1

English 102: Critical Reading and Writing

Spring 2014
Instructor:
Times/Location:
Email:
Office:
Office Hours:

Amanda Sladek
2:30-3:45 Tues/Thurs (Wescoe 1003) or 4:00-5:15 Tues/Thurs (Wescoe 1009)
asladek@ku.edu
2023 Wescoe
12:30-2 Tues/Thurs and by appointment
Course Description

Course Goals:
ENGL 102, Critical Reading and Writing, builds and expands upon the skills you learned in ENGL 101.
We will continue to focus on improving our writing skills in various contexts, but this course takes it a
step further by adding more reading and research. This course satisfies KU Core Goal 1, learning
outcome 1 and Core Goal 2, learning outcome 1. As such, this course will focus substantially on
critical thinking and include instruction that requires you to form judgments about assumptions or claims
presented, analyze and synthesize information, and make evidence-based arguments to support
conclusions. In addition, this course will include instruction that requires you to analyze how language
and rhetorical choices vary across texts and different institutional, historical, and /or public contexts;
demonstrate rhetorical flexibility within and beyond academic writing; and revise to improve your own
writing.
We will be working with and analyzing several challenging readings throughout the semester. We will
also be working to develop habits of inquiry, digging deeply into different kinds of texts in order to
uncover their complexities, as well as applying these analytical skills in various individual and
collaborative writing projects. Based on national standards, the writing program at KU has established a
set of objectives for students in English 102 (elaborated in the Composition and Literature pamphlet). By
the end of English 102, you should be able to:

Maintain and continue to improve the abilities gained in English 101

Use writing and reading for inquiry, thinking, learning, and communicating
Write in ways appropriate to academic rhetorical contexts
Engage in a variety of research methods to study and explore topics

These goals will be accomplished through classroom discussion, writing, and collaborative work, as well
as out-of-class writing and four major writing projects.
Required Materials (you need to have these by the 2nd day of class):

Greene and Lidinsky. From Inquiry to Academic Writing: A Text and Reader. 2nd edition.
Faigley, Lester. The Brief Penguin Handbook. 4th ed. New York: Pearson, 2012.
Department of English. Composition & Literature. Lawrence: University of Kansas, 2012.
Written Work

Writing Projects:
You will write four formal projects in this course in addition to daily informal writing. Each project will
build on skills and understandings you have gained in previous assignments.

Writing Project 1:
Writing Project 2:
Writing Project 3:
Writing Project 4:

Cultural Analysis through Music

Language Investigation
Collaborative Research Paper
Creating a Website

All writing projects should be typed, double-spaced, and written in 12-point Times New Roman with
1-inch margins. All final drafts should follow MLA formatting (which we will cover in class). Details on
all these projects will be provided as the semester progresses.
Turning In Writing Projects:
You will turn in all of your major writing projects digitally via Blackboard unless otherwise indicated. All
papers must be uploaded as a .doc or .docx file in order for me to open them. Failure to upload the file in
the correct format will result in a late grade. All papers are due by 11:59 pm on their due date. If I require
supplemental materials to be collected via hard copy (journal entries, peer reviews, and the like), those
materials are due at the beginning of class on the due date. If you anticipate a problem meeting the due
date, please talk to me BEFORE the paper is due.
Grading:
Your final grade for the course will be based on the following weightings for your graded work:

Writing Project 1
Writing Project 2
Writing Project 3
Writing Project 4
Daily Homework
In-Class Writing and Activities
Peer Review and Conferences

15%
20%
20%
20%
10%
10%
5%

I will grade using a +/- letter grading system, both on individual projects and your final grade. To
calculate your final grade, your letter grades will translate into numbers according to the following scale:

A+
A
A-

98.5
95
91.5

B+
B
B-

88.5
85
81.5

C+
C
C-

78.5
75
71.5

D+
D
D-

68.5
65
61.5

55

For the purpose of calculating your GPA, intermediate grades represented by plus or minus shall be
calculated as .3 units above or below the corresponding letter grade.
You can access your grades at any time using the My Grades feature on Blackboard. If you have any
questions or are concerned about your grade at any point, please talk to me. I will only discuss individual
assignment grades 24 HOURS (minimum) after the assignment is returned.
In-Class Writing and Homework:
The writing and other activities we do in class will vary widely and may include activities such as
reflecting on course readings, reflecting on your experience, evaluating your own or a classmates work,
or various other projects. These assignments will build on and reinforce the skills and knowledge needed
to successfully complete the major writing projects, so taking them seriously will likely improve your
grades for these projects as well. These writings and activities will be graded with credit for having
completed them successfully (checkmarks), rather than with letter grades unless otherwise specified.

3
Late Work:
It is important to complete the assigned work on time in order to gain the fullest benefits from doing the
work. This is especially true for the daily work that helps you prepare or make use of material for each
class period. I will not accept late work for daily homework and I do not give make-up work for inclass activities (excepting religious holidays and University-sanctioned events). Unless we have made
arrangements in advance, I will grade down a late writing project by one-third of a letter grade for each
day it is late, including weekends (for example, a project earning a B will become a B- if one day late, a
C+ if two days late, and so on). According to Department of English policy, you must turn in all four
major projects to pass the course, even if a project is so late that it will have earned an F. Check
your schedule for potential conflicts well ahead of due dates, and speak with me ahead of time if you will
have trouble meeting a deadline. I do not grant extensions retroactively.
Policies and Expectations
Attendance:
What we do in class is important for meeting the goals I listed above, and our class sessions will depend
on your participation in some activities. Therefore, good attendance is expected. To attend a class well
means not only being physically present but also being preparedhaving read the assignment well
enough to be able to talk about it and having completed any preparatory writing assignments--and
participating in whatever activity class entails. Since homework and in-class activities account for 20% of
your final grade, your grade will suffer from any absences by missing in-class work.
You are allowed three free absences, no questions asked. If you miss more than three classes, your final
course grade will be deducted one-third of a letter for each additional class missed. For example, if your
final grade would have been a C but you missed four classes, your final grade is now a C-. If you miss
seven class periods, you automatically fail the course. For my grading purposes, three tardies equal
one absence. You will be considered tardy if you arrive after I take roll.
I will excuse absences for University-sponsored events and religious holidays. Please let me know in
advance if you are going to miss class for those reasons. I excuse absences for illness only in the case of
serious, documented illness that requires you to miss more than one class (like if youve been hit by a bus
or need a kidney transplant). If you anticipate missing several classes or if you have a concern about
attendance, please talk to me.
Peer Review:
As noted in the schedule, Units 1 and 2 have designated peer review days (the Unit 3 group conference
counts as peer review for that unit). Peer review sessions will be conducted in class and will be graded on
thoughtfulness, effort, and completeness. Each peer review day is worth 10 points. You cannot make up
the points missed on peer review day (unless we have arranged for an excused absence in advance).
Conferences:
Successful writers are usually those who collaborate with others to generate ideas, outline papers,
proofread, etc. For this reason, we will work together in class and will meet individually to discuss your
writing. Two weeks of class will be devoted to individual and group writing conferences. Each of you
will be responsible for attending a conference during each week. Missing a conference will count as the
equivalent of one weeks absences, since each conference substitutes for a week of classes. Each
conference is worth 20 points. We will sign up for conference times via Blackboard. If you have to
reschedule your conference after youve already signed up, please notify me via e-mail. If you must
reschedule your conference with less than 24 hours advance notice, you will lose half of your points for

4
the conference. More information will be provided as the semester progresses. Please contact me if you
have any questions.
Technology:
Because so much of this class depends on group work and collaboration, cell phones are not tolerated in
class unless we have made previous arrangements. These devices are distracting to me and to other
students. Please put them on silent and leave them in your pocket or bag. Laptops are allowed for
educational purposes only. If I suspect you are using your laptop for other purposes, I reserve the right to
ban laptops from my classroom. iPods are not allowed unless otherwise specified.
E-Mail Policy:
I respond to all e-mails within 48 hours. Feel free to e-mail me with any issues related to the course,
assignments, or anything else. However, before you e-mail me with a question, please follow these steps:
1.
Check your syllabus for an answer to your question.
2.
Check the assignment sheet for an answer to your question.
3.
Check Blackboard for an answer. Please note that most documents handed out in class
(including the syllabus) will also be available on Blackboard in case you need another
copy.
If you still have a question or concern, I will respond as soon as possible.
Academic Honesty:
Stealing and passing off as your own someone elses ideas or words, or using information from anothers
work without crediting the source, is called plagiarism. Some specific examples of actions that
constitute plagiarism include pasting together uncredited information or ideas from the Internet or
published sources, submitting an entire paper written by someone else, submitting a paper written for
another class (and thus not original work), and copying another students work (even with the students
permission). In order to avoid unintentional plagiarism and to represent your work honestly, you will
need to be meticulous about giving credit to any and all sources, whether directly quoted (even a few
words) or paraphrased.
Because one of the goals of this course is to help you improve your writing, plagiarism hurts you as much
as it does anyone. If you plagiarize anothers work, you will not be receiving the needed feedback to
improve your own writing. There will be a zero tolerance policy for any type of plagiarism in this class.
All incidents of plagiarism will be penalized, reported, and kept on file in the English Department, the
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the University Provosts Office.
Policy on Student Academic Creations:
Since one of the aims of this course is to teach students to write for specific audiences, ungraded studentauthored work may be shared with other class members during the semester in which you are enrolled in
the class. Please do not submit materials on sensitive subjects that you would not want your classmates to
see or read, unless you inform me in advance that you do not want your work shared with others.
Other uses of student-authored work are subject to the Universitys Policy on Intellectual Property and the
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. If your instructor desires to use your work outside of this
class (e.g. as a sample for another class or future classes), you will be asked to fill out and sign a written
form authorizing such use.
Writing Center:
For help with your writing, I strongly encourage you to contact the KU Writing Center. At the Writing
Center you can talk about your writing with trained tutors or consult reference materials in a comfortable
working environment. You may ask for feedback on your papers, advice and tips on writing (for all your

5
courses), or for guidance on special writing tasks. Please check the website at
http://www.writing.ku.edu/students/ for current locations and hours. The Writing Center welcomes both
drop-ins and appointments, and there is no charge for their services. For more information, please call
(785) 864-2399 or send an e-mail to <writing@ku.edu>. The website is loaded with helpful information
about writing of all sorts, and can be beneficial even if you consider yourself a good writer.
Accessibility Policy:
The Academic Achievement & Access Center (AAAC) coordinates accommodations and services for all
KU students who are eligible. If you have a disability for which you wish to request accommodations and
have not contacted the AAAC, please do so as soon as possible. Their office is located in 22 Strong Hall;
their phone number is 785-864-2620.
Information about their services can be found at http://disability.ku.edu. Please contact me privately in
regard to your needs in this course.
Drop/Add:
Students may neither add nor change sections in any English course after January 27 without
departmental permission. The last day to add classes with permission is February 17.
The Department of English reserves the right to terminate administratively the enrollment of any student
who misses two consecutive class meetings during the first two weeks of the semester. Should an
emergency situation cause the student to miss two consecutive class meetings, the student should contact
the instructor(s) or the English Department, 864-4520, immediately.
If you are having trouble succeeding in the course, it is especially important that you consult with me so
that we can develop a plan of action that may enable you to complete the course. If you decide to drop
this class, please refer to the following website: http://www.registrar.ku.edu/current/schedule.shtml.
From February 11, you will be assigned a grade of W. You may not drop or withdraw after April 21.
Be sure to read Composition & Literature thoroughly for all other Departmental policies. CAL also
has helpful grammar tips, sample papers, and general information on many aspects of ENGL 101,102,
and 200-level courses.

English 102, 6
Schedule of Goals and Major Assignments
This schedule is partial and tentative. Since I want to adjust the course as I discover your abilities and
goals, I reserve the right to change this schedule with oral notice in class. If you anticipate a problem with
due dates, please speak with me. Page numbers refer to From Inquiry to Academic Writing unless
otherwise specified. BB stands for Blackboard, FITAW stands for From Inquiry to Academic Writing,
and BPHB stands for Brief Penguin Handbook. Assignments listed are due at the beginning of class
unless otherwise indicated. Homework and in-class activities will be added and will be announced in
class.
IF YOU HAVE A READING ASSIGNMENT FROM A CERTAIN TEXTBOOK, PLEASE BRING
THAT BOOK TO CLASS ON THE DUE DATE.
DATE
Tues, Jan 21
Thurs, Jan 23 UNIT 1

AGENDA
Introduction to Course, Syllabus
Developing Inquiry Questions //
Academic Writing

Tues, Jan 28

Introduce WP1 // Introduction to

Rhetorical Analysis

Thurs, Jan 30

Conducting Your Rhetorical Analysis //

Combining Rhetorical and Cultural
Analysis

Tues, Feb 4

Writing an Analysis Paper

Thurs, Feb 6

Using Supporting Evidence // Develop

Rubric and Peer Workshop Questions

Tues, Feb 11

Tues, Feb 18

Individual Conferences, No Class

Meeting
Individual Conferences, No Class
Meeting
Plagiarism // WP1 Peer Workshop

Thurs, Feb 20 UNIT 2

Conducting Original Research

Tues, Feb 25

Introduce WP2 // The Power of Literacy

Thurs, Feb 13

DUE TODAY
////
Read syllabus and complete Syllabus
Quiz on BB //Read p. 1-8, 12-14
(FITAW), and College Writing (on
BB)
Read p. 32-38 and Ehrenreich, Cultural
Baggage (p. 46-49) //QCQ // Look at
the Rhetorical Analysis Tool on BB and
bring a copy to class
Read WP1 prompt and write down any
questions you have // Read Holmes,
What Really Makes Katniss Stand Out
(on BB) and Siering, Taking a Bite out
of Twilight (p. 438-441 FITAW) // QCQ
Email me the 2 songs you want to use
(or several possible pairings if you cant
decide) by 10 pm. Please include the
artists and years released. // Read Daio,
The Old Soul of Contemporary Lana
Del Rey (p. 38-41 CAL) and Solomon,
Masters of Desire (on BB) // QCQ
Sign up for a conference time on BB
(DUE BEFORE CLASS) // Read p. 184192 (BPHB) and p. 139-144 (FITAW)
WP1 progress report // Partial rough
draft
WP1 progress report // Partial rough
draft
Bring 2 hard copies of your COMPLETE
rough draft to class
WP1 via BB at 11:59 pm // Read p.
194-195 BPHB, p. 307-311 FITAW
Read Malcolm X, Learning to Read
(on BB) // Answer the 4 questions listed
under Engaging the Text // QCQ

English 102, 7
Thurs, Feb 27

Literacy in the World // Multiple

Languages, Multiple Literacies

Tues, March 4

Language as Oppression and Liberation

Thurs, March 6

The Language of Cinema

Tues, March 11

Language and Gender

Thurs, March 13

Digital Language and Literacy //

Develop Rubric and Peer Workshop
Questions

Mon, March 17-Sun,

March 23
Tues, March 25

Spring Break, No Classes

Thurs, March 27 UNIT

3

Conducting Formal Research //

Collaborative Research // Annotated
Bibliographies
Introduce WP3 // Introduction to
Academic Texts

Tues, April 1

WP2 Peer Workshop

Read WP2 prompt and write down any

questions you have // Read Haven, The
New Literacy (p. 153-158) and
Anzalda, How to Tame a Wild
Tongue (p. 373-383) // QCQ // Take
Online Dialect Quiz on BB and bring
your results to class
Read Satrapi, Persepolis (p. 678-696) //
QCQ // Complete reflection activity on
BB
Decide which reading youd like to work
with and who you want to interview for
WP2. After getting your subjects
permission, email me with who you want
to interview and at least 5 questions
youd like to ask them. DUE BEFORE
CLASS.
Persepolis reflection // Read Tannen,
How Male and Female Students . . . (p.
344-350) //QCQ // Conduct your
interview and bring the notes to class
Read Dickerson, Dont Fear Twitter
(p. 174-176) and Keller, Studies
Explore Whether the Internet Makes
Students Better Writers (p. 158-165) //
QCQ
Work on your WP2 rough draft
Bring 2 hard copies of your COMPLETE
rough draft to class
WP2 via BB at 11:59 pm // Read p.
159-161 (BPHB) and Annotated
Bibliographies (on BB)
Pick any reading from the 2nd half of
FITAW that we will not cover in class.

Write an MLA citation and 200-word

annotation for the reading. // Read
Sonners, A is for Adjunct (on BB)
// QCQ (about Sonners)
Thurs, April 3

Getting the Most out of Academic Texts

// Formulating an Inquiry Question

Tues, April 8

Library Research // CLASS WILL

MEET IN WATSON LIBRARY

Read WP3 prompt and write down any

questions you have // Assemble your
WP3 group // Email me your group
name and your preferred email addresses
// Read Pieters and Snelders,
Psychotropic Drug Use (p. 708-725)
Sign group contract// As a group, write
down at least 3 possible inquiry
questions you would like to research for
WP3 // Email me with this info by 2:00

English 102, 8
Thurs, April 10

Generating a Working Thesis // Writing

a Research Proposal

Tues, April 15

Tues, April 22

Incorporating Research // Writing an

Academic Research Paper
Finalizing Your Thesis // Develop
Rubric and Group Conference Plan //
Group Drafting
Group Conferences, No Class Meeting

Thurs, April 24

Group Conferences, No Class Meeting

Tues, April 29 UNIT 4

Introduce WP4 // Preliminary Revision

Thurs, May 1

Revising to a Different Format //

CLASS WILL MEET IN BUDIG
INSTRUCTION LAB, 10 BUDIG
HALL
Creating an Effective Website // CLASS
WILL MEET IN BUDIG
INSTRUCTION LAB, 10 BUDIG
HALL
Final Reflection // Course Evaluations //
Closing Festivities
Final Exams, No Class Meeting (office
hours by appointment only)
WP4 Websites due

Thurs, April 17

Tues, May 6

Thurs, May 8 (last day

of class)
Mon, May 12-Fri, May
16
Fri, May 16, 4:00 pm

As a group, finalize your inquiry

question and find 10 possible sources for
WP3 // Read p. 99-104, 297-303
Read p. 8-10, 104-112, 182-186 //
Journal response on BB
Research proposal and annotated
bibliography due at 11:59 pm via
Google Drive
WP3 Progress Report // Partial rough
draft
WP3 Progress Report // Partial rough
draft
WP3 via BB at 11:59 pm // Read p. 2832 (BPHB)
Read WP4 prompt and write down any
questions you have // Revise your WP1
paper according to my comments and
any other issues you want to address
Keep working on your WP4 website //
Journal response on BB

End-of-semester reflection // Keep

working on your WP4 website
////
Submit the link to your website via BB
(and give me viewing permission if
necessary) by 4:00 pm