Essay Assignment #1 – Discourse Community Analysis
Davidson – English 102
M 1/26: Introduction Due
W 1/28: Revised Introduction and Outlines Due
F 1/30: Explanation of Discourse Community Due
M 2/2: Explanation of Topic Due
W 2/4: Rough Draft #1 Due (Minimum TWO pages)
F 2/6: Writing workshop
M 2/9: Outside Sources Due
W 2/11: Rough Draft #2 Due (Minimum FOUR pages)
F 2/13: Conclusion Due
M 2/16: Rough Draft #3 Due (Minimum FIVE pages)
W 2/18: In-class writing workshop
F 2/20: Final Papers Due. Paper #2 Assigned
FORMAT:
The minimum length of this assignment is FOUR complete pages. Not three pages and a few lines onto the fourth page – four complete pages. Papers must be typed, double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman, with one-inch margins. Any papers that deliberately manipulate any of these stipulations in order to gain length will be docked a minimum of a full letter grade. Plagiarism on any level will result in failure of the entire course and your work will be turned over to the proper university officials, which may in turn lead to suspensions or expulsions. You will need to hand in a paper copy and submit your work in electronic format to turnitin.com by no later than midnight on Friday, February 20th.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
In this first project you will be writing a paper in which you report on how a discourse community (groups of people who share common goals, values, assumptions, behaviors and ways of thinking about and talking about the world) that you belong to understands and defines a topic you have chosen. That is, you will practice the process of defining on at least three levels. First, you will need to show how some group you belong to does in fact constitute a discourse community in all five ways (shared language; common goals/values/assumption/beliefs; membership; shared practices/behaviors; and common ways of communicating with each other.) Next, you will need to describe how this group tends to understand and view issues related to your topic, providing an extended/stipulative definition of your topic from this group’s perspective. Finally, you will need to explain why this way of defining your topic makes sense for this community, and how examining how this community approaches your topic helps us understand something about the group we might not otherwise be able to.
For example, someone who is a Buddhist might want to explore the ways in which the Buddhist community in Mississippi approaches your topic. But first, the writer would need to explain in specific ways how and why Buddhists can be said to belong to a discourse community. That is, the writer would probably want describe some of the specific language, beliefs, values, goals, communicative practices and behaviors that make this community distinct, as well as the ways people become members of this community and why. Specifically, a writer might explain how Buddhists all share the goal of attaining enlightenment (Nirvana) through a practice of meditation and reflection aimed at lessening the harm each individual brings to other beings in the world. In the process, the writer might need to briefly explain some of the principles of Buddhism (i.e., the Four Noble Truths; reincarnation; “karma” and “dharma”; etc.), and various ways that Buddhists in Mississippi have of interacting and communicating with one another (i.e., specific temples or meditation centers; websites, newsletters, study groups; etc.) Having established the various ways that Buddhists can be said to form a distinct discourse community, the writer would then want to offer a definition of your topic that reflects Buddhist attitudes and ways of perceiving the world. The writer would then need to explain what this definition means, and what values and assumptions it embodies. Finally, the writer might want to comment on how such a “Buddhist” definition of the topic differs from the ways other people or groups approach the topic, and what larger implications this all might have (for an understanding of Buddhism; of the topic in general; or the nature of perspective itself.)
Whichever group you choose to write about for this project, you will need to provide enough specific examples, details, and evidence to allow someone who is not a member of this community to gain a basic understanding of it and its views on your topic. To do this well you will certainly want to rely on your own first-hand knowledge and experiences as a member of the group; but you may also need to do some additional research to fill in the gaps. That is, you may want to talk to other members of this community (particularly those who may have more authority or knowledge of the central beliefs and assumptions of the group); or you may want to consult library or internet sources that might provide additional insights or information regarding your group and its values, practices and beliefs. Remember, as readers we will expect you to write authoritatively and knowledgably about your topic. That does not mean you need to be a complete expert on the topic, but you will need to provide accurate, reasonable and credible evidence to support your claims.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Reminders for Wednesday, January 21st
Just another reminder... There is no class on Wednesday, January 21st.
The only homework is to compose your first blog entry. The topic is "My Thoughts on the Inauguration". It should be a minimum of 250 words and address the topic in any fashion that you choose. See everyone Friday
The only homework is to compose your first blog entry. The topic is "My Thoughts on the Inauguration". It should be a minimum of 250 words and address the topic in any fashion that you choose. See everyone Friday
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Course Syllabus
English 102 / Spring 2009
College Hall 301
MWF 8:00 -8:50
Instructor: Ryan Davidson
Email: ryan.davidson@usm.edu
Phone: (602) 391-7442
Office: 336 Liberal Arts Building
Office Hours: MW 9:00 – 10:00 and by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
English 102 focuses on research and argument—the basic components of academic writing. Building upon what you learned about writing in English 101, English 102 will help you develop critical thinking skills, construct strong persuasive arguments, and find and effectively utilize sources to support and verify your written claims.
REQUIRED TEXT
There is no required textbook for this course.
Instead there will be numerous handouts as well as readings found online
COURSE POLICIES
Attendance: Attendance is vital to success in this course. There will be an attendance signup sheet distributed during class every day. You are responsible for signing in every day you are present for class. You are allowed four unexcused absences. Upon the fifth unexcused absence your final grade will drop 10%. (You will no longer be able to make an A in the course). A sixth absence will mean you fail the course. All absences will be considered unexcused unless I have been notified on or before the date of absence and received proper documentation.
Cell phones and laptops: Cell phones must be turned off and put away before class begins. Do not send or read text messages in class. Anyone caught using their phone during class will be counted absent for that day and their overall participation grade will be adversely affected.
Plagiarism: The instructor will investigate all instances of suspected plagiarism. Anyone found to have intentionally plagiarized material will immediately FAIL the course and be referred to the proper university officials for reprimands, suspensions, and/or expulsions. If you have questions about proper citation and documentation of any sources you are using, please see me.
Midterm Grades: Freshmen will receive a midterm grade report. A grade of “C” on this report means your work has been satisfactory; a “D” means unsatisfactory work and an “F” means you have missed too many and are in danger of failing the course. Please note that a “C” on your midterm grade report does not necessarily mean that your final course grade will be a “C.”
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Grade Distribution: In order to receive credit for the course, ALL of the following must be completed. Failure to complete any one assignment will result in failure of the course. There will be NO FINAL in this course.
Essay 1 20%
Essay 2 20%
Essay 3 25 %
Writer’s Blog 15%
Homework 15%
Participation 5%
Writer’s Blog: Every student is required to start and maintain a blog. If you already have a blog or personal website you may use it for the requirements of this assignment, although you may choose to create a new site. Visit http://www.blogger.com. You will be required to write a least one entry per week. There will be specific entries assigned in class throughout the semester and you should make every effort to make your blog as full and creative as possible. All student blogs will have links posted at http://english102spring2009.blogspot.com/
Participation: All students are expected to participate fully in class. Your participation grade consists of not only involvement in classroom discussion and activities but will take into account attendance, in-class writings, and other related activities. If you are unsure about your participation grade during the semester please contact me directly.
Paper Format: All papers and assignments must be typed, double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman, with one-inch margins. Any papers, which deliberately manipulate any of these stipulations in order to gain length will be docked a minimum of a full letter grade. All papers should include a properly formatted works cited page in MLA style along with proper in-text citations. E-mailed assignments will not be accepted.
Paper Proposals: You will need to submit a paper proposal for every essay assignment of the semester. These are typed one page statements of your intentions for your essay. While I understand that your ideas may completely change (and this is okay) I need to have an idea of what you think your focus is before you start. A finished paper will not be accepted without completion and turn in of the paper proposal.
Turnitin.com: All papers must be turned in to turnitin.com by no later than midnight on the date which the paper is due. You must first create your own user profile (if you have not done so already for a previous course) and then may enroll in this course. The class id for this course is: 2565950 and the password is: southernmiss
Late Work: Students are allowed ONE opportunity during the semester to turn in an assignment late. ONE assignment may be turned in, up to one week after the original due date, without loss of credit. After this opportunity any work turned in late will begin with the lowest grade of the assignments turned in on time by your classmates. Hence if the lowest grade in the class were a C, the highest grade an absolutely perfect paper could receive would be a C. Handing in more than one late paper will drastically reduce your chances of receiving a satisfactory grade in the course. The late paper opportunity may not be used for the final paper.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Writing Lab: USM’s Writing Lab is located next to Starbucks in Cook Library. Writing consultants in the lab can help you develop ideas for your papers, articulate your thesis, organize your material, and hone your grammar skills. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of the writing lab’s free services. You can schedule an appointment by calling (601) 266-4821.
Accommodation for Students With Special Needs: If a student has a disability that
Qualifies under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires accommodations, he/she should contact the Office for Disability Accommodations (ODA) for information on appropriate policies and procedures. Disabilities covered by ADA may include learning, psychiatric, physical disabilities, or chronic health disorders. Students can contact ODA if they are not certain whether a medical condition/disability qualifies. Mailing address: 118 College Dr. #8586, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001; Telephone: 601-266-5024; TTY: 601-266-6837; FAX: 601-266-6035
This Course is Part of the General Education Curriculum of the University
At the successful completion of this course, you will have demonstrated the ability to:
• develop and focus on one topic in speaking and writing assignments and present ideas in an organized, logical, and coherent form
• use Standard English grammar, punctuation, spelling, and usage
• connect ideas in a coherent essay
• connect course content to other disciplines and/or to real world situations
• write an analytical essay
• find and use (and cite) relevant sources
• analyze the components of an argument
College Hall 301
MWF 8:00 -8:50
Instructor: Ryan Davidson
Email: ryan.davidson@usm.edu
Phone: (602) 391-7442
Office: 336 Liberal Arts Building
Office Hours: MW 9:00 – 10:00 and by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
English 102 focuses on research and argument—the basic components of academic writing. Building upon what you learned about writing in English 101, English 102 will help you develop critical thinking skills, construct strong persuasive arguments, and find and effectively utilize sources to support and verify your written claims.
REQUIRED TEXT
There is no required textbook for this course.
Instead there will be numerous handouts as well as readings found online
COURSE POLICIES
Attendance: Attendance is vital to success in this course. There will be an attendance signup sheet distributed during class every day. You are responsible for signing in every day you are present for class. You are allowed four unexcused absences. Upon the fifth unexcused absence your final grade will drop 10%. (You will no longer be able to make an A in the course). A sixth absence will mean you fail the course. All absences will be considered unexcused unless I have been notified on or before the date of absence and received proper documentation.
Cell phones and laptops: Cell phones must be turned off and put away before class begins. Do not send or read text messages in class. Anyone caught using their phone during class will be counted absent for that day and their overall participation grade will be adversely affected.
Plagiarism: The instructor will investigate all instances of suspected plagiarism. Anyone found to have intentionally plagiarized material will immediately FAIL the course and be referred to the proper university officials for reprimands, suspensions, and/or expulsions. If you have questions about proper citation and documentation of any sources you are using, please see me.
Midterm Grades: Freshmen will receive a midterm grade report. A grade of “C” on this report means your work has been satisfactory; a “D” means unsatisfactory work and an “F” means you have missed too many and are in danger of failing the course. Please note that a “C” on your midterm grade report does not necessarily mean that your final course grade will be a “C.”
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Grade Distribution: In order to receive credit for the course, ALL of the following must be completed. Failure to complete any one assignment will result in failure of the course. There will be NO FINAL in this course.
Essay 1 20%
Essay 2 20%
Essay 3 25 %
Writer’s Blog 15%
Homework 15%
Participation 5%
Writer’s Blog: Every student is required to start and maintain a blog. If you already have a blog or personal website you may use it for the requirements of this assignment, although you may choose to create a new site. Visit http://www.blogger.com. You will be required to write a least one entry per week. There will be specific entries assigned in class throughout the semester and you should make every effort to make your blog as full and creative as possible. All student blogs will have links posted at http://english102spring2009.blogspot.com/
Participation: All students are expected to participate fully in class. Your participation grade consists of not only involvement in classroom discussion and activities but will take into account attendance, in-class writings, and other related activities. If you are unsure about your participation grade during the semester please contact me directly.
Paper Format: All papers and assignments must be typed, double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman, with one-inch margins. Any papers, which deliberately manipulate any of these stipulations in order to gain length will be docked a minimum of a full letter grade. All papers should include a properly formatted works cited page in MLA style along with proper in-text citations. E-mailed assignments will not be accepted.
Paper Proposals: You will need to submit a paper proposal for every essay assignment of the semester. These are typed one page statements of your intentions for your essay. While I understand that your ideas may completely change (and this is okay) I need to have an idea of what you think your focus is before you start. A finished paper will not be accepted without completion and turn in of the paper proposal.
Turnitin.com: All papers must be turned in to turnitin.com by no later than midnight on the date which the paper is due. You must first create your own user profile (if you have not done so already for a previous course) and then may enroll in this course. The class id for this course is: 2565950 and the password is: southernmiss
Late Work: Students are allowed ONE opportunity during the semester to turn in an assignment late. ONE assignment may be turned in, up to one week after the original due date, without loss of credit. After this opportunity any work turned in late will begin with the lowest grade of the assignments turned in on time by your classmates. Hence if the lowest grade in the class were a C, the highest grade an absolutely perfect paper could receive would be a C. Handing in more than one late paper will drastically reduce your chances of receiving a satisfactory grade in the course. The late paper opportunity may not be used for the final paper.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Writing Lab: USM’s Writing Lab is located next to Starbucks in Cook Library. Writing consultants in the lab can help you develop ideas for your papers, articulate your thesis, organize your material, and hone your grammar skills. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of the writing lab’s free services. You can schedule an appointment by calling (601) 266-4821.
Accommodation for Students With Special Needs: If a student has a disability that
Qualifies under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires accommodations, he/she should contact the Office for Disability Accommodations (ODA) for information on appropriate policies and procedures. Disabilities covered by ADA may include learning, psychiatric, physical disabilities, or chronic health disorders. Students can contact ODA if they are not certain whether a medical condition/disability qualifies. Mailing address: 118 College Dr. #8586, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001; Telephone: 601-266-5024; TTY: 601-266-6837; FAX: 601-266-6035
This Course is Part of the General Education Curriculum of the University
At the successful completion of this course, you will have demonstrated the ability to:
• develop and focus on one topic in speaking and writing assignments and present ideas in an organized, logical, and coherent form
• use Standard English grammar, punctuation, spelling, and usage
• connect ideas in a coherent essay
• connect course content to other disciplines and/or to real world situations
• write an analytical essay
• find and use (and cite) relevant sources
• analyze the components of an argument
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