COURSE OBJECTIVES: The main course objective is to prepare you for all future college writing assignments. We will focus on the following objectives:

The achievement of the following skills:

1. The ability to develop ideas and to write effective expository and

argumentative prose.

2. The ability to use secondary print and electronic materials as sources for student essays.

3. The ability to use techniques of research and documentation.

4. The ability to read and interpret critically professional and student writing.

REQUIREMENTS:

--three response papers (you will be allowed to revise one of them)

--research project (consisting of three papers)

--various in-class assignments

--participation in class discussions and activities, including peer review

--final exam (impromptu essay)

The out-of-class papers must be computer generated, double-spaced, with one-inch margins. You are all welcome and encouraged to use the computers in the Study Center or Computer Center.

NOTE: You will be required to have at least one other person read a draft of all essays.

In-class assignments should be as neatly written as possible on lined paper.

GRADING: (3) Response papers (300 pts)

Meeting draft due dates and reading other students’ drafts (50 points)

(10) In-Class Writings/Assignments (100 pts)

Research Project (400 pts)

Attendance and participation (50 points)

Final exam (100 points)

As you can see, there are 1000 possible points available; I will assign final grades based on the following scale:

93-100% = A 80-82% = B- 67-69% = D+

90-92% = A- 77-79% = C+ 63-66% = D

87-89% = B+ 73-76% = C 60-62% = D-

83-86% = B 70-72% = C- below 60% = F

IMPORTANT NOTE: You must get a “C” or better in this course in order for it to count towards your UW degree.

REVISION: You will be allowed to revise one of the response papers after I have graded it and returned it to you. However, you must have an individual conference with me about the paper before revising it. This will be explained more thoroughly later in the semester.

ATTENDANCE: It is the policy of the UW-Waukesha English department that, except in extraordinary circumstances, students who miss the equivalent of more than three weeks of any composition class cannot pass the class. Thus, any student with more than nine unexcused absences (excused absences are defined by federal law) will receive an automatic “F.” Please contact me as soon as possible if you anticipate missing classes or being unable to complete an assignment on time. NOTE: When I take attendance, I keep track of who is late to class. For the purposes of the attendance policy, I will equate two “lates” to one absence.

Please note that in-class assignments and writing group work cannot be made up, and papers will be deducted five (5) points if they are one class late and ten (10) points if they are two or more classes late.

NOTE: You are each allowed to use one “Free Late Paper” coupon, included at the end of this syllabus.

ACADEMIC HONESTY: The Board of regents, administrators, faculty, academic staff, and students of the University of Wisconsin system believe that academic honesty and integrity are fundamental to the mission of higher education and of the University of Wisconsin System. The University has a responsibility to promote academic honesty and integrity and to develop procedures to deal effectively with instances of academic dishonesty. Students are responsible for the honest completion and representation of their work, for the appropriate citation of sources, and for respect for others’ academic endeavors. Students who violate these standards must be confronted and must accept the consequences of their actions.

What this means for you is that you MUST write your own essays and your MUST document all outside sources that you use.

ASSESSMENT: The UW Colleges-wide assessment program was established to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the curriculum, programs, and services of the institution. The institution-wide assessment activities focus on analytical, quantitative, communication, and aesthetic skills because they are of primary importance in the general education of our students. This semester, students in composition will be assessed on communication skills, specifically the ability to demonstrate a large and varied vocabulary.

Each department also conducts assessment activities that address discipline-specific learning goals. This year, the English Department is researching the effectiveness of the English placement exam. As a part of this project, students may be asked to complete one or two impromptu writing assignments.

HELP: Please see me or e-mail me if you have any questions about an assignment or need help.

I strongly encourage you to take drafts of your essays to the writing tutors in the Study Center. Tutors can also help you if you are having problems generating or organizing your ideas early in the writing process. Additional writing help is available through the UW-Waukesha Online Writing Lab; instructions are located at http://waukesha.uwc.edu/academics/owl/.

If you have a handicap that will in any way affect your work in this class, please let me know so that I can work with you. Also, Judy Becker in Student services would like to talk to you to make sure that if you need special parking, or any other services, she can arrange them for you.

CALENDAR: This schedule is subject to change and is provided primarily to give you an idea of the subjects we will be covering and let you know when major assignments are due so you can plan your life accordingly. In the first half of the course, there will scheduled readings from Discovering Popular Culture; I will expect that you will have the essay read before class on the day on which it appears. Classroom discussions and writing assignments will frequently involve these essays so DO YOUR READING.

Date	Reading Assignment	Class Topic	Assignment Due
Sept. 2		Introduction to the Class, How to be an Active Reader, Claims and Evidence
Sept. 4	Read 162-168	Popular Culture and the Academy
Sept. 7	Read 169-180
Sept. 9	Read 181-191
Sept 11	Read 192-206
Sept. 14	Read 45-55	Gender Roles
Sept. 16	Read 56-63 and “Is It Time for G.I. Jane” from the website
Sept.18	Read 64-83
Sept. 21			Draft of Rsp. Paper 1
Sept. 23	Read 89-94	Children and Family	Response Paper 1
Sept. 25	Read 95-110
Sept. 28	Read “Crazy for Dysfunction” from the website
Sept. 30	Read 120-129	Race and Ethnicity
Oct. 2	Read 130-134 and 157-159
Oct. 5	Read 143-156 (skim 143-146)
Oct. 7			Draft of Rsp. Paper 2
Oct. 9	Read 1-8	American Character and Image	Response Paper 2
Oct. 12	Read 9-32
Oct. 14	Read 33-43
Oct. 16	Read 210-224	Comsumerism
Oct. 19	Read 225-237
Oct. 21	Read Chapters 3 and 18 from Affluenza from the website
Oct. 23			Draft of Rsp. Paper 3
Oct. 26		Introduction to research project	Response Paper 3
Oct. 28
Oct. 30		Finding reliable sources
Nov. 2
Nov. 4			Draft of Part 1
Nov. 6		Organizing your research with Noodletools	Part 1 of Res. Project
Nov. 9
Nov. 11		Incorporating your evidence
Nov. 13
Nov. 16		Documentation
Nov. 18
Nov. 20			Draft of Part 2
Nov. 23		Elements of Argument	Part 2 of Res. Project
Nov. 25		Elements of Argument
Nov. 27	NO CLASS	THANKSGIVING BREAK
Nov. 30		*Individual Conferences*
Dec. 2		*Individual Conferences*
Dec. 4		*Individual Conferences*
Dec. 7		Choose final exam topic	Part 3 of Res. Project
Dec. 9
Dec. 11	Reading to be assigned
Dec. 14	Reading to be assigned
Dec. 17 8:00-10:00		*FINAL EXAM*

FREE!

ONE LATE PAPER

AT NO PENALTY!

This coupon entitles bearer to turn in his/her paper up to one class late without penalty. Bearer must be enrolled in Prof. Ahrenhoerster’s English 102 course. Each student can only use one coupon per semester. Coupon is non-transferable.

Coupon May Not Be Used On Part 3 of the Research Project

Student’s Name____________________________________ Date________________