Goals and Possible Assignments for FS 201

writing component

speaking component

 

Writing Component
by Ann Bomberger

FS 201 builds on the analytical and formal writing skills developed in the Second Seminar while serving as an introduction to formal writing within a particular discipline. A cornerstone of this course will be the development of research skills, where assignments build incrementally toward the final term paper. The structure of the course allows students to be guided slowly through the various steps of writing reports, abstracts, and critical papers in their field of study.

The assignments listed below by no means constitute the only way to teach research skills and thus are not requirements, but rather suggestions to guide your planning. Departments and individual faculty members will devise discipline-specific assignments that meet the overall objectives outlined below. Faculty members have latitude in developing assignments, but should keep in mind that achievement of each objective is key to maintaining the continuity of Allegheny's writing sequence. I would be happy to meet with departments or individuals constructing their FS 201 courses.

Page requirements	Assignments	Objectives
1-2	Writing sample (not graded)	Identifies students in need of tutoring resources.
3-4	A short paper in the discipline, draft and revision (graded)	Introduces writing conventions within the discipline. Raises issues of audience, appropriate tone, passive/active voice, jargon, organization, standards of proof, development, etc.
1 each (2 or 3 total)	1 each (2 or 3 total) Peer reviews of student writing (graded)	Encourages students to analyze and evaluate rhetorical strategies. Draws attention to criteria for strong writing. Develops editing skills.
3-4	Critical review of an academic essay	Challenges students to accurately summarize complex material. Develops analytical skills.
1	Abstract/proposal for final paper (graded)	Requires students to articulate a preliminary thesis and to define the parameters of their study. Starts them organizing and preparing for their research paper well in advance.
2	Annotated bibliography (graded)	Hones summary skills. Teaches students how to evaluate sources. Introduces students to journals specific to the discipline. Develops research skills. Fosters an understanding of the mechanics of citation.
2	Incorporating sources assignment (2 pages of the final paper) (graded)	Allows students to practice using and introducing quotations, paraphrases, and summary. Fosters an understanding of the mechanics of citation.
7-10	Term paper (graded), draft and revision	Challenges students to utilize research effectively while including their own analysis. Develops skills in synthesizing complex material.

 

Speaking Component
by Peter Simonson

FS 201 builds upon general reading, writing, and speaking skills developed in FS 101 and 102 and gives them more discipline-specific application. Students should emerge from the freshman year with some proficiency in the following areas:

• recognizing audience, occasion, and purpose for speaking (and writing) situations

• presenting information in a clear and well-organized manner

• arguing effectively with claims backed by appropriate evidence

FS 201 can introduce students to characteristic ways of applying these skills in a particular discipline. Readings can provide models for addressing different audiences (e.g. specialists or the general public) on particular occasions (e.g. within the context of a controversy provoked by a recent book) with specific purposes in mind (e.g. making a complex doctrine available to non-specialists or criticizing a broadly accepted doctrine). Readings can also be used to display modes of inquiry, presentation of information, argument, and standards of evidence characteristic of a discipline. Speaking and writing assignments can then draw from readings for both informative and critical/argumentative ends.

As with 101 and 102, I would suggest two formal speeches and other less formal speaking opportunities. As a guideline, we might say 10-20 minutes total speaking time between the two speeches, which gives departments flexibility in designing assignments with the possibility of one longer and one shorter speech. At least one speech should be of a type common in a particular field: e.g. a poster session, paper presentation, slide show, or oral interpretation of a written text. And at least one should be an argument of some kind-a claim of fact, of policy, or of value backed by discipline-appropriate evidence generated through some type of research. Informal speaking might include in-class discussion, oral examinations, and semi-formal research updates given to the class or the instructor.