1. MatthewC. Nelson Office Hours:Thursdayfrom2-3pm
Email: MNelson@bentley.edu Office Location:LaCava
Apptsby RequestviaSkype
Username:MatthewNelsonOfficeHours
Expository Writing 101
Spring 2016
Course Goal:
Thiscourse is designedtoincrease yourcompetence asacademicwriters.Assignmentswill
stresswritingasa multi-stagedprocessof imagination,organization,communication,andrevision.We
will consideravarietyof topicssuchas audience,voice,argument,composition,style,grammar,and
rhetoric.To hone yourtalentsascritical writers,thisclasswill alsoemphasize yourskillsascritical
readers.Accordingly,asubstantial amountof class time willbe devotedtoconstructivelyreadingand
evaluatingthe workof yourfellowstudents.
Course readingswill activelyaddressthe topicof education.Asaclass,we will interrogate
differenttheoriesaboutclassroompedagogyandconsiderthe responsibilitiesof beinganeducated
individualinsociety.Mygoal withthese readingsisthatafterthisclassyouwill be bettersuitednotto
receive, but to takean education.
Texts:
1) Reader: To be available online (viaemail until course website isup)
2) Supplies: Printerpaper and an ink cartridge (or a librarycopy/printingcard). Thiscourse requiresa
substantial amountof printing,sobe ready.
3) RecommendedHandbook:Rules for Writers,by DianaHacker (inbookstore).
Expectations:
Participation: Thisisa discussion-centeredcourse. Assuch,participationismandatory. Firstand
foremost,the primaryrule forclassparticipationanddiscussionisrespect. Whilerespectobviously
includesavoidinganyformof clearlyinsensitive and/oroffensive language,Iwanttohighlightthe more
subtle expectationsthatrespectrequires. Respectincludesthoughtfullyandconsideratelyweighing
(perhapssummarizing) the majorpointsmade bypreviousstudentsbefore respondingor addingto
classroomdiscussion. Respectalsorequiresofferingthoughtful andconstructive feedbackwhen
discussingyourfellowstudents’writingduringworkshops. Althoughitisclearlydisrespectful toprovide
non-constructive,excessivelynegative statementsaboutanotherstudent’swork,rememberthatitis
alsodisrespectful toomitanyobservationswhichmightimprove the qualityof herorhisdraft.
Attendance:While Ihope that youwill attendeveryclass,Iunderstandthatcomplicationsmayarise. As
such,you will be allowedtwoabsenceswithoutpenalty. Absencesexceedingthislimitwill countagainst
your final grade,loweringitbyone step(forexample,fromanA- to a B+). Attendance requiresarriving
to classon time and alert(coffee isnotonlywelcome,butencouraged!). Tardinesswill countas1/3 of
an absence. If youmissa class,readingresponsesmaybe turnedinat the nextclassmeetingwithout
penalty,butessaysare still expectedtobe turnedinontime.
Informal Responses:Asoutlinedonthe syllabus,wheneverreadingsare assignedyouare requiredto
write a shortone-half toone page engagementwiththe assignedreading. Thesereadingsmustbe typed
and broughtto classwithyoueveryday.My intentionwiththese assignmentsistodevelopyourability
as critical readersand to spark classroomdiscussion. Aslongasyourpaperdemonstratescareful

2. considerationof the material,youwill receivefull credit(markedbyacheckor check +). Because
responsesare intendedtopromptclassroomdiscussion,late discussionswill notbe accepted.
Formal Writing(Essays):All essaysshouldbe typedinMLA format,as outlinedinyourhandbook(pgs.
411-475). All roughandfinal draftsfor papersmustbe turnedinat the start of class.Late paperswill
have theirgradessignificantlylowered.Torespectthe time yourpeersputintocommentingonyour
paper,youare expectedtoprovide acomplete andpolishedversionof yourpaperbefore workshop.A
late or incomplete draftwillalsocountagainstthe grade youreceive onyourfinal draft.Yourfinal drafts
shouldinclude revisionsof yourfirstdraftbasedonthe feedbackprovidedbyyourpeers. Draftswill not
be gradedand are primarilyusedforworkshop. Computerproblemsare nota validexcuse foralate
paper. Please backupyourwork!
Workshops:Workshopsare an essentialcomponentof thiscourse.Wheneveraroughdraft isdue,you
will be requiredtobringatleast4 copiesof yourpaper:one for all fourmembersof yourworkshop
group(includingyourself).Failure toprovide enoughprintedcopieswill be countedasan absence and
youwill lose the opportunitytohave thatdraftreviewed. Beforeaworkshop,all studentsare expected
to readand comment(inwriting) oneverypaper intheirworkshopgroup.Duringworkshop,students
will be givenasheettofill outanddiscussduringthe classperiod.Iwill collectandgrade your
commentsthroughoutthe semesterinordertomonitoryourimprovementasreaders.We will also
have several “full class”workshopswhere aselectionof roughdraftswill be readanddiscussedbythe
entire class.Again,studentsare expectedtoreadandwrite commentsoneachdraft before class.
Service Learning Option:I will happilyconsiderproposals forservice learningprojectsthatrelate tothe
subjectmatterandor skillsfeaturedinthiscourse. Studentsacceptingaservice learningprojectwill
wantto meetwithShawnHausermaninBentleyService LearningCenter.All Service Learningproposals
mustfirstbe approvedbybothShawnand me.Please discussthiswithme immediatelyif youare
consideringaservice learningproject.
Revisions:One essaycan be revisedandresubmittedforabettergrade.Thisrevisionisdue onMay 9th
.
Revisionsmustinclude ashort½ page write-upexplainingyourchanges.Studentswhomeetwithme
extensivelythroughoutthe semestermightbe allowedtoreviseadditional papersona case-by-case
basis.
Grades:
Informal Responses,Workshops,GroupDiscussions,andParticipation: 10%
Music VideoEssay: 20%
Op-Ed AnalysisEssay: 25%
BentleyOp-EdEssay: 25%
Education History ReflectionEssay: 20%
*Please Note:“A”gradeswill onlybe givenforstudentswhoreceive “A”gradeson
papers.Active participationisexpected,butexceptional participationmightbumpa
“B” or lowergrade upone step. Grade percentagespostedhereare subjectto
change based on the relative requirementsof eachassignment.

3. Class Schedule
Jan 21: Course Expectations.
Jan 25: What makesa goodessay? Readings:Hughes,"How to Be a Bad Writer"; King,"EverythingYou
NeedtoKnowaboutWriting.”Informal Response:Whatdo you thinkaboutthese rules?Findpublished
articlesthatsupportand contradictthese suggestions. Assign:MusicVideoEssay
Jan 28: Readings:Close Readingwebsites (onblackboard).Informal Response:Doyouhave any
concerns aboutclose reading?Finda commercial oradvertisementthe classshould close read. Inclass
close readingexercises. Assign:groupsformusic videodiscussions.
Feb1: Music VideoGroupDiscussions
Feb4: Music VideoGroupDiscussions
Feb8: Readings: Orwell,“Politicsof EnglishLanguage.” Informal Response:Findexamplesof campaign
speechesOrwell wouldapprove of anddisapprove of.WhatdoyouthinkaboutOrwell’sviews? Due:
Music VideoRough Drafts.
Feb11: Readings:Workshoppapers. Inclass: Workshops.Nominateone essayto distributeforclass
discussion
Feb15: Readings:Berube,“Analyze,Don’tSummarize”;nominatedessays. Inclass: discussnominated
essays.NoInformal Response
Feb18: Readings:IntroductoryParagraphsActivity. Informal Response:Pickyourthree favorite and
three leastfavorite introductions.Discussyourreasoning. Due:MusicVideoFinal Drafts.
Feb22: InClassWritingActivities
Feb25: Readings:Dawkins, “TeachingPunctuationasaRhetorical Tool”;Cline,“Rhetorical Primer.”
Informal Response:Compare these strategiestothe close readingstrategies.Whatchallengesdoyou
see withusingthese approaches? Assign:Op-EdAnalysisEssay.
Feb29: Readings:Freire,“The BankingConceptof Education.”Informal Response:Freire isa difficult
text!Highlightwhatyoubelieveare some keytermsinthisarticle andfindsome confusingpassagesto
discussinclass. Assign:Op-Ed GroupDiscussions
March 3: Readings: Fish,“ButtonsandBows.”ToulminAnalysisWebsites (onblackboard).Informal
Response:Use Toulmintoanalyze Fish.Whatare some of hiscore assumptionsandhow dothey
undermine hisargument?Howmightsome of the otherrhetorical strategieshelpyou challenge Fish?
March 7: Readings: Group op-eds. Inclass: Discussgroupop-eds. Informal Response:Tobe determined
by eachgroup.
March 10: Readings:Group op-eds. Inclass: Discussgroupop-eds. Informal Response:To be
determinedbyeachgroup.
March 14: NoClass (SpringBreak)
March 17: NoClass (SpringBreak)

4. March 21: In Class: Grammar RelayRaces! Due: Rough Draft Op-Ed AnalysisEssay.
March 24: Readings:Workshoppapers. In class: Workshops.Nominate one essaytodistribute forclass
discussion
March 28: Readings:nominatedessays. Inclass:discussnominatedessays.NoInformal Response
March 31. Readings:JohnGatto, “AgainstSchool.”Informal Response:How doesGatto’s argument
measure upagainstyour ownexperiencesasa student? Due:Final Draft Op-Ed Analysis
April 4: Readings: DiscussOfri,“SAT.”Informal Response:How wouldOfri respondtoGatto’s
argument?What are Ofri’srhetorical strategiesandhow dotheyinformherargument? Assign:Bentley
Op-Ed Essay
April 7: Readings: Anzaldua, “LaGuera.” Informal Response:How do Anzaldua’sexperiencesresonate
withyourown?Anzalduahasa fairlyunique rhetorical strategy.How wouldyoudescribe itandhow
doesitinformherargument?
April 11: Readings:Moraga, “La Prieta.”Informal Response:Compare AnzalduaandMoraga. Rough
Draft BentleyOp-EdEssay Due.
April 14: Readings:entire classworkshop!
April 18: NoClass(Patriot’sDay)
April 21: Readings:entire classworkshop!
April 25: Readings:entire classworkshop!
April 28: Readings:entire classworkshop! Assign:EducationHistory ReflectionEssay.
May 2: In ClassActivities. Due:Final Draft BentleyOp-Ed.
May 4: Maybe class?(Potential Snow Makeup)
May 7: No Class — Due: Final Draft ReflectionEssay
May 9: No Class —Due:Revisions