ENGLISH 4 (003) / Writing in the Discipline of English

FALL 2005 (first half-semester course: Sept. 7--Oct. 17)

Professor: Sandra Jamieson Website: http://www.depts.drew.edu/engl/sjamieso/

Contact: (email): sjamieso@drew.edu Phone: (office): 973.408.3499 (home): 908.757.1051

Class meetings: Mon & Wed 2:30-3:45 p.m. Class room: EMB 206

Office: S.W. Bowne 118, Office Hours: Mon & Tues., 4:00-6:30; Thurs. 12:00-2:00; and by appointment

IM screen name: "ProfJamieson" Virtual Office Hours: When necessary as you work on papers (and when I remember to log on!).

This course is linked to one of the four courses in the sequence "Mapping the Anglo-American Tradition" (21A, 21B, 20A, 20B) and the suggested research topics are drawn from the material in the linked module. For this reason, all students registered for ENGL 4 must also be co-registered for the relevant module.

Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5	Week 6	Week 7
Course Description		Assignments		Online resources		Mainpage

The Schedule

Week 1

Sept. 7 (Wed): Welcome. Discussion of the class, goals, assignments, and expectations.

The art and craft of Style 1: style guides. Introduction to the style assignment (see "Project 1"). Discussion of prewriting for comparison (lists, diagrams, and tables). [For guidelines on college-level comparison see: www.users.drew.edu/sjamieso/resources/Comparison.html]

Homework: Rough draft of a comparison of the presentation of one stylistic feature or the overall question of style in Strunk and White; Williams; and Anson, Schwegler, and Muth. Due in class Monday. Be ready to present your findings to the class on Monday, giving specific examples from each text.

Week 2

Sept. 12 (Mon): Very rough draft of comparison paper due. Bring all three style texts to class today.

The art and craft of Style 2: culture and expectation. Brief presentations of findings on stylistic differences and their different treatment. Discussion of how to develop a thesis on the different treatment of style in each text. Brief discussion of the art of comparison (point-by-point and block structure).

Homework: Read Truss p. 1-34 (and more if you like) and consider her comments in relation to your thesis about style. Revise your thesis and send it to me via email by noon on Wednesday, 14^th.

Sept. 14 (Wed): Revised thesis due via email by noon today! Bring the three style texts and the MLA Handbook to class.

The art and craft of Style 3: rules and conventions. List of theses on the board. Discussion of style and convention (continued from Monday 12^th). Introduction of MLA Handbook. Classification of styles and style guides. Whose style might appeal to which writing audience? Why? Where might you vary style? Why? What stylistic errors do YOU find the most annoying? Why?

Homework: read at least one more chapter of Truss (select your own punctuation favorite) and revise your comparison paper including that material and the MLA Handbook. An excellent draft is due in class on Monday.

Week 3

Sept. 19 (Mon): Excellent draft of comparison paper due. Bring your computer to class from now on.

The art and craft of library research 1: selecting a topic and developing research questions. Broad topic: an author from ENGL 21B. Discussion of specific topic: an issue raised in ENGL 21B, and the list of possible research questions. Introduction of the research proposal. [For guidelines on the generic college-level research proposal, see: www.users.drew.edu/sjamieso/research_proposal.html]

Homework: Write a research proposal based on broad research question (author) following the format presented in class. Dues in class Wednesday 21^st.

Sept. 21 (Wed): CLASS WILL MEET AT THE REFERENCE DESK OF THE LIBRARY (AND MOVE TO LC 16). BRING YOUR COMPUTER.
Final draft of the comparison paper due in class. First research proposal due.

The art and craft of library research 2: Reference librarian Jody Caldwell will introduce students to more sophisticated library research skills appropriate for English Majors.

Homework: Develop a working bibliography for the author you are investigating. Due in class Monday.

Week 4

Sept. 26 (Mon): CLASS WILL MEET AT THE REFERENCE DESK OF THE LIBRARY (AND MOVE TO LC 16). BRING YOUR COMPUTER.
Working bibliography due.

The art and craft of library research 3: Reference librarian Jody Caldwell will introduce students to even more sophisticated library research skills appropriate for English Majors.

Homework: Review the possible topics for research and develop a research proposal and the first five texts of a working bibliography for at least one of them. Due in class Wednesday 28^th.

Sept. 28 (Wed): At least one research proposal due. Bring your computer to class from now on--last reminder.

The art and craft of research writing 1: focusing topics using research proposals. Discussion of research topics. Determining what is possible in ten pages and determining which are essential sources. Each person's research question to be handed in by the end of class (I will post them to the website so that everyone can see each other's topics and send them information they find!) Discussion of annotation. [For guidelines on the annotated bibliographies, see: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_annotatedbib.html]

Homework: Develop a working bibliography of sources for the topic you are investigating. Use footnotes and works cited lists in texts you have already found to generate a list of "essential texts" on the topic and write annotations for five of them. Due in class Monday 3^rd.

Week 5

Oct. 3 (Mon): Working bibliography and annotations of five essential sources due. Bring at least those five sources to class with you!

The art and craft of research writing 2: identifying the issues. What are your sources saying about your topic? How do they answer your initial question? How might your question evolve based on what you have read? Revise your research question and then list at least three answers you have found in your reading (indicating which source offers each answer). If you cannot do this, consider revising your question OR reading more.

Homework: Continue working on your research question and three or more answers. Write a paragraph introducing your question and summarizing the answers you have found (NOTE: this is HARD. Allow enough time!) Due Wednesday 5^th.

Oct. 5 (Wed): Paragraph identifying research question and various answers offered in the literature due.

The art and craft of research writing 3: developing a thesis. Continue to work on perspectives on your topic, then develop a thesis that positions your response within those you have found. Revise your paragraph to include your thesis.

Homework: Continue working on your annotated bibliography. Annotate all other sources that seem useful (at least ten, but aim for fifteen). Annotated bibliography due Monday.

Oct. 7 (Fri): last day to drop this class with a W (I hope you won't!!)

Week 6

Oct. 9 (Mon): Final annotated bibliography due (10-15 sources).

The art and craft of research writing 4: developing a paper. The working outline, the formal outline, note cards, "stickies." Overcoming writers block! Practice at least one method as you develop your research paper.

Homework: Continue developing your paper. A very rough draft of which is due on Wednesday.

Oct. 12 (Wed): Very rough draft of paper due.

The art and craft of research writing 4: just do it! Continue working on your paper in class. Schedule appointments with me as necessary.

Homework: Continue developing your paper. A very good draft of which is due on Monday.

Oct. 13-14 (Thur-Fri): Reading days--use them wisely! Office hours available both days.

Week 7

Oct. 17 (Mon) LAST CLASS. Very good draft of paper due.

The art and craft of Style 4: Revision and editing. Introduction of the ten steps for editing and revision.

[See: www.users.drew.edu/sjamieso/12stepediting.htm]. Remember the style guides!

Evaluations of the class and final discussion.

Schedule appointments with me as necessary.

Oct 24(Mon) Final paper with annotated bibliography and EVERYTHING ELSE YOU HAVE WRITTEN IN THIS COURSE THIS SEMESTER due in a folder outside my office by 5PM

The Writing in this Course

Project 1: Comparison of Style manuals

In this paper you will compare the way style and advice about how to write effective prose are presented in The Elements of Style, by William Strunk and E.B. White; Style: The basics of Clarity and Grace, by Joseph Williams; and The Longman Writer's Companion, by Chris Anson, Robert Schwegler, and Marcia Muth, with added support from Eats, Shoots and Leaves: A Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss and the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers by Joseph Gibaldi. The objective of each of these three texts is to help readers become more effective writers, but each seems to develop from a very different definition of "effective," and each adopts a very different tone. While some topics are covered in all three texts, most are not and those that are receive different attention and space. Each text emphasizes different aspects of writing while appearing to have the same goal. Your task in this paper is to explore the differences and similarities between these texts and write a comparison that helps us to make sense of those differences and similarities.

Begin this comparison by browsing through the table of contents, layout, and chapters before you read the preface and introduction. You may want to consider whether the front matter adequately and accurately represents and introduces the text in question.

To help you get started, consider the following questions:

- How does each text define style?

- What assumptions drive the notion of style presented in each text?

- What assumptions does each book seem to make about our reasons for writing?

- What assumptions does each book seem to make about our reasons for consulting a book on style?

- What tone do the authors of each text adopt?

- What attitudes do they seem to have about their readers?

- Who seems to be the audience for each book?

- What do we learn about style from this discussion?

- Which book seems to speak to you (i.e. seems to match your assumptions, purposes, etc.?)

- What examples can you give of differences between the three texts?

- What examples of similarities can you give?

- What is the biggest different?

- What is the most obvious similarity?

- How does each text make you feel as a writer?

Once you have answered these questions and any others that occur to you as you read, draw some larger conclusions about the differences between these three texts and develop a thesis from that.

Due Dates:

September 12: Basic comparison (you do not need to have a thesis yet, but the comparison should be point-by point);

September 14: Thesis that considers the three texts and the material by Lynn Truss;

September 19: Final comparison paper, all drafts, and one page comparison grid.

Project 2: Researching Literature

In this assignment you will explore an issue, topic, text, or author presented in ENGL 21B, conduct initial research and develop a research proposal, conduct more research and write an annotated bibliography, and then write up the paper.

Due Dates:

October 3: Working bibliography and annotations of five essential sources;

October 9: Final annotated bibliography due (10-15 sources);

October 12: Very rough draft of paper due;

October 17: Very good draft of paper due;

October 24^: Final paper with annotated bibliography and EVERYTHING ELSE YOU HAVE WRITTEN IN THIS COURSE THIS SEMESTER due in a folder outside my office by 5:00 PM.