John

Tiedemann
writ 1633
winter 2016

Blog: 1633humanswrite2015.blogspot.com
Email: John.Tiedemann@du.edu
Office hours: TR 2:004:00.
Office: 380U Anderson Academic Commons

writ 1633: Human Rights / Humans Write

THE CLASS
Historian Lynn Hunt argues that that the practice of literacy i.e., of composing and interpreting
written, visual, or aural texts is not only uniquely human; it is how we learn to be human. In this class,
we will examine literacy from a variety of angles as expressed in art, as a local social practice, and
as a global political phenomenon both to consider how reading, writing, and viewing define our
common humanity and to become more accomplished readers, writers, and researchers ourselves.
Much of our time will be spent discussing readings and viewings together as a class, but the majority
of our time will be devoted to four writing projects:

Essay 1: Writing Humanity: For this project, youll test Lynn Hunts thesis that literacy teaches us how
to be human by interpreting a cultural artifact.
Essay 2: Writing History: This project asks you to explore the significance of an episode from your
own life or the life of someone close to you by placing it in historical context.
Essay 3: Writing the City: For this project, youll write an ethnographic study of an urban space.
Essay 4: Reflections on Writing: This project asks you to consolidate what you have learned this
term about writing, reading, and research by reflecting upon your own work.

TEXTS
Copies of (or links to) all other readings and viewings will be posted on Canvas or on our course blog:
http://1633humanswrite2015.blogspot.com/.
Your own texts are also a central element of this class so please bring your laptop to every class
meeting.

GOALS AND FORMAT

Goals

In WRIT 1633, students practice academic research of various kinds; rhetorical strategies for different
academic and civic audiences and purposes; and critical reading and analytic skills. By the end,
students are expected to demonstrate, through their writing, a practical knowledge of multiple
academic research traditions, the rhetorical/conventional differences among them, and the
rhetorical differences between writing for academic audiences and writing for popular audiences.
Students are also expected to demonstrate proficiency in finding, evaluating, synthesizing, critiquing,
and documenting published sources in ways appropriate to given rhetorical situations. Students will
receive sustained practice in writing, with systematic instructor feedback, resulting in at least 20
pages of revised and polished writing, in multiple assignments, as well as numerous additional
exercises, in projects requiring library-based research as well as other types.

Class-time and homework

Some of our time will be spent discussing assigned readings and viewings, but most of our time will be
spent drafting and revising various pieces of writing, as well as providing feedback on each others
work. You can also expect to spend approximately four hours each week working at home, perhaps
more. Finally, because a quality piece of writing results from many revisions, you will write each of
your papers in stages and revise, with guidance from me and your classmates.

Meeting with me

Each of you will meet with me individually for two required conferences, where well discuss strategies
for revising your work. Ill send around a sign-up sheet the week before the conferences take place.
These conferences are required and youll receive a grade for the work you do preparing for them.
Each conference is worth 20 points toward your final grade.
I hold office hours between 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and between 2:00 p.m. and
4:00 p.m. on Thursdays. The best way to make an appointment to meet with me is to schedule it
online. Please go to http://www.meetme.so/Tiedemann and follow the instructions.

POLICIES

Participation

For each class meeting, you will receive up to five points toward your final grade: up to 2 for the
homework due that day and up to 3 for your participation in class discussion.
Homework: All writing assignments are to be posted on Google Drive and shared with me by the
start of class on the day they are due. A student will receive 2 points for posting a complete and
manifestly thoughtful draft of their response to the assignment. (By manifestly thoughtful I mean
clear, coherent, and on topic.) S/he will receive 1 point for posting a draft that is either
incomplete and/or sloppily composed. A student will receive no points should s/he fail to post
and share his or her assignment when it is due.
Class discussion: A student will receive 3 points for the day when s/he makes more than one
meaningful contribution to that days discussion. (By a meaningful contribution I mean a
contribution thats thoughtful and fully elaborated, thus moving the conversation forward and
contributing to our collective understanding of the topic under discussion). S/he will receive 2
points when s/he contributes only once or when his/her contributions arent fully formed. S/he will
receive one point if she attends class without speaking up. A student will receive no points if s/he
fails to attend class, if s/he distracts his or her classmates, or if s/he wastes valuable class time by
checking email, Facebook, etc., or otherwise disengaging from class.

Attendance

As the participation policy indicates, there are no excused absences from class. If, for whatever
reason, you miss class, you will not receive credit for class discussion for that day (though you can still
receive credit for the days homework by posting it on time).

Late Work

Assignments are due when they are due. Assignments that come in late, that arent shared correctly,
or that are incorrectly labeled will not receive credit or feedback from me. To receive feedback on a
late draft, you will need to make an appointment to see me during office hours.

Civility and Tolerance

The Writing Program affirms DUs Code of Student Conduct (http://www.du.edu/ccs/code.html),

which in part expects students to recognize the strength of personal differences while respecting
institutional values. Because writing courses rely heavily on interactions between all members of the
class, students and faculty must act in a manner respectful of different positions and perspectives. A
student who behaves in an uncivil or intolerant manner will be asked to stop and/or formally reprimanded and/or subject to action by the Office of Citizenship and Community Standards.
Becoming educated requires encountering new ideas and information, some of which may conflict
with an individuals existing knowledge or perspectives. I expect students to engage such materials
thoughtfully, in ways that reflect the values and mission of the University of Denver.

Plagiarism

The Writing Program follows the Council of Writing Program Administrators policy Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism, which states, In an instructional setting, plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately
uses someone elses language, ideas, or other original (not common-knowledge) material without
acknowledging its source (http://wpacouncil.org/node/9). DUs Honor Code also maintains that all
members of the University must responsibly use the work of others. Students who have plagiarized a
project will receive an F on that project, and the professor will inform the Director of Writing and the
Office of Community and Citizenship Standards, which may take further action. Any documented
acts of plagiarism after the first may be subject to more severe actions.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

The Writing Program will provide reasonable accommodations to every student who has a disability
that has been documented by The University of Denver Disability Services Program
(http://www.du.edu/studentlife/disability/ or 303.871.2455).

Email

I usually respond to email within a day or two during the week; I check email less often on weekends.

GRADES
Ill give you a provisional grade on each fully drafted essay. Those grades will rise, fall, or stay the
same depending upon how effectively you revise. All final drafts of all essays are due to me via
Google Drive by noon on Tuesday, March 15.
In addition to the grades you receive for your essays, youll also receive a grade for participation
conference preparation, and your responses to classmates work. Heres the breakdown:
Essay 1:
Essay 2:
Essay 3:
Reflective essay:
Class participation: 5 points per class
x
Conference prep: 20 points per conference x
Peer responses;
20 points per response
x
TOTAL

200 points
200 points
200 points
200 points
20 = 100 points
2 = 40 points
3 = 60 points
1000 points

Heres the scale Ill use to calculate your final grade for the course:
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF

930-1000
900-929
870-899
830-869
800-829
770-799
730-769
700-729
670-699
630-669
600-629
0599

CALENDAR
T Jan. 5
R Jan. 7

Introduction
Applying a concept and generating a thesis: Lynn Hunt, Inventing Human
Rights (on Canvas).

T Jan. 12
R Jan. 14

Supporting and developing a thesis through analysis. (Lynn Hunt, contd.)

Making an argument flow. (Lynn Hunt, contd.)

T Jan. 19

Telling a true story: Taylor Branch, At Canaans Edge, Memphis (on Canvas).
Full draft of Essay 1 due on Google Drive.
Putting a story in context: selected student writing (Canvas).

R Jan. 21
T Jan. 26
R Jan. 28

Unfolding a storys theme: selected student writing.

Revising for style.
Full draft of Essay 2 due on Google Drive.

T Feb. 2
R Feb. 4

Conferences and revisions.

Conferences and revisions.

T Feb. 9
R Feb. 11

Creating a conversation: Lewis Mumford, What Is a City? (on Canvas.)

Creating a conversation: Sharon Zukin, Whose Culture? Whose City? (on
Canvas).

T Feb. 16
R Feb. 18

Observation and participation.

Conducting an interview.

T Feb. 23
R Feb. 25

Scholarly conversations.
Workshop: Thick description.
Draft of descriptive section of Essay 3 due on Google Drive.

T March 1

Conferences and revisions.

Draft of interpretive section of Essay 3 due on Google Drive.
Conferences and revisions.

R March 3
T March 8

Reflecting and revising.

Draft of reflective essay due on Google Drive.

FINAL DRAFTS OF ALL ESSAYS DUE ON GOOGLE DRIVE BY NOON ON TUESDAY, MARCH 15.