Syllabus

Course: Written Communication I

Department and number: English 82A

Credit: 3 units

Course prerequisites: none

Semester: Fall 2009 – Thursdays, 9:00-10:15, 10:30-11:45, 16 weeks (see schedule below)

Instructor: Dr. Sylvia Y. Schoemaker Rippel

Email: sysr@lincolnuca.edu

Course-related email for the semester: profsr20@gmail.com

Office hours and location: T, Th 11:45-12:30 and by arrangement, room 307

Office phone: 510-628-8036

Instructional Materials and References:

Required Text:

VanderMey et al. The College Writer. 2nd Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007. ISBN: 0-618-74253-0

Student Textbook site: http://college.cengage.com/english/vandermey/college_writer/1e/students/index.html

Recommended Texts:

Dictionary, thesaurus

Description

ENG 82A & 82B - WRITTEN COMMUNICATION I & II
First term: A thorough study of grammar and the fundamentals of composition. Practice in writing themes, book reviews and other short papers is given. Particular attention is directed toward sentence structure, syntax, and general rhetorical principles. Second term: Critical reading and evaluation of selected texts and writings; composition of well-organized expository papers; a careful consideration of methods of research, organization in a clear, logical manner and other elements involved in writing research papers. (3 + 3 units)

Course Objectives

Students will develop their writing skills for academic, professional, and socio-cultural purposes, in mode-centered essay writing. Students will learn editing, documentation skills, use of pre, during, and post writing strategies, topic mapping and other resources

University learner goals 1 -6, and specifically in English: To develop basic academic and professional skills (1); to develop the ability to communicate effectively in English, orally and in writing, and to read with understanding (1.1) and institutional goals, especially 1, (1.1-1.4), 2.4

Students will demonstrate written communication skills in writing and presenting their essays for personal, peer and instructor evaluation based on established rubrics, including competencies in planning, drafting, editing, and documentation skills.

Topical Outline

English 82A covers the aspects of composing well-organized written communications. The core of the course will emphasize practice in organizing ideas in a clear, logical manner and other elements involved in writing papers in descriptive, narrative, analytical and persuasive rhetorical contexts. Student and professional writing models will be used throughout the units.

Assignments Overview

Students will complete the following: Essays for 3 Units, 2 to 3 weeks each, midterm and final exams, ePortfolios/blogs/wikis, due weeks 8 and 15, notes and maps for each unit and text assignment, including reference data, in-class presentations, readings and exercises

For each of the following units (as well as additional assignments given in class), students will do the following:

· Read assigned materials with care and understanding,

· Reflect on the weekly assignments in writing keeping a learning journal, addressing primary content and points of personal interest,

· Create a personalized, three-level map for each week’s assignment using the open source program Freemind (available in the computer lab and downloadable from http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

· Email your assignments to me at profsr20@gmail.com,

· Blog your work for sharing and presentations.

Note: The maps for your blog need to be in .graphic (.png or .jpg) format and you will need to save the native Freemind (.mm) format for submitting your work to me by email.

Assignments are due on the dates indicated in the schedule below. Additions/revisions to the schedule will be announced in class as needed. Class attendance is mandatory for content, interactions, and presentations. Researched materials must be documented using a consistent style for both in-text and end-text citations of sources using the published standards of the most recent subject-appropriate style guide, such as APA (social sciences) or MLA (humanities), for example.

82A Fall 2009 Schedule

Date	Week	Unit	Assignments Each chapter contains an Intro, an Overview, Guidelines, Example Readings, and Writing Checklist/Activities
8/27/09	1	1 Intro	I. A Rhetoric: College Student's Guide to Writing
9/3/09	2	Brief Overview Chapters	I. A Rhetoric: College Student's Guide to Writing Reading, Thinking, Viewing, and Writing
			1. Critical Thinking Through Reading, Viewing, and Writing
			The Writing Process
			2. Beginning the Writing Process
			3. Planning
			4. Drafting
			5. Revising
			6. Editing and Proofreading
			7. Submitting, Writing, and Creating Portfolios
			The College Essay
			8. One Writer's Process
9/10/09-9/24/09	3-5	Weeks 3-5 Unit I	Narrative, Descriptive, and Reflective Writing
9/10/09	3	Chapter	9. Forms of College Writing
9/17/09	4	Chapter	10. Narration and Description
		Selected Reading	"Mzee Owitti" by Jacqui Nyangi Owitti
		Selected Reading	"That Morning on the Prairie" by James C. Schaap
		Selected Reading	"A Hanging" by George Orwell
		Selected Reading	"Sunday in the Park" by Bel Kaufman
		Selected Reading	"Northing" by Annie Dillard
9/24/09	5	Chapter	11. Description and Reflection
		Selected Reading	"The Stream in the Ravine" by Nicole Suurdt
		Selected Reading	"Call Me Crazy But I Have to Be Myself" by Mary Seymour
		Selected Reading	"None of This Is Fair" by Richard Rodriguez
		Selected Reading	"Who Shot Johnny?" by Debra Dickerson
10/1/09	6	Unit I (Narrative, Descriptive, and Reflective Writing) Paper Due	Presentations
		Unit II	Unit II -- Analytical Writing
		Weeks 6-10
10/8/09	7	Chapter	12. Cause and Effect
		Selected Reading	"Adrenaline Junkies" by Sarah Hanley
		Selected Reading	"The Legacy of Generation N" by Christy Haubegger
		Selected Reading	"Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Kids" by Anna Quindlen
10/15/09	8	Chapter	13. Comparison and Contrast
		Selected Reading	"A Fear Born of Sorrow" by Anita Brinkman
		Selected Reading	"Two Views of the River" by Mark Twain
		Selected Reading	"Shrouded in Contradiction" by Gelareh Asayesh
		Selected Reading	"Like Mexicans" by Gary Soto
10/22/09	9	Chapter	14. Classification
		Selected Reading	"Three Family Cancers" by Kim Brouwer
		Selected Reading	"Four Ways to Talk About Literature" by John Van Rys
		Selected Reading	"No Wonder They Call Me a Bitch" by Ann Hodgman
10/29/09	10	Chapter	15. Process Writing
		Selected Reading	"Wayward Cells" by Kerri Mertz
		Selected Reading	"Downloading Photographs from the MC-150 Digital Camera" (from WFB)
		Selected Reading	"Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow" by Verne Meyer
		Selected Reading	"Campus Racism 101" by Nikki Giovonni
11/5/09	11	Chapter	16. Definition
		Selected Reading	"The Gullible Family" by Mary Beth Bruins
		Selected Reading	"Understanding Dementia" by Sarah Anne Morelos
11/12/09		Selected Reading	"Deft or Daft" by David Schelhaas
		Selected Reading	On Excellence by Cynthia Ozick
11/19/09	13	Unit II (Analytical Writing ) Paper Due	Presentations
		Unit III	Persuasive Writing
		Chapter	17. Strategies for Argumentation and Persuasion
11/26/09	14	Chapter	18. Taking a Position
		Selected Reading	"An Apology for Ms. Barbie D. Doll" by Rita Isakson
		Selected Reading	"In Defense of the Animals" by Meg Greenfield
		Selected Reading	"Apostles of Hatred Find It Easy to Spread Their Message" by Leonard Pitts Jr.
		Selected Reading	"Pornography" by Margaret Atwood
		Selected Reading	"Demystifying Multiculturalism" by Linda Chavez
12/3/09	15	Chapter	19. Persuading Readers to Act
		Selected Reading	"To Drill or Not to Drill" by Rebecca Pasok
		Selected Reading	"Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in a Cynical Time" by Paul Rogat Loeb
		Selected Reading	"I Have a Dream" by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
		Selected Reading	"The Media's Image of Arabs" by Jack G. Shaheen
12/10/09	16	Chapter	20. Proposing a Solution
		Selected Reading	"Preparing for Agroterror" by Brian Ley
		Selected Reading	"Uncle Sam and Aunt Samantha" by Anna Quindlen
		Selected Reading	"The Media and the Ethics of Cloning" by Leigh Turner
		Unit III (Persuasive Writing) Paper Due	Presentations
12/17/09	17	Final	Final Exam

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA & METHOD OF EVALUATING STUDENTS

Students will demonstrate their level of proficiency and achievement through appropriate and accurate application of written communication theory and skills. Assessments of improved competence in writing descriptive, narrative, informative, and persuasive essays and personal and peer evaluations and reflections are fundamental to the grades attained.

Grading Guidelines

	Class Participation	15%
	Quizzes, midterm	10%
	Projects	15%
	ePortfolios/Blogs	30%
	Presentations	10%
	Final Exam	20%
	Total	100%

100-95	A
94-90	A-
89-87	B+
86-84	B
83-80	B-
79-77	C+
76-74	C
73-70	C-
69-67	D+
66-64	D
63-60	D-
59 or <	F

IEP Program Schedule

IEP SCHEDULE

TU -- IEP3 RCOMP 12:30-4:15 (12:30-1:30, 1:45-2:45, 3:00-4:15)

W -- IEP1 WRITING 9-11:45; 4:30-5:30

IEP2 CONVERSATION/SPEECH 12:30-4:15

TH --IEP4 GRAMMAR 9-12:35

IEP5 -- VOCABULARY 1:10-4:50 (1:10-2:10, 2:25-3:25, 3:40-4:50)

Welcome readingcomp

Welcome to this blog at http://readingcomp.blogspot.com

Welcome mastervocab

Welcome to this blog at http://mastervocab.blogspot.com

Welcome masterwcom

Welcome to this blog at http://masterwcom.blogspot.com

Links -- Characteristics of a Critical Thinker

http://www.criticalthinking.org/about/nationalCouncil.cfm#234

http://www.utc.edu/Administration/WalkerTeachingResourceCenter/FacultyDevelopment/CriticalThinking/#characteristics

Links -- Deductive Logic

Link for Venn Diagrams illustrating deductive logic: http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L384

LINKS FOR STUDENTS

Tim van Gelder’s ‘Critical Thinking on the Web’ is a massive website that catalogs scores of links to just about everything related to critical thinking—from argument-mapping to online logic tutorials:
http://www.austhink.org/critical

Argument mapping (diagramming) can also be found on Tim van Gelder’s Critical Thinking on the Web: http://www.austhink.org/critical/pages/argument_mapping.html

The entry on ‘Informal Logic’ in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy gives an overview of the subject, which overlaps and intersects with the topic of critical thinking: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/logic-informal/

‘A List of Fallacious Arguments’, from the Don Lindsay Archive, includes fallacies with definitions and examples:
http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/skeptic/arguments.html

‘A Mini Guide to Critical Thinking’ by John Lau at the department of philosophy, Hong Kong University. This ‘more-than-a-mini’ guide covers many key concepts in critical thinking. http://philosophy.hku.hk/think/project/miniguide.pdf

A two part article (in Scientific American) discusses ten ways to use critical thinking to distinguish between dubious and credible claims:

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000D743A-CC5C-1C6E-84A9809EC588EF21&pageNumber=1&catID=2 (Baloney Detection Part 1)
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&colID=13&articleID=000ADC77-B274-1C6E-84A9809EC588EF21 (Baloney Detection Part 2)


Entries for various fallacies are found at http://www.philosophypages.com/dy/index.html, ‘A Dictionary of Philosophical Terms and Names’.

‘The Fallacy Files’ is a website with an alphabetical listing of fallacies, and includes a number of discussions and examples: http://www.fallacyfiles.org/



Basic information about causal reasoning can be found at ‘Mission: Critical’, an interactive website devoted to critical thinking: http://www2.sjsu.edu/depts/itl/graphics/induc/causal.html

Interactive exercises on fallacies can also be found:
http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/itl/graphics/main.html

A short tutorial on categorical syllogisms can be found on ‘The Philosophy Pages’ at http://www.philosophypages.com/lg/e08a.html

‘The Philosophy Pages’ includes a brief entry for analogical reasoning at http://www.philosophypages.com/lg/e13.html

‘Ethics Updates’ provides a thorough, categorized compilation of resources pertaining to ethics and ethical theory: http://ethics.sandiego.edu/index.htm

Links

Twain --

http://grammar.about.com/od/60essays/a/twowaysessay.htm

Student example response
http://carolinanavy.com/fleet2/f2/zkilldevilhill/MarkTwainhall/cas/145.html

Argumentative / Persuasive Essay:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/05/

The “Is of Identity” Test

The “Is of Identity” Test


1. A statement is either true or false.
2. Mules are stubborn.
3. A pig is a dirty animal.
4. God is everywhere.
5. A boy who won’t fight is a coward.
6. Snake is an ugly word.
7. College graduates earn more than other people.
8. The word dog is a four footed animal.
9. A person who kills another person is a murder.
10. Women are mothers.
11. A boy who never lies is good.
12. Teachers think they’re smarter than other people.
13. Neighbors are nosey.
14. Pretty girls are stuck up.
15. Seeing is believing.
16. Adam and Eve were the first human beings.
17. It takes two to make a bargain.
18. He that believeth not shall be damned.
19. The good die young.
20. There is one basic cause for all effects.
21. The wildest colts make the best horses.
22. Humans can talk.
23. No one wants to die.
24. Barking dogs don’t bite,
25. Death is not forever.
26. Americans are not communists.
27. Dreams often foretell our lives.
28. Everything comes if only a man will wait.
29. Anything believed by most of the people must be true.
30. What goes up must come down.
31. Water flows downhill.
32. A wool skirt is warm.
33. A circle is round.
34. Iron is strong.
35. An orange is not green.
36. A leaf is green.
37. A knife is sharp.
38. A pencil is round.
39. Feathers are soft.
40. The sky is blue.
41. Needles are sharp.
42. One sits in a chair.
43. A pitcher holds water.
44. A piece of iron is heavy.
45. A house is either frame or brick.
46. A drunkard is a sinner.
47. Ministers are good men.
48. Everything that is true can be proved.
49. Big boys are bullies.
50. It is never all right to kill,
51. Children should always obey their parents.
52. Children are born bad.
53. Plants grow in soil.
54. Questions have no answers.
55. No one gets by with anything bad without getting caught.
56. Telling dirty jokes is bad.
57. A good soldier is a patriot.
58. Women movie stars are beautiful.
59. People are just naturally mean.
60. Cats hate dogs.
61. Flowers are pretty.
62. Health is Wealth.
63. Love is holy.
64. Money is evil.
65. The smartest people are the most successful
66. Select ONE of the following five statements which you feel is most characteristic of you:
a. I like almost everyone.
b. I am very careful in choosing my friends.
c. I like more people than I dislike.
d. I make no friends until they prove worthy of me.
e, I like and dislike about the same number of people.

Parts of Speech

Assumptions Glossary

Glossary
Chapter 5
Accommodation	Accommodation is achieved when we can do the thinking needed to create a new schema or modify an old schema in order to explain a new experience.
Assimilation	Assimilation is achieved when we can integrate new experiences into existing schemas.
Assumption	Assumption is an idea whose truth can be taken for granted.
Assumption Layers	Assumption layers can appear beneath simple assertions. Such layers consist of multiple hidden and unexamined assumptions influenced in turn by one or more value assumptions beneath the whole.
Counter claim	Counter claim is a response to a claim with a defense or with another claim.
Disequilibrium	The confusion and discomfort felt when a new experience cannot be integrated into existing schemas.
Equilibrium	A stable inner feeling of well being that we feel when our thinking enables us to modify or create a new schema that better explains our world.
Hidden Assumption	A hidden assumption is an unclear and unstated idea assumed to be true that is integral to a line of reasoning. In an argument, it is a hidden premise that cannot be examined for truth and validity. Blind acceptance of a hidden premise can lead to the acceptance of a false or invalid conclusion.
Infer	To use imagination and reasoning to fill in missing facts. To connect the dots.
Lateral thinking	Lateral thinking solves problems by reviewing options, overcoming assumptions, and inventing new solutions. Vertical thinking follows more conventional step-by-step logic.
Principal claim and reasons	These are the two parts of an argument. The principal claim is the thesis or conclusion. The reasons support this claim through evidence or other claims. A claim is an assertion about something.
Schema	Schemas are the mental files in which we store our explanations of experiences.
Thesis	A thesis is a short summary statement of an idea that an essay intends to prove. It is also called the thesis statement and controlling idea.
Thinking	Purposeful mental activity such as reasoning, deciding, judging, believing, supposing, expecting, intending, recalling, remembering, visualizing, imagining, devising, inventing, concentrating, conceiving, considering.
Value or Belief Assumption	Value assumption is a belief that we take for granted, one that rarely questioned or even articulated. Remaining hidden and unexpressed, a value assumption can nevertheless shape a chain of reasoning.
Working Assumption	A working assumption is a trial idea, theory, strategy, or hypothesis assumed to be true in order to further an investigation. It is a conscious assumption.

Assumptions Web Links

DEFINITION OF ASSUMPTION

This entry at wordreference.com explains the many meanings of the word assumption.

http://www.wordreference.com/definition/assumption

HYPOTHESIS DEFINED - American Heritage Dictionary

Compare the definitions of the word hypothesis given at the Merriam-Webster and American Heritage dictionaries.

http://www.bartleby.com/61/3/H0370300.html

HYPOTHESIS DEFINED - Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Compare the definitions of the word hypothesis given at the Merriam-Webster and American Heritage dictionaries.

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/hypothesis

JEAN PIAGET

This site is available for learning more about Jean Piaget and his theories on cognitive development.

http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/piaget.html

THESIS

"How to Write a Thesis Statement." A useful discussion prepared at Indiana University.

http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml

Narrative Essay Writing

Narrative Essays

As a mode of expository writing, the narrative approach, more than any other, offers writers a chance to think and write about themselves. We all have experiences lodged in our memories which are worthy of sharing with readers. Yet sometimes they are so fused with other memories that a lot of the time spent in writing narrative is in the prewriting stage.

In this stage, writers first need to select an incident worthy of writing about and, second, to find relevance in that incident. To do this, writers might ask themselves what about the incident provided new insights or awareness. Finally, writers must dredge up details which will make the incident real for readers.

Principles of Writing Narrative Essays

Once an incident is chosen, the writer should keep three principles in mind.

1. Remember to involve readers in the story. It is much more interesting to actually recreate an incident for readers than to simply tell about it.

2. Find a generalization which the story supports. This is the only way the writer's personal experience will take on meaning for readers. This generalization does not have to encompass humanity as a whole; it can concern the writer, men, women, or children of various ages and backgrounds.

3. Remember that although the main component of a narrative is the story, details must be carefully selected to support, explain, and enhance the story.

Conventions of Narrative Essays

In writing your narrative essay, keep the following conventions in mind.

• Narratives are generally written in the first person, that is, using "I." However, third person ("he," "she," or "it") can also be used.

• Narratives rely on concrete, sensory details to convey their point. These details should create a unified, forceful effect, a dominant impression.
  

• Narratives, as stories, should include these story conventions: a plot, including setting and characters; a climax; and an ending.

from http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/narrative.html

Student Blogs

Carrie's Blog: http://clk-wcom.blogspot.com/

Pear's Blog: http://keddypear.blogspot.com/

Zaid's Blog: http://www.zaidwc.blogspot.com/

Kamdeen's Blog: http://kamdeen.blogspot.com/

Ugur's Blog: http://uzunsoy.blogspot.com/

Upakar's Blog: http://upkshrestha.blogspot.com/

Yalcin's Blog: http://e77cavocabblogspotcom.blogspot.com/

Farruh's Blog: http://farruhi777.blogspot.com/

Mardoche's Blog: http://mardoche-wcom.blogspot.com/

Tochi's Blog: http://tochiopara.blogspot.com/

Fah's Blog: http://tofahja.blogspot.com/

Course Syllabus

	Syllabus Instructor	Written Communication I (Eng 82A) Dr. Sylvia Y. Schoemaker Rippel Profs360@gmail.com
	Course Title	WRITTEN COMMUNICATION I
	Course Number	ENGLISH 82A
	Instructional Contact Hours/Credits	3 Units
	Prerequisite(s)	None
	Co-requisites	None
	Instructional Materials and References	Required Text: VanderMey et al. The College Writer. 2nd Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007. ISBN: 0 618 74253 0
		Recommended Texts: Clouse, Barbara Fine. A Troubleshooting Guide for Writers: Strategies & Process.4th Ed. Boston: Mc-Graw-Hill, 2005.
		Adams, Katherine H. and Michael L. Keene, Research and Writing across the Disciples 2nd Ed. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company, 2000.
		Dictionary, thesaurus
	Description	ENG 82A & 82B - WRITTEN COMMUNICATION I & II
		First term: A thorough study of grammar and the fundamentals of composition. Practice in writing themes, book reviews and other short papers is given. Particular attention is directed toward sentence structure, syntax, and general rhetorical principles. Second term: Critical reading and evaluation of selected texts and writings; composition of well-organized expository papers; a careful consideration of methods of research, organization in a clear, logical manner and other elements involved in writing research papers. (3 + 3 units)
	Course Objectives	Students will develop their writing skills for academic, professional, and socio-cultural purposes, in context-centered essay writing. Students will learn editing, documentation skills, use of online and other resources
		University learner goals 1 -6, and specifically in English: To develop basic academic and professional skills (1); to develop the ability to communicate effectively in English, orally and in writing, and to read with understanding (1.1) and institutional goals, especially 1, (1.1-1.4), 2.4
		Students will demonstrate written communication skills in writing and presenting their essays for personal, peer and instructor evaluation based on established rubrics, including competencies in planning, drafting, editing, and documentation skills.
	Topical Outline	Overall Schedule
		English 82A covers the aspects of composing well-organized written communications. The core of the course will emphasize practice in organizing ideas in a clear, logical manner and other elements involved in writing papers in descriptive, narrative, analytical and persuasive rhetorical contexts.
	Assignments Overview	Students will complete the following: Essays for 3 Units, 2 to 3 weeks each, midterm and final exams, ePortfolios/blogs/wikis, due weeks 8 and 15, notes and maps for each unit and text assignment, including reference data, in-class presentations, readings and exercises
	Course Outline

Date	Unit	Assignments
		Each chapter contains an Intro, an Overview, Guidelines, Example Readings, and Writing Checklist/Activities.
1/15/2009	1 Intro	I. A Rhetoric: College Student's Guide to Writing
1/22/2009	Brief Overview Chapters	I. A Rhetoric: College Student's Guide to Writing Reading, Thinking, Viewing, and Writing 1. Critical Thinking Through Reading, Viewing, and Writing The Writing Process 2. Beginning the Writing Process 3. Planning 4. Drafting 5. Revising 6. Editing and Proofreading 7. Submitting, Writing, and Creating Portfolios The College Essay 8. One Writer's Process
1/29-2/12	Unit I Weeks 3-5	Narrative, Descriptive, and Reflective Writing
1/29/2009	Chapter	9. Forms of College Writing Narrative, Descriptive, and Reflective
2/5/2009	Chapter	10. Narration and Description
	Selected Reading	"Mzee Owitti" by Jacqui Nyangi Owitti
	Selected Reading	"That Morning on the Prairie" by James C. Schaap
	Selected Reading	"A Hanging" by George Orwell
	Selected Reading	"Sunday in the Park" by Bel Kaufman
	Selected Reading	"Northing" by Annie Dillard
2/12/2009	Chapter	11. Description and Reflection
	Selected Reading	"The Stream in the Ravine" by Nicole Suurdt
	Selected Reading	"Call Me Crazy But I Have to Be Myself" by Mary Seymour
	Selected Reading	"None of This Is Fair" by Richard Rodriguez
	Selected Reading	"Who Shot Johnny?" by Debra Dickerson
2/12/2009	Unit I (Narrative, Descriptive, and Reflective Writing) Paper Due	Presentations
2/19-2/26	Unit II Weeks 6-10	Unit II -- Analytical Writing
2/19/2009	Chapter	12. Cause and Effect
	Selected Reading	"Adrenaline Junkies" by Sarah Hanley
	Selected Reading	"The Legacy of Generation N" by Christy Haubegger
	Selected Reading	"Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Kids" by Anna Quindlen
2/26/2009	Chapter	13. Comparison and Contrast
	Selected Reading	"A Fear Born of Sorrow" by Anita Brinkman
	Selected Reading	"Two Views of the River" by Mark Twain
	Selected Reading	"Shrouded in Contradiction" by Gelareh Asayesh
	Selected Reading	"Like Mexicans" by Gary Soto
3/5/2009	Chapter	14. Classification
	Selected Reading	"Three Family Cancers" by Kim Brouwer
	Selected Reading	"Four Ways to Talk About Literature" by John Van Rys
	Selected Reading	"No Wonder They Call Me a Bitch" by Ann Hodgman
3/12/2009 3/12/2009	MIDTERM Chapter	15. Process Writing
	Selected Reading	"Wayward Cells" by Kerri Mertz
	Selected Reading	"Downloading Photographs from the MC-150 Digital Camera" (from WFB)
	Selected Reading	"Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow" by Verne Meyer
	Selected Reading	"Campus Racism 101" by Nikki Giovonni
3/19/2009 3/26/2009	SPRING RECESS Chapter	16. Definition
	Selected Reading	"The Gullible Family" by Mary Beth Bruins
	Selected Reading	"Understanding Dementia" by Sarah Anne Morelos
	Selected Reading	"Deft or Daft" by David Schelhaas
	Selected Reading	On Excellence by Cynthia Ozick
3/26/2009	Week 10 Unit II (Analytical Writing ) Paper Due	Presentations
4/2-4/30	Unit III Weeks 11-15	Persuasive Writing
4/9/2009	Chapter	17. Strategies for Argumentation and Persuasion
4/16/2009	Chapter	18. Taking a Position
	Selected Reading	"An Apology for Ms. Barbie D. Doll" by Rita Isakson
	Selected Reading	"In Defense of the Animals" by Meg Greenfield
	Selected Reading	"Apostles of Hatred Find It Easy to Spread Their Message" by Leonard Pitts Jr.
	Selected Reading	"Pornography" by Margaret Atwood
	Selected Reading	"Demystifying Multiculturalism" by Linda Chavez
4/23/2009	Chapter	19. Persuading Readers to Act
	Selected Reading	"To Drill or Not to Drill" by Rebecca Pasok
	Selected Reading	"Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in a Cynical Time" by Paul Rogat Loeb
	Selected Reading	"I Have a Dream" by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
	Selected Reading	"The Media's Image of Arabs" by Jack G. Shaheen
4/30/2009	Chapter	20. Proposing a Solution
	Selected Reading	"Preparing for Agroterror" by Brian Ley
	Selected Reading	"Uncle Sam and Aunt Samantha" by Anna Quindlen
	Selected Reading	"The Media and the Ethics of Cloning" by Leigh Turner
	Week 15 Unit III (Persuasive Writing) Paper Due	Presentations Final Exam (Objective) Last class day
5/7/2009	Week 16	ePortfolio /essays/final materials (maps, summaries, written work, exercises, etc.) (Email all materials by midnight 5/7)

Where Do You Stand?

Where do you stand with regard to critical thinking?



FEET: What do I stand for as a foundation of critical thinking?

STOMACH: What upsets me about critical thinking?

HEART: What do I love about critical thinking?

HANDS: What do I feel about critical thinking?

EARS: What do I hear about critical thinking?

EYES: What do I see about critical thinking?

BRAIN: What do I think about critical thinking?

Welcome wcomcenter

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Welcome to CThinkCenter

Welcome to this blog at http://cthinkcenter.blogspot.com

From The Foundation for Critical Thinking

The Thinker's Guide to Fallacies: The Art of Mental Trickery and Manipulation

By Dr. Richard Paul and Dr. Linda Elder

"Most people deeply believe in -- but are unaware of -- the following premises:

1. It's true if I believe it
2. It's true if we believe it
3. It's true if I want to believe it
4. It's true if it serves my vested interest to believe it"

From http://www.criticalthinking.org/

44 Foul Ways to Win an Argument (which include the following):

• Appeal to Authority
• Appeal to Experience
• Appeal to Fear
• Appeal to Popular Passions
• Appeal to Tradition or Faith ("the tried & true")
• Assume a Posture of Righteousness
• Attack the person (and not the argument)
• Beg the Question
• Call For Perfection (demand impossible conditions)
• Create a False Dilemma (the great either/or)
• Question Your Opponent's Conclusions
• Create Misgivings: Where There's Smoke, There's Fire
• Create A Straw Man
• Deny or Defend Your Inconsistencies
• Demonize His Side Sanitize Yours
• Evade Questions, Gracefully
• Flatter Your Audience
• Hedge What You Say
• Ignore the Evidence
• Ignore the Main Point
• Attack Evidence (that undermines your case)
• Insist Loudly on a Minor Point
• Make Much of Any Inconsistencies in Your Opponent's Position
• Make Your Opponent Look Ridiculous
• Oversimplify the Issue

F A L L A C I E S

F A L L A C I E S

Fallacies of Distraction
Fallacies of Distraction involve the misuse of logical operators--or, not, if-then, and--which distract the reader away from realizing an apparent falsity within the text. Each of the following examples contains links to web pages that further elaborate their meaning.


False Dilemma (misuse of "or")
Argument from Ignorance (misuse of "not")
Slippery Slope (misuse of "if-then")
Complex Question (misuse of "and")

Appeals to Motives in Place of Support
The fallacies in this category are without reasons for belief and tend to appeal to the emotions or other psychological factors of their readers.

Appeal to Force
Appeal to Pity
Appeal to Consequences
Prejudicial Language
Appeal to Popularity

Changing the Subject
The fallacies in this category target the person making the argument rather than the issue being argued.

Attacking the Person
Appeal to Authority
Anonymous Authorities
Style over Substance.

Inductive Fallacies
The fallacies in this category are assumptions about a whole from properties of a part. Although statistical sampling is a means of reasoning the composition of a whole, no sample is a perfect representation of its whole.

Hasty Generalization
Unrepresentative Sample
False Analogy
Slothful Induction
Fallacy of Exclusion

Fallacies Involving Statistical Syllogisms
The fallacies in this category are assumptions about a part or even a whole that are made from statistical syllogisms, such as "most," as in "Most teachers know how to teach," or "generally," as in "Students are generally good learners." However, no syllogism is actually necessary to engage in this fallacy. For example, "People like to get haircuts."

Accident
Converse Accident.


Causal Fallacies
The fallacies in this category are assumptions about conclusions that are based on their causes. In other words, we can make a mistake in assumming that if cause A occurs, conclusion B will occur also--such as if students are handed textbooks, then they will read them.

Post Hoc
Joint Effect
Insignificant
Wrong Direction
Complex Cause

Missing the Point
The fallacies in this category are false assumptions that fail to prove that a conclusion is true.

Begging the Question
Irrelevant Conclusion
Straw Man

Fallacies of Ambiguity
The fallacies in this category involve using a word or phrase unclearly (ambiguously or vaguely).

Equivocation (Using the same term in two different ways)
Amphiboly (Two different interpretations)
Accent (what is actually said isn't what is actually meant)

Category Errors
The fallacies in this category occur when one thinks the sum of all the parts fits into a gestalt.

Composition (The whole does not necessarily have the properties of its parts)
Division (The parts do not necessarily have the properties of the whole)

Non-Sequitur
The fallacies in this category occur as a result of invalid arguments.

Affirming the Consequent
Denying the Antecedent
Inconsistency

Syllogistic Fallacies
The fallacies in this category occur as a result of invalid categorical syllogisms.

Fallacy of Four Terms: a syllogism has four terms
Undistributed Middle
Illicit Major
Illicit Minor
Fallacy of Exclusive Premises: a syllogism has two negative premises
Fallacy of Drawing an Affirmative Conclusion From a Negative Premise
Existential Fallacy: a particular conclusion is drawn from universal premises

Fallacies of Explanation
The fallacies in this category refer to errors in making explanations.

Subverted Support (The phenomenon being explained doesn't exist)
Non-support (Evidence for the phenomenon being explained is biased)
Untestability (The theory which explains cannot be tested)
Limited Scope (The theory which explains can only explain one thing)
Limited Depth (The theory which explains does not appeal to underlying causes)

Fallacies of Definition
The fallacies in this category refer to errors in defining words or concepts.

Too Broad (The definition includes items which should not be included)
Too Narrow (The definition does not include all the items which shouls be included)
Failure to Elucidate (The definition is more difficult to understand)
Circular Definition (The definition includes the term being defined as a part of the definition)
Conflicting Conditions (The definition is self-contradictory)
Fallacies of Faulty Reasoning
false analogy
compares two things that are not alike in significant respects or have critical points of difference
hasty generalization
draws a conclusion about a class based on too few or atypical examples
false cause
post hoc
mistakes temporal succession for causal sequence
single cause fallacies
occurs when an advocate attributes only one cause to a complex problem
slippery slope
assumes, without evidence, that a given event is the first in a series of steps that will lead inevitably to some outcome.

TFY C12 Web Links

ARGUMENTS AND INFERENCES
Tie together what you have learned about inferences and argument by reading this article taken from Philosophy Pages.
http://www.philosophypages.com/lg/e01.htm

DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Explain how this document represents a deductive argument.
http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

DEDUCTIVE AND INDUCTIVE
These exercises help you understand the differences between inductive and deductive reasoning. Prepared by San Jose University, Mission Critical.http://www2.sjsu.edu/depts/itl/7/part2/ind-ded.html

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.Here is a biography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
http://nobelprize.org/peace/laureates/1964/king-bio.html

THOMAS JEFFERSON
Review the life and writings of Thomas Jefferson.
http://www.pbs.org/jefferson/

VALID AND INVALID
Learn more about valid and invalid deductive reasoning prepared by the Rhodes Writing Center.
http://www.rhodes.edu/writingcenter/group_b/deductive_reasoning.html

VENN DIAGRAMS
Past editions of this text have included Venn diagrams: a useful visual approach to logic.
http://www.wadsworth.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M42&product_isbn_issn=141301772X&chapter_number=12&altname=Web+Links&resource_id=5##

Pronunctiation Site

http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics/english/frameset.html

Unit VIII - Space

http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/idealabs/walking_on_the_moon.html

Links

Writing for the social sciences

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/soc_sciences/write.shtml

Writing the sociology paper

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/soc_sciences/sociology.shtml

Writing the history paper

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/soc_sciences/history.shtml

Links

Writing for the social sciences

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/soc_sciences/write.shtml

Writing the sociology paper

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/soc_sciences/sociology.shtml

Writing the history paper

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/soc_sciences/history.shtml

Word Parts -- Suffixes P.51

Vocabulary Quiz

Vocabulary Quiz: http://esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/blvocabquiz_money1.htm

Money Vocabulary

Money
The words below are some of the most important used when talking about Money.
Money - Banking
account
bank statement
bankrupt
borrow
budget
cash
cashier
check
traveler's check
credit (card)
currency
debt
deposit
exchange rate
interest (rate)
invest
investment
lend
loan
mortgage
owe
pay
save
savings
shares
withdraw
Money - Buying
bargain
bill
cost
expense
installments
price
purchase
purse
receipt
reduction
refund
spend
wallet
Money - Earning
bonus
earn
earnings
income
gross income
net income
rise
salary
wage
Money - Giving
collection
donate
donation
fee
fine
grant
income tax
inherit
inheritance
pension
pocket money
rent
scholarship
tip
winnings
Money - Verbs
add up
go up / down
make ends meet
pay back
pay into
put down
put towards
run out
save up
take out
Money - Other Related Words
profit
property
valuable
value
waste of money
wealth
worth
worthless
Money - Related Adjectives
affluent
broke
generous
hard-up
mean
poor
prosperous
rich
stingy
wealthy
well off

WoW Student Assignment Word Numbers

Student	Word # in Part 1	Word # in Part 2
Abraham	1	12
Yun-Hsing (Zach)	2	11
EA	3	10
Humbat	4	9
Azamat	5	8
Teeerawuth	6	7
Raj	7	6
Sumitra	8	5
Kornwika Pinky	9	4
Zanda	10	3
Sudil	11	2
Saken	12	1
Galiya	1	1
Halil	2	2
Yalcin	3	3
Wised	4	4
Benjamin	5	5
Extra Credit	Any word

Assignments

Check syllabus for due dates

Where Do You Stand?
Introductory Essay & MindMap
Unit I: Humanities Essay & MindMap
Unit II: Social Sciences Essay & MindMap
Unit III: Physical Sciences Essay & MindMap
Chapter summaries & maps

Reflections
Presentations
Exercises

Blog with assignments, including graphic versions of the maps, and additional materials

Wiki (Optional)

Assignments

Check syllabus for due dates

Where Do You Stand?
Introductory Essay & MindMap
Unit I: Humanities Essay & MindMap
Unit II: Social Sciences Essay & MindMap
Unit III: Physical Sciences Essay & MindMap
Chapter summaries & maps

Reflections
Presentations
Exercises

Blog with assignments, including graphic versions of the maps, and additional materials

Wiki (Optional)

Book Report Assignment

Assignment:
1. Select a book that interests you from the public library near you or the main San Francisco Library.

2. READ IT

3. MAP IT (Central idea, main topics, selected details)

4. WRITE ABOUT IT

Who wrote it?

What's the title?

Where, By Whom, and When was it published? (Back of title page)

Why did you choose it?

What did you find most interesting about it?

.
.
.

BioPoem Exercise

How to Write a Biopoem
(Line 1) First name
(Line 2) Three or four adjectives that describe the person
(Line 3) Important relationship (daughter of . . . , mother of . . . , etc)
(Line 4) Two or three things, people, or ideas that the person loved
(Line 5) Three feelings the person experienced
(Line 6) Three fears the person experienced
(Line 7) Accomplishments (who composed . . . , who discovered . . . , etc.)
(Line 8) Two or three things the person wanted to see happen or wanted to experience
(Line 9) His or her residence
(Line 10) Last name
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Biopoem Sample
Rosa
Determined, brave, strong, loving
Wife of Raymond Parks, mother of all children
Who loved equality, freedom, and the benefits of a good education
Who hated discrimination, loved to stand up for her beliefs, and loved to help others
Who feared that racism would continue, feared losing the opportunity to make a difference, and feared that young people might lose opportunities to develop strength and courage
Who changed history as she accomplished great strides for equality and encouraged excellence for all
Who wanted to see love triumph and see an end to all bias and discrimination in a world in which respect is freely given to all
Born in Alabama and living in Detroit
Parks

From Abromitis, B.S. (1994, June/July). Bringing lives to life. Biographies in reading and the content areas. Reading Today, 11, 26. Reprinted with permission of the publisher and author.
Copyright 2004 IRA/NCTE. All rights reserved.

Observation -- Map

Links

http://www.eslflow.com/vocabularylessonplans.html

Freemind Links

Freemind Software

Unit 2: Knowledge Student Assignment

Class Video -- Students