ENG 101-13 Expository Writing: Climate Change and Multimedia

Spring, 2018Mondays and Wednesdays, 1-2:15 p.m.

Callaway Center N203

INSTRUCTOR: Sheila Tefft, Senior Lecturer, Emory Writing Program, Department of English

OFFICE HOURS: Mondays and Wednesday, 2:30-4 p.m., CallawayCenter S413 or by appointment

EMAIL CONTACT: stefft@emory.edu                           404-727-6930

About Climate Change and Multimedia                      Every day environmental issues grow in importance and complexity. Global warming has emerged as the major threat to the world around us as carbon dioxide emissions and severe weather incidents increase. After decades of delay, widespread consensus that climate change is taking place produced an international accord in December, 2015 on steps to limit the growth of greenhouse gasses and mitigate global warming. Officials from almost 200 countries, meeting in Paris at the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP 21), agreed to efforts aimed at curbing carbon dioxide emissions, holding the temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius, and strengthening the capacity to deal with climate change impacts. Earlier this year, the Trump administration withdrew the United States from the Paris agreement on climate change.

This expository writing course builds upon these initiatives and developments and presents opportunities for you to write in various genres about climate science and the interdisciplinary ways climate change plays out in politics, the economy, business, societies and cultures. Your work will go beyond just exploration of the problem and will seek ways to lessen the impact of global warming for the present and the future. In the process, you will build a semester portfolio encompassing a variety of genres written for specific audiences and reflect often on your growth as a writer about climate complexities. Your capstone effort will be a reflection letter about your success in developing a theory of writing and meeting the learning outcomes set down for this course.

Our class will function as a workshop. We will focus on process and write frequently in the classroom. We also will discuss readings and PowerPoint presentations that you will complete ahead of our sessions. Our goal is to develop familiarity with the concepts of genre, audience, and other terms in the language of rhetoric and criticism. These key terms will be essential in producing frequent reflections on your work and assessing your portfolio in your reflection letter at the end of the semester.

The course assignments will combine traditional composition and multimedia. Your first project will be an inquiry-based essay in which you will employ techniques of closereading, research and argumentation to analyze and present information from diverse sources. This assignment will prepare you to produce compelling, well-argued essays throughout your career at Emory. The course also has a strong multimedia focus that will equip you to use technology and communicate with the general public. The media are the public’s primary sources of information on science and climate change and shape the decisions of governments, institutions, businesses and individuals. Nuanced writing, technology knowhow and a grasp of the issues are key to communicating climate challenges and options to a broad audience. This course does not assume any background in climate science, composition, media writing or journalism. To showcase your work, you will create and develop your own website as part of the Emory Domain of One’s Own program and publish your multimodal writing. This project will prepare you for digital citizenship and teach you best practices for online publication. Your online presence will allow you to archive your work, engage your readers and viewers, and build a digital identity that will last beyond this course. Through your classmate’s websites, you will have the opportunity to read each other’s writing and create a networked course community. This course enables students to learn side by side.

I expect you to be an engaged writer and participant. Students must come to class prepared to discuss readings and complete assignments. Climate change is a developing news story, and strong writers are well-informed and critical readers and viewers. You should be regularly reading The New York Times and following climate change developments in the news.

Course Learning OutcomesBy the end of this course you will be able to

Compose texts in multiple genres, using multiple modes with attention to rhetorical situations.

Summarize, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the ideas of others as you undertake scholarly inquiry in order produce your own arguments.

Practice writing as a process, recursively implementing strategies of research, drafting, revision, editing, and reflection.

Understand basic principles and issues of climate science and distill and explain them for the public.

Use web and podcast technologies to produce multimodal reports on climate change for a general audience.

These outcomes have been adapted for Emory first-year writing courses from a set developed by the Council of Writing Program Administrators (http://wpacouncil.org/positions/outcomes.html).

Required TextsSix Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet, Mark Lynas, National Geographic Society, 2008.Other readings will be available on Course Reserves.

Special EventMock United Nations Climate TalksTuesday, March 20 evening, White Hall 207The class will participate in an exercise recreating the annual UN climate talks. Each of you will research and represent a country or interest group and then write about the experience afterwards. This will be held on the Emory campus as part of the Atlanta Science Fesitval events. Everyone is required to attend and will have one free class to compensate for the time. More details to be announced later.

Course Requirements and GradingThis is a writing-intensive course. You will write and undertake different kinds of compositional, print, broadcast and online writing. We will emphasize clear, concise expression, solid research and reporting, and the accurate presentation of facts. We will pay close attention to the mechanics of good writing: grammar, spelling, punctuation, precise word choice, strong sentences and well-organized paragraphs. We will use these building blocks to help you develop clarity in all your writing, a well-structured argument in your essay, and ease in communicating with the general public.

Each major writing assignment will involve several parts including rough drafts, peer editing, my comments, and the final draft. You will submit rough drafts for peer editing and my critique. I will be available to meet and discuss revisions. You will then rewrite, revise and submit a final draft. All assignments must be submitted on the designated due date and time. Deadlines are taken seriously in this course and late assignments will not be accepted, except in the case of a documented personal or family emergency. You are required to submit all parts of an assignment. Failure to do so will result in reduction of the final grade by a half-grade for each part missed.

I will not give a final exam in the class but will be available during the last week of classes for individual meetings.

1.Final portfolio with reflection letter, 15 percentThroughout the semester you will assemble a portfolio of your work. The portfolio will include short writing assignments, drafts, reflections about writing in progress, and final drafts. Toward the end of the semester, you will use this collection as evidence to argue in a reflective essay that you have achieved the learning outcomes for the course.

2. An inquiry-based research essay on a topic from Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet, 15 percent

3. Op-ed, 15 percent

A fully developed opinion piece or op-ed. The article should focus on the research essay issue, be researched well and follow a line of argument. 4. Podcast assignment, 15 percent. A podcast script to use with recorded interviews in producing an audio report.

5. Carbon Footprint Bogs Project and other blogs, 25 percent. We will undertake a semester-long project to compute our carbon footprints in your home environment and at school. After analyzing your footprints, you will write a series of blogs explaining your findings and suggesting ways to reduce the impact of your activities and lifestyle.

I also will ask you to blog about events and films during the semester. 6. Twitter posts and other social media, 5 percent

7. Domain, 10 percent. Sign up for your domain at http://www.domain.emory.edu/

8. Class participation, 10 percent We live in lively and challenging times. A significant part of your grade will rest on active, thoughtful and consistent participation in class. Attendance is only part of your class participation grade; you cannot receive an A in class participation merely by showing up. I expect you to prepare for class discussions and writing assignments by completing the assigned reading and viewing presentations. By this I mean researching reading, engaging in the class, speaking up and respectfully responding to others in your midst. When you are reading and responding to personal emails, you are not participating; this will count significantly against assessment of your participation. Exceptional engagement will improve your grade while a lack of involvement will hurt the final outcome.

Course AssessmentExplanation of Letter Grades A: An excellent response to the assignment. Demonstrates a sophisticated use of rhetorical knowledge, writing, and design techniques.

B: A good response to the assignment. Demonstrates an effective use of rhetorical knowledge, writing, and design techniques. May have minor problems that distract reader.

C: An average response to the assignment. Demonstrates acceptable use of rhetorical knowledge, writing, and design technique. May have problems that distract reader.

D: A poor response to the assignment. Demonstrates a lack of rhetorical knowledge and writing and design technique. May have significant problems that distract reader.

F: A failure to respond to the assignment appropriately.

Grading ScalePercentage Letter Emory Quality Points93.00-100 A 4.090.00-92.99 A- 3.786.00-89.99 B+ 3.383.00-85.99 B 3.080.00-82.99 B- 2.776.00-79.99 C+ 2.373.00-75.99 C 2.070.00-72.99 C- 1.766.00-69.99 D+ 1.360.00-65.99 D 1.000.00-59.99 F 0.0

Your Responsibilities I place great emphasis upon these responsibilities:1. Absences and PunctualityAttending every class and arriving on time is essential. We will often complete writing assignments in class. Everyone’s input is important to a rich and beneficial experience. I will take attendance at the beginning of each class and expect everyone to be present. Late arrivals are very disruptive and disrespectful to your classmates and to me; habitual tardiness will hurt your final grade.I consider more than two unexcused absences excessive and will reduce your grade by one-third of a letter for every class you miss after the two allowed. Other absences for illness or personal emergencies need to be documented in writing. In-class participation represents a significant portion of your grade. It is important for you to attend every class meeting and be engaged.2.AccuracyYou will be writing about the many facets and complexities of climate change: science, politics, economics, and culture. Getting the information right is the first job of any writer. Your credibility depends upon it. A major factual error on a paper, such as the misspelling of a name, will result in a significantly lowered grade.3. DeadlinesAll assignments are due by the time and date specified. I will not accept late work without granting advance permission via email, and permission is not guaranteed. Even with advance arrangement, late work will cause your grade for the assignment to decrease by one letter for each class period the assignment is late. Meet with me if you feel your

situation warrants an exception to this rule. Bring appropriate documentation to this meeting.4. Contact/CommunicationEmail is the best way to contact me if you have questions or concerns. Generally, I will respond to all student emails within 24 hours (although on weekends and holidays, it may take a little longer). Likewise, there may be instances when I will need to contact you by email. It is your responsibility to check your Emory-based email account at least once every 24 hours.5. Electronic DevicesCell phones should be silenced and stowed during class. I also ask that you store all electronic devices when we have class guests or make field trips so that you can give speakers your undivided attention. I allow the use of laptops for class-related work but not for checking personal email. If you have compelling personal business to conduct, please leave the classroom and take care of it. Checking personal email during class time will hurt your grade significantly.6. Academic IntegrityThe Honor Code ( http://catalog.college.emory.edu/academic/policy/honor_code.html ) is in effect throughout the semester. By taking this course, you affirm that it is a violation of the code to cheat on exams, to plagiarize, to deviate from the teacher's instructions about collaboration on work that is submitted for grades, to give false information to a faculty member, and to undertake any other form of academic misconduct. You agree that the instructor is entitled to move you to another seat during examinations, without explanation. You also affirm that if you witness others violating the code you have a duty to report them to the honor council.

I take plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty seriously. Should I suspect that you engage in academic dishonesty in this course, I will refer the case to Emory’s Honor Council. You may also receive an F on the assignment(s) in question.

Student Success ResourcesAccess and Disability ResourcesI strive to create an inclusive learning environment for all. I am invested in your success in this class and at Emory, so please let me know if anything is standing in the way of your doing your best work. This can include your own learning strengths, any classroom dynamics that you find uncomfortable, ESL issues, disability or chronic illness, and/or personal issues that impact your work. I will hold such conversations in strict confidence.

Students with medical/health conditions that might impact academic success should visit Access, Disability Services and Resources (http://www.ods.emory.edu/index.html) to determine eligibility for appropriate accommodations. Students who receive accommodations must present the Accommodation Letter from ADSR to your professor at the beginning of the semester, or when the letter is received.

Peer Tutoring Writing Support

Tutors in the Emory Writing Center and the ESL Program are available to support Emory College students as they work on any type of writing assignment, at any stage of the composing process. Tutors can assist with a range of projects, from traditional papers and presentations to websites and other multimedia projects. Writing Center and ESL tutors take a similar approach as they work with students on concerns including idea development, structure, use of sources, grammar, and word choice. They do not proofread for students. Instead, they discuss strategies and resources students can use as they write, revise, and edit their own work. Students who are currently enrolled in an ESL-supported section of English 101, English 123, or English 221 or who plan to take one of those courses next semester should see ESL tutors, as they are specifically trained to support students in ESL Program courses. To learn more about ESL tutoring or to make an appointment, go to http://tinyurl.com/eslemory. All other students in the college should see Writing Center tutors who are trained to work with this broader population. Learn more and make an appointment at http://writingcenter.emory.edu. Please review tutoring policies before your visit. The Writing Center is located in Callaway N-212.

Emory Counseling Services Free and confidential counseling services and support are available from the EmoryCounseling Center (404) 727-7450. This can be an invaluable resource when stress makes your work more challenging than it ought to be. http://studenthealth.emory.edu/cs/

MEET THE INSTRUCTORSheila L. Tefft, a senior lecturer in The Emory Writing Program specializing in composition, multimedia journalism, and science writing about health and climate change, was a reporter, editor and foreign correspondent for almost 25 years. She served as Emory Journalism director 2000-2009 and has been involved in developing science-writing programs and teaching workshops and courses for undergraduate and graduate science writers for more than a decade. Prior to joining Emory, she taught journalism and writing courses at Louisiana State University. She spent 12 years in Asia where she was a correspondent and bureau chief for The Christian Science Monitor in Beijing, Bangkok and New Delhi. She attended Marquette University and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin. She received a M.Sc. degree in economic history from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1977. She also worked as a business reporter and editor for The Chicago Tribune and The Atlanta Constitution and freelanced for many other publications, including BusinessWeek, The Washington Post and Smithsonian Magazine.

Did I Plagiarize? Source: The Visual Communications Guy http://thevisualcommunicationguy.com/2014/09/16/did-i-plagiarize-the-types-and-severity-of-plagiarism-violations/