8/21/13 12:11 PMENGL105.034.FA13Page 1 of 6https://sakai.unc.edu/portal/tool/1165f9bf-4403-43dd-b339-ad21d39ddf25/printFriendlySyllabusEnglish 105: Composing Across Disciplines Time: Mon. & Wed. 2:00-3:15Location: Peabody 010Instructor: Laura PearceOffice: Greenlaw 528Office Hours: Wed. 3:30-5:00 or by appointmentE-mail: [email protected] “My task, which I am trying to achieve is, by the power of the written word, to make you hear, to make youfeel--it is, before all, to make you see.”-Joseph Conrad Welcome to English 105! This course is designed to introduce you to the skills and resources you will need towrite successfully in and outside the academy. We will be focusing especially on the genres, styles, andconventions of writing in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, and helping you adapt yourwriting to different audiences and situations. This course is separated into three units, each intended to give you experience with the tools and practice ofprofessional writing in a specific discipline. You will conduct research and write a final project during eachunit, moving through smaller “feeder” assignments to help you compose your project. Ideally, you will be ableto submit your work for consideration outside of this class, such as to an undergraduate research conference orpublication. The goals of this class are to teach you toUnderstand genres, conventions, and rhetoric as they relate to the natural sciences, social sciences, andhumanitiesGenerate discipline-specific compositions in appropriate genresPresent research to different kinds of audiencesConduct secondary research using academic databases and library sourcesLearn to compose using written, oral, and multimedia modesLearn to present your work on paper and in person8/21/13 12:11 PMENGL105.034.FA13Page 2 of 6https://sakai.unc.edu/portal/tool/1165f9bf-4403-43dd-b339-ad21d39ddf25/printFriendlyReview and revise your own work and assist others in revising their work Required Materials: (available at the Bulls’ Head Bookstore):Ruskiewicz, John. How to Write Anything, Second Edition, with UNCCH supplement.Student Guide to English 105 You should also have a laptop equipped with Microsoft Word and access to a good dictionary and thesaurus. Course Design:The following are major components of the course: Workshop format: This is not a lecture class. The focus of the class is not only for you to be presented withanalytic tools, but for you to practice using them and developing them on your own in class. Class will oftenfeature free writing, large and small group discussions, and reporting back to the class. In addition to this, therewill be specific “workshop” classes in which you will have your work revised and revise the work of others.Your drafts of assignments must be uploaded an hour before the start of class on workshop days, and may beused in class workshopping with your name removed. Small groups: Following the first class, you will be formed into small groups that will determine your seatingfor the rest of the semester. Many activities, such as brainstorming and revision, will be conducted with yourgroup. Grading:This semester, we’ll be focusing on writing as a process. Part of this will be evident in the unit design, whichbuilds up the skills and work you will need for the unit projects. Another aspect of this will be your finalportfolio, which will be turned in on the last day of class. For each unit, you will have multiple small “feeder” assignments leading up to your unit project. These feedersare designed to help you complete work which will make your unit project easier to put together. Throughoutthe unit, you will workshop the drafts of your feeders and your unit project. You will assemble the final portfolio out of your previously completed work from the semester, with the8/21/13 12:11 PMENGL105.034.FA13Page 3 of 6https://sakai.unc.edu/portal/tool/1165f9bf-4403-43dd-b339-ad21d39ddf25/printFriendlyaddition of some revision and reflective statements. The aim of your portfolio is to show your improvementthroughout the course. Your portfolio must contain one of your unit projects and two of your feeders. These do not have to be fromthe same unit – you should choose them based on what you believe represents your strongest work. You mustrevise one of these assignments beyond the state in which it had been turned in, and attach a short (300 word)statement describing and reflecting on your experience revising (this statement is only required for the onepiece you revise). You will also write a reflective piece (600 words) discussing your thoughts on the writingprocess in light of your experiences throughout the semester. Further details will be discussed in the rubric forthe portfolio. Due to the importance of workshopping and group discussion, attendance and participation will be a significantcomponent of your grade. The final breakdown of your grade is as follows: Final portfolio: 20%Feeders (combined from all units): 20%Unit project 1: 15%Unit project 2: 15%Unit project 3: 15%Attendance and participation: 10%Homework: 5% Course Policies:As students in this course, you are expected to do the following: Attend class. Unless you are ill or have a documented emergency (such as a death in the family), it is extremelyimportant for you to attend class, both for the progress of your work and the work of your group. You may8/21/13 12:11 PMENGL105.034.FA13Page 4 of 6https://sakai.unc.edu/portal/tool/1165f9bf-4403-43dd-b339-ad21d39ddf25/printFriendlymiss three days of class, excused or unexcused, with no penalty. Further absences will impact your grade. Beaware - according to UNC’s Writing Program policy, you may receive an F in this course if you miss morethan seven class sessions. Be punctual. In order for you and your classmates to receive the most from this class, you must be on time.Tardiness, defined as being more than five minutes late to class, will be noted. Three tardies will be consideredequivalent to one absence. Be respectful. Allow others to speak their piece, and listen to them. Don’t engage in distracting behavior, suchas being on Facebook. Repeated disrespectful behavior will negatively impact your participation grade. Participate regularly. Speak up during class discussions, volunteer your work to be workshopped by the class,or represent your group when reporting back to class. Turn off or silence your cell phone. Unless you have an emergency which requires