WRT 100C || MWF 10:10 a.m.-11:05 a.m. || Dunleavy 204
WRT 100E || MWF 11:15 a.m.-12:10p.m. || Dunleavy 204
Instructor: Dr. Erin Karper || E-mail: ekarper@niagara.edu or ekarper@gmail.com || AIM: ProfKarper || Office: Dunleavy 350 || Office Phone: 286-8631 || Office Hours: MWF 9:00-10:00 a.m and 1:30-2:30 p.m.; other times by appointment
Download Syllabus (PDF File) || Download Course Schedule (PDF File)
Today we’ll go over strategies for reviewing sources as well as critical reading and note-taking strategies.
Assignments for Next Class
Read pp. 112-119 in Norton Field Guide To Writing; answer questions on p. 116.
Today we’ll discuss what annotated bibliographies are and how to write annotations.
Assignments for Next Class
Work on locating sources for your project.
REPORT TO THE LIBRARY BASEMENT LAB FOR CLASS ON MONDAY, MARCH 31 and WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2.
Today you’ll turn in your final drafts of the urban legend analysis papers. Then we’ll introduce the Investigating Your Field Assignment and begin brainstorming topics.
Assignments for Next Class
Read pp. 199-204 in Norton Field Guide to Writing.
Today we’ll work on choosing and refining a topic and creating a research question.
Assignments for Next Class
Email research questions to instructor.
Read pp. 340-353 in Norton Field Guide to Writing and article given out in class.
Today we’ll examine an article which discuses a controversy as well as discussing acceptable types of sources for academic writing.
Assignments for Next Class
Read pp. 354-357 in Norton Field Guide to Writing; work on locating sources for your paper.
Today we’ll discuss and practice peer review strategies.
Assignments For Next Class
Complete peer review sheets and email peer review to group members.
NO CLASS TODAY; ATTEND INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCES TODAY OR THURSDAY INSTEAD.
Assignments For Next Class
Work on revision; bring a copy of your draft to class.
Today we’ll discuss and practice revision strategies for focus, organization, citation, and conventions.
Assignments For Next Class
FINAL DRAFT DUE.
Today you’ll turn in your research plans. Then we’ll discuss strategies for locating sources about your urban legend and strategies for recording and citing information as you do research.
Assignments For Next Class
Read pp. 319-328 in Norton Field Guide to Writing. BRING YOUR BOOKS TO CLASS.
Bring a source of information about your myth to class.
Today we’ll discuss and practice evaluating sources for credibility, usefulness, and appropriateness to a rhetorical situation. Then we’ll discuss developing a focus for your analysis papers and practice generating claims and reasons statements.
Assignments For Next Class
Read pp. 205-207 in Norton Field Guide to Writing.
Today we’ll discuss additional drafting strategies for your papers, with a focus on integrating research into your drafts.
Assignments For Next Class
FIRST DRAFT OF ANALYSIS PAPER DUE; BRING THREE COPIES TO CLASS
Today we’ll continue our investigation into urban legends by discussing how three investigators approached the same urban legend.
Assignments For Next Class
SHORT DISCUSSION PAPER DUE.
Today you’ll turn in your short discussion papers. Then we’ll begin brainstorming possible topics for the analysis paper.
Assignments For Next Class
Email instructor with chosen topic.
Read pp. 44-54 in Norton Guide; answer rhetorical situation questions on pp. 51-52.
Today we’ll finalize topics for the analysis paper and start generating ideas for what you need to know about your urban legend and how you might find that out through research.
Assignments For Next Class
Read pp. 331-339 in Norton Guide.
RESEARCH PLAN DUE.
Do the reading given out in class on Wednesday for Monday, February 18. Your short discussion papers will be due on Wednesday, February 20.
Today we’ll continue our investigation into urban legends by discussing how people define urban legends.
Assignments For Next Class
Read “Curses! Broiled Again!” and “Brown Betty.” (Given out in class.)
Class is cancelled today.
Assignments For Next Class
Read “Curses! Broiled Again!” and “Brown Betty.” (Given out in class.)
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What does it mean to be information literate? Should you believe everything you read on the Internet? What about everything you hear from the experts? In an age bursting with information, it can be difficult to figure out what’s true, what’s false, and what’s in-between. This assignment asks you to analyze and assess an urban legend and to engage in informative and analytical writing.
Content
As a class, we’ll read and watch some contemporary legends and some analyses of them and write a short (1-2 page) paper which discusses how people research and analyze urban legends.
Your paper should:
Format
Your paper should:
YOUR SHORT DISCUSSION PAPER WILL BE DUE ON MONDAY FEBRUARY 18.
Grading
You can earn a maximum of 50 points for this paper. Your paper will be graded based on how well it:
The instructor will provide a rubric when she returns your paper which explains the number of points you scored.
Next, you’ll choose a specific urban legend to analyze. The urban legend needs to meet the definition of an urban legend that we discussed in class: it’s believed and told as true, and it has moral or social implications. Most conspiracy theories (like a second shooter on the grassy knoll or a faked moon landing) and cryptozoology (like the Loch Ness monster or the chupacabra) are not appropriate topics. If you’re not sure about a topic, the “Bust a Myth” links section on the course Web site provides links to various sites that collect urban legends.
You will be expected to do the following with your chosen topic:
E-MAIL A SHORT DESCRIPTION OF YOUR CHOSEN URBAN LEGEND TO THE INSTRUCTOR BY WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20. It won’t be graded, but the instructor will respond with some brief feedback about your topic.
We’ll talk about what you might need to find out in order to investigate and analyze your urban legend, and you’ll create and submit a research plan which explains what information you think you’ll need and where you’ll look for it.
Content
Your research plan will:
Format
Your research plan will:
YOUR RESEARCH PLAN WILL BE DUE ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22.
Grading
You can earn a maximum of 25 points for your research plan. It will be graded based on how well it:
The instructor will provide a rubric when she returns your paper which explains the number of points you scored.
Next, you’ll use the information you collected and your own ideas to write an academic paper about your urban legend. You will write multiple drafts of this paper, receive comments on your draft from your classmates and your instructor, and revise and edit your work.
Content
Your analysis paper will:
Format
The final draft of your analysis paper will:
THE FIRST DRAFT OF YOUR PAPER WILL BE DUE ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 29. THE FINAL DRAFT OF YOUR PAPER WILL BE DUE ON FRIDAY, MARCH 7.
Grading
Your first draft will not be graded, but the peer review activities you produce for your peers that they turn in with their final drafts will be graded. Your final draft will be graded and is worth 200 points.
Your paper will be graded based on how well it:
These assigments will help you learn how to:
Today you’ll turn in your literacy narratives. We’ll then go over the guidelines for the next assignment sequence (Busting a Myth) and begin talking about how people analyze and discuss urban legends.
Assignments For Next Class
Read “What Are Urban Legends?” (Mikkelson), “Preface,” (Brunvand) and “Introduction” (Craughwell) (Given out in class.)
10:10 class: Class is cancelled; continue reviewing the reading.
11:15 class: Today you’ll have a visiting professor who will discuss how rhetorical appeals are used to determine the credibility of sources.
Assignments For Next Class
Review the reading given out in class on Wednesday and be ready to define what an urban legend is in class.
Today we’ll work on descriptive writing strategies to help you with your literacy narratives.
Assignments For Next Class
FIRST DRAFT OF LITERACY NARRATIVE DUE: BRING THREE COPIES TO CLASS.
Today we’ll revew principles for peer review and practice them with a sample paper. Then you’ll be divided up into peer review groups that you’ll work in for the duration of this assignment. You’ll also sign up for conference times with the instructor for next Monday or Tuesday.
Assignments For Next Class
Complete peer review on the drafts you were given and e-mail your reviews to your peer review group members and to the instructor.
DOWNLOAD PEER REVIEW SHEET HERE.
10:10 a.m class: You’ll have a visiting professor in class today.
11:15 a.m. class: Class is cancelled today; use this time to work on your drafts.
Assignment For Next Class
Work on your draft; if you’ve made any major changes, bring a new version to your conference with the instructor.
Remember that there’s no class on Monday, February 4th – instead there will be conferences with the instructor in her office (Dunleavy 350) on Monday and Tuesday.
Today we’ll review the guidelines for the literacy narrative that you got in class on Friday. Then we’ll discuss and analyze some sample literacy narratives to help you get a better idea of the genre. Finally, you’ll work on brainstorming possible topics for your literacy narratives.
Assignments For Next Class
Read “Potato Chips and Stars” (given out in class). Answer questions 1-4.
EMAIL INSTRUCTOR (ekarper@niagara.edu) WITH POSSIBLE TOPIC FOR LITERACY NARRATIVE.
Today we’ll continue discussing and working on literacy narratives. We’ll continue to analyze the different narratives, discuss different strategies for writing a narrative, and you’ll begin working on using those strategies to create your own literacy narratives.
Assignment For Next Class
Read/review pp. 30-38 in Norton Field Guide to Writing.
In today’s world, literacy means more than reading and writing; it also means being able to use information and work with technologies. What does it mean to be literate in the information age? How has literacy shaped your life? How have your literate practices changed throughout the course of your life?
This assignment asks you to tell a 4-6 page story (narrative) about a moment in your life where literacy – of any kind, including “regular” literacy, information literacy or technological literacy — was important. You could write about…
Your paper should:
For more information and help with content, see “Writing A Literacy Narrative” in The Norton Field Guide to Writing as well as the links in the “Write A Literacy Narrative” section on this Web site.
The final draft of your paper should:
FIRST DRAFT DUE: WEDNESDAY JANUARY 30
FINAL DRAFT DUE: WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 6
You can earn a maximum of 200 points for this paper. Your paper will be graded based on how well it:
The instructor will provide a rubric when she returns your paper which explains the number of points you scored.
Connections to Course Goals
This assignment will help you learn how to:
This online scavenger hunt asks you to do some work online and to e-mail your results to the instructor. It’s designed to help you become familiar with the course Web site and also to give the instructor some necessary information about you.
Send an e-mail to the instructor (you’ll need to find her e-mail address in one of its many locations as part of the scavenger hunt) with answers to the following questions:
When you’ve finished, be sure to bookmark the course Web site (or add it to your favorites) so that you can refer to it later.
“A one-semester freshman course on a variety of topics teaches writing as a means of acquiring, as well as expressing, ideas. Students examine essay components as a way of developing and refining their own ideas; write multiple-draft summary, analysis, argument, and research papers; and learn how to avoid plagiarism.” (Undergraduate Catalog, p. 83)
As one of the foundation courses in the general education curriculum at Niagara, Writing 100 helps you learn how to develop critical thinking, information literacy, and written communication skills. In this course, as well as in other general education courses, you will learn how to:
A. seek knowledge and truth by weighing evidence, evaluating facts and ideas critically, and thinking independently
B. analyze a problem
C. conduct appropriate research
D. differentiate between facts and popular misconceptions
E. synthesize a solution
F. ethically attribute sources of information
G. communicate effectively through written means
More specifically, WRT 100 aims to help you develop the skills you will need to write successfully at Niagara University, in the workplace, and in your everyday lives. It introduces you to planning/drafting strategies, revision strategies, and research practices necessary for writing effectively.
What will I be able to do when I leave the course?
|
What general education goals does this relate to? |
How will I show that I know how to do this? |
|
Use writing for inquiry, learning, critical thinking, communicating, and engaging with the world. |
A, B, D, E, G |
Literacy Narrative, Research and Writing Activities, Analyzing a Myth Paper, Annotated Bibliography, Position Paper, Peer Review Activities, Course Participation |
|
Respond appropriately to different kinds of rhetorical situations and to the needs of different audiences. |
A, B, E,G |
Literacy Narrative, Research and Writing Activities, Analyzing a Myth Paper, Annotated Bibliography, Position Paper |
|
Demonstrate control of generic conventions such as structure, development, paragraphing, tone, mechanics, and design. |
G |
Literacy Narrative, Research and Writing Activities, Analyzing a Myth Paper, Annotated Bibliography, Position Paper |
|
Demonstrate an understanding of writing as an open, collaborative, and social process and work through the stages of the writing process: invention, drafting, revising, and editing. |
A, B, D, E, G |
Literacy Narrative, Research and Writing Activities, Analyzing a Myth Paper, Annotated Bibliography, Position Paper , Peer Review Activities, Course Participation |
|
Critique and edit your own work and the works of others. |
A, B, G |
Peer Review Activities, Course Participation |
|
Develop a specific research question or focus to respond to a writing assignment. |
A, B, C, E, G |
Literacy Narrative, Research and Writing Activities, Analyzing a Myth Paper, Annotated Bibliography, Position Paper |
|
Identify a need for information and access, evaluate, use, and attribute primary and secondary sources in your work. |
A, B, C, D, E, F, G |
Research and Writing Activities, Analyzing a Myth Paper, Annotated Bibliography, Position Paper |
|
Integrate the words and ideas of others into your work and avoid accidental or deliberate plagiarism. |
C, D, E, F, G |
Research and Writing Activities, Analyzing a Myth Paper, Annotated Bibliography, Position Paper |
|
Write with clarity, brevity, coherence, and control of conventions such as syntax, grammar, punctuation, and spelling. |
G |
Literacy Narrative, Research and Writing Activities, Analyzing a Myth Paper, Annotated Bibliography, Position Paper, Peer Review Activities, Course Participation |
|
Use technologies to conduct research and to draft, revise, edit, and design documents. |
A, B, C, D, E, G |
Literacy Narrative, Research and Writing Activities, Analyzing a Myth Paper, Annotated Bibliography, Position Paper, Peer Review Activities, Course Participation |
You will use different learning methods to help you reach these goals: lecture, whole-class and small group discussion, writing both in and outside of class, group work (including peer review), and other active learning strategies.
In this course, you’ll look at two different topics and do different types of writing in each one. The table below summarizes the assignments and requirements for the course and how they meet the goals.
|
Assignment |
Portion of Final Grade |
|
Being Literate: Literacy Narrative |
200/1000 points (20%) |
|
Busting a Myth: Research and Writing Activities |
50/1000 points (5%) |
|
Busting a Myth: Analyzing a Myth Paper |
200/1000 points (20%) |
|
Investigating Your Field: Annotated Bibliography |
200/1000 points (20%) |
|
Investigating Your Field: Position Paper |
250/1000 points (25%) |
|
Peer Review Activities |
50/1000 points (5%) |
|
Course Participation |
50/1000 points (5%) |
YOU MUST TURN IN ALL ASSIGNMENTS AND MEET ALL COURSE REQURIEMENTS IN ORDER TO PASS THE COURSE.
What does it mean to be literate in the 21st century? It’s more than just reading and writing, isn’t it? Lots of other “literacies” have sprung up in the last few years, including information literacy and technological literacy, both of which have to do with how the access and use of information plays a big role in our literate practices. So how is technology changing the way we access, evaluate, use, and attribute information? How does that affect how we read and write, especially in academic contexts? What does it mean to be information literate, and what skills do you need to have to be literate in the information age? You’ll read, write, and talk about these questions both in-class and outside of class.
First, you’ll write a 4-6 page paper which:
You’ll write two drafts of this paper and receive feedback on your first draft; you can earn a total of 200 points for the final draft.
In an overloaded information age, it can be difficult to figure out what’s true, what’s false, and what’s in-between. An example of the slippery nature of is-it-or-isn’t-it “true” can be seen in the exchange of contemporary or urban legends, which you may have been told by a friend, received in email, or read on someone’s blog. As a way of continuing to think about the questions that were raised in the first unit, you’ll write analytically and informatively about contemporary/urban legends as a way of thinking about how we access, use, and attribute information as well as why and how we exchange information with each other.
Research and Writing Activities
First, you’ll read some contemporary legends and some analyses of them and write a short (1-2 page) paper which discusses how people research and analyze myths. You can earn 25 points for this paper.
Next, you’ll choose a myth of your own and conduct some research about it. As part of this research, you’ll write a research plan (1-2 pages) which details which legend you’ve chosen and what information you’re going to look for. You can earn a total of 25 points for your research plan.
Analyzing a Myth Paper
After researching your contemporary/urban legend, you’ll write a five to seven page paper where you:
The paper should use at least five outside sources. You will write two drafts of this paper; the first one will receive feedback from your peers and from the instructor. You can earn a total of 200 points for the final draft of the paper.
How do people make knowledge in your field of study or in your career? What happens when experts disagree? How do you sort through all of the evidence surrounding a controversial question or idea and decide where you stand as a future professional or member of a field? This assignment asks you to identify a controversial issue in your field, research it, and write an annotated bibliography and an argumentative position paper.
Annotated Bibliography
First, you’ll identify a controversial question or issue – something about which experts disagree – in a field related to your major or career. Then you’ll acquire at least ten sources about the issue, including academic articles, trade publications, and popular sources.
Next, you’ll write an annotated bibliography where you:
You will write two drafts of your annotated bibliography and receive feedback on your first draft. You can earn a total of 200 points for the final draft.
Position Paper
Finally, you’ll use the research that you conducted and annotated (as well as any additional sources for which you’ve identified a need) to write a lengthy (8-10 page) paper where you:
You will write two drafts of your position paper and receive feedback on your first draft. You can earn a total of 250 points for the final draft.
You will also be graded on peer review activities (for a total of 50 points), and on course participation, which includes your participation in discussions and in-class activities (for a total of 50 points). If you are not in class, it affects your ability to participate, and so missing classes will have an impact on your course participation grade as detailed in the attendance policy.
Specific grading rubrics will be given out with the final version of each assignment which explain the exact criteria for that specific assignment. In general, though, your assignments will be graded based on:
If you have questions about your grade or about grading policies, please see the instructor after class or during office hours. The instructor will not discuss your grade with anyone but you.
You can earn a maximum of 1000 points in this class. The thousand points will then be converted into a final letter grade using Niagara’s grading scale.
Midterm grades will be calculated for all students and made available via WebAdvisor.
To accomplish the goals of this course, you will need the following:
These course policies are intended to accompany the “Rights and Responsibilities of Writing 100” for students, a copy of which has been distributed to you along with this document. The Rights and Responsibilities document sets down policies for all WRT 100 courses, and you are expected to understand and abide by those policies as well as the policies described here. If you have questions about either document, please talk to me, or talk to Dr. Paula Kot, the WRT 100 director.
The common WRT 100 policy for absences is: Attend all classes. Being excessively late for class counts as an absence. You are permitted five (5) absences on a MWF schedule or three (3) absences on a TTh/MW schedule. Absences above this limit will affect your final grade. Penalties for excessive absences and/or missing in-class work due to an absence are determined by your instructor and are on your syllabus.
You are permitted five (5) unexcused absences for this course. Any unexcused absence after five absences will result in your course participation grade being lowered by 10 points for each absence. Also, for any absence, you will be unable to make up any graded in-class work from that day unless you have seen the instructor in advance. If you experience personal circumstances that may affect your ability to attend the course regularly, it is your responsibility to inform the instructor as soon as possible.
Attendance in class is taken each day via a sign-in sheet that is passed around the classroom. It is your responsibility to make sure that you sign the sheet each day, as that is your official record of being present in the course. If you do not sign the sheet, you will be marked absent.
You are expected to turn assignments in on the date they are due. Assignments that are turned in between one (1) and five (5) days late will receive a deduction of ten (10) points for each day that they are late. After five days, an assignment will no longer be accepted and you will receive zero points for the assignment. If you need to renegotiate a deadline for personal reasons, please consult the instructor as far in advance as possible.
Niagara University has implemented new academic integrity policies starting in 2007-2008; all students are expected to comply in full with these policies, and the instructor will enforce it in this course. The complete text of all policies can be viewed on myNU; the excerpts which are most relevant to this course are provided below for your reference as well as course-specific examples.
2. Plagiarism: Plagiarism is a major form of academic dishonesty involving the presentation of the work of another as one’s own. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to the following:
a. The direct copying of any source, such as written and verbal material, computer files, audio disks, video programs or musical scores, whether published or unpublished, in whole or part, without proper acknowledgement that it is someone else’s.
b. Copying of any source in whole or part without proper acknowledgement.
c. Submitting as one’s own work a report, examination paper, computer file, lab
report or other assignment that has been prepared by someone else. This
includes research papers purchased from any other person or agency.
d. The paraphrasing of another’s work or ideas without proper acknowledgement.4. Destruction or Misuse of the University’s Academic Resources: Destruction or misuse of the university’s academic resources includes but is not limited to unauthorized access to or use of university resources including equipment and materials; stealing, destroying or deliberately damaging library materials; preventing, in an unauthorized manner, others’ access to university equipment, materials or resources; using university equipment, materials or resources to destroy, damage or steal the work of other students or scholars. Given the importance of computers to the academic functioning of the university, computer usage is of particular concern under this general heading. Violations of this nature may also fall under the Code of Student Conduct and Judicial Proceedings.
8. Copyright Infringement: Copyright infringement, which is the unprivileged use of another’s original work of authorship, is an offense distinct from plagiarism, although the two can overlap. Copyright infringement can occur when a large amount of a work is copied (with or without credit), if a film or song is duplicated (digitally or otherwise), or a translation or sequel is created. Students who must sample significant quantities of a work protected by Copyright should familiarize themselves with the academic “Fair Use” defense to infringement to ensure they are engaging in privileged activity. Examples of copyright infringement could include: unauthorized downloading of an entire movie from the internet, even for purposes of academic criticism; copying an entire poem into a thesis; use of a photograph without permission; translating a protected work and publishing it online.
In this course, academic integrity violations could include but are not limited to:
Suspected academic integrity violations will be dealt with following the policies and procedures laid out in the academic integrity policy.
In this course, you will be working with the words, ideas, and works of others quite often. Part of that work will be learning how to correctly credit the originators of the works you use. If you ever have a question about how to properly attribute information, please ask the instructor or make an appointment with the Writing Center.
As part of your work in this course, you will be expected to use technologies in conducting research and producing writing. Also, information about assignments, deadlines, and other course information will be disseminated through the course Web site. Throughout the course, you will be expected to:
Depending on the situation, emails which do not conform to any or all these guidelines may be answered with a copy of the guidelines and nothing else.
The Writing Center, in the Seton Presidential Lounge, offers free tutoring in writing for students who want or need extra help. You can make an appointment to see a tutor by calling 286-8075. All writers benefit from additional feedback on their work; visiting the Writing Center is not a punishment nor an indication of weakness.
Students with documented disabilities who may need accommodations, who have any emergency medical information the instructor should know about, or who need special arrangements in the event of an evacuation, should make an appointment with the instructor as early as possible in the semester, preferably no later than the first week of the semester. Students must also register with Kelly Adams, the Disabilities Specialist (286-8541 or kadams@niagara.edu) in order to facilitate the provision of needed accommodations.
The staff of the office of counseling services in the lower level of Seton Hall and the Academic Support staff in the Learning Center in Seton Hall are available to help students manage the stresses of university life. All private consultations are confidential and free of charge. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 286-8536 (Counseling) or 286-8072 (Office of Academic Support).