15.5.3: Natalie Peterkin's Course Map for College Composition
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Overall course narrative
In this class, we will explore writing in a variety of ways to master expository and argumentative forms of writing appropriate for college-level composition. Our readings will come from different kinds of non-fiction texts and focus on issues relevant in today’s world. We will deepen and challenge our understanding of language, identity, and cultural norms through writing a research paper.
In order to achieve all these goals, we begin with a summary and assessment essay in which you stick closely to an argumentative text in order to put its main ideas into your own words before crafting your own argument. Then, in essay 2, we begin to incorporate research into our summary and assessment. Finally, we write a paper focused on your own argument and extensive research.
Course objectives (See the course descriptor for C-ID English 100) |
Essay Assignment |
Preparatory activities and assessments |
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Essay 1: Summarize and assess an author’s argumentStudents summarize and assess an argument from a text chosen by the instructor.
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Essay 2: Incorporate sources while summarizing and assessing an author’s argumentStudents summarize, assess, and respond to an argument from a text chosen by the instructor. |
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Essay 3: Midterm Exam: close reading and analysisThe midterm requires students to closely read a text and describe how it is persuasive. They can analyze the text’s organization, pathos, and so on. |
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Essay 4: Create and research your own argument about a topicThe research essay will require students to propose, narrow, and construct a research essay about an original, argumentative topic (subject to instructor approval). Students may focus on a specific type of argument, like definition, causal, evaluation, or proposal. |
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Essay 5: Final Exam: letter writingStudents write a persuasive letter to their elected official arguing for local action about a controversial topic or change using primary sources such as government documents or studies. |
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Attributions
Content by Natalie Peterkin, licensed CC BY NC 4.0. Template adapted by Anna Mills from The Online Course Mapping Guide Course Map Template from the Digital Learning Hub in the Teaching + Learning Commons at UC San Diego, licensed under a CC BY 4.0 International License.