapted for 1980s reading.

Assignment: Read WA 153-158 and any additional section from 1980s Chapter 4.

Friday 3/2

Discuss Psychology of Form, Concessions and Refutations, Organizing Comparisons and Contrasts, and Climactic Order. Do Application WA156, adapted for 1980s reading.

Assignment: Read WA 158-162 plus any additional section from 1980s Chapter 4.

Monday 3/5

Discuss How Thesis Shapes Predict the Shape of the Paper. In class do Application WA159-160. Apply to reading from 1980s.

Assignment: Read WA 163-183. Develop a thesis for a paper based on a topic suggested by your reading from 1980s Chapter 4. Bring the thesis to class on Wednesday.

Wednesday 3/7

Discuss ways to introduce or conclude a topic. If time permits, in class write introductions to fourth reaction essay.

Assignment: Over the break, write the fourth/last reaction essay.

Friday 3/9 through Friday 3/16

SPRING BREAK. Enjoy the break.

Monday 3/19

Overview to WA Chapter 6 (Key Words and Guidelines for Making your Response to Topics More Analytical, WA 216-217). Discuss types of topics and how to approach them analytically.

Assignment: During this week make a REQUIRED WRITING CENTER VISIT with your fourth reaction essay. Get a response from a Writing Center consultant. Make any revisions you wish. Submit on Friday.

Also, IDENTIFY a topic (summary, personal response, area of agreement or disagreement, comparison and contrast, or definition) that you will pursue in your research project. This topic may be related to anything encountered in, or suggested by your reading thus far. I would prefer that the be directly related somehow to the 1980s in some way; if you have something else in mind, please talk with me about it before you become too heavily involved in the project. This must be an original writing task, not something you have written for, or are currently writing for another class You must have settled on this topic by Wednesday's class period.

Wednesday 3/21

In class use pre-writing to Find and Interpret (or Expand) topic.

Assignment: Read the portion of WA Chapter 6 relevant to the type of topic you settle on.

Friday 3/23

WORK/REST DAY. NO CLASS. E-mail your research paper topic to me prior to next week's library lectures. Submit fourth/last reaction essay at my office in Nethery Hall, room 116..

Assignment: Next week you'll meet in the library to learn how to locate sources for the research project you'll be writing during the remainder of the semester. If you look back at the list of writing assignments remaining, you'll notice that you have three major tasks ahead of you, not counting the book review. It may be helpful for you to think of these three separate writing tasks as parts of one larger task, the writing of the longer research project.

• The first of these is the Annotated Bibliography. This writing task requires you to a) locate 7-10 articles dealing with your topic, b) cite each one in MLA style (more about this later), and c) write a one-page summary of each of the sources. You will deduce that an annotation is a summary of the contents of a source. This annotated bibliography is actually one form of note-taking for the longer research project. By the time you have written your Annotated Bibliography, you will have a good idea of what each of your sources contains and how you want to use each of your sources.

• The second is a Synthesis Essay. In this essay you will synthesize or pull together your thinking about the topic now that you have read 7-10 articles about it. You will have studied and analyzed the view points of many other people on your topic, now you'll develop a thesis of your own about your topic and write a short, discovery essay in which you work out your own thinking on the topic. You'll put to good use the knowledge you have gained in the first half of the semester to write an analytical essay which develops your own thesis without reference to any of your sources. This synthesis essay is actually a rough draft of your research project.

• The final writing task is the research project. In this writing task, you'll develop your synthesis essay by supporting or illustrating the observations you made using material from your sources or from your annotated bibliography. Each time you insert supporting or illustrating information from your sources, you'll properly document your borrowing and you'll include a reference list of sources you cite.