% A Sampler of Course Plans and Syllabi [ 5 ]
WRITING PRO CESS, with the goal of fi nding a topic they’d like to
research and write about. You could have them COLLABORATE in
small groups, using the guidelines in Ch. 8. Have them do some
informal writing on their topic.
have them write a PROJ ECT PROPOSAL (p. 356) and an ANNOTATED
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
to the class, using Ch. 35 on MAKING PRE SEN TA TIONS and Ch. 33 for
help DESIGNING slides or other visual components.
If you want to encourage or require students to WRITE IN MULTIPLE MODES, consider
assigning Ch. 34.
For a Course Focused on Genres
If you’re using Every one’s an Author with Readings, see the inside back cover for a
Menu of Readings demonstrating each genre.
Weeks 1–2 Start off with some key concepts of rhe toric and genre: Ch. 1,
THINKING RHETORICALLY; Ch. 2, RHETORICAL SITUATIONS; the introduction
to Part III (pp. 105–07); and Ch. 10 on CHOOSING GENRES.
SAMPLE SYLLABI
[ 6 ]
for help with comparison, description, and other STRATEGIES that
are often used in composing narratives. Ch. 31, on HOW TO WRITE
GOOD SENTENCES, may also provide help.
what’s expected of ACADEMIC WRITING and also how the strategies
students use routinely in social media transfer. Chs. 4 and 30
can help.
prob ably want to work with Ch. 18, focusing on how the STRATEGIES
presented there can be useful in reports.
course, with a letter to you refl ecting on what they’ve learned,
using Ch. 36 as a guide.
If your students need help with MANAGING THE WRITING PRO CESS, assign Ch. 7.
If you want to promote group work, Ch. 8 focuses on COLLABORATION.
For a Course Focused on Style
their rhetorical situation. The exercise on p. 651 to imitate a
favorite author can spark rich discussion about rhe toric and style.
See also Chs. 1 and 2 (THINKING RHETORICALLY and RHETORICAL
SITUATIONS).
Have students bring in tweets, Facebook updates, or other social
media postings and discuss how they would write them for an
academic context.
% A Sampler of Course Plans and Syllabi [ 7 ]
(pp. 82–84) for help generating ideas, to Part V for help researching
the topic, and to Ch. 10 for help CHOOSING GENRES.
them read Ch. 31 on HOW TO WRITE GOOD SENTENCES to work on
sentence- level style and work with a peer group to review their
drafts.
text in a dif fer ent medium using Ch. 34, WRITING IN MULTIPLE MODES.
Refer them to our Tumblr site to study texts in vari ous media.
Final peer review workshop.
ASSEM BLE A PORTFOLIO of their writing, using the guidelines in Ch. 36.
If your students need help with MANAGING THE WRITING PRO CESS, assign Ch. 7.
If you want to promote group work, Ch. 8 focuses on COLLABORATION.
IF YOU TEACH ON THE SEMESTER SYSTEM, include an additional standalone assign–
ment that requires students to compose a multimodal text.
For a Course Focused on Multimodal Writing
To introduce the idea of composing a text that is more than words on paper, start
by analyzing an example or two, focusing on the use of words, images, and what–
Weeks 1–2 Ch. 1, THINKING RHETORICALLY, and Ch. 2, RHETORICAL SITUATIONS, will
introduce students to issues of audience and purpose that they’ll
need to draw on as they develop essays using multiple media.
Ch. 34, WRITING IN MULTIPLE MODES, will help them understand these
SAMPLE SYLLABI
[ 8 ]
them to the discussion of rhetorical analy sis on pp. 209–13 and
visual analy sis on pp. 225–27 in Ch. 13, WRITING ANALYTICALLY.)
the site in the Think beyond Words activity on p. 164. Have
students write a narrative, telling them that they will then revise
the essay to tell the story in a dif fer ent medium to get them
thinking rhetorically about the choices they have as authors.
into a photo essay or a short video montage that conveys the same
story. Refer them to Ch. 33 for help with DESIGNING WHAT YOU WRITE
and Ch. 34 for WRITING IN MULTIPLE MODES.
sure to assign the Think beyond Words exercise. If the class has a
website, publish the students’ essays there. Alternatively, they
could create a public ser vice announcement on a poster or short
video.
where each student shares a favorite work. Ch. 34 on MAKING
PRE SEN TA TIONS can help them pres ent their work.
If your students need help with MANAGING THE WRITING PRO CESS, assign Ch. 7.
If you want to promote group work, Ch. 8 focuses on COLLABORATION.
accordingly.
% A Sampler of Course Plans and Syllabi [ 9 ]
For a Two- Course Sequence
For a two- course sequence, you might structure the fi rst term around a number of
genres and the second on research. Here is a sample of how you might structure
such a sequence on a semester system:
First term
Weeks 1–2 Ch. 1, THINKING RHETORICALLY, and Ch. 2, RHETORICAL SITUATIONS
Weeks 3–5 Ch. 12, WRITING A NARRATIVE, and Ch. 31, HOW TO WRITE GOOD SENTENCES
Weeks 6–9 Ch. 11, ARGUING A POSITION, and Ch. 4, MEETING THE DEMANDS OF ACADEMIC
WRITING
Second term
about the role of research in their lives. Working through Ch. 19,
STARTING YOUR RESEARCH, should help students come up with a
well- thought– out plan and working thesis.
Weeks 6–7 Once students have begun the pro cess of gathering information
and identifying and evaluating sources, assign them to write out
a proposal and annotated bibliography using Ch. 16, p. 356, PROJ ECT
PROPOSALS, and Ch. 23, ANNOTATING A BIBLIOGRAPHY.
to do so, and then they can begin drafting, following whichever
genre chapter they need.
their own. Ch. 26 will help them learn how and why to GIVE CREDIT
and acknowledge their sources.
Weeks 12–13 Time to get response and revise, following the guidelines in the
appropriate genre chapter.
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The Ohio State University
Beverly Moss
En glish 1110: Sport in Con temporary Society
Course Description
In this rst- year writing course, you will enhance your writing and critical thinking skills by
discussing, doing research on, and writing about issues related to the role of sports in con–
temporary society, particularly American society. This is not a course about a favorite
sport, athlete, or team, and you do not need to be a sports fan. We will examine sports
from so cio log i cal, po liti cal, and economic perspectives, paying par tic u lar attention to
attitudes toward sports and to sports as an impor tant entity in our culture. For example,
we will read about the relationship between sports and the economy, sports and gender,
sports and race, sports and performance– enhancing drugs, and so on. Think about some of
the impor tant headlines from the sports world within the past several months. The
Augusta National golf club invited, for the rst time ever, two women to become mem–
bers. In the 2012 London Olympic Games, female boxers were allowed to compete for the
rst time. New research on the consequences of concussions has put professional football
Course texts (available in university bookstore)
Eitzen,D. Stanley. Sport in Con temporary Society, 9th ed. Paradigm, 2012.
Lunsford, Andrea, Michal Brody, Lisa Ede, BeverlyJ. Moss, Carole Clark Papper, and
Keith Walters. Every one’s an Author. 2nd ed., W. W. Norton, 2017.
Hoop Dreams (documentary)
Articles on Carmen
En g li s h 1110
• Focuses on expository writing. Students write papers that employ and develop their
skills in analy sis, argumentation, and the use of evidence.
• Introduces basic research skills. Students will be expected to identify, evaluate, and
employ secondary and primary research sources.
GEC goals and rationale
Writing courses across disciplines develop students’ skills in writing, reading, critical
thinking, and oral expression.
Syllabus for a Theme- Based Course
% A Sampler of Course Plans and Syllabi [ 11 ]
GEC learning objectives
1. Students apply basic skills in expository writing.
2. Students demonstrate critical thinking through written and oral expression.
3. Students retrieve and use written information analytically and e ectively.
Required Assignments
Spend some time during the rst week of class ipping through Sport in Con temporary
Society and other sources (newspapers, magazines, journals, blogs and other online
Proposal memo on a sports issue
Once you’ve chosen the issue you wish to write about for the semester, write a one– to–
two- page single- spaced proposal memorandum to me in which you introduce your issue
(including a brief description, background information, and tentative research question),
First essay: analy sis of media coverage
For your rst essay, you will examine how speci c media outlets characterize or cover
the sports issue that you’ve chosen. Is this issue covered di erently, for example, in
national versus local media—or in print versus electronic sites? You may compare and/
this rst essay, you will write a 4– to–6– page, double– spaced essay in which you analyze
how the media represents or pres ents the issue, including:
• how they identify their purpose and their audience;
Second essay: research report
For your second essay, you will learn as much as you can about the issue or question that
you’ve identi ed. You will then write a 5– to-7– page (double– spaced) essay that essentially
SAMPLE SYLLABI
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reports on the “state of the sports issue.” This assignment calls for an informative essay
in which your major purpose is to report on the issue rather than pick a side to argue
for or against. For example, you might write an informative essay on the state of fund-
to stakeholders and non– stakeholders alike? This essay requires that you do research
with secondary (and maybe some primary) sources. You should have six to eight sources
beyond class texts. 25%
Final proj ect: the argument
The rst essay requires that you analyze public discourse on an issue to determine how
others— namely, media outlets— discuss this issue and how that coverage a ects how a
general audience understands the issue. The second essay requires that you do research
with secondary and primary sources to begin to understand the complexity of an issue.
You are, in e ect, examining an issue and taking sides on it. This third essay calls on the
argument. You will need to give considerable thought to how you use these appeals—
as you would in any argument. For this assignment, you may incorporate a visual or
audio component as part of the essay. If you choose to include a visual or audio compo–
nent, it should enhance your argument (rather than be “just for show”). 30%
Collaborative proj ects and pre sen ta tions
You will participate in a collaborative proj ect in which you and two classmates will pick
an example of e ective sports journalism (one or two print essays or columns, or a brief
audio or video essay—no longer than eight minutes) that you deem as particularly suc-
must have a vis i ble role in the pre sen ta tion; however, the group will be assessed a group
grade. If a group member does not carry his or her weight, I reserve the right to lower
that person’s grade. You will be evaluated based on quality of content and quality of
pre sen ta tion. Collaborative pre sen ta tions begin during week 11. 15%
% A Sampler of Course Plans and Syllabi [ 13 ]
Syllabus
Week 1 Introduction to course and syllabus; issues and research topics
Ch.7 Managing the Writing Pro cess
Ch.8 The Need for Collaboration
Ch.5 Writing and Rhe toric as a Field of Study
Ch.19 Starting Your Research
Ch.20 Finding Sources
Ch.16, p.356 Writing a proj ect proposal
Ch.17 Analyzing and Constructing Arguments
Every one, Pt. VI: “Style”
Ch.29 What’s Your Style?
Ch.30 Tweets to Reports/On Social Media and Academic Writing
Ch.4 Meeting the Demands of Academic Writing
Sport, Pt. 5: “Prob lems of Excess: Overzealous Athletes, Parents,
Coaches” (Chs.12–15)
Ch.14 Reporting Information
Ch.33 Designing What You Write
Sport, Pt. 7: “Prob lems of Excess: Performance– Enhancing Drugs in
Sports”
Week 7 Sport, Pt. 8: “Prob lems of Excess: Big Time College Sport” (Chs.21–26)
Every one
Ch.22 Evaluating Sources
Ch.18 Strategies for Supporting an Argument
Week 8 Every one
Ch.8 The Need for Collaboration
Ch.9 Taking Advantage of the Writing Center
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Week 9 View Hoop Dreams documentary outside of class
Discuss Hoop Dreams
Ch.21 Keeping Track
Ch.11 Arguing a Position
Week II Sport, Pt. 12: “Structured In equality: Sport and Sexuality” (all chapters)
Every one
Ch.24 Synthesizing Ideas
Ch.25 Quoting, Paraphrasing, Summarizing
Ch.26 Giving Credit, Avoiding Plagiarism
Week 12 Group Pre sen ta tions #3–7
Week 13 Individual Conferences
Week 14 Sport, Ch.40
Thanksgiving Break
Week 15 Oral Pre sen ta tions
Course Evaluations
% A Sampler of Course Plans and Syllabi [ 15 ]
Hofstra University
Carole Clark Papper
Course Description
An introduction to expository writing at the college level, with an emphasis on analy sis
and argument. Assignments in reading and writing are coordinated. In– class exercises
include workshops and oral pre sen ta tions.
Expository writing is written communication that explains, describes, de nes, or
informs using fact and example as support. Exposition is the most commonly practiced
type of writing; you nd it in letters to friends, instructions on how to use your new
just happen; there is no magic pen or keyboard, no secret tricks that enable writers to
produce clear, engaging prose. Good writing requires sustained e ort.
Course goals
After successfully completing Writing Studies and Composition 001, students will be able to:
• compose clear, grammatical sentences.
• use vari ous sentence forms e ectively to achieve rhetorical goals.
• summarize, analyze, and respond to texts in support of a coherent argument.
• summarize, quote, and respond to reliable texts to support and develop claims.
• document sources correctly.
• apply editing, proofreading, and revising strategies e ectively.
Required text
Lunsford, Andrea, Michal Brody, Lisa Ede, BeverlyJ. Moss, Carole Clark Papper, and
Keith Walters. Every one’s an Author. 2nd ed., W. W. Norton, 2017.
Suggested
Additional reading se lections will be provided by the instructor.
Syllabus for a Course Emphasizing Argument and Analysis
SAMPLE SYLLABI
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Attendance, participation 150 pts
Writer’s Notebook 200
Writing Proj ect #1: Narrative 150
Required Work
Reading assignments
Because reading carefully and critically is essential to success both in college and as a
writer, we will work on those skills as well, using the readings as noted on the Course
Calendar. You are expected to have read and annotated any assigned reading before
Writing
The four Writing Proj ects will include invention work, drafting, and revision in response
to feedback from both peers and professor. Some will incorporate research; some will
Syllabus
Goals for the Day Class Activities Assignments
WEEK 1: Introduce students to FYC, to each other, to rhe toric, and to daily writing.
Tue 9/4 1. To share
personal info,
begin building
2. Discuss the
structure of this
class.
1. Compose a short
personal bio, in class, on
large index card/single
partner to the class.
Read: “Introduction: Is
Every one an Author?”
The chapter articulates
2. A short list of
questions about the
book and how we’ll
use it.
% A Sampler of Course Plans and Syllabi [ 17 ]
Goals for the Day Class Activities Assignments
3. Examine writing
pro cesses and
2. We’ll go over the syllabus
and how the class will
writing? How have you
used it?
3. Fill out the Writing
Inventory and the
Thu 9/6 Examine our ideas
of what it means
to be an author, a
researcher, or a
1. What is an author?
• Read aloud your
response to Tuesday’s
assigned writing.
• Revise your statement
based on our discussion.
2. Discuss pro cesses
involved in writing.
Read: Chs.1–2
Writer’s Notebook:
Write out your
de nition of rhe toric—
that de nition.
WEEK 2: Discuss rhe toric and argument
Tue 9/11 Mea sure your
understanding of
the reading and
assess the
collaboration in
• Quiz on readings.
• In– class writing on p.17.
• Share responses.
• Exercise on p.24.
Read: Ch.8
Writer’s Notebook:
Write a page re ecting
on your group meeting
today: What did or
Thu 9/13 Establish indi–
vidual guidelines
and benchmarks
for writing skills.
NO CLASS— Individual
Conferences
Read: Ch.12,
pp.159–64
Writer’s Notebook:
Respond to prompts
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Goals for the Day Class Activities Assignments
WEEK 3: Writing Proj ect #1: Narrative
Tue 9/18 NO CLASS— Rosh Hashanah
Thu 9/20 Demonstrate
Narrative as a genre
Read: Ch.12,
narrative. For each
topic, explain how you
will include the ve
characteristic features.
WEEK 4
Tue 9/25 Writing
Workshop
Writing Workshop—
Invention
• Share your topics and
characteristic features
• Begin brainstorming,
noting ideas, etc.
Read: Essay by Jan
Brideau, pp.175–78
Draft your essay.
Consult the guidelines
revised essay to class
Thursday.
Thu 9/27 Writing
Workshop
Writing Workshop—
Peer Response
model on pp.175–78. In
other words, identify the
Characteristic Features
within the essays.
• Discuss the annotated
essays.
Read: Ch.11, pp.116–20
% A Sampler of Course Plans and Syllabi [ 19 ]
Goals for the Day Class Activities Assignments
WEEK 5: Writing Proj ect #2: Taking a Position
Tue 10/2 Focus on the
multiple ways of
reactions.
DUE: WP #1: Narrative
Discuss responses to
Read: Ch.11,
pp.120–35
about or don’t under–
stand in the readings
so far.
ments supporting
a position on a
given topic.
2. Make a list of things you
care enough about to
want to write about them.
3. In groups, discuss
potential topics.
Writer’s Notebook:
Exercise on p.137
WEEK 6
Tue 10/9 Class- wide
collaboration to
help focus our
topics toward an
academic
audience.
Introduce
summarizing and
building collabora-
summary of your
ideas.
1. Share your responses to
p.137 (be sure to have
the URL for the
website!); and
2. Pres ent your
annotations.
Class will respond and
discuss. ( We’ll try to get
through nine today, which
Read: Ch.11,
pp.138–45,
Ch.7, pp.79–84
Thu 10/11 Same as above. Same as above for the
remaining writers
Writer’s Notebook:
Develop ideas for your
topic, using one or
more of the methods
SAMPLE SYLLABI
[ 20 ]
Goals for the Day Class Activities Assignments
WEEK 7
Tue 10/16 NO CLASS— Presidential Debate Read: Essay by Rex
Huppke, pp.146–49
Thu 10/18 In your Writing
Group, go over
your summaries
and responses and
respond to them.
We’ll discuss the
approaches and points
Read: Essay by Kather–
ine Spriggs, pp.150–58
Writer’s Notebook:
Exercise, p.158, #1–4
Draft your position
essay, revise it by
WEEK 8
Tue 10/23 Writing Workshop— Peer
Response
Swap one copy of your
paper with someone in
your group.
Discuss the annotated
essays.
Complete Final Draft
Thu
10/25
DUE: WP # 2:
Position Paper
In– class writing activity:
Read: Ch.13,
pp.201–06
Writer’s Notebook:
% A Sampler of Course Plans and Syllabi [ 21 ]
Goals for the Day Class Activities Assignments
WEEK 9: Writing Proj ect #3: Rhetorical Analy sis of an Advertisement
2. Discuss questions and
exercises.
4. Compose a short
response.
Thu 11/1 As a class, we’ll discuss the
pro cess each group used
features.
Read: Essay by Libby
Hill, pp.240–45
WEEK 10
p.245; rough draft a
collaborative analy sis (#5).
Rubin, pp.246–51
Writer’s Notebook:
Respond to # 1–4 on
p.251 (note that this is
your rough draft of the
essay for WP #3).
2. Annotate both your
essay and the other
essays.
3. Discuss the annotated
essays.
hard copy to your
conference.
SAMPLE SYLLABI
[ 22 ]
Goals for the Day Class Activities Assignments
WEEK 11: Writing Proj ect #4: Research– based Essay
to use the
research chapters.
Overview of proj ect:
Research basics
Begin brainstorming
potential research topics.
Consider the scope and
Writer’s Notebook:
Assess your list of
potential topics.
Identify two or three
that are in ter est ing (to
Consider your rhetorical
situation (pp.447–48).
Thu 11/15 Select and narrow topics,
Read: Ch.20
WEEK 12
Tue 11/20 Research Workshop Read: Ch.16, p.356
Writer’s Notebook:
WEEK 13
Discuss how to summarize
sources for an annotated
bibliography; how to
incorporate sources into
the essay.
Create an annotation
for each source you are
considering. Turn in
two or three of them
on Thursday.
WEEK 14
Incorporating sources ( we’ll
use Ch.25in Workshop)
Writer’s Notebook:
Identify which writing
you will include and
why. Bring all the drafts
to class on Thursday.
% A Sampler of Course Plans and Syllabi [ 23 ]
Goals for the Day Class Activities Assignments
portfolio and your
responses to the questions
on p.796.
Complete your
research essay.
WEEK 15