Materials
- McLeod, Jarvis, & Spear. Writing
About the World (WATW), 3rd Edition, Thomson.
ISBN#141300238-2 (Available at the University Bookstore)
- Hacker, A Writer’s Reference, 5th Edition, ISBN #0312412622 (Available at
the University Bookstore)
- Additionally, there may be required reading
materials on reserve at the library
- From time to time you will be asked to
provide outside writing sources to share with class
- Paper, pens, pencils,
- A means of copying your papers for
distribution to colleagues
- Portfolio folders and manila envelopes
- Course Website: www.writingcures.com
- An activated umail
account
- Collegiate
Level Dictionary such as The
Course Objectives
- According
to the UCSB General Catalog English 2 is, “A writing course focusing on
developing analytical skills, synthesizing multiple sources, sustaining
coherent arguments, and revising for clarity and style.” By the end of the semester you will be
expected to:
- Understand
the composing process (invention, planning, writing, revising, editing).
- Respond
thoughtfully to the rhetorical concerns (audience, purpose, tone,
organization, development, coherence) and the rhetorical demands of
communication in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
- Write
grammatically correct sentences and observe the conventions of written
English.
- Approach new and complex reading
material with confidence, and be able to analyze university-level texts
(identifying underlying assumptions and points of view, distinguishing
fact from opinion, drawing inferences, and reaching independent
conclusions).
- Demonstrate effective oral communication
skills in formal and informal contexts.
- Understand the collaborative nature of
writing and do effective collaborative work.
Requirements
Prepare, attend, and participate
- ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY. We will begin class from time to time
with a short “quick-write” associated with the unit we are working on;
these will not be announced. Please
come to class prepared and on time, with your cell phone turned off, as
there will be no opportunity to make up these in class writing
opportunities. Excessive
absenteeism will seriously affect your grade.
- This is not a lecture course; it will be
conducted as a workshop.
Write
- Depending on the grade you choose to
receive in this class, you will be completing 2-4 written assignments in
addition to the investigative project.
You will have at least one written assignment from each of the
three disciplines (humanities, social sciences, and sciences). These need
to be word processed. See assignment section for specific information on
each of the assignments. These need
to be of appropriate quality work to receive credit (to be discussed
further).
- You will be given deadlines for the
first draft. Final drafts are due
one week following the first draft.
Assigned work is due at the beginning of class on the date noted in
the schedule.
- All
work is due at the beginning of class. Please plan ahead. I’m not especially
sensitive to last minute computer malfunctions. I do not accept late work. If you anticipate a problem with the due
date, you must communicate with me at
least one class session in advance of a due date. An
NCR for unexcused late work (any single assignment) WILL LOWER YOUR GRADE.
- In addition, you will be posting your
response to the readings on our blogspot at
least 24 hours prior to class meeting and participating in blog discussion groups
Participate in a public panel discussion during class in which you act as an expert on a selected topic.
Do an investigative project. During this quarter you will be engaged in research on an issue of your choice which is connected to gender. This can be in any of the three disciplines (humanities, social sciences, or sciences). The research should involve library work, interviews, the media, and the Internet. Your assignment in class can pertain to and be counted as part of your research for this project. If so, you need to plan these projects accordingly so they all fit your purpose for the project. Near the beginning of the semester (by the end of week 3), you will need to have scheduled a 10-15 minute conference with me to discuss your project. All project topics and presentation modes must be approved by me. Your project will include:
A. A scrapbook to include your notes, newspaper and magazine clippings, people you’ve spoken with, letters, surveys, and a log of your discoveries. Depending on the items you’ve shared with class and which assignments you choose to do, these may be included as part of your scrapbook.
B. A feature article or essay of 7-9 pages in which you present your research to class. Keep in mind the audience of the publication you might choose to submit your work to. Look at the publication to determine which tone you choose and the level of formality that is appropriate to your target audience.
C. A presentation that allows you to creatively present your knowledge. Ideas include a video, photographic essay, panel discussion, short story, advertising campaign, skit, exercise, guest speaker, song, or another lively approach.
Open Class Meetings We will open each class and spend approximately 5-10 minutes to discuss current news events, articles, ads, songs, movies, TV shows, or any other media that pertain to gender issues. Please provide some of these materials (they may be part of your scrapbook). During open meetings we will also discuss works in progress.
Blogspot and Umail. Umail accounts are
free to all students. Please activate
your account. I will activate a Ulist that will be my way of
sending you information and communicating with you between classes and for
generating an invite list to our blogspot. When you get the invitation, join the blogspot and participate in our postings by reacting to a
reading for class, begin a discussion, ask for advice from your peers on an
assignment, etc.
Grading
Work in this course will be graded on a “contract” basis. Each individual will earn credit (CR) or no credit (NCR), and credited work accumulates toward satisfying the contract for a particular final grade. Work that receives NCR may be revised once, within one week for credit.
For a
grade in the C range
- Participate actively in class meetings and blogspot discussions
- Participate in a panel discussion
- Present a final portfolio to include
- A cover letter for the portfolio as a whole
- Investigative project (scrapbook, feature article, and presentation materials); rough draft, final draft, and cover letter for the project
- Two final, revised drafts, (your choice, from the assigned four assigned writing assignments as long as investigative project, and the other two are all from DIFFERENT categories) initial drafts, and cover letters for each of the additional projects.
For a grade in the B range
- Complete all of the above AND
- Include an additional assignment (final, rough, and a cover letter) in your portfolio. This third assignment can be from any of the three categories.
For a
grade in the A range
- Complete all of the above AND
- Include
an additional assignment (final revised draft, a rough draft, and a cover
letter) in your final portfolio.
This means that you will be submitting all of the assignments
listed.
I will factor in quality of class participation (based on my
notes and the evaluations turned in by your classmates) in order to arrive at
plus or minus grades. An excessive
number of absences or lack of participation will lower your grade below the
range that you anticipate. If all required written work for a given
contract is not completed on time and recorded as CR, you cannot earn a grade
in the range for which you contract. You will earn a lower grade.
Drop Deadline
- The last day to drop Writing 2 is 1/13. Students who miss the drop deadline must
petition the Writing Program director to drop, and requests are not easily
granted.
Students with
Disabilities
- Disabled Students
Program (DSP) provides a wide array of academic support services to
eligible students with documented disabilities. These services
include note takers, readers, sign language interpreters, facilitation of
access, and adaptive computing equipment.
If you have a disability and would like to discuss accommodations,
please contact them (893-2668) directly and/or me as soon as possible.
Plagiarism
- Don’t do it! You
are responsible for the content and integrity of all of your work in this
class. Cheating and plagiarism will,
at a minimum, result in an F for the project and may result in failing
this course or expulsion from the University. Plagiarism is defined as the act of
using the ideas of work of another person or persons as if they were one’s
own, without giving proper credit to the sources. This includes, but is not limited to,
failure to use quotation marks when quoting from outside source,
submitting a paper written by a friend or purchased from a term paper
service, or retyping another student’s paper and submitting it as one’s
own.
Your success in this class is important to me. I am available during office hours and by
appointment outside of office hours. I
have included my email address. Please
use it. I hope that you feel free to
contact me if you have any questions about class policy, assignments, or where
you stand grade-wise.
Tentative Course Calendar
(I reserve the right to modify this schedule
in order to meet specific requirements of individual classes; changes will be
announced in class so bring this with you to each class session. They will also be posted at our course
website.)
Responses
to readings must be posted on the blogspot 24 hours
before class time
Assignments
are due at the beginning of class unless prior written arrangements have been
made with me.
Course
Introduction and Review of the Writing Process
Week 1
Tuesday 1/10 Introduction to course and to each other
Writing
diagnostic
Thursday 1/12 Drop Deadline
WATW 1-14
Discuss
Rhetoric
Signups
Contracts due
Think about conferences
for project
Humanities
Week 2
Tuesday 1/17 WATW
336-346 (
Summary
and revision strategies
Scrapbook: bring in a published film analysis
Discuss major assignments for this section, film analysis,
Thursday 1/19 Movie
review activity
Panel
1: Gender: From Fairytales to the Media
Week 3
Tuesday 1/24 Film Analysis Due
Scrapbook: bring in published interview
Discuss aspects of an interview
Panel 2:
Labels
Thursday 1/26 Poss interview with Maxine Hong Kingston
Social
Sciences
Week 4
Tuesday 1/31 Interview Due
WATW
196-201 (de Beauvoir Women as Other),
Review Assignment for this section: Letter to the Editor
Thursday 2/2 Scrapbook: bring in editorial
Panel
3: Sexist Language
Week 5
Tuesday 2/7 Editorial Due
Read ERES Steinem
Thursday 2/9 Panel
4: Names and Personal Identity
Scrapbook:
bring in feature article related to Gender
Discuss assignment
Health
Sciences
Week 6
Tuesday 2/14 WATW 568-577 (Rubin et al, The Eye of the Beholder)
Feature article vs
research
Discuss Survey assignment
Panel
5: Disclosure of Sensitive Information
Thursday 2/16 Scrapbook: Bring in raw surveys
Panel
6: Money
Week 7
Tuesday 2/21 WATW
582-595 (Weisstein Psychology Constructs the Female)
Feature Article Due
Wednesday 2/22 Maxine Hong Kingston Presentation, 4PM
Corwin Pavilion
Thursday 2/23 Raw Survey
due
sign up for administration of your survey
Presentations
Week 8
Tuesday 2/28 Presentations
Surveys
Thursday 3/2 Presentations
Surveys
Week 9
Tuesday 3/7 Presentations
Surveys
Thursday 3/9 Presentations
Survey
papers due
Week 10
Tuesday 3/14 Presentations
Thursday 3/16 Presentations
PORTFOLIO DUE with cover letter
Final 3/22
Overview
of assignments
All assignments are to be word processed,
double spaced, 12 point font Times New Roman, 1” margins; also all assignments must have a
header in the upper right corner, to
include: Your Name, Writing 2,
Emmerling, Date, Assignment
Humanities
Paper about Maxine Hong Kingston Presentation: We will read
Analysis of a film in which patterns of male/female
communication can be observed as well as relational communication between
same-sex friends. Make observations regarding the kind of relationships and
bonds between same sex friends, gender related values that characters exhibit,
and gender specific communication that the characters’ actions
illustrate. The paper should be 3-5 pages. Due date 1/24
Cross generational interview: This
assignment is to encourage you to explore generational,
cultural, familial attitudes, values, and behaviors between generations through
interpersonal dialogue. Choose a person
to interview face to face (no phone interviews) and make arrangements for a
quiet place and undisturbed time to conduct your interview. The interview should last about an hour to an
hour and a half. Hopefully this will be
a pleasant and enjoyable conversation and not be a rigid interview. Engage the person in conversation and
elaboration. Plan questions ahead of
time focusing on a particular family lore.
Probably 6-8 questions should prepare you. Feel free to add other questions as the
interview unfolds, or questions related to the topic area that our authors
perhaps do not cover. Your challenge is
to plan good questions. Conduct the
interview keeping notes either during or after to help you remember specific
points or comments your interviewee makes.
Report your interview results in a coherent paper (about 3-4 pages)
which speaks to what you learned. Please
no scripts of questions and answers but summary comments about the interview
regarding both planned and unplanned questions.
Do include a list of the preplanned questions you designed somewhere
inside or attached to the paper.
Introduce your paper by describing the person and the setting briefly
and close by commenting on highlights of the interview experience. Paper should be 3-5 pages. Due Date:
1/31
Social Sciences
Write an Editorial for a publication you read. An editorial is a short essay in a newspaper
or magazine. The purpose of the
editorial is usually to express an opinion based on your observations and
research. It differs in tone and length
from letters to the editor and feature articles. In this assignment, you will choose a
magazine or newspaper that you read regularly and compose an editorial for that
publication. Choose a timely topic which
the publication covers regularly and one that sparks your interest. The topic of your editorial should be
something of importance to you. You do
not have to pick a global topic such as abortion or capital punishment
(though if you choose to, you can write on either of these topics). Your topic can be something closer to home,
such as should high school campuses be open or closed? How can UCSB solve the parking crunch? Is there a safety problem on campus? If so, what responsibility should the
university take to ensure a more safe campus?
This is a tiny list of possibilities is hopefully a mere springboard for
you to find your own topic. If you are
having trouble choosing a topic, please contact me. Effective
editorials come from the heart and the mind. Some students have mentioned that editorials
are “cop outs” for not having to present research. Make sure your editorial is not a cop-out. While footnotes are not necessary, you will
want to incorporate sources that will support your point and you will want to
give proper credit to those sources. The
number of sources is not critical. Just
make sure they are effective. Editorials are written in a
compelling and lively tone yet they present pertinent facts and observations. As you plan your paper, remember that you
will be writing to an audience that reads this publication. The more you can use the lingo and relate to
your audience, the more effective it will be. Draft due 2/27
Health Sciences
Compose and conduct a
survey (only for use in our class)
and report your results in a paper. This
survey is an attempt to gather information about health and gender. Choose a topic. Isolate some particular goals for your
survey. Develop questions which address
your goal. Do you want open or closed
questions? Do you want to use a Likert scale (1-5)?
Write clear question for your respondents. Report the results in a 3-4 page paper which
will include: the purpose of your
survey, a summary of the results, and speculation/interpretation of your
findings. Include a copy of the survey
with the tabulated results. Raw survey
is due 2/21, paper 3/9
Cover Letter for Portfolio:
For your final
portfolio, I am asking that you spend some time reflecting on the work you have
done for the quarter. Please describe
your fairly recent experiences as a writer.
These need not be limited to our class.
In what ways, this quarter, have you been thinking about your writing
and reading, about yourself as a reader and writer?
Ways to begin: Look back through your work. What do you see there that interests
you? What patterns do you see?
Which areas of the
reading and writing have engaged you and which have given you the most grief,
and why do you think that is?
How have your ideas
for your drafts come about? How has it
changed through peer editing/my comments, etc?
Do you find overlap
between your writing assignments/activities for other courses you are taking
and assignments for this course? Do your
different college instructors seem to be emphasizing similar or not-so-similar
things about the nature of writing at the university level? If you are noticing differences, how are you
responding to and managing these different demands?
What are you
noticing about likeness and differences between your writing of drafts and your
daily and in-class writing? Are these
two areas of writing quite distinct for you, or do they tend to merge…and why,
do you think?
What do you consider
to be your strengths and your weaknesses as a wrier? Please give examples from your writing. How have you worked with difficult areas in
your writing? How has your sense of your
own abilities as a writer changed since you wrote your in-class piece the first
day of class?
What helps you write
well? You might consider the role of
these…
The subject or ideas you’re
exploring
The amount of time you have to write
Opportunities to revise your work
Classroom
discussions and activities; ideas from your classmates and me, etc.
This is to be in a letter format, addressed to me. This is not a class evaluation but rather an introspective look at you, your writing, and an understanding of your writing process.