Quick Look Unit 4

Welcome to the short week. Remember we Quest on Tuesday.

02-02-2010 Finish Reds, discuss while integrating concepts of the Three Rhetoreers, Quest 3 last part of class, have eaa, Chapters 2-4 read for class

02-04-2010 No class Winter Carnival

Quick Look Unit 3

01-26-2010 Continue Reds, for class read eaa, Chapter 5

01-28-2010 Continue Reds, Quest 2 last part of class, for class read eaa, Chapter 5

Quick Look Unit 2

Have listed readings done for that class session!

1-19-2010 Finish V for Vendetta, view revolutionary music videos, start Reds, Readings--everything's an argument (eaa), Chp. 1, pgs. 3-20

1-21-2010 Continue viewing Reds, Quest last part of class; Readings--eaa, Chp. 1, pgs. 21-42

Quick Look Unit 1

1-12-10 Intros, texts, syllabus, begin V for Vendetta, no readings

1-14-10 Finish V, discussion about what the heck is going on in this class

Syllabus

Is this really an American Revolution? Chevy makes a fine truck, but is it revolutionary?

Overview

In this class we will be looking at written, oral, and visual communication in the context of revolutionary people and movements.

Is Chevy truly an "American Revolution" as the commercials claim? I'm not sure if George Washington, leader of the American Revolution would agree with Chevy's claims. From Jesus Christ to Michael Collins to Leonard Pelletier we'll be taking a look at different types of revolutionary figures and the movements they held/hold dear. In this class we will be looking at what it means to be revolutionary, and how revolutionary people and movements are characterized in media, in words, and through their own words. We will be using the text everything’s an argument to interpret and analyze revolutionaries and revolutions from various media sources.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Identify major themes in written, oral, and visual communication that pertain to revolutionaries and revolutionary movements.
2. Critically analyze ethos, pathos, and logos in materials that are associated with aforementioned revolutionaries and revolutions.
3. Work independently and in team settings to create projects or presentations that analyze the revolutionary individual or social movement.
4. Develop the ability to creatively think, write, critique, and analyze various uses of communication.
5. Answer deeper structure questions such as...are all revolutions violent? How does discontent develop? How are revolutionary ideas communicated? Who gets followed and why? More importantly, how can a person sift out lies from truth.

Policies
1. Good attendance is crucial to success in this course; excess absences willundoubtedly result in a lowered grade and less practical knowledge, further class participation in discussions will be a chance for some extra credit.
2. Any student caught cheating on a test or plagiarizing will be dismissed from the class and receive a grade of “F” for the course.
3. For the class to “work,” it must be an open forum regarding analysis, criticalthought, and well-reasoned argument; all viewpoints must be welcomed.
4. I reserve the right to revise the syllabus or class schedule at any time.
5. If you need assistance with writing, grammar, or development of ideas for writing, please see the good folks in the Writing Center located on the first floor of Walker.
6. Please turn off all cell phones, computers, etc. If it becomes a problem we’ll have to deal with it.

Evaluation and Grading

Evaluation of student progress in this class will be determined using a unit/core mastery model. The unit/core mastery model is a good chance for you as a student to take charge of your own education. This method of grading has no complex calculus to determine a grade or wondering from week to week what your grade is, you will know by how many units you have completed. You are in charge of your education; make of it what you will. If you keep up and get things done on time, you will have plenty of time to concentrate on your capstone practical experience (due around mid-term) and final paper.

The unit/core mastery model also provides immediate feedback in testing and for your papers, though more time (a day or so) may be needed for evaluation of written projects. For example, when finished with test taking in class, you will bring the test up to be graded and receive immediate reinforcement (otherwise known as a grade) regarding your test. Each test, writing project, class participation event, and the capstone practical experience are a “unit” and count for one point towards a final grade. The final research paper is the last segment of your grade and you will need to demonstrate core mastery of class material for maximum credit.

A breakdown…written projects account for six points, testing will account for four points, class participation will account for one point, a capstone practical experience will account for one point, a portfolio of your work will get you one point, and a final paper will be written to demonstrate mastery over the course material. In order to show mastery of the individual units, you will need to score a 3.0 (B) or better on each unit. Maximum number of points for the class is 13 along with writing a successful final research paper.

So, that written, there are five segments of evaluation for this class:

Segment 1 consists of six short writing projects. In all of these short writing projects identification of an audience will be an essential component. These short writing projects will be two pages long. Your writing projects will be double-spaced using 12 point Times-New Roman font and have .5 spaced margins. To pass each of these units students must receive a 3.0 or better on each project. You will receive detailed instructions for these projects at least a week before they are due.

Writing Project 1—Response on the Capstone Experience
Writing Project 2—Write or rhetorically analyze a contemporary Good Samaritan Law
Writing Project 3—Rhetorical analysis of Letters from Karelia or Finns in Michigan
Writing Project 4—Write a closing argument as a defense attorney for Leonard Pelletier
Writing Project 5—Rhetorical comparison/contrast of Washington and Guevara's speeches
Writing Project 6--Construct a statement and response between Michael Collins and Ghandi

Segment 2 consists of testing. There will be four quizzes/tests (quests) during the first part of the semester. These quizzes will consist of 10 questions in various formats (true-false, multiple choice, short answer, fill in the blank). You will do readings and discuss the information on the quiz prior to taking the quiz. To demonstrate unit mastery, students will need to answer 8 of 10 quiz questions correctly. Testing will be done the last 30 minutes of the latter weekly class session (see schedule for dates of testing time). Students are allowed to test twice during the 30-minute testing session. Students may attempt to pass a unit three times, after the third time, a student must write a one page paper to demonstrate unit mastery. Units must be completed in sequential order and no units may be skipped. If you fall behind or are gone from class for whatever reason, you may take quizzes from two units in the same testing session, but you may not take a quiz from an upcoming unit. For a unit to be available for testing, we will have had to cover the material in class first. Upfront, questions will come from the selected texts and from lectures/media/discussions.

Segment 3 is class participation. This is going to be a participatory experience. We’ll do group discussions, class discussions, and out of class activities (aka the field trip). These are all voluntary things, but I strongly encourage you to participate. I encourage this so strongly that I am going to give you a chance to earn a grade for just talking in class and showing up to field trips.

Segment 4 consists of one creative capstone practical experience. Project particulars include:

You will be creating your very own revolutionary. You will introduce your revolutionary to the world via a tri-fold brochure. While the revolutionary is to be a made-up person, you may base it on a person studied in class, a revolutionary discovered from out of class sources, a composite of people studied in class (or revolutionaries discovered on your own), or create a totally original character. Additionally, what the revolutionary is "revolutioning" against may be a real world circumstance, or fictionalized. This is a time to be creative. In the tri-fold brochure, text must account for at least half of the panel in four of the six panels. Selection of photos, including some type of portrait of the created revolutionary will be essential as well as creating an eye-capturing front panel. The brochure must receive a 3.0 or better to complete this practical experience. Students may work with a partner. You will present your revolutionary figure to the class, expecting questions.

Segment 5 consists of handing in a portfolio with your semester's work. More on this later.

Lastly, core mastery of the course material will be demonstrated in the form of a final research paper. Instructor and student will agree upon the paper’s topic. The paper will be six pages long, double-spaced using 12 point Times-New Roman font and have .5 spaced margins. This research paper will accompany the portfolio of writing projects 1-6 and the Capstone Practical Experience.

There is no final test.

To receive a:
4.0 (A) students must complete 13 units and receive a 3.0 on their final paper
3.5 (AB) students must complete 11 units and receive a 3.0 on their final paper
3.0 (B) students must complete 9 units and receive a 2.5 on their final paper
2.5 (BC) students must complete 7 units and receive a 2.0 on their final paper
2.0 (C) students must complete 6 units and turn in a final paper
1.5 (CD) students must complete 5 units and turn in a final paper
1.0 (D) student must complete 5 units not turn in a final paper
0.0 (F) students must do nothing the entire semester or get caught cheating/plagiarizing

Schedule