First-Year English

Wayne State University

Instructor: Clare Russell
Required Texts/Readings
The World is a Text (4th Edition)- Jonathan Silverman and Dean Rader ISBN: 9780205834464
The rest of the readings I will provide to you via Blackboard. Budget money for
printing during the semester if you prefer to read hard copies rather than digital
ones. The current cost of printing at WSU is $0.11 per black and white page.
Description
Welcome to Introduction to College Writing! Together we will discover what it means to
write and learn in college. You may be overjoyed, or disappointed, to know that you will be
introduced to different strategies for writing about different things. We will be able to use
what you already know about writing, and will also teach you more about how it can work
in the world. Because we will focus on the social nature of writing, we will have to do some
history. To understand why we teach and talk about writing the way we do, we must talk
about ancient Greek democracy. Dont worry, you wont be tested or have to memorize
dates and facts. You just need to know how rhetoric was used in democratic Greece. After
our brief history lesson, we will begin using our new knowledge to interpret the way
writing works now. There is a lot we can borrow and transform from The First Democracy
to help us think and write about the world today. You will work hard, but if you complete
the work, you will succeed, and you will help your classmates succeed.
Course Outcomes
Define and redefine historical rhetorical terms.
Apply contemporary cultural and rhetorical theories to the study and practice of
writing
Collaborate on a major writing project and presentation.
Reflect upon your own writing process.
Perform in a democratic writing community.
Course Policies
This course is designed to motivate you to practice writing. This means completing
assignments and performing your duties as a citizen in our writing community are
required. You are not required to be successful in every writing endeavor, but you must
complete the work on time and with reverence for the act of writing. We will talk more
about what it means to be reverent, but for now reverence for writing means that you meet
page limits and deadlines, have faith in the ability of writing to produce meaning, and find
meaning in your and your classmates writing.
Course Requirements
Weekly (12) journal/response entries

You will respond to a prompt I will post to our Blackboard discussion board no later than
Thursdays at 5pm. You will submit your responses every Sunday by 11:59am. Many
prompts will build on class discussions and activities, not just the weekly reading
assignment, so if you miss class frequently you will not be able to complete many responses
successfully. You do not have to read and respond to your classmates posts, but if you do,
you increase your chances of earning an A in the course. We will talk more about this when
we discuss grading policies.
In Class Writing Workshops
Attendance and participation are required for in class writing workshops. If you fail to
attend a workshop, or do not come prepared, that counts as missing an assignment. Failure
to participate means not bringing anything for your writing group to read, and not
participating in reading or dialoguing with your writing group members. See the course
calendar for workshop dates and plan ahead.
Individual Writing Process Narrative
You will describe and analyze a memorable writing experience. The first draft will be due
Week 4 and the second Week 6. Completing both drafts will also help you write your
individual final project reflection. Assignment details are at the end of the syllabus.
Final Project
The final project contains three parts and you must complete each part to pass the
class. Part One is a collaboratively written cultural/textual analysis. Part Two is a
collaborative presentation given during the Assembly Performance. Part Three is an
individual reflection detailing what you have learned about writing and yourself as a writer
in this course. Final project details are at the end of the syllabus.
Grades
The table below is a simple breakdown of a very detailed grading contract we will read and
sign together during Week 2 of the course. Under our contract, you will get a B if you
complete all the required work satisfactorily, on time, and you come to class. A few
absences wont hurt your grade as long as you can still complete assignments on time, and
you are not absent on workshop or Assembly Performance days. We will discuss the
requirements for an A in the grading contract, which will require additional individual
work to be completed. Consider the consequences of turning in late work and missing class
before agreeing to participate in our learning community. Read the syllabus carefully and
decide if you wish to commit to the labor or not.
Grade
A
B
C
D
F

# of
absences
4 or less
4 or less
5
6
7

#of late
assignments
3
3
4
5
6 or more

# of missed
assignments
0
0
1
2
2

#of ignored
Assignments
0
0
0
1
2 or more

Course Calendar
Week 1 9/3
Formation of our writing community
Words: text, rhetoric, rhetorical situation
Week 2 9/8 & 9/10
Writing in a Democracy
Words: democracy, citizenship, writing,
reading, thinking
Week 3 9/15 & 9/17
Performing in a Democracy
Words: reverence, ethos, pathos, logos,
rhetor, kairos, exigence
Week 4 9/22 & 9/24
Language & Democracy
Words: literacy, dialect, discourse, codeswitching, culture
Week 5 9/29 & 10/1
Reading Culture
Words: lens, context, argument, research
Workshop Writing Process Narrative
Week 6 10/6 & 10/8
Writing About Culture
Words: invention, style, arrangement,
memory, delivery

Week 7 10/13 & 10/15

Words: genre, genre system
Workshop Writing Process Narrative

Readings/Assignments
World is a Text Introduction, pgs. 1-24
Journal Entry 1
Paul Woodruff First Democracy Chapters 1-2
Journal Entry 2
Paul Woodruff Reverence: Renewing a
Forgotten Virtue Chapters 1-2
Journal Entry 3
Students Right to Their Own Language
Victor Villanueva, Excerpt from Bootstraps:
From an Academic of Color
Journal Entry 4
Writing Process Narrative, 2-3pgs
World Is a Text Chapter 1: Reading and
Writing About the World Around You
Journal Entry 5
Peter Elbow The Need for Care: Easy
Speaking onto the Page Is Never Enough
Anne Lamont Shitty First Drafts
Journal Entry 6
Writing Process Narrative Revision, 4-6pgs
Charles Bazerman Speech Acts, Genres, and
Activity Systems: How Texts Organize
Activity and People

Revision
Week 8 10/20 & 10/22
Words: genre awareness, genre critique
Form Final Project Groups
Week 9 10/27 & 10/29
Words: ideology, cultural critique
In class movie: The Yes Men Save the
World
Week 10 11/3 & 11/5
In class workshops/group work
Week 11

11/10 & 11/12

In class workshops/group work

Week 12

11/17 & 11/19

In class workshops/group work

Assembly Performance Scheduling
Week 13 11/24 & 11/26
Thanksgiving Break
Group Conferences
Week 14 12/1 & 12/3
Assembly Performances
Week 15 12/8 & 12/10
Assembly Performances
Week 16
Finals Week
We will meet during our scheduled final
time for any remaining project
presentations, TBA

Journal Entry 7
Devitt, Reiff, and Bawarshi Scenes of Writing
Chapter 4: Critiquing and Changing Genres
Journal Entry 8
Leah Lievrouw Alternative and Activist New
Media Chapter 4: Monkeywrenching the
Media Machine
Journal Entry 9
World is a Text chapter that is relevant to
your final project
Journal Entry 10
Writing example/research article relevant
to your final project
Journal Entry 11
Writing example/research article relevant
to your final project
Journal Entry 12

Final Project Due Sun 12/20 by 12am

Final Project
The final project contains three parts and you must complete each part to pass the
class. Part One is a collaboratively written cultural/textual analysis. Part Two is a
collaborative presentation and active participation in the Assembly Performance. Part
Three is an individual reflection detailing what you have learned about writing and
yourself as a writer in this course. Read on for details about each part.

Part One: Cultural/Textual Analysis

5-7 pages
Due Sunday, Dec 20 by 11:59pm
Your group will write a cultural analysis of a text of your choosing. Use The World is A Text
to guide your writing process. There are chapters that can help you write about television,
art, music, media, and public and private spaces. I will also provide class time to discuss
outside sources and writing examples that will help you draft your analysis.

Part Two: Assembly Performance

Due Weeks 14 & 15
The final research project will be presented to our classroom Assembly. We must all have
some understanding of the issues to be discussed, and what we are presented with should
enhance our existing knowledge, as well as contribute to our positive, inclusive classroom
community. The rhetors will be prepared and informed. The classroom citizens will be
inquisitive and respectful. The entire Assembly will share reverence for the knowledge
and literacies communicated with us.
In order to ensure a democratic and involved final community assembly, you will need to
perform both roles, of rhetor and citizen audience member, to the best of your ability.
Here are the guidelines for each role:

Rhetors:
Prepared (48 hours before your presentation):
You will provide a suggested reading for the audience to complete that will help
generate questions for your group, as well as enhance their understanding of the
text(s) you are presenting for their consideration. For example, if you are discussing
gender roles in The Hunger Games movie, you can ask your audience to read a
section from Chapter 6 of the textbook, or provide a movie review or other outside
article for them to read beforehand.
Your group will compose an evaluation to be distributed on the day of assembly.
Your fellow citizens will answer the questions you deem helpful and important for
evaluating your presentations contribution to the learning community. I will collect
these evaluations at the end of your presentation and review them before returning
them to you. I do this so that I can record who was present and participating fully in
our assembly. Any overly critical/unnecessary comments will not affect your overall
performance evaluation.

***The reading and evaluation must be provided to your classmates via

Blackboard 48hrs in advance of your presentation so that they can fully
perform the role of informed citizen. Failure to do so will result in a
suspension of your rhetor privileges. Your group may request a
reschedule, but it will then be decided by the assembly whether a
reschedule will be permitted.
Informed (You will have 20 minutes total in front of the Assembly)
Your presentation will be 5-7mins long
Your presentation will specifically reference the suggested reading completed by
assembly members.
Your group will use at least one multimodal/visual element. This can be a
Powerpoint or Prezi, but can also include other types of performances, or
presentations of texts such as movie/television clips, music videos, songs,
sculptures, photography, and other visual arts.
You will facilitate a minimum 10 minute question and answer session from the
Assembly at the conclusion of your presentation.
*** Remember that going over your time limit is not citizen-like
behavior because it disrupts the next presenter and forces us all to stay
later than scheduled.

Citizens:

Inquisitive (before the scheduled Assembly):

You will complete the rhetors suggested reading.
You will prepare a question for the rhetors based on the suggested reading, or any
prior knowledge or experience you have with the topic to be discussed.
Respectful (during the scheduled Assembly):
You will listen and watch attentively. Eating and drinking during Assembly are fine,
but be mindful of munching or slurping loudly while the rhetors have the floor.
You will complete the evaluation created by the rhetors and hand it in to me. On the
evaluation sheet you will also record the question you wished them to answer,
whether you posed the question or not, and whether or not it was answered.
***It is not necessary to ask your question. I understand that someone
might have the same question and ask it first, or that your question
might be answered during the presentation. Please be sure to include
the answer to the question in your evaluation, if it is answered. If,
however, your question is not asked, nor answered sufficiently, explain
why.

Part Three: Final Reflection

3-5 pages
Due Sunday, Dec 20 by 11:59pm
Your final, individual piece of writing will build upon your two previous Writing Process
Narratives. Use what you learned about yourself as a writer and your writerly habits to
discuss your progress in this course. Use specific examples from class assignments,
activities and readings to illustrate the development of your writing process. If you need
help structuring this assignment, you can choose to discuss your enhanced understanding
of the five rhetorical canons, or in relation to the course learning outcomes. Yes, you can
and should reference your own writing.

INDVIDUAL WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

WRITING PROCESS NARRATIVE
Due Week 4
Think of several different writing experiences. These can be pleasant and unpleasant,
proud or disappointing, fun or demanding. Now that youve got a few ideas in your head,
select one experience that you can think you write about for at least 2-3 pages. These are
the questions you should be able to answer about your selected writing experience:
Why did you write this piece what was the assignment or motivation for writing?
What did you do when you decided to write?
How did you begin?
Describe the process of writing the first draft.
Did you write a draft all the way through?
How much editing did you do as you wrote?
How did you edit the draft?
What was the response when you turned in your essay?
Were you satisfied with what you wrote? What would you change about your writing if you
could?
You do not need to answer ALL of the questions, but you do need to write a minimum of 2
pages, and you must attend the in class writing workshop where you will share your draft
with your writing group and develop it as the semester progresses.

WRITING PROCESS NARRATIVE REDEFINED

Due Week 6
Lets return to the Writing Process Narrative you wrote a few weeks ago. We have now
learned some new terms via which to discuss writing, rhetoric, literacy. Use your new
knowledge to revise your Writing Process Narrative. The questions to focus on for this
draft are:
Why did I select this particular writing experience to write about?
How do I describe this writing experience (horrible, proud, disappointing, frustrating, easy,
difficult) and why do I feel that way?
What was positive about this writing experience and why?
What was negative about it and why?
What does this experience say about the type of writer I am?
What is my writing process?
What works about my writing process?
How could my writing process work better?
Has your narrative about this writing experience changed based on what youve learned in
this class? Why or why not?
What do you think you still need/want to learn about writing?
Just like the first version of this assignment, you dont have to answer all these questions,
but this draft must be longer, 4-6 pages, and you should put your new vocabulary to work.
You will share your revised draft with your writing group in a required in class workshop.