University of Southern Mississippi

English 102: Composition II H011

Tu/Th 8:00-9:15 a.m. LIB 204

Instructor: Allison Tharp

Office Hours: Thursday 9:30-10:30
Office Location: LAB 336
Email: Allison.Tharp@eagles.usm.edu
REQUIRED MATERIALS
Clark, Carol Lea. Praxis: A Brief Rhetoric. El Paso: Fountainhead Press, 2012.
Rollins, Brooke and Bauknight, Lee. Food. Southlake, TX: Fountainhead Press, 2010.
Several cardboard folders for paper submissions
Commonplace book: Notebook for short writing assignments (SWA) and notes
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Taken as a whole, English 101 and 102 aim to introduce students to the strategies, tools, and
resources necessary to becoming successful communicators in a wide range of academic,
professional, and public settings. Four assumptions are fundamental to this work:
1. writing is a form of social interaction. Thus, successful writers must not only consider
their audiences and the contexts in which they write, but the personal, social, and political
implications of writing (or not writing) more generally;
2. the organization of modern society requires that people inhabit and move among several
discourse communities every day. Because each discourse community has its own rules
and assumptions (often unstated) about what can be said, by whom, when, and how,
becoming an effective communicator means learning to recognize, analyze, and negotiate
the differing expectations of these communities. In addition, as students pursuing
degrees in higher education, your success involves the ability to negotiate the various
academic discourse communities you encounter;
3. writing and thinking are intimately connected activities. Becoming a successful
communicator means not only learning how to think carefully through writing, but also to
reflect critically about writing, both ones own and the work of others. Thus, honest selfreflection is an essential aspect of learning to write effectively;
4. genres are types of writing that have emerged over time to address recurring situations.
Each genre has particular features, conventions, and structures for organizing and
presenting information. Being an effective writer requires not only learning how to use
such conventional forms strategically, but also evaluating the costs and benefits of
violating such conventions, and when desired, how to go about doing so.

Designed to build upon the repertoire of strategies for successful writing learned in English 101,
English 102 focuses on persuasive and researched writing. English 102 will help you develop
critical thinking and writing skills as you learn to synthesize your perspectives with those of
other writers. Thus we will focus on the summary, analysis, and synthesis of texts, as well as
both traditional and alternative forms of research.
This particular section of 102 is rooted in the study of food. As we analyze cultural texts about
foodeverything from poetry to advertisements to youtube videoswe will come to understand
how something so seemingly unremarkable as food is actually a culturally created idea imbued
with many meanings, and meaningful for different groups and discourse communities.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
The Composition Program at Southern Miss has identified specific learning outcomes for each of
its first-year writing courses. At the completion of ENG 102, students will:
have a deeper appreciation for how rhetorical situations influence reading, writing,
speaking, and thinking;
be able to engage texts more critically, and to more appropriately and accurately incorporate
the ideas of others in writing;
know the moves for making and supporting several different kinds of academic
arguments, including how to use a range of evidence to support claims;
be able to use several common academic genres, including annotated bibliographies, reports,
research studies, scholarly reviews, etc.;
be more adept at addressing different academic audiences, including how to discover the
specific conventions for communicating in a range of academic communities;
appreciate the differences in how various disciplines and fields create and circulate
knowledge, and the assumptions that inform various research methods;
know how to conduct focused research using a range of library resources, including the
library catalog and databases of scholarly articles;
understand that an integral part of the revision process is discovering meaning and
rethinking the rhetorical choices that best portray these ideas;
communicate more effectively using the conventions of standard edited English.
REQUIREMENTS
In order to receive at least a C grade in this course, you must satisfactorily complete all of the
following:
complete all major writing projects, each to be submitted in a folder with any rough
drafts, workshop notes, and/or supporting research materials relevant to the project;
complete a Final Portfolio and Self-Reflection, to be submitted at the end of the
semester (in lieu of a final exam);
complete all reading assignments and homework, actively participate in class
discussions and workshops, and maintain regular classroom attendance.
COURSE POLICIES
GRADES

Writing and thinking are complex processes that take time to develop. Thus, your overall grade
for English 102 is as dependent on how much your writing improves over the course of the
semester, your demonstrated commitment to learning and support of your peers, the careful
completion of homework and class assignments, and your own assessment of your strengths and
progress, as any strict calculation of paper grades. Indeed, a portion of your final grade for this
course will be determined by your Final Portfolio/Self-Reflection project, which you will submit
at the end of the semester. The following should serve as only a guide to how grading will be
approached:
Project One: Rhetorical Analysis Project
Summary (5 pts): A free-standing academic summary of an assigned reading.
Rhetorical Analysis (15 pts): A brief paper (approximately 750-1000 words) examining
how a piece of writing is organized and works in relation to its audience and context.
Project Two: Synthesis Project
Critical Response (5 pts): A free-standing critical response to an assigned reading.
Synthesis Essay (15 pts): A brief paper (1000-1250 words) in which you explore the
complexities of a specific issue by synthesizing a variety of opinions and beliefs from
selected class readings in an attempt to make an informed argument regarding your own
position on the issue
Project Three: Research Project
Proposal I (2.5 pts): A brief proposal (250-500 words) regarding your tentative research
project that includes your specific research questions and goals for the project.
Annotated Bibliography (10 pts): An assignment in which you gather at least ten
sources related to your research project and summarize and analyze each source in an
attempt to determine how the source might be of use to you in your research project.
Proposal II (2.5 pts): A more defined proposal stating your thesis statement and how you
plan to use your sources.
Research paper (20 pts): An argumentative research essay (1750-2500 words) exploring
the proposed topic.
Final Portfolio/Self Reflection Project (15 pts)
A significant and systematic revision of one of your three primary assignments, to be
submitted with a copy of the original paper, along with any notes, drafts, or other
materials that reflect the development of the revision. This project also requires you to
submit a self-reflective cover letter representing a critical reflection on your work for the
entire course.
Class Participation/Homework (10 pts)
Your contributions to class discussions, successful completion of homework assignments,
participation in peer review workshops and group assignments, quizzes, etc.
Commonplace book: A notebook you will use for taking notes, jotting down interesting
ideas or quotes, and completing any homework or in-class writing assignments.

SWA: short writing assignments should be completed as homework and written in your
commonplace book.
See USMs Department of English Standards for Evaluating Student Writing for more
information regarding the evaluation of student writing.
PREPARATION
In addition to completing reading and writing assignments, preparing for class means being
ready to discuss and intelligently question issues raised by the material. This does not mean,
however, that you must master the material. On the contrary, it is perfectly reasonable that you
may be confused by some readings the first time we encounter them. But in such cases you
should be prepared to discuss what you specifically found puzzling, aggravating, thoughtprovoking, engaging, or difficult about the assignment. In other words, if you feel you have
nothing to state about a piece of writing, actively develop a list of questions about it. Remember,
much of your grade in this course will be determined by how much you improve, so theres
really no such thing as a stupid question, provided that you ask it in the spirit of honest inquiry.
ATTENDANCE
Students who accumulate more than two unexcused absences over the course of the semester will
have their final grades lowered by a letter grade for each absence. Students with more than four
absences in TTH sections will automatically fail the course.
Three tardies=one absence.
LATE WORK
If you feel you may be unable to complete an assignment on time, you should contact me as soon
as possible, but no later than two days before the due date. In all other cases, late work will
automatically be docked one letter grade per day past the deadline, beginning the day the
assignment was due.
Note: Unless specified otherwise, no papers submitted electronically will be accepted, and work
magically appearing in my mailbox without a prior agreement with me will also be considered late.
PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES
The use of cellphones or other electronic devices is prohibited in class. Participation points will
be deducted from any student caught using a cellphone. Laptops are also prohibited unless
otherwise stated.
PLAGIARISM
All members of the academic community at the University of Southern Mississippi are expected to
take responsibility for academic honesty and integrity. Plagiarism the willful copying/presenting of
another persons work as if it were your own and other forms of cheating are unacceptable. The
penalties for such behavior can include being failed for the course and in some cases even expulsion
from the university. If you have any doubts as to what constitutes plagiarism, please refer to your
student handbook for USM policies on Academic Honesty, visit the Cook Librarys site on avoiding
plagiarism, or come talk to me.

ADA NOTICE
The University of Southern Mississippi is committed to providing equal access to its programs,
services and activities for people with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires
that reasonable accommodations be provided for students with physical, sensory, cognitive,
systemic, learning, and psychiatric disabilities. If you feel you may need accommodations in this
or any class, please contact the Office of Disability Services (118 College Dr. #8586,
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001) at 601-266-5024 (Telephone), 601-266-6837 (TTY), or 601-2666035 (FAX).
THE WRITING CENTER
The Writing Center is a free program available to all student writers at the University of Southern
Mississippi. It offers one-on-one help with any kind of writing project, at any stage of the writing
process. The Writing Center is located in Cook Library 112. The Writing Center will play an
important role in the design of this course. For more information, and hours of operation, you
may contact The Writing Center at 601-266-4821, or visit the website at:
http://www.usm.edu/writingcenter/.
THE SPEAKING CENTER
The University of Southern Mississippi offers a Speaking Center, with consultations available at
no cost to all students, faculty, and staff. The center is available for advice on all types of oral
communicationformal individual presentations, group presentations, class discussion, class
debates, interviews, campus speeches, etc. Tutors at the Speaking Center will work with you on
brainstorming, organizing and outlining, editing and revising, and practicing delivery. The center
also offers several practice rooms for recording presentations and practicing with delivery aids
(PowerPoint and internet access are available). Visit the center in Cook Library 117, call the
center at 601-266-4965, or visit the website at www.usm.edu/speakingcenter.
TENTATIVE WEEKLY SCHEDULEsubject to change
Week 1
Thurs. August 23
Introductions
Review of Syllabus and assignments
Argument Writing Sample
HW:
Reading: Praxis ch. 1; Food Introduction: Recipe Writing (pp. 1-4); Food Excerpts
from The Cooking Ape (pp. 7-19)
Writing: SWA 1: Praxis activity 1.9 p. 27
Week 2
Tues. August 28
Introduce Project 1; Summary Guidelines; Summary Pyramid; Discuss Readings
HW:
Reading: Food: Who Cooks? Bourdain p. 93; Food: A Womans Place? New York
Magazine p. 101; Food: Whats That Smell in the Kitchen
Piercy p.
107; Jonathan Safan Foer Let them Eat Dog (handout)

Writing: Create a summary pyramid of Foers essay

Thurs. August 30
Summary group work; discuss readings; summary pyramid of readings
HW:
Reading: Praxis ch. 2
Writing: SWA 2: Activity 2.13 Praxis p.68Write a Summary
Week 3
Tues. September 4
Sample Summary; discuss readings; discuss rhetorical appeals; Foer
HW:
Reading: Praxis ch. 5 pp. 146-154
Thurs. September 6
Summary DUE
Discuss readings; discuss organization; discuss thesis statements; group work; Foer
HW:
Reading: Praxis ch. 3
Writing: SWA #3: Activity 3.11 Praxis p. 103; draft of project 1
Week 4
Tues. September 11
Project One Draft DUE
Peer Workshop
HW:
Reading: Praxis ch. 6 pp.185-188
Writing: Full draft of project 1, typed and printed
Thurs. September 13
Peer Workshop; Critical Response Guidelines
HW:
Reading: Why I Stopped Being a Vegetarian Fraser (handout); excerpts from The
Jungle Sinclair (handout); excerpts from Empire of Scrounge Ferrell (handout); Praxis
ch. 6 pp. 169-182
Writing: Revise Project 1: due Tuesday!; write a critical response on one of the handouts
Week 5
Tues. September 18
Project One DUE/Decompression
Introduce Project Two; Discuss Readings; Workshop critical responses
HW:
Reading: Food Fear Factories: The Case for Compassionate Conservatismfor
Animals Scully p. 151; Food The Carnivores Dilemma Niman p. 169; Food Declare
your Independence Salatin p. 175
Writing: SWA #4: Write a paragraph discussing the thematic similarities and differences
in these readings and last Thursdays readings; edit critical responseDUE
THURSDAY.
Thurs. September 20

Critical Response DUE

YouTube videosNRA, PETA, ALF, etc.; Discuss readings; thematic similarities and
differences; group workinvention.
HW:
Reading: Praxis ch. 4
Writing: SWA # 5: Praxis Activity 4.7 p. 137choose a topic regarding how we should
eat and complete this activity.
Week 6
Tues. September 25
Discuss SWA #5; Discuss texts for synthesis essay; Thematic similarities and differences; Thesis
and Organization
HW:
Writing: Begin drafting project 2
Thurs. September 27
HW:
Writing: Continue drafting project 2draft due TUESDAY
Week 7
Tues. October 2
Project Two Draft DUE
Peer Workshop
HW:
Writing: Revise project 2due THURSDAY
Thurs. October 4
Project Two DUE/Decompression
HW:
Reading: Reread Praxis ch. 5 pp. 145-162
Week 8
Tues. October 9
Introduce Project 3; Research Proposals
Thurs. October 11: NO CLASS FALL BREAK
HW:
Reading: Praxis ch. 7
Writing: SWA # 6: Praxis activities 7.5 and 7.6 p. 214
Week 9
Tues. October 16
Discuss readings; proposal writing; in-library research
HW:
Reading: Praxis ch. 7 pp. 220-223
Writing: SWA #7 Praxis activity 7.12 p. 224
Thurs. October 18
Discuss research; in-class proposal writing; discuss entering the conversation

HW:
Reading: Praxis appendix A pp. 225-234
Writing: Create MLA entries for your sources
Week 10
Tues. October 23
Research Proposal DUE
MLA documentation; Conversation discussion; group workentering the convo; in-class works
cited
HW:
Bring in a draft of an annotated bibliography for 5 of your sources
Thurs. October 25
In-class research; annotated bibliography writing
HW:
Annotate final five sourcesbring in full draft to class
Week 11
Tues. October 30
workshop annotated bibliographies; discuss proposal II
HW:
Revise annotated bibliographyDUE Thursday
Thurs. November 1
Working Annotated Bibliography Draft DUE
Discuss thesis; organization
HW:
Revise Proposal I into Proposal IIDUE Tuesday
Week 12
Tues. November 6
Proposal II DUE
Researchputting it all together
HW:
Begin drafting research project
Thurs. November 8
In-class workshops; group work; Q&A
HW:
Continue draftingDUE Tuesday
Week 13
Tues. November 13
Draft of Project 3 DUE
Peer Workshop/MLA workshop
HW:
Revise draft
Thurs. November 15
Individual Conferences
Week 14

Tues. November 20
Individual Conferences
Thurs. November 22: NO CLASS THANKSGIVING BREAK
Week 15
Tues. November 27
Project 3 DUE/Decompression
Introduce Project 4
HW:
Reading: Reread Praxis ch. 6bring all graded essays to class for Tuesday
Thurs. November 29
Revision group work
HW:
Writing: SWA #8: Write a paragraph detailing your revision strategy for both essays
Week 16
Tues. December 4
Peer Revision Workshops
HW:
Draft your revisionsbring full drafts to class Thursday
Thurs. December 6
Workshop
HW:
Continue revising
Exam Week
Final Portfolios DUE (exact day/time TBA)
Note: This schedule is tentative and subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.