Writing 5 Section Descriptions for Winter Term 2010

Writing 5 -- Expository Writing

Hour: 10A; Instructor: Jane Carroll

Description:

By focusing on how images convey power and the theories surrounding the crafting of those messages, this class will work to further develop your written, verbal and visual literacy. Based on a series of case studies culled from Western history, we will examine art works, primary sources and secondary literature to analyze how rulers create a message and a legacy. There will be weekly written assignments that will progress from visual description to critical reading skills, culminating in a sustained argument surrounding a specific image. In addition, students will learn how to revise their work through their own revisions, faculty comments and peer review.

Attendance policy:
Regular attendance is required as writing is a process and class discussion, as a way to improve oral expression, is a critically important part of the course. A maximum of two absences is permitted. More than two absences without prior permission will result in the final grade for the course being lowered.

Hour: 10A; Instructor: Nancy Crumbine

Description:

Readings from philosophy and literature will focus on questions of education. What does it mean to be educated, how does one become educated, have I ever been educated, will I ever be educated? Who educates and to what end? Or, what exactly am I doing here at Dartmouth anyway? Readings will include short selections from Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Arendt, Freire, Salinger, Suskind, and Kozol. Discussing these selected texts, other works of fiction, and several films, students will develop their skills in critical reading, writing, and oral presentation. Writing assignments will move from memoir through various forms of discourse to academic argument. A full introduction to library research is integrated into this course, as are discussions on the importance of imagination, creativity, and humor. Students will draw from their own educational experiences and ideas, as well as those of the writers we read.

Attendance policy:
As participation in discussion/workshop is central to this class, and because every voice is important and interesting, attendance is required. Unique circumstances can be discussed, of course. More than two undiscussed/unexcused absences will reduce the grade.

Hour: 2A; Instructor: Nancy Crumbine

Description:

Readings from philosophy and literature will focus on questions of education. What does it mean to be educated, how does one become educated, have I ever been educated, will I ever be educated? Who educates and to what end? Or, what exactly am I doing here at Dartmouth anyway? Readings will include short selections from Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Arendt, Freire, Salinger, Suskind, and Kozol. Discussing these selected texts, other works of fiction, and several films, students will develop their skills in critical reading, writing, and oral presentation. Writing assignments will move from memoir through various forms of discourse to academic argument. A full introduction to library research is integrated into this course, as are discussions on the importance of imagination, creativity, and humor. Students will draw from their own educational experiences and ideas, as well as those of the writers we read.

Attendance policy:
As participation in discussion/workshop is central to this class, and because every voice is important and interesting, attendance is required. Unique circumstances can be discussed, of course. More than two undiscussed/unexcused absences will reduce the grade.

Hour: 9L; Instructor: Richard Crocker

Description:

Happiness

In this course, we will read, write, and talk about happiness. Using the methods both of introspection and investigation, we will try to understand how philosophers, theologians, psychologists, writers, and ordinary people have understood the meaning and conditions of happiness. Students will have the opportunity to practice and revise several different writing formats, including personal essays, arguments, and a research paper. We will read selections from philosophers, historical literature, the contemporary psychological literature on happiness, and documents from popular culture. Class discussions are essential.

Attendance policy:
Each student is allowed two absences. Additional absences require consultation with the professor.

Hour: 10; Instructor: John Donaghy

Description:

Madness, Terror, Intuition: How to Help Your Unconscious Murder the Five Paragraph Essay

Approach to Writing: In "Madness, Terror, Intuition" we will closely examine the processes which underlie every kind of writing in every discipline. We will explore how writers and academics gather information, perceive patterns in it, interpret those patterns, construct an argument based on that interpretation, force their way through rough drafts and revise for clarity. We will approach academic writing as a creative enterprise — not as a way of displaying what you already know, but as a way of solving problems, of intuiting solutions and bringing them as fully as possible into clear, strong language.

Our readings will provide an odd variety of perspectives on the obscure non-rational forces that lie behind our apparently reasonable thoughts and actions. Texts will include Sophocles' Oedipus, Euripides' Bacchae, bits of Virgil's Aeneid, Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams, Claxton's Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind and a variety of student dreams and essays.

Attendance policy:
We have a lot to cover in a very short time, so you can't afford to miss class. I allow two unexcused absences per term; a third will lower your final grade. Please note that athletic absences are unexcused.

Hour: 11; Instructor: Bed Giri

Description:

Global Diasporas

This course approaches academic writing as a practice of reasoned conversation within a scholarly community. Its objective is to explain basic genres and contexts of academic writing so as to encourage students to adopt them in their own writing. Most writing in the course will be done in stages and as part of a process that involves research and revision. Readings will explore topics in global diasporas (Jewish, Caribbean, African-American, Indian, Chinese, and so forth) drawn from various sources. Required texts will include Robin Cohen's Global Diasporas: An Introduction and The Craft of Research by Wayne Booth, Gregory Colomb and Joseph Williams.

Attendance policy:
Regular attendance is required; requests for emergency absences will need to be routed through the Dean's office.

Hour: 2A; Instructor: Marlene Heck

Description:

Nothing is quite so hard to talk about as writing, but almost nothing we do as students, scholars and professionals is as important as writing. This term we will read a variety of sources that focus on some aspect of America's Founders and the world they attempted to create after the Revolutionary War. As we read and engage with the ideas offered by Joseph Ellis (a 'band of brothers' who checked and balanced each other) and Gordon Wood (their careful cultivation of personal character set them apart), and sample other points of view from book chapters, journal articles, critical reviews and essays from The New Yorker, we'll pay close attention to the presentation of arguments, narrative structure and language patterns. Then you will apply what you've learned — the art as well as the craft of writing — as you write and rewrite and critique the work of your classmates.

Attendance policy:
Because this is a small and intensive course, its success depends on the full participation of each student. You are required to attend each session and to contribute to every discussion. If you must miss class, you must notify the instructor in advance. Legitimate absences may be negotiated, but after two unexcused absences your course grade automatically falls by a full grade. Three or more unexcused absences will be brought to the attention of your class dean. Thoughtful, stimulating seminars are not possible if the participants are unprepared; therefore, it is essential that reading and writing assignments be completed. You are expected to shape and lead the discussions, and to challenge the assertions of the readings, of the instructor, and of each other.

Hour: 12; Instructor: Julie Kalish

Description:

Strong analytical writing requires strong analytical reading and thinking skills, applied both inside and outside of the classroom. Together we will hone our critical skills by entering one of this country's foremost loci of persuasive argument: the U. S. Supreme Court. Students will work collaboratively as they become class experts on the legal, social, and political issues surrounding one of five selected cases currently sitting before the Court. Case topics include 1st Amendment free speech, and separation of church and state; 8th Amendment cruel & unusual punishment; environmental regulation and the "Takings" clause; and 14th and 5th Amendment Due Process. Readings will include traditional academic texts, cases, and law review articles, as well as more popular "texts" such as newspaper and magazine articles, blogs, interest group publications, television programming, and so on. Students will research and write both as individuals and as groups, and will produce short analytical essays, wikis, and a culminating research paper on a case-related issue of their choosing.

Attendance policy:
Class attendance is mandatory. Students are permitted two absences, excused or otherwise, before their participation grade suffers. Students missing more than four class periods for non-emergency reasons risk failing the course.

Hour: 2A; Instructor: Barbara Kreiger

Description:

This section of Writing 5 is based on the assumption that reading and writing are intertwined and are mutually enriching activities. We will emphasize close reading and the process of writing — how we choose, identify, and define the focus of an essay, and how we refine our written responses to various topics. Our approach will rely on reflection as a critical component in effective writing, and students will be encouraged to revise regularly.

We will be reading essays about experiences ranging from the apparently insignificant to the obviously dramatic, and we'll discuss the relationship between events and interpretations. From there we'll follow a process that brings analysis and reflection together in our work.

Attendance policy:
Students are expected to attend class regularly.

Hour: 9; Instructor: Thomas Luxon

Description:

Love and Friendship from Plato to Hemingway

This course will introduce you to an array of skills necessary to the tasks of critical reading and analytical writing. We shall read, discuss and develop critical analyses of a selection of texts that focus on friendship and love, from Plato and Aristotle to Montaigne, Shakespeare and Hemingway. We will practice strategies for reading a variety of texts — philosophy, essays, drama, and prose fiction — with an eye to writing critical analyses of them. Throughout, students will be encouraged to be active as well as collaborative learners and to foster the habits of mind required for success in academic writing. There will be frequent short writing exercises and four formal essays.

Attendance policy:
Because the course relies on student participation in discussion and writing workshops, it cannot properly function without regular attendance. I expect students to attend every class on time. Miss two classes and I contact you; miss three, I contact your dean. After two absences your grade for participation will decline 10% for each additional absence.

Hour: 10; Instructor: Kevin McCarthy

Description:

Slavery in Modern America

I believe, above all, writing is a process. In my teaching I advocate this value and focus on the importance of that process. The primary theme of this section is Slavery in Modern America. During the term we'll look primarily at the new book by Pulitzer prize-winning author and journalist Douglas Blackmon, Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II. We'll also look at the state of race relations in the south of the United States and investigate what progresses or backward steps have occurred.

Attendance policy:
You may accumulate a maximum of three unexcused absences without grade penalty. Beyond three unexcused absences your grade will be impacted. Absences accrued because of college-sanctioned sports or other extra-curricular activities may be excused without penalty at my discretion.

Hour: 2A; Instructor: Kevin McCarthy

Description:

Slavery in Modern America

I believe, above all, writing is a process. In my teaching I advocate this value and focus on the importance of that process. The primary theme of this section is Slavery in Modern America. During the term we'll look primarily at the new book by Pulitzer prize-winning author and journalist Douglas Blackmon, Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II. We'll also look at the state of race relations in the south of the United States and investigate what progresses or backward steps have occurred.

Attendance policy:
You may accumulate a maximum of three unexcused absences without grade penalty. Beyond three unexcused absences your grade will be impacted. Absences accrued because of college-sanctioned sports or other extra-curricular activities may be excused without penalty at my discretion.

Hour: 2A; Instructor: William Nichols

Description:

Nature, Technology, and Imagination

In "Nature, Technology, and Imagination" we'll consider the relationship between humans and the rest of nature. Along with other environmental themes, we'll focus on architecture, a discipline that works to design structures that resist natural processes such as weather while adding beauty to the world. Architecture often fosters controversy, sometimes laughter.

Our talk about writing might stir up controversy too. Thoughtful, imaginative writing seems to require solitude, but writers also need community. Is there a proper balance? How are thinking and writing influenced by technologies of communication such as Blitzing, texting, tweeting, and cell phones?

Our reading will include nonfiction by Terry Tempest Williams (Refuge), Henry Thoreau (Walden), Bill McKibben (Deep Economy), and Michael Pollan (A Place of My Own), as well as Leslie Marmon Silko's Native American novel Ceremony. We'll build essays from memory, imagination, interviews, observation, library research, and our common reading.

Attendance policy:
Up to three unexcused absences are allowed but not encouraged. We should talk about any additional scheduling problems.

Hour: 12; Instructor: Terry Osborne

Description:

The Snow Leopard

Writing is a recursive and responsive process; the writer gathers information, organizes, focuses, drafts and revises, the length and order of each stage determined not only by the writer's growing sense of his or her own work, but by feedback from prospective readers. It's a slow process too; ideas need time to percolate and deepen. But it's a reliable process, effective with narrative and exploratory essays as well as argumentative analyses.

Students will engage in that process as often and thoroughly as ten weeks will allow, while reading The Snow Leopard, Peter Matthiessen's memoir of his 1973 journey to Nepal with field biologist George Schaller. Supporting readings will explore different topics and disciplines in the book, from Schaller's field studies on blue sheep and snow leopards to biographical sketches of Matthiessen to pieces on Buddhism and Nepal. The goal will be to discover, and write about, how deeply transforming a journey to a foreign land can be.

Attendance policy:
Students are expected to attend every class. Excused absences for college-sponsored commitments are allowed, but because of the importance of in-class work, are not recommended. More than one unexcused absence will affect a student's final grade. Any work missed due to absence, whether excused or not, must be made up.

Hour: 11; Instructor: Wendy Piper

Description:

The purpose of this course is to strengthen students' critical thinking, reading, and writing skills through study of selected texts. Class time will be spent in discussion of the texts we'll write about and workshops designed to develop skills as readers and writers. We'll review student essays; plan, draft, and revise essays; and review elements of style and grammar. Writing assignments will be both formal and informal. The theme of the course is literature and the environment. We'll explore the connections between people and place, nature and culture, and nature and religion. Readings for the course will include works by Emerson, Thoreau, Faulkner, and Kingsolver.

Attendance policy:
Regular attendance is required. A maximum of three absences is permitted. More than three absences will result in a student's final grade being lowered by one letter grade for each additional class missed.

Hour: 2; Instructor: Wendy Piper

Description:

The purpose of this course is to strengthen students' critical thinking, reading, and writing skills through study of selected texts. Class time will be spent in discussion of the texts we'll write about and workshops designed to develop skills as readers and writers. We'll review student essays; plan, draft, and revise essays; and review elements of style and grammar. Writing assignments will be both formal and informal. The theme of the course is literature and the environment. We'll explore the connections between people and place, nature and culture, and nature and religion. Readings for the course will include works by Emerson, Thoreau, Faulkner, and Kingsolver.

Attendance policy:
Regular attendance is required. A maximum of three absences is permitted. More than three absences will result in a student's final grade being lowered by one letter grade for each additional class missed.

Hour: 10A; Instructor: Ellen Rockmore

Description:

The Evolving Law of Personal Rights

In this section, we will use Supreme Court opinions on privacy rights, such as reproductive and sexual rights, as the context for improving writing. Through judicial opinions, as well as journalists' accounts of Supreme Court deliberations and writings by Supreme Court Justices, we will examine how judges make decisions when important personal rights are at stake. Students will employ processes of draft and revision, as well as frequent peer feedback, in order to improve the clarity of their writing and the strength of their arguments.

Attendance policy:
Attendance is required. If a student has two or more unexcused absences, I reserve the right to lower that student's grade.

Hour: 10A; Instructor: Jennifer Sargent

Description:

Crime, the Criminal Mind and the Courtroom

Students in this course will discover the craft of expository writing while analyzing criminality and society's responses to crime. Students will read a variety of non-fictional accounts of crime and its aftermath, and will write about them using several expository organizational patterns. Readings include Truman Capote's In Cold Blood and Vincent Bugliosi's Helter Skelter. The professor, a former criminal defense attorney and current judge, will emphasize the importance of technical writing and use of voice and style. Students will come to understand that persuasive writing incorporates clarity of topic, factual precision, and organization in analysis. In order to help students develop comfortable and effective writing styles, the professor will introduce students to adult learning theory and encourage students to become familiar with their own learning styles. Students will actively participate in the exchange of feedback, critique and collaborative learning with each other. The professor will also teach students to speak persuasively about their writing.

Attendance policy:
Attendance is mandatory. Students are expected to attend every class. Any unexcused absence shall result in grade reduction. Unexcused absences include the following: oversleeping, computer failures, hangovers, road trips, and sporting events. The professor shall notify the student after two unexcused absences, and shall notify the deans after three unexcused absences. Five unexcused absences earn a student an automatic failure in the course. Personal illness (as opposed to a brief indisposition), family-emergency or weather-related flight delays, verified by a dean, are excused absences. This professor requires absent students to make up all missed work. There will be homework assignments for each class in addition to assigned reading and approximately one paper due each week. This professor does not accept late papers or grant paper extensions for any reason except a true emergency, verified by a dean.

Hour: 10A; Instructor: Carl Thum

Description:

The purpose of our course is to enhance your critical and analytical writing, reading, and thinking skills, as well as to develop your presentation and research skills. We will read, discuss, and write about a variety of texts: novels, essays, and poetry. The novels will include The Kite Runner, The Joy Luck Club, The House on Mango Street, and Beloved.

Writing experts agree: the best way to improve your writing is to write. You will write a two-page paper each week. You will also write a ten-page research paper, based on a novel of your choice.

There will be opportunities to revise your written work, and a considerable amount of class time will be dedicated to discussing your papers.

Attendance policy:
Class discussion is a critically important part of this course. More than three absences (for whatever reasons) will lower your final grade.

Hour: 3B; Instructor:

Description:

Critical Voices

In this course, students will read and engage with a central text — Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre — as well as a variety of critical responses to that text. Each essay will represent a particular theoretical perspective (feminist, psychoanalytic, deconstruction, cultural studies, etc. ), allowing students to become familiar with a variety of critical approaches. Students will not only gain practice in analyzing and responding to an argument, but will use these essays as a springboard for developing their own critical writing skills as we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each work. Topics will include: developing and organizing an argument, discovering your "voice, " marshalling evidence to support an argument, working with secondary sources, and revising for clarity.

Attendance policy:
Class discussion and participation are a critical part of this course. For that reason, students are expected to attend every class. More than three unexcused absences will affect a student's final grade. Any work missed due to absence must be made up.