1. DenaeEagen
Sample course design createdas a requirement for PRWR 6500/KSU MAPW Program
English Composition 1101
C ONTENTS
Prefatory Material .................................................................................................................................. 1
Institutional Context .......................................................................................................................... 1
Course Description ........................................................................................................................... 2
Syllabus .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Schedule of Assignments ...................................................................................................................... 5
Assignment Descriptions ...................................................................................................................... 7
Literacy Narrative .............................................................................................................................. 7
Interview Project ................................................................................................................................ 8
Comparison Essay ........................................................................................................................... 10
Persuasive Essay .............................................................................................................................. 12
Formal Letters ................................................................................................................................. 13
Critical Reflection ................................................................................................................................ 14
Prefatory Material
Institutional Context
I chose Kennesaw State University (KSU) as the institution for my course design. KSU is a four-
year university in the suburban area of Kennesaw, Georgia that serves students from northwest
Georgia and metro-Atlanta. “KSU enrolls the third largest number of students among the 19 four-
year institutions in the USG, following the University of Georgia and Georgia State” (Enterprise
Information Management).I designed the course as an introductory course for incoming freshman
students. The English Composition 1101 course is a general education requirement course housed
by the English department of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. According to KSU's
Fall 2010 Course Enrollment Capacity Comparisons Report, English 1101 had 110 sections and
enrolled 2,660 students. KSU students range widely in age and experience, from first-year students
who have recently graduated high school to non-traditional students continuing their education
while pursuing their careers or changing occupations.I would anticipate the majority of students to
be first-year traditional students and a classroom size of 19-23. Ideally, the classroom would

2. include access to computers. However, workshop assignments could be printed and brought in for
peer review if computers are unavailable.
Course Description
English Composition 1101 focuses on developing research skills and building the confidence in
expository and argumentative styles of writing necessary to present one’s ideas in an academic
environment. This introductory course is the first experience in university writing and is intended
to help students become comfortable with their own writing as well as encourage them to develop
the competencies in invention, process, revision, style, and research practices. This particular
course section also looks at the practical application of writing for each individual in academia, the
workplace, and beyond. Students will explore these themes through reflective writing in a literacy
narrative and an evaluation of writing across the students’ intended academic disciplines.
Significant emphasis is placed on correspondence and communicating with peers, professionals,
and members of the community. Students will learn how to acquire information, engage with
others, and effect change by sharing their ideas in a written form through formal letters and a
persuasive essay.Class lectures will focus on exploring genres of writing and questioning the
meaning behind our communication and the situation of the readers who receive our message,
whether through print, digital, or visual media. Emphasis will be placed on collaborative peer
review workshops to develop drafts into solid final projects.
Syllabus
General Information
Instructor: Denae Eagen | Email: teagen@kennesaw.edu| Phone: 770-423-5998
Office: EB 40 | Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 9AM-4PM
Classroom: EB 168 | Class Times: Tuesday, Thursday 12:30-1:45
Course Description/Goals
English Composition 1101 focuses on developing research skills and building the confidence in
expository and argumentative styles of writing necessary to present one’s ideas in an academic
environment. This particular course section also looks at the practical application of writing for
each individual in academia, the workplace, and beyond. Significant emphasis is placed on
correspondence and communicating with peers, professionals, and members of the community.
Students will learn how to acquire information, engage with others, and effect change by sharing
their ideas in a written form.
Required Texts/Materials
Palmquist, Mike. Joining the Conversation: Writing in College and Beyond. Boston: Bedford St.
Martin’s, 2010. Print.
ISBN: 0312312150

3. You must own a textbook by 8/25 to be prepared for readings. Please contact me if you are
experiencing financial hardship; there are two textbooks available for semester loan.
Technology
Composition 1101 will require frequent use of a computer with a word processor and internet
connection. There are computer labs in the Sturgis Library available to all students and computer
labs in the dormitories for residential students. You may transfer your work through email or by
using a flash drive. Do not store files on public computers.
Black and white printers are available in the library. Printing requires having funds on your KSU
card.
Library Hours:M-T 7AM-midnight, Friday until 8PM, Saturday 8AM-6PM, Sunday 1PM-10PM
Attendance
Class attendance is required. Lectures, class discussions, and workshops cannot be made up.
Students are permitted three absences without penalty. On the fourth absence, a student will lose
five points off the final course grade. Each subsequent absence will result in an additionalfive-point
reduction.It is the policy of the KSU English department that any student who misses six classes
will not receive credit for the course. If you are aware that you will be absent on a certain day,
please contact me by email prior to class as a general courtesy.
Lateness
Arriving to class late causes a disruption for the professor and classmates; however, it’s better for
you to arrive late than not at all. If you arrive later than five minutes, it is your responsibility to
speak to the professor after class to ensure that you are marked present. Arriving to class up to 15
minutes late on four occasions will result in an absence. Arriving 30 minutes late will automatically
count as an absence. If the door is locked when you arrive, please knock quietly and then wait until
the door is opened for you.
Participation
You will get out of this course as much as you put into it. Coming to class prepared to discuss
readings and engaging in the material enriches the learning experience for yourself and your
classmates. You are not expected to speak up in every single class session; however, please be
attentive and respectful to your peers, respond to their insights, and be confident enough to offer
your own ideas.
Late Work Policies
Assignments should always be turned in before class unless otherwise stated. Assignments will lose
five points if turned in by the next class date and will lose a letter grade for every subsequent day
late. If you are having difficulty making a due date, I will consider offering an extension if you
inform me at least three days in advance. Drafts for workshops are an exception and cannot be
turned in late. You will automatically lose five points off your total assignment grade if you fail to
bring a substantial draft for peer review.

4. Components of the Course
Assignment Grade
Daily Participation 10%
Discussion Boards 5%
Literacy Narrative 15%
Interview Project 15%
Comparison Essay 15%
Research Project 20%
Formal Letters 20%
Grading Policy
Top grades, A (90-100), will be earned by students who exceed expectations, go beyond the basic
requirements for each assignment, and actively participate during class discussions.High grades, B
(80-89), will be earned by students who meet expectations, complete the assignments as required,
and show effort during class discussions.Moderate grades, C (70-79), will be earned by students
who meet some but not all expectations, complete assignments with difficulty, and
sometimesparticipate during class. Grades below 70 will not pass the course.
Extra Credit Opportunity
You may earn 5 points of extra credit on any single assignment grade by attending an academic
conference on campus and writing a 1-2 page reflection onthe material covered and how you could
see your future studies being presented, as well as proof of your event registration/attendance.
You may earn 5 points of extra credit on any single assignment grade by providing a 5-10 minute
presentation of either your Literacy Narrative or Interview Project on Tuesday 11/29 or Thursday
12/1.
Academic Integrity/Plagiarism Policy
Every KSU student is responsible for upholding the provisions of the Student Code of Conduct, as
published in the Undergraduate and Graduate catalogues. Section II of the code addresses the
university’s policy on academic honesty, including provisions regarding plagiarism and cheating,
unauthorized access to university materials, misrepresentation/falsification of university records or
academic work, malicious removal, retention, or destruction of library materials, malicious/
intentional misuse of computer facilities and/or services, and misuse of student identification cards.
Incidents of alleged academic misconduct will be handled according to the established procedures
of the University Judiciary Program, which includes either an “informal” resolution by a faculty
member, resulting in a grade adjustment, or a formal hearing, which may subject a student to the
code’s minimum one-semester suspension requirement.
Protect yourself by upholding the highest personal standards and doing your own work.Avoid
plagiarism by developing your own ideas and properly citing all direct quotes and paraphrasing.
Any ideas, words, data, images, etc. that are not your own should be attributed to their original
source.

5. Disability Policy
Kennesaw State University makes an effort to ensure thathigher education is accessible to all
people. The disAbled Student Support Services is available to assist any student who may require
accommodations or extended deadlines due to a disabling condition. If you would like to request
support, you must self-identity to the disabled Student Support Services office and provide
documentation according to their policies. For more information or to arrange an individual
assistance plan, visit the disability services office or contact James V. Carmichael, Student Center
Addition, second floor, Suite 267; 770-423-6443.
Schedule of Assignments
Daily Assignments
Students earn daily participation grades for each class. The participation grade is dependent on the
student’s attendance, attentiveness to lectures, and participation in class discussions and activities.
Due Dates
Assignment Due Date(s)
Literacy Narrative Tuesday, 8/30
Interview Project Tuesday, 9/29
Comparison Essay Thursday, 10/20
Research Project Thursday, 12/1
Formal Letters Thursdays, 9/8, 9/22, 10/6, 10/27, 11/10
Discussion Boards Tues 8/23, Thurs 9/1, Tues 10/18, Tues
11/8
Instructional Summaries and Weekly Schedule
Class Topics Readings Assignments
Week One First Day of Class
Thursday 8/18 Grammar: Sentence fragment Syllabus and course
Introductions requirements
Course Overview
Discussion: Who Makes the Rules? Chapter 1: Making
Connections
Week Two Last Day of Drop/Add is August 23
Tuesday8/23 Grammar: Introductory element comma Chapter 5: Writing Discussion board:
Lecture: Genre and Audience, Reflective to Reflect Introductions
Writing
Thursday 8/25 Grammar: Compound sentence comma Chapter 2: Getting
Lecture: Invention and Process Started
Activity: Brainstorming for Literacy Narrative
Week Three
Tuesday8/30 Grammar: Comma splice Chapter 3: Reading Literacy Narrative Due
Lecture: Thinking Critically to Write
Discussion: How to request an
interview/information
Thursday 9/1 Grammar:Commas and adjectives Chapter 11: Using Discussion board: Who do you
Lecture: Conducting Research and Interviews Sources& 12: plan to interview? Include a
Activity: Practice Interviews Locating Sources sample of the email or phone
call in which you ask to
interview them and ideas of
questions you might ask in the

6. interview.
Week Four
Tuesday 9/6 Grammar: Quotation marks and other Chapter13: Taking
oddities Notes& 14:
Lecture: Letter Writing Avoiding Plagiarism
Thursday 9/8 Grammar:Run-on sentence Chapter 15: Letter #1 Due
Lecture: Appeals-Logos, Pathos, Ethos Developing a Thesis
Week Five
Tuesday 9/13 Grammar:Semi-colon Chapter 6: Writing Discussion board: Respond to
Lecture: Community Writing to Inform all of peer literacy narratives.
Thursday 9/15 Grammar:Colon Last day to conduct interviews
Lecture: Organization
Week Six
Tuesday9/20 Grammar:Ellipsis Chapter 20: Revising Interview Project Draft
Lecture: Revision Strategies & Editing
Activity: Peer Review Workshop
Thursday 9/22 Grammar:Dashes and hyphens Chapter 17: Letter #2 Due
Lecture: Editing Strategies Organizing &
Drafting
Week Seven
Tuesday 9/27 Grammar: Pronouns Chapter 9: Writing
Lecture: Workplace Writing to Solve Problems
Thursday 9/29 Grammar: Who & Whom Interview Project Due
Lecture: Workplace Writing continued
Week Eight
Tuesday 10/4 Grammar:Split infinitives Chapter 10: Writing Email prof. your topic for
Lecture: Visual and Audio to Convince or Comparison Essay before class
Persuade
Thursday 10/6 Grammar:Verb tense Letter #3 Due
Activity: Watch Pecha Kucha Presentations
Week Nine Last day to withdraw is October 12
Tuesday 10/11 Grammar: Dangling modifiers Chapter 8: Writing
Lecture: Acknowledging Bias and Stereotypes to Evaluate
Activity: Analyzing photos and photos for bias
Thursday 10/13 Grammar: Subject-verb agreement Comparison Essay Draft
Lecture: Integrating Quotations
Activity: Peer Review Workshop
Week Ten
Tuesday 10/18 Lecture: Social Media Chapter 7: Writing Discussion board: How do you
to Analyze use social media? What kind of
comments do you leave on news
and forum sites? How do you
think comments and online
discussions should be used?
Thursday 10/20 Activity: Library and Database Introduction Comparison Essay Due
Week Eleven
Tuesday 10/25 Lecture: Academic Writing Bring 2 topic ideas for
Activity: Brainstorm and workshop topic ideas Persuasive Essay
Thursday 10/27 Style: Language Variety Chapter 16: Letter #4 Due
Lecture: Academic Writing continued Designing Your
Discussion: Academic writing across Document
disciplines
Week Twelve
Tuesday 11/1 Style: Parallelism Chapter 19: Writing Email prof. your final topic
Lecture: Rhetorical Stances and Style with Style choice and 2 potential sources
for Persuasive Essay before class
Thursday 11/3 Style: Connotation
Lecture: Style continued
Activity: Invention work for Persuasive Essay
Week Thirteen
Tuesday 11/8 Style:Diction Chapter 21: MLA Proposal for Persuasive Essay
Lecture: Online Writing Due
Thursday 11/10 Style:Clichés Discussion Board: Proposal
Lecture: Documenting Sources Workshops
Letter #5 Due
Week Fourteen
Tuesday 11/15 Style:Sentence Variety Chapter 22: APA Annotated Bibliography Due
Lecture: Conventions of Writing, MLA and

7. APA styles as more than citations
Thursday 11/17 Style: Active Voice
Lecture: Using Figures, Numbers, and Data
Week Fifteen
Tuesday 11/22 Style: Tone Persuasive Essay Draft
Activity: Peer Review Workshop
Thursday 11/24 Holiday. No class
Week Sixteen
Tuesday 11/29 Extra Credit Presentations
Thursday 12/1 Last day of class Persuasive Essay Due
Extra Credit Presentations
Week Seventeen
Tuesday12/6 No Final exam
Thursday 12/8 No Final exam
Assignment Descriptions
Literacy Narrative
A literacy narrative is a collection of your experiences learning how to read and write, focusing on
key moments from your earliest recollection to your current knowledge. A personal essay that
encourages you to reflect on the influences and attitudes affected your learning; the literacy
narrative is unique for every person.
Narrative Due Date:All Literacy Narratives are due on Tuesday, August 30, 2011.Post your
narrative in the “Literacy Narrative” discussion topic on GeorgiaVIEW Vista. Be prepared to
discuss your narrative during class.
Responses to Peer Narratives: Respond to each of your classmates’ narratives on GeorgiaVIEW
Vista by class time onTuesday, September 9, 2011.Since you are responding to every classmate,
you will need to pace your responses throughout the week so that you are able to complete them
on time. Your response should be a reaction to the content and any insights that you gain from the
narrative about reading, writing, and literacy. Feel free to discuss shared experiences or differing
points of view while remaining respectful, constructive, and encouraging.
Description:
Reading and writing come to each of us in different ways and our previous experiences shape our
abilities and attitudes toward literacy. It’s important to reflect on how you have developed as a
writer and to consider carefully how you have experienced and participated in reading, writing, and
media. Keeping these details in mind will help guide you as you refine your communication skills
and reshape the tools you’re already familiar with into writing strategies as a university student and
an educated citizen.For your literacy narrative, you may write about specific events or a
chronological overview of your experiences.
Learn more about writing a literacy narrative by reviewing the information on the Digital Archives
of Literacy Narratives Web site. Experience the narratives of others as shared through texts,

8. images, video, and audio. Consider sharing your own narrative with others after the assignment is
complete.
Additional information about composing a narrative is available on the Norton Field Guide to
Writing Web site.
Requirements:
Narrative
Compose a written narrative of 2-3 (double-spaced) pages in length. You are encouraged to add
multimedia into your narrative through images, video, or audio, although you are not required to
do so.
Responses
Respond to each narrative after the assignments have been posted on GeorgiaVIEW Vista.
Grading:
This assignment is worth 15% of your overall grade.
An A (90-100) literacy narrative will meet all requirements and be crafted as a story with descriptive
details that illustrate the significance of the events described and a reflection on how those events
have influenced the student’s attitudes toward literacy.
Interview Project
If the literacy narrative is a reflection of where you have been, the interview project is a speculation
about where you’re going in terms of writing.This is a robust project, and you should get an early
start on preparing your research.
Discussion Board Activity: Post a reply under the “Interview Subject” discussion board topic on
Tuesday, September 1.
Interviews: The last day to conduct interviews and reasonably expect to complete your assignment
is Thursday,September 15.
Draft:Before class on Tuesday, September 20, post drafts of your interview, reflection, and any
other documents to the “Interview Project” discussion topic on GeorgiaVIEW vista.
Interview Project Due: Post all files to GeorgiaVIEW Vista before class on Thursday, September
29.
Description:
Every field of study or occupation involves communicating with others and preparing documents.
Doctors file reports and apply for grants, researchers publish their latest findings in academic
journals, and businesspersons create reports, proposals, and presentations regularly.While the
form of written communication varies, strong research and writing skills are critical in every
discipline.

9. You will prepare a multi-modal project that asks you to imagine what kind of practical writing you
will need in your discipline of study and/or future career. You will conduct an interview with an
upperclassman in your intended major or a professional from your intended field of work. This
interview will give you an insider’s view of how either academic or workplace writing will matter in
your future. You will also compile a brief visual essay that adds context to your career goals.
Finally, you will prepare a reflective essay and locate examples of the types of written documents
you might create in your major or career.
Requirements:
Discussion Board Activity
Share your plans for your interview project, including whom you plan to interview and when the
interview is scheduled. Include a sample of the email or phonecall in which you ask to interview
him or her and list any concerns you have about conducting the interview.
Interview
Interview an upperclassman in your major or someone from the field you want to work in about
how writing is used in that field and the type of documents that you will need to learn to create in
order to succeed. Transcribe the interview into a Q&A format.
Visual Essay
Prepare a 6-7 photo visual essay depicting the major you intend to study or the field in which you
intend to work. Four of the photos must be your own work. Include citations to any photos for
which you do not own copyrights.Each photo must include a one line descriptive caption. Try to
focus on a concept or story through the photos. A random assembly of images will not translate a
meaningful message to your audience. The visual essay may be compiled in PowerPoint or another
digital tool. Each slide should focus on a different image. Do not use a template or text beyond the
photo caption and citations.
Reflection Essay
Compose a 2-3 page (double-spaced) reflective essay on how you expect to use writing in the future
and what steps you might take to prepare yourself for academic and workplace writing.
Sample Documents
At the end of your reflection essay, include one page of sample documents. Consider this part of
the assignment as a scavenger hunt based on the information you learn in your interview. Locate
three sample documents online that represent the type of writing you expect to create in your
major or field. Locate one academic journal related to your major or field. Locate the website for
one relevant academic or professional conference.
For each document, you must provide:
URL Link
Full Citation
Description
Purpose
Audience

10. Brief Summary of Contents
Grading:
This assignment is worth 15% of your overall grade.
An A (90-100) essay will meet all project requirements. The interview should highlight the
influence of writing in the chosen discipline. The visual essay should provide context for the field
of study and demonstrate a coherent meaning as a series of related images. The reflection essay
will be a composed with a forward-looking analysis ofthe writing the student expects to be
responsible for in the future.
Comparison Essay
A comparison essay asks you to examine and analyze two similar but different subjects. You will be
emphasizing how effectively (or not) the two disparate subjects work together for one purpose. Part
of the challenge of a comparison essay is determining how you will organize your essay and
structure your ideas coherently. Refer to the handout on essay structure to keep your ideas on
track while analyzing both pieces.
Topic Choices: E-mail the URL for your chosen article to me through GeorgiaView Vista by
11:59PM on Thursday,September 29. More than one student may choose the same article to write
about.
Draft: A draft of your essay is due before class on October 13 in GeorgiaVIEW Vista discussions.
This should be a complete draft that is ready for revision. You will work in small peer review
groups and receive comments from me.
Essay Due Date: All final essays are due on October 20. Please submit your completed essay
through GeorgiaVIEW Vista mail before class.
Description
Today’s writing is dynamic and is being published both on paper and online. Articles are often
paired with related videos to show multiple facets of a story and to lend credibility or interaction to
a story. For this assignment, you will choose an article and an accompanying video from either The
New Yorker or The New York Times. Both of these reputable and established newspapers have
incorporated online publication and produce professional quality articles and videos.
You will analyze the article and the video in a comparison essay.
Analysis Objectives:
Style and rhetorical elements of the article and the video
Organization of ideas and images
Limitations of a standalone article or a standalone video

11. Effectiveness of combined presentation
Consider these questions while you are working and come up with your own questions.
How well do they portray the overall message? Is it consistent? What information does the video
offer that the article doesn’t, and vice versa? How do the article and video work together (or fail) to
overcome their respective limitations and reach the reader/viewer? Are there elements of the
article or video that you detract from their overall quality?
Essay Selections
For The New Yorker, you will find selections under “Audio & Video.”
For The New York Times, you will find selections under “Video” and must choose a video that
lists a “Related Article” beneath the video description.
Example:The New Yorker currently has an article and video on Guillermo del Toro, the
filmmaker behind Hellboy and Pan’s Labyrinth. This is an eligible choice for your essay topic.
Requirements
Essays should be 3-5 pages double-spaced (MLA format). See the Purdue Online Writing Lab or
reference your MLA handbook for guidance on correct formatting. Use proper source citations for
any quotes or paraphrasing in your essay. Include a works cited page that lists your chosen article,
video, and any additional sources. Consider your audience as your classmates and professor.
Grading
Essays will be evaluated on your ability to structure complex ideas coherently, synthesize examples
and sources into the essay, draw specific conclusions from analysis of the pieces, and use grammar
and language mechanics properly.
This assignment is worth 15% of your overall grade.
A (90-100) B (80-89) C (70-79) D (60-69)/ F (0-59)
Structure and Well organized, strong Fair organization. The Limited organization, Organization is difficult
Organization transitions. The comparison is easy to weak transitions. The to distinguish. Meaning
structure of the follow, but the structure comparison is is lost because the
comparisons adds does not obviously add sometimes difficult to comparison lacks
clarity and meaning to to the essay. follow. structure.
the argument.
Evidence and Examples Essay uses evidence Essay uses evidence; Essay uses limited Evidence is difficult to
effectively in the some examples and evidence. Examples and discern, or quotes and
arguments, quotes are not quotes are improperly examples are not
incorporating examples integrated smoothly into used or not relevant to present. Essay does not
and quotes from both the text or essay focuses the material. Essay present a comparison
sources seamlessly. too heavily on one neglects one source. between sources.
source.
Grammar and Style Essay is free from errors Essay has a few errors; Essay has many errors Grammatical errors
and has diverse not enough to inhibit that make it difficult to disrupt reading severely,
sentence variety. reading, sentence read, sentence variety is very limited sentence
variety is present. limited. variety.
Length and Format Essay is the appropriate Essay meets only Essay is not the Essay falls short of
length and all sources minimum length appropriate length AND minimum length and/or

12. are cited properly. requirements OR sources are not cited sources are not cited at
sources are not cited properly. all.
properly.
Persuasive Essay
An effective argument is hard to find when most of what we hear on a daily basis is biased
advertisements, political stances, radio announcers, and bloggers. However, a strong argument can
persuade readers with a clear claim that is supported with reason and evidence.
Topic Ideas: Bring two topic ideas for your persuasive essay to class on Tuesday, October 25.
Final Topic Choice: Email me your final topic choice and two potential sources for your
persuasive essay before class on Tuesday, November 1.
Proposal: Post your proposal for your persuasive essay to the Discussion Board topic "Persuasive
Essay Proposals" on GeorgiaVIEW Vista before class on Tuesday, November 8.
Workshop: Respond to your partner's proposal draft by Thursday, November 10.
Annotated Bibliography: Email your annotated bibliography for your persuasive essay to me
through GeorgiaVIEW Vista on Tuesday, November 15.
Draft: Bring three copies of your persuasive essay draft to class on Tuesday, November 22 for peer
work shopping.
Persuasive Essay: Post your final draft of the persuasive essay to the Discussion Board topic "Final
Persuasive Essay" on GeorgiaVIEW Vista before class on Thursday, December 1.
Description:
You will prepare a 3-4 (double-spaced) page essay that argues about a topic important to you or
relevant to your area of study. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, review Chapter 10
and the project ideas 1-5 on page 453.
Requirements:
Proposal
Compose a proposal 1-2 (double-spaced) pages in length that outlines your topic and goals for
your persuasive essay. Include a sample of your claim, reasoning, and evidence that you will use to
structure your argument in your final essay.
Discussion Board Response
Respond to your partner’s proposal and provide constructive criticism to help guide him or her in
his essay development.
Annotated Bibliography

13. Provide information on three sources that intend to use for your persuasive essay. Provide a
paragraph for each source that summarizes, evaluates, and reflects on the quality of the source. See
Perdue OWL Web site for more information on creating annotated bibliographies.
Persuasive Essay
Compose an argumentative essay 3-4 (double-spaced) pages in length that takes a stance on an
issue important to you or that you find interesting and persuade your reader to take action.
Grading:
This assignment is worth 20% of your overall grade.
An A (90-100) essay will exhibit a well-defined claim, solid reasoning, and evidence that connects
and supports the reasoning. The essay will demonstrate awareness of audience and purpose. The
argument will have integrity and will not rely on fallacies or false claims to justify its point.
Formal Letters
In the context of this course, a “formal letter” is a written correspondence that is meant to inform
and/or influence someone. It ismore than a simple email, although it may be brief in length. These
letters are sometimes the most important incidents of writing that we ever prepare as citizens.
Letters are the way that we voice our dissent, offer our support, or request help when we are in
need. Clarity, tone, and awareness of audience are imperative in correspondence.
Email each of your letters to me through GeorgiaVIEW Vista before class on the respective due
dates.
Letter #1: Thursday, September 8
Letter #2: Thursday, September 22
Letter #4: Thursday, October 6
Letter #5: Thursday, November 10
Description:
The most common way that you will use writing in daily life is when communicating with others.
Whether it’s through letter, email, instant message, online comment, or status update, you’re
seeking reactions from the people around you. The words you use and the way you use those
words can affect change in your life and in the lives of others if you write carefully.
Each letter will be a 1-2 (double space) page assignment that asks the student to write a form of
correspondence, either by email, letter, comment, or other medium. Examples include a letter to
the editor, a letter of complaint, a letter of referral, requesting information or support from an
organization, writing a letter of suggestion to a business, a cover letter for a job application, etc.
Requirements:
Letters
Composefive letters, each1-2 (double-spaced) pages in length.You are free to choose the topic of
each letter; however, each letter must have a unique purpose and audience (i.e. you cannot write

14. two letters of complaint). Clearly identify the purpose and audience of the letter in the body of
your email when you submitthe assignment through GeorgiaVIEW Vista.
Grading:
This assignment is worth 20% of your overall grade. Each formal letter is worth 4% of your grade.
An A (90-100) letter will demonstrate strong awareness of audience while maintaining an
appropriate tone, clearly elaborating the intended argument, and demonstrating the significance of
the argument (i.e. why the reader should take the recommended action).
Critical Reflection
The responsibilities placed on the English Composition 1101 course are broad, from the
requirements listed on the KSU English 1101 website, the texts in “A Guide to Composition Pedagogies”
and “The St. Martin’s Guide to Teaching Writing,” and the discussions we have covered in “Teaching
Writing in High School and College.”It seems overwhelming that one course could satisfy all the goals of
the discipline and prepare students for the demands of the academic community. Narrowing the scope of
the course design was a necessary challenge. I felt that honing research skills was a responsibility of an 1102
course, not 1101, and students will learn writing skills specific to their disciplines as they advance in their
studies. This conclusion left two general options for my course design: teaching students to discover through
writing or teaching students to engage in communication. I chose the latter and wondered if I was
shortchanging my potential students until I came across an essay entitled, “The Pedagogy of Writing across
the Curriculum” by Susan McLeod. In the essay, McLeod acknowledges that teaching authentic voice
through expressive writing might not prepare students for writing in other studies (150). Instead,composition
studies are broken down into two complementary strategies: writing to learn and writing to communicate.
Writing to learn employs journaling and free writing to help a student organize her thoughts and
question the material. Writing to communicate involves writing with a specific reader in mind and
considering the qualities of a specific genre or discourse community. This approach acknowledges the
shortcomings of a composition teacher’s expertise in multiple disciplines; however, it asserts the importance
of trying. “That is not to say that we as writing teachers can’t make students aware that there are different

15. discourse communities and teach them some strategies for asking the right questions about discourse
expectations in their other classes” (McLeod 154).The focusof my course design is writing that engages the
student with his or her environment as a student, citizen, and future employee.
My course design builds upon writing to learn through the literacy narrative. The first assignment
for students will be an expressive reflection essay that encourages them to discover themselvesas writers and
to analyze how literacy is a part of their daily lives. It is my hope that the literacy narrative will help de-
mystify writing and the perception that one must have a special skill in order to write well. My first
experience with the literacy narrative was in Dr. McGrath’s graduate course, and it was enlightening to
reflect on how each student had different experiences in education and developed unique attitudes towards
reading and writing.The exploration of where students have come from in terms of reading and writing will
transition into the next assignment, the interview project.
As abridge from writing to learn into writing to communicate, students will explore their future
paths in writing through the interview project as their second assignment. Since I can only provide a limited
perspective into other disciplines, students will consult with individuals more informed than I am; students
will interviewupperclassmen in their intended major orprofessionals in their future career.The interview
experience is a challenge on its own. I recallmy own anxiety the first time I was required to interview
someone for a project. Despite the complications of scheduling an interview and the nervousness of actually
leading the discussion, I learned valuable insights about the field of editing when I interviewed Dr. Beth
Giddens during my undergraduate studies.I would want students to come up with their own questions;
however, I may provide a list of five critical questions that they should includein order to keep the interview
on track. The interviews should give students a better idea of how writing is important across disciplines
andoffer them insights intowhich skills will be most important for them to develop.
Alongside the interview is a visual essay that asks students to envision the environment where they
want to learn or work. This exercise is as much about communicating meaning through visuals as it is about
empowering students to visualize their future. College life is uncertain for so many freshman students. I
hope that this project will give them a safe way to play with ideas of their future and look forward to their

16. upper level studies and career goals. The final stage of the project is a brief reflection essay that asks them to
draw conclusions from their interview experience and speculate about how writing will be a part of their
future. I only hope that no student concludes that writing is inconsequential to her degree.
Continuing the idea of visual literacy, student will approach visuals in a new way in their third
assignment. The comparison essay asks students to continue thinking critically and to begin applying their
ideas as analysis. Students will evaluate a modern article from the New York Times or the New Yorker.
Using a current publication shows that writing isn’t stagnant. It is published daily in newspapers around the
world and isn’t simply resting in books and waiting to be picked up. The assignment asks students to
evaluate a video related to and published in tandem with the article. While the segment on visual literacy is
brief, I believe that it’s important for students to consider the images that are shown to them. As Cynthia
Selfe claims, writing instructors should explore visual media because “we run the risk of making
composition studies increasingly irrelevant to students engaging in contemporary practices of
communicating” (Self 483). My focus isn’t necessarily to teach them how to use images. They can take
specialized courses for that knowledge. Instead, I want my students to evaluate what message an image
shares that the text doesn’t and vice versa. This analysis doesn’t require a deep background in art or design.
Simply questioning the images and looking more closely at the details and intent of the image can reveal a
wealth of information.
There is meaning within what is shown and what is hidden.Part of my fascination and insistence on
teaching the visual comes from a recent reading of Iraj Omidvar’s article “A Study of Photographs of Iran:
Postcolonial Inquiry into the Limits of Visual Representation.”The article focuses on howimages used to
represent ideas and people are able to reinforce stereotypes inadvertently (or purposefully).Most
significantly, Omidvar describes a Socratic approach to teachingthat encourages students to question deeper
while taking into account the context of the images and their own knowledge and beliefs.The teacher plays
an almost antagonistic role to help students think deeper and imagine new possibilities without settling for
the first conclusion that comes to mind (139). This same type of questioning and critical thinking is present
in feminist and cultural studies theories. It encourages a contextual analysis of our condition, not just our

17. writing, and that is part of what I would like to infuse into my lectures. A simpler perspective is that although
I cannot teach all of the answers, I would want to teach students how to ask questions and thus discover the
answers on their own.
The final assignment for students is a persuasive essay. I originally intended for the final assignment
to be a research essay; however, I felt the assignment too intimidating. A persuasive essay is similar in focus
but less formal. Students will follow the same pattern as composing a research essay, from invention to
research and drafting to revising.It will be a starting point from which students can develop their skills for
research projects in the 1102 course.
Throughout the semester, students will write five formal letters thatfollow the goals of writing to
communicate. The letters are brief, but students will write to a specific audience, not the professor. Each
letter will fulfill a unique purpose such as a letter to the editor, a letter of complaint, or a letter to a business.
The intent of the assignment is to show students a form of communication that is pertinent to their lives as
citizens, official correspondence that informs others of their dissent, support, and even request assistance. I
wonder about the relevance of this assignment because correspondence is becoming briefer through social
media; however, I still feel it’s important that students be able to communicate to an audience of authority
with honesty and confidence. Writing persuasively, with an understanding of audience, purpose, and tone is
even more important when correspondence requires clarity and brevity.
This concludes the summary of major assignments for the course design. The lectures and in-class
assignments correspond with the schedule of assignments, as well as readings from the textbook, Joining the
Conversation: Writing in College and Beyond by Mike Palmquist.I chose the Palmquist textbook because I
liked the idea of communication as a conversation. The textbook has a guidebook approach that eases
students into the idea of genres and the roles that writers can take on when they write for different
disciplines, such as reflective, informative, analytical, evaluative, problem-solving, and argumentative writing.
The detailed breakdown of genres walks the reader through invention, process, organization, drafts, and
revisions, as well as project ideas. The later sections of the textbook provide detailed suggestions for
working with sources, working through the writing process, incorporating stylistic choices, and

18. documentation. It is a complete enough textbook that a student could use it as a reference tool after the
course is completed; this is the best-case scenario purpose for textbooksto serve.
In the lesson plan, I have coordinated each chapter on a specific writing genre with a relevant
setting, such as community writing, workplace writing, and academic writing. This gives me the freedom to
customize my lectures and utilize the textbook as a reference without teaching directly from it. I chose to
teach the textbook chapters out of order so that I could better prepare students for the assignments. For
example, having students read Chapter 5: Writing to Reflect early on so that they are better prepared to
write the literacy narrative. Ideally, I would have secondary readings available online that students could also
study; however, I’m not yet sure what I would suggest. I would like to incorporate regular readings from
high-quality newspapers and professional websites.
I’ve incorporated daily grammar lessons for the majority of the semester and style lessons for the
last few weeks. This concept was inspired from a reading I couldn’t relocate, in which the author suggested
teaching a grammar lesson each day and only grading what she had taught. I am not confident that strict
grading of formal errors improves a student’s writing unless the errors severely interfere with
comprehension.I do know that people forget. It’s hard to retain all the intricacies of grammar, so I’d like to
offer a brief refresher at the beginning of class each day. I drew the grammar topics from Lunsford’s lists of
formal errors, although I was unable to include them all. When grading papers, I would prefer to mark
patterns of error and help students to understand why the errors confuse the meaning of their
writing.Likewise, short lessons on style may prove helpful at the end of the semester as students are
preparing their final papers.
Lectures and discussions or activities fulfill the remainder of the class period, depending on the
day.Additional activities would likely improve the quality of the course design and more in-class writing
assignment would be beneficial for students. Overall, I feel that I kept to a course design that is quite safe
and relies on the textbook as a guide, even if I present the chapters in a redefined order. I would want to
expand the course design once I had more experience and include more readings and resources. For now,
the best outside resource that I have includedinvolves Pecha Kucha presentations, five-minute presentations

19. of images and audio, which I felt would help show students what can be done with a brief span of time and
a complex topic.One strength of the course design is the inclusion of peer review workshops, in-class and
online, that allows students to read the writings of their peers’ and to offer constructive feedback.
From my experience with the course design project, I’ve concluded that composition courses are
complex endeavors. I do not envy the student who has to take Composition 1101 with a professor who
doesn’t have the desire to teach the course or a solid grasp on how a student will benefit from their lesson
plan. Unlike upper division courses, which can focus on specific areas, an entry-level writing course is
scattered and tries to accomplish a great deal in a short amount of time. The 1101 course is also competing
for a distracted attention span that is busy trying to navigate the drastic differences of college life from high
school—even though the 1101 lessons are supposed to provide students with skills to last the next four
years.It’s a rough life for one little course, butI do believe that teaching writing can make a difference in a
student’s attitudes towards written communication and show them new ways to engage with their
environment through literacy. Constructing a meaningful argument is intimidating, but it’s very rewarding
when done well.
Works Cited
Connors, Robert J. and Andrea A. Lunsford. “Frequency of Formal Errors.” Selfe,Cynthia L. The
St. Martin’s Guide to Teaching Writing. Ed. Cheryl Glenn and Melissa A. Goldthwaite.6th
ed. Boston, NY: Bedford St. Martin’s, 2008. 479-505. Print.
McLeod, Susan. “The Pedagogy of Writing Across the Curriculum.” A Guide to Composition
Pedagogies.Ed. Gary Tate, Amy Rupiper, and Kurt Schick. New York, NY: 2001. 149-164.
Print.
Omidvar, Iraj. A Study of Photographs of Iran: Postcolonial Inquiry into the Limits of Visual
Representation." Writing the Visual.Ed. Carol David and Anne R. Richards. West
Lafayette, Indiana: Parlor Press, 2008. 124-145. Print.
Palmquist, Mike. Joining the Conversation. Boston, NY: Bedford St. Martin’s, 2010. Print.

20. Selfe,Cynthia L. “Toward New Media Texts: Taking Up the Challenges of Visual Literacy.”The
St. Martin’s Guide to Teaching Writing.Ed. Cheryl Glenn and Melissa A. Goldthwaite.6th
ed.Boston, NY: Bedford St. Martin’s, 2008. 479-505. Print.