Introduction to class; in-class essay

Analyzing and presenting an argument. Sermons: “Calvinist Jonathan Edwards Promises Hellfire and Damnation to the Sinful”; “Chief Red Jacket Rejects a Change of Religion”; “Lincoln, in His Second Inaugural, Seeks to Heal the Spiritual Wounds of War”

Tributes and Eulogies: “Frederick Douglass Cuts through the Lincoln Myth to Consider the Man”; “John F. Kennedy, in Praise of Robert Frost, Celebrates the Arts in America”; “Senator Robert F. Kennedy Speaks after the Assassination of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.” ; Prose ch. 1: Levels of Style

Commencement Speeches: “Humorist Art Buchwald Speaks to Law Graduates”; “Language Maven William Safire Denounces the Telephone as the Subverter of Good English”; “General Colin Powell Urges African-American
Students to Reject Racial Hatred”; Prose ch. 2: Connotations

TEST: Bring books and notes. Final day to sign up for oral presentation of analysis of one speech. TYPED DRAFT of essay #1 is due:

Choice #1: Write an essay or a speech on an issue that is important to you. In your composition explain why this issue is important to you and present at least two sides of the issue. The issue may focus on a concern about society, religion, education, health, business, law, the environment, politics, or policies--either domestic or foreign.

Choice #2: Write an argumentative speech or essay based on values. In this composition, you may decide to ask others to live up to higher principles, respected traditions, or even new values or complain that they have not done so. Your composition may take the form of a sermon, eulogy, or graduation speech. You may wish to develop your main point with anecdotes and examples.

For both compositions: Use at least two reliable sources to bring up-to-date information and specifics to your writing. One of these sources may be an interview. If you use the internet for research, remember that many of the sources you find through search engines are not reliable. To find reputable sources, use Maryville's online databases (such as EBSCOHost, FirstSearch, JSTOR, or LexisNexis Academic). The most reliable sources will name an author and the author's institutional or organizational affiliation. If the document is published by an organization, the organization should be recognized as a provider of reliable information on the topic. If the URL contains ".com," the site is a commercial site and may have some bias (.edu in the URL refers to an educational institution and is usually an indicator of reliable information). A reliable source will include a list of references or a bibliography, and the author will provide the sources of his or her information. Reliable sources also include the date when the information was gathered and a publication date or a reference such as "last updated." The information for your essays and speeches should be current.

At the end of your composition, attach an annotated bibliography in which you briefly summarize the kind of information each source provided, assess the source (does it seem reliable? current? biased? objective? Are facts carefully documented?) and explain in what ways each source was useful or not useful in writing this essay. A good discussion of annotated bibliographies can be found at http://owl.english.purdue.edu.

War and Revolution Speeches: “Patrick Henry Ignites the American Revolution”; “General Washington Talks His Officers Out of Insurrection”; “President Franklin D. Roosevelt Asks Congress to Declare War on Japan”; Prose ch. 3: Clarity.

Essay #1 is due--turn in two copies. Trials: “Antiwar Dissident Eugene V. Debs Addresses the Court Before Sentencing”; “Defense Lawyer Clarence Darrow Answers a Supporter of Capital Punishment”; Prose ch. 4: Specificity.

Reader response form is due. Research ex. #1 is due: What is your currently controversial topic? Lectures and Instructive Speeches: “William Lyon Phelps Praises the Owning of Books”; “After Bush v. Gore, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Speaks Out for Judicial Independence”; “Bioethicist Leon Kass Warns against the ‘Brave New World’ of Cloning”; Prose ch. 5: Subjects and Verbs (verbs in sports pages)

16 Feb

Conferences with instructor

Conferences with instructor

Research ex. 2 is due: Complete prewriting worksheet, brainstorming about your topic. “Broadcaster Alistair Cooke Needles the Jargonauts in Assessing the State of the English Language”; Speeches of Social Responsibility: “Social Reformer Maria Stewart Advocates Education for Black Women”; “Suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pleads for Women’s Rights”; Prose ch. 6: Conciseness

TEST: Bring books and notes. Typed draft of essay #2 is due.

Choice #1: Continue to investigate the issue of essay or speech #1; propose a solution to the problem/issue, and present an argument for the solution.

Choice #2: Write an essay or a speech presenting a problem and arguing for a particular solution.

Both essays require an annotated bibliography.

Research ex. 3 is due: a summary of a source on your topic. In-class essay

TEST: Bring books and notes. Typed draft of essay #3, an evaluation essay, is due:

Choice #1: Evaluate two possible solutions to the problem you have been studying.

Choice #2: Reflect on what you personally or a particular group could do to solve the problem. Evaluate this solution.

Choice #3: Write an essay of evaluation (possibly an evaluation of yourself that faculty members will be able to use when writing letters of recommendation for you for graduate schools or for employers)

Choice #4: Write an essay analyzing an argument. If you wish to analyze an argument, choose an argument presented in one of the speeches we have discussed in class and use the guidelines for analyzing an essay handout.