*We will be meeting for the first time on August 20:

• 9:00 Screen No Impact Man
• 1:30-2:20 (Meet in Jackson 113)

What argument(s) does the film try to make? How does the film make these arguments?
What dynamics (marital, familial, between characters and audience) emerge as you watch the film?
What scenes stood out to you and why?

Monday

• Introduction to Course (syllabus and schedule also available on edmodo)
• Policies
• Go over Grading Rubric (What is an A paper? What is a B paper? etc)

Wednesday

• Reading: "Essays" (access and read on edmodo BEFORE coming to class)
• What is Rhetoric?
• Recognizing Arguments all around us
• Recognizing Bias (Hint: It's not just "having an opinion" or "taking a position")
• Why is it important to understand argument?
• Why is it important to make clear, well-supported arguments? (or, how not to be a dumba$%)

Friday

• What is Debate and why is it important?
• Reading: "Inventing the Social World" (access and read on edmodo BEFORE coming to class)
• Shared Belief and how to suspend it (for now) (or, learning that life is complicated...)
• Discussion and Reading: "Ideal" (handed out in class)
  

Monday

• Reading: Introduction and Chapter 1 (Extraction) of The Story of Stuff
• What is a thesis statement and why is it important?
• What is Leonard's thesis (and how do you know)?
• Writing Exercise: rewrite Leonard's thesis in your own words
• Thesis as logical arrangement of premises, warrants, and conclusions (Analyzing Syllogisms)

Wednesday

• Reading: Chapter 2 (Production) of The Story of Stuff
• Who is Annie Leonard and why should we listen to her?
  How do these elements add to or detract from her argument?
  • credentials
  • identity (who does she say she is?)
  • experience
  • style/voice
• Audience
  • Think of four types of audience who might read this book?
  • What might they think of her arguments?
  • What kind of reader would likely be unwilling to accept her premises and why?
  • Writing Exercise: Imagine that you are a "hostile" reader. Write a critical response to Leonard from that point of view.
  • Discuss and respond to critiques as a class. (How would Leonard respond to her critics?)
  • Addressing opposition or "planting a naysayer."

Friday

• Reading: Chapter 3 (Distribution) and Chapter 4 (Consumption) of The Story of Stuff
• Appeals
  • Logical
  • Ethical
  • Emotional
• Group Activity
  • In group of 3, choose a section from Chapter 1, 2, or 3
  • On your own, go through the section and identify the three types of appeal (Mark the text as you go) Include pictures and graphs in your textual analysis
  • Compare your notes with your partners
  • Discuss findings

9.6, 9.8, 9.9, 9.10

LABOR DAY: NO CLASS

Wednesday

• Reading: Chapter 5 (Disposal) and Epilogue of The Story of Stuff
• Assignment: Analysis/Critique of "green issue" (4-6 pp) (access and read on edmodo BEFORE coming to class)
• Brainstorm topics and sources

Thursday

• Faculty Presentation: Joshua Lawrence (Chemistry) | Kilpatrick Auditorium at 11:10-12

Friday

• Discuss Faculty Presentation
• Workshop: Incorporating Sources (BRING ST. MARTIN'S HANDBOOK)
• Do exercises as a class

9.13, 9.15, 9.16, 9.17

Monday

• Workshop: MLA paranthetical references (BRING ST. MARTIN'S HANDBOOK)
• Do exercises as a class

Wednesday

• Workshop: Plagiarism (BRING ST. MARTIN'S HANDBOOK)
• Do exercises as a class

Thursday

• Faculty Presentation: Harold Christenson (Economics) | Kilpatrick Auditorium at 11:10-12

Friday

• Due: Analysis/Critique of "green issue"
• Discuss Faculty Presentation and compare with Dr Lawrence's presentation
• Assignment: Persuasive Presentation (5 minutes)
  • Drawing on Leonard's subject matter, select a topic related to a problem with materials extraction, production, consumption, etc that intersects with the interests of college students (ie your classmates)
  • Investigate the topic/issue through research.
  • Prepare a persuasive presentation addressed to other college students urging them to take some action (or not) on the issue.
  • In the course of preparing this presentation you should analyze the issue, critique arguments (stated or inferred) related to that issue, and provide evidence for your claims.
  • Your presentation should be succinct but polished. Your classmates will evaluate your argument at the end of each class period. No power point.
• Brainstorm topics and sources

9.20, 9.22, 9.23, 9.24

Monday

• Presentation sign-up
• Tips for giving a presentation
• Peer workshop: Preparing for your Persuasive Presentation

Wednesday

• Introduction to Research Portion of class
• "Work"
• Review Schedule of upcoming assignments
• Discuss possible research topics or areas of interest:
  • What is a topic that interests you?
  • Who else should this topic interest and why?
  • What's at stake?

Thursday

• Faculty Presentation: Matt Weeks (Psychology) | Kilpatrick Auditorium at 11:10-12

Friday

• Discuss Faculty Presentation and compare with two previous presentations
• Persuasive Presentations (4 presentations)

9.27, 9.29, 10.1

Monday

• Persuasive Presentations (6 presentations)

Wednesday

• Persuasive Presentations (6 presentations)

Friday

• Assignment: Research Question
• Workshop: How to write a Research Question (Bedford Research Room)

10.4, 10.6, 10.8

Monday

• Peer Workshop: Research Questions

Wednesday

• Due: Research Question
• Assignment: Research Binder (access and read on edmodo BEFORE coming to class)
• Review grade sheets for Research Binder Assignment (access and read on edmodo BEFORE coming to class)
• Evaluating Sources
  • peer-reviewed journal article
  • "informed" periodical
  • popular article
  • "political" journals and magazine (such as The New American)

Friday

• Library Research: Amazon and ILL (Meet in Jackson 305 lab)

10.11, 10.13

Monday

• Convocation: MLP at 11:00: George Bandy from Interface

Wednesday

• Guided tour of Library with Judith Grunes (Meet in Magale Library Computer Lab)

FALL BREAK

10.18, 10.20, 10.22

Monday

• Research Binder due (Round 1)
• Assignment: Documented Research Paper (8-10 pp; at least 10 sources)
• Progress Reports on Research
• Begin putting students into pairs for FYE Conference

Wednesday

• Workshop: Introductions and Thesis Statements

Friday

• Workshop: Organization and Outlining
• How to tell what's important and what's not in a research paper

10.25, 10.27, 10.29

Monday

• Writing Workshop (from They Say, I Say)

Wednesday

• Research Binder due (Round 2)
• Writing Workshop (from They Say, I Say)

Friday

• Writing Workshop (from They Say, I Say)

11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 11.5

Monday

• Due: Rough Draft of Research Paper
• Conference Sign-up
• Revision Workshop: Paramedic Method

Tuesday

• Plagiarism workshop with Honor Court: 11:10 in Whited Room in Bynum Commons

Wednesday

• No Regular Class meeting.
• Conferences with me in Jackson 313 about Research Paper

Friday

• No Regular Class meeting.
• Conferences with me in Jackson 313 about Research Paper

11.8, 11.10, 11.11, 11.12

Monday

• Workshop: FYE Conference Panel Abstract (Meet in Jackson 305 lab)
• Assignment: FYE Conference Panel Abstract
• Draft of abstracts due to me via email by 7pm

Wednesday

• Workshop: FYE Conference Panel Abstract (Meet in Jackson 305 lab)
• Abstracts due to Dr. Wolkimir (electronic and hardcopy)

Thursday

• Convocation: Michelle Glaros (Communication) on How to Give a Presentation | Kilpatrick Auditorium at 11:10-12

Friday

• Presentation Prep

11.15, 11.17, 11.19

Monday

• In-class Research Presentations (4)

Wednesday

• In-class Research Presentations (4)

Friday

• In-class Research Presentations (4)

THANKSGIVING BREAK 11.20-11.28

11.29, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3

Monday

• In-class Research Presentations (4)

Wednesday

• Due: Final Draft of Research Paper
• Presentation Prep

Thursday

• FYE Conference

Friday

• FYE Conference

Monday

• FYE Conference

Wednesday

• FYE Conference

Friday

• Conference Debrief
• Review for Final Exam
• Course Evaluations

TBA