ENGL 3308: Writing Textual Analysis

ENGL 3308: Writing Textual Analysis

Section 001

Spring 2017, MW 2:30-3:50

BUS 208

Instructor: Dr. Stephanie Odom

Email: (preferred method of communication)

Office: BUS 243

Office phone: 903-566-7349

Course website:

Office Hours: W 10:30-1:30 and by appointment

Course Description and Objectives

This course requires intensive practice in reading and writing about literary, critical, and argumentative texts, with an emphasis on close reading and critical theory. The course emphasizes the process of writing critical essays. Required of English majors/minors and recommended for others who wish to develop advanced reading and writing skills.

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

Write in-depth analytical papers using a variety of analytical approaches
Read closely a variety of texts, including literature and non-literature
Use textual and other evidence to support a strong thesis-driven argument
Evaluate their reading and writing habits to improve those habits

English 3308 is a multi-disciplinary course. Because we have student from several majors, readings will come from a variety of disciplines. We will analyze these readings from several perspectives. Initially, some of the texts may seem odd to you. For example, history or political science majors may wonder why they have to read a short story. Similarly, English majors may wonder why they have to use analytical approaches that are rhetorical instead of literary. But keep in mind that the texts are a means to an end. The end is improving your critical thinking skills. Common readings allow for small group and whole class discussions. These discussions are crucial to enhancing critical thinking skills.

Required Texts

Digging into Literature by Joanna Wolfe and Laura Wilder. ISBN 978-1457631306
Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking, 11th Edition by M. Neil Browne and Stuart M. Keeley. ISBN: 978-0321907950 (9th or 10th editions also acceptable)
Digital readings provided via Blackboard

You will also need

paper and pen in class to take notes on and complete in-class writing
the book or hard copy of each day’s reading; electronic copies are not acceptable
access to a dictionary while you are reading for homework
access to a computer for researching, typing, saving, and electronically submitting your papers

Grading Policy

Assignment / Weight / Words
Summary Paper / 10% / 250-500
Close Reading Paper / 15% / 500-750
Required revision of Close Reading Paper / 10% / 500-750
Contextual Analysis Paper / 15% / 750-1000
Theoretical Analysis Paper / 15% / 750-1000
Logical Analysis Paper / 15% / 750-1000
Reading quizzes, other short assignments / 20%

A = 90-100

B = 80-89

C = 70-79

D = 60-69

F = 59 and below

Peer Reviews

You must bring a draft of your forthcoming paper to peer review sessions or you will be asked to leave and will be counted absent. When peer review is required of an assignment, you must show evidence that you completed a peer review with one of your classmates outside of class before I accept the paper. Each day that you cannot turn in your paper due to missing the peer review session will count like a late paper (5 points off per day), up to a maximum of 20 points. To avoid this penalty, find a classmate you can swap papers with outside of class if you miss peer review day.

Revision

You will have the opportunity to revise your papers according to peer feedback. Additionally, you may submit any writing assignment (except for your final paper) for revision. You must let me know that you plan to revise within two days of receiving the grade and then I will take up to one week to provide you with substantial feedback. You will then have an additional week to substantially revise the assignment for a new grade. I will devote a lot of time and energy into giving you comments on how to revise your writing. If you turn in the same assignment without substantial revision, you will receive a lower grade on the revised assignment than you did on the original. The original paper grade and the revised paper grade will be averaged.

The Writing Center

The UT Tyler Writing Center is a free service available to you for working with a trained writing tutor on your writing. They can help you one-on-one, in person or online, at any stage of the writing process. They are located in BUS 202 and you can look up their hours and other information at

**Students who visit the writing center will receive 5 bonus points on that paper when I receive an email confirming their visit. This applies once to each time a paper is submitted.**

Late Assignments

All papers will be submitted to me via Blackboard and due by class time unless otherwise noted. Each day that a paper is late, 5 points will be detracted.

For example, for papers due at 11 a.m. on Thursday:

-5 if turned in after 11 a.m. on Thursday but before 10:59 a.m. on Friday

-10 if turned in before 11 a.m. on Saturday, and so on.

Attendance Policy

You are expected to attend class, to arrive on time, to remain awake, to have prepared assigned reading and writing, and to participate in all in-class editing, revising, and discussion sessions.You may miss four classes without any penalty to your grade, though an absence for any reason counts against this total. If you are the type of person who sometimes gets sick, has important appointments or family obligations, or goes out of town, you should probably save your allowed absences for those times. Should you miss the equivalent of five or more class meetings, you may fail the course.

When you must miss a class, you are responsible for getting notes and assignments from a classmate. Do not email me to ask if you missed anything; the answer will always be “Yes!” and “Ask a friend for a recap.”

Special consideration for absences due to religious observance or university-sponsored events and activities is described in the UT Tyler policies below. If you have a documented medical condition that prevents you from attending classes occasionally, I will need to see the documentation from the Student Accessibility and Resources Office. You can reach them at 903-566-7079.

Tardies

If you arrive after I have taken attendance at the beginning of class, you will be counted tardy. Three tardies will count as one absence. If you miss more than 20 minutes of class either at the beginning or end, you will be counted absent.

Computers and Other Devices

You will not need to bring a computer or other device to this class. If you would like to use one to take notes on, you may use it for class purposes only. If I see that you are using your electronic device, including cell phone, for non-class purposes, I will ask you to put it away. If such behavior continues to be a problem, your privilege to use electronic devices may be revoked or I may ask you to surrender your phone at the beginning of each class.

Blackboard and Email

My official means of communicating with the class will be via your Patriots email account registered on Blackboard. It is your responsibility to ensure that you receive these emails and announcements. It is University policy that I email you at your Patriots email, but let me know ASAP if you have experiencing technical problems with it. If you are unable to reach me at , you may try

Scholastic Honesty

UT Tyler’s definitions of scholastic dishonesty are located at Learning how to quote, paraphrase, and summarize responsibly is one of the main goals of this class, so we will be working on how to stay within academic expectations about using source material. Egregious instances of scholastic dishonesty may result in a failing grade for the assignment or the entire course.

University Policies:

See attached, or go to

Addendum to University Policy on carrying weapons on campus: I strongly believe that guns do not belong on university campuses. If, as a CCL holder, you decide to exercise your right, it is your sole responsibility to become familiarized with and abide by the law and with UT Tyler’s Campus Carry Rules and Policies (see attached). Remember, “concealed carry” of a handgun means that the handgun cannot be visible. Exposing a weapon, even if accidentally, is both a crime and a violation of university policy. It will be considered a threat and reported to the police immediately. Anyone who makes public, orally or by any other media, that they are carrying guns to class will also be reported to the authorities and not allowed in class.

Course Schedule

Bb = Blackboard, DiL = Digging into Literature, ARQ = Asking the Right Questions,

Reminder: bring the assigned book or hard copy of each day’s reading; electronic copies are not acceptable. Quiz grades may be recorded randomly for having the hard copy of the reading.

Wk / Date / F2F/ online / Reading for Class / Assignment Due
(by class time) / Paper Returned / Topic
1 / W, 1/18 / Introduction to class; discuss Summary paper assignment
2 / M, 1/23 / DiL 1-2 including “The Man to Send Rain Clouds,” watch Lumineers videos (on Bb) / In-class open-book quiz over two chapters; discuss reading and application to Lumineers videos
W, 1/25 / Bring DiL and device on which to watch videos, if possible / Discuss DiL 1-2 and application to Lumineers videos
3 / M, 1/30 / DiL 3, 4; “Dream Children” / Summary Paper / End of Add/Drop period; Discuss reading and application to “Dream Children”; introduce Close Reading paper
W, 2/1 / DiL 5 and 14, DiL 13 recommended; bring “Dream Children” / Blackboard quiz over DiL 5 and 14 due by class time / Discuss reading and application to “Dream Children”
4 / M, 2/6 / No class; online only / Summary Paper / Technology presentation; work day on Close Reading paper; plan for paper due by end of class
W, 2/8 / Bring 2 copies of your draft or be counted absent / Peer Review of Close Reading Paper
5 / M, 2/13 / Bring DiL and “Dream Children” / Close Reading Paper / MLA style clinic; discuss using textual evidence
W, 2/15 / Style “Concision” chapter; DiL 15; bring copy of Close Reading Paper / Blackboard quiz over MLA formatting due by class time / Discuss revision strategies; demonstrate OED
6 / M, 2/20 / DiL 7; bring “Dream Children” / Blackboard OED short assignment due by class time / Close Reading Paper / Discuss reading
W, 2/22 / Bring “Dream Children” and DiL; watch video on Bb about emailing professors / Blackboard assignment over emailing professors presentation due by class time / Introduce Contextual Analysis paper assignment; plan for paper due at end of class
7 / M, 2/27 / No class; online only / Required Revision of CR Paper / Work day for Contextual Analysis paper
W, 3/1 / Bring 2 copies of your draft or be counted absent / Peer Review
8 / M, 3/6 / DiL 9, 10 / Contextual Analysis paper / Revision of CR Paper / Discuss applying theoretical lens to “Dream Children”
W, 3/8 / Skim theoretical readings on Bb, print 1-2 to bring to class; bring DiL and “Dream Children” / Discuss applying theoretical lens to “Dream Children”; introduce Theoretical Analysis paper
M, 3/13 / SPRING BREAK
W, 3/15 / SPRING BREAK
9 / M, 3/20 / No class; online only / Work day for Theoretical Analysis paper
W, 3/22 / Bring 2 copies of your draft or be counted absent / Peer Review
10 / M, 3/27 / Theoretical Analysis paper / LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW ; Library session on finding scholarly article in your discipline
W, 3/29 / Asking the Right Questions 1, 2; bring your academic article / Blackboard quiz over ARQ 1-2 terms due by class time / Discuss reading
11 / M, 4/3 / Asking the Right Questions 3, 4; bring your academic article / Blackboard quiz over ARQ 3-4 terms due by class time / Theoretical Analysis paper / Discuss reading
W, 4/5 / Asking the Right Questions 7, 10; bring your academic article / Blackboard quiz over ARQ 7, 10 terms due by class time / Discuss reading; introduce Logical Analysis paper
12 / M, 4/10 / No class; online only / Asking the Right Questions 8, 9 / Blackboard quiz over ARQ 8-9 terms due by class time / Discuss reading
W, 4/12 / Bring ARQ and your academic article / 1-2 page summary of your article due in hard copy at the beginning of class / Work on Logical Analysis paper; show example papers; difference between summary and logical analysis
13 / M, 4/17 / Paper conferences
W, 4/19 / Paper conferences
14 / M, 4/24 / Logical Analysis Paper / TBD
W, 4/26 / Logical Analysis Paper / Last day of class; in-class writing for 3 bonus points on lowest paper grade; bring electronic device to complete course evaluations
Revised Logical Analysis Paper due at final exam time (OPTIONAL)