Week 1

Writing is Argument Unit. All writing is argument. Components of a Letter to the Editor. Engagement with audience. Writing for a purpose: getting published, expressing a different opinion, setting the record straight, persuading opinion, rallying supporters, recommending a policy change or action.

WED SEP 03—Classwork only

MON SEP 08—Classwork only

Week 2

Letter to the Editor Unit. Bases for objection. Original must be sufficient, relevant, logical, reasonable, clear, complete, persuasive. Insufficiency is answered with evidence; irrelevance with redirection; illogicality with better logic . . . .

WED SEP 10—Letter to the Editor Homework due

MON SEP 15—Rough Draft LTE due

Week 3

Letter to the Editor Unit. Revision strategies. Deep structural revisions for clarity, organization, and development of themes. Grammar and punctuation revisions following every structural revision. Establish standing and credentials. Avoid unnecessary claims. Quote only the essentials. In-class evaluation and global rewriting exercises.

WED SEP 17—A01: LTE due

MON SEP 22—Classwork only

Week 4

Editorial Unit. Close reading strategies. Texts build upon other texts and converse. Recognize and evaluate the process of responsiveness to other authors. Evaluate the rhetorical techniques used to accomplish various goals for various audiences. Minimum grammar requirements to avoid failure. In-class exercises in local revision and text evaluation.

WED SEP 24—A02: LTE Rewrite due

MON SEP 29—Classwork only

Week 5

Editorial Unit. Writing for meaningfulness: sentences that mean something, mean nothing. Eliminating vagueness. Revising to add claims to purposeless sentences.

WED OCT 01—Editorial Exercise due

MON OCT 06—A03: Editorial due

Week 6

Op-Ed Unit. Writing for meaningfulness: sentences that mean something, mean nothing. Eliminating vagueness. Revising to add claims to purposeless sentences.

WED OCT 08—Classwork only

MON OCT 13—A04: Editorial Rewrite due

Week 7

Op-Ed Unit. Responsible writing is fair and accurate. Practice in composing both fair and unfair summaries. Deciding when and how much to quote, when and how to summarize for clarity and effectiveness. 

WED OCT 15—Classwork only

MON OCT 20—A05: Op-Ed due

Week 8

Research and Citation Unit. Finding and evaluating sources most appropriate for argument. Citation skills and mechanics. Gathering linked sources. Works cited technique.

WED OCT 22—Classwork only

MON OCT 27—A06: Op-Ed Rewrite due

Week 9

Argument Development Unit. Writing is synthesis of our opinion with others. Developing the voice appropriate to the argument. Incorporating sources into arguments. Converting rhetorical questions to strong clear claims.

WED OCT 29—Classwork only

MON NOV 03—Classwork only: Introduction to the Critical Engagement Assignment (aka The Throwdown)

Week 10

Critical Engagement Unit. Rebuttal is argument. Effectively incorporating refutation as positive proof of our own claims. Recognizing and practicing methods of refutation appropriate to different types of author failure.

WED NOV 05—Classwork only

MON NOV 10—A07: Sources 1, 2, 3, for the Throwdown

Week 11

Critical Engagement Unit. Authors in broad agreement nonetheless write differently to engage audiences for different purposes. Examining a range of opinion on a single topic by numerous authors with different goals.

WED NOV 12—A08: Summaries and Purposes for the Throwdown

MON NOV 17—A09: Critical Engagement Essay due (complete with inclusive My Take section)

Week 12

Self-Reflective Unit. Self reflection is argument. Crafting the ideal “argument” that a student has met the written, specific goals for a course. Rhetorical approaches to achieve maximum effectiveness.

WED NOV 19—Classwork only

MON NOV 24—A10: Reflective Statement due

Week 13

Portfolio Unit. Final polish exercises.

WED NOV 26—Classwork only

MON DEC 01—A11: Critical Engagement Rewrite due

Week 14

Portfolio Unit. Final polish exercises.

WED DEC 03—Portfolio due

MON DEC 08—Oral Presentations (Tie Break credit assignment). In-class defense of Throwdowns

Week 15

WED DEC 10—Finals Week Grade Conferences

MON DEC 15—Finals Week Grade Conferences