Required reading: CLICK THIS "READINGS" LINK

Little Brown Compact Handbook of Style. Aaron.

Objectives: The Department of English has specified the following objectives:

1. Read and analyze nonfiction prose for style as well as content

2. Demonstrate critical thinking skills in writing and discussion

3. Demonstrate the following writing skills: concision, emphasis, sentence variety, coherence.

4. Write, rewrite and revise essays as a process that leads to finished writing.

5. Write essays of literary analysis that demonstrate the following qualities: controlling purpose, clear focus, adequate development, logical organization, and use of textual details to support purpose.

6. Master the argumentative essay, i.e. thesis, logic, organization and language.  

Procedures:

1. Instructional exchanges via emails.

2. Workshops in which students’ work forms the source for lessons in composition and revision.

3.  On-class writing and revision with one-to-one tutorial sessions.

4.  Appropriate related events and activities.  

Requirements:  

1. The completion of all three writing assignments to be fully carefully proofed and polished, in proper form and typed for on-time submissions.  Instruction will be given in the following:  

A. Persuasive writing: to include a thesis which clearly “takes sides;”  a well-focused reason for the side taken; two to three strong examples (statistics, case studies, experts) in support of thesis; a strong summation.

B. Narrative writing: an essay of personal experience (factual, true) told in a story form (structured as if it were a short, narrative story) with a proper dramatic beginning, middle and end.  This is highly descriptive writing: to include strong imagery; evocative details drawn from a strong reliance on all the senses; factual information, development of a unified tone.

C. A third essay will be drawn from your own major area of interest.  YOUR TOPIC/PAPER MUST BE PRE-APPROVED BY YOUR INSTRUCTOR BEFORE THE PAPER IS WRITTEN. Please, however, don't propose to write a source paper. NO OUTSIDE SOURCES, PLEASE.

D. With permission, if we decide it can help your final grade, you can request to do a fourth essay. However, there is a deadline listed for permission to do that. If you do not ask permission (by sending me your proposal) by the deadline date, you can not do an extra credit essay. Don't ask at the last minute and don't just send an extra essay! 

 Deadlines:

Students must send all work on time, as per published deadlines. Late work will lower your grade.

Grading:  

You must do all three writing assignments to receive your grade. You must send all work on time. Late work lowers your grade. You must do all work as listed on your deadlines page and grade sheet,  including workshop exchanges. After you have received two grades, you may request to do an extra-credit essay. Your basic grade starts with the average of your letter grades for your writing and goes up or down depending on your successful completion of other course requirements--workshop comments--and the timeliness of your work.