Course Overview and Policy Statements
CO301B, Fall, 2000
Writing in the Sciences
Daily Outline
Week 1 (Aug. 22-24)
Tuesday: Introduction to the course--our focus, the kinds of writing tasks (portfolios, daily writing, individual and group forum postings), policies
Readings due Thursday: Orwell, pp. 13-16; Selzer, pp. 464-470; Sacks, pp. 471-478 in Science and Technology Today (STT)
Thursday: Audiences for science writing; how and where does the personal perspective fit?
Readings due Tuesday: Goodall, pp. 175-185; Halloran, pp. 484-497; Sauer, pp, 509-527 (STT)
Week 2 (Aug. 29-31)
Tuesday: How writing shapes science
Readings due Thursday: Keller, pp. 38-50; Tilghman, pp. 51-55; Hershberger, pp. 498-508; Huxley, pp. 17-24 in STT
Thursday: How culture shapes writing, writers, and readers
Readings due Tuesday: Form groups and collect journal; skim the journal cover to cover.
Week 3 (Sept. 5-7)
Tuesday: Looking more closely at readers: group work on your journal - post on the Forum.
For Thursday: Be sure to read other groups' Forum postings.
Thursday: From journal to article: group work on selected article
Draft your conclusions as a "lab report" to post on the Forum for the class.
For Tuesday: Select an article to work on for the next two weeks. This article can be from one of the journals the class has considered or some other journal that might be a publication venue for your work in portfolio 2. Make a photocopy of the specific article for me. Try to bring a copy of the journal to class next week.
Be sure to read other students' Forum postings.
Week 4 (Sept. 12-14)
Tuesday: Context analysis with focus on journal readership.
Draft your conclusions as a "lab report" to post on the Forum for the class.
For Thursday: Be sure to read other students' Forum postings.
Thursday: Text analysis focused on organization, development, and style
Draft your conclusions as a "lab report" to post on the Forum for the class.
For Tuesday: Be sure to read other students' Forum postings.
Week 5 (Sept. 19-21)
Tuesday: Converting descriptive "reports" to text-analysis essays
Start drafting for portfolio 1.
Thursday: Work day (a great opportunity for a conference)
Continue drafting for portfolio 1.
Week 6 (Sept. 26-28)
Tuesday: Peer review--how and why to workshop. First workshop on draft for portfolio 1 (required attendance with draft)
Thursday: Work day (a great opportunity for a conference)
Week 7 (Oct. 3-5)
Tuesday: Second workshop on draft for portfolio 1 (required attendance with draft)
Thursday: Final workshop on draft for portfolio 1 (required attendance with draft)
Week 8 (Oct. 10-12)
Tuesday: Portfolio 1 due; complete postscript in class.
Readings for Thursday: Ehrenreich, pp. 405-409; Baumrind, pp. 410-417; Woodward et al., pp. 418-423; Begley, pp. 455-458 in STT
Thursday: Possible topics for portfolio 2
Due Tuesday: Jot down your best "research tips."
Week 9 (Oct. 17-19)
Tuesday: Doing research.
Thursday: Work day. Daily is due by 5 p.m.
Week 10 (Oct. 24-26)
Tuesday: Commit to a topic. Discuss audiences, formats for portfolio 2 papers.
Thursday: Work day. Daily is due by 5 p.m.
Week 11 (Oct. 31-Nov. 2)
Tuesday: Work day. Daily is due by 5 p.m.
Thursday: Work day. Daily is due by 5 p.m.
Week 12 (Nov. 7-9)
Tuesday: First workshop on draft for portfolio 2 (required attendance with draft)
Send a DAILY with your revision plan by 5 p.m. today.
Thursday: Work day (a great opportunity for a conference)
Submit a draft-in-progress by 5 p.m.
Week 13 (Nov. 14-16)
Tuesday: Second workshop on draft for portfolio 2 (required attendance with draft)
Send a DAILY with your revision plan by 5 p.m. today.
Thursday: Work day (a great opportunity for a conference)
Submit a draft-in-progress by 5 p.m.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Week 14 (Nov. 28-30)
Tuesday: Workshop on draft for portfolio 2 (required attendance with draft)
Send a DAILY with your revision plan by 5 p.m. today. Use the DAILY prompts for either 11-7 or 11-14 for today's revision plan.
Thursday: Style and editing workshop on draft for portfolio 2 (attendance strongly recommended)
Week 15 (Dec. 5-7)
Tuesday: Portfolio 2 due. Complete postscript in class.
Thursday: Forum day: In what ways did you see culture shaping your writing on portfolio 2? How does your writing shape your readers' view of your science culture? How can you apply what you've learned and practiced this term to be successful in writing in your field?
Finals Week
Final class to collect student evaluations and to return portfolios.
