ENGL 1101
Course Overview

Course Description

“Inside each of us is a natural-born storyteller, waiting to be released.”

—Jim Neil Smith

Storytelling is an integral part of what it means to be human. Imagine, within each and every person is the story of who we are, what we believe in, and the events that have impacted us. Not only are we personally impacted by the stories we hold, but stories help create bonds amongst people and their communities. Throughout this course, students will not only learn how to express their own stories in written word, but examine how stories influence audiences through rhetorical analysis, and how to utilize storytelling to create arguments and take initiative within their own lives and for community.

FYC 1101 Learning Outcomes

1. Practice writing in situations where print and/or electronic texts are used, examining why and how people choose to write using different technologies. 

2. Interpret the explicit and implicit arguments of multiple styles of writing from diverse perspectives. 

3. Practice the social aspects of the writing process by critiquing your own work and the work of your colleagues. 

4. Analyze how style, audience, social context, and purpose shape your writing in electronic and print spaces. 

5. Craft diverse types of texts to extend your thinking and writerly voice across styles, audiences, and purposes.

Course Overview

Course Introductory Unit

Week 1 will largely be focused on introducing students to college-level writing, expectations of the class, and how first-year composition will help students succeed in their futures. Throughout the course of this week, students will be introduced to course policies and major assignments. I will inform students of the expectations I have of them and in turn, they will communicate what they expect of me as their instructor. Reading for this week will largely revolve around skill gained from first-year composition and how writing is used in almost all aspects of life. All readings for this unit will be supplemented via various articles and studies available online. 

Major Assignment: Beginning-of-Semester Reflective Memo

1 page paper in which case students write about their hopes for the class and what they wish to learn from the course, as well as analyze how this course will prepare them for their future. 

Notable Low-stakes Assignments:  

• Daily free-writing activity activity 

• Peer review via discussion board posts

• Fish-bowl workshop

Narrative Unit

During weeks 2-5, we will focus on the narrative unit, in which case students will learn the importance of storytelling, and how to use various plot structures and literary devices to their advantage and make their stories come to life. While this does largely delve into the importance of storytelling in society, the nature of having students write about their own lived experiences will hopefully knock down barriers as students begin their college writing journey. This unit will be scaffolded with daily free writing activities that allow students to brainstorm ideas, practice various plot structures and literary devices, and reflect upon what stories impacted them the most. This unit will also be scaffolded with multiple discussion board posts, in which case students will upload various drafts of their final narrative paper, such as an outline or introduction, and gain feedback from their peers. Finally, during week 4, students will bring at least 2 pages in class for a fish-bowl workshop. All readings for this unit will be supplemented from OpenStax or from various free articles and studies found online. Other resources may include videos that explain various literary devices. 

Major Assignment: Narrative 

Students will write a 3-4 page paper using the material learned in class to write an effective story about a moment/place/person that positively impacted their life or their community. This narrative should use some kind of plot structure and implement literary devices, such as dialogue, simile, metaphor, etc. This assignment will be scaffolded throughout the narrative unit, as described above, and will be graded based on the student's proficiency in implementing knowledge acquired in class. Students are allowed to use outside information if they need a refresher concerning details of a person/place, however, ALL sources must be cited in MLA formatting. 

Notable Low-Stakes Assignments: 

• Daily free-writing activity 

• Peer-review discussion board posts

• Fish-bowl workshop

Rhetorical Analysis Unit

During weeks 6-9, we will focus on the rhetorical analysis unit, in which case students will gain an introductory knowledge of rhetoric and be able to identify and analyze various rhetorical situations and appeals. The primary goal for this unit is to teach students the importance of examining life through an analytical lens and to reconsider the stories surrounding them. This unit will be scaffolded with daily free writing activities that allow students to practice identifying and analyzing various rhetorical situations and the rhetor’s use of rhetorical appeals, as well as brainstorm various talking points in their final rhetorical analysis project. Similar to the narrative unit, students will upload various drafts of their rhetorical analysis project and give feedback to their peers, as well as participate in a fish bowl workshop during week 8, one week before the final rhetorical analysis assignment will be due. All readings for this unit will be supplemented from OpenStax or from various free articles and studies found online. Other resources may include videos that explain rhetorical appeals or act as a great example for in-class analysis. 

Major Assignment: Rhetorical Analysis Paper

Students will write a 3-4 page rhetorical analysis in which case students will examine the rhetorical analysis and rhetorical appeals of a story that impacted their lives. Student’s chosen artifact could be that of a film, tv show, song/album, speech, commercial, novel, etc, so long as what their examination tells is a story. Students are expected to thoroughly discuss the rhetorical situation of their chosen artifact, examining the rhetor, audience, context, as well as any and all cultural/historical events that impacted the creation of the artifact or the audience’s reception of the artifact. Additionally, students are expected to analyze any and all rhetorical appeals at length, citing their artifact at least 2 times for each chosen appeal. For ethos, students are allowed to examine outside materials, such as marketing campaigns and interviews, so long as they cite ALL sources in MLA. Students will be graded on their understanding and implementation of course material.

Notable Low-stakes Assignments: 

• Daily free-writing activity

• Peer-review discussion board posts

• Fish-bowl workshop

Argumentative Unit

During weeks 10-14, we will focus on the argumentative unit, in which case students will use their knowledge of storytelling and rhetoric to create their engaging and effective arguments. The primary goal for this unit is to further show how they can use the skills they have previously learned to make a change within their own community and potentially rewrite their story. This unit will be scaffolded with daily free writing activities that will allow students to brainstorm issues affecting their personal lives that they would like to change, practice research skills, as well as consider how they might utilize previously learned skills when creating their argument. This assignment will also be scaffolded with a low-stakes, multi-modal project, in which case students will create a movie poster/book cover for their narrative, and then write a small argumentative paper regarding why their visual creation represents the themes of their narrative project. Like the narrative and rhetorical analysis units, students will upload discussion posts featuring various drafts of their argumentative project and give feedback to their peers, as well as participate in a fish bowl workshop during week 13, one week prior to the final project being due. All readings for this unit will be supplemented from OpenStax or from various free articles and studies found online. Other resources may include videos that act as a great example for in-class analysis. 

Major Assignment: Argumentative Essay  

Students will write a 4-5 page argument, in which case they utilize material from previous units, such as (but not limited to) literary devices, rhetorical appeals, to create an effective argument concerning an issue in their life or community that they would life to change. Their argument should have a specific audience in mind and should address the interests/concerns of this audience in some way. Students must incorporate at least 2 outside sources into their argument, but they are encouraged to incorporate more. ALL outside sources must be cited in MLA formatting. Students will be graded off of their implementation of course material in the creation of their argument, as well as their utilization of outside sources. 

Notable Low-stakes Assignments: 

• Narrative cover/poster & accompanying argumentative paper

• Daily free-writing activity 

• Peer-review discussion board posts

• Fish-bowl workshop

Reflection and Revision Unit

During weeks 16-17, we will focus on reflection and revision, in which case students will be encouraged to reflect on the material they learned, how their relationship to writing has changed, and how they would like for their relationship with writing to change moving forward. Students will also better understand the importance of revision, as they look back on their three major assignments and consider what edits they would have made to the assignment itself, or in the process of creating the assignment. This short unit will be scaffolded with free writing activities and a discussion post in which case students will write about their time in the course as well as brainstorm edits they would like to make to major assignments. All readings for this unit will be supplemented via various articles and studies available online. 

Major Assignment: End-of-Semester Revision & Accompanying Reflective Memo

Students will annotate one major assignment, either from the narrative, rhetorical analysis, or argumentative unit, paying attention to areas in which they would revise or comments they have regarding what it was like to write various sections. Students will then write a 2-3 page reflective memo expanding upon and explaining their annotations. Students will also discuss their time in the course, how their relationship with writing has evolved, and how they see writing fitting into their life in the future. 

Notable Low-Stakes Assignments: 

• Daily free-writing activity 

• Peer-review discussion board posts

Methods of Assessment

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