English 1B (036) - Winter 2015

Instructor: Jen Aubrecht

Classroom: OLMH 1126
Class Time: MWF 2:10-3:00 pm

Office: HMNSS 1001-B2

Office Hours: M/W 3:10-4:00
Email: jaubr001@ucr.edu

Required Texts
The St. Martins Guide to Writing (Tenth Edition) by Rise B. Axelrod and Charles R. Cooper.
Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Course Description
This course is the second part in the three-part 1ABC composition series, and it emphasizes the transition
from personal to public writing in a multicultural context. The primary focus of 1B is the introduction to the art of
argumentation. The goals of this class include (1) developing your writing ability, (2) cultivating your ability to
analyze a problem and to organize an argument based upon reliable sources, and (3) persuading a skeptical
reader/audience of your position. English 1B students are expected to be competent with English grammar and
syntax. Students who are making significant grammatical and syntactical errors (i.e. those that impede meaning) will
find it difficult to pass this course. You will be required to write four papers and a final essay exam.
Course Requirements and Rules
Attendance and Participation: Your success in this course depends on regular attendance and active participation.
Please understand that English 1B is not a lecture class where you can get notes for classes you have missed or
easily make up coursework. This is a writers workshop that requires your presence and constructive participation,
and many of the in-class activities cannot be made up. Attendance will be taken daily, and absences, late arrivals,
and early departures will be penalized and ultimately affect your ability to pass the course. The participation grade
will be based on attendance in office hours, preparation for class sessions, asking and responding to questions, and
active participation in class discussions and peer editing exercises.
More specifically: The first absence will not be penalized. Each subsequent absence will result in a 5% reduction in
your participation grade (which is 10% of the final grade). Three instances of late arrival or of leaving early will be
counted as one absence, and will also result in a 5% reduction to the participation grade.
Readings and Textbooks: You will be responsible for all listed readings, and any additional readings assigned in
class. If you are absent, check on line or with another member of the class to see what you missed. The St. Martins
Guide will be used regularly, so please bring this book to every class session. You will need to bring to class any
reading that you have been assigned for that class session. For instance, when you have a reading from the
Freakonomics text, you will need to bring a copy of that text to class. We will have a large number of on line
readings as well. You must either print these out or bring some form of device that will enable you to read the text
in class.
iLearn and Rmail: This course will make use of the online iLearn system, which is located at iLearn.ucr.edu.
Check the site regularly, because important instructions for completing assignments, as well as other class
announcements, will appear there. Be sure to check your UCR e-mail (Rmail) account daily. Email is the primary
tool I will use to contact you, and also the best way to contact me. I welcome email questions and I will try to
answer them promptly. Please note however that email can be unreliable. Additionally, if you email me right before
class, I will most likely be unable to read your message until after class. All email should be legible and in a
professional style (no abbreviations, include a salutation, and use complete sentences that lead to a specific
question).
Class Etiquette and Decorum: It is expected that you will participate appropriately and as adults in class and
online discussions. We are a diverse academic community and we will be discussing controversial issuesissues
that typically elicit strong opinions, so it is especially important that you will be tolerant, respectful, and considerate
of your fellow classmates during any discussions. Please turn off all electronic devices (including phones and
iPods) before entering the classroom. Laptop computers and tablet devices are not to be used during class except as
directed by the instructor for reading course materials.
Quizzes: Quizzes are not scheduled, and may be given any day. They will be given in the first 10 minutes of class
and can not be made up (yet another reason to take attendance seriously). Quizzes will reflect material from the
assigned readings, class discussion, invention work, and grammar review. I am more likely to give quizzes if it
becomes clear that students are not completing the assigned writing and/or reading.

 In Class Writing: You will have an essay final for this course, and may have other in-class essays assigned as
well. The location of the final will be announced later in the quarter, and you will need to bring a Blue Book and
pen.
Turning in Assignments and Late Work: All formal essays not written in class must be submitted via Safe
Assignment on iLearn by the start of class on the due date. All of your invention work, drafts, and peer reviews must
also be turned in at the beginning of the class session as a packet on the due date. Both of these components are
mandatory for your essay to be counted as on time. If you have a personal emergency or other extenuating
circumstances that prevent you from finishing your assignment on time or turning in your essay as scheduled, email
or see me as soon as possible, so we can discuss your situation. Late work may be accepted at the instructors
discretion, but it will be penalized: one-third of a letter grade will be deducted each day (weekdays and weekends)
that the paper is not turned in (i.e., a B- may drop to a C+ if it is due on a Friday and submitted on a Saturday). Not
attending a peer review or workshop session, bringing a draft that does not meet length requirements, or failure to
submit all invention materials with the paper will also result in the loss of one-third of a letter grade.
Required Formatting: All papers, including first drafts, must be in correct MLA format, per the 2009 updates.
This includes document formatting, such as 1-inch margins, Times New Roman 12 pt. font, and consistent doublespacing, in addition to source documentation. The first page must display the students name, the instructors name,
the class title (English 1B), and the assignments due date. Every paper should have an original title.
Follow the MLA System of Documentation found on pages 766-778 of The St. Martins Guide to Writing. Refer to
the example paper on pages 787-794 to see how a final draft should look. Failure to meet these requirements will
result in grade penalties.
Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct: Plagiarism is a serious offense that will result, at the very least, in failure
of the assignment with a grade of zero. This section is taken from the Academic Integrity Brochure for Students
(http://conduct.ucr.edu/).
"At the University of California, Riverside (UCR) honesty and integrity are fundamental values that guide and
inform us as individuals and as a community. The academic culture requires that each student take responsibility for
learning and for producing work that reflect their intellectual potential, curiosity, and capability. Students must
represent themselves truthfully, claim only work that is their own, acknowledge academic disciplines and engage
honestly in all academic assignments. Misunderstanding of the appropriate academic conduct will not be accepted as
an excuse for academic misconduct. If a student is in doubt about appropriate academic conduct in a particular
situation, he or she should consult with the instructor in the course to avoid the serious charge of academic
misconduct."
Plagiarism is the "copying of language, structure, or ideas of another and attributing (explicitly or implicitly) the
work to one's own efforts. Plagiarism means using another's work without giving credit. Examples include but are
not limited to":
"copying information from computer-based sources, i.e., the Internet"
"allowing another person to substantially alter or revise your work and submitting it entirely as your own"
"copying from another student's examination, quiz,... or homework assignment"
"submitting for academic advancement an item of academic work that you have previously submitted for
academic advancement" without prior authorization from the faculty member supervising the work.
"Unauthorized collaboration" is also inappropriate. If I suspect that you have committed an act of academic
misconduct, I will discuss it with you and file a report with the Student Conduct & Academic Integrity Programs
(SCAIP). You may receive a zero on the assignment and an "F" in the course. Further disciplinary action may also
be taken by SCAIP. If you ever have a question about plagiarism or other academic conduct, please ask me before
you turn in any work that may be problematic.
Students with Disabilities: If you believe you have any special needs or disabilities, please contact the Services
for Students with Disabilities office (http://www.specialservices.ucr.edu) so that they can work with me to ensure
that your needs are met.
Grading
This class requires you to write 4 Papers of increasing sophistication and length. You will also be required
to take an in class essay Final. All essay assignments will be graded on the basis of how well they meet the
requirements of the assignment. That means that students must utilize all of the Basic Features discussed in the
appropriate chapter of The St. Martins Guide and will be graded accordingly. Papers will also need to meet the
standard s of written English and be free of significant grammar and structural errors. In addition to this there will be

Quizzes based on the assigned readings, and your daily Class Participation, all of which will be taken into account
for your grade as follows:

Assignments
Paper # 1
Paper # 2
Paper # 3
Paper # 4
Quizzes
Final
Class Participation
Total

Percentag
e
15%
20%
15%
25%
5%
15%
5%
100%

Grade
Scale
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF

Grade
95%
92%
88%
85%
82%
78%
75%
72%
68%
65%
62%
55%

Grade
Range
93-100%
90-92.9%
87-89.9%
83-86.9%
80-82.9%
77-79.9%
73-76.9%
70-72.9%
67-69.9%
63-66.9%
60-62.9%
0-59.9%

Abbreviations for Texts

SMG = The St. Martins Guide to Writing
How to read the Schedule: Each day the course meets is listed below. The "Readings" information tells you what
reading assignments you will be responsible for having read BEFORE the class session. The "In Class" information
tells you any assignments that are due (these are noted in Bold Face type), any special instructions, and a general
idea of what we will cover that day.

English 1 B Winter 2014 Course Schedule (tentative)

Week One
Monday, January 5
Wednesday, January 7

Friday, January 9

Week Two
Monday, January 12
Wednesday, January 14

Friday, January 16
Week Three
Monday, January 19
Wednesday, January 21
Friday, January 23

Week Four
Monday, January 26
Wednesday, January 28
Friday January 30

Week Five
Monday, February 2

Wednesday, February 4

In Class: Introduction to the Course

Reading: http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/01/readability-is-amyth/384113/,
SMG Ch. 6 pages 242-260, 274-276
In Class: Introduction to Paper 1 (Arguing a Position)
Reading:http://www.writing.ucsb.edu/faculty/dean/Upload-STEP08/ThePoisonedFish.pdf
http://www.slate.com/articles/life/education/2013/12/college_papers_students_h
ate_writing_them_professors_hate_grading_them_let.html
http://www.salon.com/2011/10/12/a_home_schooler_goes_to_college/
In Class: The value of writing in college discussion, more on Paper 1, generating a topic
workshop
Reading: SMG Ch. 6 pages 260-276, Freakonomics Intro and Ch. 1 (pages 1-50)
In Class: Freakonomics discussion, finding sources
Reading: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/04/the-adjunct-professorcrisis/361336/?single_page=true
http://www.newyorker.com/news/sporting-scene/cheating-the-beautiful-game
http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2013/11/cheating_on_your_spo
use_might_just_save_your_marriage.single.html
In Class: Plagiarism and citation lecture, responding to opposing views
Reading: SMG Ch. 6 pages 276-295
In Class: First Draft Paper 1 Due and draft workshop
Reading: No class
In Class: No class
Reading: SMG Ch. 7 pages 296-316, 330-331, Freakonomics Ch. 2 (pages 51-83)
In Class: Paper 1 Due, Introduction to Paper 2 (Proposing a Solution), Freakonomics
discussion
Reading: http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/we-experiment-on-human-beings/,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/book-review-dataclysm-a-look-athuman-behavior-by-christian-rudder/2014/09/11/a9c522e8-248f-11e4-958c268a320a60ce_story.html,
http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/11/6132023/okcupid-data-blog-is-back-inbook-form
In Class: Discussion of data mining, dating, and digital surveillance, picking a topic
Reading: SMG Ch. 7 pages 316-341
In Class: Discussion of SMG essays, narrowing your topic
Reading: Freakonomics Ch. 3 (pages 85-113)
In Class: Freakonomics discussion
Reading:
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2014/08/michael
_brown_eric_garner_debra_harrell_just_three_examples_of_why_i_don.single.h
tml
http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/12/the-added-pressurefaced-by-first-generation-students/384139/?single_page=true
In Class: Narrowing your topic, race in America discussion
Reading: http://theweek.com/article/index/274048/confessions-of-a-former-tsa-officer,
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/01/war-on-drugs-a-century-offailure-113936_full.html?print#.VKrVvorF9Zk
TBA
In Class: Drafting workshop
Reading: SMG Ch. 7 pages 341-349
In Class: First Draft Paper 2 Due and draft workshop

Friday, February 6

Reading: SMG Ch. 9 pages 402-421, 434-435

In Class: Paper 2 Due, Introduce Paper 3 (Speculating About Causes)

Week Six
Monday, February 9

Reading: SMG Ch. 9 pages 422-446

In Class: More on paper 3
Wednesday, February 11 Reading: Freakonomics Ch. 4 (pages 115-145)
In Class: Criminality, race, and the state
Friday, February 13
Reading: http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/12/the-added-pressurefaced-by-first-generation-students/384139/?single_page=true
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-wp-washpost-bcgreenburial07-20141007-story.html
http://www.esquire.com/features/abortion-ministry-of-dr-willie-parker-0914
In Class: Narrowing topic, writing about causes
Week Seven
Monday, February 16
Reading: No class
In Class: No class
Wednesday, February 18 Reading: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/08/26/whats-wrong-with-me
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/magazine/our-feel-good-war-on-breastcancer.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17cellphones-t.html?
pagewanted=all
In Class: Library visit (tentative) conducting research
Friday, February 20
Reading: Freakonomics Ch. 5 (pages 147-179)
http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/looks-youre-born-looks-youregiven
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/margaret-wheeler-johnson/beauty-can-affectyour-pa_b_1389606.html
http://www.eatthedamncake.com/2013/06/17/cosmetic-surgery-doesnt-have-tobe-shameful/
In Class: Beauty, parenting, and nature vs. nurture,
Week Eight
Monday, February 23
Reading: SMG 434-456
In Class: First Draft Paper 3 Due and draft workshop
Wednesday, February 25 Reading: SMG Ch. 10 pages 457-473
In Class: Paper 3 Due and Introduce Paper 4 (Analyzing Stories)
Friday, February 27
Reading: TBA
In class: How to analyze stories
Week Nine
Monday, March 2
Reading: TBA
In Class: Discussing and analyzing stories
Wednesday, March 4
Reading: Freakonomics Ch. 6 and epilogue (pages 181-211)
In Class: Discuss all of Freakonomics, storytelling through statistics
Friday, March 6
Reading: TBA
In Class: Narrowing your topic
Week Ten
Monday, March 9
Reading: TBA
In Class: Outlining your analysis
Wednesday, March 11
Reading: SMG Ch. 10 pages 475-493
In Class: Paper 4 Draft Due and draft workshop
Friday, March 13
In Class: Review for Final Exam
Final Exam
Monday, March 16

11:30 am -2:30 pm, Location T.B.A.

Paper 4 Due at Exam