English 110.

02 First-Year English Composition

Class meets: Mondays & Wednesdays 9:30-11:30

in Denney Hall 268

Instructor: Blake Wilder

Office hours: Tuesdays 1:30-3:00

& Wednesdays 12:00-1:30
and by appointment
Office: Denney Hall 513
Contact: [email protected]

English 110.02: First-Year Composition (Spring 2011)

Violence and Identity in American Culture

Course Description and Objectives
In this course, we will analyze representations of violence to explore how violent acts and symbolic violence are
deployed to make implicit statements about identity. Although not new, depictions of violence have become more prevalent
and more intense in recent decades. Old black and white westerns of gun-toting outlaws have evolved into expensive and
polished shows of gangsters and sprawling crime, such as The Sopranos or The Wire. Action sequences in movies have
grown more prominent with bigger explosions and ever-increasing gore. Depictions of violence in the media often rely on
conventional roles such as the hero, the villain, and the victim. Exploring how different identities are cast in these roles will
expose implicit arguments made by writers and directors and also foreground how those creators imagine their audience. In
addition to representations of actual violent acts, violence has become a methaphor for understanding social conflicts and
challenges. The language used by politicians when talking about the War on Terror or the War on Drugs often positions
different social groups in interesting and revealing ways.
Looking to scenes of violence and the rhetoric of figurative wars, we will seek to examine how and why violence is
used in both media and speech. To what extent do the effects of violence extend beyond the immediate context? How do
cultural identities of gender, race, or nationality intersect with narratives of violence? In what ways do varying statements
about violence in the news, political speeches, or literature mirror or mitigate physical acts of violence? We will learn
techniques for analyzing the rhetorical messages implicit in acts and depictions of violence and apply those analytical
strategies to our exploration of these issues.
In this first-year writing course, you will develop your capacity for undertaking academic research and analysis
through an original research project and presentation of the results of your work to an audience of your peers. You will
identify an area of interest within our course themeViolence and Identityand you will find materials to analyze, develop
analytical research questions, explore secondary texts, and make claims that are connected to the evidence you have
discovered.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM

Writing and Writing Related Skills
Goals/Rationale:
Writing courses across the disciplines develop students skills in writing, reading,
critical thinking, and oral expression.
Learning Objectives:
1. Students apply basic skills in expository writing
2. Students demonstrate critical thinking through written and oral expression
3. Students retrieve and use written information analytically and effectively
First Writing Course
Students are introduced to the conventions and challenges of academic discourse
Students are prepared to read critically and analytically

English 110.02 First-Year English Composition

Instructor: Blake Wilder

Required Materials

Trimble, John. Writing with Style: Conversations on the Art of Writing. Prentice Hall. ISBN: 9780-205-02880-1
Palahniuk, Chuck. Fight Club. Norton. ISBN: 0-393-32734-5
Readings posted to Carmen site
You will need to have access to all readings during each class meeting. Your Buck-ID allows you
to print 50 free pages each quarter at university computer sites, with additional pages costing ten
cents each.

Assignments & Grading

Five Writers (b)log posts
2-3 page Close Reading
Exam
Participation (discussions, quizzes, etc)
Analytical Research Paper:
2 page primary Analysis
Source Annotations and Research Conference
7-8 page Final Analytical Paper

15%
10%
15%
10%
50%
10%
10%
30%

The Writers (b)log will be an ongoing and multi-step process designed to help you practice organizing your writing, explore
different ways to express a point-of-view, write with an audience in mind, and practice revision.
Step 1: On the specified days, you will select one of the suggested prompts. There will be one to three options available
depending on the week. You will write a rough-draft response by hand in your journal notebook.
Step 2: You will bring your journal notebook with you to class on Monday The class will exchange notebooks, and you will
receive feedback from two to three of your peers.
Step 3: Using the feedback from your peers, you will revise your original entry. You will publish the polished version of at least
300 words on your individual blog by midnight Wednesday.
Step 4: You will read through all the published blogs, commenting on at least three and voting for one as Blog of the Week.
You will complete this step by midnight Saturday.
Step 5: First thing on the following Monday, we will discuss the winner of Blog of the Week in class, focusing on why people
voted for it and what was most successful.
For the 2-3 page Close Reading (due April 18th), you will chose a section (approximately one page or less) of James Baldwins
short story Going to Meet the Man and explain how that section relates to the story as a whole. You might chose a section of
dialogue, internal monologue, or description of a scene. Noting specific literary features such diction, foreshadowing, or symbolism
you will make a claim about the relationship between the form and content of the story.
The Exam (on May 18th) will based on readings from Writing With Style, on the thematic readings dealing with issues of violence,
and on class lectures. The Exam will include both a writing portion and a short answer portion.
Participation is of the utmost importance. Although not everyone is comfortable talking in the classroom, your grade will depend
on you demonstrating that you have read and engaged with the assigned reading for the week. We will have class blog that serves as
the hub for the class blog. You are all free to post on the class blog for any issue and at any time. Posting your thoughts about the
reading on the class blog prior to class will serve as an alternative means of participation for those who are uncomfortable speaking
in class. While there are no specific guidelines about how much or often to post (or to talk in class), the onus is on you to
demonstrate participation.
The Analytical Research Paper will be completed in several steps and is designed to bring together all of the skills you have
learned through out the class.
Step 1: (April 20th) You will select two possible primary sources and provide a brief description of what they are. After you
considered my feedback, you will select one of the sources to the basis for the rest of th steps
Step 2: (April 27th) You will write a 2 page analysis of your chosen primary source. You will focus on the details of the source
and make a claim about the sources message and how it communicates it by asking and answering critical questions.
Step 3: (May 9th) You will find two scholarly articles that address issues that arise in the analysis of your primary source. You
will write annotations of these scholarly articles and then have a conference with me to discuss how they might support a claim.
Step 4: (June 6th) The final 7-8 page paper will combine the work of the 2 page analysis and the scholarly research to present an
organized argument that is based on a well-articulated thesis.

English 110.02 First-Year English Composition

Instructor: Blake Wilder

Course Policies
Attendance is important to the success of this class and to your development as a writer. Therefore, each unexcused absence
after two will result in the lowering of your final grade by a third of a grade. Excused absences, such as those for documented
illness, family tragedy, religious observance, or travel for inter-collegiate athletics, will not affect your grade. It is program
policy that five unexcused absences will automatically result in failure for the course.
While we are all more and more plugged in, using your cell phone in class is distracting and disrespectful. Having your cell
phone out in class will count against your participation grade. Moreover, this is a writing class. If I see you typing a text in
class, I will confiscate your phone and as a class we will help you compose and send your message.
Tardiness is disruptive to the classroom environment, and prevents you from fully participating and assimilating the
information and materials discussed in class. Excessive tardiness will lower your participation grade.
Plagiarism is the unauthorized use of the words or ideas of another person. It is a serious academic offense that can result in
referral to the Committee on Academic Misconduct and failure for the course. Please remember that at no point during the
writing process should the work of others be presented as your own.
Student Work must be completed and submitted on time. All assignments should be turned in during the class period when
they are due. Late submission of a final graded assignment will result in the deduction of one full letter grade for each day
past the due date (for example, B+ to C+). The grade will not be affected when an assignment is late for reasons that would
result in an excused absence. Students who know they will miss the class when the assignment is due must contact the
instructor as soon as possible in advance of class to arrange for submission of the assignment.
Class Cancellation Policy: In the unlikely event due to emergency, I will contact you via email and request that a note on
department letterhead be placed on the door. In addition, I will contact you as soon as possible following the cancellation to
let you know what will be expected of you for our next class meeting.

Resources
The Ombudsman of the Writing Programs, Matthew M. Cariello, mediates conflicts between instructors and students in
English 110 and 367. His Winter 2011 office hours in Denney Hall 412 are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 11:303:00. Please make an appointment. All conversations with the Ombudsman are confidential.
The OSU Writing Center is available to provide free, professional writing tutoring and consultation. You may set up an
appointment by calling 688-4291 or by dropping by the center at 475 Mendenhall Laboratories. If you are interested in online writing advice, visit the OWL (On-Line Writing Lab) at www.cstw.osu.edu.
The Office for Disability Services, located in 150 Pomerene Hall offers services for students with documented disabilities.
Contact the ODS at 2-3307.

Students with disabilities that have been certified by

the Office for Disability Services will be appropriately
accommodated, and should inform the instructor as
soon as possible of their needs. The Office for
Disability Services is located in 150 Pomerene Hall,
1760 Neil Avenue; telephone 292-3307, TDD 2920901; OSU Office for disability Services.
3

English 110.02 First-Year English Composition

Instructor: Blake Wilder

Daily Schedule
Monday March 28

th

Syllabus
Learning objectives
Introduction to the course theme
Homework: Read: Reading and Thinking Critically (Carmen)
First day writing assignment due to Carmen Dropbox by 3pm Tuesday (3/29)

Wednesday March 30

th

Writing as a Process
Free-writing
Writing to generate ideas
Homework: Read: Thinking Well (3-12), Getting Launched (13-24)
page numbers refer to the 2nd Edition of Writing with Style
Write: draft of Blog Post #1

M April 4

th

Feedback exchange #1
Writing as a Process (continued)
Critical Thinking & Analytical Strategies
Making sense of primary sources
Homework: Read: Countee Cullen, Incident
and Gloria Naylor, The Meaning of a Word

W April 6

th

Racism and Violence

Using Analysis
Close Reading
Homework: Read: James Baldwin, Going to Meet the Man

M April 11

th

Racism and Violence (continued)

Different rhetorical approaches
asking critical questions
Homework: Read: How to Write a Critical Analysis (94-98) (2nd edition or Carmen)

W April 13

th

Critical Analysis
Learning from the writing process
Homework: Write: draft of Blog Post #2
2-3 page close reading of Going to Meet the Man
due to Carmen Dropbox before class April 18th

English 110.02 First-Year English Composition

M April 18

Instructor: Blake Wilder

th

Blog of the week #1

feedback exchange #2
Sexism and violence
Starting the researched paper
Homework: Read: Openers (25-31)
Watch: Michael Jacksons video for Smooth Criminal
Write: Description of two primary sources

W April 20

th

Articulating claims
Organizing evidence and support
Homework: Read: Colburn, Deviance and Legitimacy in Ice-Hockey (Carmen)
Write: draft of Blog Post #3

M April 25

th

Blog of the week #2

feedback exchange #3
Violence in Sports
Working with Secondary Sources
Homework: Read: Quoting (133-148)
2 page analysis of Primary source due to Carmen Dropbox before class April 27th

W April 27

th

Getting Started with Research

Finding your way in the library
Evaluating Secondary Sources
Homework: Read: selection from Rhetoric in the War on Drugs (Carmen)
Write: draft of Blog Post #4

M May 2

nd

Blog of the week #3

feedback exchange #4
The War on Drugs
Homework: Read: Middles (32-48), Closers (49-52)

W May 4

th

Developing continuity in writing

organizing an argument
Homework: Read: Stacy Takacs, The Body of War (Carmen)
Annotations of secondary sources due to Carmen Dropbox before class May 9th

M May 9

th

American Imperialism
CONFERENCES
Homework: Read: Ishmael Beah, Introduction
Watch: Selected videos/clips

English 110.02 First-Year English Composition

W May 11

Instructor: Blake Wilder

th

Conflict diamonds
CONFERENCES
Homework: Read: Diction (53-63) , Readability (64-81)

M May 16

th

Blog of the Week #4

Exam Review
Homework: prepare for the exam

W May 18

th

EXAM
Homework: Read: Fight Club (chapters 1-14)
Write: draft of Blog Post #5

M May 23

rd

feedback exchange #5
discuss Fight Club
Homework: Read: Fight Club (chapters 15-30)

W March 25

th

discuss Fight Club

M May 20

th

CANCELLED for Memorial Day

W June 2

nd

Blog of the week #5

Class wrap-up
last thoughts
evaluations