The Syllabus for M/W/F classes

English 102: Writing II
M/W/F: 10-10:50 FAC 255, 11-11:50 SCI 240
Instructor: Olivia Cronk
Office: CLS-2084
Phone: 773.442.5958
E-mail: o-cronk@neiu.edu
Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 12-2

Course Description:
This course will provide you with strategies for planning, writing, and revising a research paper. Before you get to the research paper, you will complete many small writing exercises, and you will also plan and execute your own “history” project upon which to base your paper. We will write about and discuss many different kinds of texts (readings, images, videos, sound clips, news articles, art, literature). The formal emphasis is on critical reading and analysis, the structure of argument, and the use of sources. In addition, our course is structured around a theme. There are three important concepts that serve as our foundation: 1) Social Justice, 2) Oppression, and 3) Documentation of Underrepresented Voices. In order to discuss our reading and create new projects, we will be considering a few sets of questions: 1) What is Documentation? What criteria do we use to determine what is “true” Documentation? 2) What voices in our society, past and present, are underrepresented? 3) How then is documentation of the lives of such voices an act of social justice? What wrongs have been committed in the way we organize our histories? 4) What unheard “voices” make up your own experience of the world? How can you document those voices? What kind of research helps you put your documentation into historical, cultural, or societal context?

Some terms you will learn, know, and practice include: audience, citation, deductive reasoning, Documentation and documentation, ethos, fallacy, inductive reasoning, logos, paraphrase, pathos, social justice, summary, thesis, Toulmin logic. Although I expect you to employ editing and proofreading skills you obtained in Writing 1, I will cover grammatical issues as they arise, and I will assign exercises from our handbook to help you with your individual concerns and our class issues.

Course Objectives:
• Write in a variety of modes, for multiple purposes—with the intent of building your larger project
• Read for multiple theses, Connect texts under our themes
• Construct theses using clear sentence structure
• Use thesis to form an argument
• Respond—as both writer and thinker—to texts and cultural documents, especially under our themes
• Produce: 1) your own Documentation Project that adheres to our class criteria and responds to your concept of Social Justice, 2) a 10-page research paper that places your own project in a historical, cultural, or societal context, 3) a clear and thorough Social Justice Statement
• Follow MLA guidelines for using and citing sources

Textbooks and Materials:
You need all of the books and supplies listed here. You can keep track of what books to bring on what days by following the schedule (at the end of this document).

Division Street: America by Studs Terkel. 2006 edition.
Impounded (photographs by Dorothea Lange, essays by Linda Gordon/ Gary Okihiro). 2006
Rules for Writers by Diana Hacker
a folder or binder in which to keep ALL handouts and comments
a notebook/journal dedicated exclusively to this class
a gmail address (free and easy to set up) AND an NEIU address

(A note about e-mail: I expect you to use your NEIU address to e-mail me. It’s a good habit to have an academic address from which you conduct school business; keep your personal address for personal use. You do NOT have to use or check your gmail account; we simply need to set up gmail names for the purpose of blogging—another useful thing to practice and know about.)

Academic Integrity:
Please refer to NEIU’s student conduct code at http://www.neiu.edu/~DeanSt/survival/conduct.pdf. In general, anything that falls under the following list is a violation:
• cheating,
• plagiarism (turning in work not written by you, or lacking proper citation*),
• falsification and fabrication (lying or distorting the truth),
• helping others to cheat,
• unauthorized changes on official documents,
• pretending to be someone else or having someone else pretend to be you,
making or accepting bribes, special favors, or threats
*Generally, this is the most relevant issue for an English class. Do NOT turn in anything that fails to distinguish between your writing and someone else’s. You will fail the assignment and will NOT be allowed to make it up. More than once incident will result in failure of the course.

Course Requirements and Breakdown of Points:
Your points will be recorded on the grade sheet you fill out at the start of the term. At any time, you can request the total points earned thus far, as an estimate of your grade. You can also record your points for yourself on the miniature grade sheet provided below. There are 765 points; your final grade is calculated as a percentage of points earned vs. total points. Basically, each and every point is worth 0.13%. For example, if you earn 649 total points, your grade would be 649/765 (84.8%). The relationship between percentages and letter grades is as follows.

A=90-100
B=80-89
C=70-79
D=60-69
F=59 and below

765 points total
(Class Membership=355 points, Writing & Research=410 points)
____________________________________
Name:
Class Membership
Participation/Attendance: /80

Journal: /35

Leadership of RN discussion: /40

Reading Notes: /200

Writing & Research
News Analysis 1: /30

Creative Response 1: /20

Oral History Practice Project: /20

News Analysis 2: /30

Creative Response 2: /20

“Bridge” Paper: /30


Documentation Project
a) Proposal: /10

b) Project: /50

c) Presentation: /20

Research Paper Components
Annotated Bibliography: /20

Explanation and Defense (Draft 1) // Outline: /20

First 3 pages of the paper (Draft 1): /10

Explanation (Draft 2) // First 5 p. (2): /20

Explanation (3) // Seven p. (3) // Works Cited: /20

Social Justice Statement Rough Draft: /10

Final Product: /100

Total Points:
__________________________________________

Class Membership
Participation=80
This portion includes your blog postings (5 to 8 times, worth 2 points each), your attendance (no more than 3 misses, “present” days are worth 2 points each), and your in-class efforts. I expect you to be alert and engaged, to either make thoughtful contributions to our conversation or to carefully and respectfully listen to others’ comments.

Journal and other informal writing=35
We will begin many class meetings with a journal entry, and we will regularly complete writing exercises in class. Please keep ALL informal writing in one notebook, each entry clearly marked. I’ll collect your notebook at the end of the term.

Leadership of an RN discussion=40
You will volunteer to lead a discussion with one to two other people, based on the assigned reading. You are responsible for creating: 1) a thoughtful journal question for the day, 2) discussion questions and/or an activity for 20-25 minutes of class time. This is NOT a presentation. I do not want a summary; I want a critical reflection.

Reading Notes=200 (10 @ 20 points each)
There are 12 RNs assigned; you are responsible for 10 (worth 20 points each). RNs can ONLY be turned in during class, on the day for which the readings are scheduled. Please follow the guidelines carefully (see below), as your points are based on the respective questions. Typos and errors result in grade deductions and/or mandatory grammatical help from me or from the Writing Lab.

Writing & Research
The details for each assignment will be posted on the blog and covered in class; it is your responsibility to ask questions at the time of assignment, contact me and/or classmates for missed directions, and follow MLA formatting issues (also covered) when relevant.

News Analysis 1=30
Creative Response 1=20
Oral History Practice Project=20
News Analysis 2=30
Creative Response 2=20
“Bridge” Paper=30

Documentation Project=80
a) Proposal: 10
b) Project: 50
c) Presentation: 20

Research Paper=180
There are many steps in the completion of your paper. Some steps, like the completion of Drafts, are simply checked in for points; others are graded. Missing steps means losing points. NONE of the following components may be turned in late (except in the case of a documented emergency). You may use ANY/ALL of the above assignments to help build your final paper. These steps might seem confusing in a list like this, but they are meant to allow you to steadily build up to your final version.

Steps: 80
a) Annotated Bibliography: 10
b) Explanation of your Documentation Project/Defense according to class criteria (Draft 1) plus typed outline of your Research Paper: 10
c) First three pages of your Research Paper (Draft 1): 10
d) Explanation (Draft 2) plus first five pages of your Paper (Draft 2): 20
e) Explanation (Draft 3) plus seven pages of paper (Draft 3) plus Works Cited (Draft 1): 20
f) Social Justice Statement (Draft 1): 10

Final Product: 100
Explanation (20) // Thesis (20) // Research, Organization of evidence and supporting materials (20) // Social Justice Statement (20) // Overall presentation (including grammar, mechanics, adherence to MLA rules) (20)

Policies
• Turn cell phones off completely before coming to class. If you need to be available for a call, inform me in advance and turn the phone to vibrate. If your cell phone rings during class, you may be asked to leave.
• Do not come to class if you are more than 20 minutes late. If you are late three times, those tardies will count as one absence.
• I will shuffle our schedule as necessary if things come up; I will never move a deadline closer.
• You are entitled to three absences without penalty. I do not distinguish between excused or unexcused absences. After three, you lose 5 points per day. You are responsible for contacting a classmate to find out what handouts you are missing. After an absence, you should e-mail me to request handouts or any other relevant information.
• I do NOT accept late RNs (see below). They can ONLY be turned in the day of discussion, in class (typed).
• I can accept late essays up to five days (but NOT in the case of Research Paper components), but they will lose 2 points for each day late. If you have documentation of an emergency, I will accept late work without a penalty. If you miss class on a deadline day, you may e-mail your essay to me as an attachment THAT SAME DAY, by 5:00 p.m. I will use the e-mail as a way to verify that you will not be penalized for lateness, but you MUST bring me a hard copy during our next class meeting. I will NOT print your essay. You can also drop essays in my mailbox. I do not guarantee the speed/thoroughness of grades/comments on late essays.
• Drafts are due in class only; if you do not have a Draft on a deadline day, you will be asked to leave class and you will be marked absent. If you do not come to class on a Draft (Peer Review) day, you will only get half of the points.
• I will give 10 points extra credit for every documented visit to a Writing Tutor at the Writing Lab (http://www.neiu.edu/~ewlab/).
• You may revise any of your short essays/assignments over the semester for a higher grade. When you get it back from me, you can use my comments—and, I recommend, the help of the Writing Lab—to correct errors, re-shape your argument or supporting ideas, and fix any other problems. The new revision must be turned in within one week the return of the first version. The new grade will be an average of your old and new points.
• I will announce occasional extra credit as it arises; it is your responsibility to take advantage of those opportunities in a timely manner.
• I will return your essays as quickly as possible, with notes identifying the components of the grade and containing brief comments for you to consider. I may sometimes attach a grammar/mechanics checklist that you will need to use in order to look up your errors in your handbook. Please feel free to meet with me to discuss any unclear comments or notes.
• I expect all members of the class to share opinions, ideas, writing samples, and observations. Because of this, it is necessary to have an environment that is completely open to diversity in background and ideas. No negativity in this way will be tolerated. Because the theme of this class requires that we consider marginalized groups, it is very important that all class members exercise extreme sensitivity and open-mindedness. You should be mindful of diversity when you make comments in conversation, being careful to avoid generalizations and stereotypes. Our class must be anti-racist, anti-heterosexist, anti-label. Exercise great care in listening to others respectfully and quietly.
• I think of my job as a conversation with you all. I try to expose you to an interesting variety of readings, give you a variety of forms in which to write, give you concrete mechanical and grammatical information, provide feedback on the technical details and content of each of your essays, and generally encourage an atmosphere of “ideas.” Please feel free to bring in any outside materials that you think have some sort of value. Please also let me know if there are topics/rules/writers that you want me to cover in lectures.

What are Reading Notes (RNs) and how do you complete them?
Reading Notes are a set of questions and concepts you should apply to each reading. These are typed assignments (a FULL page, double-spaced). I expect you to bring these with you to class and to contribute your ideas and responses during class. As you move forward with your own ideas, these might turn into useful “seeds” for your own research. NO late RNs will be accepted; there are no exceptions. If you miss class, you will not be able to turn the RN in at the next class. You can think of the RNs as miniature essays that demonstrate the reading and thinking you have done to prepare for class. RNs should be 1-3 paragraphs long. You can focus on particular parts of the reading, but your RNs should reference all the reading you have done for that day’s homework assignment.

• (10 points) What is the thesis you have gathered from the reading? What statement do the readings, together or separately, make about our country, culture, society, or the world at large? Do the words or images you see make an argument, or call for action?
• (2 points) What are the themes you see in this reading selection? Go beyond poverty and injustice; think about the specific circumstances of the lives being documented.
• (2 points) Compare this to something else you have read/seen/heard. How is it like that? Feel free to make a strange connection. Feel free, also, to connect the two texts. You might also consider browsing a reliable news source (like nytimes.com) for connections.
• (2 points) Think about what kind of class conversation can come out of the reading. What idea would you like to discuss? Create 1-3 thoughtful discussion questions; expect to share these with the class.
• (2 points) If you were going to expand this reading and your thinking into a larger project, what three topics would you research? Be as specific as possible.
• (2 points) Make a list of any unknown words. Look them up and write out brief definitions. If no words are new to you, write down information or an idea that is new to you.

Schedule:
Homework is always listed after the schedule for the day; it is due at the next class meeting or when indicated.

ST=Studs Terkel
DL=Dorothea Lange
RES=Book/Reading Materials on Reserve (Electronic)
DH=Diana Hacker’s Rules for Writers
RN=Reading Notes

M Jan 12
Introductions, Defining terms, Class Materials, Receive handout (“The Five Faces of Oppression” by Iris Marion Young)
HMWK: 1. Read introductory material of handout; take notes in your journal; read your assigned section and prepare to report the information to the class, 2. Get a gmail address, and send it to me, 3. Look at our class blog and the old “Writing as History” (www.fallwriting2.blogspot.com) for ideas.

W Jan 14
Discussion of Young, Browsing our books, Bob Dylan song (“The Lonesome Ballad of Hattie Carroll”), Intro to RNs
HMWK: Read ST: Foreword, Prefatory Notes, Florence Scala, Lucy Jefferson, Gene Willis, Jan Powers, and do a practice RN in your notes

F Jan 16
Discussion of ST, How to do RNs, Thesis, Carolyn Forche poem (“The Colonel”)
HMWK: 1. RN 1: ST: Kid Pharaoh, Stan Lenard, Eva Barnes // leaders?_____, 2. BRING DL to next class

Monday=NO CLASS

W Jan 21
(Leaders) Discussion of ST, Review IMY Five Faces and our texts so far, Develop and vote on criteria for “Documentation,” Look at DL
HMWK: RN2: DL: p. 3-28, p. 86-93 // leaders?____

F Jan 23
(Leaders) Discussion of DL, Review criteria, Look at the blog—how to post
HMWK: 1. RN3: DL p. 28-30 (and skim the notes on p. 41-45), 2. Read a news article nytimes.com that connects to our class themes, 3. BRING DH

M Jan 26
News Discussion, Look at nytimes.com “Faces of the Dead” and test against our criteria, Learn about in-text citation (DH p. 418-423)
HMWK: 1. Prepare to write News Analysis (due Friday), 2. Do DH exercises online: 54-1 to 54-4 by Friday and e-mail me the scores, 3. RN4: ST: Lucky Miller, Bonnie Dawson, Mrs. Fuqua Davies // leaders?____, 4. BRING DH again

W Jan 28
(Leaders) Discussion of ST, More citations (DH p. 448), Work Cited practice for your News Analysis
HMWK: 1. News Analysis, 2. Blog posting: just your NA thesis statement and a link to the article

F Jan 30
Turn in NA, Images & Arguments, Vostell’s “Miss America”—test against criteria, Thinking exercise
HMWK: RN5: DL 47-57, 93-110 // leaders?____

M Feb 2
(Leaders) Discussion of DL, Explanation of Creative Response #1, Review all the names and faces of our texts
HMWK: 1. Brainstorm/free write in your notes in order to prepare for CR1 (due F), 2. RN6: ST Therese Carter and Helen Peters and RES. “The Fifties” (p. 175-199) // leaders?____

W Feb 4
(Leaders) Discussion of ST and Fifties, Student Example, Questions about CR1, Time? WPA Slave Narratives
HMWK: 1. Read the handout at home and post a short response on the blog, 2. CR1—post online before coming to class, 3. Read the blogged letters in the next few days

F Feb 6
Discuss letters?, Explanation of Oral History Assignment, Review of OH techniques, Story Corps, Student Example
HMWK: 1. Choose and schedule time with someone for your Oral History (due next Saturday morning on our blog), 2. Write your interview questions, 3. RN7: Listen to three interviews on Story Corps and modify a RN (please let me know if you have any trouble), 4. DH exercises for extra credit (I’ll announce or post on the blog)

M Feb 9
Grammar Day!!, Catching up
HMWK: 1. Work on your OH, 2. RN8: DL p. 57-69, skim 112-131 // leaders?____

W Feb 11
(Leaders) Discussion of DL, Grammar leftovers?
HMWK: 1. RN9: ST: Henry Lorenz, Lew Gibson, Mike Kostelnik, Mrs. James Winslow, Bob Carter // leaders?____, 2. Work on OH

F Feb 13
(Leaders) Discussion of ST, Listen to Wiesel speech (Perils of Indifference, http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ewieselperilsofindifference.html)
HMWK: RN10: Read 4 Oral Histories from our blog, modify an RN

M Feb 16
Discussion of Oral History—guest speaker?—Ursula Bielski, Receive Pyongyang comic strip in class
HMWK: RN 11 (if you’re done with RNs, just read for ideas): only the “Testimony” at http://www.northkoreanrefugees.com/testimony.html

W Feb 18
Explanation of CR2, Review our materials again, CR2 student example
HMWK: 1. Brainstorm for CR2, 2. RN 12: Read an excerpt (Aug 17-Aug22, 2003) from the blog Baghdad Burning (http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/) // leaders?____, 2. Blog: post a discussion question on the blog; don’t forget to return and answer one, as well.

F Feb 20
(Leaders) Discussion of BB, Sign up for conferences, Questions on CR2, Cultural Documents
HMWK: 1. Note the date and time and your conference (CLS 2084), 2. Blog: examine a cultural document: look at a popular/viral video on YouTube, or a website, or a TV show, or a movie; write a paragraph about what this tells us about our culture at this moment and whether or not there are any Social Justice themes/issues here; and provide a link to the document or to some background, 3. Come to class on M March 2 ready to discuss #2

M Feb 23, W Feb 25, F Feb 27: No Class Meetings: Conferences

M Mar 2
Discussion of our blog postings, Examining Cultural Documents (film clips, The Girl’s Own Paper, The Underworld Sewer, Ted Koppel on Nightline, songs, Aztec poetry, Lomax recordings, Arielle Greenberg, Brothers Grimm, Charles Daumier), Review dates for CR2 presentations
HMWK: 1. Work on CR2, and e-mail me TONIGHT with Tech requests, 2. Read some news at nytimes.com again in order to prepare for NA2 (due M Mar 16)

W Mar 4
News Discussion, Grammar check-ups, Writing Exercise
HMWK: 1. Work on CR2, 2. Work on NA2, 3. Do a blog posting on anything you like (related to class themes)

F Mar 6, M Mar 9, W Mar 11, F Mar 13=Presentations of CR2s!!

M Mar 16
Turn in NA2, Catch up, Documentation Project, Review our criteria
HMWK: Type up a list of ideas for your Doc Proj, and review all our texts/materials

W Mar 18
Making connections—lists, Tribond, Ingenium
HMWK: RN (if you need it; otherwise, just read): RES: Rock the Junta // leaders?____

F Mar 20
(Leaders) Discussion of article, Explain Bridge Essay
HMWK: 1. Work on Doc. Proj, 2. Bridge Essay is due W Apr 1

Spring Break

M Mar 30
Guest speaker? (hopefully!): Dr. Dennis Grammenos, Discuss Doc Proj.
HMWK: 1. Bridge Essay is due W, 2. DP Proposal is due F

W Apr 1
Harpers Scavenger Hunt, Student examples of DP
HMWK: DP Proposal

F Apr 3
Partner exchange of proposals, Discussion
HMWK: Type up a list of topics related to your Doc Proj topic; include any research questions

M Apr 6
Topics List, Review steps/schedule for Research Paper
HMWK: 1. Read DH p. 381-415, 2. Make a list of useful things to remember as you work, 3. Make a schedule of your steps // next class: meet in the library!

W Apr 8
Meet in the Library
HMWK: 1. Add one new thing to your “useful things” list, and post on the blog, 2. Make a list of questions you have, and bring it to class

F Apr 10
Questions, Grammar check-ups?, Scheduling & Planning, Explanation of Annotated Bibliography
HMWK: 1. Your Doc Proj and the written Explanation need to be done by next Friday, 2. Start researching your topics, considering, while you read and skim, your possible THESIS

M Apr 13
Meet in the library to check in and ask questions
HMWK: Annotated Bibliography

W Apr 15
Turn in ABs, Argumentation pt. 1
HMWK: 1. Review your notes on Argumentation, 2. Consider, seriously, your Thesis, 3. Do DH exercise on p. 380 in your notes, 4. IMPORTANT! Draft 1of your DP Explanation and a typed, thorough outline of your plan for your paper are DUE at the start of class on F

F Apr 17
Reports about DPs, Next steps
HMWK: First 3 pages of your paper (Draft 1)

M Apr 20
Peer Review, Get back your DP Explanation Draft 1
HMWK: Explanation (Draft 2) plus the first 5 pages of your paper (Draft 2)

W Apr 22
Peer Review
HMWK: Work, read, write: update your Annotated Bibliography to Works Cited, and e-mail me with questions

F Apr 24
This is a work day. Just come to my office between 9:30 and 12:30 to 1. get your last Drafts back, 2. Sign up for DP presentations and tech needs, 3. ask questions
HMWK: Explanation (Draft 3) plus 7 pages (Draft 3) plus Works Cited so far

M Apr 27
Peer Review
HMWK: 1. Prepare for your presentation, 2. Do your work!, 3. Read the SJ Statement guidelines on the blog, and begin to write it in your notes (you can meet with me to look at old student examples)
W Apr 29
Get back your last Drafts, Presentations + tech-tests, SJ questions?
HMWK: Draft of your SJ Statement

F May 1
Presentations, Evaluations
M May 4
Get back your SJ Draft for revision, Presentations

On Thursday May 7, the following is due in my mailbox or in the box on my office door:
a) Your notebook
b) Your Research Paper (Explanation of DP, Paper, SJ Statement, Works Cited)