Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Students write 4000-7000 words of revised, final draft copy, including at least one researched paper of 1500 words or more using outside sources and documentation. Students meet with the instructor for two out-of-class conferences. 

 Upon completion of WR122 with a “C” or higher,students will be able to:

1. Read closely and analytically to determine an author’s purpose, perspective and use of rhetorical strategies.

2. Think critically to evaluate the reasoning and arguments of a variety of sources

3. Articulate their own position on complex topics with multiple points of view, contributing to the academic conversation through writing anddiscussion.

4. Write for a variety of clearly defined purposes, audiences and contexts with control of key rhetorical strategies

5. Write persuasive essays that demonstrate alogical development of ideas and incorporate reasonable, credible evidence in support of a thesis

6. Locate, evaluate and use information effectively and ethically to develop an informed position and encourage intellectual curiosity.

Course Activities and Content

The Composition and Literature SAC values the autonomy of individual instructors and a diversity of approaches to its courses. The following course activities guide reflects these values.  This guide is not intended to be prescriptive; it is descriptive of what we do in our classes.  It is not a list of outcomes, but rather is a description of the ways we may get to the course outcomes. It describes the typical activities students may undertake in the process of working towards these outcomes Some of the items in the guide may overlap, some may contradict each other.  These inconsistencies reflect the SAC’s inclusive approach to course content as well as the oftentimes messy and recursive process of designing a composition course.

Read closely and analytically to determine an author’s purpose, perspective and use of rhetorical strategies.

1. Identify and evaluate the basic structural components of written arguments including  core issue, claims,  support and evidence
2. Recognize and evaluate the role of voice, tone, diction, syntax, figurative language, modes and other stylistic features of written arguments

Think critically to evaluate the reasoning and arguments of a variety of sources

1. Evaluate the validity of evidence and relative authority of sources
2. Analyze logical relationships between ideas
3. Identify logical fallacies and distinguish bias and its impact on reliability
4. Examine underlying assumptions of written arguments
5. Distinguish between observations, inferences, fact and opinion, subjective and objective approaches
6. Establish relationships among multiple sources and perspectives

Articulate their own position on complex topics with multiple points of view, contributing to the academic conversation through writing and discussion.

1. Participate in class and small group discussions and activities reflectively, recognizing self as part of the academic community that contains multiple perspectives
2. Assess and question personal knowledge and beliefs in the context of a open exchange of ideas.
3. Take responsibility for the reliability and validity of one’s positions
4. Fairly and objectively weigh the experience and viewpoints of others against personal experience and assumptions

Write for a variety of clearly defined purposes, audiences and contexts with control of key rhetorical strategies

1. Practice writing for a variety of different audiences, with emphasis on writing for academic audiences
2. Assess an audience’s knowledge, assumptions, and attitudes, and respond appropriately in writing
3. Develop a sense of personal voice
4. Make conscious choices about one’s purpose in writing and how best to accomplish it
5. Balance awareness of one’s own biases and assumptions with those of one’s audience
6. Revise to incorporate feedback from readers and respond to readers’ needs
7. Work through multiple drafts to refine purpose and rhetorical moves

Write persuasive essays that demonstrate a logical development of ideas and incorporate reasonable, credible evidence in support of a thesis

1. Write with internal coherence, developing clear relationships between ideas
2. Thoroughly develop and support an argumentative thesis or claim
3. Develop ideas completely, to their logical conclusion
4. Incorporate multiple perspectives, balancing personal assumptions and knowledge with an objective presentation of other points of view.
5. Work through multiple drafts to develop central ideas and effective supporting evidence

Locate, evaluate and use information effectively and ethically to develop an informed position and encourage intellectual curiosity.

1. Use library resources, online databases and the internet to locate information and evidence
2. Summarize, paraphrase and quote sources in a way that clearly maintains control of the writer’s  purpose and voice
3. Create a bibliography and provide in-text documentation using discipline appropriate documentation style
4. Develop the organizational skills to pursue an in-depth research and writing project
5. Use research actively as a process of independent inquiry and in service of argument rather than passive report.
6. Avoid plagiarism

Instructors assess students using

out-of-class writing

responses to assigned texts

class discussion

in-class writing

research tasks.

In addition instructors may assess students using

study questions

reading journals. 

Attendance policies vary with instructors: Students missing a week’s worth of classes may not expect and A; those missing two week’s worth may not pass the course.

The text(s) for the course is chosen by the individual instructor.  Some instructors choose a textbook designed for composition courses, others use novels, nonfiction, and/or their own coursepacks.