Rhetoric 1302 – section 020 & 023

9:30am – 10:45am & 11:00am-12:15pm

Fall 2005

Deborah Scally
University of Texas at Dallas
School of Arts & Humanities

JO 4.124
*Office: JO 4.120
*Office Hours: T/R 12:15 – 1:15pm. And by appointment

*Phone: 972-883-2035 office

214-663-5095 cell

*Email: das@utdallas.edu

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

Contains links to course syllabus, reference and research resources, LRO, and Lingua Moo

Learning Record Online (LRO): http://lro.cwrl.utexas.edu

Textbook website: http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/everythingsanargument/

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.
Recommended, but not required: Quick Access Reference for Writers, 4th Ed., by Lynn Troyka

You will need a 2-pocket folder for the paper version of your online LRO portfolio.

Also bring a floppy disk (PC-formatted if you use a PC, Mac- formatted if you use a Mac). 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.

Drop Policy

See here for details on deadlines and procedures for dropping:

http://www.utdallas.edu/student/class/current/newpolicywpwf.htm

Disability Assistance

It is the responsibility of the student to register with Kerry Tate, Coordinator of Disability
Assistance (972-883-2098) to establish eligibility. Students with disabilities are still expected to
meet all the requirements for the course.

As of this semester, no food or drinks are allowed in the computer rooms at any time.

The following is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.

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 yo u 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 without a doctor’s excuse, your grade may be
negatively affected and/or you may be encouraged to drop the class.
Please turn off cellular/mobile phones, pagers, and other personal electronic devices
during class.

Office Hours

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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 or my cell
phone 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, collaborating with peers, 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 reflection). 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

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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
developme nt 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 Undergradua te Catalog for information about the consequences of Scholastic Dishonesty,
or view the policy here (which is also a link on the Rhetoric Program website): of

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

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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). Essay should be 4-5 double-spaced pages
using MLA format for Works Cited. You must use at least 4 outside sources for your paper; 2
sources must be books.
First draft due: September 20
Final draft due: September 27

Second Essay: will be 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. This project should be 5-6 double-spaced pages and should cite all sources using
MLA format for online sources. You may also propose and create a visual argument/project of
your own using the same criteria as above.
First draft due: October 13
Final draft due: October 25

Third Essay: An essay that presents a causal or proposal argument using the principles and
criteria in Everything’s an Argument (Chapter11 or 12). This essay should be 6-8 double-spaced
pages and should use MLA format for all works cited. You are required to use at least 6 outside
sources for your papers. 3 of your sources must be books. 2 must be articles from the online
databases in the library. 1 source can be your choice.
First draft due: November 10
Final draft due: November 22

Please note: Page lengths for papers are not optional; it will affect your grade adversely if you
do not meet the formatting and technical requirements for the essay assignments.

Learning Record Online: This is an online resource for managing and documenting the work
and learning you do in this class. Various assignments will be due throughout the semester, and
all observations, drafts, and essays must be included in the LRO on the date due.
Parts A.1 and A.2 are due: September 1
Parts B.1 and C.1 are due: October 6
Parts B.2 and C.2 are due: November 22, which is the last day of this class

Remember: all drafts and final drafts must be recorded online in your LRO as a work
sample 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. YOU MAY NOT USE THE CLASSROOM
PRINTER TO PRINT OUT YOUR PAPERS.

Syllabus Itinerary (subject to change)

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[Assignments are due by the next class period unless noted otherwise]
[Assignments from Everything’s an Argument textbook will be denoted by EA

R 8/18: In-class: Intro to course and Rhetoric program website; short lecture on rhetoric; short
diagnostic writing assignment
Assignments : Read EA Ch 1, “Everything Is an Argument;” Send email to me by T 8/23
____________________________________________________________________________

T 8/23: In-class: Video. Intro to Rhetoric ; Brief discussion of assigned reading

Assignments : Read Ch 2-3, “Reading and Writing Arguments,” and “Readers and Contexts
Count” in EA

Complete LRO parts A.1 & A.2 by 9/1

R 8/25: In-class: Intro to LRO; record first observation; Discussion of EA Ch 2-3; Thesis
formulation exercise; http://www.ozline.com/electraguide/ for help with thesis formation and
outlining.
Assignments : Read EA Ch 4, “Arguments from the Heart,” and handouts; find magazines to
bring to class on 8/25 (see Response #2 on p 76 in EA)
_____________________________________________________________________________

T 8/30: In-class: Daily observation; Video: “Killing Us Softly” (tent.); Discuss EA Ch 4; group
exercise over emotional appeal in magazine ads
Assignments : Read EA Ch 5, “Arguments Based on Values,” and Ch 17, “Spoken Arguments,”
plus King essay on p 811;
R 9/1: MLK video; Daily observation on MLK; briefly discuss EA Ch 5 & 17
Assignments : Read EA Ch 6, “Arguments Based on Character;” Come prepared to discuss Ch. 6
in small groups
_____________________________________________________________________________

T 9/6: In-class: DUE: LRO parts A.1 and A.2; Daily observation; discuss EA Ch 6; in-class
exercise on character-based argument
Assignments : Read EA Ch 7, “Arguments Based on Facts & Reason;” plus essays (TBA).

R 9/8: In-class: Daily observation on ‘reasoned’ argument; Discuss Ch 7; begin work on essay
by choosing topic and framing a rough outline; complete thesis statement in class
Essay 1 officially assigned: Definition or Evaluation Argument
Assignments : Read EA Ch 8 “Structuring Arguments” plus Lamott essay
____________________________________________________________________________

T 9/13: In-class: Toulmin method applied to your essay; daily observation on reality TV as
persuasive argument
Assignments : Read EA Ch 9 & 10: “Arguments of Definition” and “Evaluations,” plus handout
essay

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R 9/15: In-class: Discuss Ch 9 & 10; in-class exercise; daily observation
Assignments : Begin going over Ch 21-22 about using and documenting sources. These are
reference chapters and do not have to be read at one sitting; however, you will be responsible for
understanding and using the principles contained in these chapters in your writing; daily
observation on writing a persuasive essay
_____________________________________________________________________________

T 9/20: Self-Directed Study Day; observation on staying focused

Assignments : finish 1st draft of essay 1; read Ch 18 “What Counts as Evidence?” and QA Ch 7
“Revising…

R 9/22: In-class: Typed formal first draft of essay 1 due; Video: Penn & Teller’s BS ; what
does count as evidence? Observation on video
Assignments : Begin to read EA Ch 19, “Fallacies of Argument”
____________________________________________________________________________

T 9/27: In-class: Discuss Ch 19; in class exercise; observation on fallacies of argument

Assignment : Read EA Ch 20 “Intellectual Property..”

R 9/29: In-class: Video: “Daily Show Election Coverage”; Daily observation on video; draft 1
essay 1 returned
Assignments : Work on essay revision
____________________________________________________________________________

T 10/4: In-class: Daily observation; Lingua Moo; getting familiar with the technology
Assignments : Continue work on revision

R 10/6: In-class: Final draft of essay 1 due; Daily observation; Discuss essay 2, visual
argument, officially assigned today; Examine images in United Benetton ads; examine website
and analyze visual arguments in groups
(http://www.benetton.com/html/whatwesay/campaigns/photogallery.shtml)
Assignments : Read EA Ch 15, “Visual Arguments” plus essays on comics
_____________________________________________________________________________

T 10/11: Self-directed study day; Daily observation on Benneton ads

Assignments : Decide on images for your essay or if you are doing a visual project, decide your
topic. Note, if you are linking to an image on the net be sure to note exact source of image and
GET PERMISSION to link to it if it is not a public site.

R 10/13: In-class: B.1 and C.1 due in LRO; Video: cartoons as visual argument
Assignments: Finish working draft of essay 2; MUST BE IN MLA FORMAT WITH
WORKS CITED PAGE; if image is created in MOO space, links must be provided
_____________________________________________________________________________

T 10/18: Essay 2 progress report due in class; peer reviews; observation; check out
www.readwritethink.com comic creator

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Assignments : Take home essays /projects and work on revision as per peer suggestions. Read
EA Ch 16: “Arguments in Electronic Environments;” surf and find a blog site for class on
Thursday

R 10/20: In-class: Daily observation; discuss Ch 16; blogs as ongoing rhetorical argument;
LAST DAY TO DROP COURSE
Assignments: work on revising essay 2; due Tuesday 10/25 in class
____________________________________________________________________________

T 10/25: Essay 2 due in class; Movie Supersize Me as causal argument; no observation today
Assignments : read in EA, Ch 11 & 12: “Causal Arguments” & “Proposals”

R 10/27: Finish movie; class discussion; briefly discuss Ch 11 & 12; daily observation on movie
Assignments: Decide on topic for Essay 3; causal or proposal argument; bring thesis statement
to class on 11/1: read handout essay
____________________________________________________________________________

Discuss Ch 11 & 12; daily observation; discuss thesis ideas for essay 3
Assignment : work on essay 3, draft 1

R 11/3: Writing/Research Day

Assignment : complete Draft 1 of essay 3; read EA Ch 14
_____________________________________________________________________________

T 11/8: First draft of essay 3 due in class; peer reviews; discuss Ch 14; sign up for conferences
Assignments : Record an observation in your LRO : your thoughts on doing a peer review

R 11/10: Begin Conferences

T 11/15: Conferences ctd.

R 11/17: Conferences ctd.

T 11/22: Last day of class; Turn in revised version of essay 3; parts B.2 and C.2 due in LRO

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