Unit 1 homework schedule

WRT 303
Researched Argument in the Twenty-First Century
Section 1, Fall 2005
Syracuse University
Time: Thursdays 11 - 12:20 p.m.
Place: 323 HB Crouse

30 August

In class

1. Course introduction
2. Syllabus review
3. Introduction to Course weblog. (I'm "senioritis.")
4. Introduction to Blackboard site
5. Overview of WRT 303 course goals
6. Circulate contact information
7. Preview homework for next class
8. Class members' introductions
9. Approaches to writing responses
10. Informal writing: What are your expectations of, hopes for, and/or fears about your writing and this writing course?

1 September

Prepare for class

1. Study the course website and its links, and make a list of questions you have about the course website, the course weblog, and/or the course Blackboard site.
2. Read Adam, David. "Wannabes, Judges, and the Reason Men Have Nipples: Popular Science Gets the Pop Idol Treatment." The Guardian [Manchester, England] 15 Apr. 2005.
3. Read Howard Chapter 8, section 8d, "Reading to Respond" (pp. 33-36). (Available in the "Documents" folder on the course Blackboard site)
4. Write a 300- to 500-word response to the Adam article.

Bring to class

1. A copy of the Adam article
2. A copy of Howard Chapter 8
3. Three copies of your response to the Adam article

In class

1. Discussion of course syllabus & policies
2. Discussion of Adam article and your response to it
3. Practice summary: Adam
4. Techniques for writing summaries (Howard 8, pp. 23-25)
5. Preview assignment for next class

6 September

Prepare for class

1. Find a popular media text covering an issue in science. (This will need to be an online source or a print source that you can bring to class.) Locate and read the scientific sources for the media text. How well does the media text represent the scientific issue?
2. Prepare to explain your findings to the class, in 5 minutes or less.

Bring to class

1. Whatever you will need in order to explain to the class your findings in today's assignment.

In class

1. Presentations on today's assignment
2. Preview assignment for next class

8 September

Prepare for class

1. Think about what topics you'd be interested in researching for the next few weeks. A preliminary list is available at the Blackboard site, in the September 6 class notes. Are there any other topics that you'd like to pitch to the class?
2. Study Howard Ch. 16, "Finding Information." Pay particular attention to your assigned sections: 16b: Kayla, Pritul, Milissa, Suzetta
   16c: Michelle, Suzanne, Sean, Pritul
   16d: Jason, Brandi, Suzetta, Milissa
   16e: Joyce, Suzanne, Natalie, Alison
   16f: Olivia, Kayla, Michelle, Tracey
   16g: Michelle, Olivia, Ian, Sean, Alison
   16h: Ian, Brandi, Joyce, Jason, Natalie
3. Read Bourne, Joel K., Jr. "Gone with the Water." National Geographic Oct. 2004.
4. In addition to the Bourne article, read one other article listed here.

Bring to class

In class

1. Discuss Bourne
2. Discuss other articles you read
3. Collaborative choice of a single issue that we will collectively investigate. This can be one of the topics that you reported on this week, or it can be a topic from one of the articles you read today.
4. Generate a list of research questions for the topic chosen
5. Discussion of research methods: What did you find in Ch. 16 that is potentially useful?
6. Preview assignment for next class

13 September

Prepare for class

1. Research the topic that the class chose on September 8. Class members will be responsible for a single type of research: Information from the Web: Pritul & Milissa
   Other electronic sources: Suzanne & Sean
   Reference works: Brandi & Suzetta
   Books: Natalie & Alison
   Newspapers and magazines: Kayla & Michelle
   Academic journals: Prof. Howard & Tracey
   Pamphlets and government publications: Olivia & Ian
   Multimedia sources: Joyce & Jason
   As you search for information, follow the advice in your assigned section of Chapter 16--along with any other strategies that you may know about.

Bring to class

1. Research notes
2. Copies of any sources that might be useful in class discussion

In class

1. Preview assignment for next class

15 September

Prepare for class

1. Research questions for your topic
2. Reference sources
3. Keyword search strings

Bring to class

1. Bibliography of reference sources
2. Notes about what's in your reference sources

In class

1. We'll plan the research work ahead.

20 September

Prepare for class

Bring to class

In class

1. Preview assignment for next class

22 September

Prepare for class

1. Prepare a draft of a working bibliography: List of sources that you have found and previewed and think will be useful for your research. Following MLA citation style (consult your writers' handbook), arrange the sources in alphabetical order by author. Each source should be followed by a brief (1-3 sentences) annotation about how the source might be useful to you. Be sure that at the beginning of your bibliography (perhaps in the title?) you name your topic (e.g., ÒWorking bibliography on Katrina orphansÓ). Final draft of this bibliography will be due on September 25. (Yes, seriously--September 25.)
2. Attach to your working bibliography a list of 3-5 research questions that you will be pursuing as you conduct your research. (See Slide 6 of the September 15 PPT, in the Documents folder on Blackboard.)

Bring to class

1. Hard copy of your working bibliography + research questions
2. A copy of the writers' handbook that you are using

In class

1. Problem-solving and brainstorming session for research projects
2. MLA citation style
3. Schedule individual conferences

27 September

Prepare for class

1. Revised draft of annotated bibliography + research questions. This will be a graded exercise. Put one copy in the digital dropbox on Blackboard by Sunday, September 25. Bring two hard copies to your scheduled individual conference.
2. A preliminary thesis statement for your research project.
3. A list of evidence for your thesis statement--a list of reasons that you believe the thesis statement.

Bring to class

1. A legibly written preliminary thesis statement for your research project.
2. A legibly written list of evidence for your thesis statement--a list of reasons that you believe the thesis statement.

In class

1. Thesis and evidence workshop, using the document camera
2. Arrange small groups for October 11 class

29-30 September: Scheduled individual conferences

Prepare for your conference

1. Draft your research project.
2. Prior to your scheduled conference, place one copy of your draft in the Blackboard digital dropbox.

Bring to your conference

1. Two printed copies of your draft
2. A copy of the current version of your working bibliography

In class

4 October

Prepare for class

1. Revise your research project
2. Send a copy of your research project to your peer group by noon October 4.
3. Send me a copy of your revised research project by noon October 4.

6 October

Prepare for class

1. Read your group members' papers, and make a list of questions for the author and/or suggested revisions

Bring to class

1. Your lists of questions and suggestions for peer group authors

In class

1. Meetings of peer groups
2. Planning 10/11

11 October

Prepare for class

1. Think about what you would like to do in Unit 2 of this course, given that the course is focused on research. Is there a topic you'd like to work on? A type of text (PowerPoint, newsletter, term paper, etc.) that you'd like to learn to produce? Would you like to learn how to conduct collaborative research? Is there a type of source that you'd like to learn how to find (or produce) and use--such as interviews, academic journals, or government documents?
2. Prepare to explain your objectives for Unit 2 to the class.

Bring to class

1. Whatever notes you need for pitching your ideas about Unit 2.

In class

1. Planning Unit 2
2. Preview assignment for next class

13 October: Yom Kippur; no class meeting

18 October

Prepare for class

1. Final draft of your research project
2. Drop a copy of your research project into the Digital Dropbox on the class Blackboard site by 6:00 p.m. No hardcopy submission needed. If your project is not a research essay, include a revised annotated bibliography that explains how you used each of your sources.

Bring to class

In class

2. Preview assignment for next class

Unit 2 homework schedule