English 390.1101 and English 390.1201: Science Writing
Section # 1101T/Th 9:30 – 10:45 am 3132 Tawes
Section # 1201T/Th 11:00 – 12:15pm 3136 Tawes
Spring2016
Instructor: Robin Allen-Klein Email: Subject line: Engl390 and section #
Office hours: Tuesdays/Thursdays 8:15 - 9:15 amTawes Hall 1232 and by appointment
English 390 is designed for students who are preparing for graduate study and/or careers in the biological, physical or social sciences. It satisfies the Professional Writing requirement for undergraduates. This class prepares you as scientists to communicate technical information to your peers, government agencies, non-profits, public policymakers, students and the general public.
Course Policies
Prerequisite: English 101 or equivalent and a minimum of 60 credits.
All Professional Writing Program classes require at least six graded assignments consisting of a minimum of 25 pages of original writing. All formal assignments must be submitted for eligibility to pass the course. This course has a heavy in class and out of class time commitment required for success. Please note this course has an attendance requirement.
Required Text and Materials:
Penrose, Ann M., and Steven B. Katz.Writing in the Sciences: Exploring Conventions of Scientific Discourse. Boston: Longman, 2009. ISBN-10: 0205616712.
Please bring to class: laptop computer; 1 inch, 3 ring binder with 5 dividers; USB drive
Accessibility Statement
The University of Maryland is committed to ensuring the full participation of all students in its programs. If you have a documented disability (or think you may have a disability) and, as a result, need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this class, complete course requirements, or benefit from the university’s programs or services, contact the Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) as soon as possible. To receive any academic accommodation, you must be appropriately registered with DSS. The DSS works with students confidentially and does not disclose any disability-related information without their permission. For further information about services for students with disabilities, please contact the DSS.
Office of Disability Support Services
0106 Shoemaker Building
301-314-7682
If you do not have a documented disability, remember that other support services, including the Writing Center and the Learning Assistance Services Center are available to all students. (
Social Justice Statement (see Handbook Appendices p. 35)
The University of Maryland is committed to social justice. I concur with that commitment and expect to maintain a positive learning environment based upon open communication, mutual respect, and non-discrimination. Our University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, disability, veteran status, religion, sexual orientation, color, or national origin. Any suggestions as to how to further such a positive and open environment in this class will be appreciated and given serious consideration.
In this class, we will be providing feedback to one another, discussing ideas and encouraging critical and creative thought. I expect a diversity of perspectives and we will maintain an open and accepting environment. Participation in discussions and peer editing is required.
Course Description
This course satisfies the University’s requirement that undergraduate students complete a course for audiences outside the academic atmosphere. Students taking this course should be interested in learning and writing about science.
Learning Outcomes: Upon completing this course, students can expect to:
- Analyze a variety of professional rhetorical situations and produce appropriate texts in response.
- Understand the stages required to produce competent professional writing through planning, drafting, revising and editing.
- Identify and implement appropriate research methods for each writing task
- Practice the ethical use of sources and the conventions of citation appropriate to each genre.
- Write for intended readers of a text and design or adapt a text to audiences who may differ in their familiarity with the subject matter.
- Demonstrate competence in Standard Written English, including grammar, sentence and paragraph structure, coherence and document design (including the use of the visual) and use this knowledge to revise texts
- Produce cogent arguments that identify arguable issues, reflect the degree of available evidence and take account of counter-arguments.
Classroom Procedures
Canvas (ELMS)
I will be communicating with you through Canvas and email. Please check Canvas (ELMS) daily for announcements. Make certain that you have an accessible email account (not full).
Attendance
Regular attendance is required.
You are expected to attend all class meetings and have assigned readings and homework assignments done. Absences due to illness, religious observances and family emergencies may be excused. You must tell me via email or Canvas at least two weeks prior to the religious observance that you will be missing class on a particular date. If possible, notify me prior to class if you are absent due to illness or an emergency, and specify the reason for the absence. In the event of an absence, you are still responsible for the material that was covered in class that day. If you have an absence on a day when a final assignment is due, please submit to Canvas and then bring other paperwork to the next class meeting.
I follow the University of Maryland Faculty Senate’s policy on “excused absences” such that legitimate reasons for missing a class include regularly scheduled, University-approved curricular and extracurricular activities; medical illness; and religious observances.
Please provide written documentation from a health care provider if absent from consecutive classes. The written paperwork does not need to state the reason for the absence, just the dates that illness prevented you from attending.
Note on Flu Season Policy: No one should endanger themselves or others by attending class when they are sick. Anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms should not come to class. The only requirement is that the instructor must be notified by email prior to the class missed. All such cases will be granted a no-penalty excuse from class. No doctor’s note is required. Appropriate accommodations will be made for missed assignments.
Unexcused absences result in zero for class participation for the day, thus lowering your final grade in the course. Active participation in the course is required with much of the work being collaborative. Active participation means that you are prepared for the day’s activities, ready to contribute to class discussions and in class activities.
Tardiness
Coming to class late is not respectful, and in the work world, not tolerated. At the same time, I understand that this campus is quite large and you may sometimes have difficulty getting to class on time. If you do enter the classroom after class has begun, please take your seat quietly and do not disrupt the class. Realize that activities you miss due to a late arrival result in a zero and this affects your final grade.
Late Assignments
Assignments are due at the beginning of class. Papers turned in late without permission will be penalized 10% for every class period that they are late. This means that if a paper was due at 2pm on Tuesday and you submit it at 3:00 pm, it loses 10%. Please note that a hard copy as well as submission to Canvas is required.
Electronics
I expect your full attention to the class content and discussions. If you are awaiting an important phone call, put your phone on vibrate. Leave the room quietly if calling or texting is necessary. Activities in class require your involvement, please be respectful of others. I have required laptop availability. If you do not have one, you can arrange through the English Department for access. I request you stay off social media sites during class time.
Academic Integrity
Dishonesty has no place in an institution of higher learning. Dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarizing, fabricating information or citations, facilitating dishonest acts by others, orsubmitting work used in a previous class. Occasionally, students who have not carefully studied citation conventions may find themselves accused of dishonesty when in fact, they simply were not aware of proper citation standards. It is your responsibility to become knowledgeable about standards for academic integrity. The Student Honor Council has a tutorial on academic integrity at this link:
Code of Academic Integrity and the Honor Pledge
The University of Maryland is one of a small number of universities with a student-administered “Code of Academic Integrity and Honor Pledge” of Academic Integrity Handout 2014.pdf
The code prohibits you from cheating, plagiarizing papers, submitting the same paper for credit in two courses without permission of both instructors, buying papers, submitting fraudulent documents, and forging signatures.
Following University Senate recommendations, I ask you to write the following signed statement on each major writing portfolio you submit for this course:
“I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment.”
Compliance with the Code is administered by the University of Maryland Student Honor Council, which strives to promote a “community of trust” on the College Park campus.
Grades
Your final grade will be determined by the grades you receive on written and in-class assignments, according to the following weighting:
Portfolio 1: Preparing a Professional Application 15%
Portfolio 2: Communicating Complex Information 25%
Portfolio 3: Analyzing Published Research 30%
Portfolio 4: Contributing to Academic Conversations 15%
Participation includes group journals, homework, reflective writing,
quizzes, peer reviews, and other class activities 15%
This class is about theprocessof writing. Every assignment will have several steps, including handing in a first draft, followed by a final version to be graded. The draft is a participationgradeandyou will receive comments which you will use to revise and edit forthe final document.
You will need one file folder to save all of the materials used to complete your assignments – this means notes, outlines, first draft (hardcopy) with my comments, peer comments, and the final revised document. You will hand in all of these materials to me when your assignment (portfolio) is due. You must hand in all of the first drafts in order to earn full credit for your assignment. Once the material is handed back, please put all of these materials in your three ring binder. This binder will be collected for a participation grade at the end of the semester, and must include all materials.
I do not accept assignments by email. You may submit to Canvas, but for credit, you must bring in a hard copy.
The following grading scale is used to calculate assignment grades:
A+ / A / A- / B+ / B / B- / C+ / C / C- / D+ / D / D- / F97% / 93% / 90% / 87% / 83% / 80% / 77% / 73% / 70% / 67% / 63% / 60% / 0%
Major Writing Portfolio Assignment criteria:
A / Exemplary work. The text demonstrates originality, initiative, and rhetorical skill. The content is mature, thorough, and well-suited for the audience; the style is clear, accurate, and forceful; the information is well-organized and formatted so that it is accessible and attractive; genre conventions are effectively used; mechanics and grammar are correct. The text is well-edited, well-written, well-argued, and well-documented and requires no additional revisions.B / Good work. The text generally succeeds in meeting its goals in terms of audience, purpose, and rhetorical skill without the need for further major revisions. The text may need someminorimprovements in content, presentation, or writing style/mechanics.
C / Satisfactory work. The text is adequate in all respects, but requires some substantial revisions of content, presentation, or writing style/mechanics; it may require further work in more than one area. For instance, central ideas may generally be apparent, but may often lack adequate explanations, rhetorical analysis, or documentation necessary for different audiences and purposes.
D / Unsatisfactory work. The text generally requires extensive revisions of content, presentation, writing style, and/or mechanics. The writer has encountered significant problems meeting goals of audience, purpose, and acquiring command of rhetorical principles.
F / Failing work. The text does not have enough information, does something other than is appropriate for a given situation, or contains major and pervasive problems in terms of content, presentation, or writing style/mechanics that interfere with meaning. A failing grade is also assigned to plagiarized work.
Each portfolio will receive a grade based on how well it demonstrates that you collected and analyzed information and produced drafts and revisions that take into account the feedback that you received on drafts and your own process of critical thinking.
You will receive a detailed assignment sheet for each of the assignments in the four portfolios, which will give specific instructions for completing the assignments. These assignment sheets will also be available on Canvas.
Reflective Writing
As you will see in the course schedule, you will be composing several different short reflective writing and homework assignments (one single-spaced page each) throughout the semester. Many of these writing activities give you the opportunity to begin inventing and organizing material for your major writing projects, and it gives me the opportunity to provide feedback and suggestions on those writing projects along the way.
Type and print your responses for reflective writing and homework, unless otherwise notated. Use single-spacing and 1” margins; clearly label your page with your name, the date, and a brief phrase that describes the writing prompt (e.g., “Reflective Writing #1” or “Technical Definition Planning Worksheet”). As much as possible, please limit your typed, written responses to one single-spaced page.
Submit your writing to me at the beginning of class on the assigned due date.
Reflective Writing criteria:
A / Superior performance in reflective writing shows a clear initiative to learn through analyzing your writing performance in the course. Each reflective essay is posted on time and with attention to detail. Each reflective essay presents a fully developed discussion of your writing experiences, skills, and knowledge for the period under discussion, complete with specific examples and descriptive details. Each reflective essay not only describes in detail the writing you have done, but also analyzes that writing, providing a new perspective or insight on some relevant aspect of your professional writing skills.B / Strong performance in reflective writing demonstrates active engagement in your learning for the course. Each reflective essay is posted on time and with attention to detail. Each entry presents a fully developed discussion of your work for the particular period under discussion, complete with specific examples and descriptive details. Reflective essays do not always analyze your writing and writing experiences, and they do not always add new perspective or insight on some relevant aspect of your writing experiences or strategies.
C / Satisfactory performance in reflective writing demonstrates consistent, acceptable written work. You completed all reflective essays, and most of these essays were posted on time. Each reflective essay presents an adequate discussion of your writing and writing-related activities, one that give readers a basic understanding of the learning you have done and writing abilities you have developed or refined. Most reflective essays, though, could be more fully developed with thoughtful analysis and supporting details.
D / Weak performance in reflective writing demonstrates inconsistent written work. Some reflective essays are not posted; other reflective essays are not posted on time. Reflective essays give readers only a basic description of the writing and learning you have done in the course. Reflective essays lack details, and they provide only a superficial analysis of your writing and learning in the course.
F / Unacceptable performance in reflective writing shows ineffectual work. A majority of your reflective essays have not been posted on time, if at all. Reflective essays give readers little or no understanding of the work you have done in the course. Reflective essays contain few details and no analysis of your writing and learning in the course.
Participation and Homework Activities
This course has reading that needs to be done when assigned. Please be prepared for discussion and activities related to the homework, readings or other exercises assigned. This contributes to the positive movement of the course. Students who arrive on time with their work earn the higher grade.
Draft workshops require a complete draft for full credit. A student is expected to come prepared with a hard copy of a draft as well as be ready to share helpful suggestions for other student’s writing.
Group journals, outside conferences, reading or style exercises and quizzes are all part of the participation grade. Of special note this semester, the three ring binder is a participation grade.
Participation and Homework Activities criteria:
A / Superior participationshows initiative and excellence in written and verbal work. The student helps to create more effective discussions through her or his contributions. Reading and writing assignments are always completed on time and with attention to detail. Interaction and collaboration with peers is tactful, thorough, specific, and often provides other students with a new perspective or insight.B / Strong participationdemonstrates active engagement in written and verbal work. The student plays an active role in the classroom but does not always add new insight to the discussion at hand. Reading and writing assignments are always completed on time and with attention to detail. Interaction and collaboration with peers is tactful, specific, and helpful.
C / Satisfactory participationdemonstrates consistent, satisfactory written and verbal work. Overall, the student is prepared for class, completes assigned readings and writings, and contributes to small group and large class discussions. Reading and writing assignments are completed on time. Interaction and collaboration with peers is tactful and prompt.
D / Weak participationdemonstrates inconsistent written and verbal work. The student may be late to class, unprepared for class, and may contribute infrequently or unproductively to classroom discussions. Reading and writing assignments are not turned in or are insufficient. Interaction and collaboration with peers may be lacking, disrespectful, or off-topic.
F / Unacceptable participationshows ineffectual written and verbal work. The student may be excessively late to class, regularly unprepared, and not able to contribute to classroom discussions or small group workshops. This student may be disruptive in class. Reading and writing assignments are regularly not turned in or are insufficient. The student has a pattern of missing class, being completely unprepared, or being disruptive.
Outside Resources: