Welcome

1. Welcome 100 • WELCOME • Intro to RWS100 and the lower division writing program • TA Introductions; photo session(assimilation and mind control program revealed) 9.30:

2. Overview of RWS100 • 10.00: The program, RWS100, ITC, Fall students, expectations, assignments, and options.

3. RWS 100 and the lower division writing program • See the handout for contact info • A lot of material on the wiki (let us know if you need help finding) • Argument is at the center of the writing program/100. • New emphasis on evaluation being piloted.

4. RWS 100 and the lower division writing program • We ask students to interpret, analyze, evaluate and produce written arguments because this is central to academic literacy, critical thinking, and civic life • - Lasch: “argument is the essence of education,” and “central to democratic culture”;- Norgaard: Universities are “houses of argument.” - Graff: “Argument literacy” is key to higher education.

5. RWS 100 and the lower division writing program • We want students to be able to identify claims, evaluate evidence and reasons, locate assumptions, identify argumentative moves, pose critical questions, produce sophisticated arguments, etc. • We do this not only because it’s good for their souls, critical thinking, ability to reason, deliberate, be engaged citizens, etc. But also because it’s key to their professional futures – every gateway requires it.

6. Why We Fight!(4 your right to write, argue & analyze well) • These skills are central to business, law, professional life, and to academic study (including graduate school). • Students tested for these skills in the WPA, the LSAT, GMAT, and GRE – all the gateways to professional life. • Consider the LSAT…

7. Sample LSAT Question • FIND THE MAIN CLAIMPediatrician: “Some parents have decided not to have their children receive the MMR vaccine because they fear that it may cause autism. They cite a study that found a possible link between the vaccine and the disease. However, two other much larger studies have found no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. These parents have, therefore, willfully put their own children and many others at risk of catching measles, mumps, and rubella, while failing to do anything to prevent their children from becoming autistic.” Which most accurately expresses the main claim of the pediatrician’s argument?(A) Parents should not pay attention to medical studies because they can’t understand them; instead, they should get advice from their pediatricians.(B) The study that found a link between autism and the MMR vaccine was unsound because the doctor who conducted it was being paid by a group of trial lawyers who wanted him to find a connection so they could carry out a lawsuit.(C) Public health needs require that parents have their kids vaccinated regardless of their fears about the procedure.(D) Parents’ refusal to have their kids take the vaccine is both medically unjustified and dangerous, because the vaccine has known disease-preventing benefits and refusing it will have no effect on whether their kids become autistic.(E) Despite the results of the two large studies, there is still some possibility that the MMR vaccine might cause autism.

8. Analytical Writing Tasks • Present Your Views on an Issue (45 minutes, choice of 2 topics) • Analyze an Argument (30 minutes) • Each essay is scored on a 0-6 scale using holistic scoring • Two scores for each essay • GRE Website presents directions, actual topics, scoring guide, and sample essays for both the Issue and Argument tasks (www.gre.org/gentest.html)

9. Argumentation/Justification • In Wolfe’s 2010 study, assignments from a broad range of disciplines were collected and examined. Results? Argumentation is valued across the curriculum. “Argument is the key word for good writing and the absence of argument constitutes the central problem in students’ written work” (Wolfe, p. 50). • Richard Arum and JosipaRoksa’sAcademically Adrift, a comprehensive review of undergraduate education – argument is key.

10. Argumentation/Justification • The Common Core State Standards – argument and rhetorical analysis are key. • The WPA exam students will take after RWS 200 • These aren’t so much “justifications” of our approach as points you may want to share with students, future employers, other academics who sometimes think teaching writing = comma placement.

11. You won’t be assimilated (much)… • You need to work within the course framework and assignment sequence, but you can be creative and adapt it – we’re interested in hearing your ideas. • RWS100 represents just one way to design a writing course – many others are possible (genre, critical literacy, cultural studies, expressivism, etc.) • Writing programs often serve many masters, since general education programs are collaborative enterprises. Had we world enough and time (and money and control) I like the idea of a hybrid WID-based approach.

12. You will (not) be assimilated… • But even so, your experience in this program will be valuable as a) it’s an influential model, b) the trend is toward aligning k-12 and higher ed. around argument, and c) SDSU’s program is regionally influential. • Our program is fairly “mainstream.” Our mission statement and learning outcomes are similar to WPA and NCTE statements on teaching writing. • CSU-wide articulation efforts shaped by work at SDSU.

13. ITC: Expectations • ITC = an important part of your work. You are expected to attend. You get credit for it. Wednesdays @ 1.00 – 1.50 in SH-316 • More importantly, it’s part of collaboration, professional development, and networking. • Modest home work is assigned but it’s all to prepare for your class. Meetings are 50 minutes. • Your contribution is important and most welcome. We provide a lot of support, but you are welcome to adapt & remix, or add your own materials. TA contributions have improved courses a lot – many TA ideas are on the wiki.

14. Collaboration is important • Class sizes lower, but still big – 25. • We will be teaching 4 major assignments this semester – an increase from the past. • We may want to “jigsaw” the work of preparing class plans, etc. • You will likely teach RWS200 next semester. Use ITC to prepare and find collaborators.

15. Meet your audience • Fall semester students are often quite well prepared. Some may be fairly sophisticated writers, but you’ll be presenting them with a new, challenging way of approaching texts • You may have some 3rd semester students who have come through 92a and 92b. If you do, roster will say level “1,” as opposed to “0”. They register late, tend to come in clusters, will be weaker writers; some will be ESL. • You may have some ESL/international students. You can refer them to LING100 if you think they’ll struggle. • About 500 students will have done “early start” classes over summer as college prep. They tend to be serious, hard working students, and are often grouped in a few classes.

16. Main Texts • Thompson, Carey/College Inc., Carr & responses to Carr • RWS 100 Reader • Graff et al. They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. • Little Seagull Handbook • Short texts in the Reader: Kristof, Rifkin, Parry, etc. You can select your own, and other short texts on the wiki. Use to introduce the course/key concepts • Texts for unit 2 and 4– you can select, or use ones on wiki.

17. Student Writing as key text • Student writing is the key text, and teaching them how to read their own writing practices (reflexivity) is important • “The ability to reflect on what is being written seems to be the essence of the difference between able and not so able writers from their initial writing experience onward”(Yancey 4)

18. Assignment Sequence • 1. produce an account and analysis of a single argument (Thompson)2. gather sources, situate an argument within a field of other texts, map out and analyze relationships between them (extend, complicate, illustrate, etc.) (Carey)3. identify, analyze and evaluate rhetorical strategies (Carr)4. evaluate & compare multiple texts (responses to Carr)

19. Other Possible assignments • Portfolio: Students have done small writing assignments over the semester. You can assign further short writing assignments in the final part of the course, and give students an aggregate grade for the completed portfolio. Can use blog. • Reflection essay – have students write a paper that asks them to reflect on the writing work they have done, what they have learned, the way they approach writing, the things they still need to work on, etc.

20. 10.30 The First Week: Class management • The first day: crashers, • scheduling, class management • (Jamie)

21. 11.00 Rhetorical Reading of Thompson’s “Public Thinking” • Glen McClish

22. 12.00-12.30 Admin • 12.30 – 1.30 LUNCH

23. 1.30 – 2.30 • Introducing rhetoric &working with short texts • Overview common classroom activities

24. Nudging students toward a rhetorical stance… • We want to move students from a focus on what texts say (content) to what they do and how they do it (rhetoric). Rhetorical self consciousness = achieving a kind of double vision – of looking “at” as well as through language. • Rhetorical self consciousness – understanding what texts do - is an important skill for students. Revealing the rhetorical moves that writers make, the strategies they draw on, is part of achieving academic literacy, and of acculturation into disciplinary communities. When you recognize the moves you not only understand the disciplinary conversation better, you are better equipped to join it. • In the first week of class we’d like you to introduce key concepts through the analysis of some short texts. Lots of material on wiki for this. Op-eds, ads, videos, etc. • Focusing on strategies and what texts do = good ways of introducing rhetoric.

25. Basic Rhetorical Strategies • How do texts position readers? • What point of view do they adopt? • From what perspective do they invite us to view the world?Consider these chewing gum ads:

29. Rhetoric Is “Everywhere” & an “Everyday” Thing • When a politician tries to get you to vote for them, they are using rhetoric. • When a lawyer tries to move a jury, they are using rhetoric. • When a government produces propaganda, they are using rhetoric. • When an advertisement tries to get you to buy something, it is using rhetoric. • When the president gives a speech, he is using rhetoric. But rhetoric can be much subtler (and quite positive) as well: • When someone writes an office memo, they are using rhetoric. • When a newspaper offers their depiction of what happened last night, they are using rhetoric. • When a scientist presents theories or results, they are using rhetoric. • When you write your mom or dad an email, you are using rhetoric. • Thought itself is rhetorical - when you think, you engage in “inner argument,” or “inner persuasion” in order to reach a decision or act.

30. HEADLINES DESCRIBING MEDICAL MARIJUANA DECISION • Salon Magazine “Court rules against pot for sick people”  • New York Times: “High Court Allows Prosecution of Medical Marijuana Users” • USA Today: “MEDICAL MARIJUANA BAN UPHELD” • San Diego Union Tribune: “Court OKs Marijuana Crackdown” • L.A. Times: “Justices Give Feds Last Word on Medical Marijuana” • Christian Science Monitor: “US Court Rules Against Pot For Sick People” • Christian News Source: “Medical Marijuana Laws Don't Shield Users From Prosecution”

31. Telemarketing Strategies Script • Pre-introduction: (Ask to speak to the decision-maker) Introduction: (Introduce yourself and the reason for your call) Attention Getter: (Mention the key features of the offer and qualify them for eligibility) Probing Questions: (Always ask for information that will be useful for rebuttals) Offer: (Explain the product/service and terms of commitment) Close: (ALWAYS ASK FOR THE SALE) Rebuttal (deal with objections)Sales Continuation: (Agree, use rebuttals, sell benefits, CLOSE) Up/down/cross-sell: (If there is another product of less-price this is the time to sell it.) Confirmation Close: (Review the terms of the offer to reduce buyer remorse) Final Close: (End on a positive note. Thank the customer and leave a dial free number for customer support)

35. Everyday words, names, definitions, categories – how they are selected or constructed = rhetorical. Consider: • Cash advance (vs. high interest loan) • Second Mortgage vs. Home equity loan • “War on terror,” vs. “war against Islamic extremists,” vs. “fight against Al Queda” (scope, agents involved, action) • “The 1%,” “job creators” • Military contractors, mercenaries • “War on drugs”’ “Axis of Evil”; • “Body bags” vs. “transfer tubes” • “Doctor assisted suicide” vs. “death with dignity” • “Defense of marriage” vs. “marriage equality” • “French Fries/Freedom fries” • “Death Tax/Estate Tax” • “Habit forming” vs. “addictive” • “Erectile dysfunction” vs. “impotence” • “Halitosis” vs. “bad breath” • “Male pattern baldness” vs. “losing your hair” • “Viagra!”

36. Common expressions reveal rhetorical moves • “TO BE HONEST/FRANK/FRANKLY/TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH..” • "Parrhesia" or "sincere style.” Most common strategies: • False sincerity (sales pitch) • To establish intimacy/insider status (because we are close, I can confide in you). • To signal seriousness. To signal shift to serious topic – politeness or performance is being set aside in favor of frankness • To establish emphasis. I want to really emphasize what comes next. E.g. Obama & “look” as emphasis marker. He’ll say to audiences, “Look, the reality is…” = I’m dropping out of performance mode and speaking to you plainly and seriously. • Confess to potentially unpopular position, and manage “face” - may effect other’s opinion of you (status-threatening) (“To be honest, I voted for Ralph Nader in 2000; “To be honest, I thought Paradise Lost was a bore.” "To tell you the truth, I'm not going to make the deadline."

37. When ads used a lot of logos

38. Today’s ads often use different appeals

39. Introducing rhetoric • You may wish to use short texts, visual texts, advertisements, op-eds and other texts that students are probably familiar with in order to introduce rhetoric. • Email communication is a good place to start – students are familiar with the genre, and may find it easier to recognize strategies, acts of persuasion, positioning, performance, etc. • This YouTube animation is a good text to start a discussion about rhetoric – about audience, purpose, persuasion, strategies, genre, ethos, rhetorical situation, etc.

40. Using a YouTube Animation to introduce rhetorical concepts

41. Examine how this trivial act is full of rhetorical issues. The character is asking, how does this language present me? What persona does it construct? What tactic will be most effective? What moves should I make, how will this make me seem? How should I think of my audience? What is my purpose? How do I avoid embarrassment? • Give students a new context and ask to compose an email or text message. • See pages 13-17 of handout for class plan that uses the email exercise (could use on 1st or 2nd day of class).

43. Rewrite these rhetorically tone deaf student emails • “Hey prof, sorry I didn’t turn in my paper yesterday in class. I had a science test to study for that was really important. Is there any way I can turn it in late just this once? Let me know by tonight that way I don’t waste my time doing it if you won’t.” • “Dear professor,I am writing you cuz unfortunately I won’t be able to make it to our appointment today. yesterday was my 21stbday and I’m still hangover and don’t think I should drive. let me know when you can make another appointment.”

44. Homework Exercise: • The syllabus clearly says the instructor does not accept late work and if you miss class you will be penalized. Nonetheless, you miss five classes and try to hand in the second major assignment 8 days late. If the instructor does not accept your work you will fail the class. • Write an email to the instructor….

45. List strategies • Introduce self • Apologize • Take responsibility • Establish ethos • Elicit sympathy/pathos • Build a defense • Present evidence (doctor’s note, note from coach, etc.) • Initiate action/repair • Etc.

46. We often use texts that are “self-reflexive,” that self consciously reveal rhetorical devices and persuasive strategies. Advertising and marketing that does this can be fun to examine, and a good way to introduce rhetoric. • Vince Parry, “Branding a Condition” • Tales of Mere Existence • Kotex advertisements So Obnoxious and “How Do I Feel About My Period?

47. Charting & Analyzing Sample Short Texts.Rifkin and Kristof

48. 2.30 – 3.30 • Overview common classroom activities

49. Common Class Activities[See p. 3 of handout] • Pre-reading and “pre-discussion” work (questionnaires to get at assumptions, surveys, etc.) • “Jig saw” work (students share researching key parts of text and share in class) • Class discussion, group work • Critical reading/rhetorical reading – posing questions, interrogating assumptions, reading actively and critically (modeling qns to ask) • Charting – what is the text doing; what/how/why moves are made • PACES (project, argument, claims, evidence, strategies) • Pre-writing exercises + templates, rhetorical precis, metadiscourse, transitions, quotations, mechanics • Drafting, peer review, student “read alouds,” conferencing • Assessment and response • Analysis and evaluation (single argument, relationship between texts, strategies, “lens” work, evaluation of arguments) and presentation of student arguments • Reflection and reflective practice (applying concepts to students own writing – e.g. charting, analyzing students’ moves and strategies, etc.)

50. Common Class Activities: Pre-reading Exercises • 1. In Class test • “Careful, you might run out of planet: SUVs and the • exploitation of the American myth,” by Goewey. Questions: • Is Goewey critical or complimentary of SUVs? • Does the author believe that there is time to make a change? • Does the author put more emphasis on car quality or social issues in assessing the value of SUVs? • Is the author likely to be a supporter of major oil companies? • Was this essay written in 1979, 1989, or 1999?