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English 100: Freshman Composition (2013)
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Course Overview & Syllabus
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This course is an introduction to college composition that begins to prepare students for the demands of writing in the university, while helping them to think about writing beyond the classroom and in a variety of contexts. Writing as a process is emphasized, as this course is portfolio based. Students work through a series of three sequences (narrative, informative, and persuasive writing) producing original written work, responding to the work of others, and exploring multimodal approaches to compositions.
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Course Highlights
Course Theme and Overview
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Project 1: This I believe...
The objective for this essay is to write a belief statement that represents a core value or understanding by which you see and live your life. This statement should be based on an abstract value or idea, a larger concept that reflects your understanding of the world, life, culture, or people. This guiding belief may be unique to you, as a self-revelation uncovered only through experienece, or may be a principle taught and shared by family and friends. The pupose of this piece will be to use the narrative structure in order to demonstrate how an experience (or set of experiences) led to your recognition of such a belief as central to your core values. |
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Project 2: Career Exploration and Podcast Analysis
For this culminating project, you will apply both expository and analytic writing skills as you explore a potential career path that aligns with your values and goals. Your objective for this essay is to research and analyze a key debate, innovation, or controversy within a social context that influences and shapes a professional field you are interested in pursuring. You may find that these issues are characterized by “buzz words” or phrases flung out by the media. However, the underlying complexities and implications of these issues require more analysis and reflection than merely skimming through a brief synopsis on Buzzfeed. You will need to consult a variety of sources and perspectives in order to better understand the impact and interplay of these forces on your field and, potentially, your future. The purpose of the paper is not to persuade the audience to agree with your interpretation. Rather, your goal is to present an innovation/issue from multiple angles, in a mostly objective light--an informative approach. Only in the conclusion will you weigh in by providing a final evaluation on the topic, what this means for your future in the field, and where you might stand on the issue yourself. |
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Project 3: Research Podcasts
For this project, you will develop and explore a research topic drawn from the context of one of your communities (as outlined in the opening presentation). As you move through the research process, you will integrate and apply the tools and strategies covered throughout the semester with the ultimate goal of producing a persuasive and engaging analysis of your topic. You are encouraged to utilize narrative and expository text to support your analysis, as each fits your needs. You are also expected to utilize course concepts related to persuasive appeals. The purpose of the project is to engage an audience in your exploration of a topic that is interesting and important to you, as it relates to a community in which you place great meaning and value. Your project should highlight strong research methodologies and integrate writing skills from across the semester. Most importantly, this piece is persuasive, so your ultimate goal is to persuade the listeners to agree with you on the perspective and importance of the topic you have explored. The audience for this project is your classmates (and potentially your community) and the format of the project is a podcast recording created in the likeness of an episode from This American Life. Thus, the final draft should be written with both audience and format in mind. This is not a typical 4-5 page essay, but rather, an organized script that provides context, necessary background, a clear purpose, and an engaging argument for the listener to follow. Consider how this structure is both similar to and different from formal essays, especially in regards to organization and tone. |
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