This document is a syllabus for an English 1312 course titled "Research & Critical Writing" at UTEP. It outlines the major assignments, texts, policies, and schedule for the semester. Students will complete 4 essays of increasing length and complexity involving analysis, synthesis, and research. They will develop research and argumentation skills, maintain a blog, and present their research. The course aims to prepare students for successful college writing by developing skills in topics, arguments, research, and MLA format. Regular attendance and participation are expected, and assignments will be graded based on criteria provided for each.

1. Syllabus - English 1312 – Spring 2007
Research & Critical Writing
Christie Daniels
CRN – 22323/ MWF 10:30 A.M. – 11:20 A.M. / 230 UGLC
Office: Burges Hall 409
Office Hours MW 2:00-4:00PM; R 3:00-4:00PM and by appointment
Office Telephone: 747-6027
E-mail: cldaniels@utep.edu
Required Texts:
A Rhetoric of Argument, 3rd ed. Fahnestock and Secor (McGraw-Hill, 2004.) [FS]
A Guide to First-Year Composition, Tenth Edition (UTEP) [Guide]
Optional Texts:
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Sixth Edition, (2003)
Major Writing Assignments and Grade Percentages:
Assignments
Paper #1 100 points
Paper #2 100 points
Paper #3 200 points
Annotated Bibliography for Paper #3 50 points
Paper #4 200 points
Proposal for Paper #4 50 points
Presentation on Paper #4 50 points
In-Class Essays, Short Assignments, Quizzes, Blog, Participation 250 points
Final Exam 100 points
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Total 1100 points
Grading Scale
1100 – 990 points A
989 – 880 B
879 – 770 C
769 – 660 D
659 and below F
Attendance:
Regular attendance is required, and roll will be taken. Students will automatically be dropped from the class if they

2. miss 6 class meetings. A late arrival or early departure equals half an absence, unless cleared with the instructor
ahead of time. Missed in-class work may not be made up. Attendance on Peer Review days is mandatory. Peer Review
days count for 20% of the total points of the essay being worked on. If students are absent or arrive to class on Peer
Review Day without their three copies of their rough drafts (for group work) will be given an in-class assignment
and will lose credit toward the final grade on the essay.
Expected Behavior:
This is a college-level course. As such, disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Visiting with a neighbor, reading or
doing homework for another class, allowing your cell phone or pager to ring, or making wisecracks or private jokes
in class constitutes a disruption; you will be asked to leave immediately and be marked absent for the day.
Grading:
Course work is graded according to criteria outlined on the Assignment Sheets distributed at the beginning of each
project. All papers and assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date. Any late paper will
automatically lose 10 points off the grade each day it is late. If you are ill and cannot come to class on the day a paper
is due, contact the instructor and your finished paper should be emailed to the instructor via WEBCT prior to the
class time or given to a classmate to turn in for you. Homework assignments must be turned in by the next class after
the class period they are due in order to receive any credit. Likewise, papers and other major assignments must be
turned in
Students must take the Final Exam, and ALL assignments must be turned in to receive a passing grade for the course.
Do not come to the instructor at the end of the course and ask for extensions on missing work. Also, it is University
policy that any student who receives less than a C in English 1312 must retake the course. In addition, students who
earn below a C on the major research paper have not demonstrated proficiency in research writing and must retake
the course.
Course Goals:
ENG 1312 continues preparing students to be successful college writers. The Guide to First-Year Composition details
the specific skills that students will acquire and develop in ENG 1312. By the end of this course, students will be able
to find and narrow a topic; write an argumentative thesis statement; create logical arguments supporting and
opposing the thesis statement; use the rhetorical appeals of logos, pathos and ethos; conducting research; utilizing
MLA format.
Course Assignments:
Essay #1 – Analysis of an Argument. Students will analyze the argumentative strategies of a text (essay from the
text or elsewhere, newspaper editorial, magazine article, etc.), understanding the difference between summary and
analysis, They will look at different patterns of arguments; types of evidence; emotional, ethical, and logical appeals;
tone; and other important argumentative strategies. In their own essays, students incorporate and correctly cite
material from the texts they’re analyzing. Length: 3-4 pages

3. Essay #2 – Analysis and Synthesis of Arguments (Comparing Two Arguments). Students analyze the
argumentative strategies of two texts (essays from the text or elsewhere, newspaper editorials, magazine articles,
etc.), understanding the difference between summary and analysis. They will look at different patterns of arguments;
types of evidence; emotional, ethical, and logical appeals; tone; and other important argumentative strategies. In their
own essays, students incorporate and correctly cite material from the text they’re analyzing. Length: 4-5 pages.
Essay #3 – Researched Argument and PROPOSAL for Paper #3 Before writing this paper, students create a
PROPOSAL, which pinpoints and narrows their topic, establishes the precise focus and approach of the paper, and
describes planned research methods. Length: ¾ page. Once the PROPOSAL is approved by the instructor, students
develop an argument using the argumentative strategies they’ve studied. They practice analyzing their audience,
refining their tome, evaluating and incorporating sources, and using sources. Length: 4-5 pages.
Annotated Bibliography for Paper #3 – Students annotate sources for Paper #3. The emphasis here is on thorough,
substantive research. Students are required to locate different types of sources, including academic journal articles.
Sources should be as recent as possible. Particular focus is on library and internet research and correct
documentation. Page length: 2-3 pages.
Proposal for Paper #4 - Before writing this paper, students create a PROPOSAL, which pinpoints and narrows their
topic, establishes the precise focus and approach of the paper, and describes planned research methods. Length: ¾
page
Essay #4 – Researched Persuasive Paper. Once the PROPOSAL is approved by the instructor, students develop an
argument using the argumentative strategies they’ve studied. While the bulk of the research is from secondary
sources (books, articles), information from primary sources (Personal Interviews, Personal Research) is welcome. The
paper should be fairly directed toward a fairly specialized audience. Students need to take a position on an issue and
support that position using writing strategies and research acceptable to the audience. Length: 8-10 pages.
Presentations - Students will prepare and deliver to the class a 5 minute presentation on the topic of their research
from Paper #4.
In-Class Graded Writing - In preparation for essay exams in other classes, Eng 1312 provides students the
opportunity to practice extensive in-class writing. These short, impromptu essays will be evaluated and graded, with
specific feedback regarding suggestions for writing improvement.
Blog - All students will be required to keep a blog and write in it frequently. While not graded per se, blog entries
should be no shorter than a complete paragraph. Effort, originality and thorough blog entries will be rewarded.
Final Exam - The Final Exam will consist of an essay written on a topic given by the instructor
PLAGIARISM:
Stealing someone’s ideas or writing will not be tolerated. Suspected cases of plagiarism will be reported to the Dean

4. of Students.
Feel free to contact me anytime via e-mail (cldaniels@utep.edu) or come by my office during posted office hours.
Welcome to the class.

5. Syllabus - English 1312 – Spring 2007
Research & Critical Writing
Christie Daniels
CRN – 22323/ MWF 10:30 A.M. – 11:20 A.M. / 230 UGLC
Office: Burges Hall 409
Office Hours MW 2:00-4:00PM; R 3:00-4:00PM and by appointment
Office Telephone: 747-6027
E-mail: cldaniels@utep.edu
Week 1 Mon., Jan. 15 - Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday; NO CLASS
Wed., Jan. 17 - Course introduction; WEBCT/UTEP Email; Blog assignment; In-class essay #1;
Homework: Read Guide p. 135-140
Fri., Jan. 19 - Return and discussion of In-class Essay #1; Discussion of common errors;
Homework: Read Chapter 1 in FS
Week 2 Mon., Jan. 22 - Introduction to Essay #1 – Analysis of an Argument; Homework : Activity 1 on p. 11 in
FS
Wed., Jan. 24 - Homework : Activity 2 on p. 11 in FS; Read p. 151 -154 in Guide.
Fri., Jan. 26 - Essay #1 – Analysis of an Argument First Drafts Due for Peer Reviews (Bring 3
copies of RD and Guide) First draft day; Homework: Read Chapter 2 in FS
Week 3 Mon., Jan. 29 - Homework : ”For you to analyze” on p. 41 using McCaffrey article in FS.
Wed., Jan. 31 - Homework : Exercises 2.5 and 2.6 on p. 25 in FS; complete p. 161 in Guide using draft
Fri., Feb. 2 - Essay #1 – Analysis of an Argument Rough Drafts Due for Peer Reviews (Bring 3
copies of RD and Guide) ; Homework: Read Chapter 3 in FS
Week 4 Mon., Feb. 5 - Essay #1 – Analysis of an Argument Due; Homework : Exercise 3.1 from p. 55 in FS
Wed., Feb. 7 - Introduction to Essay #2 – Analysis and Synthesis of Arguments (Comparing Two
Arguments); Homework : Read Pitts column on pp. 75-76; Complete “For you to Write”
#2
Fri., Feb. 9 - Discussion of reading; group work; Homework: Read Chapter 4 in FS; Read 176-180 in
Guide
Week 5 Mon., Feb. 12 - Homework :Exercise 4.1 on p. 83 and Exercise 4.2 on p. 86 in FS
Wed., Feb. 14 - Homework :Activity 1 on p. 97 in FS
Fri., Feb. 16 - Essay #2 – Analysis and Synthesis of Arguments (Comparing Two
Arguments)Rough Drafts Due for Peer Reviews (Bring 3 copies of RD and Guide);
Homework: Read Chapter 5 in FS
Week 6 Mon., Feb. 19 - Fri., Feb. 23 Conferencing – NO CLASS;

6. Fri., Feb. 23 - Essay #2 – Analysis and Synthesis of Arguments (Comparing Two Arguments)Due;
Week 7 Mon., Feb. 26 - Introduction to Essay #3 – Researched Argument and PROPOSAL;
Homework :Exercise 5.1 (p. 108) and Exercise 5.2 (p. 114) in FS; read p. 183-85 in Guide
Wed., Feb. 28 - Homework :Exercise 5.3 (p. 117) and 5.4 (p. 119) in FS
Fri., Mar. 2- Discussion of readings; in-class writing; Homework: Read Chapter 6 in FS; complete
worksheet p. 187 Guide
Week 8 Mon., Mar. 5 - Homework :Exercise 6.1 (p. 139) and 6.2 (p. 142) in FS
Wed., Mar. 7- Paper #3- Researched Argument PROPOSAL DUE; Homework :Exercise 6.4 (p. 155),
Exercise 6.5 (p. 157), For you to write #1 (p. 168) in FS
Fri., Mar. 9 - Homework: Read Chapter 7 in FS; Read p. 199-202 in Guide
SPRING BREAK Mar. 12 - Mar. 16 – NO CLASS
Week 9 Mon., Mar. 19 - Annotated Bibliography for Paper #3 Due; Homework : For you to analyze 1-3 (p.
217) in FS
Wed., Mar . 21- Homework : For you to write #1 (p. 219) in FS
Fri., Mar. 23 - Paper #3- Researched Argument Rough Drafts Due – Peer Reviews; (Bring 3 copies
of RD and Guide); Homework: Read Chapter 8 in FS
Week 10 Mon., Mar. 26 - Homework :Exercise 8.2 (p. 241), Exercise 8.4 (p. 245) in FS
Wed., Mar. 28 - Homework :For you to write #2 (p. 263) in FS
Fri., Mar. 30 - Paper #3- Researched Argument Due; Homework: Read Chapter 9 in FS
Week 11 Mon., Apr. 2 - Introduction to Paper #4 - Researched Persuasive Paper; Homework :Exercise 9.4
(p. 302) in FS
Wed., Apr. 4 - Homework: Read Chapter 10 in FS; Read Guide p. 203-211
Fri., Apr. 6 - Good Friday – NO CLASSES
Week 12 Mon., Apr. 9 - Proposal for Paper #4 Due; Homework :Exercise 10.1 (p. 336), Exercise 10.2 (p. 341)
in FS
Wed., Apr. 11 - Homework : Exercise 10.4 (p. 349), Exercise 10.5 (p. 356), Exercise 10.6 (p. 360) in FS
Fri., Apr. 13 - Homework: Read Chapter 11 in FS
Week 13 Mon., Apr. 16 - Paper #4 - Researched Persuasive Paper Rough Drafts Due - Peer Reviews (Bring 3
copies of RD and Guide); Homework :Exercise 11.1 (p. 381) in FS
Wed., Apr. 18 - Student Presentations of Paper #4 argument
Fri., Apr. 20 - Student Presentations of Paper #4 argument

7. Week 14 Mon., Apr. 23 - Student Presentations of Paper #4 argument
Wed., Apr. 25 - Student Presentations of Paper #4 argument
Fri., Apr. 27 - Paper #4 - Researched Persuasive Paper Due
Week 15 Mon., Apr. 30 - Homework: work on blog entries
Wed., May 2 - Last day of class; evaluations; complete blog entries for grading by 11:00 PM.