University of Waterloo
Department of English
ENGL 109 LEC 007
Introduction to Academic Writing
Winter 2020
Environment 3 3406
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30 – 6:50 PM
Instructor: Sally Beresford
Office: PAS 1065
Office Hours (Jan 7-Feb 25): Tues and Thurs 9:30-10:30 AM or by appointment Office Hours (Feb 27-Apr TBD)
Email: s3beresf@uwaterloo.ca
N.B. I will check my email daily and respond within 24 hours on a weekday and 48 on weekends. I cannot guarantee to check my email after 5PM on Fridays. Also note that if the question warrants, I may ask you to come meet with me to discuss.
Course Description
The purpose of English 109 is to help you develop your abilities as a writer, to think critically and communicate effectively. You will learn and practice a variety of strategies for inventing, drafting, and editing texts written in different genres and for different audiences.
Through this work, you will learn ways to adapt your writing to different situations, so that you can more effectively and more powerfully communicate. This course will prepare you to succeed throughout your academic career, regardless of your discipline.
To facilitate this learning, I will assign reading and writing assignments that will ask you to study and reflect on personal, academic, and civic contexts.
Writers and readers learn from one another, and therefore much of your work in English 109 will involve different kinds of collaboration, including small group workshops and discussions.
It is important to understand that writing is a process that takes place over time. So you will revise all of your work many times, and we will use portfolio evaluation as the primary means to assess your work.
You can succeed in this course by working hard, revising your writing as much as you possibly can, coming to me for help, helping your peers (and learning from that process), taking risks, and being original.
Course Goals and Learning Outcomes
English 109 is designed:
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To help you to think critically and communicate effectively
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To give you the chance to learn and practice a variety of strategies for inventing, drafting, and editing texts
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To give you the opportunity to learn and practice writing in a variety of academic genres
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To help you learn to read critically
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To help you learn to write persuasively by effectively employing elements of formal argumentation
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To help you give and receive useful feedback on writing for the purposes of revision
- To help you learn and practice communicating to a variety of academic audiences.
Required Text
Ruskiewicz, John and Jay Dolmage. How To Write Anything: A Guide and Reference with Readings, 4th Edition. Boston: Bedford St. Martin’s Press.
Course Requirements and Assessment
N.B. Dates are tentative and subject to change.
Please see Assignment Handout for instructions on the Final-for-Now (FFN) Essays and Final Portfolio. See LEARN for the low-stakes assignments
| Assessment | Date of Evaluation (if known) | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Final Portfolio |
April 9 | 70% |
| Personal Narrative |
January 28 |
(FFN - 20%) |
| Expository Essay |
Feb 27 | (FFN - 20%) |
| Argumentative Essay |
March 26 | (FFN - 30%) |
| Low-Stakes Writing Assignments | Varied | 10% |
| Participation and Professionalism | 20% | |
| Total | 100% |
There will be no exam in this class. Portfolios will be returned by the end of the exam period.
Standard of Work
This is a University-level course, and you are expected to be comfortable with the mechanics of writing; that is, to understand and use proper grammar, syntax, and punctuation in order to communicate effectively. The course textbook, How To Write Anything offers guidelines and activities to help you with these mechanics. If you need extra assistance with the basics of writing, it is your responsibility to come to office hours or make an appointment with me for extra help.
Response and Evaluation
You will write three major essays in this class (see handouts), and this work will represent the bulk of your course grade. You will not receive a final grade on individual papers when you first hand them in. Instead, you will receive a “final-for-now” grade. You can then revise any of your papers to improve the writing. Finally, you will collect your work and create a final portfolio, which you’ll submit at the end of the semester for a final grade. You will always receive extensive comments on your papers to give you a sense of what you need to revise for your final portfolio. You will be given ample opportunity to rewrite all papers.
You will also be evaluated on four short “low stakes” writing assignments. If this work is completed satisfactorily, you will receive a high grade. Doing this work also prepares you to do well on your longer writing assignments.
Success in this class depends on meeting all the requirements, the quality of your written work, and your willingness to try new perspectives, to revise and rethink, and to take risks.
The final portfolio will include your three major papers, revised; a reflection of what you learned through your writing process in the course; and your writing process on revising these three papers. A handout will be given with more detailed instructions which will include grading expectations
Your Participation and Professionalism grade is assessed on attendance, your investment in class activities and discussion, and your ability to respect and work well with others. You are expected to write a lot, and to engage in group-work and discussions.
Participation and Professionalism break-down
- Peer Review – 8% (Four Peer Review sessions at 2% each. Attendance, Thoughtful feedback, and engagement with peer commentary)
- Class attendance and participation – 7% (see below for more details)
- Professional discussion and communication – 5% (LEARN posts and discussion, emails with Instructor, engagement with peers)
There are a variety of ways to participate in this class and they include:
- traditional modes, like volunteering to talk in class, ask questions, or provide opinions and ideas
- offering examples of writing and communication, or of texts for analysis, either by volunteering in class, or by emailing this example to me so I can share in class
- asking a question via email – If applicable, I can address this question in class which will benefit all students
- offering feedback to your peers on their ideas and their writing in a respectful and constructive manner
- taking part in small groups and being an active and engaged listener
- taking notes that can be shared with classmates when we cover a difficult concept or idea; or taking notes that can be shared with classmates who might need to miss class
- taking part in LEARN discussions
Course Policies
Late Work
Late papers (major assignments) will be penalized 2% (applied to your participation grade) per day late. All major papers must be completed – you will fail the class if any of the major papers is not completed and submitted, however late. You must also complete all other reading and writing assignments on time. Short-writing submitted late will be accepted, but will work against your short-writing grade. While I will try to remind you of due dates, it is your responsibility to check the syllabus for all due dates.
Absences
You must attend all classes. Attendance will be taken at all class sessions and contributes towards your participation grade. Always bring your course book How To Write Anything to all classes.
Please note: attendance is mandatory for Peer Review Workshops. Peer Review is worth 8% of your participation grade.
Classroom Etiquette and Electronic Device Policy
Discussions will be respectful and create a space of mutual respect for all.
Please turn off and put away all phones. If you have an emergency when your phone will be required, please let me know before class.
Laptops and tablets are permitted for writing and in-class activities. If used for non-class related activities (such as answering emails, chats, online shopping, etc.) I will ask you to put it away. Please note that for some activities I may ask you to put your computer/devices away.
Procedural Basics for Assignments
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Use Microsoft Word for all written assignments (except for in-class work, of course).
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Follow the instructions for where to hand-in your work: on LEARN or in-class. This will be clear on the assignment handout.
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Use MLA format for all written work (see HTWA for guidelines): Times New Roman, 12pt. Font, double-spaced, 1 inch margins, numbered pages, your name, Works Cited if necessary, and so on.
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Keep copies of all your work, as hard copy and electronically.
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When we will be peer-reviewing writing in class, you are expected to bring 3 copies of your essay to class with you. (Depending on class size, this number is subject to change)
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Please try to print double-sided.
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Save multiple versions of all work. If you make changes to an essay, save the file under a new name. This will allow you to view the development of your work between drafts, show this development to your teachers, and reflect on it.
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Save everything. Save peer review comments, notes from conferences, pre-writing, all in- class work, and every draft of your essays, with teacher comments.
Institutional-required statements for undergraduate course outlines approved by Senate Undergraduate Council, April 14, 2009
Cross-listed course
Please note that a cross-listed course will count in all respective averages no matter under which rubric it has been taken. For example, a PHIL/PSCI cross-list will count in a Philosophy major average, even if the course was taken under the Political Science rubric.
Academic Integrity
Academic Integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility.
Academic Honesty
All students registered in courses in the Faculty of Arts are expected to know what constitutes an academic offence, to avoid committing academic offences, and to take responsibility for their academic actions. When the commission of an offence is established, disciplinary penalties will be imposed in accord with Policy #71 (Student Academic Discipline). For information on categories of offences and types of penalties, students are directed to consult the summary of Policy #71 which is supplied in the Undergraduate Calendar (on the Web at http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infoucal/UW/policy_71.html).
If you need help in learning how to avoid offences such as plagiarism, cheating, and double submission, or if you need clarification of aspects of the discipline policy, ask your course instructor for guidance. Other resources regarding the discipline policy are your academic advisor and the Undergraduate Associate Dean. Students seeking guidance on academic honesty are urged consult the following page of the Arts Faculty Web site, “How to Avoid Plagiarism and Other Written Offences: A Guide for Students and Instructors” (http://watarts.uwaterloo.ca/~sager/plagiarism.html).
Plagiarism or copying other people’s style or ideas and claiming them as your own is a serious academic offense. Any incident of plagiarism will automatically cause a paper to fail, could cause you to fail the course, and will be reported to the Dean’s office.
Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing academic offences, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Undergraduate Associate Dean. When misconduct has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under Policy 71 – Student Discipline. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71 - Student Discipline.
Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4.
Appeals: A student may appeal the finding and/or penalty in a decision made under Policy 70 -Student Petitions and Grievances (other than regarding a petition) or Policy 71 - Student Discipline if a ground for an appeal can be established. Read Policy 72 - Student Appeals.
Other sources of information for students
Academic integrity (Arts)
Academic Integrity Office (uWaterloo)
Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
Note for students with disabilities: The AccessAbility Services office, located in Needles Hall Room 1132, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the AS office at the beginning of each academic term.
The following unit overviews and schedules are tentative and may change. They are provided here in a detailed form to help you plan your semester and to help you understand the class.
Unit One— Personal Narrative
The first unit, which asks students to explore their personal history with the topic they choose and to write a narrative, focuses on thinking reflectively about experiences. All units are also designed to help you learn processes for effective writing.
By the end of this unit, you should be able to do the following:
- Explore your thinking about your own experiences and beliefs, and about the cultures and communities you are a part of.
- Use narrative conventions to show rather than tell your story.
- Understand why your point of view is important to the topic you chose.
- Revise your narrative so that it is clear, compelling, and polished.
- Understand how writing is a process, and that one piece of writing might take several drafts and several revisions before it is fully developed. Develop knowledge about what processes work best for you as a writer.
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TUESDAY |
THURSDAY |
|---|---|
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January 7 Course Overview Activity – reflection on writing (If there is time and interest we will walk to my office to show you where it is!) Homework:
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January 9 Discuss chapter 1 Due today on LEARN – paragraph reflection on writing (2.5%) Homework – read ch3 – claiming Topics. Think of topic that you want your essays to explore for the semester |
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January 14 Activity – discuss claiming topics, how to find topics Homework – |
January 16 Share Introductions Activity: Saying It Discuss “Epiphany” or “A-Ha Moment” Homework:
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January 21 Due Today: Rough Draft of Narrative – bring copies to class Homework:
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January 23 Activity: Experimenting with Sequence – bring copy to class to cut and re-work Homework:
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January 28 Due Today Online: Narrative Final-For-Now Activity: reflection on writing process. Handed in with Personal Narrative
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Unit Two— Explanations
The second unit asks students to explore their topic responding to questions such as why and what if. The focus should be narrow and should reflect consideration of the inquiry and the answer – cause and effect.
By the end of this unit, you should be able to do the following:
- Write reasonably and logically, exploring causal relationships.
- Support your explanation with evidence and integrate research into writing
- Understand the audience and take the appropriate voice in writing style
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TUESDAY |
THURSDAY |
|---|---|
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January 30 Discuss chapter 9, Explanations (Assignment Handout) Ch 45 finding print and online sources |
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February 4 Discuss effective researching and tips |
February 6 Due Today – Short Writing Assignment ‘Citations’ (2.5%) Activity – Research for essay in class. Create ‘Works Cited’ Page
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February 11 Bring outline to class – discuss outlines. Homework
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February 13 Bring Rough draft (in whatever stage) for peer review Read HTWA Ch 32 Overcoming Writer’s Block Ch 34 Clear and Vigorous Writing Reading Week February 17-21 No Classes |
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February 25 Creative Process – Activity – Writer’s Block Homework: |
February 27 Final For Now Evaluation Essay Due Today Reflection paragraph on this essay writing process. Introduce Arguments |
Unit Three—Argument
The third unit, which asks students to develop research questions, undertake some research, formulate a thesis, and then create an argument, focuses on writing persuasively. Here are some other specific goals for the third unit of 109:
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Explore a relevant and contentious issue from a variety of perspectives, considering multiple viewpoints and arguments, using a variety of research strategies
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Creatively and critically synthesize research from multiple sources—develop awareness of different personal, academic, and civic contexts and express your unique ideas in relationship to the ideas of others.
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Formulate academic research questions and theses.
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Use academic citation systems for documenting work, and know where to find resources that will help you with this.
| TUESDAY | THURSDAY |
|---|---|
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March 3
Activity – taking a side
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March 5 NO CLASS
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March 10
Homework Write thesis statement |
March 12 Discuss Thesis statements – peer review In-class Research (Library trip?)
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March 17
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March 19 Due Today Introductory paragraph, thesis, and outline for Peer Review Homework: Rough Draft of Argumentative Essay |
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March 24 Discuss HTWA Chapter 37, Transitions and Chapter 38, Memorable Openings and Closings Homework:
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March 26 Due Today: Argument Essay Final-For-Now In-Class Reflective Memo Introducing the Portfolio (assignment handout) Homework:
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March 31 Activity: Reflective Memo- what you have learned Discuss Revision Strategies
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April 1 Final Class Work on portfolios in class Use this opportunity to discuss with peers, discuss with me any questions Thursday, April 9: Final Portfolios Due on LEARN 5PM |
Academic Honesty Contract For English 109
Please submit this form to me at the end of the semester. It will go towards your Participation grade.
I have directly acknowledged all outside sources used in the creation of this writing. These sources include not just the direct quotations that I have used, but also other influences and inspirations.
These other cited sources can influence me and inspire me, but I have created my own essays and they express something important about me. This work represents my unique ideas, strategies and viewpoints in writing.
I value creativity and uniqueness. When I use outside sources, I synthesize and critically reinterpret the ideas of others, I don’t just drop them into my text or cut and paste them. I know that if I don’t synthesize and critically reinterpret the ideas of others, and acknowledge them fully by citing them, then I am plagiarizing.
I know that even if I don’t quote directly from a source, I need to be sure to always give credit—even when paraphrasing or summarizing. I know that properly attributing ideas to their owners can also strengthen my own ethos as a researcher.
I know that good research means more than just avoiding plagiarism. Good researchers take multiple ideas, analyze them, contrast them, synthesize them, and then use them to say something unique, while carefully documenting where each idea came from.
I used the writing and revision process to practice giving credit to others correctly, using MLA citation style, with in-text citations and a full list of works cited. When I was in doubt, I used my textbook for guidelines, and I asked my peers and my teacher (and perhaps Writing Center tutors) for help. So, now that I am ready to hand in my writing, I know that I have followed all of the rules for correct citation.
I know that “I didn’t know I was plagiarizing” is not an acceptable excuse. If in doubt, I know I can ask my teacher.
If I am unsure whether information is “common knowledge” or not, my readers may be too. If in doubt, I cite it. It is better to give too much credit to others than to assume that I don’t need to cite something.
I did receive help in my writing—from peers in my class, from my teacher, and perhaps from others. But I had clear boundaries when asking for help. Nobody wrote or rewrote my paper for me. I welcomed suggestions and comments from others, reflected upon them, and then made rhetorical choices as I revised. I didn’t steal or borrow ideas from others without acknowledging them. I received guidance and support from others, but I can confidently state that this writing is mine.
By typing my name on a paper, I am signing a contract with my professor and with the University of Waterloo that states that the ideas contained in this paper are my own, and that all ideas that are not my own have been correctly attributed to their owners.
Print Full Name:
Signature:
Date: