Honors English 1312
Research and Critical Writing
Dr. Beth L. Brunk-Chavez
Spring 2003
Email: Blbrunk@utep.edu
Phone: 747-5797
Office: Hudspeth 220
WebCT: http://webct.utep.edu
Office Hours:
Tuesday 9-10 and 2-5 Thursday 9-10
Learning to write is hard, and it takes a long time. --Stephen North
Welcome to Honors English 1312
The theme of Honors English 1312 is history. This is not to say that we will be memorizing facts and names; there will be no quizzes on the dates of the Italian Renaissance or the names of Civil War heroes. Rather, we will consider and examine the ways in which history is rhetorical--the ways in which it is constructed, analyzed, revised, and forgotten. Some areas of consideration include autobiographical texts, visual presentations of the past, and revisionist history. By the end of the semester, we will appreciate how much of history is caught up in everyday writing problems such as research, invention, bias, style, argumentation, and revision.
Writing projects will include close analyses of essays we read by authors such as Gloria Anzaldua, Mary Louise Pratt, and Patricia Limerick; examinations of ways history is created in high art and popular culture; and the creation of personal histories.
Dr. Brunk's Goals and Objectives for English 1312
• To practice writing as a process involving such essential concepts as invention, arrangement, and revision;
• To cultivate your ability to analyze texts (including essays produced in the course) for their strengths and weaknesses in the presentation and manipulation of ideas, paying special attention to such rhetorical strategies as audience, occasion, organization, and style;
• To develop your ability to write a well-organized, thorough essay that advances a clear and specific thesis;
• To develop the ability to edit for clarity and grammatical/mechanical correctness;
• To develop basic methods of library research and the incorporation of that research to support the writer's own ideas.
Required Texts
• Bartholomae, David, and Anthony Petrosky. Ways of Reading . 6 th ed.
• Lunsford, Andrea. The Everyday Writer . 2 nd ed. (optional—at least have access to a good grammar and style handbook)
• Assigned readings on WebCT
Course Policies
These are important policies which you will be expected to know and abide by throughout the semester. No exceptions will be made.
1. Because the nature of the class largely relies on your participation, it is important for you to attend each class. Each absence after the third will reduce your final course grade by a full letter. You must be present for the entire class period to be counted present.
For each major paper, we will meet in individual and/or group conferences. Failure to attend a scheduled conference constitutes an absence.
2. Daily class activities such as group work, in-class writings, and quizzes may not be made up. There are no exceptions, so please don't ask.
3. Late essays will be accepted only if you speak to me about your situation before (not on) the due date. Otherwise, papers handed in late will be penalized a letter grade for each class period they are late. Even if you are absent, you are expected to turn the work in on time. You must complete all major assignments to pass the class, and no assignment will be accepted one week after the due date. The on-going reading notes are always due in class. Please do not email them to me.
Although I prefer to collect papers in class, I will accept them until 5 p.m. on the day that they are due in my office.
4. You will be given the option to rewrite one essay if it receives a grade lower than a B- and you are dissatisfied with the grade. You must turn in the original paper along with the rewritten paper as well as a summary of the changes you made. I cannot accept a rewrite without these documents. I will not accept a rewrite for a grade less than a B-.
Your grade will never go down, but it may stay the same unless you show substantial improvement. Your final score will be an average of the original and revised papers. All rewrites are due one week after the paper is returned to the class . The on-going reading papers and the last paper may not be rewritten.
5. Peer critiques are an extremely important element of the writing process. Occasionally, you may be expected to complete peer critiques on your “own time.” “It's hard for my group to meet” is not an excuse for not completing peer critiques. I will carefully check to see that you have completed them. Failure to complete one peer critique results in one letter grade off the final grade of your paper.
6. Please retain all your work until final grades are posted.
7. Please do not email me to ask for your final grade at the end of the semester. If you are not able to collect your paper, I will be happy to mail your final paper to you when provided with a SASE.
8. Incompletes will be given only in the event of an emergency. These are reserved for students who have successfully completed the work all semester and have an extenuating circumstance (death in the family, serious illness, etc.) which prevents them from completing the work by the end of the semester.
9. Academic dishonesty is a serious crime. If you are suspected of academic dishonesty, you may face disciplinary action. Forms of academic dishonesty include: Collusion-- lending your work to another person to submit as his or her own; Fabrication --deliberately creating false information on a works cited page, and Plagiarism --the presentation of another person's work as your own, whether you mean to or not.
10. If you require an accommodation based on a disability, I would like to meet with you in the privacy of my office during the first week to be sure you are properly accommodated. You must provide documentation to receive the accommodation you require.
11. We will be using WebCT to disseminate class information. It will be important for you to check WebCT frequently. You are responsible for any information posted.
Evaluation
Your final grade will be based on written work as well as your participation in class. You must complete all assigned papers to pass the class. All writing completed outside of class must be typed. We will use MLA (Modern Language Association) documentation and formatting in this class.
Grade Breakdown
Paper 1 20%
Paper 2 20%
Paper 3 25%
Reading Notes 15%
Presentation 10%
Participation 10%
Grading Scale
Letter grades will be assigned as follows:
A 100-90
B 89-80
C 79-70
D 69-60
F 59-
Papers
The papers will generally range from 3 to 6 pages in length. Detailed assignments will be provided.
Presentations
For these groups presentations, choose one set of readings. Present the material in an interesting and creative manner. The goals of the presentations are to help us understand the readings more fully and to make connections. Feel free to use any appropriate outside material (websites, magazines, videos, and so on). Each member needs to take part in the presentation for credit. Because these are group presentations, they will require that you meet and plan how you will spend your time. I would also like to meet with your group to discuss your plans and provide feedback. More details will follow.
Participation
Your participation grade will be based on your preparation for each class meeting, oral and written participation, group work, and so on.
—Class Schedule—
This is a tentative schedule. You are responsible for noting any changes as announced. If significant changes become necessary, I will publish a revised version of the class schedule. If you are absent, be sure to check with a classmate and/or WebCT to see what you must prepare for the next class. I may also assign short readings not listed on this schedule. I will notify you of those readings.
WoR Ways of Reading
RN Reading Note
WEEK 1
T Jan 13 Introduction to course
TH Jan 15 Introduction to WoR 1-17
WEEK 2
T Jan 21 Rhetorical Situation
TH Jan 23 Limerick 469-504
WEEK 3
T Jan 28 Limerick
TH Jan 30 Guest Speaker
Leon Metz, local historian
WEEK 4
T Feb 4 Pratt 604-23
RN 1
TH Feb 6 Pratt
RN 2
WEEK 5
T Feb 11 Workshopping
TH Feb 13 Workshopping
WEEK 6
T Feb 18 Workshopping
TH Feb 20 Paper 1 due
WEEK 7
T Feb 25 Jacobs
RN 1
TH Feb 27 Jacobs
RN 2
Presentation
WEEK 8
T Mar 4 Anzaldua 21-45
RN 1
TH Mar 6 Anzaldua
RN 2
Presentation
WEEK 9
T Mar 11 Workshopping
TH Mar 13 Workshopping
WEEK 10
Spring Break
WEEK 11
T Mar 25 Workshopping
TH Mar 27 Paper 2 due
WEEK 12
T Apr 1 Mitchell 508-47
RN 1
TH Apr 3 Mitchell
RN 2
Presentation
WEEK 13
T Apr 8 Berger, Visual argument
Presentation
TH Apr 10 Centennial Museum
WEEK 14
T Apr 15 Hirsch 398-421
RN 1
TH Apr 17 Hirsch
RN 2
Presentation
WEEK 15
T Apr 22 Workshopping
TH Apr 24 Workshopping
WEEK 16
T Apr 29 Workshopping
TH May 1 Paper 3 due
No final exam