PART I: COURSE OBJECTIVES

Rhetoric 102: Rhetoric & Composition II (HYBRID)
American Civil War Emphasis
This syllabus applies to either an 8 or 16 Week Semester
Check your Course Schedule or the Dean's Office for beginning and ending dates

CLICK HERE for Registration and LOGIN information


Office: R 215D	Allen Salzman	Off. hours: 10 a.m. TH


Phone: 456-0300	Ext. 3449	email: salzmana@triton.edu


*RHETORIC 102 is "a BlackBoard HYBRID course."* RHETORIC 102 is linked concurrently with HISTORY 151 - HYBRID. The reason they are linked is to save you time & effort (as you will see below), and because they share the theme of the Americn Civil War. Both courses make use of the following: TWO TEXTS: Writing Research Papers: a Guide to the Process, 7th Edn, by Weidenborner (referred to as W.R.P.) Writing for College History by Frakes (referred to as W.C.H.). Several online sources on the W.R.P. textbook publisher's website A Bulletins & Discussions area several supplementary features. As for the computer, you will need a minimum of the following: Pentium based computer running Win95 or higher with internet connection using MS Explorer. You will need PowerPoint and Quicktime (optional), Excel and enable Java. There are computers in many locations on Triton's campus which surpass these criteria. INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING ASSIGNMENTS: First: do the reading, week by week in W.R.P. : There is a "To the Student" Timetable just inside the front cover of your textbook. Follow the 8 steps, (one step / week for an 8 week course; one step every two weeks for a 16 week course). You will see that you will need to set a pace that can get you all the way to the end on time, with all drafts of your paper and its accompanying materials. Second: Go into the " RHETORIC & COMPOSITION: Assignments and Exercises = 45 %" area. Assignments in W.R.P. = 40% : Do the reading related to the assignments, and submit them by the due dates. You may complete and submit them before, but not after their respective due dates. Exercises in W.R.P. website = 5% : You also need to go to the website for Writing Research Papers and complete the 10 short quizzes and email them to me. Complete the online exercises in close connection with the textbook. Each of the 8 steps mentioned above will have a corresponding exercise. Submit the exercises as directed. Third: online interactions in the "Frequent Postings in the Bulletins & Discussions Area = 5%": One of the best ways to practice your writing, and to try out your ideas, is to go online and participate in the online forum. It can also ease any tensions or stress you might feel from being isolated out there in cyberspace. You will find that there are other students going through the same experience you are. Its a place to hang out. Fourth: Go into the "TERM PAPER = 50 %" area. Read the introductory explanations and instructions for each part that you need to complete (e.g., thesis statement; bibliography; etc.), and submit each part by the due dates listed. There will also be short assignments from the other textbook, *Writing for College History* by Frakes. Remember that your Term Paper or Research Paper in RHETORIC 102 also serves as your Term paper in HISTORY 151. By doing your RHETORIC assignments, you are doing your HISTORY assignments also. Fifth: A FINAL COMMENT: notice that there is a calendar icon. Find out how the course is structured with respect to due dates for on-campus (required meetings) and for materials to be turned in. Better mark those dates on your planners & palm pilots. They are firm. I simply cannot accept late materials because our schedule is so tight. I recommend you print out this syllabus and the syllabus for the associated concurrent course, HISTORY 151, and put them in a prominent place so you can refer to them often. The requirements for the two courses are not hard or severe--just the opposite. The courses are designed for your convenience. However, you will want to stay on top of things and watch your deadlines.

PART I: INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. To introduce students to different forms and styles of expository writing and composition. Specific instruction in analytical, critical, and evaluative writing forms and techniques.

2. To understand research methodology using MLA or Chicago style (or whatever style your college or university requires).

3. To utilize what what is being taught in the associated course, U.S. History to 1877, and specifically material from the American Civil War, as a thematic content to focus the reading and the writing of the research paper for RHT 102 and HIS 151.

4. Revision process for outline, bibliography, 2 rough and 1 final draft of research paper.

PART II: REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS

1. Out of Many, vol. 1 by Faragher (This is the text for the other course, HIS 151. Please Note: It is required that you register in the associated course, HISTORY 151. Go back to the Home page to Find History 151: History of the United States to 1977--with Civil War Emphasis.) A CDROM is on Reserve at the Help Desk in the Computer Lab in the AT Building under "Dr. Salzman's History CD-ROM". Its use is optional. There is also an online edition of the text in the "Supplementary Course Tools" page, accessible from the HOME PAGE.

2. Writing for College History by Frakes, any edition. This little pamphlet will be used in composing your expository essays and your TERM PAPER in HIS 151, which is also your term paper for this course.

3. A computer, described above.

4. Writing Research Papers by Weidenborner for RHETORIC 102. This gives you technical help in writing and composition, exercises to submit, online supplements, as well as a "timeline" for getting tasks accomplished in RHETORIC 102.

PART III: GRADING IN RHETORIC 102

Note: for information about your grade in HISTORY 151, you need to go back to HOME; then access the HISTORY 151 Mainpage; and then access "Course Objectives and Grades." Remember, they are two separate courses with different sets of objectives AND different grading criteria..

1. What is your grade in Rhetoric 102 based on? Your grade will be based on :

my estimation of your satisfactory performance on 4 online exercises in the "RHETORIC & COMPOSITION: Assignments(40%) and Exercises (5%)" area. These mostly concern helping you learn how to create expository essays. They are all available immediately, but have different due dates throughout the semester. Total available points = 45%.
on the quality of your postings on the "BULLETINS & DISCUSSIONS = 5%" area.
on the quality of your submissions in the "TERM PAPER=50%". I care about the Final Draft of the Research Paper, of course, but I also care about the processes leading up to your submitting of it, such as the completion of your first and second drafts.
Required Attendance in the on-campus class sessions (there will be approximately 5 sessions, 4 hours each)

2. WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS OF MY GRADE IN RHETORIC 102?

45 per cent of your grade will be based on the "RHETORIC & COMPOSITION: Assignments and Exercises = 45 %" mentioned above.
5 per cent of your grade will be based on your online postings and interactions in the "BULLETINS & DISCUSSIONS=5%" area. I will be especially interested to see in your discussions whether you can bring your understanding of history into your discussions, and if you can pose or answer a question in history by referring to History 151. The idea of the "interdisciplinary" course structure is to bring the separate disciplines together as much as possible, so that you get the "Big Picture" in your education.
50 per cent will be my evaluation of the process associated with the writing of the "TERM PAPER = 50%", and my evaluation of the final product.

3. GRADING SCALE

60%--69% = D

70%--79% = C

80%--89% = B

90%--100% = A

(Revised 12 / 2009)