Dear Student:
The section of English 30065, Expository Prose, in which you are
enrolled, is theme based and portfolio assessed. Here’s what that means to you:
Nonfiction, unrhymed text that has the goal of explaining or informing. Think outside the box with regard to your assignments—depending on your purpose, subject and/or audience, you could define expository prose as a traditional essay, a letter to the editor, a documented research paper, a Web document, or a press release.
This semester you will be writing about your heritage—influences that helped to shape who you are. These influences could include race, gender, media, or religious influences, for example. Your readings should promote discussion of these influences and inspire content for your own writings.
Your early short assignments will ask you to experiment with techniques for writing about your heritage, i.e. writing from memory, writing about influential people or places in your life, writing from primary and secondary sources, etc. The keystone of the course is the major writing project, due at the end of the semester that will combine a number of these techniques in order to produce a substantial piece of expository prose.
Throughout the semester, each of your writings will be
critiqued by your peers and by me, and then returned to you for revision. Although you will not receive a letter grade
on early drafts, you will be given plenty of guidance on how to strengthen your
writings. At the end of the semester,
you will submit to me for a grade your final revised writings--a portfolio
of your best work.
Expository Prose/ENG 30065
Marilyn Seguin mseguin@kent.edu
Office Satterfield 206
672-2676
home 928-6907
Course Description This course is a portfolio-based writing course. Creating a writing portfolio involves collecting, selecting, and reflecting upon your writing done over the course of 15 weeks. Your writing portfolio accounts for 90% of your grade in the course.
Required Text Writing for Your Portfolio by C. Beth Burch; access to MLA Handbook
Class Policies Attendance is very important in this class, given the emphasis on collaboration and peer review at all stages of the writing process. One point will be subtracted for each unexcused absence. Attendance and class participation are worth 10% of your total grade for the course.
Plagiarism is the undocumented "borrowing" of another person's words, ideas, or arguments. It is a serious academic offense. According to University policy, students caught plagiarizing will receive an "F" for that work or for the semester grade, depending on the extent of the plagiarism. The full policy on cheating and plagiarism can be found in the University phone book.
Assignments Assignment deadlines are noted on the syllabus. The syllabus is tentative and may be changed according to the progress of the class. Each assignment will be explained thoroughly in class, and worksheets will be distributed to guide you in the writing and revision process. A general description is as follows:
#1 Memoir
#2 Profile
#3 Analysis
#4 Opinion Piece
#5 Major Writing Project
Evaluation
Grading of your written portfolio will be based on 1. your choice of
interesting and important ideas or topics about which to write, 2. clarity of
expression, 3. adequate development of ideas, 4. clear organization, 5. correct
mechanics (spelling, punctuation, etc.), and 6. meeting assignment requirements
(meeting deadlines, completing corollary documents, following specifications as
discussed in class).
In accordance with University policy, if you have a documented disability and require accommodations to obtain equal access in this course, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester or when given an assignment for which such an accommodation is required. Students with disabilities must verity their eligibility through the Office of Student Disability Services in the Michael Schwartz Student Service Center (672-2972).
Expository Prose/ENG 30065
Marilyn Seguin
Week #1 Read Chs. 1 and 2 and
Intro. to course Appendix
Intro. to the portfolio concept
The writing process described
Week #2 Read Ch. 3
Writing what you live and know
Assignment #1 due Friday
Week #3
Writing from observation Read Chs. 4 and 9
Techniques for writing from observation
Style review
Week #4
Analyzing example essays
Writer's block discussion
Assignment #2 due Friday
Week #5 Read Ch. 5
Reading and writing analytic essays
Finding, evaluating and acknowledging sources
Analyzing example essays for structure
Week #6
Workshop for assignment #3
Techniques for opening paragraphs
Assignment #3 due Friday
Week #7 Read Ch. 6
Writing opinion essays
Analyzing example essays/audiences
Mid semester pep talk
Week #8
Workshop for assignment #4
Structuring the argument/submission to public venues
Assignment #4 due Friday
Week #9 Read Ch. 7
The major writing project—discussion
Primary research techniques
Revision conferences
Week #10 Read Ch. 8
Secondary research techniques
MLA documentation
Analyzing example papers
Week #11
Workshop for assignment #5
Discussion of ethical and legal issues for writers
Assignment #5 due Friday
Week#12
Veteran’s Day Read Ch. 10
Selecting pieces for the portfolio/metawriting
Revision techniques for portfolio pieces
Week #13
Individual conferences Mon. and Wed.
Table of contents discussion Fri.
Week #14
Revision workshops Mon. and Wed.
Thanksgiving Break
Week #15
Writing beyond the classroom--discussion
Portfolios due Wed.
Evaluation and wind up on Fri.
Graded portfolios will be returned during finals week unless you make other arrangements for pick up.