TEXTS:
- Signs of Life in the USA: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers, 3rd ed., by Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon.
- A Pocket Style Manual, 3rd ed., by Diana Hacker
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
- In general, English Sample 111 develops "student's abilities to read and discuss, and to write paragraphs and short essays about significant subjects. During the semester, each student will write a minimum of 5,000 words." In particular, in this section we will focus our reading and writing on the pop culture texts - from advertisements to fashion to toys to television shows - that surround us every day.
DIAGNOSTIC ESSAY
- The second day of class will include a 30-minute diagnostic essay. Please check HERE to see the topics.
GRADING:
- In order to pass this course, you must submit all assigned work. Please note that assignments earn increasing points as the term progresses. This allows me to hold your papers to a high standard from the very beginning without punishing you for inexperience. There are 1000 possible points for the semester, broken down as follows:
Assignment
#1 Summary and Response 50
#2 Making Connections 100
#3 Trying Your Hand at Analysis 150
#4 Comparative Analysis 150
#5 Review of Sources/Project Proposal 50
#6 Research Cultural Analysis 200
Exploratory Writing 150
Participation (peer response,
discussion, WebCT, etc.) 150
TOTAL 1000
FINAL GRADES:
A 930-1000 B 820-879 C 720-779
A- 900-929 B- 800-819 C- 700-719
B+ 880-899 C+ 780-799 D 600-699
F BELOW 600
Note: Keep in mind that you need to earn a C- or better to pass. In some departments, the lowest passing grade is a C.
DRAFTS AND PEER RESPONSE:
- Revising is an important part of inquiry and writing in this course. To help you revise your first drafts, you will receive feedback from a partner, members of a small group, and/or me. On the day a draft is due, bring two copies of your draft. You will turn one in to me at the beginning of the class period. I will not grade a final draft for which I have not seen a first draft.
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION:
- As a courtesy to me and to your peers, I expect you to come to every class with your reading and writing assignments completed, prepared to participate in discussion and group work. If you miss a class, you are responsible for contacting a fellow student to find out what you missed, and I still expect you to come prepared to the next day's session. You are allowed four absences for important occasions such as the opening of deer season, family emergencies, religious holidays, or a "very special" episode of Regis & Kelly. Each absence beyond these entirely justifiable distractions from the infinite pleasure of our class will be ruthlessly punished by subtracting 30 points from your final point total. I also expect all papers to be submitted, in class, on the day they are due. If you become ill or the victim of emergency circumstances, please let me know as soon as possible.
PLAGIARISM:
- During the semester, we will explore how to use other writers' ideas without stealing from them. Evidence of malicious plagiarism, however, can result in the grade of "F" for the course.
PAPER FORMATS:
- All papers (including drafts) should be typed and double-spaced. Use a reasonable point size (10-12 pt) and readable font. We will format sources and works cited according to MLA style. See A Pocket Style Manual for details.
GETTING IN TOUCH WITH ME:
- Please meet with me during my office hours or make an appointment to discuss your work in progress or any aspect of the course. I also encourage you to visit a writing tutor. For quick questions about the class, I prefer e-mail. You may also call me in my office or at home. I'd rather handle a problem early in the writing process via a telephone call than have you complete lots of work that has to be discarded.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
- If you need disability-related services or accommodations, please let me know or contact the Office of Disability Services.
DAILY CLASS SCHEDULE:
(Note: Unless otherwise indicated, all readings and questions are from Signs of Life. "EW" indicates your daily exploratory writing assignment.)
- Week One
- M 8/26 Introduction to class.
- T 8/27 Read "Popular Signs: Or, Everything You've Always Known about Popular Culture (But Nobody Asked)," pp. 1-19.
EW: open-ended response to the reading
In-class topic: diagnostic writing. Click on link to see the choice of questions.
- Th 8/28 Read "Consuming Passions: The Culture of American Consumption," pp. 45-54.
In-class topic: the double-entry response Click link for description.
Sample double-entry. The tool applied to "Consuming Passions: The Culture of American Consumption," pp. 45-54.
- F 8/29 Read Laurence Shames' "The More Factor," pp. 55-62.
EW: double-entry response.
In-class topic: Introduce Assignment #1
Visit from Writing Center Expert
- Week Two
- M 9/2 Labor Day. No class.
- T 9/3 EW: Concerns about Assignment #1
In-class topic: continue w/Shames' "The More Factor"
- Th 9/5 Read Anne Norton's "Signs of Shopping," pp. 62-69.
EW: respond to question 4, 5, or 6 on p. 69.
- F 9/6 First draft Assignment #1 due. Peer response.
Review sheet for peer response
- Week Three
- M 9/9 Read Thomas Hine's "What's in a Package," pp. 69-79.
EW: respond to question 3, 4, or 5 on p. 79.
- T 9/10 Read Joan Kron's "The Semiotics of Home Décor," pp. 94-105.
EW: respond to question 4 on p. 105.
Final draft Assignment #1 due.
In-class topic: Introduce Assignment #2.
- Th 9/12 EW: concerns about Assignment #2
In-class topic: the semiotics of things
Developing a strong controlling idea
- F 9/13 Read "Brought to you B(u)y," pp. 117-128.
EW: double-entry response
- Week Five
- M 9/23 Read Gloria Steinem's "Sex, Lies, and Advertising," pp. 160-180.
EW: respond to question 1 or 2 on p. 180.
- T 9/24 Read Fern Schumer Chapman's "Web of Deceit," pp. 194-201
EW: respond to question 1 or 5 on p. 201
- Th 9/26 Final draft Assignment #2 due
Grade sheet for assignment #2
In-class assignment: reading advertisements
In-class assignment: Introduce Assignment #3
F 9/27 In-class topic: Trying your hand at analysis. Finding a text for Assignment #3
NOTE: The following schedule is, as promised, a revision of the original syllabus.
- Week Six
- M 9/30 Final draft Assignment #2 due
Introduce Assignment #3.
In-class topic: Reading advertisements
- T 10/1 Read Gloria Steinem’s “Sex, Lies, and Advertising,” pp. 160-180.
EW: respond to question 1 or 2 on p. 180.
- Th 10/3 Read Fern Schumer Chapman’s “Web of Deceit,” pp. 194-201.
EW: respond to question 1 or 5 on p. 201.
- F 10/4 No reading. In-class topic: Reading advertisements
- Week Seven
- M 10/7 In-class topic: making a larger claim about your advertisement
- T 10/8 In-class topic: all that grammar and clarity and sentence-level stuff you’ve been begging for
- Th 10/10 First draft Assignment #3 due. Peer response
Sample "A" paper
- F 10/11 No class.
- Week Eight
- M 10/14 In-class topic: revising Assignment #3.
- T 10/15 Conferences. No class.
- Th 10/17 Conferences. No class.
- F 10/18 Conferences. No class.
- Week Nine
- M 10/21 Final draft Assignment #3 due.
- T 10/22 Read “We’ve Come a Long Way, Maybe: Gender Codes in American Culture,” pp. 437-446.
EW: double-entry response.
In-class topic: Introduce Assignments #5 and #6.
Sample annotated bibliography (assignment #5)
- Th 10/24 Read Holly Devor’s “Gender Role Behaviors and Attitudes,” pp. 447-453.
EW: Double-entry response.
- F 10/25 Read Jennifer Scanlon’s “Boys-R-Us: Board Games and the Socialization of Young Adolescent Girls,” pp. 472-481.
EW: respond to question 1 on p. 481.
- Week Ten
- M 10/28 Read Naomi Wolf’s “The Beauty Myth,” pp. 481-490.
EW: respond to question 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 on p. 490.
- T 10/29 In-class topic: Library research
Online research
- Th 10/31 Read Deborah Tannen’s “There Is No Unmarked Woman,” pp. 490-496. Also read James William Gibson’s “Warrior Dreams,” pp. 496-505.
EW: respond to either question 1, 3, or 4 on p. 496 or question 2 or 4 on p. 505.
- F 11/1 In-class topic: MLA Style
- Week Twelve
- M 11/11 In-class topic: working on Assignment #6.
Getting a Handle on Assignment #6
- T 11/12 In-class topic: working on Assignment #6.
- Th 11/14 First draft Assignment #6 due. Peer response
Using quotations
- F 11/15 Introduce Assignment #4. What is a narrative?
- Week Thirteen
- M 11/18 Start reading narratives. Readings TBA.
Dialogue
- T 11/19 Reading more narratives. Finding your voice.
Setting
- Th 11/21 Reading more narratives. Same stuff.
Voice
- F 11/22 Final draft Assignment #6 due.
Introduce Assignment #4: "Tell Me a Story"
- Week Fourteen
- M 11/25 No class: WebCT assignment: "The Date"
- T 11/26 No class: WebCT assignment: "The Date"
- Th 11/28 Thanksgiving recess. No class.
- F 11/29 Thanksgiving recess. No class.
- Week Fifteen
- M 12/2 TBA
- T 12/3 TBA
- Th 12/5 First draft Assignment #4 due. Peer response
Peer review sheet
- F 12/6 Class evaluation
- Final Exam Week
December 9, 10:00 a.m.:
Assignment #4 due
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