ENGL 1101 Fall 05 Morgen 5
English 1101 Composition 1--The Idea of Wilderness
Fall 2004
-X2 MWF 9:05-9:55 in Skiles 311
-X3 MWF 10:05-10:55 in Skiles 314
-X4 MWF 12:05-12:55 in Skiles 108B
Contact Information
Instructor: E. David Morgen Office: Skiles 304 Office Phone: ???
Office Hours: MWF 11:00-12:00 Email:
Homepage: http://www.lcc.gatech.edu/~dmorgen Course Blog: http://dmorgen-gt.blogspot.com/
Course Description
The Goal of English 1101 at Georgia Tech is to improve students' written and oral communication skills through a rhetorical focus on argument. In this course students explore a variety of non-fiction arguments within the discipline of science, technology and culture studies. Students learn how to read critically and write effectively as they examine how arguments develop within social, political and historical contexts. To enhance their understanding of a variety of communication modes, students learn how to expand and support their written work with oral presentations, and they explore visual as well as textual arguments. Additionally students learn how to improve their writing through their engagement with a variety of educational technologies. Working independently and collaboratively, students improve their composition skills while gaining a deeper understanding of audience and the contexts that inform effective communication. In this section of English 1101, we will examine the changing American conception of wilderness over the last century, paying particular attention to conflicts that have arisen and that continue to play out as resources become more scarce and as the successes of the environmentalist movement lead to, often ironic, unintended consequences.
Required Texts
Barnet, Sylvan and Hugo Bendau. From Critical Thinking to Argument. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005.
Cronon, William, ed. Uncommon Ground: Rethinking the Human Place in Nature. New York: W. W. Norton, 1996.
Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. New York: Ancor, 1997.
Lunsford, Andrea. The St. Martin’s Handbook. Fifth edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2003.
McPhee, John. Encounters with the Archdruid. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1971.
Additional readings on electronic reserve through the GT Library.
Grading Policies: Here are two generalizations that apply to all of the writing you do for this class:
· Like each of you, I expect a successful writer to support his or her generalizations with specific details that are pertinent to the topic.
· Like each of you, I also look for the following qualities in a piece of writing: clarity, directness, and accuracy.
I will compute your final grade based on the following formula:
· 3 Essays 60%
· Class Participation & quizzes 15%
· Blog 20%
· Group Oral Presentation 10%
The standard scale applies to all grades: A = 90-100; B = 80-89; C = 70-79; D = 60-69; F = 1-59
Format for all papers: All papers should meet MLA format regulations: they must be word-processed, double-spaced with one inch margins, left-justified only, and stapled in the upper-left-hand corner. You should use Times New Roman font size 12--please resist the urge to use enormous fonts or margins, which only look silly. Please do not use cover pages or plastic folders; instead you should have a heading in the upper left-hand corner of the first page with your name, my name, the course number, and the date and your last name should be next to the page number in the upper-right-hand corner on each page. All essays should have interesting, descriptive titles, and you must document any source in MLA fashion, with parenthetical citations and a works cited list at the end of your essay. You are required to have backup copies of all outside papers, and to be able to produce such copies if necessary.
Course Blog: I have set up a blog called “Anchor-Hold” (http://dmorgen-gt.blogspot.com) for this class. You should check the blog regularly for announcements, reminders, and links to useful resources.
Software/Computing Resources and Requirements: We will meet regularly this quarter in a multimedia computer lab, and we will make use frequent use of Internet applications in the lab and from remote locations (i.e. your home or dorm room). I assume all students enrolled this quarter will meet the technology requirements for incoming freshmen at GT. You must have access to your own computer with Internet capabilities to complete the work in this class. We will use e-mail applications, Web browsers, and online conferencing applications as a means of communicating both in- and out-of-class. These tools will enable you to meet with classmates in "chat" rooms, to engage in electronic "bulletin board" discussions and to participate in collaborative hypertext discussions to complete coursework. Students will receive detailed instructions within the first few weeks of the semester about accessing these applications. Previous knowledge of Internet research, e-mail, and conferencing software is not a prerequisite for this course, but those students who have had exposure to at least some of these technologies may have an advantage over those who are completely new to the Internet and/or to electronic forms of communication. If you have doubts about your abilities, consult with me ASAP.
Attendance: Life’s too short. Are you familiar with that truism? A semester really is too short a time to cover all this material unless we’re each here every day that class meets; therefore, I look forward to seeing you at every class meeting, contributing to a dialogue on each of the topics we’ll cover. I make no distinction between excused and unexcused absences, so no documentation or excuse is required for an absence. If some sort of dire circumstance--such as serious injury or illness, death in the family, jury duty, etc--should arise please notify me as soon as possible so we can try to make arrangements. Note that malfunctioning alarms or automobiles, extended vacations, poor time management skills, or an overactive social life do not qualify as dire circumstances. You should also remember that you are still responsible for any information or assignment covered in a class that you miss and that I do not provide make-up quizzes or other work. You should secure yourself someone in class whom you can contact about assignments and class notes.After your fifth absence, your total possible final grade will be reduced by 10%, with an additional 5% penalty for each subsequent absence.
Participation: Participation means more than simply being physically present—it means coming to class with the assigned reading completed and ready to contribute in a thoughtful and respectful manner to discussion, peer editing, and other in-class assignments. You should have your textbook and any other necessary materials with you in class to refer to during discussions. To receive full credit for participation you must contribute actively and regularly to in-class discussion in an informed and constructive manner.
I expect students to take their work seriously, to come to class prepared and willing to participate, and to treat peers and their ideas with respect. Turn off all electronic communication devices—cell phones, beepers, etc.—before entering the classroom. These devices are inappropriate in the classroom setting. All students are to have their attention focused on the class activity throughout the scheduled meeting time.
Students with Disabilities: Any student who feels that he/she may need an accommodation for any sort of disability, please make an appointment to see the instructor during office hours. Students with disabilities should also contact Access Disabled Assistance Program for Tech Students (ADAPTS) to discuss reasonable accommodations. For an appointment with a counselor call (404) 894-2564 (voice) / (404) 894-1664 (voice/TDD) or visit Suite 210 in the Smithgall Student Services Building. For more information visit the following website: http://www.adapts.gatech.edu/.
Academic Honesty: All major assignments will be submitted to turnitin.com, an online anti-plagiarism software. Instructions for using will be reviewed in class. Students should also review GT’s policy for academic integrity. I will follow these guidelines and submit all suspected cases of plagiarism to the Dean of Students:
The "Student Conduct Code of the Rules and Regulations" (Georgia Institute of Technology General Catalog, Section XIX) states, “Academic misconduct is an act that does or could improperly distort student grades or other student academic records” and offers the following descriptive list:
· Possessing, using, or exchanging improperly acquired written or verbal information in the preparation of any essay, laboratory report, examination, or other assignment included in an academic course;
· Substitution for, or unauthorized collaboration with, a student in the commission of academic requirements;
· Submission of material that is wholly or substantially identical to that created or published by another person or persons, without adequate credit notations indicating authorship (plagiarism);
· False claims of performance or work that has been submitted by the claimant;
· Alteration or insertion of any academic grade or rating so as to obtain unearned academic credit;
· Forgery, alteration, or misuse of any institute document relating to the academic status of the student.
The Code continues, “While these acts constitute assured instances of academic misconduct, other acts of academic misconduct may be defined by the professor.” Consult the Honor Code online at “http://www.honor.gatech.edu/” or in the General Catalog to remember your primary commitment to academic honesty. Students who engage in academic dishonesty may receive a 0.0 on the assignment or fail the course. In addition, the instance will be reported to the Dean of Students who may take further action.
Office Hours and Communication: I encourage you to meet with me during my office hours or to make an appointment to discuss your work in progress or any aspect of the course. I hold regular office hours every week (see times at top of first page) and encourage you to come and see me. Students who visit with me during my office hours to discuss their work and concerns almost always get more from the course than those who don't. If you have a scheduling conflict and cannot meet me during my scheduled office hours, you can always make an appointment to see me at another time. If you have concerns about anything at all, please contact me right away—I can't help you if I don't know there's a problem. I check my e-mail several times a day—it’s the best way to contact me.
Class Schedule
Note: While this syllabus is carefully planned, it may be modified at any time in response to the needs and interests of the class, and it is quite likely to be augmented with additional links and further details of daily class activities. Although you should have all readings prepared exactly as described (i.e., completed before the class is scheduled to discuss them), you should also be ready to make careful note of any changes the professor may make in response to the needs and progress of the group. It is your responsibility to be prepared by checking the online syllabus and course blog regularly and, should you have to miss a class, by calling one of your colleagues to catch up on the discussion and to ascertain that no schedule changes have been made in your absence.
Week / Date / Assignment1 / Aug. 22 / Introduction to class
24 / Setting up blog
26 / Critical Thinking ch. 1 “Critical Thinking”
5¶ Deductive Essays and 3-part Inductive essays
2 / 29 / Critical Thinking ch. 2 “Critical Reading”
31 / Critical Thinking R ch. 3 “Critical Reading: Deeper”
Sept. 2 / Critical Thinking R chs. 8 “Phillosopher’s View” & 9 “Logician’s View”
3 / 5 / No Class: Labor Day
7 / Critical Thinking R ch. 5 “Writing an Analysis of an Argument”
Jane Tompkins “At the Buffalo Bill Museum,” on reserve.
9 / Essay 1 Due: Analysis of Tompkins
Critical Thinking R ch. 10 “Psychologist’s View”
4 / 12 / John McPhee Encounters with the Archdruid Part 1 “A Mountain”
14 / Critical Thinking R ch. 6 “Developing an Argument”
16 / McPhee EwtA Part 2 “An Island”
5 / 19 / McPhee EwtA Part 3 “A River.”
21 / Critical Thinking R ch. 7 “Using Sources” (actually read 150-81, then skim over the rest of the chapter)
23 / Uncommon Ground, Cronon “Introduction” (23-56) & look through Album: Unnatural Nature (58-66)
6 / 26 / Wilderness Act of 1964 (URL: http://www.leaveitwild.org/reports/wilderness1964PF.html) & Roderick Nash Wilderness and the American Mind Prologue, on reserve
28 / Uncommon Ground, Cronon “The Trouble with Wilderness” (69-90)
30 / Uncommon Ground, Album: Sublime Nature (161-7)
Critical Thinking ch. 4 “Visual Rhetoric”
Progress Reports Due
7 / Oct. 3 / No Class
5 / Essay 2 Due: Definitions of Wilderness
7 / Uncommon Ground, Spirn “Constructing Nature” (91-113)
8 / 10 / Uncommon Ground, Slater “Amazonia as Edenic Narrative” (114-31)
12 / Uncommon Ground, Merchant “Reinventing Eden” (132-59)
14 / Uncommon Ground, White “Are You an Environmentalist” (171-85)
9 / 17 /
No Class: Fall Break
19 / Uncommon Ground, Price “Looking for Nature at the Mall” (186-203)21 / Uncommon Ground, Davis “Touch the Magic” (204-17) & Album: Symbolic Nature (219-29)
10 / 24 / Uncommon Ground, Barbour “Ecological Fragmentation” (233-55)
26 / Uncommon Ground, Ellis “On the Search for Root Causes” (256-68)
28
11 / 31 / Uncommon Ground, Proctor “Whose Nature?” (269-98)
Nov. 2 / Uncommon Ground, Di Chiro “Nature as Community” (298-320)
4 / No Class
12 / 7 / Uncommon Ground, Haraway “Universal Donors in a Vampire Culture” (321-66)
9 / Uncommon Ground, Album: Social Nature (367-75)
11 / Uncommon Ground, Olwig “Reinventing Common Nature” (379-408)
13 / 14 / Uncommon Ground, Hayles “Simulated Nature & Natural Simulations” (409-25)
16 / Uncommon Ground, Album: Simulated Nature (439-44)
18 / Uncommon Ground, Harrison “Toward a Philosophy of Nature” (426-37)
14 / 21 / Uncommon Ground, “Toward a Conclusion” (447-59)
23 / Essay 3 Due: Comparison
25 / No Class: Thanksgiving Break
15 / 28 / Into the Wild through ch. 9 (Author’s note and pp. 1-97)
30 / Into the Wild chs. 10-14 (pp. 98-144)
Dec. 2 / Into the Wild to end
16 / 5 / Oral presentations groups 1 & 2
7 / Oral presentations groups 3 & 4
9 / Oral presentation groups 5