Challenge Level: College Sophomore
Course Formats: Session Based; email or web-based (NCCA approved). See calendar for session dates and application deadlines.
Recommended School Credit: One-half academic year
Course Length: 20 weeks (Early Fall, Late Fall, Winter, Spring); 12 weeks (Early Summer: Email only); 6 weeks (intensive Late Summer: Web-based only)
Course Codes: EMA4 (email), WRW4 (web-based, NCAA approved)
This course builds on the techniques learned and practiced in prerequisite courses. Here, students learn the rhetorical modes of discourse. Examples of these modes include persuasion, definition, analysis, and narration. While inculcating the modes of classical discourse, this course typically focuses on cultural criticism.
The work of contemporary writers such as Ann Lamott and Susan Orlean may provide inspiration and, at times, subjects for critical analysis. Opportunities for revision allow students to hone skills and combine rhetorical modes for maximum effect. By the end, students are able to analyze and evaluate most prose forms. Students should be able to argue their interpretations convincingly.
The highly interactive Web-based format culminates in a capstone essay incorporating the skills students have learned. This essay is based on a five-hour observation of social interaction in a cultural group. For more information, see "Cultural Studies and the Capstone Essay" on the Course Details tab. The majority of assignments apply the strategies of classical rhetoric (narration, definition, argument, persuasion, and so forth) to the interdisciplinary field of cultural studies, which is concerned with the production of meaning in society. Students read essays by authors including Susan Orlean, Joan Didion, and Anne Lamott as well as more traditional writings about argument by Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren.
Integral is a substantial metacognitive dialogue with the instructor about writing.
Students seeking an NCAA approved course should enroll in the web-based format.
Skilled, careful writers follow the conventions of Standard Written English, but writing is much more than mere adherence to convention. Instructors discuss grammar only when it affects meaning. Writing courses are not remedial. Students must already be proficient in Standard Written English.
Note: This course description applies to session-based courses with a start date prior to June 30, 2019. To view the course description for this session-based course with a start date after July 1, 2019, choose from the links below:
Students interested in flexible pacing should view the course description for this course in the individually paced format: Writing Analysis and Persuasion – Individually Paced. Course formats cover the same concepts but differ in approach.
Prerequisites
Completion of grade 9 English and satisfactory writing sample (instructions below), or successful completion of one course below:
CTY Online Programs
CTY Summer Programs
Questions? Phone 410-735-6140 or email sbarish@jhu.edu
Materials
The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession by Susan Orlean (Ballantine Books, 2000) ISBN 978-0449003718
In the email format, students email finished essays to instructors and receive detailed critiques of those essays. Assignments in this format may be individualized to address a particular student's needs; thus, the assignments may vary by instructor and from student to student.
This format is best for independent, well organized students whose other commitments limit their available time.
The web-based format provides a process-oriented approach. Students work through lessons and receive instructor feedback on prewriting exercises during the process of writing the essay as well as a detailed critique of the final writing assignment. In addition, students participate in a mandatory online peer review workshop in which they critique each other’s writing. In the web-based format, although interaction is frequent, it is not real time. Interaction is conducted asynchronously, not via chat, I.M, or whiteboard. Students can work morning, noon, or night, so long as they meet the deadlines. Students deliver work by uploading it to a private space. They download instructor responses from the same place. Virtual classrooms are provided by a course management system.
This format is best for students who enjoy computer-mediated interaction, relish sharing their writing with an audience, and can commit adequate time to the work (see time commitment, below). Please review technical requirements.
Students seeking an NCAA approved course should enroll in the web-based format.
Cultural studies approaches social interaction as a "text" to be analyzed, interpreted, and critiqued. Three assignments -- 6, 8 and 10 -- depend on observing a cultural group, (brother's Cub Scout pack, mom's finance group, friend's computer club: any group where there is significant social interaction).
Students write an informal proposal of the observation -- a description of the group,how to arrange the logistics(parental okay, how often to meet, transportation to and from, etc.), and, most importantly, WHY the group will make an interesting observation. The instructor approves the group and the logistics.
The capstone essay, Assignment 10, is a substantial revision of Assignment 8. This revision is intended to incorporate all the skills and rhetorical modes that students have worked on.
Assignment | Skills Taught |
Persuasive Essay – Design your own educational experience | Intro to persuasion |
Extended Definition – Part 1 Chunking assignment | Writing process |
Topical Persuasive Essay | Taking a position |
Extended Definition – Part 2 | Thesis |
Analysis of Creative Nonfiction: The Orchid Thief excerpt | Writing about literature |
Subculture Narrative—initial meeting | Narrative: setting, character, theme |
Division and Classification Essay | (Revision of 4) |
Subculture Analysis | Cultural analysis— |
Cause and Effect: "Deride and Conquer," Mark Crispin Miller | Literary analysis |
Revision of Essay 8—add research | Revision |
Assignment | Skills Taught |
Redesign your own educational experience | Intro to persuasion and thesis |
Personal Narrative
| Narrative design and purpose |
Division and Classification Essay | Analysis |
Topical Persuasive Essay | More about persuasion |
Revision | Global revision Common grammar issues |
Literary Analysis: The Orchid Thief excerpt | Writing about literature |
Cause and Effect | Analyzing cause/effect |
Book, Movie, or Play Review | Analyzing meaning Writing for an audience |
Persuading about "Meritocracy" | Analyzing a culture Formulating a thesis Persuasion |
Revision | Revision review |
Web-based format (NCAA Approved)
Email format
Summer Schedules
Up to two weeks of vacation is allowed in the Early Summer Session. No vacations are allowed in the intensive Late Summer Session.
Down to Late Summer Session (6 weeks)
DATE | DUE |
---|---|
Notes:
| |
Monday, June 4 | Course begins |
Friday, June 8 | Assignment 1 e-mailed to instructor |
Friday, June 15 | Assignment 2 e-mailed to instructor |
Friday, June 22 | Assignment 3 e-mailed to instructor |
Friday, June 29 | Assignment 4 e-mailed to instructor |
Friday, July 7 | Assignment 5 e-mailed to instructor |
Friday, July 13 | Assignment 6 e-mailed to instructor |
Friday, July 20 | Assignment 7 e-mailed to instructor |
Friday, July 27 | Assignment 8 e-mailed to instructor |
Friday, August 3 | Assignment 9 e-mailed to instructor |
Friday, August 10 | Assignment 10 e-mailed to instructor Most students complete their course here, but those who took vacations may use the missed assignment due dates below to complete by August 26. |
Friday, August 17 | Makeup Assignment #1 |
Friday, August 24 | Makeup Assignment #2 |
Sunday, August 26 | Course ends |
2 to 3 weeks after the course ends, students receive:
|
DATE | EVENT |
---|---|
Notes:
| |
Sunday, July 1 | Students have downloaded materials by now from the course access page |
Monday, July 2 |
|
Tuesday, July 3 | Lesson 1 due |
Thursday, July 5 | Subculture Observation Project Proposal due |
Monday, July 9 | Lesson 2 due |
Tuesday, July 10 | Lesson 2 Workshop begins |
Wednesday, July 11 | Lesson 1 Workshop ends |
Thursday, July 12 | Lesson 3 due |
Friday, July 13 | Lesson 3 Workshop begins |
Monday, July 16 | Lesson 4 due |
Tuesday, July 17 | Lesson 4 Workshop begins |
Thursday, July 19 | Lesson 3 Workshop ends |
Friday, July 20 | Lesson 5 due |
Monday, July 23 | Lesson 5 Workshop begins |
Tuesday, July 24 | Lesson 6 due |
Wednesday, July 25 | Lesson 6 Workshop begins |
Friday, July 27 | Lesson 7 due |
Monday, July 30 | Lesson 7 Workshop begins |
Tuesday, July 31 | Lesson 6 Workshop ends |
Thursday, August 2 | Lesson 8 due |
Friday, August 3 | Lesson 8 Workshop begins |
Monday, August 6 | Lesson 9 due |
Tuesday, August 7 | Lesson 9 Workshop begins |
Thursday, August 9 | Lesson 10 begins |
Friday, August 10 | Lesson 10 due |
Sunday, August 12 | Course Ends |
2 to 3 weeks after the course ends, students receive:
|
Down to first assignment -- all formats
Hi Everybody,
Three of your assignments -- 6, 8 and 10 -- depend on information you gather from your observations of a subculture. What do I mean by "subculture"? According to The Columbia Dictionary of Modern Literary and Cultural Criticism, "Generally speaking, the term subculture refers to a distinctive clique within a larger social group . . . subcultural activity does not aim to overthrow the dominant culture in the name of some more humane vision, but seeks only a measure of autonomy expressed in symbolic gestures, such as the distinctive forms of clothing, speech, and music . . ." (290-291).
Make plans to observe a group with which you are not familiar. It could be your brother's Cub Scout pack, your mom's finance group, a friend's computer club: any group where there is significant social interaction. Ideally, you will not be a member of this group. For example, say you have always been fascinated by the clique of "regulars" who go to your local coffee house daily, as if it were an important ritual that gives their lives meaning. What is it that compels them to go there each day? Why do they get along so well in this isolated half hour to an hour of time and never have anything to do with each other outside of the coffee house? Why do they have their own little rules and codes? How were these codes introduced and how did a silent consensus form?
If you MUST observe a group of which you are a member, please email me with some details so I can evaluate whether the group is appropriate. (Before emailing me, please read this whole assignment.)
Plan to observe this group for at least 5 hours. Fewer hours are not permitted. More hours are good. You only need to observe the group for 1 hour to write the #6 Narrative. The rest of the observation time should be spread out over the rest of our term, finishing your minimum 5 hours before you start writing Assignment #8. Don't get too caught up in the details of writing Assignments #5 or #8 right now. What you need to focus on now is choosing the group to observe.
Part of this course is learning to schedule your time wisely and independently. It is crucial that you make a schedule NOW for the rest of the term. Don't just assume you can drop in any time for do the observations later. Set a schedule. Put it on your calendar.
Once you have decided on the social group that you will observe, write a paragraph or two (but no more -- this is not a formal essay) letting me know about the group you intend to observe for our upcoming Subculture Observation Project.
Include
Indicate
As you are thinking this through,
Along with those essential details,
This is not a report of your observations of the group. It is a proposal about which group you want to observe. Do not start observing until you have received my approval of your group. Once your group is approved, start observing and take good notes. Your first report on your observation is in Lesson 6.
Now that you know what you'll be doing over the whole course, it's time to go on to your first full-fledged assignment.
Welcome to CTY Online Programs! We hope you have a wonderful experience writing analytical and persuasive essays.
TOPIC: Redesign your educational experience. Figure out what would make school really great, or at least worthwhile, and persuade me of your ideas' benefits.
As you know, there is no maximum length to your essays. Write as much as you want, but instructors usually expect essays to have a minimum length of about 500 words, or about 2 typed pages.
This essay will introduce your instructor to your writing style. It also allows us to jump right into persuasion (a standard essay form in which you should become most fluent) about a topic you know well and are likely to care about.
If you are a homeschooler, feel free to write your essay on the benefits and deficits in your educational experience, however contained or wide it is. In other words, don't get stopped by the word "school." Write about your own educational experience.
The first step is to begin thinking about what ideas you'd like to cover in this assignment. This essay question is broad and can lead you in many directions, so it is important to focus your topic. For instance, you could choose to write about curriculum, arguing that English classes would be more useful if students studied more contemporary writers, or perhaps you could argue for a shorter - or longer - school day. Other questions to consider might include the following:
School is something that you know a lot about, and you probably know how to make it better. The trick is to narrow your topic. Don't try to discuss everything. Find the most promising ideas for which you can argue convincingly.
So what makes a good argument? Ideas and real evidence to back up those ideas (see Guidelines for Persuasive Writing, below). In an assignment like this, you are probably going to be using mostly anecdotal evidence (for example, "Four out of five of my classmates sleep through trigonometry."). That's fine, but you should also try to draw in the rest of the world as you know it. So, if you just read that math scores are down, you might try and explain that from your perspective. A mix of the individual and the (believably) global is ideal. You also might want to consult some outside sources. In that case, make sure you document any ideas that aren't yours. (See "Documenting Your Sources" below.) Of course, it doesn't hurt to believe in your cause.
Don't forget a key to effective persuasion -- an awareness of your reading audience. For instance, you are writing to an instructor who probably believes in education at least a little. So perhaps you would think twice about trying to persuade your instructor that no one should go to school at all. But, see www.johntaylorgatto.com for an example of a veteran public school teacher and New York State Teacher of the Year who doesn't believe in school.
It is very likely that you might consult an outside source to provide evidence for your essay. The authors of Writing Worth Reading: The Critical Process clearly explain the importance of documentation of sources:
Documenting is an essential part of presenting evidence. You must identify the source of every quotation, fact, statistic, graph, or opinion about your subject that you include in your paper. You must tell your reader where you got every bit of information that you use. Further, you must list for your reader every source you have cited in your paper. In short, you must thoroughly document your research (375).
Since we're working with the humanities (literature, history, philosophy, etc.) here, and MLA style is used in the humanities, that's what we'll use. The basic form is to use the page number in parentheses at the end of a sentence containing a quotation.
As a rule, your instructor will expect you to write at least one draft and make significant changes to it BEFORE mailing the essay. Some instructors ask to see your earlier drafts, and others do not. You may write and revise as often as is reasonable.
When writing a first draft, don't worry much about such niceties as spelling and punctuation and subject-verb agreement. You'll clean those up later. The first draft is for discovering what you have to say: it doesn't matter how you say it, whether you say it perfectly, or if you say too much. The idea is to get lots of thoughts on paper. Author Annie Dillard claims, "It doesn't hurt much to babble in a first draft, so long as you have the sense to cut out irrelevancies later."
Revision happens after the first draft. Revision is the act of re-seeing, of perfecting your language and ideas. Painters will go through a series of sketches to get to the final vision they want on the canvas. The same is true for writers. With each draft or revision, the writing moves closer to a final vision. Many writers save grammatical and spelling corrections for the last draft.
In College Writing: A Personal Approach to Academic Writing (1991, Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook), Toby Fulwiler provides two easily applied revision techniques.
"The success of a company can be attributed to the market analysis of the executives of the company."To rewrite this sentence I would go after the three "of" constructions:
"The company's success can be attributed to its executives' market analysis" (128).
How much revision is "reasonable"? Those who seldom revise should do one more than they want to. Those who always revise may do one less. You know which you are.
In a perfect world, we would revise until the essay was perfect. Walt Whitman revised his book of poems, Leaves of Grass, ten times. But in the real world, we must stop revising when the assignment is due. To do well then, you should start writing when you get the assignment, not the night before it is due in the mail. (Instructors usually recognize rush jobs, though they don't always say so.)
Think and design first, and then try for clean, clear prose. To your computers (pens). Design and persuade on! Do your best and enjoy this challenge. Your instructor is looking forward to the results.
The following are guidelines for writing persuasive essays. During the course we will focus on each one particularly, but it is never too early to take all these points into account as you write your papers. Keep this list beside your due dates calendar.
[Yes, all this takes thinking! You can do it.]
This course requires a properly maintained computer with high-speed internet access and an up-to-date web browser (such as Chrome or Firefox). The student must be able to communicate with the instructor via email. Visit the Technical Requirements and Support page for more details.
"It was really fun an interesting. I learned a lot and am glad I took the course."
"Excellent course and outstanding instructor. I loved every minute of it. Thank you."
"[Instructor's first name] was a supportive instructor and as a parent, I enjoyed reading her comments each week."
"Dr. [Instructor's last name]'s detailed and thoughtful comments on essays are greatly appreciated."
"This was the first course that I felt my daughter was really pushed to improve her writing assignment, and my daughter actually liked having to work harder at improving her writing ability."