Advanced Strategies in Rhetoric and Research English 190

Instructor email Office: (phone) Office Hours:

Fall 2013

Course Description and Objectives Welcome! English 190 is designed to introduce you to and help you develop the rhetorical strategies necessary for producing texts in academic and public settings. Throughout this semester, you will pursue one topic of your choosing to explore different kinds of texts (written, oral, visual) as well as the choices inherent in the composition process. We will practice skills like researching, designing, and advocating that will be helpful in class and outside of it. Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to demonstrate: The ability to analyze a rhetorical situation (audience, context, goal, etc.) and respond accordingly. The ability to explain and defend the decisions made while composing. A familiarity with a number of different composition methods including oral presentations, video production, and written paper. An understanding of a variety of research methods including library and online sources. Required Course Texts and Materials Wysocki, Anne Frances and Dennis A. Lynch. Compose Design Advocate. Second Edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2013. Bullock, Richard, and Francine Weinberg. The Little Seagull Handbook. New York: Norton, 2011. Advocacy Project and Assignments This course will ask you to complete five major rhetorical assignments, all of which are part of an ongoing advocacy project. This project, which you will pursue throughout the semester, will focus on a problem, or issue, of your choosing. Your job throughout the course will be to complete various assignments that will allow you to intervene into that problem. So, for example, let us say that campus safety is of particular concern to you. Perhaps youre a criminal justice major or a pre-legal studies major with an academic interest in the law. Or perhaps youre simply a concerned student who wants to promote campus safety here at SLU. If you were to pursue that project, you would complete the five major rhetorical assignments of the course: 1. An analysis of a rhetorical situation (i.e., the problem that concerns you or the issue you care about). This is the written analysis. 2. A video presentation designed for an audience within that rhetorical situation. This is the video argument. 3. An evaluation of the video assignment. This is the written evaluation. 4. An oral presentation of the project designed for an audience within the situation. This is the oral presentation. 5. A research-based proposal of how to address the problem, also written for a particular audience in that situation. This is the research proposal. So, to sum up: you will be working on your own project throughout the semester, and all of your assignments will be geared toward that project. By the end of the course, you will be an expert in the particular situation that concerns you. Before each assignment, I will provide you with a handout with the requirements of the assignment as well as class discussion to make sure everyone has a clear understanding of what is expected of them. Please read the assignment sheets carefully and ask for clarification if you are unsure about anything.
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Course Requirements Class participation: discussion, short writing assignments, in-class writing Prologue: Narrating the Problem Assignment 1: Analyzing the Problem (The Written Analysis) Assignment 2: Arguing through Film (The Video Argument) Assignment 3: Evaluating the arguments (The Written Evaluation) Assignment 4: Presenting the project (The Oral Presentation) Assignment 5: Proposing solutions (The Research Proposal) Epilogue: Assessing the Outcomes

10% 5% 15% 20% 15% 10% 20% 5%

Grading First thing: let us keep in mind that an English course is not graded entirely subjectively. Just as with any subject, if you want to produce a successful writing project, you have to identify and meet a set of criteria that have been developed for that assignment. Although many of you will go above and beyond minimum expectations, make sure to at least meet the basic criteria of a successful essay to receive a passing grade. I will spend plenty of time making sure that you understand and know how to incorporate the elements necessary for a successful essay. In addition, you will find a list of each units goals on your unit calendars. The work for this course is carefully sequenced and will grow out of ongoing class work as well as your homework assignments. Staying on top of your assignments, doing them diligently, and turning them in on time are all crucial for your success in this class. In addition, I expect you to take an active role in achieving your desired grade. If you have questions about a grade you received, or if you would like help improving your writing, please speak with me. We can meet during my office hours, which I have posted above, or schedule a different time to meet. Make sure to speak with me as your concerns arise, not during the final weeks of class. Being in class and on time, working constructively with your classmates, and taking a role in class discussions are all equally important. If unusual circumstances arise, talk to me about them and we can attempt to work something out. (Do not simply stop coming to class!) It will make it easier to complete your work if you come to class every day. Likewise, it will be very difficult to complete the work of this course successfully if you have more than a few absences, even if they are excused and you try to keep up with the work. The grading scale used for this class is as follows: A 100-94 C+ 79-77 A- 93-90 C 76-73 B+ 89-87 C- 72-70 B 86-83 D 69-60 B- 82-80 F 59 and below

Attendance Regular attendance is expected, and is fundamental to your success in this class. Class attendance is especially important because you will be participating in lots of peer review, small group discussions on yours and your classmates writing, and collaborative workshops. In fact, we will be working constantly and almost exclusively with your writing, so your presence is quite important. You have three unexcused absences over the course of the semester, but your final grade may drop one level for every unexcused absence after that (i.e., if you earn a B for your final grade but have four unexcused absences, your grade becomes a B-; if your final grade is a B but you have five unexcused absences, your grade becomes a C+, and so forth). I reserve the right to contact your academic advisor(s) if your absences exceed three. Nine unexcused absences will result in an absence through failure. Be aware
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that I will not check with you when you have reached your three allowed absencesit is your responsibility to keep track of these absences. In all cases (this includes university-sanctioned absences), please you email me to inform me of your absence prior to the class so that I can rearrange accordingly if your absence will affect others. If you know in advance that you will miss class, drop your work off in my mailbox in Adorjan Hall (Room 125) so that your work will not be considered late. Even if you are absent from classes (excused or unexcused) you are still responsible for turning in your work on time. Excused absences include:

Religious holidays Participation in SLU-sponsored activities (note from sponsor/coach is required in advance) Illness (doctors note is required) Civic responsibilities (documentation is required) Unavoidable absences deemed reasonable by the instructor (documentation is required)

If you miss class, you are responsible for finding out what you missed. Talk to classmates, send emails, etc., but please do not email me to ask what you missed. This is a university, and you are responsible for yourself and your performance. Lateness Do not arrive late to class. If you cannot arrive on time, please consider taking a different section. Consistent tardiness (3 or more) will be counted as one unexcused absence, and will therefore have an impact on your participation grade. Participation I am not looking for a magic number of comments per class period to achieve a certain participation grade. Rather, I am looking for your genuine engagement in topics of discussion and a sincere effort in all activities. Obviously, you should not spend class time texting, pulling up Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites on the lab computers or on your personal laptop. Any of these activities will result in a lowered participation score. Your participation grade is earned. Some criteria for your participation grade are below: A Prepare readings thoroughly; find and be prepared to discuss connections among them and among your writing projects. Take a leadership role in class discussions, going out of your way to involve others. Enthusiastically engage group activities, bringing something innovative to the group from your own interests and abilities. Offer detailed peer review feedback that comments on strengths and weaknesses, asks questions, and suggests revisions. For an A, you must strictly limit your absences and definitely not exceed your three excused absences. An A indicates the very best grade a student can earnthus, you must truly engage in the class and contribute in a way that far exceeds the minimum passing requirement to receive this grade. Prepare assigned readings and initiate discussions about them by asking good questions or suggesting ways to interpret and incorporate readings into the writing process. Make interesting and meaningful contributions to our group activities. Participate regularly in class discussion. Offer thorough responses and comments in peer review sessions. Do not exceed your three unexcused absences.

Read and prepare assigned readings so you are never at a loss if you are asked a question, but volunteer infrequently. Do sufficient but ordinary work on in-class writings, quizzes, and small group activities. Provide peer review comments that show a basic understanding of the units goals and criteria. Do not exceed your three unexcused absences. Do the minimum: speak only when called upon. Pay attention, but without taking an active role in discussions, group work, and writing workshops. Provide scanty or superficial peer review feedback. Do not exceed your three unexcused absences. This is the minimum passing participation grade.

Concerns? If you feel you may not be able to meet these requirements, please come see me at the beginning of the semester to discuss your concerns. I recognize that many people are naturally reserved and less comfortable speaking in class. While every student is still expected to participate in class discussions, remember that since this is a writing class, your written in-class assignments, comments on peer reviewed papers, etc., also play a major role in your participation grade. Please come meet with me any time if you have questions about your participation grade. Prepare Doing the assigned work for each day in a thoughtful way whether that assignment is reading, writing short responses, or composing an essay is essential. If you have concerns or questions about a homework assignment: 1) Before you contact me, see the syllabus or class website for possible answers; 2) If neither the syllabus nor the class website answer your questions, contact me. If you email me, please give me 24 hours to respond (48 hours on the weekends). Assignments are due when they are due. For each day that an assignment is late, it receives a letter grade penalty. That means that an A assignment turned in one day late becomes a B. A C assignment turned in two days late becomes an F. Disability In recognition that people learn in a variety of ways and that learning is influenced by multiple factors (e.g., prior experience, study skills, learning disability), resources to support student success are available on campus. Students who think they might benefit from these resources can find out more about:

Course-level support (e.g., faculty member, departmental resources, etc.) by asking your course instructor. University-level support (e.g., tutoring/writing services, Disability Services) by visiting the Student Success Center (BSC 331) or by going to www.slu.edu/success.

Students who believe that, due to a disability, they could benefit from academic accommodations are encouraged to contact Disability Services at 314-977-3484 or email disability_services@slu.edu or visit the Student Success Center. Confidentiality will be observed in all inquiries. Course instructors support student accommodation requests when an approved letter from Disability Services has been received and when students discuss these accommodations with the instructor after receipt of the approved letter. N.B. Telling me informally or over email about a disability does not constitute formal notification. You must present documentation from the ODS. Academic Integrity and Honesty The University is a community of learning, whose effectiveness requires an environment of mutual trust and integrity. Academic integrity is violated by any dishonesty such as soliciting, receiving, or providing any unauthorized assistance in the completion of work submitted toward academic credit. While not all forms of
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academic dishonesty can be listed here, examples include copying from another student, copying from a book or class notes during a closed book exam, submitting materials authored by or revised by another person as the students own work, copying a passage or text directly from a published source without appropriately citing or recognizing that source, taking a test or doing an assignment or other academic work for another student, securing or supplying in advance a copy of an examination without the knowledge or consent of the instructor, and colluding with another student or students to engage in academic dishonesty. Any clear violation of academic integrity will be met with appropriate sanctions. Possible sanctions for violation of academic integrity may include, but are not limited to, assignment of a failing grade in a course, disciplinary probation, suspension, and dismissal from the University. Students should review the College of Arts and Sciences policy on Academic Honesty, which can be accessed on-line at http://www.slu.edu/colleges/AS/ under Quicklinks for Students or in hard copy form in the Arts and Sciences Policy Binder in each departmental or College office. Conferences I encourage you to arrange an appointment with me to discuss your essays or any aspects of course work. My office hours are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. If you cannot make office hours, we can still arrange for another time. I also urge you to make use of University Writing Services, where you can receive one-on-one peer writing consultations. A consultant will sit with you, go over your paper, and help you to revise and reformulate. Writing Services is not a grammar service; they will not simply proofread your paper. But if you have questions about particular kinds of problems, they will help you identify and correct those problems. You can make an online appointment (http://www.slu.edu/x34507.xml) or call at 977.3484. During Assignment 4, I plan to have conferences with every one of you on your final project. Individual conferences will take approximately around 15-20 minutes just to touch base on your topic and research progress. When we get closer to Assignment 4, I will provide more details with a conference schedule. Course Content Disclaimer In this course, students may be required to read text or view materials that they may consider offensive. The ideas expressed in any given text do not necessarily reflect the views of the instructor, the English Department, or Saint Louis University. Course materials are selected for their historical and/or cultural relevance, or as an example of stylistic and/or rhetorical strategies and techniques. They are meant to be examined in the context of intellectual inquiry of the sort encountered at the university level.

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Monday
8/26: Course Intro 9/2 Labor Day Holiday 9/9: Feedback Session

Wednesday
8/28: Story CDA, 1-14 and 234-235; LSH, 2-27 9/4: Story CDA, 90-99 9/11: Feedback Sessions

Friday
8/30: Story LSH, 46-49, 54-58, 63-68 9/6: Story CDA, 100-123 9/13: Analysis CDA, 313-332 LSH, 42-45, 68-76 9/20: Analysis

9/16: Analysis; Rough Draft of Analysis due today (at least 2 pages) CDA, 377-390; LSH, 77-92 9/23: 1_Project_Analysis Intro to video assignment CDA, 17-30 9/30: Video CDA, 53-88 10/7: Video 10/14: Video 10/21 Fall Break 10/28: Evaluation 11/4: 3_Project_Eval Intro to research paper LSH, 32-36 11/11: Research Paper 11/18: Research Paper LSH, 59-62 CDA, 185-196 11/25: 4_OralPresentation 12/2: 4_OralPresentation 12/9 5_ResearchPaper due day of exams

9/18: Analysis CDA, 391-402 LSH, (Style pages, depending on what format instructors want to use) 9/25: Video CDA, 124-132 10/2: Video CDA, 238-66 10/9: Video 10/16: Video 10/23: 2_Project_Video Intro to evaluation 10/30: Evaluation 11/6: Research paper

9/27: Video CDA, 31-52 10/4: Video CDA, Review of 97-132 10/11: Video 10/18: Video 10/25: Evaluation 11/1: Evaluation 11/8: Research paper CDA, Review of 97-132 11/15: Research Paper 11/22: Research Paper/Oral Presentation CDA, 213-236 11/29: Thanksgiving Break 12/6: 4_OralPresentation

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11/13: Research Paper 11/20: Research Paper/Oral Presentation CDA, 197-211 11/27: Thanksgiving Break 12/4: 4_OralPresentation

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Prologue: Narrating the Problem

Introduction Your first challenge is to tell a story about the problem into which you want to intervene. Your job is to tell us how you encountered this problem, how it first came to your attention. To invent ideas for this assignment, you might ask the standard journalistic question of who, what, where, when, and why. You may not be able to fully answer all these questions yet, and your answers might develop over time. But for this first assignment, you want to try to answer them in order to start getting a sense of what youre working with. For this assignment, then, your job is to write a news item of 500 words. Its purpose is simply to inform the reader, NOT to take a position or make an argument. For examples, consult news stories in the UNews, PostDispatch, St. Louis Beacon, or other national and international newspapers. Purpose Ultimately, the purpose of this first assignment is to start that work that will lead to the analysis, which is Assignment 1. But the more immediate purpose is to start to discern what it is you want to write about. You do NOT need to take a position yet. The point now is simply to get to know whats going in the situation youre thinking about. Audience Imagine readers of the local newspaper in the community for which youre writing. Context In effect, youre helping to create the context for the advocacy project by reporting on the story. In other words, you make the context by writing that there is a problem in the first place and it ought to be reported on. You articulate the context by answering the questions who, what, when, where, how, and why. Who cares? What is the problem? When has it mattered (what is the history, the background)? How did this issue come about? Why does it matter? Annotated Bibliography Throughout the semester, youll be working on an annotated bibliography, which is a bibliography that also includes brief descriptions and analyses of the sources youre using. In other words, an annotated bib looks like the Works Cited page for a research paper, except that each entry also has a brief paragraph that answers a few questions about the source
1. What does the source say? (Summary) 2. Why is the source reliable for your purposes? (Credibility) 3. Why is the source appropriate for your project? How are you using the source? Is it a primary

source? A secondary source? (Analysis) Now, throughout the semester, youll be building up an annotated bib for the entire project. With each new assignment, you will add some new sources, so that by end of the semester you will have a rather extended annotated bib. For this first pass at the bib, you should have at least three sources. At least one should be an Internet source that you use as general background, and at least one should be a primary source in which you interview person associated with the story in which youre interested. The third can be either. For the purposes of this assignment, each annotation should run 175-200 words. For more on how to do this, you can go here (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/01/) to find out.
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Specifics Title the story with something snappy. Also, indicate what newspaper you imagine yourself writing for. List that under your own title. 500 words...not one word more Annotated Bib of three sources. Remember, you have to interview at least one person. Dates First drafts are due on Wednesday, 9/4. Ill look at it over the weekend, and then well start shifting our focus to the analysis. Final drafts will be due 9/11. 8/26: Course Introduction and Introduction to Advocacy Project; for Wednesday, please read CDA 1-14 and 234-235; LSH, 2-27 8/28: In-class activity: discussing interviews; in-class writing: discern an idea for your advocacy project; for Friday, please read LSH, 46-49, 54-58, 63-68 8/30: Computer Lab Day; in-class activity: introducing basic Internet research; in-class writing: continuing to work on ideas for advocacy project; for next Wednesday, please read CDA, 90-99; First draft of story assignment due on Wed, 9/4 9/2: No class: Labor Day Holiday 9/4: In-class activity: workshopping stories 9/6: Introduce Analysis Assignment

Rubric A In A projects, the student has exceeded expectations. This level of work completes the assignment in unique and thoughtful ways. The writer has clearly looked at sample news stories and succeeded in imitating them. The story answers all of the basics: who, what, when, where, how, and why. It features some good quotes from the primary source interview. It references other sources that the writer has tracked down. The piece could easily find its way into the newspaper or news source the author has identified. The piece is free of typos and grammatical mistakes. Its clean as a whistle. In B projects, the student has also exceeded expectations. The writer has clearly looked at sample news stories and succeeded in imitating them. Perhaps the piece fails to fully address one of the basic questions (who, what, when, where, how, and why). It features some good quotes from the primary source interview. Perhaps it references only one other source. The piece is appropriate for the newspaper or news source the author has identified. The piece is almost free of typos and grammatical mistakes. If an A paper is nearly flawless, a B paper is very, very strong. In a C projects, the student has met the basic requirements of the assignment: its 500 words, it answers the questions, it tries be a news story. It makes some reference to the interview and some reference to outside sources, but it doesnt fully integrate those sources or maximize their usefulness. In other words, a C assignment is average. Everything is there, but the writer hasnt attempted to imitate the genre of a basic news article. Or perhaps its solid piece, but it has enough typos and/or grammatical errors to distract/annoy the reader. It has met the basic minimum requirements, so it gets the basic minimum grade. A D project is barely passing. It is 500 words, it tries to answer the questions. But it has serious problems that undermine the audiences confidence in the author. Perhaps its missing the interview or the other sources. Perhaps its style in inappropriate for a news story. Perhaps its riddled with grammatical errors/typos. In other words, it looks like a draft that the author dashed off at the last minute. An F project fails to meet the basic minimum requirements. It is clearly unfinished or simply ignores the directions.

Assignment 1: Analyze an Issue

Assignment: 4-5 page essay; bibliography You have chosen a story, and youve chosen it because its a problem you care about and a problem you can do something about. Now, your task is to compile sources and analyze the various elements of your story: ongoing conversation, history, stakeholders, arguments, exigences. What youre trying to do is to understand the various arguments about the problem youre addressing. By breaking down an issue and examining its various components, you can achieve a better understanding of the issue as a whole. In Compose Design Advocate, Wysocki and Lynch state that analysis is to communication what disassembling is to bicycles or car engines... you take it apart to look at the parts and to see how they are shaped and how they connect into a whole (309). Thats your job in this assignment. But heres the key: dont tip your hand. Dont tell us your opinion on the issue yet; youre simply trying to understand everything that is at stake in the given issue. By the end of the assignment, the reader (me) should not know your opinion. Whats more, youthe rhetorshould not yet know your opinion. That will come later. The point of this assignment is gather all the relevant information so that in Assignment 2, you can persuade an audience that your topic exists, is relevant to them, and can be changed if you do something about it. Annotated Bibliography Throughout your advocacy project, you will consult a range of materials for sources. For instance, you will look at scholarlyalso called peer-reviewedarticles and books, which you can find in the Pius Library. You will also use newspaper articles, as well as letters and statements released by parties involved in the issue that you are researching. Letters, statements and data are considered primary sources. You will continue to add to this bibliography throughout the semester. For your analysis assignment, add two primary sources and two peer-reviewed sources to your bibliography. This is an addition to the bib you started with the very first assignment, so that by the end of this version, you should have seven entries total. Context, Audience and Purpose The context of this is assignment is rhetorical. The first step in thinking rhetorically is to try to see every side of an issue. Ancient rhetoricians insisted that there are always at least two sides to every issue--and probably more. In ancient Greece, students of rhetoric were required to argue both sides of case. Modernday law students are often asked to do the same thing. The idea is that youll be able to understand an issue more fully if you can see it from every angle. That is why this assignment asks you not to take a position...yet. Eventually, you will take a position, but for now, youre negotiating the middle-ground in an issue that has probably inspired very emotional debate among various groups. You will find plenty of information on this issue. However, this information is often not objective: you will be reading statements and reports from individuals who have made rhetorical decisions; many of these decisions involve neglecting the other side of the story. Some things to consider about this: why would another side be neglected? What is at stake for each party to prove its point if they win or lose the argument? One of the main goals of your task is to find what is missing in the arguments; to fill in the blank areas of each side's rhetoric. However, by the end of the analysis, I should not be able to tell what you think about the issue. The audience for this assignment is two people: 1) you, so that you can reference this information later as you continue to develop the advocacy project; 2) and, frankly, me, so that I can see youve done sufficient research and know what youre talking about. The purpose is to develop an understanding of the arguments within the problem--or, what Aristotle called, the available means of persuasion.

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Genre 4-5 page essay, MLA format (see LSH) with a works cited page. Submit your rough draft and final draft by uploading the assignments to the submissions folder within the Assignment 1: Analyze an Issue folder. Also, bring a hard copy of your rough draft for peer review. A successful paper will

Report to an audience and show that you do not have opinion on the issue Define the parties involved in the dispute, and articulate the main points of their arguments. These might include o Local community members o Stakeholders o Policy-makers o Scholars/experts Discuss the history of the issue. What is the ongoing conversation about this issue? If there hasnt been a conversation/argument about this issue, why not? Keep in mind, youre talking about a local issue. Scholars may have talked about it, but perhaps the local community has not. Analyze the rhetorical situation(s) surrounding the issue, and the rhetorical stance parties involved and what is at stake for each part. Use concepts and terms from CDA to guide your analysis.

Assignment Objectives Analyze: Avoid developing an opinion on the issue you are researching. Identify the rhetorical practices that are discussed in our readings from chapters 9, 12 and 13 in Compose, Design, Advocate, such as analysis, rhetoric and critical thinking. Define the sides of the dispute: who is invested in this issue. Who is on which side? Who is inbetween? What are the arguments? Explore the progression of the issue. How did arguments and situations change, or are changing, throughout? Inform: Report to me, your instructor, as well as to yourself on your issue. This is your audience. Dates

Rough draft due 9.16 Final draft due 9.23

Grade Breakdown Rough Draft 40% Final Draft 60% Schedule September 13, Assignment discussion: Analysis Essay In-class writing: For 10 minutes, brainstorm a list of the various parties (or individuals) involved in your issue and what arguments they are using. Homework for 9.16: Read CDA, 313-332 and LSH, 42-45, 68-76. Find two primary sources for your bibliography i.e. data, public statements or letters that you can add to your bibliography. September 16, Understanding your sources: what are the best sources to use for your issue?
In-class writing: Provide an overview of the sources you have chosen. Provide comments on the sources that another student is using. 11

Homework for 9.18: Read CDA, 377-390 LSH, 77-92 Write a 400 word blog post about what is at stake for

the various sides of the issue. Add two scholarly sources to your bibliography. September 18, CAI Lab, Des Peres Hall 205: Analyzing sources: what are the arguments and what are they saying? Audience; Rhetorical context. Homework for 9.20: Read CDA, 391-402 LSH, (Style pages, depending on what format instructors want to use). Write 250 words about the stances that each side is taking, and identify what is at stake for each side. September 20, Peer Review
Homework for 9.23 Write a complete draft of Essay One. Print one copy for class. Publish one copy in Drive.

September 23, Project One Due: Upload your final draft to Google Drive. Bring your peer review draft with
comments to class.

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Rubric
A In A papers/assignments, the student has exceeded expectations. It is clear that the author has not taken a stance on the issue. Every main argument within the issue is represented and explained. The author clearly has an audience and purpose in mind and has made this evident in the work. The author understands the rhetorical context and what is at stake for the parties involved in the issue. A specific audience is being addressed by the author. Citations are used appropriately and not overbearingly. This work is free of grammatical or mechanical mistakes. B papers/assignments demonstrate the students ability to begin to go beyond what is required of her or him. This level of work completes the assignment while demonstrating some ability to analyze and describe the issue to an audience. Most of the claims made in the work are fully supported. The author represents and articulates the various arguments in the issue. Some elements of the rhetorical situation may not be clear; what is at stake for the parties involved may not be fully articulated. The author has appropriately used citations and references and has not plagiarized any portion of the paper. This work may have a few grammatical or mechanical errors. C-level work demonstrates the students ability to complete the assignment. This work has completed every aspect of the assignment in a satisfactory way. The author may not have fully reported this issue, including the rhetorical context and the stakes of the various arguments. The author shows that he/she has an opinion on the issue, not maintaining a neutral voice. The author has appropriately used citations and references and has not plagiarized any portion of the paper. The structure of the essay is disorganized, making some arguments/points unclear. In D papers/assignments, the student has failed to meet the requirements of the assignment. The argument is poorly structured and relies on flawed logic and reasoning throughout. Citations are unclear or confusing. This paper does not complete the assignment in any clear or thoughtful way. There is no evidence; claims are not supported. There are no citations or the paper is improperly cited.

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Assignment #2: Setting a Problem

In your previous assignment, you analyzed an issue without taking a position. For this assignment, however, you will each take a position on the issue you analyzed based on your research. [For example: John Doe presented on the benefits and limitations of recycling. He will now take a certain position on the issue, such as, Recycling does have an overall positive impact and SLU needs to implement a more efficient and available recycling service.] This assignment is persuasive, so you want to persuade your audience that they should take interest. In other words, your main purpose is to get an audience of stakeholders to take an interest in your interest and to be convinced that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. Project Parts This assignment will be completed in two parts: A film created by you using iMovie. You will also write a process Paper. You will also continue to develop your annotated bibliography.

Purpose: Persuade your audience that your position on the problem is valid, and attempt to make your audience your stakeholders. That is, youre trying communicate that there is an issue that needs to be addressed. Audience: For the film, your audience is the appropriate audience for your rhetorical situation. You are trying to get them involved in your problem. It is not until the research paper and oral presentation that you will be addressing policy-makers or administrators and proposing specific actions. Here, your job is simply to persuade the audience that there is a problem that should concern them. Context: The context is that which you have determined in your previous project. The context is the problem as you have developed an understanding of it, including recent developments in the ongoing conversation. Now you are taking a place in the context, because you, the rhetor, are intervening. Remember from your vocab list: the context includes the people, the timing, the ongoing conversation, the history, any and all particulars of the story and problem of the project.

Nota Bene: For this project, you will be able to use the flipcams offered in the CAI Lab. You can also use your own cameras, of course. In addition, you will need these two things: Headphones, so that you can work in class w/o disturbing your classmates. A flash drive, which can be purchased at the library or bookstore for a few dollars. Film: You may use iMovie, a video camera, or other movie-creating software to create a 4-5 minute film in which you, through sound and images, do the following: present your position, support your position using relevant research from your past assignments and developing bibliography, and persuade your audience that they should care about the problem and find your position valid. We will view all of the films in 1-2 class periods, Dates: 10/16-10/18. Process Paper: While you are creating your film, you will record your rhetorical decisions, which will comprise the process paper. You will explain in a 2,000-word process paper why you made the decisions you did. Ask yourself the following questions: Why am I sequencing this film the way I am? Why did I use this image/source here? What rhetorical appeals am I using in each section? [Read about visual logos, ethos, and pathos in pages 244-266 of the textbook. You are not limited to discussing these, but they should give you a start.] The purpose of this process paper is to explain to me, your instructor, your rhetorical process. Since the audience for this assignment is your instructor, it is obviously a more traditionally academic paper. Format: 2,000 words, typed. You may organize and design this paper in whatever way you find rhetorically effective (e.g. single or double or 1.5 spaced, labeled sections, etc. Just be consistent in your formatting).

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Annotated Bibliography Update As part of the process paper, you will add at least 3 sources to your annotated bibliography. To continue developing a diverse array of sources, please make 2 of these new sources multimedia sources, and 1 of them peerreviewed. You can always add more than the limit. Then, in the annotations, you should explain if you used the source in your film, and if so, why you used it the way you did. You should do this for every single source on your entire bibliography, which means you will need to revise earlier annotations slightly. Likewise, if you did not use the source, tell me why. You will submit both your process paper and your updated annotated bibliography the same day you submit your film: October 16. Due Dates Outline Due in Class: Monday, September 30 Storyboard Due in Class: Monday, October 7 Final Project Due in Class: Wednesday, October 16 Grading A successful film will contain the required visual and audio elements. These include rhetorically appropriate audio and images; audio and images in a logical sequence; text color, size, and font appropriate to the argument. A successful film will present your story to your audience clearly; persuade your audience that they should take interest; feature support for your concern with the issue in the form of credible, relevant research; stay within the assigned 4-5 minutes; and be a mature and honest rhetorical attempt to persuade the appropriate audience for your rhetorical situation. An unsuccessful film will neglect any of the visual/audio elements (as listed above), run notably under or over the time limit, not present your position clearly, not appeal to your audience, not include a works cited (in images or audio). A successful process paper will provide to me an explanation of the rhetorical decisions you made in the process of composing your film; describe your use of rhetorical appeals (e.g., logos, ethos, pathos); explain why you used certain sources how you did, and why you used them in the sequence you did; demonstrate to me that you understand the elements of rhetoric you used, and know how to apply them honestly, reasonably, and efficiently. An unsuccessful process paper will fail to indicate that you thought carefully about the rhetorical process of your project, neglect to explain significant decisions in your composing process, demonstrate a lack of familiarity with the elements of rhetoric we have been discussing in class. NOTE: You will receive one grade for this multi-part assignment. See the grade breakdown and rubrics to learn how much weight is given to each part and grading criteria. Monday 9/23: Readings due: CDA Chapter 1, pg. 17-30 (A Rhetorical Process). In class: Discuss readings. In-class writing assignment of some sort. Wednesday 9/25: Readings due: articles on logos, ethos, pathos and logical fallacies (to be found) In class: Discussion, evaluate an article together in class, using in-class writing and collaborative evaluation on google drive Friday 9/27: Readings due: Read the assignment sheet, and find/read 3-4 additional sources for project. Bring in a list of these additional sources (full citation). In class: Assign Project. View example films. Monday 9/30: Reading due: CDA Chapter 4, pg. 98-132 (Researching for Argument and Advocacy).
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DUE: Your Chosen Position and an Outline of your ideas, using your annotated bib. Submitted to google drive folder. In class: discuss each persons chosen argument; google drive in-class work, comment on each others outlines. Wednesday 10/2: Readings due: CDA Chapter 3, Section 1, pg. 53-88 (Composing a Design Plan). In class: iMovie lesson Friday 10/4: Readings due: CDA pg. 238-266 (About Visual Modes of Communication) In class: discuss readings; Practice making decisions about visual modes. Monday 10/7: Storyboards Due In class: Continue iMovie lesson, then have individual meetings with instructor about Storyboard while others experiment and work with iMovie. Wednesday 10/9: Readings due: Selections from Jody Shipkas Toward a Composition Made Whole, describing the Statement of Goals and Choices (copies provided by instructor). In class: Discussion of Shipka. Explore website examples and read about/attempt to understand the way her students made their rhetorical decisions. Friday 10/11: Bring to class annotated bibliography and developing Process Paper. In class: Process Paper workshop Monday 10/14: In-Class workshop. Wednesday 10/16: Projects Due, Watch them in class. Friday 10/18: Continue watching films.

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Rubric A An A on the film assignment means the student has exceeded the basic expectations of the assignment. This level of work completes the assignment in unique and thoughtful ways. The film contains extremely well chosen images and sounds and stays within the time limit. The composers position is clear. The composers position and all of the claims made in the work are fully supported and explained, unless completely self-evident. The film appeals directly and effectively to the appropriate audience, which includes your classmates, and does so using well-chosen rhetorical appeals. The film is an organized, thoughtfully sequenced presentation of the argument. The argument is well structured and supported by credible research (authoritative, timely, peer-reviewed, as applicable). All research used in the film is well cited, and citations are used appropriately and not improperly or overbearingly. Any text in the film is free of grammatical or mechanical mistakes. A B film demonstrates the students ability to begin to go beyond what is required of her or him. A film receiving a B has successfully completed all of the requirements and shows a developing ability to make rhetorical decisions. The composers reasoning for bringing the issue to the attention of the audience is clear, and most of his/her claims are fully supported. The film is fairly well organized and sequenced, though occasionally lacks clarity, or references are not quite as suitable or supportive as they could be. All non-original video has been cited, either at the moment appears or in the closing credits. The composer has appropriately used citations and references and has not plagiarized any portion of the paper. Any text in this work may have a few grammatical or mechanical errors. C-level work demonstrates the students ability to complete the assignment. A C -level film completes all of the assignments requirements in a satisfactory way. The film takes a discernible position, makes an argument, and includes the required audio and visual elements, but is perhaps not organized very effectively, or appeals to the audience in a clumsy or superficial way, e.g. using rhetorical devices overbearingly. There are claims in C-level work that are not supported or thought through all the way. The language/speech/text is clear most of the time, but at times viewers may be confused or have trouble making out the composers argument. The author has cited and referenced all sources used in the film, but has perhaps not done so very clearly or in a consistent format. In a D-level film, the student has failed to meet the requirements of the assignment. The argument is unclear, not supported by research, poorly structured, and relies on flawed logic and reasoning throughout. The composer does not appeal to the audience at all, or does so dishonestly or in an offensive or insulting manner. Mostly, the film fails to make clear to the audience why they should care. Citations are unclear or confusing. This film does not complete the assignment in any clear or thoughtful way. There is no research, a lack of audio or visuals; claims are not supported. There are no citations or research is improperly cited.

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Assignment #3: Evaluating a Classmates Video Argument

Purpose/Audience/Context In this assignment, you will need to evaluate how well your classmate has argued their position, and whether they have made a persuasive case to the audience. You will be partnered with a classmate, and you are going to evaluate your partners film project in the form of a letter addressed to your classmate. For example, Larry has viewed Marys video. He will now evaluate it as a skeptical audience member. His job is to be thoroughly intellectually engaged with the employed rhetorical devices, visual, oral/aural, and textual, as well as the overall argument. Larry should mix praise with criticism. It is not enough to say, Great Job! all the time. For example, Larry shouldnt simply say Great Job on the sound effects in the video; instead, he should say, The creepy music was appropriate for your purpose in alarming the audience. The audience for Larrys letter naturally is Mary, who will then take a turn and play the role of a skeptical audience member who is now asking tough questions about Larrys video. Again, the purpose is constructive criticism: you should be honest, but not cruel. Its a matter of professionalism. Also, in addition to the letter addressed to your classmate, you will compose a second letter, to be addressed and emailed to the instructor, in which you reflect on your work during this assignment, and explain what you learned from it in the context of your own overall project, your own video, as well as looking forward to your proposal. Thats two letters: 1) to your classmate, and 2) to your instructor. Things to consider A successful evaluation makes a claim about the value of something and then supports its claim with criteria that the audience will agree are important. Focus on establishing your criteria and describing how well what you are evaluating meets those criteria. Remember to always be aware of your audience, and how you can make connections and relate to the reader. What criteria would be most appropriate for my evaluation? Will I be using practical, aesthetic, or ethical criteria? Remember that effective evaluations may use one or all criteria, emphasizing certain ones in various ways. What is the purpose of the film? Does it relate to the audience effectively? How so? How did the film look and feel to you? What descriptive details surrounding the topic are significant in conveying emotion? Who would disagree with my evaluation? What arguments/claims might they use when making their opposing evaluation? Annotated Bibliography Update Larrys task also is to point out what is missing in terms of sources: Which sources (or types of sources) could strengthen, or perhaps torpedo, Marys argument? What should Mary engage with further? What sources does Larry himself know of that he could share with Mary? Larry should find three alternate sources, with might offer new support for Marys project, or might even critique or challenge that project. He will then write up his recommendations in a letter posted as a comment to Marys video post on our class blog. In a brief discussion, inform your classmate of the content of said sources, and use them to strengthen your argument about the persuasiveness of your classmates film. Then, put them at the end of your letter
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in the form of a short annotated bibliography (Note: These sources do not have to be added to your own ongoing annotated bibliography). In this assignment, the evaluee will add these three counter-sources to their ongoing annotated bibliography, developing the annotations in terms of content, authority, and relevance to the project. Specifics / Submission Guidelines A personal letter of evaluation of roughly 1,000 words posted as a comment to your classmates video post on the class blog A personal letter of reflection of roughly 500 words sent by email to the instructor A short annotated bibliography of the counter sources. Consider at least three counter-sources. Annotations should run no less than three sentences long A completed peer review form, to be jointly filled out via Google Docs Dates

Rough draft due: 11/1 (as hard copies for in-class peer review) Final draft due: 11/8

Grading A successful evaluation will provide an explanation and evaluation of the rhetorical decisions your classmate has made in the process of composing his or her film, including the employed research; describe their use of rhetorical appeals (logos, ethos, pathos); explain why you think they used certain sources convincingly or unconvincingly, how they did, and why they used them in the sequence they did, and to what effect; demonstrate to me that you understand the elements of rhetoric they used, and know how to evaluate their effectiveness in regard to the audience honestly, reasonably, and efficiently. The letters will also contain the appropriate salutation and closing, and is customized to the audience in tone. It will proofread and polished. (Please refer to MLA guidelines (see LSH) and cite accordingly.) An unsuccessful evaluation will fail to indicate that you thought carefully about the rhetorical process of your classmates project, neglect to explain significant decisions in their composing process, demonstrate a lack of familiarity with the elements of rhetoric we have been discussing in class.

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Peer Review Form (A)

This worksheet is intended to 1) help the evaluee looking forward to revision and the next assignments, and 2), the evaluator, in regards to the letter of evaluation he or she will have to write. Both of you will fill out this form in the same document, hence the identical sections (A) and (B).
Author of Video: Evaluators Name:

VIDEO
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Does the video represent a clearly defined position? What is the position? Does the video content/form support the position? Explain. Is the video making a persuasive case? Why or why not? Overall, how does the video employ the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos? What rhetorical devices, visual, textual, or aural, has the author used to engage the viewer? How has their use been successful or unsuccessful? How could the video be more effectively organized? What are the strengths of the video? What about the video works well? Where would the video benefit from additional elements? Make two suggestions that you think would improve the video. Does the video meet the requirements laid out in the assignment sheet (regarding length, visual and aural components, etc.)? Why or why not?

SOURCES USED 1. Did the video use credible and relevant sources effectively and faithfully? Why or why not? 2. Did the video include (in images or audio) a works cited list? COUNTER SOURCES FOUND 1. What credible and relevant sources did you find that could strengthen the argument of the video? 2. What credible and relevant sources did you find that could undermine the argument of the video? 3. For each source, write up a short annotation, keeping in mind these important elements: What is the content of the source? Why is the author credible? How and why is this source relevant to the argument of the video, as well as your own argument in your evaluation?

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Rubric A An A on the Evaluation Assignment means the student has exceeded expectations and created an excellent evaluation. This level of work completes the assignment in thorough and thoughtful ways, staying within the genre of a personal letter. The letters content is of high academic quality, well organized, and well researched, and the formatting follows the guidelines. The composers position is clear. The composers position and all of the claims made in the work are fully supported and explained. The letter appeals directly and effectively to the audience that is the classmate. The letter is an organized, thoughtfully sequenced presentation of the argument. The argument is well structured and the counter-sources section is supported by credible research (authoritative, timely, peer-reviewed, as applicable). All research used in the letter is well-cited, and citations are used appropriately and not illegally or overbearingly. The text is relatively free of grammatical or mechanical mistakes, usually not exceeding three. A B evaluation demonstrates the students ability to begin to go beyond what is required of her or him. A letter receiving a B has successfully completed all of the requirements and shows a developing ability to make evaluative decisions. The composers position is clear, and most of his/her claims are fully supported. The evaluation is fairly well organized and sequenced, though occasionally lacks clarity, or references are not quite as suitable or supportive as they could be. The composer has appropriately used citations and references and has not plagiarized any portion of the paper. Any text in this work may have a few grammatical or mechanical errors. C-level work demonstrates the students ability to complete the assignment. A C-level letter completes all of the assignments requirements in a satisfactory way. The evaluation takes a position, makes an argument, and includes the required elements, but is perhaps not organized very effectively, or appeals to the audience in a clumsy or less effective way. There are claims in C-level work that are not supported or thought through all the way. The text is clear most of the time, but at times readers may be confused or have trouble making out the composers argument. The author has appropriately used citations and references and has not plagiarized any portion of the paper. In a D-level letter, the student has failed to meet the requirements of the assignment. The argument is unclear, not supported by research, poorly structured, and relies on flawed logic and reasoning throughout. The composer does not appeal to the classmate audience at all, or does so dishonestly or in an offensive or insulting manner. Citations are unclear or confusing. This letter does not complete the assignment in any clear or thoughtful way. There is no research, and claims are not supported. There are no citations or research is improperly cited.

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Assignment 4: Presenting the Project

Introduction You have completed three assignments as part of your advocacy project so far: analyzing the problem, arguing through film, and evaluating the arguments. Building up from what you have done, you will basically make an oral presentation of your story as your fourth assignment. Purpose Your purpose on this assignment is to inform your audience of your specific position about the issue and persuade them to agree with you. You have been analyzing the issue, appealing the audience the importance of the issue without taking any certain position. Now it is time to reveal and promote your position on the issue you care about and try to convince your audience to sympathize with you. Audience For this assignment, your primary audience is the class and the potential audience such as stakeholders and policy makers that might be interested in your story. (Basically, same audience for your assignment 1 and 2.) Context The context is to persuade your audience to agree with your position and propose possible solutions on the problem you have been advocating its significance to you and your society. You will show your position about the problem and attempt to engage the audience to take your position by giving an oral presentation. You will be able to observe direct responses from the audience, which will give guide to develop the culmination of your last assignment, writing a research paper. Annotated Bibliography Update You need to keep on building an annotated bib for this assignment. You will add three more peer-reviewed (scholarly) sources. The sources must be empirical and timely, published within five years. You are required to submit the annotated bib along with the first draft of your presentation materials via Google Drive. Specifics Genre: Oral Presentation You will perform an oral presentation on the issue and your position. Make sure of to use proper and effective body posture, tones, and eye contacts. Written notes are allowed, but do not rely heavily on them. You are supposed to persuade through speaking rather than reading. For effective presentation, you will be required to use multimodal supporting materials using power point or prezi, but they have to be subsidiary. Your oral text should be the main means of conveying your message, which means that you need to compose the presentation mostly using your own voice, rather than showing a 5 min video clip. Minimum Requirements / Deliverables Length: 5 min. in class presentation. Make sure to finish your presentation within 5 min. Strict regulations on presentation time. So make sure to finish your presentation within the given 5 min. After that time, you will be asked to stop where you are even though you dont get to finish your presentation. Compose a three-paragraph outline of your presentation (in MLA format). The outline must include the purpose / audience / context of your presentation. If you will use speech note / handouts / other support materials, prepare for them before your actual presentation day and submit the first draft of the materials along with the presentation outline essay by 11/25. During your oral presentations Your classmates will be evaluating each presentation based on the evaluation point on page 232-33 of CDA
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A successful presentation will start with interesting and intriguing opening catching the attention of the audience, maintain focused attention throughout the presentation and close with conclusion that gives impressive and acute summary of the presentation. It will convey clear purpose and articulate main ideas effectively. The rhetorical strategy works well to keep the audience intrigued and involved in the discourse, leading to their active questions and possible proposals regarding the issue. The presenter will manage well with the instant questions from the audience. It will provide appropriate and effective supporting materials such as well-made visual aids and handouts. The presenter will speak clearly in moderate speed with proper volume and pitch of voice in comfortable and balanced tone, make frequent eye contacts, dress properly, stand straight with proper gestures in front of the audience. The presentation is well managed within the five-minute time limit. Dates There will be four days of in-class oral presentation sessions. You will present your work in front of your classmates and the instructor, assuming them to be the potential stakeholder of the issue you are presenting. Oral presentations will be held on one of these four class days: 11/25, 12/2, 12/4, and 12/6. You will submit first draft of your presentation materials such as power point files, handouts, speech notes, etc. which you will be using for your presentation. Make sure you prepare the materials before your actual presentation. You might revise your materials afterwards, but it is mandatory to submit first drafts by 11/25 via Google Drive where I will create a folder for the submission materials. 11/20: Introduction to Oral Presentation; In-class writing: a three-paragraph statement of on the purpose/audience/context of your oral presentation. for the next class (11/22), please read CDA 213-236 11/22: In-class activity: making digital slides (power point / presi) materials for your presentation; in-class writing: testing and evaluating oral presentations; for the next class (11/25), please prepare for the first draft of your presentation materials. 11/25: First draft of presentation materials and the outline of your presentation due on 11/25. Upload your outline and presentation materials in presentation_drafts folder in google drive before the class. 11/27, 29: No class: Thanksgiving Holiday 12/2: Oral Presentations 12/4: Oral Presentations 12/6: Oral Presentations

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Rubric A In A presentations, the student has exceeded expectations. This level of work completes the assignment in unique and thoughtful ways. All of the contents made in the work are fully structured, supported and explained. The speaker clearly has an audience and purpose in mind and has made this evident in the work. The speaker speaks loudly and clearly enough to convey the message to the audience. The speaker speaks fluently: correct pronunciation, grammar, and expression. The speaker scarcely relies on notes. The speaker makes eye contact with the audience and shows a comfortable body posture. B presentations demonstrate the students ability to begin to go beyond what is required of her or him. This level of work completes the assignment while demonstrating some clear and fluent speaking skills despite a few mistakes in grammar, pronunciation, and expressions. Most of the information made in the work is logically organized. The content supports the topic, though the reasoning may be unclear at times. The speaker sometimes refers to notes but makes eye contact with the audience showing appropriate posture. C-level work demonstrates the students ability to complete the assignment. This work has completed every aspect of the assignment in a satisfactory way. There are points in C-level work that are not supported or thought through all the way. The language is clear most of the time, but there are confusing passages throughout. The speaker is generally fluent but has some mistakes on grammar, pronunciation, and expressions. The speaker relies on notes to complete the presentation so much so that he or she only occasionally makes eye contact with the audience. In D assignments, the student has failed to meet the requirements of the assignment. The content is poorly structured so that the audience is unsure of the presentations purpose. The speaker seldom makes eye contact, or basically reads the presentation. The speaker speaks unclearly with lack of confidence. References are unclear or confusing. This presentation does not complete the assignment in any clear or thoughtful way. There is no evidence; contents are not supported. The speaker completely relies on notes, without making any eye contact. There are no references or it is improperly referenced.

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Assignment 5: Proposal Assignment

Intro At this point in the semester its time to bring everything youve been working on together. Based on the research you have done throughout the semester you will propose some kind of change to the policy makers concerned with your Advocacy Project. In other words, this is the opportunity to argue for the change you would like to see in your particular rhetorical situation. In assignment 2, you argued that there was a problem that needed to be addressed. In assignment 5, you are now arguing for the solution you would actually like to see implemented. Purpose/Audience/Context This paper should present your plan for change in a well structured, professional way. Write not only about what should change, but also how and why those changes should be made. Present your ideas as you would to the policy makers involved in your subject. Who has the power to enact your changes? How should you address them? What kind of tone, language, and style should you use? Remember that change can be hard to enact, so be persuasive and clear. What are the main concerns of your audience? Are they financial? Social? Political? How do this context affect your argument?

Purpose: To persuade the appropriate audience to your proposed change. Audience: Both decision-makers (those who can actually do something about your proposed change) and stakeholders (all those who have an interest, and who might be able to bring pressure on the decision-makers). Context: By now, you should have a thorough idea of the context in which youre operating: the source of the issue, the political, economic, and social ramifications of the change youre proposing.

Annotated Bib The research for this paper should come straight from the annotated bibliography you have been working on during the semester. At this point, your annotated bibliography should meet the following requirements: At least 20 sources It must include a combination of current news sources and peer-reviewed sources, print and electronic, primary and secondary. Use these sources to defend your arguments. Also include the sources you received from the Evaluation project that argue against you. How can you refute them? In addition to sources you have already collected, you will add 4 more sources to your annotated bibliography. Two should focus on background information and developing the context of your argument. The other two should offer solutions other than the one you are arguing for. Can these solutions influence your final solution? If not, why is your solution better? Success A successful paper will put forth a well developed, well supported, and well organized argument. The paper should be persuasive and should draw on the research you have done throughout the semester. The tone and style should be appropriate based on the audience and context you are using. A successful paper will also be in MLA format with headings and a table of contents, and include at least one more design element like a chart or an image. Specifics Genre
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As a formal proposal, this paper should include design elements like headings, a table of contents, a works cited, and any other elements you feel are beneficial to your project (graphs, index, appendices, etc.). In for headings, color choices, and image choices. Be creative, keep your audience in mind, and remain professional. Design elements should clarify and support your ideas. Minimum Requirements 10-12 (double spaced) pages Table of contents Headings Dates Rough Draft: Monday December 9 Final Draft: Monday December 16 Rubric A

other words, this should not look like a standard research paper, with nothing but 12-pt. Times New Roman font. Instead, it should like a professionally prepared document, with intentional font choices

In A papers/assignments, the student has exceeded expectations. This level of work completes the assignment in unique and thoughtful ways. The author clearly has an audience and purpose in mind and has responded to their audience and purpose in an appropriate tone and manner. What changes the author would like to see and why are stated clearly and argued for logically. The reader understands the purpose of the document (i.e., the reason that the reader is reading it). The context is also appropriately addressed; in other words, the document suggests that there is a history to the issue and incorporates its argument into that history. The argument is well structured and supported and logically supports the thesis and conclusion. Citations are used appropriately and not overbearingly. This work is relatively free of grammatical or mechanical mistakes. The works draws on the work done during the semester (bibliography, peer review, etc.). B papers/assignments demonstrate the students ability to begin to go beyond what is required of her or him. This level of work completes the assignment while demonstrating a clear sense of purpose: the reader understands the purpose of the document (i.e., the reason that the reader is reading it). The changes the author would like to see are stated, and are usually explained. The argument supports the thesis and conclusion, though maybe once (at most twice) the evidence and the reason are not clearly linked. The author has in mind an audience, even if they do not always respond with an appropriate tone and manner. The author has appropriately used citations and references and has not plagiarized any portion of the paper. This work may have a few grammatical or mechanical errors. C-level work demonstrates the students ability to complete the assignment. This work has completed every aspect of the assignment in a satisfactory way. In C-level work the changes the author would like to see made are stated, so that the audience knows the documents purpose. However, perhaps the reasoning and evidence for this proposal is not always clearly offered. The language is clear most of the time, but there are some confusing passagesenough for the readers to potentially be distracted by them. The author does not have a consistent or explicit sense of the proposals audience. In other words, at times it seems written for one audience, at times fo r a different audience, but the distinctions and changes appear to have neither rhyme nor reason. The author has appropriately used citations and references and has not plagiarized any portion of the paper. In short, a C paper is basically competent: it makes an argument, it has some notion of audience and context, but it fails to maintain these focuses consistently throughout the piece.
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In D papers/assignments, the student has failed to meet the requirements of the assignment. The student does not explain what changes they would like to see made or why or. The argument is poorly structured and its reasoning is not tied to the evidence offered. Or, there simply isnt sufficient evidence offered to be convincing. Citations are unclear or confusing. The paper is generally sloppy: no sense of design, or even simple proofreading. This paper does not complete the assignment in any clear or thoughtful way. There is no evidence; claims are not supported. There are no citations or it is improperly cited. If a D paper is complete but extremely sloppy, an F paper is sloppy and incomplete.

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Epilogue: Assessing the Outcomes

Introduction In this final assignment, you'll be writing one last argument. What will you be arguing? That you have succeeded in the course. Purpose Your purpose here is simple: to persuade your audience that you have succeeded in English 190 according to the Council of Writing Program Administrator Outcomes, which can find in CDA, pp. 10-13. As youll see, the outcomes describe what a student ought to be able to do at the end of a first-year writing course. They are divided up into five groups: 1) rhetorical knowledge; 2) critical thinking, reading, and writing; 3) knowledge of conventions; 4) processes; 5) composing in electronic environments. Your job in this final paper, which is worth 5% of the grade, is to argue that you have done these things successfully. Audience For this assignment, your primary audience is me, your instructor. Context The context is our particular course, this semester, right now. Annotated Bibliography Update You dont need to include an annotated bib for this assignment; however, you do need to rely on some sources: 1) the CWPA outcomes; 2) your own work. Specifics Genre: The genre of this piece is a formal business letter, addressed to me. Minimum Requirements/Deliverable: The letter should look as professional as possible. It should have a date, a return address, a mailing address (you can use my office address in Adorjan Hall, 3800 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO, 63316). It should be no more than 2 pages. If its more than two pages, I wont read it. It does not need to include a works cited page. Now, you may be asking, What will this piece actually look like? Do I need to include every single outcome? That seems like too many for a letter of 2 pages. Let me answer the second question first: no, you dont need to address every outcome, but you should include at least one outcome from every one of the five groups. As to what it should look like, here is an example:
My work shows my ability to "understand writing as an open process that permits writers to use later invention and re-thinking to revise their work." When I first wrote my written digital philosophy, I had structured the essay in such a way that the argument didn't appear until the second half of the piece. After receiving feedback, I decided to move the argument to the front of the piece. As the outcome suggests, I did some rethinking in order to revise my work. I also brought in some new sources that I found that I didn't have when I finished the first draft. Once I had these sources, I had to invent new arguments. For example, I wrote "QUOTE QUOTE QUOTE."

Notice that there are clear links among a) the student's claim; b) the WPA outcomes; c) evidence from the student's own writing. You should quote yourself often. With paragraphs like these, you will succeed in this assignment. Dates
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This final letter is due in the appropriate google drive folder on the date of our final exams, which is INSERT DATE HERE. Because its so late in the semester, there wont be time for drafts, but you can always come to see me in office hours if you want to go over what you have.

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Rubric A An A on the outcomes letter means the student has both met and exceeded the basic expectations of the assignment. The letter meets the basic expectations by a) appealing to all five groups of the CWPA outcomes; b) by quoting the students own work regularly and properly; c) by making the connections between the outcomes and the evidence from the students own work. The letter exceeds the basic expectations by making the most persuasive case possible. It demonstrates that the student has understood the purpose of the course. It is also as clean as a whistle. No typos, etc. Sources are cited properly. Most importantly, the A letter shows some insight on the students part into his or her own accomplishment. The reader gets a sense that the student can explain the rationale not only the course, but of all the assignments in the course.
B

A B on the outcomes letter means the student has both met and exceeded the basic expectations of the assignment. The letter meets the basic expectations by a) appealing to all five groups of the CWPA outcomes; b) by quoting the students own work regularly and properly; c) by making the connections between the outcomes and the evidence from the students own work. However, there is a problem in one area. Perhaps the student hasnt discussed all five groups of the CWPA outcomes, or perhaps the student doesnt offer sufficient evidence or make clear enough connections. Perhaps there are a couple of typos, improper citations, etc. In other words, a B is very strong work, but perhaps its not the perfection of an A letter. A C on the outcomes letter means the student has failed to meet the basic expectations as fully as possible. The letter regularly fails either to a) discuss all five groups of the CWPA outcomes, or b) to offer sufficient evidence from the students own work, or c) to make clear enough connections. The C letter reads as though it was not written with sufficient reflection on what the author is trying to accomplish. Or it reads as though it were written as one draft--a good draft, perhaps, but not a revised draft.

D In a D-level letter, the student has failed to meet the requirements of the assignment. The letter fails to discuss the CWPA outcomes or to connect it to the students own work. It fails to make an argument about the students accomplishments in the course. F The letter is unfinished or extremely sloppy. It makes no attempt to address the purpose of the assignment.

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