EN140:  RHETORIC AND CRITICAL THINKING (3 hrs.)  

Prerequisites:  EN100 or advanced placement

Michael Gurnow
http://cstl-cla.semo.edu/gurnow
Office Hours and Contact Information
Gradebook and Grading Scale

Section 16 M/W 3:30-4:45 Grauel 302

Required texts:

• Seyler, Dorothy.  Read, Reason, Write:  An Argument Text and Reader.  8^th ed. (Textbook Rental)
• Hacker, Diana.  A Pocket Style Manual.  5^th ed.  (University Bookstore)
• Blattner, Nancy, et al.  Writing Proficiency Exam:  Student Essays Evaluated and Annotated.  (University Bookstore)

Other required materials: 

• Campus-based email account
• External recording device to record and retain course data
• Access to the viewing of, via rental or purchase, the following films: 
  • Ivan Reitman's Thank You for Smoking (2005)
  • Edward Zwick's Blood Diamond (2006)
  • Robert Greenwald's Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price (2005)
  • Mike Judge's Idiocracy (2006) 
  • David Fincher's Fight Club (1999)

Course description:  This course focuses on effective written expression in the context of a liberal arts education, emphasizing critical thinking and researched writing.

Objectives:

• Learn to analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of view
• Learn fundamental principles, generalizations, and theories
• Gain factual knowledge
• Develop creative capacities
• Learn how to find and use resources for answering questions or solving problems

Grade assessment:  

Total possible:  1,000

Tentative Class Schedule

The instructor reserves the right to make alterations to the original list of assignments.
All reading assignments pertain to the Seyler text unless hyperlinked or otherwise noted.

Week 1  
Aug. 24:  Meet in computer lab.  Introduction to course.  Overview of syllabus. 
Aug. 26:  Meet and greet. 

Week 2  
Aug. 31:  Reitman's film, Thank You for Smoking.
Sept. 2:  “Addicted to Health,” 157-60.  “Cigarettes Make the Meal.”

Week 3  
Sept. 7:  Labor Day
Sept. 9:  Meet in computer lab.  Review examination over EN140 syllabus, On Being a Professional Student; Preliminary Writing Errors; Essay Format Requirements; In-Text Citation, Hacker, 127-135; Works Cited, Hacker, 135-154; Editing/Revision Symbols; and  Hacker, 282 (last page of handbook). 

Week 4  
Sept. 14:  Logical Fallacies.
Sept. 16:  Continue discussion.  

Week 5  
Sept. 21:  Zwick's film, Blood Diamond.  “So, Should You Buy a Diamond?”  “Amputations, Beatings Scare Voters in Zimbabwe.”  What is Fair Trade?
Sept. 23:  Greenwald's film, Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price.  Is Wal-Mart Good?, Part 5 (Go to "Watch the Full Program Online").  

Week 6  
Sept. 28:  Wake-Up Wal-Mart: The Real Wal-Mart Facts.  “The Man Who Said No to Wal-Mart.”
Sept. 30:  Secret History of the Credit Card, Parts 2-5.   

Week 7  
Oct. 5:  Credit Card Calculator (for those without credit cards, merely run off the index page).  Mall Madness.  Life Without Plastic. 
Oct. 7:  Discussion of argumentative writing methods.

Week 8  
Oct. 12:  Toulmin Essay due.  Judge's film, Idiocracy.  “In Your Face . . . All Over the Place!” 370-8.  “Regaining Consciousness.”
Oct. 14:  “Corporate Logo Tattoos: Literal Corporate Branding?”  Toddler branding.  The Persuaders, Parts 1-6.    

Week 9 
Oct. 19:  Baudrillard on TV and Class.  “Of Losers and Moles:  You Think Reality TV Just Writes Itself?,” 397-400.  Clip from Sidney Lumet's Network (transcript).   
Oct. 21:  “Want a Smart Baby?”  Life Without TV.

Week 10

Oct. 26:  Rogerian Essay due.  Fincher's film, Fight Club.  Pinto Memo.
Oct. 28:  Continue discussion.  

Week 11  

Nov. 2:  “The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race.”   
Nov. 4:  “The Problem with Capitalism.”

Week 12

Nov. 9:  Question of “Was Tyler Right?”:  “Civil Disobedience” 675-90.  Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development.

Nov. 11:  Banksy.  “Pictures and Words.”

Week 13

Nov. 16:  Reductio Essay due.  Conscious Consumer Exercise, Part I.
Nov. 18:  Conscious Consumer Exercise, Part II.  

Week 14

Nov. 23:  “To Do or to Have: That is the Question.”  “The Why and How of Simple Living.”  “What is Freecycling?”  
Nov. 25:  Thanksgiving Break

Week 15

Nov. 30:  Ecological Footprint.  Scorecard.  

Dec. 2:  Blattner, 4-32.  Discussion of WP002 exam.

Saturday, December 5:  WP002 Exam

Week 16  

Dec. 7:  “The Why and How of Organics.”  “'Recession Gardens' Trim Grocery Bills.”  “Gulf 'Dead Zone' Suffocating Fish and Livelihoods.”  

Dec. 9:  Bike-to-Class Day (last term's results):  Vehicle Ownership v. Taxi v. Bicycle Ownership.  “Pollinators in Decline.” 

Finals Week  
Section 16:  2:00 Wednesday, Dec. 16.

Research Essay due.

Participation:  Class participation comprises 20% of the student’s overall grade.  Participation is granted upon qualitative (as opposed to merely quantitative) oral contributions to the class.  Obviously, if a student is not in class, then he or she is unable to participate. 

Essays:  Essays account for 60% of the student's overall course grade.  All essays are graded holistically, as outlined in the Writing Proficiency Examination booklet.

Exam:  A review exam over EN100 will account for 10% of the student's overall grade.   

WP002:  A campus-wide writing proficiency examination for all 140 students accounts for 10% of the student’s overall grade. 

Truant Assignments:  No make-up or late work will be accepted.  To compensate for unforeseeable circumstances, students are advised to work ahead.  Any and all submissions are welcome prior to their deadline.

Civility:  Every student is obligated to assume responsibility for his or her actions; respect constituted authority, the right of one’s peers, and private and public property; as well as be truthful.  Violations will result in the offender’s removal from the classroom and the detraction of any points available for said class period atop disciplinary referral being filed with the University.

Electronic Devises:  As found within the Code of Student Conduct, Section of Safety and Environmental Health, Subsection 4, all electronic devices¾including cellular phones¾whose explicit purpose does not include obtaining data directly relating to course content, is strictly prohibited within the classroom.  Students in violation of this clause will be summarily dismissed from the class in which said encroachment occurs atop the detraction of any points available for said class period.  Multiple offenses will result in disciplinary referral being filed with the University.  As outlined within the University’s policy for Learning Enrichment Services and/or American Disability Acts compliance, students with special learning needs are exempt so long as they are accompanied by a letter¾which explicitly defines the duration and logistic necessity for such, and which, electronic devices¾from designated university agencies overseeing such requirements.

Academic Dishonesty (including Cheating and Plagiarism):  The Undergraduate Bulletin defines academic dishonesty as “ . . . those acts which would deceive, cheat, or defraud so as to promote one’s scholastic record . . . .”  As outlined by the Office of Judicial Affairs, “Violations of academic honesty represent a serious breach of discipline and may be considered grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the University.” 

Disabilities:  It is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor of any physical or learning disability he or she may have so that such may be addressed and aptly provided for.

Misc.:  The last day to drop a course is Oct. 30.  Incompletes are not granted in this course.