English 206: Critical Literacies & Community Writing

Chapman University, Fall 2023

Instructor: Karina Trejo Melendez

Meeting time: MWF 9:00-9:50 a.m.
Location: Hashinger Science Center 220A
Email: ktrejomelendez@chapman.edu
Office Hours: MW 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
by appointment
Office hours Zoom link: https://chapman.zoom.us/j/7338220359
Class website: karinajtrejo.weebly.com
Canvas: https://canvas.chapman.edu

“Rhetoric is a precursor of action: that only by repeatedly saying the unsayable can people
imagine doing the unimaginable. What we say, online and offline, affects what we believe and
what we do–in other words, who we are.”
 A Note On This Semester

My teaching philosophy is primarily one of care. We lived

through an unprecedented and difficult time that was highly
unpredictable. Although we’re on the other side now, our
classroom will continue to be a comfortable and safe place for us
to be people first. Our learning will ebb and flow according to
our community’s needs.

Know that I care deeply for my students and believe that

learning doesn’t happen in a vacuum and it doesn’t look one
particular way. I promise to make this class engaging,
eye-opening, and fun! Yes, we will have challenges, but we will
also be able to experiment, embrace change, and learn from one
another in new ways.

Chapman University COVID-19 Safety Protocols

Course format may be subject to change with little to no notice, depending upon the state, local,
and University guidelines.

In response to the current COVID-19 pandemic, Chapman University has developed the CU
Safely Back program (CUSBP) and mandatory safety measures. The University’s mandatory
safety measures may be stricter than local, state, or federal guidelines and may be subject to
change at any time. Students are expected to adhere to the University’s safety measures while
attending classes, including when entering and exiting classrooms, laboratories, or other
instructional areas. Refusal to abide by the University’s mandatory safety measures or to the
safety requirements specific to this course will result in your being asked to leave the area
immediately, and may result in an administrative dismissal from this course.

The COVID-19 pandemic requires all of us to accept the possibility that changes in how this
course is taught may be required and that some changes may occur with little or no notice. For
example, some or all of the in-person aspects of a course may be shifted to remote instruction. If
this occurs, you will be given clear instructions as to how to proceed. The uncertainty of the
situation is not ideal for any of us. We must all try to approach this situation with good-will,
flexibility, and mutual understanding.

Below is an overview of the four current COVID-19 campus protocols:

 ● Masks are recommended if you’re experiencing symptoms, test positive, or have been
exposed.
● On-campus testing is provided at no cost to Chapman community members but is no
longer required. Take action if exposed and get tested.
● Protect yourself. All faculty, staff, and students are required either to submit proof of
having all vaccinations and boosters for which they are eligible or to file a personal
declination.

All COVID-19 protocols are posted on the CU Staying Healthy website.

Positive COVID-19 Test - Protocols
● If a student tests positive and is required to isolate for 10 days, faculty must work
with students to remain active and current in their class. Students are asked to inform
the Dean of Students’ office if positive. If the student tested positive on campus, the
Student Health Center will report it. Faculty members may verify a student’s isolation
status with the Dean of Students’ office, if needed.
● It is up to the discretion of the faculty member to choose how to deliver course
content to students who are not present in class for COVID-related reasons. We
encourage faculty to consider simulcasting and/or recording their classes via Zoom
but recognize that faculty may choose other ways to share course content with the
students who cannot attend class in person. Students should also be directed to
consult with their advisors about program specific make-up requirements (e.g., exams
and licensing-required clinical experiential learning hours).
● If faculty test positive and are required to isolate for 10 days, the faculty member
should work with their department chair or dean as you would for sick leave. If the
faculty member is asymptomatic and able to teach, remote teaching will be an option
for documented positive COVID-19 cases during the isolation period.

Class Recording Statement

In this class, software might be used to record live class discussions. As a student in this class,
your participation in live class discussions will be recorded to assist those who cannot attend the
live session, or to serve as a resource for those who would like to review content that was
presented. These recordings will be made available only to students who are enrolled in the class,
and only during the period in which the course is offered. All recordings will become unavailable
to students in the class shortly after the course ends. Students who prefer to participate via audio
only will be allowed to disable their video camera so only audio will be captured. Please discuss
this option with your instructor.
 Course Description

This course provides an opportunity to explore public discourse, to see how dominant cultural
expressions shape members of communities as well as how individuals and groups shape cultural
messages. Students will critically observe and analyze public texts and events. The course is
based upon the idea that bringing the texts in their lives to attention as material for reflection and
deliberation provides students an opportunity to identify the rhetorical patterns used to enact
community aims and to empower students to develop a voice in this public forum. Often
includes experiential learning projects through community engagement and service-learning.

Course Goals, Objectives, and Contexts

Students in ENG 206 will explore the idea that writing is a “continuous activity” that “takes
place over time as students encounter different contexts, tasks, audiences, and purposes”
(Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing, 2011, 2). As such, we will engage in
collaborative workshop sessions both in our class, and in partnership with local high school
English classes, where we can explore what writing means in making meaning in our own lives,
and the various communities of which we are a part. Activities, projects, readings, and
discussions will work in developing our understanding that:

● Writing is a Social and Rhetorical Activity

● Writing is a Knowledge-Making Activity
● Writing Addresses, Invokes, and/or Creates Audiences
● Writing is a Continual Process
● Writing and Learning Require Different Kinds of Practice, Time, and Effort
● Failure Can Be an Important Part of Learning Development
● Reflection is Critical to Learning Development
● Writing Enacts and Creates Identities and Ideologies
● Writing Involves the Negotiation of Language Differences

Student Learning Outcomes

Written Inquiry (WI):

This course fulfills the Written Inquiry (WI) GE Category through the following
Student Learning Outcome:
■ Student establishes active, genuine, and responsible authorial engagement;
communicates a purpose—an argument or other intentional point/goal;
invokes a specific audience, develops the argument/content with an
internal logic-organization; integrates references, citations, and source
 materially logically and dialogically, indicating how such forms of
evidence relate to each other and the author’s position; and composes the
text with: a style or styles appropriate to the purpose and intended
audience, a consistent use of the diction appropriate to the author’s topic
and purpose, the ability to establish and vary authorial voice(s) and
tone(s), a choice of form(s) and genre(s) appropriate to purpose and
audience (forms may be digital and/or multimodal), and rhetorically
effective use of document design.

Citizenship, Community and Service Inquiry (CC):

Citizenship Learning Outcome

Student demonstrates through analysis and/or personal engagement an
understanding of the emergence, development, operations, and/or
consequences of political systems in the US and/or other countries.
Student can identify the rights and responsibilities of citizens and/or
leaders as embodied in political, civic, or service organizations.

Community Learning Outcome

Student demonstrates through analysis and/or personal engagement an
understanding of the emergence, development, changes and challenges to
and, in some cases, destruction of diverse social groups who are
marginalized within the context of larger societal environments. Student
demonstrates through written, oral, media or other communication process
a critical perspective on issues of civil rights, self-representation,
participatory politics, and/or similar issues of inclusiveness.

Service Learning Outcome

Student examines the theoretical and/or applied aspects of community
service through coursework and/or through active engagement in a service
-earning experience and demonstrates: the ability to apply
discipline‐specific and/or interdisciplinary knowledge and critical
thinking skills to community issues, critical self‐reflection of the student’s
own assumptions and values as applied to community issues, and
knowledge and sensitivity to issues of culture, diversity, and social justice
as applied to community engagement.

BA in English
This course is also part of the B.A. in English, working toward the following
student learning outcomes:
 ● Skill in crafting a compelling thesis-driven essay, with substantiating
evidence.
● Skill in finding, analyzing, and utilizing secondary sources (including the
appropriate methods of citation).
● Skill in writing grammatically, coherently, and persuasively.
● Ability to explain and apply significant theoretical and critical approaches
in the field of English studies.
● Skill in critical reading, or the practice of identifying and interpreting the
formal, rhetorical, and stylistic features of a text.
● Ability to identify and compare key literary movements and genres.

Instructional Strategies

Students will engage with texts in multiple settings, including electronic media. You will both
read and create from within specific discourse communities, joining the public discourse on
matters of interest and importance to you. In addition, you will be asked to reflect and respond to
your own writing and that of your peers. The student blogs are a space for you to reflect on class
ideas, capture text references, link to other texts, work through ideas, generate questions for class
discussion, and make connections that will serve in writing projects. You will post on your blogs
and read others throughout the semester. While it is personal writing, it is not private writing.

Community Engagement

As a unique component of this course, you will also

be engaging with the local community outside of our
classroom.

The purpose of this community engagement is to empower

students as writers, rhetoricians, and community members,
and to construct new knowledge through service learning.
Through the direct practice of collaboration, students will
develop an authentic understanding of rhetorical choices, as
well as a deeper understanding of different audiences
outside of our Chapman community.

Typically, this engagement would take the form of

participating in-class workshops with a group of students
from a local high school. Since the pandemic, our
collaborations have changed. More details will be provided
as the semester unfolds.
 Course Format

In-person instruction with a few asynchronous working days. See course schedule for
specifications.

Classes will consist of the following:

● Class and small group discussions

● Free writes and activities
● Watching videos
● Lectures
● Presentations
● Workshops / Peer review

Technology Requirements

o WiFi
o Regular access to a computer/ tablet with a camera, speaker or headphones
o A Chapman email account. The instructor will send course-related information and
updates through the official Chapman email.
o Access to Canvas and Weebly class website where I will post the syllabus, our daily
schedule, and other important documents. Please check both regularly.

Class Website: https://karinajtrejo.weebly.com

Select the English 206 tab

Weebly & Wix tutorials to create your own website:

Weebly:
Weebly Tutorials for Beginners
How to Create a Blog on Weebly
How to Add a Comments Section in Weebly
How to Change Fonts

Wix:
Signing Up for a Free Wix Account
10 Essential Wix Tutorials for Beginners
 Texts/Media

Recommended books:

Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 30th Anniversary Edition

by Paulo Freire

Texts:

○ Rhetorical Analysis
○ The Rhetoric of War in the Coronavirus Pandemic
○ Time’s: “Finding Hope Series” -Select one article to read
○ Performative Acts and Gender by Judith Butler
○ Poetry 101

Media:

○ Multimodal Composing
○ Weebly Tutorials for Beginners
○ 10 Essential Wix Tutorials for Beginners
○ Podcast: Mythology with John Butcher
○ TedTalk: What to trust in a “post truth world”
○ Podcast: Man Enough- ALOK: The Urgent Need for Compassion
○ 2040
○ Top 17 Environmental Films of 2021
○ APA Style Guide
○ MLA Style Guide
○ Peer Review & Responding to Others’ Drafts

Chapters and academic articles: (PDF’s can be found on Canvas under the “Files” tab)

○ Academic article: Jeanne Gunner and Doug Sweet. “The Basics of Rhetoric:
Author, Audience, and Purpose”

○ Academic article: Carolyn Miller. “Genre as Social Action” Carolyn Miller

○ Academic article: Jeanne Gunner and Doug Sweet. “The Rhetorical Use of
Conventions.”

○ Chapters: Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire, Ch 1 and Ch 2

○ Chapters: This Bridge Called My Back Writings by Radical Women of Color,

Edited by Cherrie Moraga & Gloria Anzaldúa
 Assignments and Grades

Assignments and grades will be calculated using the 100% system for each category. I have a
rolling revision policy. You can revise any writing assignment within 10 days of it being graded.

Late assignments and make-ups

Please note that the following policy will apply to you if you aren’t honestly and continually
communicating with me about assignments/ extension needs:

Assignments will receive an automatic 5% reduction in grade for each class period late. Writing
is a process. You will have an opportunity to revise your work for a higher grade, so you should
turn in your work on time and take advantage of the revision policy.

Breakdown
Area of Evaluation Percent
Blog posts 20%
Project 1: Artifact Rhetorical 15%
Analysis
Project 2: Open Letter + Social 15%
Media Composition
Project 3: Autoethnography 20%
Community Engagement + 10%
Reflection
Participation 10%
Attendance 10%
Total 100%

A = 93-100% (exceptional)
A- = 90-92%
B+ = 88-89%
B = 83-87% (very good)
B- = 80-82%
C+ = 78-79%
C = 73-77% (satisfactory)
C- = 70-72%
D+ = 68-69% (unsatisfactory)
D = 63-67%
D- = 60-62% (minimum passing)
F = 0-59% (failing)
Assignment Descriptions

Below is an overview outlining the assignments that will make up your final grade. All of your
work will be published on your Weebly or Wix website and you will provide a link to the blogs
under the “Discussions” tab and projects under the “Assignments” tab on Canvas so I can grade
them and your peers can see them.

All blogs and drafts are due by 9:00am on their respective due date. Projects are due by
midnight.

Blogs (20%)

Throughout the class you will be composing short writing assignments on your personal
blog website. That means you will have to create a website on Weebly or Wix and choose
the blog theme. I will not be grading you on your website’s professional quality. I will be
grading you based on completing the blog and meeting the blog requirements. With that
said I encourage you to put real and meaningful effort into making it representative of
you and making it the best it can be.

Your blog will serve as a learning tool for you to interact in a virtual space and consider
the audience, tone, and multimodality of your writing. You can find specific deadlines for
each below and in the class schedule.

Requirements:

-Minimum 500 words

-Must include 1 visual/multimodal element (picture, art, video etc.), a heading, formatting
(spacing, bullet points, indentations where you see fit).
-Must include 1 link relevant to your post (a link from a source that you learned from or a
link that supports or elevates your post).
-Reply to one of your peers

**Important: Post a link to your specific blog post in the Canvas “Discussions” tab so I
can see it and grade it and your peers can see it and reply to your post.

Blog #1: Who Am I in My Community?

Tell us about yourself. When you think of yourself, what do you think of? What are your
passions? What makes you happy? What makes you sad? What’s important to you?
Likes, dislikes. Defining moments. How were all of these things shaped by your
community?

Due: Friday, Feb. 16th

Blog #2: The Anti-Essay

The traditional grammar of style that embodies the conventions with which we are most
familiar in academic writing is sometimes known as Grammar A and consists of the
essentials of what we’ve been taught in school: formal, academic style, particular ways of
organization and development, the use of logical transitions, continuity, order, and unity.
“Good” grammars of style ostensibly produce “good” writing. And while the rules of
Grammar A do allow for options, especially among experienced writers, those options are
constrained for novice writers who are supposed to learn “the basics.” We do not
often—nor are we encouraged to do so, except in unusual circumstances—write “outside
the box.”

In the Anti-Essay assignment, students are challenged to consciously break rules and
conventions of the standard academic essay in order to explore alternative ways to make
meaning with language. By this, I mean all conventions (titles, margins, headings,
organization, sentencing, paragraphing, everything). That said, it’s important to
emphasize that this is not a free-for-all where anything goes. Good anti-essays make
arguments but in different ways.

The Anti-Essay Prompt

Due: Wednesday, Feb. 21st

Blog #3: Social Media and Community Analysis

Social media exists as a digital simulacrum and panopticon. It has become a central part
of everyday living and serves many purposes. Pause and think about all of the positive
things that come from social media, as well as all the negative things. How much of our
lives exist and are validated outside of social media?

People of all ages use social media to compose who they are. Social media is also a way
to spread information and build community. You will be finding one public social media
account that you follow that engages in topics of ideologies, diversity, social groups, etc.,
and critically analyze how they compose themselves and their platform.
1. What kind of content do they post?
2. What’s their purpose? What kinds of ideology/ messages are they sending?
3. What rhetorical and multimodal choices do they make? What kind of tone do they
use?
4. Are their posts credible? Are they biased?
5. What communities surround their account? How does their account affect their
community? How does it affect you? How does it fit into the larger societal
environment?

Due: Monday, Feb. 26th

Blog #4: Personal Ideologies collage + reflection

What are your core beliefs and values? Make a picture collage of everything that
represents your personal ideologies.

Reflection:

Where did you learn everything you think and know about yourself and the world? How
were your beliefs shaped and how do those beliefs impact your community? How do you
challenge your pre-existing beliefs in order to grow and gain the perspective of others
whose experiences are different from yours?

Due: Monday, March 11th

Blog # 5: Instructions for Something You Love

Think about a hobby, activity, skill, or something you do that brings you happiness/
enjoyment/ fulfillment/ makes you proud. It could be anything (classroom appropriate):
crocheting, bird watching, a specific move on a skateboard, something you cook or bake,
painting, a hack for a video game, collecting, singing, scrapbooking, a martial arts move,
best self-care tips, coding, editing, yoga, Photoshop, calligraphy, the perfect golf swing,
makeup, woodwork, origami, gardening, building model cars, etc. Just think about
something that you can do that you are proud of. It can be little or big, specific or big
picture. You have a myriad of interests and skills, just choose one!

Once you choose, you are going to provide step-by-step instructions on how to do said
“thing.” Think about your audience (our class). Gage their understanding of the topic.
How can you best relay the information? You can video record yourself doing the “thing”
or write instructions with details, provide images, or audio record instructions.

Reflection:
1. How does this activity make you feel? Is it relaxing? Is it a creative outlet? An
emotional or physical one?
2. Is this something that’s just for you or can people around you also benefit from it
in some way?
3. How does this affect your well-being and mental health?
4. What can this activity teach us about the writing process?
5. How can we use our skills to cultivate, enrich, and grow our communities?

Due: Wednesday, March 27th

Blog #6: Multilingual Poetry

Write a poem of any style (blank verse, rhymed poetry, free verse, epic, narrative, haiku,
sonnet, etc. learn more about types of poetry) about any topic that has resonated with you
that we have discussed in class or that you’ve experienced on your own. The focus is to
 challenge yourself to include at least 1 non-English word in the poem but I encourage
you to use more than one. If you speak other languages, you can incorporate as much of
the other language(s) as you would like. If you only speak English, choose a language
that you are interested in and respectfully use the language as a way to push yourself out
of your comfort zone and experience. You can use several different languages (besides
English) in the poem or only use one other language.

Write a reflection answering these questions:

1. How and why did you choose the language(s) to include in your poem? Why is
this language meaningful to you?
2. How does the addition of another language change/enhance the meaning of your
poem?
3. What was your writing process? Did you do research?
4. How does language shape culture and communities?
5. What’s your experience being monolingual or multilingual?
6. Is it harmful to strip people of their native language?

Due: Friday, April 12th

Project 1: Artifact Rhetorical Analysis (15%)

Choose an artifact from a community you are a part of.

The word ‘artifact’ is arguably the most fundamental and all-encompassing term, both in
modern and historical practices. Broadly defined it is any ‘object’ created or modified by
human culture. We will further explore what an artifact is in class.

Artifact examples:
● Decorative or personal objects (jewelry, clothing, personal care, hygiene, and
grooming, etc.)
● Tools
● Cultural objects
● Religious objects
● Art
● Music/instruments
● Writings/scripts/books
● Media

Analyze:

1. Rhetorical situation: How did this artifact come to be? What time period? Region?
2. What’s the history behind it?
 3. Rhetorical appeals: Pathos, logos, ethos, kairos
4. The author: Who/ what community created it?
5. The intended audience? The community it belongs to. Have any other
communities adopted it?
6. What’s the significance of this artifact?
7. What does this artifact symbolize? What message does it send?
8. How does this piece impact society and culture?
9. What does this artifact mean to you, why did you choose it?

Requirements:

-1,200-1,500 words.
-Use at least 3 sources to enhance and support your analysis
-Make a rhetorical choice to format and site how you feel is most effective for your
message

Due: Friday, March 8th

Project 2: Open Letter + Social Media Composition (15%)

Overview:

In this multimodal project, you will be asked to write a compelling argument in the form
of an open letter, which is a letter addressed to a specific individual, but intended to serve
a broader social purpose through its connection to a wider audience. Martin Luther King,
Jr.’s “Letter From the Birmingham Jail” is a great example. Your argument must arise out
of a particular rhetorical situation, and effectively utilize rhetorical appeals to persuade
both your target audience (the individual to whom you address the letter) as well as the
implied audience (those who may be influenced by the discourse). All claims must be
supported by credible, rhetorically effective multimodal evidence. Finally, this is an
opportunity to present yourself, the rhetor, as a social agent of change, using your
experience, voice, and authorial presence as a strong mediating rhetorical tool.

Topic:

You are free to choose any topic and audience you wish, although it may be easier to pick
one of recent social significance. Choose a topic from a place of exigence. Your topic
does not have to be political in focus or nature, but it should be specific and have some
effect on the individual and community. Avoid an overly broad argument like “global
warming is real.” Ultimately, your letter will be effective only if it responds to a specific
rhetorical situation:

1. Establish rhetorical exigency –what is the problem or issue, where positive

modification invites rhetorical discourse?
2. Establish rhetorical audience –
 A) A specific person who is capable of being influenced by your discourse and
has the power to be an agent of change.
B) A broader potential audience who may also be influenced by discourse and
consequently indirect (or even potentially direct) mediators of change.
3. Establish constraints – what factors (persons, events, objects, relations) have the power
to constrain the decision and action needed to affect change? What are the rhetorical
appeals of the author (appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos)?

The rhetorical situation will help determine your purpose and audience, as well as the
appeals and choices you make. Your goal should be to produce action or change, even if
this is as simple as a reconsideration of previous assumptions.

Requirements:

-800-1,000 words.
-Find at least 3 sources to support and enhance your stance.
-Format: Make a rhetorical choice to format and site how you feel is most effective for
your message

Social Media Composition

Once you complete your open letter, you will adapt it to be suitable for social media.
Relay your message on a social media platform of your choice, Twitter, TikTok,
Instagram (Reels, IGTV, Live), or Facebook, etc., what rhetorical choices will you make?
How will you synthesize the information? What sounds, images, fonts, and captions
would you use? There are rhetorical conventions for each platform that you will need to
consider.

*Disclaimer: You don’t have to actually post it publicly, you can save it, take a
screenshot, make the TikTok private and save it, etc.

Due: Friday, April 26th

Community Engagement + Reflection (10%)

Our community engagement is currently scheduled towards the end of the semester on
our class schedule but that is subject to change. More details to come as the semester
unfolds. I will keep you updated and be flexible with dates.

Due: Monday, Apr. 29th (subject to change)

Project 3: Autoethnography (20%)

For this project, you will use ethnographic-style research to investigate a sub-community
to which you belong. By the end of the project, you should come to an understanding of
this community's shared values, beliefs, and experiences and use these findings to shed
light on what life is currently like for this community.

What is autoethnography?
The term “ethnography” refers to a research approach that examines culture through
first-hand experience. Ethnographers typically embed themselves in a community and
observe what is going on. They use interviews and field notes to understand participants’
perspectives about their lives and cultures. These findings help us discover new meanings
about particular cultures.

Autoethnography is typically defined as an ethnography that puts the self at the center of
cultural analysis. It is a form of qualitative research in which the author uses a blend of
self-reflection and research to explore wider cultural, political, and social meanings and
understandings.

Prompt:
For your final project, you will compose your own autoethnography that focuses on a
specific community to which you belong. For the purpose of this project, a community
will be defined as “a collective group of people who are connected through ethnicity,
language, religion, culture, social habits, or a shared life experience.”

Your project should begin with driving questions that address your focused interest in
this community and establish the central purpose and motivation for your research.

Driving Questions:
Think of your driving questions as the “thesis” for this project, except instead of
beginning with a claim, you are beginning with a line of questions. These questions will
serve as a guide for your research and help you establish a framework for your project.

Examples: What is it like growing up as a child of military parents? How does moving
around so often affect the child’s development and social skills?

Sources:
As an auto-ethnographer, you will act as both an “insider” and “outsider” to this culture
in order to conduct thorough, detailed primary research. Primary evidence should
include:
● Personal experience and observations
● Interviews with at least two other members of this community
⇒ Zoom/Skype interviews are encouraged, but phone interviews are also
acceptable
 ● Any other first-hand data that you find relevant, such as surveys, questionnaires,
etc.
In addition to your primary research, you must include secondary sources that
are relevant to your ethnography. These may include:
● Facts and/or statistics from outside sources
● Other credible studies or research conducted on the same topic
● Visual elements (e.g. images, maps, charts, graphs, etc)

Format:
It is up to you to decide how best to present your project. Here are a few options you may
choose from:
⇒ Formally written paper (most common)
⇒ Video/slideshow presentation
⇒ Podcast
⇒ A new website (Not your current blog website)
⇒ A combination of two or more of these options (for instance, you may choose to
write a paper but have one section be presented in video format)

The only requirement for all options is that you:

1) Submit a Works Cited page in whatever format your major/career practices.
Examples: Psychology: APA, English: MLA, Chicago: Business, History, The
Arts.

Length: Below is a general overview of the length requirements. However, the length
will depend on the format of your project, so if you have questions talk to me about it.
⇒ For Written Projects: Approx. 2500-3000 words
⇒ For Audio/Visual Projects (podcasts or videos): Approx. 20-25 min
⇒ For Hybrid Projects (like Wix sites): 2500 words or 25 min. (100 words = 1
minute of audio/visual). For example, you may have 1500 words and 10 minutes
of audio/video.
Due: Thursday, May 16th

Classroom Culture

Participation (10%)

In-class discussions, workshops, and student-led discussions all fall under the participation
category. We will discuss participation in the first week of class.
Attendance (10%)

Attendance is required but I am very understanding of the student experience, so talk to me,
please! I can’t help if I don’t know what’s happening. Let’s make the best of our time together
and create as much of a community as we can.

Always be prepared for our class by completing all of the readings and assignments that are due
that day and having relevant class materials such as course readings. Your attendance is a vital
part of your success in this class. I am sure you have heard that students that attend class
regularly do better. Being absent will impact your ability to understand the class material and
contribute positively. The classroom is nothing without the students. This class involves a lot of
discussion, in-class assignments, and peer interaction. You may miss up to four classes without
penalty to your grade. Each additional absence will lower your final grade by 10%. Again, please
communicate with me. If you’re communicating with me about your situation, I can be flexible
with your attendance grade.

It is courteous to send me an email notification if you are going to be absent. However, this does
not excuse your absence. It is your responsibility to do all assigned readings and homework for
missed class sessions. Check the syllabus/Canvas and create a network with your peers to fill in
the gaps of what you may have missed.

I am human, you are human, and life happens. A pandemic is still happening. People get sick and
emergencies happen. Sometimes you may not be in a state to attend class; you are an adult and
you can make those decisions responsibly. Please feel free to talk to me about any concerns you
have or any experiences that are happening in your academic and personal life that may be
impeding the completion of your classwork. I am always willing to listen and assist you in any
way I can in order to maximize your success and academic growth.

Community Connection and Boundaries

In order to create a respectful and comfortable environment for sharing, writing, and discussing
difficult questions; during our first weeks together, we will come to a consensus about a set of
community guidelines. In this course, we will be discussing a subject matter that some students
may consider controversial, offensive, or which may conflict with their personal beliefs. Our
purpose in this class is to explore this subject matter deeply and consider multiple perspectives.
Together we will learn, grow, and challenge our patterns of thinking. Students are expected to
engage with one another with respect of the opinions and views of others, and are free to
disagree, respectfully, with any views expressed in class.

This semester you will also learn about using language that is rhetorically inclusive and positive
for discussion. Throughout the course, you will be asked to think consciously when speaking or
writing. We will discuss how to avoid the use of words that may disrespect or discriminate
against another person (or group of people) based on their actual or perceived race, class, color,
national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, religion or any
other distinguishing characteristics. We will partake in active listening and allow everyone in the
class to have an opportunity to share their thoughts.
Electronic Devices

You can use your laptop/tablet for class purposes. I ask that you not do anything that is not class
related. No texting, tweeting, posting, scrolling, online shopping, or anything of the like. All cell
phones must be put away during class unless the instructor announces that they can be used for
classroom purposes. Let’s make the best of our time together and engage fully with the material.

Land Acknowledgement

Wilkinson College believes all students should be taught the importance of recognizing land to
understand the colonizing roots of academia and the way many fields of higher education have
been used in the ostracizing, marginalization, and disempowering (as well as the stealing of land,
forced removal, and genocide) of communities. In doing so, we hope to inspire our students to
use their education to challenge institutional and structural barriers to work toward equality,
respect, and the lifting of their communities.

Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences collectively acknowledges that
Chapman University occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Lands of the
Acjachemen Peoples in the Juaneño Territory, adjacent to our Tongva/Kizh neighbors to the
North and Payomkawichum/Luiseño and Kumeyaay neighbors to the South.

In addition, we recognize, support, and advocate for the sovereignty of California’s 109
federally-recognized Indian nations, for historic Indigenous communities in California, for
Indigenous individuals and communities who live here now, and for those who were forcibly
removed from their Homelands. By offering this Land Acknowledgement, we affirm Indigenous
sovereignty, and consistent with our values of community and diversity, acknowledge our
responsibility to hold the university more accountable to the needs of American Indians and
Indigenous peoples.

Statement on Diversity and Inclusion - December 2016

Department of English, Chapman University: For at least half a century now, English as an
academic discipline has been at the forefront of scholarly work and pedagogy in feminist theory,
critical race studies, ecocriticism, queer theory, disability studies, working-class studies,
postcolonial theory, multiculturalism, linguistic diversity, and student agency. The English
Department at Chapman University works in all these areas and endorses Chapman’s
commitment to diversity and inclusion. We pledge to vigorously support all our students; to
welcome all students into our classrooms irrespective of immigration status; to contest racism,
sexism, classism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, xenophobia, imperialism,
anti-Semitism, and anti-environmentalism; and to resist deportations.

Statement of Solidarity with Black Lives Matter - June 2020

The English Department of Wilkinson College, along with the Interdisciplinary Minors.
stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and Black communities across the country. We
deplore the horrific murders of unarmed Black people by the police and the systemic racism in
police forces, in educational and legal institutions, and throughout society. We support the
protestors calling on us to say the names of victims of a compromised system of criminal justice:
George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Sean Read, Tony McDade, Eric Garner,
Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, and many more.
We mourn the unnamed and unnumbered victim. These tragedies are laid on top of the
longstanding systemic poverty and other social injustices experienced in marginalized
communities for an unbearably long time.

We are all called upon to seek solutions--of every kind, whoever we are, and however we can
contribute best--to redress these wounds and injustices endemic to the country and world. Martin
Luther King said, "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance or
conscientious stupidity.” As educators in Wilkinson College, we call upon Chapman University
to instead conscientiously support programs throughout the university committed to teaching the
knowledge, texts, and creative expression born of struggle against racist violence,
anti-Blackness, and other social injustice. We have learned the hard way that “those who cannot
learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” We must teach and learn this history and the
dynamics of this present moment with an investment in education for a future of less shame, less
suffering, less fear, less hate, and more justice, more hope, more peace.

We encourage everyone, including those of us who belong to marginalized communities, to hold

honest conversations about anti-Blackness and discrimination with our own families, friends, and
communities. Covid-19 continues to expose what we have already known to be the racial and
social inequalities that our communities live through daily. We witnessed the rise of anti-Asian
rhetoric and violence, disregard for “essential” immigrant workers, and staggering infection rates
among Native Americans. We need to reimagine what it means to stand in solidarity with each
other.

This is an adaptation and endorsement of the Black Lives Matter statement composed by the
Directors of Wilkinson College’s Interdisciplinary Minors:

● Africana Studies Program, Quaylan Allen and Stephanie Takaragawa, Directors

● Disability Studies Program, Art Blaser, Director
● Latinx and Latin American Studies Program, Ruben Espinoza, Director
● LGBTQ Studies Program, Ian Barnard, Director
● Women’s Studies Program, CK Magliola, Director

The Faculty of the Department of English endorses the March 2020 statement by the
Association for Asian American Studies:

"The Association for Asian American Studies (AAAS) wants to also acknowledge the rise of
anti-Asian (especially anti-Chinese) harassment (Links to an external site.) that many Asian
Americans (particularly those who look East Asian) are experiencing. As an organization
dedicated to the study of Asian Americans, we want to be very clear that xenophobia has no
place in our communities or workplaces, and that harassment of Asian people due to fears of the
coronavirus are not only unwarranted but sadly part of a longer history of stereotypes associating
Asians, especially Chinese, with disease (Links to an external site.) We stand firm in rejecting
anti-Asian bigotry in the guise of people expressing fear of Novel Coronavirus/COVID-19. We
also urge people to find resources that will educate them about how to manage their health
(Links to an external site.) as well as why their prejudices/biases in assuming all Asians have the
virus are rooted in a history of Yellow Peril rhetoric (Links to an external site.), xenophobia,
ableism, and anti-Asian racism.

University Policies and Procedures

Chapman University Academic Integrity Policy

“Chapman University is a community of scholars that emphasizes the mutual responsibility of all
members to seek knowledge honestly and in good faith. Students who are responsible for doing
their own work and academic dishonesty of any kind will be subject to sanction by the
instructor/administrator and referral to the university Academic Integrity Committee, which may
impose additional sanctions including expulsion. Please see the full description of Chapman
University's policy on Academic Integrity at:
www.chapman.edu/academics/academicintegrity/index.aspx.”

Plagiarism

Buying papers, forging papers, copying chunks of text and claiming them as your own, and other
forms of claiming people’s ideas and words as your own will lead to a failing grade on a paper or
in the class. Plagiarism and copyright are complicated issues, and we’ll discuss them and the
rules of documentation in class. If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism, ask
me. Additionally, it is against school policy to turn in the same work for more than one course
without prior approval from both instructors. If you would like to combine research or writing
efforts between this and another course, please gain approval from me first.

Chapman University’s Students with Disabilities Policy

“In compliance with ADA guidelines, students who have any condition, either permanent or
temporary, that might affect their ability to perform in this class are encouraged to contact the
Disability Services Office. If you will need to utilize your approved accommodations in this
class, please follow the proper notification procedure for informing your professor(s). This
notification process must occur more than a week before any accommodation can be utilized.
Please contact Disability Services at (714) 516–4520 or visit
www.chapman.edu/students/student-health-services/disability-services if you have questions
regarding this procedure or for information or to make an appointment to discuss and/or request
potential accommodations based on documentation of your disability. Once formal approval of
your need for an accommodation has been granted, you are encouraged to talk with your
professor(s) about your accommodation options. The granting of any accommodation will not be
retroactive and cannot jeopardize the academic standards or integrity of the course.”
Chapman University’s Equity and Diversity Policy

“Chapman University is committed to ensuring equality and valuing diversity. Students and
professors are reminded to show respect at all times as outlined in Chapman’s Harassment and
Discrimination Policy. Please see the full description of this policy at
http://www.chapman.edu/faculty-staff/human-resources/eoo.aspx. Any violations of this policy
should be discussed with the professor, the dean of students and/or otherwise reported in
accordance with this policy.
Religious Accommodation at Chapman University
Your instructor will provide a course syllabus at the beginning of each term that specifies dates
of exams and due dates of assignments. It is the responsibility of each student to review these
syllabi as soon they are distributed, as well as final examination schedules (within the first three
weeks of the semester) and to consult the faculty member promptly regarding any possible
conflicts with major religious holidays where those holidays are scheduled in advance and where
those holidays constitute the fulfillment of their sincerely held religious beliefs. Upon the timely
request of one or more students, your instructor will work with student(s), whenever possible, to
accommodate the student(s) using reasonable means, such as rescheduling exams and assignment
deadlines that fall on major religious observances and holidays. Please see the full description of
Chapman University's policy on Religious Accommodation at
https://www.chapman.edu/about/our-family/leadership/provosts-office/religious-accomodation.as
px.

Campus Services

● Student Services
○ Check out all that Student Services has to offer,
including Career and Professional
Development, Disability Services, Health and
Health Education, Counseling, International
Student Services, Residence Life/First Year
Experience, and the Veterans Resource Center.
● Writing Center
○ Please see the “Writing Center Hours” page for
more information.
○ For asynchronous digital tutoring, please check out the "Online Tutoring Form"
page to submit your writing for tutoring feedback.
○ Email: tutor@chapman.edu.
● Academic Resources
○ Some of these are included above, but this link can also give you access to
Academic Advising, the Registrar, Online Course Syllabi, and more.
● Tutoring and Learning Center (TLC)
○ Find tutoring hours, testing center information, and learning resources.
● Libraries
○ Familiarize yourself with all of the great services our libraries offer.
● Student Employment Services
○ Find job opportunities and employment information.
● Information Systems and Technology (IS&T)
○ Get access to the service desk, wireless information, and email help.
● Software available to students
○ Look at all of the great software you can access just by being a Chapman student.
Enjoy!
● Chapman University Safely Back
○ Stay up-to-date on all the CU Safely Back information.
 English 206: Critical Literacies & Community Writing
Course Schedule

Note: This is a tentative schedule that may be modified throughout the course. We will be
flexible and adapt as needed. Any schedule changes will be communicated during class, and/or
via email, Canvas, and our class website. An updated syllabus will be provided by the instructor,
but it is the student’s responsibility to stay up to date with any changes made.

Week Date Topic Readings/Watching Due Assignments Due

1 Mon, Jan 29 Introductions
Name Story: Power of
names & language

Syllabus Review

Wed, Jan 31 Introductions Review the syllabus, browse

our class website and
Canvas.
Syllabus & Website
Review

Fri, Feb 2 Introductions

Class Discussion:
Participation
Community connections
& boundaries
Good writing vs. bad
writing

2 Mon, Feb 5 What is Rhetoric? Rhetorical Analysis Find one quote about
rhetoric to share with
The Rhetorical Academic article: Jeanne the class. This can be
Situation Gunner and Doug Sweet’s from the reading or
“The Basics of Rhetoric: online.
Author, Audience, and
Purpose”
Wed, Feb 7 Writing & Rhetorical Academic article: “The
Conventions Rhetorical Use of
Why do we use citations Conventions” by Jeanne
Gunner and Doug Sweet
Genre as Social Action
 Fri, Feb 9 Multimodality Academic article:
“Multimodality.” College
Creating a Website for Composition and
Your Blog Communication

Website conventions Browse through Multimodal

Composing
3 Mon, Feb 12 Attend the 1:1 meeting Weebly Tutorials for
you signed up for with Beginners
Prof. K
Signing Up for a Free Wix
Work on your website Account

Wed, Feb 14 Attend the 1:1 meeting Weebly Tutorials for

you signed up for with Beginners
Prof. K
Signing Up for a Free Wix
Work on your website Account

Fri, Feb 16 Attend the 1:1 meeting Weebly Tutorials for Blog # 1: Who Am I?
you signed up for with Beginners -Reply to 1 peer.
Prof. K
Signing Up for a Free Wix (Remember to provide
Submit Blog # 1 Account a link to your blog
post under the Canvas
‘Discussions’ tab)
4 Mon, Feb 19 Human Need for Podcast: Mythology with
Storytelling John Butcher

Wed, Feb 21 Visual Rhetoric & Blog # 2: The

Digital Anti-Esssay
Communication -Reply to 1 peer
Texting, emojis, logos

Fri, Feb 23 Viral Rhetoric: Social

Media as a Literacy
Heuristic

5 Mon, Feb 26 Social Media & Blog #3: Social

Community Analysis Media & Community
Sharing Analysis
-Reply to 1 peer
Project 1 Overview:
Artifacts in
Communities
 Creating Cultural
Artifacts that Build New
Legacies

Wed, Feb 28 Artifacts in

Communities
Project 1: Outlining +
Drafting

Fri, Mar 1 Artifacts in

Communities
Project 1: Outlining +
Drafting

6 Mon, Mar 4 The Self, Ideology, & Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Intersectionality by Paulo Freire, Ch 1

Wed, Mar 6 Academia as a Form of Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Oppression by Paulo Freire, Ch 2

Fri, Mar 8 Composing Friday Project 1: Artifact

+ Open Community Rhetorical Analysis
Discourse

7 Mon, Mar 11 Dominant Ideologies in TedTalk: What to trust in a Blog #4: Personal
Politics “post truth world” Ideologies Collage +
Reflection
Post Truth World Reply to 1 peer

Wed, Mar 13 Capitalism,

Productivity, &
Success

Fri, Mar 15 Composing Friday

+ Open Community
Discourse

8 Mon, Mar 18

Spring Break
 Wed, Mar 20

Spring Break

Fri, Mar 22

Spring Break

9 Mon, Mar 25 Poverty, Wealth, The Rhetoric of War in the

Pandemic & Hope Coronavirus Pandemic

Time’s: “Finding Hope

Series” -Select one article to
read
Wed, Mar 27 Creativity & Mental Blog # 5: Instructions
Health for Something You
Love
-Reply to 1 peer
Fri, Mar 29 Composing Friday
+ Open Community
Discourse

10 Mon, Apr 1 Ideology in Music: Pick one song/ and or music

Racial Rhetoric video that is rhetorically
effective, and has a current
Janelle Monae on Being cultural message that
Queer and Black resonates with you.

Wed, Apr 3 Social Rhetorical Podcast: Man Enough-

Constructs: Sex, ALOK: The Urgent Need for
Gender, and Sexuality Compassion

Performative Acts Sex and

Gender by Judith Butler

Fri, Apr 5 Composing Friday

+ Open Community
Discourse

11 Mon, Apr 8 Feminist Ideology &

Rhetoric
 Wed, Apr 10 Language & Poetry Poetry 101

Fri, Apr 12 Ableism & Disability Blog #6: Multilingual

Poetry
-Reply to 1 peer

12 Mon, Apr 15 Environmental Explore the 2040 website,

Ideology the work they’re doing, and
watch the documentary
trailer.

Other docs to check out if

you’re interested: Top 17
Environmental Films of
2021
Wed, Apr 17 Project 2: Open Letter
+ Social Media
Composition Overview

Fri, Apr 19 Project 2: Open Letter

+ Social Media
Composition

Outlining + work on
first draft

13 Mon, Apr 22 Community

Engagement Overview

Open Letter + Social

Media Composition
Draft Workshop

Wed, Apr 24 Community

Engagement

Complete community
engagement activities

Fri, Apr 26 Community Project 2: Open

Engagement Letter + Social
Media Composition
Complete community due by midnight
engagement activities
14 Mon, Apr 29 Share Community Community
Engagement Engagement

Wed, May 1 Autoethnography

Overview

Fri, May 3 Autoethnography

Choose topic +
composition form

15 Mon, May 6 Autoethnography

Research

Wed, May 8 Autoethnography

Outline

Fri, May 10 Autoethnography Autoethnography

Workshop Drafts

16 Thurs, May 16 The Self + Community Project 3:

Reflection Autoethnography
Finals Week due by midnight
1:30 p.m. - 4:00
p.m.