AP/WRIT/HUMA 1702 6.00 2016 Working Syllabus

BECOMING A BETTER WRITER: METHODS AND MODELS

Course Director: Jon Sufrin, Ph.D.

S358 Ross

jons@yorku.ca

Course Website: https://moodle.yorku.ca/

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COURSE DESCRIPTION

It's none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were

born that way.

~Ernest Hemingway

“Becoming a Better Writer: Methods and Models” is a 6-credit General Education course

offered by the Department of Writing. It combines practical strategies for improving your

academic and professional writing with a study of the diverse social, political, and

cultural challenges that writers face.

The central tenet of WRIT1702 is that good writers are conscious writers. Writing is a

crucial, transferable skill that can be improved by conscious awareness of process and by

ongoing practice. In this course, we use the portfolio model (multiple short assignments

that build to a final product) and you will learn how to write better essays, how to

generate ideas, organize paragraphs and arguments, and compose good thesis statements.

You’ll be exposed to some basic grammar and sentence-level patterns, and learn the right

way to include MLA citation and evidence. You’ll explore writing good cover letters and

resumes, and examine how to use writing to explore the culture around you in meaningful

ways. A group work project at the end of the course will give you the chance to explore

and criticize a well-known film with your classmates.

Course Learning Objectives:

Writing has laws of perspective, of light and shade just as painting does, or music.

If you are born knowing them, fine. If not, learn them. Then rearrange the rules to

suit yourself.

~Truman Capote

The course’s first purpose is to teach students how to be better writers in the academic

style. Students will also consider the strengths and weaknesses of their writing process,

practice their critical thinking, and improve their overall research and writing skills.

The specific learning objectives of the course are that students will be able to:

Respond effectively in writing to different academic and professional tasks.

Use critical thinking and research skills to search for information to build convincing

arguments and substantial reports.

Locate and critically evaluate material presented in different media and genres,

particularly printed text and film.

Contribute substantively and constructively to a team project.

Analyze how writers respond to universal challenges (such as censorship, propaganda,

and conflict rhetoric) in the context of their society.

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Show awareness of how the writer's social context (gender, class, ethnicity, sexuality)

affects their ability to contribute to society through their work.

Show improvement in control of technical elements of writing, including grammar,

tone, audience awareness and stylistic requirements.

Demonstrate professionalism in communication with colleagues and instructors.

COURSE STRUCTURE

Lectures will be held on Wednesdays, 12:30-2:30, in Curtis Lecture Hall B. Lectures

provide context and information to enrich the required texts for each week, advice for

course assignments and material for the course’s final exam.

Tutorial participation is essential to success in the course. Students must attend their

weekly hour-long tutorial. Here you’ll work closely with your TA on portfolio revisions

as well as discussion of the course texts and lecture ideas. Expect to share your writing

with your classmates, giving and receiving constructive criticism in order to improve the

final product. Hard copies for peer review will be required.

Course Grading

1. Tutorial Participation 15%

2. Portfolio 1: Academic Essay 25% (Total) a. Assignment 1.1 (Summary) [2-3 pages] 5%

b. Portfolio 1 Final (5-7 pages) 19%

c. Composition Reflection (1 page) 1%

3. Portfolio 2: Life Writing 20% (Total) a. Portfolio 2 Final (5-6 pages) 19%

b. Composition Reflection 1%

4. Portfolio 3: Group Work - Film Criticism 20% (Total) a. Group Grade (Written Report) (15-20 pgs) 9%

b. Individual Grade (Written Report/Class Presentation) 10%

c. Composition Reflection (1 page) 1%

5. Final Exam 20%

Students may receive a 5% bonus on their final Tutorial participation mark upon

attaining a Passport to Success certificate from York’s Learning Skills Services office.

Contact your TA for further details if applicable.

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COURSE MATERIAL

It's hard for me to believe that people who read very little - or not at all in some

cases - should presume to write and expect people to like what they have written.

Can I be blunt on this subject? If you don't have time to read, you don't have the

time - or the tools - to write. Simple as that.

~Stephen King

Required Reading (Books available at the York University Bookstore):

WRIT/HUMA 1702 6.0 Online Sources (See Moodle Website for links & PDFs)

Atwood, M., Oryx and Crake (2003)

Berger, J., Ways of Seeing (1972)

Kaysen, S., Girl, Interrupted (1989)

Spiegelman, A., Maus Volume One: My Father Bleeds History (1986)

Required Films and Videos:

Casablanca (1942) (You must watch this film before lecture on Feb 15)

Sherlock 2:1, “A Scandal in Belgravia” (In-Class)

PORTFOLIO SUBMISSION AND STANDARDS

Coursework is composed of three writing portfolios. Each portfolio includes several

smaller assignments/drafts that will help you to succeed on the final version of your

project. You must complete all the exercises and/or drafts to receive a grade for the final

assignment. Keep all pre-assignments and drafts in a portfolio and hand in all work to

date with each assignment. For each portfolio, you will write a brief (1 page) reflection

about your composing process. There are no exceptions to the portfolio requirements,

and late grades may be applied to incomplete Portfolios.

Both the final portfolio and the pre-assignments are due in Tutorial to your Tutorial

leader according to the deadlines listed in the course schedule. Hard copies (print) are

required for all assignments. Email/Electronic versions will not be accepted.

Portfolio Due Dates

Assignment Week of

Final Portfolio 1 Nov 30

Final Portfolio 2 Feb 15

Final Portfolio 3 April 5

The last day to drop WRIT 1702 without receiving a grade is February 10.

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COURSE SCHEDULE/READINGS BY WEEK

FALL TERM

I: The Academic Essay: A Descriptive But Usually Too Long Subtitle Goes Here!

Why can an academic not just say what they mean, sharing their knowledge like

they’re supposed to?

~Kyran Archer

Sept. 14 Introduction to Writing 1702 and General Education Courses

In Tutorials: discussion of course requirements

Sept. 21 Theories of Composing: an Overview

In Tutorials: Reading Discussion

Texts:

Lisa Ede, “Understanding the Writing Process,” 31-35 (Moodle PDF)

Beth Daniell and Art Young, “Resisting Writing, Resisting Writing

Teachers,” 156-165. (Moodle PDF)

Sept. 28 Research Skills and Interpreting “Academese”

Guest Speaker: Scott McLaren, Writing Librarian

In Tutorials: Deconstruction of Reviews

Texts:

Birkerts, NYT Review of Oryx and Crake (Moodle Link)

Greer, NYT Review of MaddAddam (Moodle Link)

Oct. 5 Theories and Practices of Critical Reading

In Tutorials: Assignment 1.1 Due. (Peer Review) Novel discussion

Text: Margaret Atwood, Oryx and Crake (2003)

Oct. 12 Getting Started: Pre-Writing, Motivation, Writer’s Block and

Creativity

In Tutorials: Reading discussion, brainstorming

Texts:

Ursula LeGuin (1989). “Where Do You Get Your Ideas

From?”(Moodle PDF)

Peter Elbow, “Freewriting” (Moodle PDF)

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Oct. 19 Crafting an Argument: Rhetoric, Readability, and the Rule of Three

In Tutorials: Discussion of Orwell/Shea, Thesis modelling

Texts:

George Orwell, “Politics of the English Language” (Moodle PDF)

Ammon Shea, “Rebuttal” from Bad English (2014), 168-174 (Moodle

PDF)

Oct. 26 Grammar: The Basics

In Tutorials: Interpretation 1.2 Due (Peer Review) Texts: None

Nov. 2 Paragraphing: Building a Flow, Introductions and Conclusions

In Tutorials: Discussion of Eden & Mitchell, Essay Modelling

Texts:

Rick Eden and Ruth Mitchell, “Paragraphing for the Reader” (Moodle

Link).

Yasmina Jaksic, “Liminal Labyrinths” (Moodle PDF)

Nov. 9 Revision, Recursiveness, Editing

In Tutorials: 1.3 Due (Argument) (Peer Review)

Text:

Sondra Perl, “Understanding Composing” (Moodle Link)

Nov. 16 The Rhetoric of Warning: Rachel Carson

In Tutorials: Discussion of Carson/Dawkins

Texts:

Excerpts from Rachel Carson, Silent Spring (Moodle PDF)

Richard Dawkins and Jerry Coyne “One Side Can Be Wrong,” from The

Guardian (September 1, 2005). (Moodle Link)

Nov. 23 Atwood and The Double

In Tutorials: Draft Due in Tutorial for Peer Review

Text:

TBA

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Nov. 30 Damage Control

In Tutorials: Portfolio 1 Due.

Texts: None

There is no mid-term exam.

WINTER TERM

And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it,

and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.

~Sylvia Plath

Jan. 11 Life Writing: Girl, Interrupted

In Tutorials: Reading Discussion, Assignment 2.1 Due, Peer Review

Texts:

Susanna Kaysen, Girl, Interrupted

Jan. 18 Biography and the Graphic Form: Maus

In Tutorials: Textual Discussion,

Text:

Art Spielgelman, Maus: Vol. 1 My Father Bleeds History (1986)

Jan. 25 Writing Manifestos: The Language of “The White Rose”

In Tutorials: Assignment 2.2 Due, Peer Review

Text: The Leaflets of The White Rose (Moodle Links)

Feb. 1 Stories from the Margins

In Tutorials: Reading Discussion,

Texts:

Gloria Anzaldúa, “Speaking in Tongues: A letter to third world woman

Writers.” (Moodle PDF)

Thomas King “Borders.” (Moodle Link)

Feb. 8 Sylvia Plath: Writing it Out

In Tutorials: Portfolio 2 Draft, Peer Review

Text:

TBA

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III: The Public and Professional Writer

Asking a working writer what they think about critics is like asking a lamppost how

it feels about dogs.

~Christopher Hampton

Feb. 15 Approaching the Task of Criticism

In Tutorials: Portfolio 2 Due, Movie Discussion, Set up Group Work

Texts:

Casablanca (1942) (Watch before lecture)

Matthew Goulish, “Criticism,” 43-47. (Moodle PDF)

Feb. 22 Reading Week

Mar. 1 Working in Groups and Professional Etiquette

In Tutorials: Group Work Texts:

TBA

Mar 8 Building Genre Awareness: Detective Stories

In Tutorials: 2.1 Due. (Peer Review) Reading Discussion

Texts:

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “A Scandal in Bohemia” (Moodle Link)

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington

Plans” (Moodle Link)

Mar. 15 Business Professional Style: Cover Letters and Resumes

Guest Lecturer: Mayolyn Dagsi, York Career Centre

In Tutorials: Group Work Texts:

Mar. 22 Practices of Looking: Gender and Cultural Analysis

In Tutorials: Textual Discussion

Text: John Berger, Ways of Seeing (1972)

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Mar. 29 Storytelling in Multiple Media

In Tutorials: Portfolio 2 Draft Due, Peer Review

Text: Sherlock (2:1): “A Scandal in Belgravia” (In-Class Film)

Apr. 5 Review of Course Material

In Tutorials: Portfolio 3 Due/Exam Review

Term ends April 6. All outstanding coursework due—No Exceptions!

Portfolio 1 Assignments

WRIT1702 Portfolio 1 | Assignment 1.1 – Book Review (Summary)

Due: In Tutorial, Week of Oct 5

Worth: 5% of your final Grade

Length: 2-3 double-spaced pages, approx.. 750-1000 words, excluding title, works cited etc.

Instructions:

Write a Book Review of Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake. Take some time to briefly

summarize the plot for the reader, so that they can decide for themselves whether or not to

read the text.

As per Andrew Sean Greer’s review of MaddAddam, choose a short song lyric (2 lines max)

that captures the Idea of your review, and include it as an epigraph.

Include a Works Cited, properly formatted in MLA style.

Bring a hard copy of the description to your Seminar.

You must also sign-in to your Passport York Account to complete the Academic Integrity

Tutorial and attach a hard copy to the assignment.

Please Note:

Assignment 1.1 is part of Portfolio 1, and must be included in your final submission.

Your audience for this paper is the literate “Sunday Reader,” similar to the course models

from the New York Times. Write the paper in your own voice, and use first-person, but

remember that you are writing for an older, conservative audience. Please also follow

standard rules of grammar.

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A good review contains an Idea (the central question, problem, or argument) that acts as a

scaffold for the author’s assessment of the text. It has a hook, and its introduction reflects on

(but does not repeat) its conclusion. Look for what resonates when choosing your Idea!

No review gives away the ending.

You may integrate short quotations (properly cited please), but please avoid block quotes for

this exercise. A summary paraphrases the plot of a text; use your own words to describe what

happens.

Your summary should take up no more than one-half of your word count. Choose what to

include and what not to include very carefully, so that you are able to illustrate your Idea.

Please follow the format guidelines contained in the syllabus. Double-spacing and proper

margins give your teachers room to comment on your work.

Your TA may have additional advice for success on this assignment.

1702 Portfolio 1 | Assignment 1.2 – Interpretation

Due: In Tutorial, Week of Oct 26

Length: 2 double-spaced pages + outline

Instructions:

Return to Assignment 1.1 and review your paper and its Idea. On a sheet of paper, diagram

“Two (or more) themes interrelating = Your Idea” as it applies to your review. You may use

bullet-points or any variation on mind-maps to illustrate your thought process. Your

trees/outline should include details.

On another sheet(s) of paper, choose one theme from the text (and your diagram) and explore

it in paragraph form using details and thought-reflection (analysis). Follow the Pattern as

you explain your thought in evidence-based paragraphs.

After you have demonstrated the presence of your theme from patterns of details in the text,

extend/move/complicate your argument using at least one scholarly source, found through

York’s library. Integrate this new research, paraphrasing as appropriate and using at least one

quotation.

Include a works cited, and use MLA in-text citation appropriately.

Please Note:

You should adopt an academic voice for this paper.

If you have changed your Idea about the text from Assignment 1.1, that is fine. Your

research may take you in different directions as you continue your work on this paper; you

may decide to revise your initial Idea or even change your mind entirely, and are free to do

so right up to the final due date. But trust your instincts! Atwood has many critics with

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many different interpretations, so don’t give up if you can’t find material to help you extend

your thoughts right away.

Each paragraph should contain substantial thought-reflection (analysis). That is the

interesting part of the paragraph! What do you think about/How do you want to use the

evidence you are presenting?

You do not need an introduction (Beginning) or conclusion (Ending) for this assignment.

Your scholarly source must be found via York library resources. You may not use a

newspaper article or any sort of encyclopaedia for this assignment. However, if you read any

of these sources in completing your assignment, you still must list them in your works cited.

You must turn in a hard-copy of this assignment.

Your TA may have additional advice for success on this assignment.

1702 Portfolio 1 | Assignment 1.3 – Argument

Due: In Tutorial, Week of Nov 9

Length: 2+ double-spaced pages

Instructions:

Begin your paper with a working thesis, as per the course model.

Include a revised (as applicable) version of the last paragraph of 1.2, where you demonstrated

the movement/extension/complication of your 1st theme.

Using a good transition, shift the topic to your 2nd

theme. Use the course concept of

movement to complicate or extend your first theme, and to introduce a second.

As with 1.2, demonstrate the presence of your 2nd

theme from patterns of details in the text,

and include thought-reflection (analysis) in every paragraph.

Include a final paragraph exploring how the two themes examined in your paper relate to

each other and demonstrate your Idea. This paragraph and your working thesis should be

congruent—“reflect, don’t repeat.”

Include a works cited, and use MLA in-text citation appropriately.

Please Note:

You should adopt an academic voice for this assignment.

You do not have to include a second scholarly source for this paper to extend your second

theme (though you will for your final paper).

You do not need a Beginning for this paper. The last paragraph of the paper can function as a

proto-Ending.

As on prior assignments, follow The Pattern for evidence-based paragraphs. Consciously

compose your paragraphs using good transitions and topic sentences that relate to your

working thesis and that include thought-reflection (analysis).

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You should no longer describe or summarize, but critically reflect on Oryx and Crake. How

does your evidence help you answer the so what question?

As in 1.2, any secondary sources used must be found via York Library resources.

You must turn in a hard copy of this assignment.

Your TA may have additional advice for success on this assignment.

1702 Portfolio 1 | Academic Essay

Value: 25% of your final grade.(Assignment 1.1 = 5% + Final Draft = 19% + Comp. Ref. = 1%)

Due: Draft—In Tutorial, Nov 23, Final—In Lecture, Dec 30

Length: 5-7 double-spaced pages (approx. 1600-2100 words) exclusive of title page, works cited.

Instructions:

Compose a full academic essay as per the requirements above. Your audience is a fellow

scholar in the Humanities. Consult course models in matters of style but use academic voice.

Overall, your final paper should contain the same elements as in 1.2 and 1.3: that is, two (or

more) themes interrelating = Idea, evidence, scholarly sources available via York Library, a

thesis statement that meets the course definition, and a Beginning, Middle and End. Also,

don’t forget your epigraph! Does it illustrate your Idea?

For this assignment, you are required to use at least two published scholarly sources (as per

1.2), ones that extend or complicate each theme.

Bring one copy of your complete draft to your tutorial on the day your draft is due.

Include a one page Composition Reflection, as per the instructions below.

Also include a title page and Works cited in MLA style. Your title page is page 0.

Please review “Housekeeping” in the Syllabus for formatting requirements.

Please Note:

Your draft is not handed into or assessed by your tutorial leader. However, a hard copy must

be peer reviewed and this draft included with all other portfolio material.

An essay of this length should not follow the five-paragraph essay model.

Consult the Assignment Toolkit and your notes if you need reminders concerning applicable

course terms.

You may use material already written from 1.2 and 1.3, and integrate it into your paper;

the full draft does not have to be written from scratch.

Lecture material should be cited, if applicable—consult the syllabus for information on

titles and dates.

You must hand in your complete portfolio for Assignment 1, including:

o Your composing reflection (on the very top)

o Your final version of the essay (right under your composing reflection), marked

clearly “FINAL VERSION.”

o Your peer reviewed drafts, marked “DRAFT.”

o Your assessed exercises in reverse order: Exercise 1.1 should be at the very bottom

of the portfolio. If you do not have an assessed copy, you can turn in a clean copy.

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However, all pre-assignments must show evidence of revision and not simply be

excerpts from your final assignment.

Students who do not hand in the required exercises will not receive a grade. Your

tutorial leader may also choose to apply late grades to incomplete assignments.

If you haven’t completed and submitted the Academic Integrity Quiz, you must hand it in

with this assignment, or the portfolio will not be graded.

Your TA may have additional advice for success on this assignment.

Composing Reflection #1

Write a reflection about your own composing process. What kind of composer are you?

Go back and review where your thinking about Oryx and Crake was for Assignment 1.1.

How has it changed? What about this process extended or complicated your own thought

about the composition process for Academic papers?

You must refer to at least one theorist discussed on Sept 21 or Oct 5 in your reflection. Who

had insights that reflect how you go about your writing process?

Your composing reflection is a separate piece of work from your academic essay.

Length: one double-spaced page (max)