Course Schedule:
Note: Subject to change. You are responsible for changes announced in class. There will also be a library orientation session (date to be announced). All readings should be complete before class on the dates indicated and may be discussed in any order. However, you should always bring all your current drafts—otherwise known as your portfolio—to class for every meeting in the Micro-Lab. Numbers in parenthesis refer to pages in the textbook.
NOTE: Exact blog deadlines will be posted on the class blog website
Week 1: Introduction to Rhetoric; Blogs.
T 8 March, W 9, TH 10 Syllabus and Course Introduction. Setting up Blogs. Blog 1: Autobiographical (Essay 1). Conceptions of audience. Annotating and Summarizing. Invention techniques. Thesis and topic sentences. Survey.
Week 2: “The Allegory of the Cave”
T 15 , W 16 ; TH 17 Excerpt from The Republic (24-27): “The Allegory of the Cave.” Writing an argument summary. Blog 2: Response to “The Allegory of The Cave.” Discuss incorporating text from a source into your own essay. Blog 3: “How do we know what is real?” Practice invention techniques.
Week 3: “The Allegory of the Cave” through History
T 22, W 23 ,TH 24 Discuss historical examples of illusory concepts. Ideology and culture. Blog 4: “The Allegory of the Cave” through history. Blog 5: Interaction with ENG 99: Evaluating a summary and giving peer feedback.
Week 4: The Matrix and Plato
T 29, W 30, TH 31 March Movie: The Matrix. Discussing a film as text. Blog 6: Symbolism in The Matrix. Evaluating sources. Begin work on Archives project.
FIRST SET OF BLOG EVALUATION AT THIS POINT
Week 5: The Matrix and the Free Will Vs Destiny Dilemma
T 5 April, W 6, TH 7 Documenting sources and MLA documentation style. Annotating sources. Blog 7: Compile annotated bibliography for media class paper. Discuss the choice of late 90s US as the Matrix choice by the computers. Using primary sources: the LaGuardia Archives project.
Week 6: Oedipus The King
T 12, W 13, TH 14 Discuss Oedipus the King. Blog 8: Ignorance, Bliss, and Knowledge in Oedipus the King and The Matrix. Blog 9: Media Paper draft. Continue work on LaGuardia Archives project. Blog 10: Reflection on blogger and writing.
Week 7:Spring Break
Week 8: Gattaca, and “The Other.”
T 26, W 27, TH 28 The concept of “the Other” in philosophy and psychology. Blog 11: Reflection on the concept of “the Other." Movie: Gattaca. “The Man on the Moon” (227-240). Blog 12: Response to “The Man on the Moon.”
Week 9: Gattaca as an Ethical Allegory
T 3 May, W 4, TH 5 Biology, Genetics, and Ethics. Blog 14: Gattaca . Field Trip: Museum of Moving Image. Blog 14: MOMI
DUE TUES 3 May: LaGuardia Archives project essay.
SECOND SET OF BLOG EVALUATION AT THIS POINT
Week 10 : Minority Report and trading off privacy for security
T 10, W 11, TH 12 May Begin work on Major Research Essay for ENG 103. Blog 15: Choice of topic for Major Research essay and possible areas to explore. Downshifting and paragraphing. Movie: Minority Report. Blog 16: Minority Report response
Week 11: Minority Report Free Will and Determinism
T 17 W 18 TH 19 May Discuss “Free Will and Determinism in the World of Minority Report” (103-112). Blog 17: Free will and determinism from Oedipus the King to Minority Report. Types of Sentences; Sentence Variety. Blog 18: Outline and annotated bibliography for Major Research essay.
Week 12: Major Research Essay for ENG 103
T 24, W 25, TH 26 Blog 19: Draft of major Research Essay
DUE T 24: RESEARCH ESSAY DRAFT (3 PRINTED COPIES).
Workshop on Research essay; you will work on suggested revisions from peer review.
Revision of Blogs.
Week 13: Hero, Palatable Lies and Unpalatable Truths
T 31, W 1 June, TH 2 Blog 20: Final draft of MAJOR RESEARCH PROJECT.
T 31 MAY:MAJOR RESEARCH PROJECT FINAL DRAFT DUE
Blog 21: Reflection . TH 2: last day of classes. Blog 22: Self-evaluation of blog. THIRD SET OF BLOG EVALUATION AT THIS POINT
Final Exams week
TH 9 Final essay: in-class blog
