• writ  1133:  Human  Rights  /  Humans  Write  

John  Tiedemann  writ  1133  -­‐10  

Blog:  1133humanswrite2015.blogspot.com  Email:  John.Tiedemann@du.edu  

Office  hours:  W:  12:00–4:00;  R:  12–2.  Office:  380U  Anderson  Academic  

Commons  

THE  CLASS   Historian Lynn Hunt argues that that the practice of literacy — i.e., of composing and interpreting written, visual, or aural texts — is not only uniquely human; it is how we learn to be human. In this class, we will examine literacy from a variety of angles — as expressed in art, as a local social practice, and as a global political phenomenon — both to consider how reading, writing, and viewing define our common humanity and to become more accomplished readers, writers, and researchers ourselves. Much of our time will be spent discussing readings and viewings together as a class, but the majority of our time will be devoted to four writing projects: • Essay 1: Writing Humanity: For this project, you’ll test Lynn Hunt’s thesis that literacy teaches us how

to be human by interpreting a cultural artifact. • Essay 2: Writing into History: This project asks you to explore the significance of an episode from

your own life or the life of someone close to you by placing it in historical context. • Essay 3: Writing the City: For this project, you’ll write an ethnographic study of an urban space. • Essay 4: Reflections on Writing: This project asks you to consolidate what you have learned this

term about writing, reading, and research by reflecting upon your own work.

TEXTS   Copies of (or links to) all other readings and viewings will be posted on Blackboard or on our course blog: http://1133humanswrite2015.blogspot.com/ Your own texts are also a central element of this class — so please bring your laptop to every class meeting.

GOALS  AND  FORMAT  • Goals

In WRIT 1133, students practice academic research of various kinds; rhetorical strategies for different academic and civic audiences and purposes; and critical reading and analytic skills. By the end, students are expected to demonstrate, through their writing, a practical knowledge of multiple academic research traditions, the rhetorical/conventional differences among them, and the rhetorical differences between writing for academic audiences and writing for popular audiences. Students are also expected to demonstrate proficiency in finding, evaluating, synthesizing, critiquing, and documenting published sources in ways appropriate to given rhetorical situations. Students will receive sustained practice in writing, with systematic instructor feedback, resulting in at least 20 pages of revised and polished writing, in multiple assignments, as well as numerous additional exercises, in projects requiring library-based research as well as other types.

• Class-time and homework

Some of our time will be spent discussing assigned readings and viewings, but most of our time will be spent drafting and revising various pieces of writing, as well as providing feedback on each other’s work. You can also expect to spend approximately four hours each week working at home, perhaps more. Finally, because a quality piece of writing results from many revisions, you will write each of your papers in stages and revise, with guidance from me and your classmates.

• Conferences

Each of you will meet with me individually for two required conferences, where we’ll discuss strategies for revising your work. I’ll send around a sign-up sheet the week before the conferences take place. These conferences are required and you’ll receive a grade for the preparation you do beforehand. Each conference is worth 25 points toward your final grade.

Apart from the required conferences, I’m also available to meet in my office (Anderson Academic Commons 380U) between 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Thursdays. The best way to make an appointment to meet with me is to schedule it online. Please go to http://www.meetme.so/Tiedemann and follow the instructions.

POLICIES  • Participation

For each class meeting, you will receive up to five points toward your final grade: up to 2 for the writing assignment you complete at home up to three for your participation in class discussion. All

Ø Homework: All writing assignments are to be posted on Google Drive and shared with me by the start of class on the day they are due. A student will receive 2 points for posting a complete and manifestly thoughtful draft of their response to the assignment. (By “manifestly thoughtful” I mean clear, coherent, and on topic.) S/he will receive 1 point for posting a draft that is either incomplete and/or sloppily composed. A student will receive no points should s/he fail to post and share his or her assignment when it is due.

Ø Class discussion: A student will receive 3 points for the day when s/he makes more than one meaningful contribution to that day’s discussion. (By a “meaningful contribution” I mean a contribution that’s thoughtful and fully elaborated, thus moving the conversation forward and contributing to our collective understanding of the topic under discussion). S/he will receive 2 points when s/he contributes only once or when his/her contributions aren’t fully formed. S/he will receive one point if she attends class without speaking up. A student will receive no points if s/he fails to attend class, if s/he distracts his or her classmates, or if s/he wastes valuable class time by checking email, facebook, etc., or otherwise disengaging from class.

• Attendance

As the above indicates, there are no “excused” absences from class. If you miss class, you will not receive credit for class discussion for that day (though you can still receive credit for the day’s homework by posting it on time).

• Late Work

Assignments are due when they are due. Assignments that come in late, that aren’t shared correctly, or that are incorrectly labeled will not receive credit or feedback from me. To receive feedback on a late draft, you will need to make an appointment to see me during office hours.

• Civility and Tolerance

The Writing Program affirms DU’s Code of Student Conduct (http://www.du.edu/ccs/code.html), which in part “expects students to recognize the strength of personal differences while respecting institutional values.” Because writing courses rely heavily on interactions between all members of the class, students and faculty must act in a manner respectful of different positions and perspectives. A student who behaves in an uncivil or intolerant manner will be asked to stop and/or formally repri-manded and/or subject to action by the Office of Citizenship and Community Standards.

Becoming educated requires encountering new ideas and information, some of which may conflict with an individual’s existing knowledge or perspectives. I expect students to engage such materials thoughtfully, in ways that reflect the values and mission of the University of Denver.

• Plagiarism

The Writing Program follows the Council of Writing Program Administrators policy “Defining and Avoid-ing Plagiarism,” which states, “In an instructional setting, plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately uses someone else’s language, ideas, or other original (not common-knowledge) material without acknowledging its source” (http://wpacouncil.org/node/9). DU’s Honor Code also maintains that all members of the University must responsibly use the work of others. Students who have plagiarized a project will receive an F on that project, and the professor will inform the Director of Writing and the Office of Community and Citizenship Standards, which may take further action. Any documented acts of plagiarism after the first may be subject to more severe actions.

• Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

The Writing Program will provide reasonable accommodations to every student who has a disability that has been documented by The University of Denver Disability Services Program (http://www.du.edu/studentlife/disability/ or 303.871.2455).

• Email

I usually respond to email within a day or two during the week; I check email less often on weekends.

GRADES  I’ll give you suggestions for revision and a provisional grade on each fully drafted essay. Those grades will rise, fall, or stay the same depending upon how effectively you revise it. All final drafts of all six revised exercises are due to me via Google Docs by noon on Friday, June 6. In addition to the grades you receive for your essays, you will also receive a grade for your final reflective essay, for class participation, for the work you do to prepare for required conferences with me, and for your responses to classmates’ work. Here’s the breakdown:

Essay 1: 200 points Essay 2: 200 points Essay 3: 200 points Reflective essay: 200 points Class participation: 5 points per class x 20 = 100 points Conference prep: 20 points per conference x 2 = 40 points Peer responses; 20 points per response x 3 = 60 points TOTAL 1000 points

Here’s the scale I’ll use to calculate your final grade for the course:

A 930-1000 A- 900-929 B+ 870-899 B 830-869 B- 800-829 C+ 770-799 C 730-769 C- 700-729 D+ 670-699 D 630-669 D- 600-629 F 0–599

CALENDAR  T Jan. 6 Introduction R Jan. 8 Applying a concept and generating a thesis: Lynn Hunt, Inventing Human

Rights (on Blackboard, in the Content folder).

T Jan. 13 Supporting and developing a thesis through analysis. (Lynn Hunt, cont’d.) R Jan. 15 Making an argument flow. (Lynn Hunt, cont’d.)

T Jan. 20 Telling a true story: Taylor Branch, At Canaan’s Edge, “Memphis” (on Blackboard, in the Content folder). • Full draft of Essay 1 due on Google Drive.

R Jan. 22 Putting a story in context: selected student writing (on Blackboard, in the Content folder).

T Jan. 27 Unfolding a story’s theme: selected student writing. R Jan. 29 Revising for style.

T Feb. 3 Conferences. • Full draft of Essay 2 due on Google Drive.

R Feb. 5 Conferences.

T Feb. 10 Creating a conversation: Lewis Mumford, “What Is a City?” and Sharon Zukin, “Whose Culture? Whose City?” (on Blackboard, in the Content folder).

R Feb.12 Generating a question. (Mumford and Zukin, cont’d.)

T Feb. 17 Conducting an interview. R Feb. 19 Observation and participation.

T Feb. 24 Writing an ethnography selected student writing (on Blackboard, in the Content folder).

R Feb. 26 Writing an ethnography selected student writing.

T March 3 Conferences. • Full draft of Essay 3 due on Google Drive.

R March 5 Conferences.

T March 10 Reflecting.

Final drafts of all essays due on Google Docs by noon on Tuesday, March 17.