Schedule of Studies

 

 

January

 

13

Introduction to Class

Wiki Orientation

Information Exchange

Writing Samples Collected

Due: FirstResponse due before 9 AM, Thursday, January 15

Reading Assignments

• Chapter 1 ("Why Argue") in Good Reasons
• Gorgias' "Encomium to Helen"
• Excerpts from Plato's Gorgias
• The wikipedia entry on enthymeme

 

15

Disciplining Rhetoric

Rhetorical Toolbox Opened

Enthymemes

Stasis Theory

Rhetorical Triangles

Artistic Appeals

Due: SecondResponse due before 9 AM,Tuesday, January 20

Reading Assignments:

• Chapter 1 ("They Say") in They Say/I Say (17-27)
• Chapter 2 ("Reading Arguments") in Good Reasons (22-29)
• Gore Vidal: Drugs
• Theodore Dalyrymple: Don't Legalize Drugs

 

20

Rhetorical Toolbox II

Tools added

Due:  ThirdResponse due before 9AM, Thursday, January 22

Reading Assignments:

• Instructions for ProjectOne
• Chapters 3 ("Finding Arguments") and 6 ("Analyzing Visual Arguments") in Good Reasons (30-51; 90-100)
• Susan Kushchinkas: How Advertising Works Our Nerves (In a Good Way)
• Martin Lindstrom: How Subliminal Advertising Works
• Thomas Frank: Why Johnny Can't Dissent

 

22

Lost in the Supermarket

The Rhetoric of Advertising

Introduction to ProjectOne

Due: First paragraph of your rough draft of ProjectOne due to your CourseRoster page before 9 AM Tuesday

Reading Assignments

• Chapter 4 ("Drafting and Revising Arguments") in Good Reasons (52-65)
• Read over (again) the instructions for, and examples of, ProjectOne be prepared to state which of the examples you found the best and why you felt that way 

 

27

Writing Project One

Review of Project One Examples

Introduction Strategies

Workshopping Introductions

Due: Workshopping IntroductionsRough drafts of ProjectOne due on your Course Roster page before class on Thursday

 

29

First Rough Draft Workshop

Due: Drop a link to the final draft of your execution of ProjectOne to the ProjectOneStorageBin page before midnight, Wednesday, February 4

Reading Assignments:

• Review instructions for, and student sample executions of, ProjectTwo and be prepared (for real this time) to discuss which of the examples you found the best and why
• Chapter 5 ("Analyzing Written Arguments") in Good Reasons (69-79)
• Chapters 2 ("Her Point Is") and 3 ("As He Himself Puts it") and the readings "Don't Blame the Eater" and "The Empire of Images" in They Say/I Say (28-48; 139-141; 149-161)

 

 

 

 

February

 

3

The Rhetorical Analysis

Introduction to ProjectTwo

First In-Class Rhetorical Workout

Reading Assignments

• Read the introduction - "Hooked on Fame" - to Fame Junkies as well as the chapter your team has been assigned

 

5

Hooked on Rhetorical Analysis

Rhetorical Workout on Fame Junkies

Due: FourthResponse due before 9 AM, February 10

Reading Assignment

• Read the entirety of Shooting War

 

10

At War With Rhetorical Analysis

Outline Structures for ProjectTwo

Review of "Support Paragraphs" from Last Session

Collective Rhetorical Workout on Shooting War

 

12

Ironic Encounters

Final Day on ProjectTwo

Irony as a Rhetorical Mode

Rhetorical Analysis and the Televisual

Due: Rough Draft of ProjectTwo due on your CourseRoster page before class on 2/19; final draft due 2/25

 

17

Writing/Conferencing Session

 

19

Rough Draft Workshop II: The Wrath of the Rough Draft Workshop

Review of Common Problems with Project One

1. Semicolon and comma usage
2. Sentences vs. phrases
3. Introducing quotations

Due:

• Post a link to your final draft of ProjectTwo to the ProjectTwoCoffin page before midnight, February 25
• Complete our FifthResponse before 9 AM, Tuesday, February 23

Reading Assignments

• Instructions for ProjectThree (the definition project)
• Chapter 4 ("Yes/No/Okay, But") in They Say/I Say (51-63)
• Chapter 8 ("Definition Arguments") in Good Reasons (113-136)
• Calvin Klein: A Case Study
• 'Virtual Child Pornography' on the Internet: A Virtual Victim?
• Supreme Court Rules First Amendment Protects 'Virtual' Child Porn

 

24

The Question of Definitions

ProjectThree introduced

Different Types of Definitions

Debates over (Virtual) (Child) Pornography Definitions

Due: ResponseSix due before class on Thursday

Reading Assignments

• Chapter 9 ("Causal Arguments") in Good Reasons (137-144)
• James Dobson's Gay Marriage: Why Would it Affect Me?
• Susan Thompson's Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace? Why We Need Queer Critiques of Gay Marriage
• Scott Bidstrup Gay Marriage: The Arguments and the Motives

 

 

26

Defining (Gay) "Marriage"

Types of Definition Arguments

Writing for Particular Audiences

Brainstorming for ProjectThree

Preview of first ever 1020 Debate Thunderdome

Due: Your proposal for ProjectThree is due to the ProjectThreePlanning page before 9 AM, Thursday 3/5

Reading Assignments:

• Chapter 5 ("And Yet") in They Say/I Say (64-73)
• Chapter 15 ("Presenting Arguments") in Good Reasons (238-244)
• The University of Washington Medical School's page on Physician-Assisted Suicide
• Chuck Colson's From a Slippery Slope to an Avalanche
• Mary Shaw's The Other Pro-Choice Movement

 

 

 

 

March

 

3

First Ever 1020 Public Debate Thunderdome

 

10

Rough Draft Workshop III

Due: Final Drafts of ProjectThree are due to the ProjectThreeBucket page before midnight, Wednesday, March 25

Reading Assignments:

• The instructions for ProjectFour
• Read Charle's Krauthammer's Of Headless Mice...and Men
• Read Mitt Romney's Let Detroit Go Bankrupt
• Watch Human Cloning: Why the Fuss?

 

12

Introduction to Project Four

Reverse-Engineering Evluations and Proposals

Due:

• Final Drafts of ProjectThree are due to the ProjectThreeBucket page before midnight, Wednesday, March 25
• ResponseSeven due by 9 AM, March 24

Reading Assignments:

• Read Chapters 10 ("Evaluation Arguments") and 13 ("Proposal Arguments") in Good Reasons (156-174; 210-215)

 

24

Second Ever Public Debate Thunderdome!

Topic: Should Medicinal Marijuana be Legalized in Michigan?

Due: Answer the appropriate set of questions for your ProjectFour on the ProjectFourPlanning page before 9AM, Thursday, March 26

 

26

Planning Project Four

 

31

Last Every Public Debate Thunderdome!

Topic: Should Wayne State make it impossible for professors to penalize absences from class?

 

 

April

 

2

Writing/Conferencing Session

Due: Rough drafts for ProjectFour due to your Roster page before Tuesday's class meeting

 

7

Penultimate Rough Draft Workshop

Reading Assignments:

• Read the instruction for ProjectFive
• Read "American Idle," "Of Sleuths and Starships," and "Downtown Time Capsule" (all available on the ProjectFive page)

Due: 

• ResponseEight due before 9 AM, April 9
• Final Draft of ProjectFour due to the ProjectFourAshTray page before midnight on Wednesday, April 15

 

9

Introduction to Project Five

Reading Assignments:

• Read "Why Your Son Missed Dinner for a Videogame and Why You Shouldn't Care" & "Shrek & Shrek 2 Surpass Pop Culture"

Due:

• Answer the questions for planned Project Five on the ProjectFivePlanning page before 9 AM, 4/14

 

14

Workshopping Project Five Proposals

Reading Assignments:

• Read "Detroit Arcadia" (PDF e-mailed via blackboard)

Due:

• Complete ResponseNine before 9 AM, 4/16

 

 

16

Project Five Wrap-Up