RSCH 3020:  Honors Research Seminar
Tentative Course Schedule
Winter 2019-2020

NOTE:  This schedule may change as needed.  Your presence in class ensures correct assignments


WEEK 1      WEEK 2    WEEK 3    WEEK 4   WEEK 5    WEEK 6

WEEK 7       WEEK 8   WEEK 9    WEEK 10    WEEK 11   

NOTE:  ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE BY 4PM EACH DAY ON THE COURSE SCHEDULE.


Week 1
T 12/3       Introduction to Course;  Everything is an Argument
                  (propaganda, argument, and persuasion); Reading Arguments
                  crtically; The core of an argument: The Rhetorical Triangle;
                  The Rhetorical Situation; Important Argument Terms;
                  Watch Rhetorical Appeals Video; 

                  HOMEW0RK (DUE 12/5):
                  assignment to Ulearn by class time (See Submit
                  Essays/Assignments link in Ulearn).
                  Go to the library's database, Opposing Viewpoints.  
  •         Read 5-10 articles that interest you (for any reason).
  •         Make a list of  FIVE issues from this database that interests
                  you.   Write a 3-5 sent. summary for each, explaining what
                  specifically draws you to that particular topic.  The issues of
                  capital punishment, abortion, death penalty, or  the
                  legalization of a drug are not allowed.  Post these to your
                  blog by  class time on Thursday.
                  lines. 
  •         Complete detailed video notes for rhetorical appeals video
                  and post to Ulearn (MIN. of 600 words total)


R 12/5        Exploring Issues; Discuss Rhetorical Appeals


                  HOMEWORK (DUE 12/10):: 

  •          From your list of five issues from last class' homework,
                  choose the topic that currently interests you most; locate an
                  article realting to your issue from the library database 
                  (Opposing Viewpoints) and annotate it (mark it up) as you
                  read; 
  •         Next, write a three page analysis (3 FULL PAGES) of this
                  article by answering the following  questions :

                  What was the title of the article that you read?  Who was
                  the author? What do you know about the author? What is their
                  background/expertise? What issue did the article deal with?
                  What was the author's position and what is their purpose in
                  writing this piece? What do you consider a significant piece
                  of evidence? A particularly strong or weak point? Who is the
                  audience that the author is writing for (For this consider age,
                  race, sex, socio-econmic background, educational level,
                  etc.)? What do you think prompted the author to write this
                  piece? What is the most important thing you learned from 
                  this article? How/why do you agree or disagree with the
                  author?
  •         In this three pages you should also summarize the author's
                  main points.
  •         This summary counts as reader responses 1, 2 & 3 and
                  should be posted to Ulearn by class time 



Week 2
T 12/10       Explain Issue Proposal ; Discuss the Writing Process;
                  Review Core Argument (triangle); 

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 12/12): 
                 answering the following questions by class time on
                 Thursday:  Locate another article related to topic from your earlier list of 5 (or from
                 Reader Response 1, 2, & 3 analysis) and explain how you see logos, pathos, and
                 ethos at work in the writer's argument.  In addition, identify and discuss what you
                 view as particularly strong or weak points.



T 12/12        Issue Proposal Due for Term Research Topic ;       
                   Preview Exploratory and Argument Analysis Essay  

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 12/17):


Week 3
T 12/17        Review Annotated Bibliography  Assignment

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 12/19):  


R 12/19      Work on Annotated Bibliography

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 1/7):  

  •         Complete detailed notes for each video and post to
                  Ulearn(min. 300 words total)
                  Neutral, Unbiased Voice
  •         Complete Understanding MLA Quiz in Ulearn (VERY
                  IMPORTANT!)            


Week 4

 T 1/7       Review Exploratory and Argument Analysis Essay and
                  rhetorical appeals

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 1/9):                                                    
                  example annotated bibliography   
                  Watch Video:  Understanding Qualifiers
                  Works Cited Page
                  Continued (very brief)
  •         Complete detailed video notes for each video and post to
                  Ulearn (MIN. of 600 words total; 300 for each video)
  •         Complete quiz in Ulearn (most common citations)
                  Citation Quiz
  •         Complete Academic Voice & MLA Citation Quiz in Ulearn (30
                  minutes long); VERY IMPORTANT &      
                  Must be completed before class time on Thursday!
                  in-text citations and cited page



R  1/9       Discuss MLA citations

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 1/14):   
                  the Homeless by Ayla Zimanek
                  to the following questions to Ulearn by  class time on
                  Tuesday:  Does the author clearly present  three positions on
                  this issue?  Which source represents which position? 
                  Examine the content of the paper.  Does the author
                  adequately answer each of the questions for each source as
                  outlined in the instructions for this assignment?  Was there
                  something that wasn't explained for something that could
                  have been explained in more detail?
                  bibliogrpahy   







Week 5  

T 1/14         Annotated Bibliography due; continue MLA citations


                   HOMEWORK (DUE 1/16):   
  •          Submit 1st draft of Exploratory Essay to SmartThinking Tutor; Upload report and 
                   revision plan before class time on T 4/10 (note: 24 hours before SmartThinking report
                   received): upload report and revision plan as one MS Word file; 
  •          Go to SUBMIT ESSAYS/ASSIGNMENTS <SMARTTHINKING REPORT&
​                   REVISION PLANS


R 1/16         First Draft of Exploratory and Argument Analysis Essay due; Exchange for peer critique;  

  
                     HOMEWORK (DUE 1/21):    
  •            Did you upload your SmartThinking report and revision plan to Ulearn?

Week 6 ​

T 1/21         Peer Critique; Discuss paper revisions if necessary                

                    HOMEWORK (DUE 1/23):   


R  1/23     Final Draft of Exploratory Paper  Due with Reflection;    
                  Introduce Position Paper and types of  claims; Discuss
                  chain of reasons;
                  Begin Worksheet:  Structuring the Evidence of your position
                  paper 

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 1/28):  

                 Susan Long
                 to the following questions to Ulearn by classtime on
                 Thursday:  Are you convinced that the author has provided
                 readers with enough background so he or she can become a
                 credible part of this conversation? Point out sentences
                 that convince or do not convince you.  How does the author
                 build his or her ethos?   Identify the author’s claim.  If you
                 have trouble finding it, say so.  What is the most powerful
                 evidence? Why?  What is the least convincing evidence?
                 Why? How does the author address audiences that might
                 disagree with his or her claim? 


F  1/24      LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW FROM A COURSE  

WEEK 7

T  1/28     Continue to work on Structuring the Evidence of your
                  position paper

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 1/30) : 
  •         Submit 1st draft of Position Paper to SmartThinking Tutor; Upload report and                                   revision plan before class time on R 2/2 (note: 24 hours before SmartThinking report                             received): upload report and revision plan as one MS Word file;
  •        Go to SUBMIT ESSAYS/ASSIGNMENTS <SMARTTHINKING REPORT&                     REVISION PLANS
  •         Work on revisions of Position Paper


R 1/30        First Draft of Position Paper Due

                   HOMEWORK (DUE 2/4):   

  •          Did you upload your SmartThinking report and revision plan to Ulearn?
  •          Work on revisions of position paper 



WEEK 8
T 2/4        Discuss Peer Critique  

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 2/6):


R 2/6        Final Draft of Position Paper Due with Reflection ; 
                  Discuss Thesis Prospectus


                  HOMEWORK (DUE 2/10):  

Week 9
T 2/10     Thesis Prospectus

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 2/12):  

  •         Work on Thesis Prospectus

     

R 2/12     Thesis Prospectus

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 2/18):  

Week 10​
T 2/18       Thesis Prospectus

                  HOMEWORK (DUE 2/20): 

R 2/20     Thesis Prospectus​

Week 11  
T 2/27      Reading Day; Work on Thesis Prospectus


R 2/29      Thesis Prospectus Due