Course Syllabus

English 1304: Freshman Composition II

(This course syllabus is tentative and is subject to change)
Spring 2014
Jameelah Lang

Roy G. Cullen, Room

135

Office Hours: 1:00-2:00 R, by

appointment
jjlang2@uh.edu
Course Objectives: Through participation in this course, you will learn tools and strategies
to help you produce thoughtful, professional writing on a day-to-day and academic basis,
with a specific focus on argument and persuasive approaches. Together, we will work to
understand writing as an ongoing process of thinking, drafting, rethinking, and redrafting,
and you will develop basic skills in composition, argumentation, and rhetoric. We will begin
to see writing and reading as a critical process, and we will explore our relationships to
different forms of text. The more explicit goal of this class will be to join the critical study of
writing with the principals and methods of focused research, rhetorical analysis, and
persuasion. (Core Objectives available on Blackboard.)
Prerequisites: English 1303 or equivalent. Students may not receive credit for both 1304
and 1310 or 1360.
Required Texts:
Ballenger and Payne. The Curious Reader. 2nd Edition. (Pearson/Longman).
Other texts and selections of texts will be available online via Blackboard or e-mail
attachment.
Course Components: This course is organized into three major units, each with a focus on
different methods of persuasion and argument. Each of the three units will end in a final
paper. We will complete a group research project as part of one of these units (the
Ethnography Paper). You will be required to keep an in-class journal in which you will
respond to assigned readings and course discussion topics. We may also utilize Blackboard
as a discussion tool; these elements will count as part of your Daily Writing grade, along with
smaller writing assignments, shorter papers, and in-class quizzes.
Grading: Journal entries and daily writings will be graded on the basis of completion and
quality of effort. Course participation will be included as a factor in your daily
writing grade, and cannot be made up in case of absences. Each of the three major
paper assignments will be given a letter grade, and in order to pass the class, each of these
papers must be completed. Your final course grade will be given on the standard A/B/C/D/F
scale (with plusses and minuses). The course grade breakdown is as follows*:
Ethnography Paper (Group Bibliographic Essay)/Cultural Argument: 25%
Personal-Academic Essay/Researched Persuasion:
25%
Visual Analysis Essay/Rhetorical Analysis & Argument:
25%
Daily Writing/Participation:
25%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Total:
100%
*If we incorporate a final revision paper, the percentage for each major paper may
be reduced to 20% in order to allow 15% for the project.

Attendance: Because many of our class sessions depend on participation, attendance is

required. Attendance includes completion of any assignments and reading, as well as
participation in class discussions. Absences will affect your grade because you will miss
valuable information, in-class assignments, journal entries, or quizzes, all of which cannot be
made up for course credit. Tardiness to class or participation in disruptive classroom
behavior (including electronic devices and cell phones) will affect your course participation
grade.
After a total of four (4) absences, you will receive a failing grade of F for the
entire semester. If you know ahead of time that you are going to be absent, it is your
responsibility to find out what you have missed and to be prepared for future class periods.
Please do not email me asking if you missed anything in class that day.
Late Work: Unless you have made arrangements with me in advance, I will not accept late
assignments. All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date they are due,
which is listed on the syllabus. Please check your syllabus for potential conflicts, and speak
with me ahead of time if you will have trouble meeting a deadline. Major papers will be
deducted a full letter grade for every day that they are late with my permission.
Note: Technological problems are not valid excuses for turning in late work.
Assignments: Please submit all handwritten work in ink and type all out-of-class papers.
Under no circumstances will I accept electronic submissions for any class assignments. If
you are going to miss class on a paper deadline, please contact me ahead of time to make
arrangements. All written work must employ inclusive language and should conform to MLA
style.
Peer Work and Conferences: Collaboration is an important and useful tool for writers on
all levels, and for this reason, we will work together both in class and during meetings to
discuss your work. In our unit syllabus, time has been allotted for required conferences and
in-class peer review sessions. Your unit paper grade will be docked a letter grade for each
mandatory activity (peer review, student conferences) that you do not attend.
You are also encouraged to meet with me during my office hours or by appointment to
discuss issues related to the course. Although I am always happy to discuss your progress in
the class with you, I will require that you wait 24 hours before contacting me to discuss your
grades on papers and assignments once I have returned them to you. This policy is meant
to ensure that you have carefully read and considered any comments that I have made on
your papers and assignments before speaking with me.
Academic Support Services and Disability Information: The Center for Students with
DisABILITIES (CSD) provides reasonable and necessary testing accommodations for
qualified students with health impairments, physical limitations, psychiatric disorders, and
learning disabilities. Students who want to know more about these services should consult
the Student Handbook, or should contact CSD in Room 110 of the Justin Dart, Jr. Center,
(713) 743-5400 (voice) or (713) 749-1527 (TTY), www.uh.edu/csd. Please come speak with
me as soon as possible if we need to make arrangements for your participation in the class.
Plagiarism: Cheating, in any form, will not be tolerated. Any time a writer uses someone
elses ideas, words, or work without explicitly citing the source, the writer has been
academically dishonest. Please see the Student Handbook www.uh.edu/dos/hdbk for further
details. If you think that you may have plagiarized, come see me before you submit your
work.
Writing Center: The Writing Center provides students with a place to discuss their writing
with trained peer consultants. Please feel free to take advantage of this resource, which is

free (although you must make an appointment). For more information, please call (713)
743-3016, or visit the website at www.uh.edu/writecen/.
Tentative Daily Plan
Week 1:
01/14:
Class introductions and syllabus Review.
Introduction to rhetoric and inquiry.
Object analysis activity.
Homework: Object analysis research. Read CR pgs. 1-22 (online).
01/16:
Share and discuss analysis. Review inquiry strategy and rhetoric.
Introduction to Ethnography.
Begin Spellbound.
Homework: Read CR 240-246 & Connie and the Sandman.
Week 2:
01/21:
Last Day to Add a Class
Finish and analyze Spellbound.
Homework: Read CR 240-246 & Connie and the Sandman.
01/23:
Journal about Connie, and in-class discussion.
Homework: Read Arts of the Contact Zone (Bb).
Week 3:
01/28:
Discuss Pratt.
Brainstorm subcultures. Get into groups to choose
subcultures.
Homework: Read The Cave. Primary research due 09/19/13.
(01/29: Last Day to Drop Without a Grade)
01/30:
Discuss The Cave.
Discuss primary research techniques.
Meet with groups to discuss, begin subculture impressions sheet.
Homework: Complete subculture impressions sheet. Complete primary research (see guidelines posted
under Class Handouts).
Week 4:
02/04:
How to write a summary.
Homework: Complete primary research (due next class).
02/06:
Introduction to secondary research and databases.
Review of ethnography assignment. Meet with groups.
Homework: Find two pieces of secondary research for Tuesday and complete summary using Bb sheet
for both. Bring in copies of all research for group members.
Week 5:
02/11:
Secondary research evaluation activity.
In-class review of sample bibliographies.
Meet with groups to compare and trade information.
Homework: Work on essay.
09/26: How to cite sources, how to write an annotated bibliography.
Discussion of introductions and conclusions.
Homework: Work on essay.
Week 6:
02/18:
MANDATORY: In-class peer review
02/20:
Ethnography Paper Due.
Watch This American Lifes Personal-Academic Documentaries
Discuss connections to essay structure
Introductions to think piece.
Homework: Read CR pgs. 49-51, 93-106,154-157. Bring think piece.
Week 7:
02/25:
02/27:

Introduction to new unit concepts and themes.

Analysis of model text.
Homework: Read CR pgs. 49-51, 93-106,154-157. Bring think piece.
Discuss Looking at Women.
Think piece activity.
In-class journal about article.
Homework: Read Let Them Eat Fat. Complete chart for
ethnography vs. personal essay. Bring think piece.

Week 8:
03/04:
Discuss Let Them Eat Fat.
Read LZ Gator and Last Shot in class.
Complete comparison chart in class.
Homework: Read My Secret History. Generate topic ideas, and
choose research question options.
03/06:
Discuss My Secret History.
Discuss researchable question.
Topic-testing activity.
Homework: Find two secondary sources for topic. Complete
reaction sheet for sources.
Week 9:
03/11:
NO CLASS: Spring Break
03/13:
NO CLASS: Spring Break
Week 10:
03/18:
Share personal essay questions and sources.
Historical figures activity and journal.
Homework: Work on essay. Historical figures mini paper.
03/20:
Historical figures reactions.
In-class brainstorming and secondary research questions.
Homework: Work on essay.
Week 11:
03/25:
Discussion of essay structure.
Homework: Work on essay.
(03/26: Last Day to Drop With a W)
03/27:
Review student example in class.
Discussion of introductions, writing prompts for generation.
Homework: Complete first draft.
Week 12:
04/01:
MANDATORY: In-class Peer Review
Homework: Complete revisions on essay.
04/03:
Personal Academic Essay Due
Introduction to Ethics of Publishing Disturbing Images.
Missionaries to the Preborn activity, Vietnam Napalm.
Homework: Read CR 425-436.
Week 13:
04/08:
In-depth rhetorical analysis activity: Vietnam Napalm
Discussion of NPPA Code of Ethics
Homework: Read Victims of Violence in CR.
04/10:
Discuss Victims of Violence
Analysis of Falling Man and coffin photographs.
Homework: Read Representing Contemporary War.
Week 14:
04/15:
Discuss Representing Contemporary War.
In-class thesis generation examples and workshop.
Homework: Select a photograph by Tuesday and complete
Worksheets.
04/17:
In-class discussion for how to structure an argument.
Discussion of larger issues in a photograph.
Homework: Work on rough draft.
Week 15:
04/22:
Complete close reading of photograph.
Review example essays.
Homework: Work on rough draft.
04/24:
Last Day of Class
MANDATORY: In-class Peer Review.
Visual Analysis Essay due during finals week. (Date TBD.)