CSUN: University Approaches to Writing
Spring 2019
Section 14591
Janet Cross
Sierra Tower 827
It is essential to restore to each life a respect for creativity and
artistic production, no matter our class background. The great power
of
art is that all people can create. Despite deprivation, the imagination is
not bound by limitations of class, race, or gender.
-- bell hooks "The Other Side" Utne Reader, 1994
Course Objectives
English 113-B, a course in expository writing, aims to help students
express ideas and convey information in writing (1) with logical reasoning and
adequate factual support and (2) with clarity of purpose, organization,
and language. Beyond these fundamental concerns, the course encourages and
assists students to develop a degree of grace and style which will make
their writing not only clear and convincing, but interesting and readable.
The course also aims to help students analyze student and professional
writing, including writing which reflects cultural diversity.
Course Description and Format
This course focuses on all aspects of the writing process: pre-writing,
drafting, revising. Much of class time will be spent discussing, writing,
and working in small groups. Although this course focuses on a number of
thematic issues, particularly how we negotiate cultural differences in
local/ global communities, both online and offline, no critical knowledge
or
experience of the Internet is
presumed. However, students must complete assigned web
projects which will require work in campus labs or
personal access to the Internet.
No student can receive higher than a C in 113-B without earning a CR in
English 062.
In this second course students will further develop skills and abilities
attained in 113A. During the course of the semester students will:
- build upon their ability to read critically and extensively from
a variety of academic and non-academic
texts, including anthology essays, academic
journal articles, autobiography, fiction, and news media.
- demonstrate the capacity to read critically by
responding to these texts during class discussions as well as writing
projects that include exercises, essays, and
thematic projects.
- build upon the ability to write effectively,
producing a range of writing that demonstrates proficiency with
rhetorical strategies and expository writing
concepts. This writing will include autobiography, dialogues, reports,
descriptive and argumentative essays, interactive
Web reflections, thematic projects, project proposals and blogs.
- broaden their knowledge of the cultural diversity of literatures
- read an assorted body of literature produced by writers from
across the globe, discussing and writing
about these diverse experiences.
Prerequisites:
Successful
completion of ENGL 113A.
Expository prose writing with a focus on both content and form. Specific
emphases shall include the exercise of logical thought and clear
expression, the development of effective organizational strategies, and
the appropriate gathering and utilization of evidence. Includes
instruction and revision of stylistic elements of as well as rhetorical strategies for the particular
writing occasion. Students receive credit for only 1 course chosen from AAS,
CAS, CHS, ENGL, and PAS 113-B.
Course Requirements
- Four in-class, timed essays (10%):
- Three revised paper collections(30%):
All papers will include initial rough drafts, work shop drafts, peer responses
as well as self evaluations.
All drafts must be completed and published on mahara by due dates.
- Project Space: Trash and Sustainability
- Project Text: Ship Breaker
- Project Web: Online Communities
- Online Journal (40%):
consists of posting short writing
assignments, reading and replying to others on weekly basis, both on
canvas and mahara, and weekly progress report blog on mahara.
- Annotated Bibliography
(10%):
students will research and construct an annotated bibliography,
documenting and evaluating
their findings for the research paper, published as part of the
web portfolio.
- Web Portfolio (10%):
Working in groups students will publish their
writing for the projects as an e-portfolio.
Project Space requires a critical inquiry into the public and private
areas of our lives, the economic, political and cultural elements. We will
be looking at how something as seemingly mundane as trash effects our
lives. Requirements;
- Critical reading
- Project proposal
- Fieldwork and online research
- Group presentation of fieldwork
- Annotated bibliography and fieldwork report
- Individual essay demonstrating scholarly research
Project Text calls for critical evaluation and interpretation of a whole
text through close reading and analysis. We will use the text
Ship Breaker as our the main text along with a number of critical
sources, classroom discussions and activities, an informal group presentation, and
individual student essays. Requirements:
- Critical reading log
- Student led discussions
- Individual textual analysis paper
Project Web: will require working in groups to publish findings from
electronic media. This will culminate in the web portfolio including work
from project space. Requirements:
- Critical reading with written analysis
- Individual essay demonstrating scholarly research
- Audience biography
- Reflective essay (preface)
- Finalized E-Portfolio
Last Revised Jan 2019