ENGL-192 Advanced Writing for Professionals
Texts
Critical Thinking Reading and Writing by Sylvan Barnet & Hugo Bedau
English 192 Course Packet by SLU-Madrid Faculty
Course Description and Objectives
The engineering essay brought to life. Advanced instruction in expository and argumentative writing, with emphasis on methods of research, argumentation, organization and documentation. Special attention paid to scientific and technological issues and approaches.
This course builds on the essay skills of English 150, advancing from expository writing to argumentation. Argumentation involves an understanding of basic reasoning, such as evidence and inference, as well as devices of persuasion. The course is also designed to help students learn the vital process of writing a research paper. Part of this process includes the consolidation of writing skills such as paraphrasing, summarizing, and synthesis as well as practice in reading analysis.
Students enrolled in English 192 must focus all of three of their essays on scientific or technological subjects. In addition, they are required to complete specialized sets of writing exercises designed to introduce them to conventions of writing for the sciences. Research Paper topics must be submitted early for approval of both the 190 Instructor and a faculty member from the Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Grading Policy
15% Class preparation and participation
30% Essays and other writing assignments
30% Research Essay
25% Exams
Attendance Policy
Regular class attendance is mandatory. More than three unexcused absences will result in a lowered grade. We will discuss what constitutes an "excused" absence during the first day in class.
Class Assignments
Students should come to class prepared, which means having read the assigned texts carefully and prepared any written assignments. Your instructor may periodically ask you to submit exercises in addition to those noted on the assignment schedule.
Writing Assignments
The three major writing assignments must be completed on a word processor. Students must focus all essays on subjects related to their majors. Student are expected to be acquainted with the wordprocessing and spreadsheet software available in the computer lab, located on the downstairs floor of Padre Arrupe Hall, Valle, 34.
Late Paper Policy
The assignment schedule states when papers are due. Late papers will drop one full letter grade, and a student who fails to turn a paper in within a week of its due date will receive an F on that assignment. Always contact your instructor before an assignment is due if you anticipate a problem. All written assignments must be completed in order for you to pass the course.
Revisions
Revising an essay requires rigorous rethinking and rewriting. You may request permission to revise one of the first two essays you write for English 192.
Paper Conferences
Students are required to meet with their instructors to discuss their research paper proposals. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their instructors at other times as well during the semester. If you receive the grade of D+ or lower on an essay or one of the midterms, you must meet with your instructor.
Plagiarism Policy
Always note your sources and do not hesitate to ask your instructor about the correct ways of handling and citing outside sources. All English 192 classes discuss what plagiarism is and review Saint Louis University's policies on academic integrity during the first class meeting.
Library Resources
In addition to journals and newspapers, the Saint Louis University Madrid Library has three especially useful full-text databases for writing research papers for English 192: Lexis-Nexis, General Business File ASAP International, and Expanded Academic ASAP International. Furthermore, students are granted access to other libraries in Madrid.
Exams
Dates for partial and final exams will follow the university schedule and will be announced well in advance. Any student who does not notify his/her instructor in advance that he/she is unable to attend the exam will receive an F. There are no make-up partial and final exams.
Electronic Mail
Announcements, assignments, and additional information will often be handled by email. Please check your email regularly.
Special Accommodations
Students who require special accommodations for individual needs (learning disabilities, physical handicaps, or other reasons) are urged to speak with their instructors early in the term.
Syllabus
Week Topic
1 Introduction to Critical Thinking and Argumentation. Read Critical Thinking Reading and Writing (CTRW, 1-34); Focus on Kohn's "Competition is Destructive" (9-10) & Jacoby's "First Amendment Junkie" (22-27). Complete Critical Thinking Worksheet One.
2 Analyzing Arguments and Debunking Myths. Read Cole´s "Five Myths About Immigration" (CTRW, 98-102), Takaki's "The Harmful Myth of Asian Superiority" (CTRW, 60-61), and Plato's "The Myth of the Cave" (CTRW, 118-25). 192 Packet Part One: Writing a Research Proposal for the Sciences. Complete Critical Thinking Worksheets Two and Three.
3 Planning, Drafting, and Writing an Argument. Read "Critical Writing" (CTRW, 126-155). Complete Critical Thinking Worksheet Four. Thesis for Argumentative Essay Due in Class.
4 Faulty Logic. Read "A Logician´s View: Deduction, Induction, Fallacies" (CTRW, 290-315). Complete Critical Thinking Worksheets Five and Six. ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY DUE (5 Pages).
5 Strategies for Analyzing Arguments. Read "Critical Writing" (CTRW, 73-86). Summarize either Scott's "Smokers Get the Raw Deal" or Wu's "Is All Discrimination Unfair" (CTRW, 77-84). Review Toulmin's Model (CTRW, 282-287). 192 Packet Part Two: Process Analysis.
6 Initiating Research. Research Paper Proposals Due in Class. Read "Using Sources" (CTRW, 156-193). Review for First Partial Exam.
Partial Exam I
7 Critical Writing: Writing an Analysis of an Argument. Incorporating Quotations. Read Goodman's "The Reasonable Woman Standard" and McCarthy's "Cultural Fascism" (CTRW, 222-227). 192 Packet Part Three: Charts, Graphs, and Tables.
8 Research Strategies. Library Workshop on Electronic Databases. Reading and Taking Notes. Read Plato's "Crito" and King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" (CTRW, 228-58).
9 Techniques for Revising Prose I. In-Class Presentations of Research Projects. Review of Sample Student Research Papers (CTRW, 193-200). Writing Workshop: Drafts of Summary and Reaction Papers Due in Class. 192 Packet Part Four: Clarity and Precision in Prose.
10 Working with Secondary and Primary Sources I. Writing Workshop: MLA/APA Documentation Conventions. SUMMARY AND REACTION PAPER DUE IN LIEU OF SECOND PARTIAL EXAM (5 Pages). Peer Writing Review.
11 Working with Secondary and Primary Sources II. Review the Checklist for Papers (CTRW, 191-92). Read Shulman's "Love is a Fallacy" (CTRW, 317-25).
12 Individual Student Research. Read Rogers' "Communication: Its Blocking and Its Facilitation" (CTRW, 326-36). Outlines and Thesis Statements Due in Class.
13 Drafting the Research Paper. Revision Techniques. Annotated Bibliographies Due in Class.
14 Techniques for Revising Prose I. RESEARCH ESSAY DUE (10-12 Pages).
15 Review and Evaluations. Student Presentations. Review for Final Exam.
Final Exam
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