Teaching Portfolio_Chacko

Matthew W. Chacko
2016 Teaching Portfolio
M.A. Student, Department of English
Teaching Assistant, Writing Program
Syracuse University
Table of Contents
I. Personal Statement…………………………………………………………3
II. Teaching Philosophy……………………………………………………….5
III. Curriculum Vitae…………………………………………………………...7
IV. Observations………………………………………………………………10
V. WRT 105: Practices of Academic Writing (Falls 2014, 2015)
a. Summary of Teaching Experiences…………………………………13
b. Syllabi………………………………………………………………14
c. Unit Assignments…………………………………………………...31
d. Sample Lesson Plans………………………………………………..36
e. Heuristics/Handouts………………………………………………..44
f. Examples of feedback on Student Assignments……………………..51
VI. WRT 205: Critical Research and Writing (Springs 2015, 2016)
a. Summary of Teaching Experiences………………………………….55
b. Syllabi……………………………………………………………….56
c. Unit Assignments……………………………………………………67

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d. Sample Lesson Plans……………………………………………….73
e. Heuristics/Handouts………………………………………………80
f. Example of feedback on Student Assignments…………………….91
VII. Student Evaluations………………………………………………………97
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26 February 2016
Award Selection Committee
The Graduate School
212 Bowne Hall
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY 13244
Dear Members of the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award Selection Committee:
I write to thank you for considering me for the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. It truly is a
huge honor to be nominated. The following portfolio outlines my pedagogical growth, scholarly
interests, and experiences as a teacher.
I am currently finishing up my final semester of my master’s program in the English Department.
One of the advantages of my MA experience was the amount of composition instruction I have
done in a relatively short, two-year program for the Writing Department. I have taught three
sections of WRT105 and two sections of WRT205, teaching eighty-six students in total.
Additionally, I worked as a tutor in the Writing Center where I helped many individual students
perfect their writing. That time was immensely crucial because it helped further cement my
understanding of writing mechanics and pedagogy. Because I teach composition (WRT105 and
WRT205), I serve as primary instructor and thus fully determine students’ grades. This pedagogical
agency that the Writing Program affords has accelerated my own progression as a teacher, and for
that I am grateful. Furthermore, my nomination as an English MA student is unusual since most
nominees are PhD students.
While graduate school has been a challenging and intellectually rewarding process, I have really
relished my opportunities as an instructor in the classroom. The classroom is a space where I see
my own intellectual growth as a graduate student impact and help further my own students’
maturation as thinkers. The things I have learned in graduate seminars translate to my own
teaching. Much of my research in graduate school deals with power inequity and the systemic social
injustices that minority groups deal with and navigate through. These are themes that I readily
incorporate into my own instruction. I am grateful for my own professors in the Department of
English whose persistence and intellectual acumen have challenged me to be more articulate,
rigorous, and intellectually curious. Through their seminars, I developed an even greater
appreciation for the intellectual life, and I seek to instill that in my own students. I am also deeply
indebted to the patient guidance of Jonna Gilfus and Anne Fitzsimmons in the Writing Program
whose intelligence, generosity, affirmation, and pedagogical creativity really inspire my own teaching.

They were instrumental in providing the necessary feedback and support I needed as a beginning
instructor.
It is because of my experience as an instructor at Syracuse that I seek to continue teaching at the
secondary level. I am currently applying to high school positions, where I hope to continue
inspiring students to be critically engaged, to develop their literacy and rhetorical skills, and most
importantly to mature into conscientious and thinking adults.
Thank you for considering my nomination and for giving me the opportunity to share my teaching
portfolio with you.
Sincerely,
Matthew Chacko
Matthew W. Chacko
M.A. Student, Department of English
Teaching Assistant, Writing Program
Syracuse University, HBC 018
mwchacko@syr.edu

Teaching Philosophy
Over the past two years, I have had the privilege of teaching freshman- and sophomore-level writing
courses. While I push my students to become better thinkers, teaching also provides me the
challenge of embodying many of the same principles I seek to instill in my classes. In other words, I
have found that if I desire my students’ improvement, then I must continually refine and push
myself further. I want my students to leave my courses better writers, feeling empowered and
equipped to handle the different types of writing they will encounter in their academic and
professional careers.
A recurring concern in both my WRT105 and WRT205 classes is social inequity, an issue that my
students engage with through composition. My students and I interrogate entrenched notions and
stereotypes about race, gender, class, ethnicity, and sexuality. While maintaining a fidelity to the
hallmarks of composition studies, some of which include the notion of writing as a process,
reflection and self assessment, and advancing effective arguments, I also seek to engender in my
students a heightened awareness of and compassion for others. My inquiry in WRT 205 is entitled
The Comedian’s Role in Society where my class investigates how comedy relates to larger matters of
social injustice, particularly how comedy critiques social systems that perpetuate harmful discourses
about and further promote the marginalization of minority groups. In my course, we spend
considerable energy thinking about the rhetoric of a given comedic text and simultaneously consider
its politics. A key concept in my class is how comedy elucidates and often critiques stereotypes. For
example, my class and I have been investigating the ways in which media discourses devalue and
limit female politicians. We consider this by examining Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s impersonations
of Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton, respectively. We both deconstruct the political assumptions in
the sketch while also noting its rhetorical features, and how it seeks to engage with an audience.
One strategy I use with my students when dealing with a text is “notice-and-focus,” a type of close
reading practice that forces my students to take extremely detailed notes over a video, story, or
article. I emphasize that writing down anything they observe is completely valid, and paying
attention to seemingly insignificant details can nuance their analyses in interesting and often
unexpected ways. Through this simple practice, my students are positioned to make intelligent and
nuanced claims about a text, and countless times they’ve taught me new ways of interpreting. In this
way, my courses prompt rhetorical analysis while also questioning my students’ own assumptions
and presuppositions about race, gender, class, and sexuality. Through these examinations, I hope to
foster in my students an embrace for difference that results in a greater awareness of and empathy
for others, to instill in them a desire for intellectual inquiry, and finally to develop a heightened
consciousness of the societal issues that they are a part of.
Because my students’ intellectual growth is enhanced with a strong emphasis on composition, I
strive to incorporate various writing assignments and composition tutorials into my daily lesson
plans. I spend considerable time modeling good writing practices to my students and, in turn,
allowing them to practice these skills. Pedagogically, I capitalize on a combination of lecture, class
discussion, and individual guidance. Lectures prompt fruitful class discussions of texts by providing
contextual material that allows for students to engage in the material. Since I view class as a
collaborative space, discussions also provide students the opportunity to practice articulating and
refining their ideas in a safe, public environment. I also scaffold my assignments, meaning that my
students understand that every assignment is directed towards a culminating, thesis-driven paper that
thoroughly investigates an issue and also demonstrates their critical thinking and analytical skills.
For example, I assign my students an abstract assignment to help propel their thinking for their final

papers. This process also forces them to practice consolidating their argument into a few hundred
words or less, a crucial writing skill for their future graduate and professional lives. I have also
developed numerous heuristics, or in-class teaching models, that develop good writing habits. One
heuristic I find to be very successful is one on synthesis, the ability to place different articles and
sources “in conversation” with each other. Thus, students gain an awareness of writing as a social
act—that all writing and ideas stem from others’ ideas and thoughts. Additionally, students are
better able to see how different ideas from various articles intersect, parallel, and contradict each
other, and they are thus better positioned to formulate a thesis as a result. My courses and heurstics
also revise my students’ assumptions about writing by encouraging them to think of composition as
a practice of intellectual discovery rather than a static and facile presupposition. Through my
heuristic of “the evolving thesis,” my students begin to understand writing as a dynamic process that
unfolds over time, never completely perfect but always becoming more interesting and complex.
My classes tend to be very structured so that students feel guided and supported through every part
of the writing process. To ensure students have a clear understanding of class requirements, I
consider it helpful to provide an outline of objectives each class period, devoting attention to
potential issues on assignments, and giving helpful tips like annotation strategies or structuring an
argument. Furthermore, I aim to use a method of transparent assessment, which ensures that
students recognize my evaluative criteria. In addition, I value individual guidance. Before every
paper, I hold thirty-minute draft conferences with each of my students. I find these times to be
extremely productive because my students and I can address issues particular to their own writing
practices.
I aim to create an atmosphere where students develop intellectually, departing class well equipped to
utilize analytical skills that critically engage the world. To foster successfully this ethos of inquiry
and competence, I desire to provide a dependable structure within which students can grow in their
thinking. I provide students every possibility to succeed yet still maintain the high standards
necessary for optimal intellectual growth. In short, students should leave my classroom with a sense
of the beauty of writing, the ability to scrutinize texts thoughtfully, and the proficiency to participate
in discourse responsibly.

Matthew W. Chacko
Syracuse University
Curriculum Vitae
1402 Ivy Ridge Road Email: mwchacko@syr.edu
Apt. 12 Phone: (316) 706-7079
Syracuse, NY 13210
EDUCATION
M.A., English Literature (2014 to present)
Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
B.S., Biology; B.A., English
Minor in Chemistry
Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI
• Summa Cum Laude
• Senior Honors Thesis: “A Mathematical Model Describing the Dynamics of HIV Virions
and CD4+
T cells in the Human Immune System”
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Teaching Assistant (2014 to 2016)
Writing Program, Syracuse University
Writing Consultant (2015)
Writing Program, Syracuse University
Student Assistant (2013-2014)
J.N. Andrews Honors Program, Andrews University
Teaching Assistant, Foundations of Biology (2009-2013)
Department of Biology, Andrews University
Head Teaching Assistant, Systems Physiology (2012)
Department of Biology, Andrews University
Volunteer Instructor (2011-2012)
Mwami Adventist Hospital, Chipata, Zambia

MEMBERSHIPS
Beta Beta Beta
J.N. Andrews Honors Society
Phi Kappa Phi
Sigma Tau Delta
HONORS AND AWARDS
Teaching Assistantship (2014 to present)
Earhart Foundation Emerging Scholarship (2014)
Undergraduate Research Scholarships (2013)
Dorothy and Harold Heidtke Award (2013)
Flo Ryden Award (2011)
Dorothy and Harold Heidtke Award (2010)
National Science Foundation Grant (2010)
Flo Ryden Award (2009)
SCHOLARSHIP
Articles
“A Method for Predicting Harbor Seal (Phoca Vitulina) Haulout and Monitoring Long-term
Population Trends without Telemetry.” Natural Resource Modeling, Andrews University,
Berrien Springs, MI, 2013.
Conference Presentations
“Cavendish And…: Critical Receptions of ‘Mad Madge’ in the 17th
and 21st
Centuries and the
Problem of Historiography and Temporality.” Attending to Early Modern Women.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, June 2015. Organized with Lee Emrich and Samantha Snively.
“‘She has a hidden strength’: Virtue and Reason in Milton’s Comus.” Negotiations. Syracuse, NY,
April 2015.
“Theatrical and Empirical Identity in Coriolanus.” Sigma Tau Delta Convention. Savannah, Georgia,
February 2014.
Thesis Presentations
“A Mathematical Model Describing the Dynamics of HIV Virions and CD4+
T cells in
the Human Immune System.” Spring Honors Thesis Symposium, J.N. Andrews Honors
Program, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI, April 2013.

“A Mathematical Model Describing the Dynamics of HIV Virions and CD4+
T cells in
the Human Immune System.” Honors Scholars and Undergraduate Researchers Poster
Symposium, J.N. Andrews Honors Program, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI,
March 2013.
COURSES TAUGHT
WRT 205: Critical Research and Inquiry, Syracuse University
WRT 105: Practices of Academic Writing, Syracuse University
Anatomy and Physiology, Mwami Adventist Hospital School of Nursing
Introduction to Psychology, Mwami Adventist Hospital School of Nursing
SERVICE
Agenda Committee Representative, English Graduate Organization (2015-Present), Syracuse
University, NY
First-Year Representative, English Graduate Organization (2014-2015), Syracuse University,
NY
Arts & Entertainment Editor, The Student Movement (2013-2014), Andrews University, Berrien
Springs, MI
Treasurer, Nu Sigma (2013-2014), Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI
Volunteer Instructor (2011-2012), Mwami Adventist Hospital, Zambia
Andrews University Ambassador (2009-2011), Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI
Social Vice-President, Village Green Preservation Society (2009-2010), Andrews University, Berrien
Springs, MI
AUSA Senator (2009-2010), Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI

Matt Chacko
Teaching Observation
Observer: Dr. Jonna Gilfus, Senior Lecturer
As part of the teacher training team in the Writing Program, I have had the opportunity to visit
Matt’s classroom on two separate occasions. Matt is the kind of teacher who inspires students to be
their best. In both classes I visited, I was immediately impressed with the moves he made as a
teacher-- pedagogical choices and approaches that usually take a great deal of time and experience to
develop. He once told me that teaching was the best part of his day. “I love the planning, and get
excited about trying out the plans in class,” he told me. “I love the interaction with students, and
watching them learn.” Matt’s classroom is a space where students are encouraged to write, think, and
collaborate in meaningful ways. He creates a learning climate that feels inviting, but he does not miss
opportunities to challenge students to think more, to examine other views, and to expand their ideas.
One of the classes I observed was his WRT 105, a first-year required writing class that explored
literacy and its relationship to cultures and communities of writers. The class began at 8 a.m., and all
20 students were in attendance. The students in Matt’s class were just finishing up their first unit
projects—essays they had written that would be posted to their Expressions sites, along with an
accompanying podcast of their work.
The plan for the day was to peer workshop the students’ drafts. This kind of writing workshop is
common in many writing studios, and although the teacher is not the center of attention for this
kind of teaching, it takes very careful planning to make these workshops productive and useful for
students. The success of Matt’s class is a direct result of his interest and willingness to do the hard
work of carefully preparing and developing plans that create a climate and structure where students
take themselves and their writing seriously.
Matt started out by asking students about their experiences with the homework he had emailed
them—instructions for creating a site on SU’s Expressions. He answered questions and clarified the
reasons for using the public sites for the work. He carefully and explicitly connected the activities of
the class and their homework back to larger learning goals for the course.
Next, he asked students to talk about their experiences with peer review. Several students provided
feedback about the things that had worked and not worked for them in peer review in other classes,
which he noted in the board. They decided together on some of the practices that made for
productive peer review, creating a shared sense of ownership and responsibility for the process.
With Matt’s guidance, they developed three specific questions to center the peer review around.
These questions created a focus for the small group work. During the peer review, Matt circulated
from group to group, making suggestions and helping students think through the drafts they were
working on.
I sat in with one of the small groups. The feedback they provided for one another was really
thoughtful. All the writers and responders were prepared with drafts, and gave thorough attention to
the work of the other writers. For example, one student responded to his group member by
explaining that he liked how passionate the writer was about the subject, but suggested that the
writer might zoom in on one specific example and try for more analysis.

Near the end of class, Matt stopped to debrief, and asked several students to share their experiences
with class and the peer review. He reminded students about homework, and his availability during
office hours.
Matt Chacko’s enthusiasm and interest in both the subject matter and his students create a climate
where students take their writing seriously and show up to do work. Both of my observations were
in the morning, and both cases all students were present, prepared and enthusiastic about sharing
ideas and writing. He encourages them to take chances with new forms like the podcast, and by
making their writing public. Matt is a superb teacher, and his interest in feedback and willingness to
reflect on his teaching practices are the key to his continued success.

`

Summary of Teaching Experience
WRT 105: Practices of Academic Writing
As a first-year writing course, WRT 105 encourages student growth both compositionally and
rhetorically. It also introduces students to how writing is conducted in the academy, but the course
also pushes them to consider how writing plays a vital role in civic processes. To expand their
writing skillset, my students complete three major writing assignments over the course of the
semester, which are supplemented by smaller composition exercises. These exercises, I term
“inventions,” help students to synthesize arguments about the shared readings I assign for the class.
These inventions are timed, and students answer a prompt I give them in a thesis-based argument
that proves they have both read the reading and also forces them to develop their logic. These
invention exercises thus instill good writing habits that aid my students as they compose their larger
assignments, teaching them to be cognizant about an essay’s structure and logical coherence.
Another thing I strongly emphasize is reflection and metacognition in writing, and many of my
assignments help my students to think about their own processes as writers. Each major unit
assignment has a reflection component built in where students meditate over the unit’s major
concerns but also the choices they have made as writers. Overall, the course is broken down into
three units, each culminating with a large written assignment.
In the first unit, my students compose a “This I Believe” essay that promotes their abilities to reflect
on past experiences and synthesize a coherent narrative. In addition to promoting foundational
compositional skills, the first unit allows my students develop their rhetorical awareness—how good
writing is socially based and takes audience into account. I introduce my students to major
rhetorical concepts, and we practice identifying the rhetorical features in various written and visual
texts. My students thus become more rhetorically savvy and become more adept, skeptical, and
critical readers.
For the second unit, my students and I delve into expanding their analytical skills through the
medium of documentary film. Students choose a film and write a paper that demonstrates their
ability to think analytically. Class time is devoted to ensuring students gain a facility not only with
the language of film but also with how to conduct an in-depth and detailed-rich analysis of a text.
Class time is focused on getting students to articulate various details they notice in their films and
how to translate those details into an interesting, argument-driven paper.
The third unit builds on the skills developed in unit 2 by honing my students’ ability to construct a
persuasive argument but also by pushing them to think of writing as socially based. This unit
centers on issues of campus activism and politics. Because thesis-construction is a hallmark of this
unit, students learn how to search the archive in order to find articles and materials that will help
further their thinking and thus develop their arguments. Students learn that good writing does not
happen in a vacuum but is instead a product that happens through a dialogue with other writers.
Moreover, my classes engage in issues such as political correctness/free speech debates, sexual
assault on campuses, systemic racial inequity, etc. Thus, my students learn crucial primary and
secondary research skills, but they also learn how closely aligned writing is with politics. By thinking
about the issues that affect them on a daily basis, it is my hope that my students leave my class with
a sense of writing as a political activity crucial to civic life.

WRT 105: Practices of Academic Writing Instructor: Matthew W. Chacko
Course Description and Policy Office: HBC 018
Fall 2014 Office Hours: T, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
HL 215, MW, 8:00—9:20 a.m. Or by appointment
Office Telephone: 443-4951
Email: mwchacko@syr.edu
“O this learning, what a thing it is!”
–William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew
Required Texts
• Coxwell-Teague & Melzer, Everything’s a Text, 2011
• In addition to the required text (available at the SU Bookstore), be prepared to provide
copies of personal, written work for everyone in class (or for a peer-response group) at
various times in the semester.
Course Description and Rationale
WRT 105 introduces literacy and its relationship to cultures, communities, identities, ideologies,
technologies, and media. In this class, writing is both a subject of inquiry and the primary activity.
Therefore, we will practice and develop composition through writing, revising, editing, and reflecting
with the support of the instructor and peers. You will also engage critically with the opinions and
voices of others as you develop a greater understanding of how writing affects the individual and the
audience.
The course will engage you in analysis and argument, practices that carry across academic
disciplinary lines and into professional and civic writing. These interdependent practices are
fundamental to the work you will do at Syracuse University and in your careers and civic life.
Analysis, as Rosenwasser and Stephen claim in Writing Analytically 7th
edition, “is a form of detective
work that typically pursues something puzzling, something you are seeking to understand rather than
something you believe you already have the answers to. Analysis finds questions where there seemed
not to be any, and it makes connections that might not have been evident at first. Analysis is, then,
more than just a set of skills: it is a frame of mind, an attitude toward experience” (2-3). We practice
analysis on a daily basis. It occurs when discussing with a friend to get another perspective on why
Spain performed so poorly in the 2014 World Cup, when reading on the recent conflict in Iraq in
order to discuss it more confidently in a global politics class, when watching and re-watching a film
in order to discern how it works on a visual level, or when reviewing a sampling of personal writing
in order to see and make sense of the patterns in the work.
In addition to practicing analysis, this course concentrates on developing argument. Argument
involves inquiry and analysis, and engages others in ongoing conversations about topics of common
concern. Evidence for your arguments comes from analysis, from discussion with others, from your
personal experience, and from research. Additionally, arguments are situational. That is, they look,

sound, and persuade differently depending on audience, purpose, genre and context.1
In addition to being
persuasive, arguments can be a means of sharing information, posing important questions, or even
raising consciousness about issues.
Course Goals for WRT 105
• Writing as a Situated Process
Students practice a range of invention and revision strategies appropriate to various writing
situations.
• Writing with Sources
Students are introduced to primary and secondary research, utilize various library resources, evaluate
sources, and synthesize and apply research in accordance with citation principles, genre conventions,
and ethical standards.
• Writing as Rhetorical Action
Students gain knowledge of rhetorical principles and practice addressing different audiences and
situations.
• Writing as Academic Practice
Students build familiarity with values, strategies, and conventions related to a range of academic
contexts and disciplinary conversations.
• Writing as Social Practice
Students analyze, reflect on, and practice the dynamic use of language in diverse contexts and
recognize issues of power, difference, and materiality.
Coursework
You will devote time, thought, and energy to a variety of informal and formal reading and writing
practices. During the course, you might be asked to annotate readings, keep a record of ideas and
responses, jot down observations, take notes on class discussions, experiment with different styles
and organizational choices, and engage in a variety of drafting and revision activities. All these
activities are important and will encourage your development and success as academic writers, as
well as impact your final grade.
As shown in the grade breakdown below, your final grade comes from not only the formal
assignments, but also the invention work and reflective writing produced in each unit. I will collect
this invention work on a regular basis. Credit will not be given for incomplete or late work.
Furthermore, the work should be referenced in your reflective writing at the end of each unit and
easily accessible to me as a submission on Blackboard.
A note about the importance of keeping up with reading assignments: writing well depends upon
reading well. The course texts will provide you with ideas and arguments, concepts and key terms.
They will prompt thought as you agree with, disagree with, or qualify those ideas. The readings
enlarge the context for our class discussion and illustrate the choices other writers make as they
compose. Writing and reading are interdependent practices, and you will move between the two
regularly throughout the course.!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1!These are concepts we will explore together throughout the course.!

Feedback and Grading
You will receive many different kinds of feedback during this course. Some will come from fellow
students, and some will come from me. Both are important; they tell you in various ways how your
readers are responding to your writing. This feedback will also help you learn how to assess your
own work.
There are three units in the course. Each will lead toward a piece of revised, polished writing as well
as a collection of informal work and critical reflection.
Unit 1: Literacy Genres and Practices 20% polished work and invention work/10% reflection
Unit 2: Literacy and Analysis 25% polished work and invention work/10% reflection
Unit 3: Literacy and Argument 25% polished work and invention work/10% reflection
Course Policies
Writing studios are courses in language learning, and language is learned in communities. Therefore,
your attendance and participation in the classroom learning community is essential. Absences and
lack of preparation for class will affect both your classmates’ work and your own. The in-class work
and work prepared for each class are both as important as any polished assignment turned in for a
grade. Additionally, each unit calendar is only a projection and may be subject to occasional changes
and revisions as seems appropriate, necessary, or just interesting. That is another reason why your
attendance is vital.
If you must miss a class, you are responsible for the work assigned. However, please realize that
class time cannot be reconstructed or made up, and that your performance, work, and final course
grade are affected by absences. If you are absent, you are responsible for any missed work and for
attending to any modifications of the syllabus and/or assignments. If you miss six classes (three
weeks) you will fail the course, so please attend class, complete the work, learn a lot, and make this
class a meaningful experience.
Student Writing
All texts written in this course are generally public, and you may be asked to share them with a peer,
the class, or with me during classroom activities or for homework. You will also be asked to
consider signing a consent form requesting the use of your writing for professional development,
teacher training, and classroom instruction within the Syracuse University Writing Program.
Writing for Class on Varied Media
Please remember that any composing done for the course, regardless of the medium, falls under the
Code of Student Conduct. For instance, if you are writing on Blackboard or on a website or blog
created for the course, the guidelines concerning harassment, threats, academic dishonesty, etc. still
apply. Please behave responsibly, respectfully, and with integrity in all your writings for this class,
regardless of location and medium of composition.

Blackboard
Our course is loaded on Blackboard, a University on-line teaching support system. I will teach you
how to access our section of WRT 105 on Blackboard and will then expect you to locate, download,
and link to a range of course materials with some regularity throughout the semester. I will also
contact you regularly via the Blackboard course listserv, which has already been created using each
student’s “syr” email address. Please check your syr account at least once daily throughout the fall.
The url for blackboard is: http://blackboard.syr.edu. Once you access the main page, you will be
asked for your user ID and password.
Once a student registers for a course that uses Blackboard, a student account is set up for
them, and they are automatically enrolled in the appropriate course(s). Users login to
Blackboard using their NetID and password. Your NetID is the portion of your SU email
that appears before the “@syr.edu”. Your NetID password is also your Blackboard
password. If you do not know what your NetID and password are, visit the ITS
website at http://its.syr.edu/netid/to obtain this information. You can also obtain this
information by calling 443-2677, or by going to the Student Computing Support Center in
your dormitory.
Special Needs and Situations
If you believe you need accommodations for a disability, please contact the Office of
Disability Services (ODS) at http://disabilityservices.syr.edu, located in Room 309 of 804 University
Avenue, or call (315) 443-4498 for an appointment to discuss your needs and for beginning
accommodations. ODS is responsible for coordinating disability-related accommodations and will
issue students with documented disabilities Accommodation Authorization Letters as appropriate.
Since accommodations may require early planning and generally are not provided retroactively,
please contact ODS as soon as possible.
Syracuse University and I are committed to your success and to supporting Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In general, this means that no individual who is otherwise qualified
shall be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination
under any program or activity solely by reason of having a disability.
You are also welcome to contact me privately to discuss your academic needs, although I cannot
arrange for disability-related accommodations.
Computer Use
We will also be using email for contact outside class. Use email to contact me about your
coursework, to schedule an appointment with me outside class, or to ask a question. Additionally, I
urge you to save your work frequently, always make backup copies, and plan your projects with extra
time allowed for those inevitable glitches.
The Writing Center
Experienced writing consultants at the Writing Center (101 HB Crouse Hall, on the Quad) teach you
how to succeed on individual assignments and ultimately become a better writer. They’re prepared
to work one-on-one with you at any stage of your writing and with any kind of writing you’re

attempting while attending SU. Whether you need help understanding an assignment, brainstorming
ideas, revising subsequent drafts, or developing editing strategies, face-to-face and online
appointments are available for 25- or 50-minute sessions throughout the semester and can be
reserved up to seven days in advance via their online scheduling program, WCOnline. In addition,
drop-in appointments are welcome Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and
brief concerns or questions can be emailed to consultants via the eWC. For more information on
hours, location, and services, please visit http://wc.syr.edu. This is a free resource to all students
and highly recommended for every assignment you work on in this class.
Academic Integrity
All writing submitted for this course is understood to be your original work. In cases where
academic dishonesty is detected (the fraudulent submission of another’s work, in whole or part, as
your own), you may be subject to a failing grade for the project or the course, and in the worst case,
to academic probation or expulsion. For a more detailed description of the guidelines for adhering
to academic integrity in the College of Arts and Sciences, visit: http://academicintegrity.syr.edu.
Religious Observances
SU’s religious observances policy, found at
http://supolicies.syr.edu/emp_ben/religious_observance.htm, recognizes the diversity of faiths
represented among the campus community and protects the rights of students, faculty, and staff to
observe religious holy days according to their tradition. Under the policy, students are provided an
opportunity to make up any examination, study, or work requirements that may be missed due to a
religious observance provided they notify their instructors before the end of the second week of
classes. For fall and spring semesters, an online notification process is available through
“MySlice/Student Services/Enrollment/My Religious Observances” from the first day of class until
the end of the second week of class.
!
!
WRT 105: Unit 1 Calendar—21st
Century Literacies: Genres and Practices
Melzer and Coxwell-Teague’s Everything’s a Text = EaT
Writing Analytically, 7th ed. excerpts = WA
Date Homework (due the following class)
WEEK
ONE:
Mon, 25 Aug.
Read chapters 1 and 2 in EaT and excerpt from WA (p. 1-6) on Bb.
Respond to the following prompt and post to the Bb thread (make sure to read the excerpt from WA before
you do this response):
Write two paragraphs and post to the Bb discussion thread: explore some of the new ideas about literacy/ies
that circulate in the first two chapters of EaT. Imagine your classmates, as opposed to your teacher, as your
audience. That is, rather than rehashing or regurgitating what’s in the chapters for the sake of demonstrating
that you did the reading, prepare to join a class conversation and contribute some new thoughts about
literacies. Try to build into your response examples and analysis of multiple literacies from your own
experiences.
Then read p. 14-25 in WA (on Bb).

Wed, 27 Aug. Do quick and dirty research on poet/activist/scholar June Jordan (not basketball player June Jordan). Keep
track of what you find, including urls of websites since we will be discussing your findings in class.
Read and annotate June Jordan’s “Nobody Mean More to Me Than You and the Future Life of Willie
Jordan” (on Bb).
Write and post to the Bb thread a thick paragraph reflecting on your pre-reading, reading, and post-reading
processes (following the guidelines in chapter 2 of EaT). Then write a thick paragraph thinking about how
Jordan’s essay complicates our understanding of purpose, audience, persona and genre.
Read and annotate Crawford Kilian’s “Effective Web Writing” (pp286-292 in EaT) and Meg Hourihan’s
“What We’re Doing When We Blog” (pp 293-297 in EaT) plus the following article from the blog of
Comp/Rhet scholar Alex Reid (SUNY Albany)
http://alex-reid.net/2009/09/introducing-composition-students-to-blogging.html
WEEK
TWO:
Mon, 1 Sep.
Labor Day—No Class! Huzzah!
Wed, 3 Sep. Read through your classmates’ posts on June Jordan, and be ready to share your favorite bits in class.
Get your blog up and running enough and create a post on which you identify and analyze three mentor blogs.
WEEK
THREE:
Mon, 8 Sep.
Do quick and dirty research on “This I Believe.” What is it? What is its purpose? When did it originate?
Who gets to write and share? Keep track of results.
Listen to the NPR broadcast bringing an end to “This I Believe”:
http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=103412215&m=10350236
1&live=1
Post to the Bb discussion thread: What connections are you discerning between the Lynn Neary interview
with student writer Brighton Erly and college professor Kyle Dixon and TIB series curator and editor Jay
Allison and your understanding of the core literacy concepts circulating in EaT? Your post should be at least
400 words.
Wed, 10 Sep. Draft your own “This I Believe” essay. Shoot for two pages. Remember, it’s a draft, so be gentle and generous
with yourself; let the draft be as crappy and unsatisfying, and clunky and clumsy as it needs to be at this early
stage in the composing process.
WEEK
FOUR:
Mon, 15 Sep.
Revise your “This I Believe Essay” based on the feedback and discussion in class.
Prepare a list of questions/concerns about the essay for the class to consider and respond to. Post the list to
the Bb discussion thread.
Wed, 17 Sep. Finalize your essay. Compose your reflection.
WEEK
FIVE:
Mon, 22 Sep.
TBA
!
!
WRT 105: Unit 2 Calendar—Situating Visual Literacies
***Subscribe to Netflix for the duration of this unit

Mon,
22 Sept
Read Pages 209-218 (Intro and Zemliansky) and pages 244-250 (Sturken & Cartwright) in chapter 5 of EaT.
On the Bb discussion thread: Write a post in which you revise or expand your initial ideas about visual
literacy in light of our work in class and the two essays in Everything’s a Text. Work with a flashpoint or
flashpoints!
Watch the film trailers for the following films (Who Killed Vincent Chin, Let the Fire Burn, Incident at Oglala, Three
Broken Cameras, Paris is Burning) and give me a list of your top 3 films in class on Wednesday.
Review two handouts under the unit 2 tab on Bb: “Analytical Moves” (only pp 14-18) and “Viewing
Documentary Films” and make sure you have them available in class.
Finish your Unit 1 Reflection prompt.
Wed,
24 Sept
Read and annotate Mark Strand’s “The Loneliness Factor” (pp. 257-260 in EaT). [the three Hopper
paintings Strand analyzes are in the chapter 5 glossy insert]
Respond to questions #4 and #5 on page 261. Choose one of the responses and post it to the Bb discussion
thread.
Watch your assigned film, and take good notes being mindful of the visual literacy concepts we have
explored so far.
Sun,
28 Sept
Special Event: 7:00 pm in Kittredge Auditorium: Documentary Film Analysis Workshop
Mon,
29 Sept
Upload your film trailer to your blog and in the same post analyze the rhetorical structure of the trailer:
i.e. how does the trailer attempt to persuade its viewers to go see the film? How does the trailer address its
viewer? How is it arranged? How does the trailer condense the film in terms of story, genre, argument? What
does it appropriate directly from the film itself and how does it reframe those fragments in the new context of
the trailer?
What are you learning about the genre of the film trailer? What are the conventions of the film trailer?
Make sure to have the Analytical Moves pdf available in class on Wednesday.
Wed,
1 Oct.
Work on presentations for class.
Mon,
6 Oct.
Rd pp 26-33 (“the method”) in the Writing Analytically “Analytical Moves” handout (unit 2 tab on Bb)
Download the Film Review Data Sheet (unit 2 tab on Bb)
Go into Netflix (or any other film site with members’ reviews, like amazon, or imdb, etc), and read a sample
of lay reviews (shoot for five if they’re long, or ten if they’re short) of your film.
Keep track of the patterns, trends, and anomalies in the reviews on the data sheet
Go online and find two published reviews [written by professional film critics] of your film.
Write a Bb post attending to the qualities of film review as a genre: what are you noticing? Is there a
difference between the lay reviews and the professional critic reviews? In what ways (if at all) are the
reviewers paying attention to the visual qualities of the film?
Wed,
8 Oct.
Compose and post your film review to a website by Sunday.
Post the same review to your blog, and then do a second post analyzing your choices in the review based on
an awareness of audience, persona, and medium.
Come to class with a short list of potential foci to guide your sustained visual analysis of your film.
Bring your observation notes to class. (Not doing any of this)
Instead, read pages 147-178 in WA and come to class with a tentative thesis statement
Mon,
13 Oct.
Create a “zero” draft of your unit writing. Shoot for two pages (500 wds). As with your unit 1 assignment,
remember that it’s a draft, so be gentle and generous with yourself; let the draft be as crappy and unsatisfying
as it needs to be at this early stage in the composing process.
Wed,
15 Oct.
Revise your documentary film analysis based on the feedback and discussion in class.
Post your thesis to the Bb discussion thread. Respond to two classmates’ theses by class time.
Prepare a list of questions/concerns about the essay for the class to consider and respond to. Post the list to
the Bb discussion thread.
Mon,
20 Oct.
Continue revising your essay. Compose your reflection. Read the drafts of the people in your group in
preparation for the meetings on Wednesday and Friday.
Wed,
22 Oct.
Draft conferences with Matt
Fri,
24 Oct.
Draft conferences with Matt; finalize your essay and reflection.

Mon,
27 Oct.
Submit final essay and reflection.
WRT 105: Unit 3 Calendar—Campus Activism/Politics
Mon
27 Oct.
Read and annotate Hatch’s “Arguing in Communities” (pdf on Bb).
Then, do some QnD research to orient yourself to the issue of the closing of SU’s Advocacy Center.
Read Laura Cohen’s argument about the closing of SU’s Advocacy Center printed in the Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-cohen/syracuse-university-has-b_b_5668729.html
Respond to the following prompt and be prepared to write on this in class:
Use Hatch’s descriptions of ethos, pathos and logos (171-172) and the “Classical Appeals” handout (unit 3 tab
on Bb) to analyze Cohen’s argument. Comment, too, on Cohen’s persona, and the medium she chose for her
argument: given the situation, do you think her composing choices are effective?
Do some quick and dirty research to find an article or other source (any argument about campus sexual
assault—not just at SU and not just focused on the Advocacy Center) that presents another view and genre on
the issue presented by Cohen. Keep good track of how you went about your search (key words, etc). Bring
what you find to class, and be prepared to share what it seems to represent in the conversation.
Wed, Oct. 29 Read the articles below regarding the funding for SU’s Posse program being cut:
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/09/syracuse_university_minority_students_to_protest_schol
arship_cuts_other_issues.html
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/09/23/syracuse-u-curbs-work-program-help-urban-youth-
attend-college
Respond to the following prompt, using the advice from Hatch:
• Identify an issue or claim regarding SU’s Posse program’s funding being cut that you want to know
more about
• Identify stakeholders that discuss or care about this issue.
• Do some quick & dirty research to identify and record “sites” of this conversation. Try to find
examples from various stakeholders.
• Analyze and evaluate some of the various arguments being made about the issue, paying particular
attention to the context and rhetorical features of the arguments.
Post your work to the Bb discussion thread before class, and be prepared to present your work to the class.
Include a discussion of what attitudes or values you already hold regarding the issue, and why it might be
important to think about this.
Interview an upperclassman, a TA, a professor, and administrator about their awareness of SU campus
activism. Come to class with a list of topics.
Mon, Nov. 3 Finalize your decision about the campus activism issue you will work with. Complete the “Argument
Proposal” on Bb and post this to Bb. Be prepared to present your ideas to the class.
Wed, Nov. 5 Continue your search for sources, and finalize your choice of three secondary sources for the argument.
Choose these very carefully. They should provide you with varied and diverse perspectives, genres and
approaches.
Mon, Nov. 10 Complete the rhetorical outline and post this Bb.

Wed, Nov. 12 Create a “zero” draft of your unit writing. Shoot for two pages (500 wds). As with your unit 2 assignment,
as it needs to be at this early stage in the composing process.
Mon, Nov. 17 Draft Conferences
Wed, Nov. 19 Draft Conferences
Continue revising your essay. Compose your reflection.
Mon, Nov. 24
& Wed, Nov
26
Share your argument with 2-3 people from outside of the university, and make notes about their response.
Revise your argument blog post using the reader’s feedback.
Mon,
Dec. 1
Finalize your essay and reflection.
Wed, Dec. 3 TBA

WRT 105 (M021): Practices of Academic Writing
Course Description and Policy Instructor: Matthew W. Chacko
Fall 2015 Office: HBC 018
Sims Hall 241 Office Hours: M, 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
M,W,F 9:30-10:25 p.m. Or by appointment
Telephone: 316-706-7079 Email: mwchacko@syr.edu
“I shall detain you now no longer in the demonstration of what we should not do, but straight
conduct you to a hillside where I will point ye out the right path of a virtuous and noble education;
laborious indeed at the first ascent, but else so smooth, so green, so full of goodly prospect and
melodious sounds on every side that the harp of Orpheus was not more charming.”
–John Milton, “Of Education”
Required Texts
• Various pdfs will be available on Blackboard.
• In addition to the required text (available at the SU Bookstore), be prepared to provide
copies of personal, written work for everyone in class (or for a peer-response group) at
various times in the semester.
Course Description and Rationale
WRT 105 introduces literacy and its relationship to cultures, communities, identities, ideologies,
technologies, and media. In this class, writing is both a subject of inquiry and the primary activity.
Therefore, we will practice and develop composition through writing, revising, editing, and reflecting
with the support of the instructor and peers. You will also engage critically with the opinions and
voices of others as you develop a greater understanding of how writing affects the individual and
audience.
The course will engage you in analysis and argument, practices that carry across academic
disciplinary lines and into professional and political writing. These interdependent practices are
fundamental to the work you will do at Syracuse University, in your careers, and in your civic life.
Analysis, as Rosenwasser and Stephen claim in Writing Analytically 7th
edition, “is a form of detective
work that typically pursues something puzzling, something you are seeking to understand rather than
something you believe you already have the answers to. Analysis finds questions where there seemed
not to be any, and it makes connections that might not have been evident at first. Analysis is, then,
more than just a set of skills: it is a frame of mind, an attitude toward experience” (2-3). We practice
analysis on a daily basis. It occurs when discussing with a friend to get another perspective on why
Spain performed so poorly in the 2014 World Cup, when reading on the recent conflict in Iraq in
order to discuss it more confidently in a global politics class, when watching and re-watching a film
in order to discern how it works on a visual level, or when reviewing a sampling of personal writing
in order to see and make sense of the patterns in the work.
In addition to practicing analysis, this course concentrates on developing argument. Argument
involves inquiry and analysis, and engages others in ongoing conversations about topics of common

concern. Evidence for your arguments comes from analysis, from discussion with others, from your
personal experience, and from research. Additionally, arguments are situational. That is, they look,
sound, and persuade differently depending on audience, purpose, genre and context.2
In addition to being
persuasive, arguments can be a means of sharing information, posing important questions, or even
raising consciousness about issues.
Course Goals for WRT 105
• Writing as a Situated Process
Students practice a range of invention and revision strategies appropriate to various writing
situations.
• Writing with Sources
Students are introduced to primary and secondary research, utilize various library resources, evaluate
sources, and synthesize and apply research in accordance with citation principles, genre conventions,
and ethical standards.
• Writing as Rhetorical Action
Students gain knowledge of rhetorical principles and practice addressing different audiences and
situations.
• Writing as Academic Practice
Students build familiarity with values, strategies, and conventions related to a range of academic
contexts and disciplinary conversations.
• Writing as Social Practice
Students analyze, reflect on, and practice the dynamic use of language in diverse contexts and
recognize issues of power, difference, and materiality.
Coursework
You will devote time, thought, and energy to a variety of informal and formal reading and writing
practices. During the course, you might be asked to annotate readings, keep a record of ideas and
responses, jot down observations, take notes on class discussions, experiment with different styles
and organizational choices, and engage in a variety of drafting and revision activities. All these
activities are important and will encourage your development and success as academic writers, as
well as impact your final grade.
As shown in the grade breakdown below, your final grade comes from not only the formal
assignments, but also the invention work and reflective writing produced in each unit. I will collect
this invention work on a regular basis. Credit will not be given for incomplete or late work.
Furthermore, the work should be referenced in your reflective writing at the end of each unit and
easily accessible to me as a submission on Blackboard.
A note about the importance of keeping up with reading assignments: writing well depends upon
reading well. The course texts will provide you with ideas and arguments, concepts and key terms.
They will prompt thought as you agree with, disagree with, or qualify those ideas. The readings
enlarge the context for our class discussion and illustrate the choices other writers make as they
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2!These are concepts we will explore together throughout the course.!

compose. Writing and reading are interdependent practices, and you will move between the two
regularly throughout the course.!
Feedback and Grading
You will receive many different kinds of feedback during this course. Some will come from fellow
students, and some will come from me. Both are important; they tell you in various ways how your
readers are responding to your writing. This feedback will also help you learn how to assess your
own work.
There are three units in the course. Each will lead toward a piece of revised, polished writing as well
as a collection of informal work and critical reflection.
Unit 1: Literacy Genres and Practices 20% polished work and invention work/10% reflection
Unit 2: Literacy and Analysis 25% polished work and invention work/10% reflection
Unit 3: Literacy and Argument 25% polished work and invention work/10% reflection
Course Policies
Writing studios are courses in language learning, and language is learned in communities. Therefore,
your attendance and participation in the classroom learning community is essential. Absences and
lack of preparation for class will affect both your classmates’ work and your own. The in-class work
and work prepared for each class are both as important as any polished assignment turned in for a
grade. Additionally, each unit calendar is only a projection and may be subject to occasional changes
and revisions as seems appropriate, necessary, or just interesting. That is another reason why your
attendance is vital.
If you must miss a class, you are responsible for the work assigned. However, please realize that
class time cannot be reconstructed or made up, and that your performance, work, and final course
grade are affected by absences. If you are absent, you are responsible for any missed work and for
attending to any modifications of the syllabus and/or assignments. If you miss six classes (three weeks)
you will fail the course, so please attend class, complete the work, learn a lot, and make this class a meaningful
experience.
If you are unable to attend class for whatever reason, please send me an email informing me of your
absence before class.
Student Writing
All texts written in this course are generally public, and you may be asked to share them with a peer,
the class, or with me during classroom activities or for homework. You will also be asked to
consider signing a consent form requesting the use of your writing for professional development,
teacher training, and classroom instruction within the Syracuse University Writing Program.
Writing for Class on Varied Media
Please remember that any composing done for the course, regardless of the medium, falls under the

Code of Student Conduct. For instance, if you are writing on Blackboard or on a website or blog
created for the course, the guidelines concerning harassment, threats, academic dishonesty, etc. still
apply. Please behave responsibly, respectfully, and with integrity in all your writings for this class,
regardless of location and medium of composition.
Blackboard
Our course is loaded on Blackboard, a University on-line teaching support system. I will teach you
how to access our section of WRT 105 on Blackboard and will then expect you to locate, download,
and link to a range of course materials with some regularity throughout the semester. I will also
contact you regularly via the Blackboard course listserv, which has already been created using each
student’s “syr” email address. Please check your “syr” account at least once daily throughout the
fall. The url for blackboard is: http://blackboard.syr.edu. Once you access the main page, you will
be asked for your user ID and password.
Once a student registers for a course that uses Blackboard, a student account is set up for
them, and they are automatically enrolled in the appropriate course(s). Users login to
Blackboard using their NetID and password. Your NetID is the portion of your SU email
that appears before the “@syr.edu”. Your NetID password is also your Blackboard
password. If you do not know what your NetID and password are, visit the ITS
website at http://its.syr.edu/netid/to obtain this information. You can also obtain this
information by calling 443-2677, or by going to the Student Computing Support Center in
your dormitory.
Special Needs and Situations
If you believe you need accommodations for a disability, please contact the Office of
Disability Services (ODS) at http://disabilityservices.syr.edu, located in Room 309 of 804 University
Avenue, or call (315) 443-4498 for an appointment to discuss your needs and for beginning
accommodations. ODS is responsible for coordinating disability-related accommodations and will
issue students with documented disabilities Accommodation Authorization Letters as appropriate.
Since accommodations may require early planning and generally are not provided retroactively,
please contact ODS as soon as possible.
Syracuse University and I are committed to your success and to supporting Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In general, this means that no individual who is otherwise qualified
shall be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination
under any program or activity solely by reason of having a disability.
You are also welcome to contact me privately to discuss your academic needs, although I cannot
arrange for disability-related accommodations.
Computer Use
We will also be using email for contact outside class. Use email to contact me about your
coursework, to schedule an appointment with me outside class, or to ask a question. Additionally, I
urge you to save your work frequently, always make backup copies, and plan your projects with extra
time allowed for those inevitable glitches.

The Writing Center
Experienced writing consultants at the Writing Center (101 HB Crouse Hall, on the Quad) teach you
how to succeed on individual assignments and ultimately become a better writer. They’re prepared
to work one-on-one with you at any stage of your writing and with any kind of writing you’re
attempting while attending SU. Whether you need help understanding an assignment, brainstorming
ideas, revising subsequent drafts, or developing editing strategies, face-to-face and online
appointments are available for 25- or 50-minute sessions throughout the semester and can be
reserved up to seven days in advance via their online scheduling program, WCOnline. In addition,
drop-in appointments are welcome Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and
brief concerns or questions can be emailed to consultants via the eWC. For more information on
hours, location, and services, please visit http://wc.syr.edu. This is a free resource to all students
and highly recommended for every assignment you work on in this class.
Academic Integrity
All writing submitted for this course is understood to be your original work. In cases where
academic dishonesty is detected (the fraudulent submission of another’s work, in whole or part, as
your own), you may be subject to a failing grade for the project or the course, and in the worst case,
to academic probation or expulsion. For a more detailed description of the guidelines for adhering
to academic integrity in the College of Arts and Sciences, visit: http://academicintegrity.syr.edu.
Religious Observances
SU’s religious observances policy, found at
http://supolicies.syr.edu/emp_ben/religious_observance.htm, recognizes the diversity of faiths
represented among the campus community and protects the rights of students, faculty, and staff to
observe religious holy days according to their tradition. Under the policy, students are provided an
opportunity to make up any examination, study, or work requirements that may be missed due to a
religious observance provided they notify their instructors before the end of the second week of
classes. For fall and spring semesters, an online notification process is available through
“MySlice/Student Services/Enrollment/My Religious Observances” from the first day of class until
the end of the second week of class.
WRT 105: Unit 1 Calendar—21st
Melzer and Coxwell-Teague’s Everything’s a Text = EaT
Writing Analytically, 7th ed. excerpts = WA
WEEK ONE:
Mon, 31 Aug.
Read chapter 1 in EaT and excerpt from WA (p. 1-6) on Bb.

Wed, 2 Sep. Read chapter 2 in EaT and pages 14-25 in WA (On Bb)
Come prepared to write the following prompt:
“Explore some of the new ideas about literacy/ies that circulate in the first two chapters of EaT. Imagine
your classmates, as opposed to your teacher, as your audience. That is, rather than rehashing or regurgitating
what’s in the chapters for the sake of demonstrating that you did the reading, prepare to join a class
conversation and contribute some new thoughts about literacies. Try to build into your response examples
and analysis of multiple literacies from your own experiences.”
Fri, 4 Sep. Do quick and dirty research on “This I Believe.” What is it? What is its purpose? When did it originate?
Who gets to write and share? Keep track of results.
Listen to the NPR broadcast bringing an end to “This I Believe”:
http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=103412215&m=10350236
1&live=1
Come prepared to write the following prompt:
“What connections are you discerning between the Lynn Neary interview with student writer Brighton Erly
and college professor Kyle Dixon and TIB series curator and editor Jay Allison and your understanding of the
core literacy concepts circulating in EaT?”
WEEK TWO:
Mon, 7 Sep.
Labor Day—No Class! Huzzah!
Wed, 9 Sep. Do quick and dirty research on poet/activist/scholar June Jordan (not basketball player June Jordan). Keep
track of what you find, including urls of websites since we will be discussing your findings in class.
Read and annotate June Jordan’s “Nobody Mean More to Me Than You and the Future Life of Willie
Jordan” (on Bb).
Fri, 11 Sep. Draft your own “This I Believe” essay. Shoot for two pages. Remember, it’s a draft, so be gentle and generous
with yourself; let the draft be as crappy and unsatisfying, and clunky and clumsy as it needs to be at this early
stage in the composing process.
WEEK
THREE:
Mon, 14 Sep.
Revise your “This I Believe Essay” based on the feedback and discussion in class.
Listen to and read the following “TIB” essays:
• http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101469307
• http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=103412215&m=
103502361&live=1
• http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97849881
As you listen and read, write down some of the conventions you’re noticing in the “TIB” essay genre. What
are things you’re noticing that are similar in each of the essays? What are the authors doing that qualifies each
of these essays as a “This I Believe” essay? Come prepared to talk about this in class.
Wed, 16 Sep. Continue revising your “This I Believe Essay” based on the feedback and discussion in class.
Fri, 18 Sep. Revise your “This I Believe Essay” based on the feedback and discussion in class. Write a complete draft of
your essay for the draft conferences next week.
WEEK
FOUR:
Mon, 21 Sep.
Draft Conferences
Revise your “This I Believe Essay” based on the feedback from the conference
Wed, 23 Sep. Draft Conferences
Revise your “This I Believe Essay” based on the feedback from the conference
Fri, 25 Sep. Turn in your “This I Believe Essay”
!
!

WRT 105: Unit 2 Calendar—Situating Visual Literacies
Mon,
28 Sept
Read and annotate pages 14-26 in Writing Analytically. Bring your annotated reading to class on Wednesday.
Watch the trailers for the following films:
• Paris is Burning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz5q1_ni8pA
• Nostalgia for the Light: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok7f4MLL-Hk
• Miss Representation: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1784538/
• Last Train Home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N6vDotVNDo
Wed,
30 Sept
Read Pages 209-218 (Intro and Zemliansky) and pages 244-250 (Sturken & Cartwright) in chapter 5 of EaT.
Review the handout “Viewing Documentary Films” and bring it to class.
Fri,
2 Oct
Read and annotate Mark Strand’s “The Loneliness Factor” (pp. 257-260 in EaT). [the three Hopper paintings
Strand analyzes are in the chapter 5 glossy insert]
Choose to respond to either question #4 or #5 on page 261 and an in-class invention.
Watch your assigned film, and take good notes being mindful of the visual literacy concepts we have explored
so far.
Mon,
5 Oct.
Find, read, and annotate three reviews of your film. Bring these in hardcopy to class. Consider the genre of
the film review. What are some of the commonalities that you’re noticing across each of the reviews? How do
the reviews help you understand your film better?
Wed,
7 Oct.
Come prepared to answer this invention prompt: “Analyze the rhetorical structure of the trailer of your
film: i.e. how does the trailer attempt to persuade its viewers to go see the film? How does the trailer address
its viewer? How is it arranged? How does the trailer condense the film in terms of story, genre, argument?
What does it appropriate directly from the film itself and how does it reframe those fragments in the new
context of the trailer?”
Make sure to have the “Writing Analytically_p.14-25” pdf available in class on Wednesday.
Fri,
9 Oct.
Rd pp 26-33 (“the method”) in the Writing Analytically “Analytical Moves” handout (unit 2 tab on Bb).
(Extra Credit: 5 points): Write down a list of things you’re noticing from your film. Then identify a subject,
issue, scene, or sequence that you find interesting or strange. Write down at least 30 details down from your
film. Please bring your findings to class on Monday.
Mon,
12 Oct.
Read pages 147-178 in WA and come to class with a tentative thesis statement.
Wed,
14 Oct.
Revise your thesis statement based on the feedback you received from class.
Fri,
16 Oct.
Create a “zero” draft of your unit writing. Shoot for two pages (500 wds). As with your unit 1 assignment,
as it needs to be at this early stage in the composing process. Revise your documentary film analysis based on
the feedback and discussion in class.
Mon,
19 Oct.
Continue revising your essay.
Wed,
21 Oct.
Fri,
23 Oct.
Draft conferences
Mon,
26 Oct.
Draft conferences
Wed,
28 Oct.
Draft conferences; finalize your essay and reflection.
Fri,
30 Oct.
Submit final essay.

WRT 105: Unit 3 Calendar—Campus Action/Activism
Mon.,
2 Nov.
Read and annotate Hatch’s “Evaluating Arguments” (pdf on Bb).
Then, do some research and generate a list of various debates that are occurring on campuses currently or have
occurred recently. These debates can be happening on SU’s campus or on other campuses. Bring a list of at
least 3 debates. For each debate, provide at least 3 sentences briefly outlining what the debates are about and
what the sides of the debates entail. Who is debating and why do these debates matter.
Wed.,
4 Nov.
Read Laura Cohen’s argument about the closing of SU’s Advocacy Center printed in the Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-cohen/syracuse-university-has-b_b_5668729.html
Respond to the following prompt and be prepared to write on this in class for an invention on Friday:
“Use Hatch’s descriptions of ethos, pathos and logos (171-172) and the ‘Classical Appeals’ handout (unit 3 tab
on Bb) to analyze Cohen’s argument. Comment, too, on Cohen’s persona, and the medium she chose for her
argument: given the situation, do you think her composing choices are effective?”
Do some quick and dirty research to find an article or other source (any argument about campus sexual
assault—not just at SU and not just focused on the Advocacy Center) that presents another view and genre on
the issue presented by Cohen. Keep good track of how you went about your search (key words, etc). Bring
what you find to class, and be prepared to share what it seems to represent in the conversation.
Friday,
6 Nov.
Read the articles below regarding the funding for SU’s Posse program being cut:
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/09/syracuse_university_minority_students_to_protest_schol
arship_cuts_other_issues.html
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/09/23/syracuse-u-curbs-work-program-help-urban-youth-
attend-college
Additionally, bring 3 potential topics you may want to write your final paper on.
Mon.,
9 Nov.
Read “The Coddling of the American Mind”: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/09/the-
coddling-of-the-american-mind/399356/
Come prepared to write an invention on Wednesday.
Wed.,
11 Nov.
Read the article “The Role of Research” on Blackboard.
Friday, 13 Nov. Read the article “Seems to be about X…” on Blackboard
Mon.,
16 Nov.
Finalize your decision about the campus activism issue you will work with. Complete the “Argument
Proposal” on Bb and turn this in next class. Be prepared to present your ideas to the class.
Wed.,
18 Nov.
Continue your search for sources, and finalize your choice of three secondary sources for the argument.
Choose these very carefully. They should provide you with varied and diverse perspectives, genres and
approaches.
Come prepared to write an invention on Friday.
Friday, 20 Nov. Compose a complete draft for the upcoming draft conferences!
23, 25, 27 Nov. No Class! Thanksgiving Break! Woohoo!
Mon.,
30 Nov.
Draft Conferences
Wed,
2 Dec.
Draft Conferences
Friday,
4 Dec.
Draft Conferences
Mon,
7 Dec.
Peer Review Day.
Wed,
9 Dec.
Essay due. I wish you the best on your final exams, and have a wonderful winter break! You all deserve
it!

WRT 105
Fall 2014
Unit 1 Overview
21st
“All acts of literacy are situated—they are constructed by the specific situation you
find yourself in as a reader or composer.”
— Coxwell-Teague & Melzer, Everything’s a Text (3)
“You have to consider others when writing— your ideas, their ideas, and why you
are writing about your topic.”
—Syracuse University WRT 105 student
In Unit 1 we will:
" Explore how reading and composing are always situated
" Engage with the concept of genre by analyzing, composing, and complicating genres
" Engage with multimodal composing
" Draft, revise, polish, and post a piece of writing in the form a “This I Believe” essay
" Reflect on the composing and reading processes
Genres circulate all around us. They categorize types of communication (a scholarly article, a
newspaper editorial, or a personal blog post), they help us anticipate what we’re about to engage
with as readers or viewers (a romantic comedy, a slasher film, or a documentary), they provide us
with guidance and expectations when we embark on the work of composing (a lab report, a research
profile of a scientist, or a poem about nature). Genres are also subject to change, as the values of
communities shift, as new technologies come into being, and as composers experiment and
innovate. Hybrid genres arise, for example, when composers borrow qualities and characteristics
from multiple genres and blend them together. Such a text might surprise or startle readers, but if
done well—that is, thoughtfully, strategically, and rhetorically—the results can be very effective and
pleasing. So in essence, genres both constrain and enable composers.
We’re going to examine and analyze a few different genres in this unit, and draft, revise, polish and
post to a blog one particular composition. The goal of the unit is not to become an expert
writer of one genre (nor an expert blogger), but to develop awareness and flexibility as writers
across genres and across modalities.
Much of the writing in the unit will be informal writing—that is, writing for the purposes of
learning, exploring, testing, practicing, reflecting, and engaging more deeply with readings. I call this
invention work. The invention work is crucial to the unit and the course as a whole, and as such it
carries real weight in the course.
The polished “This I Believe” blog post and your invention work are together worth 20% of
your final grade. Your reflection is worth 10% of your final grade.
All work is due on Monday, 22 September.

WRT 105
Fall 2014
Unit 2 Overview
Situating Visual Literacies
“We must recognize that visual images do not simply represent ‘objective reality,’ but rather tell
stories and advance arguments, points of view, and agendas…We must recognize the power of
visual compositions to influence the thinking, behavior, and decision making of individuals, groups,
and whole societies.”
—Zemliansky in Everything’s a Text, 218
“Documentaries offer the sensuous experience of sounds and images organized to move us: they
activate feelings and emotions; they tap into values and beliefs, and, in doing so possess an
expressive value that equals or exceeds the printed word.”
—Nichols, Introduction to Documentary, 100
The Writing Situation
This unit is largely about disrupting the habit of naturalizing visual representations. Images make
arguments, sometimes explicitly but more often than not implicitly as well. And it’s not simply the
decisions made by legions of photographers, designers, advertisers, and editors that shape the way those
arguments are understood; the social, political, and cultural contexts in which those images are produced
and consumed also influences the way we make meaning of those images and arguments.
Over the next few weeks we will spend time analyzing documentary films as visual arguments and
considering the rhetorical choices made by their creators, and the intentional and unintentional
consequences those images have for their respective audiences and the society at large. We will raise
questions and make analytical claims about the implications of the films and their visual
representations—all in the hopes of “seeing” them more clearly.
You will choose one film to analyze, and your analysis will be enhanced by attending to the following:
• Provide specific context for the Film. Review p. 22-26 in Everything’s a Text and do some quick and
dirty research to discover when the film was released, what was happening in the country at the
time, any other films the director has made, and other relevant contextual information.
• Go Small. You cannot do justice to the scope and complexity of the entire film in one short-ish
essay, so zero in on one scene, or select a specific visual pattern to analyze. We will use the
concepts of “pan, track, and zoom” from Writing Analytically to help us narrow the focus of our
analyses.
• Attend Closely to Purpose, and to how the film persuades viewers. Think, for example, about the ways the
film adheres to generic conventions and also the ways it subverts conventions.
!
There are a few things you’ll be expected to include in your essay:
• Thoughtful, in-depth analysis of a select scene from your film or of a particular visual pattern in
your film.
• Explicit claims about what you are noticing—interpretations developed through your analysis.
• A clear sense of purpose for the writing that takes into account what’s at stake and the “so
what?” question a reader is likely to have.

• Integration and synthesis of at least one of the readings we worked on together in the unit.
• Attention to style and arrangement of words, images, and ideas that invites your audience to see
something new through your analysis.
• A reflective memo describing the choices you made and your process as a writer.
Your audience for this writing is your fellow students and others interested in visual literacy. For
example, you might think of this writing as something that could be submitted to our own Syracuse
University undergraduate journal, Intertext ( http://wrt-intertext.syr.edu ), or an undergrad journal
more specifically examining these issues, such as Film Matters
(http://www.filmmattersmagazine.com/).
Your essay is due in hardcopy on Friday, 30 October. You will submit a hard copy of the essay.

WRT 105
Fall 2014
Unit 3 Overview
Arguing in Communities: Campus Activism/Politics
In unit 2 we analyzed literacies and made interpretive claims based on our examination of specific
sites and texts. In unit 3 we will shift gears and practice strategically employing literacies by composing
arguments for specific audiences and situations.
Even though you are new to the academy, you likely have already been exposed to a range of
arguments in a range of disciplines; it’s also likely that you already recognize that academic
arguments look and sound different depending on the discipline within which they arise and on the
writer’s purpose and audience. Writing in and for the academy regularly involves “problem-posing,”
a concept Composition and Rhetoric scholar Fiona Glade borrows from Paulo Freire. “Problem-
posing,” writes Glade,
is particularly useful in helping us learn about the academic discourse communities in
which we’ll participate throughout our college careers because it provides a way to
help us read those communities. Different fields of study use writing differently. As
context differs, so do genre, medium, and other rhetorical concerns.
(“Writing Across the University: Academic Discourse as a
Conversation” in Everything’s a Text 403)
In this final unit of the course you are going to compose an argument that draws on some of the
conventions of academic writing in the humanities, a broad disciplinary community that we will
explore together. However, you are going to blur the boundaries of the academic and the public to
create a hybrid argument—one that satisfies the expectations of an academic audience but also
addresses a public audience.
Your central purpose in the essay you write for unit 3 will be to persuade your audience to adopt the
position that you recommend—a position you come to after involving yourself in all sorts of
invention activities: reading, researching, brainstorming, talking, etc.
To prepare for this task, you will identify a political, social, or popular controversy that is somehow
connected to or invested with questions of Campus Activism/Politics, and then spend some time
listening in on and analyzing the arguments that are embedded in the debate. Who is saying what?
What positions are the various participants taking? What are the ethical and social consequences of
those positions? What is the history of this issue? What kinds of arguments are being constructed
for what kinds of audiences? What seems to influence who takes what position? Which positions
seem to have the most credible arguments? Which positions seem to have the most power? You are
going to, more or less, map out the opinions and implications surrounding your issue as you prepare
to develop your own claims and firm up your own position.
As in the previous units, there is no predetermined formula to follow or structure to imitate as you
attempt to organize your essay, but your writing and critical thinking are bound to be more
successful if you adhere to the following principles and practices:

• Make the purpose and objective of your argument explicit—what is it that you are
attempting to persuade audience/s to think, believe or do?
• Contextualize the debate and analyze the various perspectives within that debate, and be
ready to engage with the arguments of important stakeholders and participants.
• Demonstrate that you understand what your audience/s believe or assume about the issue
you are focusing on and about the connected issues and debates. To this end, use rhetorical
appeals and strategies appropriate for your rhetorical situation and anticipate counter-
arguments.
Thinking about methods and materials …
• Work toward an argumentative thesis that takes a position within the debate but that goes
beyond a simple pro/con stance to provide a more complicated and nuanced perspective.
• Draw on a small range of sources (secondary and primary). Select texts that push your
thinking in new directions, and that will play a role in the rhetorical effectiveness of your
argument.
• Develop good reasons and a range of evidence (concrete examples, facts, statistics,
anecdotes, supporting texts and authorities, interviews, observations, visuals, etc.) to support
your claims
• Make careful decisions about arrangement and organization (including where and how to
incorporate media).
The argument should be 6-8 pages long and is due, along with your final reflection, on 1 December.
!
!
!
!

Monday, 15 September 2014
Day 5
Objective: To peer review TIB essays.
5 min: Arrange desks and take attendance
• Announce the following:
o Instructions for creating and uploading a podcast are on Blackboard under Unit One
materials.
o Final TIB essays due next Monday, 22 September by 8:00 am (I want a hard copy
with all the peer review papers attached to it as well as the finished blog with
podcast)
o Show class the proto-rubric
5 min: Ask students about their prior experiences with peer review. What has been most
useful/helpful? What kinds of pitfalls have they experienced in the process? As students share their
experiences, note the practices that were most helpful and benefited them as writers, and which were
less helpful. Emphasize that peer review is not about being the teacher or “fixing” someone else’s
writing, but rather providing a reader’s perspective on the writing. As readers, they can offer one
reader’s view to help the writer. Explain that the first time we do this, it may require a little set-up,
but I’d like for them to try out the process.
• Hand out Peer Review worksheet
5 min: (Have students write on worksheet their feedback.) Before beginning the peer review, what
are specific things in your draft are you pleased with so far? Additionally, what are a few concerns
you have for your draft? Are you satisfied with or have concerns with the narrative structure, the
logical sequence, your thesis statement, etc.? Be as specific as possible. For example, rather than
just saying you are concerned about the “flow”, try to describe what you mean specifically by this.
Are there moments where your draft makes less sense to your audience? Are you worried whether
the persona you offer works? Do you feel the piece would be interesting to your audience? Is there a
section or sentence you really love, and definitely want to keep? Please share with your group.
3 min: Count off by 5’s (form groups of 4). Find your group and re-introduce yourselves.
60 min: Each writer gets 15 minutes of the groups’ attention. Keep time!!
• Each writer should begin by telling the rest of the group about what they are pleased about,
and what their concerns are (using the writing they did). Ask the group to help with a couple
of specific things. Students should tell some of the things they wrote on the worksheet.
• Next, each writer reads their piece aloud to the group. (Note that it may feel awkward doing
this, but it’s actually a really great way to hear new things in your writing). The writer should
keep a pen in hand as he/she reads. Make note of places that you want to return to (a typo,
or awkward sentence, a place where you skipped something).
• After the author finishes her/his paper, the group members should fill out the rest of the
worksheet.
• When group members are finished with worksheet, the group members take turns providing
feedback about what they have heard. Be mindful of what the writer is most concerned with

or appreciates, and try to be very specific. (i.e. “It’s good” is nice, but doesn’t help the reader
know what is good about it...)
• Even though the other group members have a draft, the writer should be the one taking
notes about the group’s feedback. If there are things you feel would be helpful for the writer
noted on the copy you have, you can give it to them, but it should be a conversation with the
writer, not a silent reading session.
5 min: Have the students write a note to you about the peer review session: Was the session useful?
Why or why not? What might make it better? Were there readers in your group who gave
particularly helpful feedback? Why was it useful? What do you plan to do next in your revision of
the piece? Hand notes in and review HW.
Homework/Final Remarks:
• Revise your TIB essay based on feedback and discussion in class.
• Prepare a list of questions/concerns about the essay for the class to consider and respond to.
Post this list to the Blackboard discussion thread. Due by Wednesday, 17 September at
midnight.
• All authors should keep their peer review papers and submit them to me on Monday
when turn in your final draft of the TIB essay.

Wednesday, 5 November
Objective: Introduce students to the library and its resource. Address how students should find
sources. Also, introduce students to the stakeholder’s experiment.
Pick up Argument sheets!
Announcements:
• Dave coming on Monday, so be ready to ask some questions related to his presentation
10 min: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/columbia-mattress-student-draws-attention-anti-
rape-movement-article-1.1948842
• http://time.com/3222176/campus-rape-the-problem-with-yes-means-yes/
• Have students do quick and dirty on Yes means Yes campaign.
o What does it mean?
o How does it affect universities?
• Yes means Yes video: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/terminally-ill-basketball-player-
lauren-hill-gets-her-wish/
40 min: Library exercises
• What to emphasize on Patrick Williams’s slideshow
o Difference between academic and popular journals
o The problems with Google for academic searches
o The good thing about using academic databases, which is what Syracuse has
" What is a database? Definition of a database: index hundreds of journals,
magazines, newspapers, collections, and books, and contain information
about articles, chapters, images, etc.
• How to use the library’s website
o Using summon# search engine that helps your identify something you’re interested
in
o Tell students about some of the important databases
" JSTOR is important for humanities projects
" ProQuest Central is great for interdisciplinary research
• Show students our inquiry page on the library website:
http://researchguides.library.syr.edu/content.php?pid=638977&sid=5286678
o Show students the two videos
• Then, let’s work on navigating through the library website a little bit together in class
40 min: Stakeholder’s experiment
• What is a stakeholder? Stakeholders are those who have an investment in and a particular
perspective on a given issue. The concept of stakeholder complicates the notion that a debate is
formed of only “pro” and “con” positions; stakeholders may provide multiple and varied positions
on an issue, and their positions may contrast and overlap in varied and complex ways. Paying
attention to the perspectives of stakeholders helps writers develop a more nuanced understanding of
a topic or an issue.
2. Categorize the stakeholders represented in the SaveCuse video
• Students who like to party

• Parents of the students
• Students who don’t like to party and feel that Castle Court was a huge waste of time and
energy
• DPS (Campus security)
• Management of Castle Court
• School administration/Faculty
3. Form Groups
Put students into groups and assign each group one stakeholder position. Have them read the article
carefully, make note of details specific to their position, and compose a one paragraph statement in
defense of their position to be shared with the rest of the class, using the group objectives below as
guidelines. [Teachers might consider ramping up the rhetorical exigence of the exercise, and tell
students that the stakeholders are participating in a public forum on the issue].
4. After sharing positions out loud, have students go
back to their statements and solidify and strengthen
them, and then propose a solution.
• Make sure students really tune into what the
opposing side says; How do different claims
strengthen your own argument?
5. Ask students to be prepared to speak to their new
understanding of rhetoric and persuasion: specifically in
what ways did your sense of what was and wasn’t
persuasive in the original article, or your awareness of
what other stakeholders think and believe, impact your
rhetorical approach? In other words, how has your
position grown stronger by being mindful of other
perspectives?
Homework:
• Continue your search for sources, and finalize your choice of three secondary sources for the
argument. Choose these very carefully. They should provide you with varied and diverse
perspectives, genres and approaches.
• Come to class with a brief synopsis of each source (100 words). This synopsis should
paraphrase and summarize the article’s main argument, why it’s relevant to your argument,
and the credibility of your source.
• Please type this out and give it to me next class period
• Come up with two questions related to the Advocacy Center
Group Objectives
Plan how you will you convince others by…
• Explaining what you want, and why.
• Considering the ramifications of your
position.
• Considering ulterior motives of other
stakeholders.
• Discussing your options for persuading.!

25 September 2015
Objective: Begin our thinking about what analysis entails. Also, we’re going to practice crafting our
analytical observations into paragraphs. Today, we’re thinking about how paying attention to detail
is a crucial component of analytical writing. You can’t do analysis without brainstorming.
Additionally, how does analysis help us write claims?
Collect Papers
Announcements:
• Late policy: for final papers and major assignments, for every day that they’re late, I’ll dock
the grade by a third of a letter. Meaning, that if the paper is due Friday and you submit it
Saturday, I’ll drop the grade from an A to an A-. If submitted Sunday, then you would go to
a B+. If given Monday, then that would be a B.
• For quick and dirty researches, I won’t accept any late work.
• I’ll drop your lowest invention score. You can’t make those up.
5 min: Quick and Dirty research on documentary film. Ask students: “How would we define
documentary film as a genre?”
• “Nonfiction motion picture, intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the
purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record” (Wikipedia).
• Term first coined by Scottish documentarian John Grierson in 1926
45 min: Watch the following documentary and have students get into groups of three
• Read the following article together as a class:
http://xgames.espn.go.com/xgames/article/10963072/women-action-women-
skateboarding-revolution
• Have students do notice-and-focus over the documentary: Gnarly in Pink (2014):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpR7Mp6sjY0 (8 min)
• Write down on the board things that people are noticing
• Write down three or four “claims” or themes that you’re noticing or can make about the
film. After each claims or theme, write down your supporting evidence for that
claim/theme.
o The theme of sibling rivalry:
" Boys want to go into “Princess world” and want to destroy that world
" Boys are never shown in the same frame as the girls
o While the film seeks equal opportunities for both girl and boy skaters, it actually
works to polarize these groups instead of seeking greater unity between skaters of
different genders.
" Shows girls and boys separately from each other
" Boys don’t want to hang out with girls
o The film presents a form of the female skater as very feminine and celebrates
femininity in the roller rink. These girls are a blend of tough and yet the
documentary shows their fragility. They fall down on the pavement, but then they
get back up again. They are portrayed as adventurous yet girly. It does this to show

us that the usual dichotomy of masculine and feminine isn’t quite so distinct as
imagined.
• Share your themes/claims with the class
NO HOMEWORK!

2 October 2015
Objective: to understand better what visual literacy is, and why we should be invested in developing
our ability to be visually literate. How does visual literacy work with our understanding of being a
critical and engaged reader?
• Make them aware that today is going to entail some talking. We’re going to, through our
speaking, work our way through the concepts discussed in today’s readings.
• Sturken and Cartwright provide us with a lot of interesting things to talk about, but we might
wait until Monday to discuss them
Circle chairs
Fling for extra credit
Check for annotated texts for extra credit.
Freewrite: What does it mean to be visually literate, and why should we be visually literate? Also,
what are three questions you have about the texts? (5 min)
(16 min) Watch Brian Kennedy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E91fk6D0nwM
Zemliansky:
• “images as acts of persuasion” (209).
• “The authors of the readings in this chapter will encourage you to be active and critical
readers of images, and you’ll practice active and critical visual literacy by examining the
images in this chapter as well as finding your own images to analyze” (209).
• “We must read images and other visual compositions in the same manner in which we read
verbal texts: Critically, actively, and thoroughly. We must recognize that visual messages do
not simply represent ‘objective reality,’ but rather tell stories and advance arguments, points
of view, and agendas. Finally, we must recognize the power of visual compositions to
influence the thinking, behavior, and decision-making of individuals, groups, and whole
societies” (218).
• “Remember, however, that the purpose of any critical reading is not to guess the author’s
intentions, but to create a reading which makes sense to the reader and which can be
supported by the evidence presented in the text” (215).
o Summarize this sentence in your own words. What is this sentence attempting to
convey?
• “Like all arguments, this one is, of course, open to debate and re-interpretation. It is not the
final answer to the meaning of the photograph, but only one of many possible readings of it”
(216).
o Summarize this sentence in your words. What is this sentence attempting to convey?
Brian Kennedy:
• Visual literacy: “the ability to construct meaning from images” (2.20)
o “a form of critical thinking that enhances your intellectual capacity” (2.39).
• He thinks its important because we live in a digital age

• Everything’s a text versus everything’s an image!
• What does Kennedy say about images and texts? They are the same. “Everything’s a text
and everything’s an image” (5.45)
• A wink can have different meanings
• “Slow looking”# what does he mean?
o Looking, seeing, analyzing, and then interpret it (construct meaning from it)
o What does interpret mean?
o We need the alphabet and grammar of visual literacy
• “We need to train our ability to construct meaning from images”
For Discussion:
• What are your questions about visual literacy?
• What does it mean to be visually literate?
• Why is it important to be visually literate?
• How do we develop visual literacy?
• How does our thinking of images as rhetorical tools that persuade help us to develop visual
literacy?
• What are some the things that Zemliansky looks at when conducting a reading of a visual
text? What does he take note of in order to reach a claim about the picture? (page 214)
• What is Zemlianksy’s understanding of context? How does context help Zemliansky
comprehend the picture? How do we understand context? (216)
Homework
• Come prepared to think about the Sturken and Cartwright piece
• Read and annotate Mark Strand’s “The Loneliness Factor” (pp. 257-260 in EaT). [the three
Hopper paintings Strand analyzes are in the chapter 5 glossy insert]
• Choose to respond to either question #4 or #5 on page 261 and an in-class invention.
• Watch your assigned film, and take good notes being mindful of the visual literacy concepts
we have explored so far. As you watch your film, what things that you’re finding interesting,
compelling, or strange? What are the binaries, anomalies, and patterns you’re noticing?
!

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