We do not need to agree, but we do need to share ideas and to learn to communicate with a clear and open mind, in clear and meaningful language. This book encourages students to engage in public discourse. These “conversations” take place in writing, language composed in accordance with the guidelines of standard written English.
Our Classroom is AmericaWelcome to Engaging DiscourseEditor's NoteThe Definition of "Discourse"READ THIS NOW! A Preface for Students and InstructorsMillennials or Gen Z?Unit One: EducationReadings, Responsibilities, & Objectives for Unit One: EducationReadingsIsaac Asimov, "What Is Intelligence, Anyway?" (Publication date unknown)Russell Baker, "School vs. Education" (1975)Mike Rose, "I Just Wanna Be Average" (1989)AssignmentsSentence Exercise #1Sentence Exercise #2Reader Response #1Reader Response #2Unit One Essay TopicsResourcesReader Response GuidelinesWhy MLA?The Principle of Rising RigorIntroducing Texts or Sources for the Benefit of the "Outside" AudienceAnother Form of Quotation IntegrationQuotation IntegrationSuggested Outline for Essay One, Option 1a.Further Inquiry & ResearchAdditional Source Materials by TopicUnit Two: FeminismReadings, Responsibilities, & Objectives for Unit Two: FeminismReadingsJudy Brady, "Why I Want a Wife" (1971)Margaret Atwood, "Pornography" (1988)Gloria Steinem, "Erotica and Pornography" (1983)Wendy McElroy, "A Feminist Defense of Pornography" (1997)Susan Brownmiller, "Femininity" (1984)"Rape and Modern Sex War" by Camille Paglia (1988)AssignmentsSentence Exercise #3Reader Response #3Paragraph Exercise #1Reader Response #4Unit Two Essay TopicsResources"Feminism": Denotation and ConnotationPurpose & AudienceLogos, Ethos, or Pathos?The Definition of Pornography in AmericaFurther Inquiry & ResearchAdditional Source Materials by TopicUnit Three: Political CorrectnessReadings, Responsibilities, & Objectives for Unit Three: Political CorrectnessReadingsAlleen Pace Nilsen, "Sexism in English: A 1990s Update" (1990)George Orwell, "Politics and the English Language" (1946)John Taylor, "Are You Politically Incorrect?" (1991)AssignmentsParagraph Exercise #2An Exercise in Peer Critical AnalysisUnit Three Essay TopicsResourcesDefinition of "Politically Correct"Definition of "Social Justice Warrior"PC in the ClassroomThe Importance of AttributionThe "N" WordFurther Inquiry & ResearchAdditional Source Materials by TopicUnit Four: An Introduction to Research in the 21st CenturyReadings, Responsibilities, & Objectives for Unit Four: An Introduction to Research in the 21st CenturyReadingsOptional: a novel to be determined by the instructorSuggestions:Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2003)Alice Walker, The Color Purple (1982)George Orwell, 1984 (1949)AssignmentsBook Review AssignmentResearch Assignment Associated with the NovelLibrary AssignmentAnnotated Bibliography AssignmentUnit Four Essay TopicsResourcesResearch in the 21st CenturyA Few Key DefinitionsThe National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Definition of 21st Century LiteraciesMajor Research QuestionFurther Inquiry & ResearchAdditional Source Materials by TopicUnit Five: Social PsychologyReadings, Responsibilities, & Objectives for Unit Five: Social PsychologyReadingsStanley Milgram and Paul Hollander, "Paralyzed Witnesses: The Murder They Heard" (1964)Stanley Milgram, "The Perils of Obedience" (1974)AssignmentsReader Response #5Reader Response #6Unit Five Essay TopicsResourcesA Worksheet on Stanley Milgram and Paul Hollander's "Paralyzed Witnesses: The Murder They Heard"Integrating a Minor SourceThe Rhetorical SituationA Worksheet on Stanley Milgram's "The Perils of Obedience"Comparing QuotationsOffering a Contrary Viewpoint as an Effective Rhetorical StrategyReadability ScoreFurther Inquiry & ResearchAdditional Source Materials by TopicUnit Six: The Web EffectReadings, Responsibilities, & Objectives for Unit Six: The Web EffectReadingsLangdon Winner, "Mythinformation" (1986)AssignmentsReader Response #7Unit Six Essay TopicsResourcesBrainstorming on "Mythinformation"A Brief History of the InternetPodcasting Your AbstractFurther Inquiry & ResearchAdditional Source Materials by TopicNotesAfterword for Deans and Department ChairsOutcomes & Objectives for First Year College CompositionSuggested Course Structure, Hierarchy of Assignments, Timelines, & Point ValuesReading, Literacy, & Composition StandardsThe Role of Two-Year Colleges in American Higher EducationAcknowledgments"Questions for Comprehension" Response KeyIndex