English 101


Unit 3: Persuasion

During the final 5 weeks of class we will focus primarily on persuasion. You will be utilizing your research, analysis, and personal conviction in order to take your issue to a final level. As a class, we will further discuss audience values and appeals, elements of effective persuasion, and rhetorical purpose. You will take this information and you will create a final essay/project in which you utilize persuasion to achieve a rhetorical purpose. You will also rhetorically analyze your own work and explain the rhetorical decisions you make for the final essay. During this unit, you will also finalize your group projects (notice that your group project and your final essay assignment are similar, except the group project does not have to be persuasive).

The major assignments for this unit will include a group update (due November 21), the rough draft of your final essay (due November 24), your group presentation (due December 3 and 8), the final draft of essay 3 (due December 5). You will also have readings, journal assignments, and a caucus assignment for the unit. Of course, you will also want to prepare for the final exam on December 12 (8am-10am in Soc Sci 206).

 A note on conferences: You are required to schedule a conference with me during this unit.  You should choose a point in the writing process that is causing you the most anxiety, or that you feel you would benefit from my input. Many of you might find that it would be helpful to brainstorm a project idea with me; some of you may want to schedule a conference before you write your rough drafts so you don't have to start from scratch after I read your rough drafts; some of you may need to conference with me about the rhetorical analysis of your own work; and some of you may want to conference after the rough drafts.  I recommend that you schedule early--you are required to have conferenced with me and if we run out of time and I don't have appointments available to meet your needs, that is your responsibility. I recommend conferences start anytime around November 12 or 14.

 

W

Date

Reading Due

Assignment Due

 

Activity

11 Nov 3 Introduction to Persuasion

Audience Exercise

J1: Audience Analysis of exercise

 

11 Nov 5 Proposal arguments discussed

see your summaries

 J2: What is your issue and possible persuasive focus; list ideas

11 Nov 7 Readings: "The Private vs Public Debate" (23); "Claiming an Education" (89); "Let's Put Pornography Back in the Closet" (608); "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" (712). Group exercises on readings; audience, purpose, and persuasion.

see your summaries of this class 

J3: React to an essay in terms of persuasion and purpose.

Assignment sheets for unit 3

Essay #3, Group Update, Journal sheets, Group Presentation Guidelines

12 Nov 10 Bring an example of persuasive writing from outside of class Discussion about persuasion examples.

 

J4: What makes the example you found "persuasive"? What is the intended audience.

12 Nov 12 Have you been keeping up on your journals? Your persuasion project; brainstorming and class project. Goals and Criteria

 

J5: Write out an outline or "zero draft" of your persuasion piece idea.

12 Nov 14 Computer room not available; class meets regularly to discuss readings from Nov 7. Caucus assignment, post and respond to persuasive piece ideas.
13 Nov 17 Readings: "What do you make of the Internet"

(1046-1080)

Discussion of issues and persuasion possibilities of the "Internet" topic. Class and group discussions.

 

J6: React to an essay in the Internet unit.

13 Nov 19 Have you defined a term or summarized a class for the web-site? If not, look at the terms and choose one to define. Rhetorical Analysis and your own persuasive piece.

 

J7: Who is the audience for your persuasive piece? What are their values? How will you appeal to those values?

13 Nov 21 Group Update #2 What are the criteria for the persuasive piece? How will she grade it?

 

J8: What have you learned from working in groups? What has been helpful/beneficial? What has not been useful?

14 Nov 24 Rough Draft

2 copies

Peer Editing in Class

Conferences Begin

 Finals Preparation workshop tonight

14 Nov 26 Do not miss your conference appointments! In-class workshops

Revision suggestions

14 Nov 28 Thanksgiving

NO CLASS

15 Dec 1 Conferences J9: What are the major problems you are having with the persuasive piece? What would help you address those problems?

Finals Preparation workshop tonight!

15 Dec 3 Group Presentations

J10: Self Assessment

15 Dec 5 Final Draft Essay 3 Due Finals Preparation: groups lead class
16 Dec 8 Group Presentations
16 Dec 10 Arrangements for paper pick-up or mailing; my final words.

Finals Preparation: groups lead class

 DECEMBER 12, 8:00am-10:00am SOC SCI 206: Final Exam