Rhetoric 1302 – section 012

Spring 2006

INSTRUCTOR: James Pious Fassler III

University of Texas at Dallas
School of Arts & Humanities

DAYS/TIME: MWF, 12 p.m. – 1:50 p.m.

LOCATION JO 4.306

Office: JO 4.118

Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 11-12

Phone: 972-883-2018

Email: jpf015000@blues.jpj.net

UTD Rhetoric Website: http://lingua.utdallas.edu/rhetoric

Contains links to course syllabus, reference and research resources

Course Description

This course focuses on critical thinking by using an integrated approach to writing that teaches various
rhetorical strategies for reading and constructing arguments, both written and visual. You will learn to read texts
critically according to key components in argumentative discourse (i.e., claims, grounds, explicit and implicit
assumptions, fallacies, etc.) and to recognize the different purposes of argument. You will write and revise three
to four papers based on issues and controversies raised in the various texts read during the semester. The
assignments will give you extensive practice in reading critically and writing according to the rhetorical
conventions of an argumentative essay.

Learning Record Online

Student work will be collected in an electronic portfolio called the “Learning Record Online” (LRO) throughout
the semester. Use of online technology will enhance the level of feedback you receive, as well as give you
experience in the kinds of collaborative work that many organizations use routinely. Online interaction and
argumentative writing will comprise a large part of the evaluation in the course. Other assignments will include
interviews, observations, and notes, all of which will be entered into your LRO. The LRO portfolio is your most
important argument in the course as it shows the sum evidence of your learning, including your own
observations and analysis of your learning. You will belong to a “work group” for various collaborative
activities (i.e., discussion of readings, peer critiques), and you will participate in mid-term and semester-end
moderation readings of your LRO portfolio for feedback from your peers. Because learning to read critically
and write responsively entails mastery of a process, your work will undergo extensive revisions in response to
peer readings and collaboration as well as conferencing with your instructor.

Required Texts & Supplies

Everything’s an Argument by Andrea Lunsford, John Ruszkiewicz, and Keith Walters, 3rd ed.
Quick Access Reference for Writers by Lynn Troyka, 4th ed.

Also bring a floppy disk (PC-formatted if you use a PC, Mac-formatted if you use a Mac) or CD/RW. The
Rhetoric classroom uses Macintosh computers that can read either format. Most documents will be produced in
Microsoft Word. Whether you use MS Word outside of the classroom or not, it is best to save your files as rich
text format (RTF) to insure compatibility between the word processing program you use and the one in your
classroom.

The following is subject to change at the discretion of the

instructor.http://www.utdallas.edu/ir/microsoft/software.html

Attendance Policy

Because participation is vital to successful completion of Rhetoric 1302, you should attend every class. If you
must be absent, check with your classmates or with me for any work you missed that can be made up. Much of
the work is done collaboratively in class. Alternative assignments are generally not given, nor can the instructor
“re-teach” missed classes for individual students. If you miss more than three classes, your grade will be
negatively affected and/or you may be encouraged to drop the class. Two tardies will count as one absence.
Chronic tardiness is unacceptable, as are coming to class unprepared, doing work that is not for this course
during class, sleeping in class, or using the computers or other personal electronic devices for personal
messaging, research, or entertainment. Please turn off cellular/mobile phones, pagers, and other personal
electronic devices during class.

Drop Policy

See here for details on deadlines and procedures for dropping:

http://www.utdallas.edu/student/registrar/lookup/dropadd.html

Office Hours

Please note my regular office hours above. You also can arrange to see me at other times that are mutually
convenient. Office hours belong to you just as much as our class time. Don’t hesitate to take advantage of my
availability and the help I am ready to offer. If you need to contact me outside of class time or office hours, it is
best to communicate with me by email rather than the office phone.

Email Policy

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO UTD STUDENTS: As of August 1, 2004, all email correspondence with
students will be sent ONLY to the student's U.T. Dallas email address. U.T. Dallas provides each student with a
free email account that is to be used in all communication with university personnel. This allows the university
to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individuals corresponding and the security of the
transmitted information. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method for
students to forward email from other accounts to their U.T. Dallas address and have their U.T. Dallas mail sent
on to other accounts. Students may go to the following URL to establish or maintain their official U.T. Dallas
computer account: http://netid.utdallas.edu/

Grading Policy

This class offers you an approach to learning that may be different from your past experiences. Because the
course is concerned with your development as a critical reader and writer, the grading strategy will track and
monitor that development. Your work will be collected in an electronic portfolio called the Learning Record
Online (LRO). Your assignments will not receive individual grades, but will receive individual attention from
your classmates and me. Your mid-term and final grades will be based on your portfolio of written observations
and your work samples, including collaborative work and your three major essays, as well as completion of
each component of your LRO. In the final step to completing your LRO, you will argue for your grade by
summarizing your learning and estimating the grade that the evidence of your learning supports. In other words,
you will directly apply what you learn in this course, argumentative writing, by arguing for your own grade.
However, each component of the LRO is vital to a quality body of work: your attendance, participation,
promptness, level of writing. effective arguments, creativity, collaboration, sound rhetorical skills, competent
use of technology—all of these things and more contribute to an outstanding portfolio.

Your goal is to demonstrate your development toward mastery of five course strands (rhetoric, research,
technology, collaboration, and critical thinking) and development across five dimensions of learning
(confidence and independence, skills and strategies, knowledge and understanding, use of prior and emerging
experience, and reflectiveness). These goals will be discussed throughout the course. Keep in mind that
although we do give + and – grades at UTD, the general criteria for grading your Learning Record is still based
on the A-F scale.

The following grade criteria describe very general indicators that both you and your instructor may take into
consideration when assessing your work and progress in the course. Your estimation of your mid-term and final
grades should be more detailed and specific and may include a ‘+’ or ‘–‘ if your work tilts above or below the
central grade for which you argue. But the final interpretation and assessment of your grade remains the
responsibility of your teacher.

A: Represents outstanding participation in all course activities (including attendance and promptness); all
assigned work completed on time, with very high quality in all work produced for the course. Evidence of
significant and sustained development across the five dimensions of learning and five course strands.

B: Represents excellent participation in all course activities (including attendance and promptness); all assigned
work completed on time, with consistently high quality in course work. Evidence of marked and above average
development across the five dimensions of learning and five course strands.

C: Represents good (but average) participation in all course activities; all assigned work completed, with
generally good quality overall in course work. Evidence of some development across the five dimensions of
learning and five course strands.

D: Represents uneven participation in course activities; some gaps in assigned work completed, with
inconsistent quality in course work. Evidence of development across the five dimensions of learning and five
course strands is partial or unclear.

F: Represents minimal participation in course activities; serious gaps in assigned work completed, or very low
quality in course work. Evidence of development is not available.

UTD Grading scale (http://www.utdallas.edu/student/catalog/undergrad02/progress.html#Grading%20Scale)

Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism is the representation of another person’s work as your own, whether you mean to or not. For
example, copying or paraphrasing passages from another writer’s work without acknowledging that you’ve
done so is plagiarism. Allowing another writer to write any part of your essay is plagiarism. Copying or
purchasing a paper from any source is plagiarism.

Plagiarism is a serious offense. The possible consequences range from failing the assignment to failing the
course, or worse. Each incident of plagiarism at UTD must be reported to the administration. If you are not sure
how to properly cite a quoted or paraphrased source, or if you need help with the format of a citation, check
with the New Century Handbook and/or with your teacher. Although you can (and, in fact, should) seek help
and advice from friends, classmates, tutors, and others, be sure that your written work is your own.
See the Undergraduate Catalog for information about the consequences of Scholastic Dishonesty, or view the
policy here (which is also a link on the Rhetoric Program website):

http://www.utdallas.edu/student/slife/dishonesty.html.

Major Assignments

First Essay: An essay that presents a definition or evaluation argument using the principles and criteria in
Everything’s an Argument (Chapter 9 or 10).
First draft due: February 8
Final draft due: February 15

Second Essay: An integrated textual and visual essay that examines and analyzes the argument of a visual
image (or images) using the criteria in Chapter 14 of Everything’s an Argument. This essay may be created and
archived in Lingua MOO or the WWW, or it may be a traditional Word document that simply displays the
image(s) in the body of your essay. Your image may come from the visuals in Everything’s an Argument, other
publications, Internet, or other media.
First draft due: March 3
Final draft due: March 17

Third Essay: An essay that presents a causal or proposal argument using the principles and criteria in
Everything’s an Argument (Chapter11 or 12).
First draft due: April 7
Second draft due: April 14
Final draft due: April 21

Remember: all drafts and final drafts must be recorded online in your blog and turned in to me in hard
copy (using MLA format and citation and including a Works Cited page) on the dates they are due.

Week 1
Monday 1/9
Intro to course and Rhetoric program.
In Class
Assignments Read EA Ch 1
Wednesday 1/11
Intro to blog; Discussion of EA Ch 1
In Class
Write an account of your 9/11 experience due Friday 1/13
Assignments Read Chs 2-3 in EA
Friday 1/13
Discussion of EA Chs 2-3 and demo of blog software
In Class
Read EA Ch 4
Bring a magazine to class on 1/18 (see Response #2 on EA p. 76)
Assignments Set up blog and enter 9/11 essay by 1/18
 Week 2
Monday 1/16
MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY – NO CLASS
Wednesday 1/18
Discuss EA Ch 4; Small group rhetorical analysis of emotional appeal in magazine ads
In Class
Record an observation in your blog
Read EA Ch 5, William Bennett’s A Nation worth Defending
Assignments Read Michael Kazin’s A Patriotic Left.
Friday 1/20
Discuss EA Ch 5 and Bennett and Kazin
In Class
Record an observation in your blog
Assignments Read EA Chs 6-7

Week 3
Monday 1/23
Discuss EA Chs 6-7
In Class
Read EA Ch 8
Assignments Read Title IX Facts Everyone Should Know.
Wednesday 1/25
Discuss EA Ch 8; Class Toulmin analysis of Title IX Facts.
In Class
Record an observation in your blog
Read EA Ch 9
Read John Rickford’s Suite for Ebonics and Phonics (EA p. 723)
Read Aisha Khan’s Will the real American patriot please stand up?(EA p.826)
Read Dennis Prager’s Divinity and Pornography p.519
Assignments Begin work on Essay #1 (Definition/Evaluation Argument)
Friday 1/27
Discussion of EA Ch 9 and Rickford, Khan and Prager
In Class
Assignments Read EA Ch 10 and Chs 21-22 (Assessing and using Sources, Documenting Sources)

Week 4
Monday 1/30
Discussion of EA Ch 10 and general discussion of sources; students log in to QA online;
In Class Demo of QA Research Navigator and Documentation electronic resources;
Read Thomas Burnett’s Promoting an Extreme Case of Sharing
Read John Levesque’s Sitcom Dads Rarely Know Best, Study of TV Laments (EA p.506)
Assignments Read Alan M. Dershowitz, "Why Fear National ID Cards?"
Wednesday 2/1
 Discussion of Burnett, Levesque and Dershowitz
In Class
Record an observation in your blog
Assignments Readings to be announced
Friday 2/3
Library Tour
In Class
Read QA Handbook on MLA format and how to cite and create a works cited page
Assignments Read EA Chs 18-20

Week 5
Monday 2/6
Class discussion of midterm evaluation; Grammar, format, mechanics, evidence, fallacies,
In Class and plagiarism discussion (bring Handbook)
Record an observation in your blog
Assignments Work on draft of essay #1, due 2/8
Wednesday 2/8
First draft of essay #1 due today.
In Class Peer reviews
Record an observation in your blog
Assignments Work on essay #1 peer review revision suggestions
Friday 2/10
Teacher conference and in-class writing on essay #1.
In Class
Assignments Continue work on essay # 1

Week 6
Monday 2/13
Teacher conferences on essay #1 revisions
In Class
Continue work on essay # 1
Assignments Read EA Ch 15
Wednesday 2/15
Final draft of Essay #1 due
Discussion of EA Ch 15
In Class
Record an observation in your blog
Assignments Research image(s) to use for Visual Rhetoric Essay #2 and bring some to class
Friday 2/17
Small group discussions of images and analysis of arguments in images
In Class
Assignments Readings to be announced
 Week 7
Monday 2/20
Readings to be announced
In Class
Record an observation in your blog
decide on image(s) for your essay #2 and bring to class on Monday [If you are linking
to the image elsewhere on the Internet, BE SURE TO NOTE EXACT SOURCE OF
IMAGE and OBTAIN PERMISSION TO LINK TO IT IF IT IS NOT ON A PUBLIC
Assignments SITE; see EA p 408-409]
Wednesday 2/22
Using the technology – introduction to the use of computers and the internet as a rhetorical
In Class tool
Record an observation in your blog
Assignments Work on format and media decisions for visual project
Friday 2/24
Continued discussion of technological tools of rhetoric
In Class
Complete midterm self-evaluation due Monday 2/27
Assignments start sketching main visual project components and argument analysis

Week 8
Monday 2/27
Midterm self-evaluation due in blog today; lecture
In Class
Record an Observation in your blog
Assignments continue work on visual project
Wednesday 3/1
Individual work on visual projects in class
In Class
Complete first draft of Visual argument project due Friday 3/3
Assignments bring hard copy of first draft to class on 3/3
Friday 3/3
First draft of Visual argument due; peer reviews in class
In Class
Assignments Work on revision of visual argument analysis paper based on peer review suggestions

Spring Break
No class March 6-11

Week 9
Monday 3/13
Teacher-student conferences on visual argument essay
In Class
Assignments Complete final draft of Visual argument essay due Friday 3/17
 Wednesday 3/15
In class work on visual projects
In Class
Record an Observation in your blog
Read EA Ch 16
Reading arguments online – message boards and the blogosphere, with emphasis on
Assignments sites to be announced.
Friday 3/17
Final draft of Visual argument due; Discussion of EA Ch 16 on Arguments in Electronic
In Class Environments and assigned online readings.
Assignments More assigned readings in net-based discourse

Week 10
Monday 3/20
Continued discussion of online readings
In Class
Record an Observation in your blog
Read EA Ch 11
Read Norimitsu Onishi’s Globalization of Beauty Makes Slimness Trendy
Read Declan McCullah’s "Why Liberty Suffers in Wartime"
Assignments Read Peter Mandaville’s Digital Islam: Changing the Boundaries of Religious Knowledge"
Wednesday 3/22
Discussion of EA Ch 11 and Onishi, McCullah and Mandaville; Discuss Paper #3 project
In Class (Causal or Proposal Essay due 4/7)
Record an Observation in your blog
Assignments start thinking about your final paper topic
Friday 3/24
Continued discussion of EA Ch 11 and Onishi, McCullah and Mandaville.
In Class
Assignments Read the handbook sections on Words, Sentences

Week 11
Monday 3/27
Bring handbook; discussion of assignments from Handbook
In Class
Record an Observation in your blog
Read EA Ch 12
Read Ariel Dorfman’s If Only We All Spoke Two Languages
Read Ed Madden’s An Open Letter to My Christian Friends
Read Deborah Tannen’s Teachers' Classroom Strategies Should Recognize That Men and Women Use
Language Differently
Assignments Read Joe Loconte’s Hospice, Not Hemlock
Wednesday 3/29
In Class Discussion of EA Ch 12 and Dorfman, Madden, Tannen and Loconte
 Record an Observation in your blog
Assignments choose possible topics for Causal/Proposal argument for Paper #3
Friday 3/31
Continued discussion of EA Ch 12 and Dorfman, Madden, Tannen and Loconte; small
In Class group discussions of paper topics
Assignments Refine paper topic and begin work on first draft

Week 12
Monday 4/3
Teacher conference on paper topics
In Class
Assignments Work on first draft of essay #3 due Friday 4/7 in blog
Wednesday 4/5
Writing in class on first draft of essay #3
In Class
Continue working on first draft
Assignments bring hard copy of first draft to class on Wed 4/7
Friday 4/7
First draft of essay #3 due in blog; Peer reviews of first draft of essay #3
In Class
Assignments Continue working on essay #3 using peer feedback

Week 13
Monday 4/10
Work on revisions of first draft of essay #3
In Class
Continue working on essay #3
Assignments Read EA Ch 14
Wednesday 4/12
Discussion of EA Ch 14; discussion of revision techniques and elevating style; In-class
In Class writing on essay #3
Assignments Continue work on essay #3
Friday 4/14
In-class writing on essay #3; Second draft of essay #3 due in blog by end of class period
In Class
Assignments prepare for conference with instructor

Week 14
Monday 4/17
Conference with instructor
In Class
Assignments Work on revisions of 2nd draft of essay #3
Wednesday 4/19
 Conference with instructor
In Class
Assignments Complete final draft of essay #3 in blog for 4/21
Friday 4/21
In-class: Final draft of essay #3 due in blog; student evaluations of course
In Class
Assignments Complete final self-evaluation by Monday 4/24

Week 15
Monday 4/24
Final self-evaluation due today. Epilogue.
In Class