Introductory Composition: Writing as Inquiry

English 10803.080
Fall 2014
MW 5 - 6:20 PM
Classroom: Reed 120

Ms. Larisa Schumann-Asaeli Office hours: Mon. & Wed. 3:30- 4:55 PM and
l.asaeli@tcu.edu by appointment

Office: Reed Hall 129 Pearson LearningStudio class site:

www.tcuglobal.edu

OVERVIEW AND OUTCOME S

Welcome to English 10803. This course is a writing workshop focused on writing as a kind of inquiry and
the critical thinking that occurs while we write—not before we write. We’ll engage in processes of
invention, critical reading, drafting, revision, and editing as we complete a range of writing tasks—from
personal essays to argument essays—that include primary and secondary research. As we write, we will
discuss everything from getting a first sentence on the page to revising a last draft. If we all do our part,
together as a class we will have learned more about ourselves as writers, readers, and thinkers in order
to write more effectively through college and beyond.
This course, like all courses at TCU, has outcomes explaining what students should achieve in the course.
The outcomes listed here are the goals we are working toward, and the course was created to best help
you meet those ends. By the end of ENGL 10803, students should demonstrate:
✓ the ability to write in a range of genres, using appropriate rhetorical conventions, such as:
▪ Write multiple assignments in several genres, expanding their repertoire beyond
predictable forms (e.g. the 5-paragraph essay)
▪ Create a text with a focus, thesis, or controlling idea, provide appropriate support for
claims, use conventions of format and structure appropriate to the rhetorical situation,
and recognize such in others’ texts
✓ competency in reading, quoting and citing sources, as well as competency in balancing their own
voices with secondary sources, such as:
▪ Find, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize appropriate primary and secondary sources to
inform and situate one’s own claims.
▪ Critically read texts for main ideas and claims, for use of genre conventions, for
rhetorical strategy, and for the position of the author.
✓ the ability to employ flexible strategies for generating and revising their writing, such as:
▪ Write multiple revisions that might include substantive changes in ideas, structure, and
supporting evidence, enabling students to experience writing as a recursive process.
▪ Practice writing assignments as a series of tasks (invention, drafting, revising, editing)
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KEYS TO SUCCESS IN T HIS COURSE

▪ Carefully read assigned readings and ▪ Attend class regularly and punctually
bring them to class ▪ Turn in work on time (electronically)
▪ Participate meaningfully in class ▪ Plan and work proactively (don’t start
discussions assignments at the last minute)
▪ Ask questions in or out of class ▪ Take ownership of your intellectual
▪ Complete process work growth

REQUIRED TEXTS AND M ATERIALS

✓ Pearson Custom Edition (PCE) of Bruce Ballenger’s The Curious Writer, Brief Edition, 3rd Ed.
✓ Harris, Muriel and Jennifer Kunka. Writer’s FAQ, 4th Ed., Pearson 2010.
✓ Regular access to Pearson LearningStudio for PDF readings on Doc Sharing and webliography
✓ TCU email account (important class announcements will go here—you’ll need to check it daily)

REQUIREMENTS [Please name your files like this: LastNameFirstName_AssignmentName.docx]

1) Major Assignments [detailed assignments appear at the end of this document]

We’ll be producing four major assignments in the course totaling about 20 pages of text. Each piece will go through
subsequent drafts and revisions and can be revised throughout the semester. Every version must be accompanied by
an author’s note—always (see below). Before each assignment is due, you’ll receive a detailed assignment sheet.
Essay 1: “This I Believe” Essay
Essay 2: Profile Essay with Visuals
Essay 3: Discovery Essay
Essay 4: Argument Essay

2) Process Work
Process work includes reading assignments, quizzes, in-class writings, informal out-of-class writings, written feedback to
peers, etc. This work, while informal, will be some of the most important work we do for the course, and while each
piece is ungraded, they are a part of the grade within the portfolios (see below) in that not doing them adequately (or
not doing them at all) can hamper your grade. The goal of daily writing is to generate ideas, thinking on the page, not
about having a finished product.

3) Drafts/Workshops
For each major writing assignment, you will be asked to submit preliminary and revised drafts to be workshopped in
small groups, by the whole class, and/or by me. Each draft should include an author’s note explaining to readers: 1)
the state of your draft (first draft, third, etc.) and what you were trying to accomplish in this draft; 2) what you think is
going well; and 3) what you are having trouble with or would like advice on. Failure to bring full drafts when due can
affect your portfolio grades for each assignment. During workshops, you are expected to read your peers’ drafts
carefully and provide a thoughtful, substantive response. During the semester, you will be asked to evaluate the
performance of your peers as responders and these evaluations will contribute to my final evaluation of your work.

4) Conferences
Early in the semester, we’ll meet one-on-one to discuss your goals and work for the course. When we meet, please
come prepared—you will plan the agenda for our time together. Attendance is required for these conferences—if you
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need to reschedule, contact me ahead of time. Conferences will not be rescheduled due to lateness or an unexcused
absence.

5) Participation: This grade reflects how well you participate in class discussions, how often you come to class,
how well you communicate with your professor, and your overall contributions to our class/community both in the
classroom and online. You will receive a grade for this at midterm and at semester’s end that will appear in the online
grade book.

6) Final Evaluative Experience: Multimedia Composition, Rhetorical Analysis, and Presentation

For the Final Evaluative Experience, you will 1) convert one of your essays into another medium; 2) present your new
media composition; and 3) write a Rhetorical Analysis that analyzes the rhetorical choices you made and conveys your
understanding of the rhetorical situation. At the end of the course, during our scheduled final exam time (Dec. 10 at 5
PM), you will give a five minute presentation and turn in your rhetorical analysis. MAKE SURE YOUR HOLIDAY TRAVEL
PLANS TAKE INTO ACCOUNT YOUR FINAL EXAM TIME, AS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESCHEDULE YOUR
PRESENTATION. You must present at and attend the entire exam hour to pass the class.

COURSE POLICIES
Attendance
Improvement in writing is a complex process that requires lots of practice and feedback from readers. Regular
attendance is necessary to your success in this course. It is a Composition Program policy that in writing workshop
courses, only official university absences are excused (and you are responsible for bringing me notification of university
absences before the event). Students representing TCU in a university-mandated activity that requires missing class
should provide official documentation of schedules and turn in work in advance. Two weeks of unexcused absences
constitute grounds for failure of the course. Absences due to illness, sleeping, and long weekends are NOT excused--
they all count toward the absences limit. Save your unexcused absences for times when you are too sick to come to
class. Students whose absences are due to circumstances beyond their control may appeal this policy by scheduling a
meeting with the Director of Composition. Generally, the Director of Composition does not excuse additional absences
without documentation.

Evaluation
For each major assignment of the semester, you’ll turn in a first draft, and then after the second draft (when applicable)
you’ll turn in a portfolio that contains both drafts of the essay, informal work toward the essay (in-class writing, research
notes and articles, etc.), and author’s notes. The grade you receive for the portfolio is the final or “firm” grade. However,
you may revise ONE essay again. (Revising the essay doesn’t guarantee the grade will be improved; we’ll talk much more
in-depth early on in the semester about making the decision whether or not to revise.) More details to come on the
revision process. Note: December 5 is the last day to submit your revised essay.

You’ll receive a handout that explains how the portfolios are graded. In preparation for constructing your portfolios,
please keep all of the writing that you do for this class— drafts (including those with my comments and those of your
peers), in-class writing, etc., together in a single file for easy electronic uploading. SAVE ALL WRITING YOU DO FOR
THIS COURSE! Make sure you save each version on your computer/flash drive/U Drive as well, since you will need to
comment on revisions in your portfolios.

Grades
Simply fulfilling the minimum requirements of the course warrants an average grade (i.e., C). Coming to class every day
and doing assignments is not something that earns extra credit or an automatic A; it’s an expectation for being in the
course. A higher than average grade will be based on: 1) the distinctive quality and development of your work; 2)
consistently demonstrating critical and creative thinking in your writing; 3) your ability to guide a piece of writing
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through the various stages of revision, when applicable; and 4) a willingness to take risks by exploring new subjects,
genres, and techniques. Below is a breakdown of how final grades are calculated; as we move into the semester you’ll
receive more detailed descriptions and we’ll talk more about how your writing is evaluated.

Grading Scale
97-100 % A+ 87-89 B+ 77-79 C+ 67-69 D+ 0-59 Fail

93-96% A 83-86 B 73-76 C 64-66 D

90-92 A- 80-82 B- 70-73 C- 60-63 D-

This is the TCU-approved grading scale and is non-negotiable.

Grade Breakdown

Portfolio 1 (“This I Believe” Essay): 20%

Portfolio 2 (Profile Essay and Visuals): 20%
Portfolio 3 (Discovery Essay): 20%
Portfolio 4 (Argument Essay): 20%
Participation 5%
Final Rhetorical Analysis & Presentation 15%
TOTAL 100%

Tardies
Please be on time for class. Students who are tardy (five minutes late or more) are a distraction to the whole class.
Multiple tardies will affect your participation grade. Keep in mind that in-class work cannot be made up.

Late Work
Work will be due at the beginning of class and will not be accepted thereafter. If you know you will be missing a class,
you need to submit the assignment ahead of time or make other arrangements in advance of the due date. Note: This
course relies heavily on technology, so you will need to have reliable access to the internet, which is always available in
several places (including the library) on campus. Problems with technology (i.e.: computer crash, printer malfunction,
internet connectivity issues, etc.) are not acceptable excuses for submitting late work. You should plan ahead to avoid
last minute crises with technology. Note: Some due dates are not class dates; please read the course calendar carefully.

Class Conduct
Our classroom is a place for the free exchange of ideas in an environment of mutual respect. Students whose behavior
distracts or disrespects others will be asked to leave and will be counted absent. Further appropriate steps may be
taken, if needed.

Office Hours
During my office hours, I will be at my desk and available to talk with you about any questions, comments, or concerns
you have about the course. Please stop by and see me during these hours—that time is yours. If the hours don’t work
for you, come make an appointment with me.

Technologies
Our course takes place in a computer classroom, and while this allows us additional opportunities for our class, it also
can bring distractions. Before class begins, you’re free to check email or other appropriate websites; during class time,
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you’ll turn your monitors off when we aren’t using the computers. In addition, please turn cell phones and any other
electronic gadgets off during class. Failure to adhere to these policies can impact your grade for the course.

Pearson LearningStudio Class Website

We have a course website we’ll use for various activities throughout the course: some required course readings will be
there; discussion threads (when applicable); sharing resources on the webliography; accessing handouts for the course;
and submitting written course assignments to the on-line course drop box.

TCU Disability Statement (verbatim from TCU catalog)

Texas Christian University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
regarding students with disabilities. Eligible students seeking accommodations should contact the Coordinator of Student
Disabilities Services in the Center for Academic Services located in Sadler Hall, 11. Accommodations are not retroactive, therefore,
students should contact the Coordinator as soon as possible in the term for which they are seeking accommodations. Further
information can be obtained from the Center for Academic Services, TCU Box 297710, Fort Worth, TX 76129, or at (817) 257-7486.

Adequate time must be allowed to arrange accommodations and accommodations are not retroactive; therefore, students should
contact the Coordinator as soon as possible in the academic term for which they are seeking accommodations. Each eligible student
is responsible for presenting relevant, verifiable, professional documentation and/or assessment reports to the Coordinator.
Guidelines for documentation may be found at http://www.acs.tcu.edu/disability_documentation.asp

Students with emergency medical information or needing special arrangements in case a building must be evacuated should discuss
this information with their instructor/professor as soon as possible.

Academic Misconduct (Sec. 3.4 from the Student Handbook):

Any act that violates the academic integrity of the institution is considered academic misconduct. The procedures used to resolve
suspected acts of academic misconduct are available in the offices of Academic Deans and the Office of Campus Life. Specific
examples include, but are not limited to:

▪ Cheating: Copying from another student’s test paper, laboratory report, other report, or computer files and listings; Using,
during any academic exercise, material and/or devices not authorized by the person in charge of the test; Collaborating
with or seeking aid from another student during a test or laboratory without permission; Knowingly using, buying, selling,
stealing, transporting, or soliciting in its entirety or in part, the contents of a test or other assignment unauthorized for
release; Substituting for another student or permitting another student to substitute for oneself;
▪ Plagiarism: The appropriation, theft, purchase or obtaining by any means another’s work, and the unacknowledged
submission or incorporation of that work as one’s own offered for credit. Appropriation includes the quoting or
paraphrasing of another’s work without giving credit therefore.
▪ Collusion: The unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing work offered for credit.

TCU RESOURCES
▪ New Media Writing Studio. | Scharbauer 2003 | www.newmedia.tcu.edu | newmedia@tcu.edu | 817‐257‐5194| The New
Media Writing Studio (NMWS) is available to assist students with audio, video, multimedia, and web design projects. The
Studio serves as an open lab for use by students during posted hours and has both PC and Mac computers outfitted with a
range of design software. A variety of equipment is available for checkout to students whose teachers have contacted the
Studio in advance. See their website for more information and a schedule of open hours.
▪ Center for Writing. | Reed 419 | www.wrt.tcu.edu | 817‐257‐7221 |The William L. Adams Center for Writing is an
instructional service with the mission of helping members of theTCU community improve their writing. Consultants offer
feedback on writing projects to students, staff, and faculty from all academic disciplines. In addition to serving as a friendly
audience, consultants address any issue a writer would like to discuss, though consultations often focus on topic
generation, organization of ideas, style, clarity, and documentation. Go to their website to see their hours and make an
appointment.
▪ IC Computer Lab | Mary Couts Burnett Library | www.ic.tcu.edu | The Information Commons computer lab is an open use
lab available to all TCU students. Access is first come, first served, with the exception of four multimedia stations that can
be reserved for use at specific times if requested. Assistance is available from the Information Commons desk staff during
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all open hours, with additional support from either the full‐time Computer Services Librarian or the full‐time Computer Lab
Assistant during most hours.
▪ TCU Computer Help Desk | Mary Couts Burnett Library (first floor) | www.help.tcu.edu | 817‐257‐5855
The Help Desk provides support for TCU related computing accounts and services.
▪ Mary Couts Burnett Library | www.lib.tcu.edu | reference@tcu.edu | 817‐257‐7117 | The Library provides resources and
services for the research and information needs of the TCU community.

Course Schedule
(If necessary, this is subject to change)
Note: It is your responsibility to keep track of due dates. Please use your planner, cell phone calendar, or notebook to write down
important due dates, daily assignments, and course work.
How to find readings: PCE is Pearson Custom Library English Mercury Reader; click on live links from the syllabus find them on our
Pearson LearningStudio webliography; other readings, as noted, can be found on the Pearson LearningStudio site as a PDF. Please
bring your PCE any day we have reading assigned.

Week 1
M 8/20 Introduction to the course, syllabus, and Pearson LearningStudio site
▪ START WRITING HISTORY IN CLASS
W 8/22 Assign and do invention activity for Essay 1 “This I Believe”
▪ Reading PCE: Chapter 1 (1-14, 17-18, 22-32) & Chapter 2 (41-77) (skip exercises, but read “The Importance of Writing
Badly” on 67-68)
▪ WRITING HISTORY DUE BY EMAIL BEFORE CLASS

Week 2
M 8/27 Discussion about workshops, author’s notes, drafting
▪ Reading PCE: Chapter 3 (81-84, 99-109)
▪ Sieffert, “An Act of Faith in America”
▪ Hall, “From Hip Hop Comes Hope”
W 8/29 Drafting and Peer Review; Discuss “Beet Field Dreams”
▪ Reading PCE: Ch. 3 (109-119)
▪ SKETCH OF ESSAY 1 DUE FOR PEER RESPONSE (see guidelines on 109)

Week 3
M 9/3 No Class—Labor Day Holiday
W 9/5 Peer Review and Revising; New Media Writing Studio visitor
▪ Reading in Writer’s FAQ (3-14)
▪ COMPLETE DRAFT OF ESSAY 1 DUE FOR PEER RESPONSE (see guidelines on 489)

Week 4
M 9/10 Essay 2 Assigned and Discussed “Profile Essay with Visuals”
▪ PORTFOLIO 1 DUE (SUBMIT ESSAY ONLINE) WITH AUDIO FILE
W 9/12 Discussion of Interviews; Practice Interviewing
▪ PCE: Chapter 4 (123-126; 128-130, 134-139, 141-153), Chapter 8, (354-357)
▪ Interview appointment should be set by this date

Week 5
M 9/17 Discussion of Visuals; Bring notes from primary research and update on interviews
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▪ PCE: Chapter 2 (66 “Inquiring into Details: Visual Literacy” [box])

▪ Hollingsworth, “Leave it to Bea”
W 9/19 Writing the Draft
▪ Reading -- Newton, “Cooking: A Lifestyle,” (student sample PDF on Pearson LearningStudio)
▪ SKETCH OF ESSAY 2 DUE FOR PEER REVIEW (See 153-154 for guidelines)

Week 6
M 9/24 Revision and Editing Work—Essay 2 (Bring Writers’ FAQ)
▪ REVISION OF ESSAY 2 DUE FOR PEER RESPONSE
W 9/26 Discussion of Essay 3 (The Discovery Essay)
Research, Using and Citing Sources)
▪ PCE: Chapter 7 (269-274, 281?)
▪ Marche, “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?”
▪ PORTFOLIO 2 DUE

Week 7
M 10/1 Using the Library—Meet in Library Instruction Room #219 (near the Media Library).
▪ PCE: Chapter 8 (329-354), Chapter 7, (295-298, 305-309),
▪ Using and Citing Sources in Writers’ FAQ (128-180, 183-192)
W 10/3 In-class work on drafting
▪ Bailey, “The Worth of a Date” (278-281)
▪ THREE SOURCES WITH DUAL ENTRIES DUE

Week 8
M 10/8 No Class-Fall Break!
W 10/10 Research Day (no class meeting)
▪ MIDTERM REFLECTION LETTER (SEND BY EMAIL)
[Thursday, 10/11: Last Day to Drop Course]

Week 9
M 10/15 Revision and Editing Work (Bring Writers’ FAQ)
▪ SKETCH OF ESSAY 3 DUE FOR PEER RESPONSE
W 10/17 Revision and Editing Work (Bring Writers’ FAQ)
▪ COMPLETE DRAFT OF ESSAY 3 DUE FOR PEER RESPONSE

Week 10
M 10/22 Assign Essay 4 “The Argument”; Writing Activities
▪ PCE: Chapter 5 (167-172, 178-184, 188-191)
▪ Bednarz, “Standardized Testing,” (student sample PDF on Pearson Learning Studio)

W 10/24 PORTFOLIO 3 DUE ONLINE (NO CLASS)(PUT PAPER MATERIALS IN MY BOX)

Week 11
M 10/29 Research Day (no class meeting)
W 10/31 Research Updates (write 3 x 5 card)
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Discussion of drafting Essay 4, prepare for whole class workshop (draw #s)
▪ PCE: Chapter 5 (192-200)

Week 12 (Whole Class Workshop)

M 11/5 Whole class workshop-- SKETCH of Essay 4
▪ PCE: Chapter 5 (201-206)

W 11/7 Whole class workshop -- SKETCH of Essay 4

Week 13 (Whole Class Workshop)

M 11/12 Whole class workshop -- SKETCH of Essay 4

W 11/14 Final Assigned; Revision Activities

▪ PCE: Chapter 5 (207-213)
▪ COMPLETE DRAFT OF ESSAY 4 DUE FOR READING TABLE

Week 14
M 11/19 Revision Activities, work on Final Assignment
▪ PORTFOLIO 4 DUE
W 11/21 No School—Thanksgiving Break

Week 15
M 11/26 Revision Activities, work on Final Assignment

W 11/28 Revision Activities, work on Final Assignment

Week 16
M 12/3 Revision Activities, work on Final Assignment
W 12/5 Editing activity, revision workshop, course evaluations & Prepare for Presentation
▪ LAST DATE TO SUBMIT ONE REVISED PORTFOLIO FOR REVISED GRADE

Finals Week
Dec. 10 at 5 PM FINAL: RHETORICAL ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION
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Essay 1: Personal Essay, “This I Believe”

WHAT’S THE ASSIGNMENT?

“This I Believe is an international organization engaging people in writing and

sharing essays describing the core values that guide their daily lives.” For our
first assignment, we’ll each be contributing an essay to the series, as well as creating a podcast. We’ll follow the
guidelines of the website’s assignment (you can find that here). You’re encouraged—but not required—to submit your
essay to This I Believe or This I Believe at TCU. You’ll be writing a short, personal essay that fits the This I Believe
guidelines. Don’t let the title, “This I Believe” make you think you need to write abstractly or broadly. Remember, as
Ballenger says in The Curious Writer, “the subject of an essay is often commonplace,” so your topic doesn’t need to be
something major or dramatic but something you can both describe that illustrates your belief (82). In your essay, you
want to 1) share a story that shows your experiences and observations and 2) tell what your thoughts about those
stories might mean about a belief that you have. A successful This I Believe essay:

✓ Focus/Purpose/Genre: Has a controlling idea (meaning there is a point and purpose beyond just telling a story)
that isn’t simple or cliché (you figuring something out about yourself on the page) about a belief; the essay
works to find the significance in something (common in the personal essay genre), following the rhetorical
situation of the essay genre, and This I Believe specifically.
✓ Support: The controlling idea is shown and supported through compelling, specific, and concrete details,
experiences, and scenes that demonstrate the point of the essay (though the writer may not know that
him/herself until later drafts)
✓ Style and Conventions: The writing uses rich, specific details to bring the narrative to life on paper, uses
sentence variety, and has a sense of the writer’s “voice” as appropriate to the writing situation; the paper is
basically error-free (follows appropriate conventions of grammar, spelling, and punctuation for the genre).

Course outcomes met:

❖ Write in a range of genres, using appropriate rhetorical conventions

❖ Demonstrate the ability to employ flexible strategies for generating and revising your writing (such as: invention,
drafting, revising, recording, and editing)

HOW DO I APPROACH THE ASSIGNMENT?

We’ll read and listen to sample This I Believe pieces, brainstorm, and talk to help generate a topic that focuses on a
narrow slice from your life (think small, and think of just a moment or event or two that illustrate your point: you only
have two pages) and then work to understand the significance of the experience as a way to describe a belief you have.
The more specific you are, the more people can connect to your piece, as paradoxical as that may seem. Here are the
This I Believe guidelines:

“Tell a story: Be specific. Take your belief out of the ether and ground it in the events of your life. Consider
moments when belief was formed or tested or changed. Think of your own experience, work, and family, and
tell of the things you know that no one else does. Your story need not be heart-warming or gut-wrenching—it
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can even be funny—but it should be real. Make sure your story ties to the essence of your daily life philosophy
and the shaping of your beliefs.

Be brief: Your statement should be between 350 and 500 words. That’s about three minutes when read aloud at
your natural pace.

Name your belief: If you can’t name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be about belief. Also, rather
than writing a list, consider focusing on one core belief, because three minutes is a very short time.

Be positive: Please avoid preaching or editorializing. Tell us what you do believe, not what you don’t believe.
Avoid speaking in the editorial “we.” Make your essay about you; speak in the first person.

Be personal: Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you to speak. We recommend you read your
essay aloud to yourself several times, and each time edit it and simplify it until you find the words, tone, and
story that truly echo your belief and the way you speak.”

In conjunction with this essay, you’ll also make an audio recording of your essay and submit the text and audio versions
in your portfolio. In your final author’s note, you’ll reflect on how the audio recording impacted revisions and the final
product of your essay.

This is an essay that’s deceptively simple: it’s short, and it’s about you, so you can likely create a first draft quickly. But
then it will be a matter of revising and honing as you work to make complex meaning in your essay; in fact, it may take
several drafts and a lot of feedback from readers to help you discover and narrow the point you want to make. You’ll
likely find that after you begin writing, the point you want to make changes. Rather than how you may have written
previous essays where you decide your main point and then find ways to show it, you’ll be inquiring and figuring out
what your point is as you draft the piece: you’ll start from something that you find interesting and move toward your
main idea, not the other way around.

Final Draft: 350-500 (up to two pages), plus author’s notes

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Essay 2: Profile Essay with Visuals

WHAT’S THE ASSIGNMENT?
You’ll write an essay where you profile someone using details you get from interviews and observations
to examine some aspect of a local culture, cultural trend, or place or the personal impact of an event
through the example of one person.

Your paper should 1) be organized around ways your profile seems representative or typical of the
larger group to which your subject belongs and 2) convey stories that help reveal this theme, bringing
in your subject through stories and visuals (you’re required to incorporate visuals to enhance your essay
[provided there aren’t confidentiality issues with your participants]).

A successful profile essay:

✓ Has a controlling idea that shares a larger theme or idea about the person being profiled; the controlling idea is supported
through specific, insightful details, stories, and visuals (rhetorical conventions of the genre); the controlling idea is
unexpected and complex rather than obvious or cliché.
❖ Course outcome met: Write in a range of genres, using appropriate rhetorical conventions
✓ Includes primary research (interview and observation) that is smoothly integrated as a part of the essay rather than
inserted into the piece; two visuals are well-placed to support and enhance controlling idea
❖ Course outcome met: Demonstrate competency in reading, quoting, and citing sources, as well as competency in
balancing your own voices with secondary sources
✓ Primary research & visuals correctly cited in MLA format; the writing uses rich details to bring the narrative to life on paper,
uses sentence variety, and has a sense of the writer’s “voice” as appropriate to the writing situation; follows conventions of
grammar, spelling, and punctuation
❖ Course outcome met: Write in a range of genres, using appropriate rhetorical conventions

HOW DO I APPROACH THE ASSIGNMENT?

Profile anybody you want—a relative, a roommate, teacher, pastor, a soldier returning from Afghanistan, a beauty pageant
participant, or someone who has a job you find interesting. Whomever you pick as your subject, you should be able to connect this
individual to something larger within our culture. Of course, you also need to take care not to generalize. It is up to you, as an
ethical writer, to find some kind of balance. Don’t let your preconceived notions (we all have them) shape your essay; rather, the
evidence you gather should shape your essay.
StoryCorps collects stories about ordinary people. We will listen to some of them in class and use some of their questions
and other resources for completing this assignment. http://storycorps.org/
You’ll want to include a minimum of two photos—either originals that you take or ones from the person you are profiling
with permission from him/her (for example, you can’t just take a picture from his/her Facebook page without permission) that you
think enhance the controlling idea you are making about the person you are profiling. You’ll build upon Essay 1 by incorporating
narrative and details that convey meaning, and you’ll do research as with Essay 3, but rather than using library sources, you’ll be
doing your own research by interviewing (likely more than once) and observing the person you’re profiling.* You’ll want to observe
your source in her/his element for at least a couple of hours to get a better understanding of who she or he is. Just like your earlier
essay, this essay will have a controlling idea that will emerge through your research and drafting.
Final Draft: 1,000-1,500 words, plus author’s notes, MLA citation, and two visuals.
See schedule for due dates

*We’ll go over the process of conducting interviews, but you want everyone you speak with to know who you are and why you are talking to them.
You’ll need to get permission to use their words in your paper, and you’ll need to have a works cited where you include their contact information.
You’ll also, of course, want to be as safe as possible, not putting yourself at any kind of risk to garner an interview with someone.
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Essay 3: Discovery Essay

The motive for writing a research essay…is not to prove but to discover. ---Bruce Ballenger
WHAT’S THE ASSIGNMENT?
Choose a question, problem, or issue that genuinely perplexes you. At the beginning of your essay,
explain why you are interested in this problem, why you think it is significant, and why you have
been unable to reach a satisfactory answer. Then write a first-person, chronologically organized
narrative account of your thinking process as you investigate you question through research, talking
with others, and doing your own reflective thinking. Your goal is to examine your question, problem,
or issue from a variety of perspectives, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of different positions and points of view. Your goal is
not to answer your question but to report on the process of wrestling with it. A successful discovery essay has the following:
✓ Focus/Purpose/Genre: a clear controlling idea that explores a complex research question and is coherently organized
around the exploration of the question; relays author’s interest in the topic by 1) showing how research informs author and
2) discussing issues that emerge from research (not finding an easy answer)
✓ Support and research: support for controlling idea incorporating five sources, integrating quotes and information (putting
them in conversation) rather than just inserting them; selecting reliable, relevant, and substantive sources
✓ Style and Conventions: incorporates five sources correctly using MLA format in the text and in the works cited; the writing
has sentence variety and a sense of the writer’s “voice” as appropriate to the writing situation; follows conventions of
grammar, spelling, and punctuation
Course outcomes met:
❖ Demonstrate competency in reading, quoting, and citing sources, as well as competency in balancing your own voices
with secondary sources
❖ Write in a range of genres, using appropriate rhetorical conventions
❖ Demonstrate the ability to employ flexible strategies for generating and revising your writing (such as: invention,
drafting, revising, recording, and editing)

HOW DO I APPROACH THE ASSIGNMENT?

After doing some brainstorming in class and forming a research question, you’ll then, after finding many sources so you can choose
among them the sources most useful to you, narrow to at least five sources about your research question (they should not all be
websites; we’ll talk more about this in class) that represent various points or approaches to your topic (you don’t want all of your
sources to say the same thing). Read—and reread—your sources carefully, taking notes that record both what the authors are
saying and what you think about what they are saying. The best way to do this is in a dual-entry journal (sample posted online).
Your essay is an exploration of the issue based on the sources you’ve read—not an argument paper where research feeds
your opinion about the issue; rather, you’ll be exploring a topic and explaining how the research impacts your beliefs and opinions—
or not—instead of developing an argument in which you try to change the minds of others. (This exploration will prepare you for the
argument paper that follows—and it should be on the same topic.) Remember your voice should control the essay; the sources you
incorporate will support you as you put these ideas together in conversation.
Potential research questions range from, “Should a Mars landing be the next mission for NASA?” to “Is the internet changing how I
think?” Off-limit topics include: gun control, changing the legal drinking age, abortion.

Final Draft: 1,000-1,500 words (approx. 4-5 pages) with works cited in MLA format, plus author’s notes

See schedule for due dates

 13

Essay 4: Public Argument Essay

Knowing how to argue well has practical value
---Bruce Ballenger
WHAT’S THE ASSIGNMENT?
You’ll write an essay in which you assert and support a position on a complex issue, using
elements of academic argument (this should be the same issue you wrote about for Essay #3). As
Ballenger says in The Curious Writer, “the best arguments are built to carefully establish…how a
certain action, belief, or idea might make a difference in the lives of those who are the argument’s
audience” (256. Your purpose in this essay is to persuade an educated audience (your classmates) that your position is
reasonable and worth consideration. A successful public argument essay:
✓ Focus/Rhetorical conventions: is clear about what it is asking readers to do or believe with a topic that is appropriately
narrow for the rhetorical situation (not too broad [gun control] or simplistic [drunk driving is bad]; persuades audience that
claim is reasonable (discusses opposing arguments)
✓ Support/ Research/Audience: Provides balanced and thoughtful evidence (through a number of ways that may incorporate
ethos, pathos, and logos, personal experience or observations, visuals, secondary research, primary research, discussion of
opposing views, etc.) that is specific and appropriate to the issue and for the audience; integrates quotes and information;
selects reliable & relevant sources
✓ Style and conventions: incorporates five sources correctly using MLA format in the text and in the works cited; the writing
has sentence variety and a sense of the writer’s “voice” as appropriate to the writing situation; follows conventions of
grammar, spelling, and punctuation
Course outcomes met:
❖ Demonstrate competency in reading, quoting, and citing sources, as well as competency in balancing your own voices with
secondary sources
❖ Write in a range of genres, using appropriate rhetorical conventions\
❖ Demonstrate the ability to employ flexible strategies for generating and revising their writing

HOW DO I APPROACH THE ASSIGNMENT?

For this essay, you’ll inquire deeper into an issue you are invested in, investigate the topic through doing research, and then
write an essay that works to persuade. To be persuasive you’ll want to show that you know the range of arguments (support,
opposition, and the range between) and acknowledge their validity as well as provide authoritative evidence (ethos, pathos, logos)
to support your position. In general, address your argument to readers who have not yet made up their minds on the issue. For the
greatest possible audience interest, you should avoid huge topics that are too broad and overused (e.g. gun control, abortion, capital
punishment, etc.) unless you can bring a fresh—and narrow—perspective to the subject. Broad topics like that are extremely
difficult to do successfully in so few pages. Topics of current or local interest are often good choices, as we’ll discuss. You’re also
encouraged to include visuals to enhance your essay, and that will be discussed in class. This paper will use some of the methods
used in Essay 2, where you draw upon outside sources and synthesize information on your topic, and you should also cite five
sources here. It will likely also employ some methods from Essay 1 in that you can incorporate your personal experiences to help
solidify your position, and you may employ primary research as you did in Essay 3. This essay also launches you into the work you’ll
do in 20803 (Intermediate Composition: Writing as Argument).
Note: For this essay, we’ll be doing whole-class workshops instead of small group workshops. Failure to submit a complete
draft (including a draft of your Works Cited) in time for peers to read and comment and/or show up for class on the day your paper
is workshopped can hamper your final portfolio grade for your Essay 4 Portfolio.
Final Draft: 1,500-2,000 words (approx. 5-7 pages) with works cited in MLA format, plus author’s notes

Off-limit topics include: gun control, changing the legal drinking age, abortion.
 14

Final Assignment:
Multimedia Composition, Rhetorical Analysis, and Presentation

For the Final Evaluative Experience, you will 1) convert one of your essays into another medium; 2)
present your new media composition; and 3) write a Rhetorical Analysis that analyzes the rhetorical
choices you made and conveys your understanding of the rhetorical situation. You’ll convert one of
your essays into a multimedia composition using PowerPoint (five slides maximum), iMovie, or
MovieMaker (30-60 seconds); you’ll need to convey the controlling idea from your essay into the new medium. You
should incorporate visuals along with text and/or sound for your composition (one option would be using your audio
recording of your This I Believe essay and adding visuals to go with the audio). The purpose is to turn your textual essay
into a visual medium that conveys the controlling idea of your original essay. You’ll want to consider which images,
and, if applicable, sounds can get across the main ideas of your essay without all of the text to demonstrate it. You may
use original images or images found online; both must be properly cited in your credits. You’ll want to think about how
order, mood, and effects (texture, designs, fonts, etc.) can do this for you; and these are the rhetorical choices you’ll
explain in your rhetorical analysis and presentation.

Rhetorical Analysis: To accompany your multimedia composition and presentation, you’ll submit a rhetorical analysis in
which you explain how you revised one of your essays into a visual essay and what you learned in the process.
Specifically, do these three things:
1) Remind readers of the context and give an overview of the essay you converted;
2) Explain in detail the choices you made in turning this into a visual essay for your classmates;
3) Describe what you learned about the rhetorical situation (issues of audience—including location, form, visual
appeals, etc., as we’ll discuss in class) and new media from making these changes.

Presentation: 1) give the context of the essay you chose to revise into a multimedia composition through PowerPoint or
Movie Maker/iMovie and 2) explain the rhetorical choices you made to change your textual essay into a different
medium. Explain what analysis you made in terms of audience and purpose as you developed your new messages in the
new medium. Your presentation must include your multimedia composition and should be five minutes in length, with a
minute or two for questions after those five minutes (6-7 minutes total).
You won’t read from your rhetorical analysis for your presentation; instead you will share key points in verbal
form. So you’ll share your new media piece and then describe in detail the rhetorical choices you made for your visual
essay. Your presentation will be evaluated with a letter grade based on:
• the effectiveness with which you convey your ideas to your audience (i.e: management of information
given the time allowed) and the interest you sustain with your audience (can be done in a variety of
ways—think in part of rhetorical strategies we’ve discussed in class, how you might convey ethos,
pathos, logos, for example);
• your new medium and explanation of the new medium;
• your ability to display your understanding of rhetorical contexts through describing the rhetorical
choices you made in converting a textual essay to a PowerPoint or movie.
There will be a minute or two for questions after your presentation, and you’ll be assessed on how you answer
these as well. Finally, your grade will include your work as a participant—asking questions of others’ presentations,
being engaged in their presentations, etc.

All parts due during our Final Exam Time, Dec. 9 at 5 PM. 15% of course grade.
 15

Evaluation for Essay 1 (This I Believe)

Name:
Exceeds Meets Below Unacceptable/
Outstanding Expectations Expectations/Average average/ Incomplete
[Product]
needs work
Focus/Purpose/Genre: Has a
controlling idea (meaning there is a
point and purpose beyond just telling
a story) that isn’t simple or cliché (you
figuring something out about yourself
on the page) about a belief; the essay
works to find the significance in
something (common in the personal
essay genre), following the rhetorical
situation of the essay genre, and This I
Believe specifically.
Support: The controlling idea is
shown and supported through
compelling, specific, and concrete
details, experiences, and scenes that
demonstrate the point of the essay
(though the writer may not know that
him/herself until later drafts)
Style and conventions: The writing
uses rich, specific details to bring the
narrative to life on paper, uses
sentence variety, and has a sense of
the writer’s “voice” as appropriate to
the writing situation; the paper is
basically error-free (follows
appropriate conventions of grammar,
spelling, and punctuation for the
genre).
[Process] Complete Incomplete
Workshop Participation
In-class work (engagement,
completion)
Drafting (author’s notes, full
drafts submitted on time,
substantive revision)
Audio: (submitted recording; final
author’s note reflects on how
audio impacted the writing)
Comments:

Pencil Grade:
 16

Evaluation for Essay 2 (Discovery Essay)

Name:
Meets Below Unacceptable/
[Product] Outstanding Exceeds Expectations/Average average/ Incomplete
Expectations needs
work
Focus/Purpose
has a clear controlling idea that
explores a complex research
question and is coherently
organized around the
exploration of the question;
relays author’s interest in the
topic by 1) showing how
research informs author and 2)
discussing issues emerging
from research (not finding an
easy answer)
Support/Research
Provides support for
controlling idea incorporating
five sources, integrating quotes
and information (putting them
in conversation) rather than
just inserting them, selecting
reliable, relevant, and
substantive sources
Style and conventions
incorporates five sources
correctly using MLA format in
the text and in the works cited;
the writing has sentence
variety and a sense of the
writer’s “voice” as appropriate
to the writing situation; follows
conventions of grammar,
spelling, and punctuation
[Process] Complete Incomplete
In-class work (engagement,
completion)
Drafting (author’s notes, full
drafts, substantive revision)
Workshop Participation
Copies and links of sources
Comments:

Pencil Grade:
 17

Evaluation for Essay 3 (Community Profile Essay with Visuals)

Names:
Meets Below Unacceptable/
Outstanding Exceeds Expectations/Average average Incomplete
[Product] Expectations
Focus/Purpose/Genre: Has a controlling idea
that shares a larger theme or idea about the
person being profiled; the controlling idea is
supported through specific, insightful details,
stories, and visuals (rhetorical conventions of
the genre); the controlling idea is unexpected
and complex rather than obvious or cliché.
Audience Awareness: The essay gives clear
and informed history and context about the
Community Partner, as well as some
discussion of how the Community Partner has
impacted the interviewee, since the piece is
written for a public audience broader than our
class.
Support: Includes primary research (interview
and observation) that is smoothly integrated
as a part of the essay rather than inserted into
the piece; two visuals are well-placed to
support and enhance controlling idea
Style and conventions: Primary research &
visuals correctly cited in MLA format; the
writing uses rich details to bring the narrative
to life on paper, uses sentence variety, and
has a sense of the writer’s “voice” as
appropriate to the writing situation; follows
conventions of grammar, spelling, and
punctuation
[Process] COMPLETE INCOMPLETE
Workshop Participation
In-class work (engagement, completion)
Partner Author’s Notes: (individual + partner)
Drafting (full drafts submitted on time,
substantive revision)
Comments:

Pencil Grade:
 18

Evaluation for Essay 4 (Argument Essay)

Name:

Exceeds Meets Below average/ Unacceptable

Outstanding Expectations Expectations/Average needs work /Incomplete
[Product]
Focus/Rhetorical Conventions
Is clear about what it is asking readers
to do or believe (claim) with a topic
that is appropriately narrow for the
rhetorical situation (not too broad [gun
control] or simplistic [drunk driving is
bad]); persuades audience claim is
reasonable (discusses opposing
arguments)
Support/Research/Audience
Provides balanced and thoughtful
evidence to claim (through a number of
ways that may incorporate ethos,
pathos, and logos, personal experience
or observations, visuals, secondary
research, primary research, etc.)
specific and appropriate to the issue
and for audience; integrates quotes
and information; selects reliable &
relevant sources
Style and conventions
incorporates five sources correctly
using MLA format in the text and in the
works cited; the writing has sentence
variety and a sense of the writer’s
“voice” as appropriate to the writing
situation; follows conventions of
grammar, spelling, and punctuation
[Process] Complete Incomplete
Whole Class Workshop
Participation (commented on all
drafts, point person work, participated
in-class, submitted your draft and
attended your workshop)
In-class work (engagement,
completion)
Drafting (author’s notes, complete
drafts, substantive revision)
Copies and links of sources
Comments:

Pencil Grade:
 19

Evaluation for Final Project (Presentation & Short Paper)

Name:
Exceeds Meets Below Unacceptabl
Outstanding Expectations Expectations/ average/ e
[Product: Presentation]
Average needs work /Incomplete
Rhetorical Contexts
Your ability to display your understanding of
rhetorical contexts through describing the
rhetorical choices you made in converting a textual
essay to a PowerPoint or movie.
the effectiveness with which you convey your ideas
to your audience (i.e: management of information
given the time allowed)

The interest you sustain with your audience (can

be done in a variety of ways—think in part of
rhetorical strategies we’ve discussed in class, how
you might convey ethos, pathos, logos, for
example);
[Product: Short Paper]

Focus/Rhetorical Conventions
Is clear about why specific rhetorical choices were
made.
Support/Audience
Provides balanced and thoughtful evidence that is
specific and appropriate to the topic and for
audience.
Style and conventions
the writing has sentence variety and a sense of the
writer’s “voice” as appropriate to the writing
situation; follows conventions of grammar,
spelling, and punctuation; meets word
requirement
Q&A
How well you answer questions from your peers.

Participation
Your work as a participant—asking questions of
others’ presentations, being engaged in their
presentations, attending presentations, and et
cetera.
Comments:

Grade: