“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” – George R. R. Martin
Welcome to ENGL 1302: Composition II!
This course provides an intensive study of and practice in the strategies and techniques for developing research-based expository and persuasive texts. Emphasis is on effective and ethical rhetorical inquiry, including primary and secondary research methods; critical reading of verbal, visual, and multimedia texts; systematic evaluation, synthesis, and documentation of information sources; and critical thinking about evidence and conclusions.
When you have successfully completed this course, you will be able to write well-researched persuasive essays. The topics of your writing will be inspired by works of literature, which you will interpret using critical reading and analytical thinking. You will respond and reflect on these readings through traditional as well as multimedia means. You will consider the rhetorical choices a writer must make, such as using appropriate source material. You will learn to format and cite your research using MLA Style.
The following lists provide the outcomes for this course:
General Educational Outcomes (GEO):
- Critical Thinking: Students will develop habits of mind, allowing them to appreciate the processes by which scholars in various disciplines organize and evaluate data and use the methodologies of each discipline to understand the human experience.
- Communication Skills: Students will communicate ideas, express feelings and support conclusions effectively in written, oral and visual formats.
- Teamwork: Students will consider different points of view and work interdependently to achieve a shared purpose or goal.
- Personal Responsibility: Students will develop habits of intellectual exploration, personal responsibility, and physical well-being.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLO):
- Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes.
- Develop ideas and synthesize primary and secondary sources within academic arguments, including one or more research-based essays.
- Analyze, interpret, and evaluate a variety of texts for the ethical and logical uses of evidence.
- Write in a style that clearly communicates meaning, builds credibility, and inspires belief or action.
- Apply the conventions of style manuals for specific academic disciplines (e.g. MLA).
The course is divided into three units, each culminating in an academic essay. The following list names these units in order:
- Fiction Unit: Pride and Prejudice (website project and position paper)
- Drama Unit: The Merchant of Venice (group skit project and rebuttal)
- Poetry Unit (anthology project and proposal)
