University of Colorado at Boulder

Program for Writing and Rhetoric

WRTG 3030-023 / Writing on Science and Society: Genres of Science Writing

Fall 2012

Instructor: Dr. David J. Rothman

Location: Duane G1B35

Times: T, Th 9:30 – 10:45

Office: ENVD 1B50H [Basement of the Environmental Design Building]

Office Hours: Wednesday 10-1, and by appointment

Phone: 303-735-4665

Email: [email protected]

WHAT ARE THE CONTENT AND PURPOSES OF THIS COURSE?

As civilized human beings, we are the inheritors, neither of an inquiry about ourselves and the world, nor of an accumulating body of information, but of a conversation, begun in the primeval forests and extended and made more articulate in the course of centuries. It is a conversation which goes on in public and within each of ourselves...Education, properly speaking, is an initiation into the skill and partnership of this conversation in which we learn to recognize the voices, to distinguish the proper occasions of utterance, and in which we acquire the intellectual and moral habits appropriate to conversation. And it is this conversation which, in the end, gives place and character to every human activity and utterance. Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 2

-- Michael Oakeshott, “The Voice of Poetry in the Conversation of Mankind.” From Rationalism in Politics, and Other Essays. New and Expanded Edition. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1991. 490-91.

WRTG 3030 is not a course in science, but rather in how to hold conversations about science in a meaningful and compelling way. While you may draw extensively on what you already know about science – and, I hope, also learn new things about the areas of science that you are now studying and others as well – you will obviously not be doing any labs, problem sets, or original research. Instead, you will be thinking about what it means to ask questions, to propose and execute research, to evaluate ideas, theories, hypotheses, and results with different audiences and to speculate about what all of that means – in short, to converse about science in the sense that Oakeshott discusses it above.

Why does this matter? As Deborah Blum recently wrote in “The Trouble with Scientists,” (an essay in The Best American Science Writing 2011, which you will read in this class), science journalism is exploding. This has to do not only with the growth of science itself, but with the gulf between those who have scientific knowledge and training and the rest of the population. Blum sees this widening gulf as partly the result of scientists’ own attitudes towards communication:

Science writers, journalists, broadcasters and bloggers became the voice of science during a time during which too many scientists simply refused to engage. Scientists have ceded that position of power amazingly readily; ask yourself how many research associations offer awards to journalists for communicating about science but none to their own members for doing the same? Ask yourself how the culture of science responds even today to researchers who become popular authors or bloggers, public figures. Whether young scientists are rewarded for spending time on public communication? And ask yourself how hypocritical this is, to complain that the general public doesn’t understand science while refusing to participate in changing that problem? (Skloot 185)

The goal of this class is to give you the tools to begin to address this challenge, because you can imagine who will inherit it: you. As a result, while the course will give you the opportunity to work on topics that relate directly to your major, you will also be engaging in other kinds of conversations that involve far more than your primary interest. Some of the assignments will give you the opportunity to work directly in your own field, but others will require you Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 3 investigate other subjects and to speak to other audiences, including scientists in other fields and the educated general public.

Even writing for specialized audiences requires specific rhetorical skills that cannot necessarily be learned in a lab. Research proposals require good science, but they also require good writing and organization if they are to succeed in getting accepted and funded. Publications require strong verbal organization in addition to good science. More broadly, all of us face political, ethical, philosophical, economic and broad cultural challenges that depend in part upon our understanding of how science works, and what kinds of arguments we can – or cannot – make with it. Scientists and those who work in science-related fields (such as medicine, engineering, telecommunications, energy and many more) ignore the public dimension of their work at their peril. That is why this course is called “Writing about Science and Society,” as its purpose is to give future scientific leaders – that would be you – the tools and the awareness to address the challenging issues you will surely face both professionally and as citizens.

WHAT IS THE PROGRAM FOR WRITING AND RHETORIC?

The Program for Writing and Rhetoric is not a degree-granting department and is therefore not as well understood as it should be by many in the university. So, first, a definition: PWR is a freestanding unit in the College of Arts and Sciences responsible for campus-wide instruction in expository writing. The program coordinates and oversees all writing curricula and instruction intended to meet college and campus requirements, including efforts in specific disciplines (e.g. Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Integrative Physiology) and in targeted campus programs (e.g. Residential Academic Programs).

PWR courses satisfy state requirements in Communication overseen by the Colorado Department of Higher Education for all public institutions of higher learning in the state. These general education requirements affect more than 225,000 degree-seeking undergraduates enrolled in public Colorado institutions every year.

PWR is about far more than mere competence. As CU is the state’s flagship university, the PWR’s mission is to provide the highest possible level of excellence in writing instruction in both lower- and upper-division writing courses and in our campus Writing Center. We are committed to training students to think critically about the texts they read and the writing they produce and to enable them to shape and express ideas with clarity and grace in any context, be it academic, professional, civic, or personal. Through our commitment to small class size and Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 4 intensive workshops that focus on substantive revision, our students experience a quality of writing instruction unrivaled among public universities. Our goal is to ensure that all students receive the best possible preparation for success in their majors and in the various opportunities they seek upon graduation—whether paid employment, volunteer service, or graduate study. In my view, we are committed to advancing, as Oakeshott puts it in the passage above, “the intellectual and moral habits of conversation” as a foundational aspect of our educational community and our larger social existence.

The PWR is one of the largest academic programs on campus. Its current roster of 75 faculty members includes two tenured or tenure-track professors; 56 full-time, contract instructors, of whom six hold senior rank; eight part-time lecturers appointed by the semester; and nine Graduate Part-Time Instructors and Teaching Assistants. The PWR is unique among writing programs at comparable institutions in employing a highly experienced and professional faculty to teach undergraduate writing; most other programs rely exclusively or primarily on graduate teaching assistants and an adjunct teaching staff.

Most of you have probably taken PWR’s class in First-Year Writing and Rhetoric, which has five major objectives:

1) To help students to write with fluency. 2) To help students to acquire rhetorical sensitivity and therefore to make well- informed choices as they adapt their writing to the needs of readers, to a specific context and situation, and for a particular purpose. 3) To help students to become proficient readers, approaching texts with a writer’s awareness of craft and a critic’s ability to interpret and respond to a text’s meaning and effects. 4) To help students to learn how to plan, conduct, and evaluate research. 5) To help students to understand and apply conventions of standard linguistic usage, including correct spelling, syntax, punctuation and contextually appropriate diction.

If you passed that class, you are expected to have basic competency in all of these areas.

This course, “Writing about Science and Society” meets different state criteria than the first-year course and is intended to build on what you have learned in it, whether you took it here or elsewhere. Here are the state criteria for our course, which satisfies upper-division core requirements in CU-Boulder schools and colleges because it extends rhetorical knowledge and Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 5 writing skills through theoretical perspectives and by addressing specialized disciplinary communities—not only those of the hard sciences and engineering, but also in the social sciences and humanities. In doing so, this course also meets the State of Colorado “Guaranteed Transfer” goals for an Advanced Writing Course (GT-CO3):

The content of a “state guaranteed” advanced writing course shall be designed to:

1. Extend rhetorical knowledge:

a) Use texts from rhetoric, discourse studies, communication, or related disciplines to extend understanding of rhetorical concepts to the discipline that is the focus of the course.

b) Develop sophisticated strategies for critical analysis of disciplinary or specialized discourse.

c) Learn more sophisticated ways to communicate knowledge to appropriate audiences.

d) "Apply reflective strategies to the synthesis and communication of knowledge.

2. Extend experience in writing processes:

a) Use multiple drafts.

b) Hone strategies for generating ideas, revising, editing, and proofreading for disciplinary or specialized discourse.

c) Learn to critique own and other’s work.

d) Use a variety of technologies (writing and research tools).

e) Learn to evaluate sources for accuracy, relevance, credibility, reliability, and bias.

3. Extend mastery of writing conventions.

a) Select and adapt genre conventions for disciplinary or specialized discourse. Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 6

b) Use specialized vocabulary, format, and documentation appropriately.

c) Control features such as style, syntax, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

4. Demonstrate comprehension of content knowledge at the advanced level through effective communication strategies, including:

a) Ability to compose messages for specific audiences and purposes.

b) Ability to communicate to the variety of audiences in disciplinary or specialized discourse.

c) Ability to adapt content and style to respond to the needs of different audiences and rhetorical situations in disciplinary or specialized discourse.

In addition all approved courses in writing help students to achieve:

5. Competency in critical thinking.

6. Competency in written communication.

7. Competency in reading.

In correspondence with the state requirements, PWR has a set of internal objectives for its professional upper-division writing courses, of which WRTG 3030 is one:

The professional writing courses offered by the Program for Writing and Rhetoric are centered on goals that are universal to writing courses, goals that are in turn extended to address the demands of a particular field.

Effective professional writing grows out of sound, incisive critical thinking. For the professional, exceptional thinking must be grounded in an understanding of the rhetorical Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 7 context—not only the immediate audience and purpose, but also the professional and social contexts that shape the field. As writers analyze issues within this interplay of contexts, they learn to exercise their abilities and responsibilities as individuals within the profession.

By the end of a semester in an upper division WRTG course for business, engineering, or the sciences, students should meet the following core goals.

CRITICAL THINKING

Students should learn to:

. Analyze issues, problems, or opportunities relevant to their field or profession. . Identify and evaluate information sources for relevance, validity, and credibility. . Recognize the elements of sound reasoning. . Pose questions that lead to sustained inquiry and innovative thinking. . Frame an issue and develop a stance based on evidence and sound reasoning. . Recognize the elements and logical progression of persuasive arguments. . Employ rhetorical strategies to produce a coherent and persuasive argument.

RHETORICAL CONTEXT

Students should learn to:

. Analyze the professional and, as appropriate, societal context of issues, problems, or opportunities under consideration. . Understand writing and other forms of communication as collaborative dialogues among authors, audiences, editors, critics, and colleagues. . Recognize and address the imperatives of social responsibility. . Understand how constraints such as time, resources, professional protocols, conflicting obligations, or political pressures influence any rhetorical situation. . Analyze the values, perspectives, and expectations of different audiences. Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 8

. Base rhetorical strategies on a thorough understanding of audience and a highly focused purpose. . Shape rhetorical strategies from an understanding of the elements of genre, persuasion, voice, and style. . Use field-specific language appropriate for other professionals that is also intelligible to a non-expert audience. . Understand the impact of information technologies on communication strategy.

WRITING PROCESS

Students should learn to:

. Understand writing as an ongoing, recursive process that requires multiple drafts as well as various strategies for developing, revising, and editing texts. . Develop skill in critiquing works in progress, whether it is their own or the work of colleagues. . Convey meaning through concise, precise, highly readable language and understand options for shaping meaning through syntax and diction. . Use standard grammar and mechanics and develop the habit of proofreading.

What all of the foregoing means is that this course explores its subject from many more angles than would be likely in either a science course or a humanities course. While there might be many intellectual approaches in a typical humanities course, most of them would lead to just one or two broad rhetorical models of response: the critical essay and the research paper. Most science courses are also understandably limited in their rhetorical models, focusing on lab reports, research projects, problem sets, and exams. In a course such as this one, however, it is our job to teach a wide range of advanced rhetorical strategies that reflect both the university and the greater world. We will not only look at some of those standard kinds of rhetorical tasks, but also consider others that involve interactions between science and its many audiences, such as abstracts, grant proposals, explanatory essays, narratives, and more.

Another way that this course differs from a typical humanities or science class is that you will spend a great deal of time on your own writing in workshops, both face-to-face in class and outside of class, taking advantage of the on-line tools available through CU’s new on-line platform, Desire2Learn. Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 9

WHAT ARE THE REQUIRED TEXTS FOR THIS COURSE?

Please buy all of these books as soon as possible. All the books are available at the CU Bookstore.

Primary Texts

Blum Deborah, Mary Knudsen and Robin Marantz Henig, eds. A Field Guide for Science Writers. Second Edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2006.

Dawkins, Richard, ed. The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2008.

Skloot, Rebecca and Floyd Skloot, eds. The Best American Science Writing 2011. New York, NY: Ecco / HarperCollins, 2011.

Reference Works

The American Heritage Dictionary. 4th Edition. New York, NY: Dell Publishers, 2001.

Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Seventh Edition. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 2009.

Additional Materials

Texts from Electronic Reserves, Desire2Learn, and class handouts. Whenever I hand something out in class I will also post it in the “Readings” section of the class website on Desire2Learn as a pdf.

You MUST purchase hardcopy of ALL the books on this list. You are responsible for acquiring these materials by the end of the first week of class. Always bring a copy of the reading materials to class on days that we will be discussing them. Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 10

ARE THERE ANY OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS FOR THIS CLASS?

A class notebook

A bound notebook for use as a journal

Copies of your work as needed for class and group discussions

WHAT ARE THE GENERAL POLICIES OF HIS CLASS?

Practice civility. Students and faculty share responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment both in and out of the classroom. Faculty have the professional responsibility to treat students with understanding, dignity and respect, to guide classroom discussion, and to set reasonable limits on the manner in which students express themselves. Students are responsible for arriving on time, treating classmates and the professor in a respectful manner, and participating in an appropriate way in all activities at all times.

In addition, there are several ground rules in my classroom:

You must bring your books to class. My class is not story hour. If I see you have come to class without the book or texts we are currently reading, I may ask you to leave.

I also strongly encourage you to take notes in class. I do not hand out review sheets – it is your responsibility to read the material, come to class prepared, and take notes. That is part of a good strategy for succeeding in this class.

Cell phones and all other electronic devices, including computers, are to be turned off during class. If you violate this policy I may ask you to leave the class.

You may bring a beverage to class, but no food. Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 11

No wearing of hats or sunglasses in the classroom.

As a mark of respect, we will address each other by surname, not first name. I am either Dr. Rothman or Professor Rothman; in class I will address the men as Mr., and the woman as either Ms., Miss, or Mrs., each according to her preference (please tell the class yours). In class, I expect all of you to follow this protocol with each other as well. The reason for this is, again, to create a somewhat more formal environment based on respect.

Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to all differences, whether of background or of opinion. See university policies at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html and at http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code.

Students who fail to observe any of the policies, expectations, responsibilities or behavioral standards on this syllabus or in the University’s policies may be asked to leave and may be dropped from the class.

Attend. 90% of success in life comes from just showing up: This is a class in which there is a great deal of classroom discussion. It requires participation and engagement for you to learn. I will pass around a sign-in sheet every day and keep records of attendance.

You may be absent from one week of classes (three classes total) for personal or medical reasons during the semester without your grade being affected by the absences. Any absences beyond this will affect your grade by one-grade increments per absence; for instance, an A- grade will automatically become a B+, a B grade will automatically become a B-, and so forth. When you miss classes you are still responsible for all the work that you have missed.

I will not notify you about how many classes you have missed; it is your responsibility to know the number. If your three absences fall within the drop/add period, you will be dropped from the course in order to make space for students on the waitlist.

If you must miss class, please do your best to contact me before the missed class by telling me during class, emailing me, or calling my office during office hours. Contact me well in advance Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 12 so that I can tell you what you will be missing. It is also a good idea to have the contact information of at least two classmates. In case of long-term illness, hospitalization, a court date, a death in the family or other extenuating circumstances, I may make exceptions, although I can’t do that if I don’t know about it. Please contact me as soon as you can if such a situation arises.

Late arrivals: if you miss more than the first 10 minutes of class I will mark you absent.

Work Hard. This is a challenging course. The most important ingredients in success are to keep up with the reading, come to class, take good notes, and ask questions. It is not possible to cram for this class – if you haven’t done the reading progressively during the term, you will not succeed.

Follow the Honor Code. All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Major forms of academic dishonesty include cheating, plagiarism, collusion and fabrication. If you don’t know what all of these are – it is your obligation to learn their definitions. In addition, other forms of inappropriate behavior, such as lying, bribery, and threatening behavior of any kind also violate the code. I will report all incidents of academic misconduct immediately to the Honor Code Council. Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to failing the assignment, failing this class, university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Additional information may be found at http://honorcode.colorado.edu/.

WHAT ARE THE ASSIGNMENTS IN THIS CLASS; HOW DOES THE GRADING WORK?

Grades were invented by a tutor named William Farish, in 1792, at Cambridge University in England. Sappho, Plato, Moses, Aristotle, Aquinas, Michelangelo, Galileo, Newton, Cervantes, Joan of Arc, Shakespeare, Thomas Jefferson, Jane Austen and many others managed to achieve great things without the benefit of grades. That said, grades can be useful if carefully thought out – but it is important to remember what they are and what they are not. A grade is not a final judgment of who you are as a person. It is your essay that receives the grade – not you. This may seem simple but is in fact a profound distinction and worth keeping in mind at all times.

More broadly, a grade is not a final judgment of anything. As the term implies, “grade” – meaning “step,” or a stage which one passes through (like “7th grade”), is a stage on a way to somewhere else. That other place is more learning, broadly conceived. A grade, therefore, should be understood as something that is part of your learning – a tool of learning – not something separate from it. My job in grading is to be honest, fair, and consistent with you about Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 13 where your work stands; your job is to use every grade as a learning tool, one part of a larger process of evaluation from which you can gain knowledge. If you approach grading in an adversarial way, more concerned about the grade itself than about what you might learn from it, it is important to remember what you may gain from that interaction (at best a slightly improved grade) – and also what you may lose (potentially the opportunity to learn more from the evaluation process). The choice is yours.

Your grade will rest on your performance on the papers and exams that you write. There are no extra-credit assignments (that…is so high school) and no grade for participation, though of course I encourage you to participate for its own sake – as that is one way to learn that much more.

The grading breaks down as follows. Each assignment will be discussed as the course progresses. The course moves from shorter works to longer, more complex ones, building a scaffolding for your writing and thinking. Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 14

Formal Assignments

Narrative (up to 1,000 wds.) 15%

Description (up to 1,000 wds) 20%

Abstracts (two abstracts, up to 250 wds. each) 20%

Research Paper (up to 12 pages) 20%

Explanatory Essay (up to 8 pages) 25%

Rough Drafts of all essays NO GRADE, but must be completed to pass the course.

Informal Assignments

Quizzes: 5%

Diagnostic: NO GRADE, but must be completed to pass the course.

Free Writing: NO GRADE, but must be completed to pass the course.

Reading Journal: NO GRADE, but must be completed to pass the course.

Workshop responses: NO GRADE, but must be completed to pass the course.

The Diagnostic is an ungraded in-class writing designed simply to give me an idea of how you write.

Free Writing assignments are exercises that we will conduct in class to generate ideas and practice writing spontaneously. Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 15

Your Reading Journal is a hand-written journal that you will keep in a bound notebook, in which you will practice informal writing by responding to what you are reading in this course, or to other reading material that is arguably related to the course, e.g., journalism, fiction, poetry, essays, textbooks – you name it – whether you encounter it in another class or on your own. You are required to make at least two entries per week in this journal, each of which should take at least twenty minutes to compose. I will check these journals several times during the course of the semester. Don’t fall behind on your journal! It is an assignment that is difficult at best to “cram.” Trying to accomplish it all at the last moment is usually obvious to a reader and defeats the entire purpose, which is to write regularly. I should add that you can definitely write about material you read for this class, whether or not we have discussed it in class.

Workshop Responses will be detailed responses to writing by other members of the class. These will take place at first in class, but then also on-line as the assignments become longer. We will discuss these as the semester goes on.

Quizzes are…quizzes. Most will be on the reading, to keep you on your toes.

Getting it done. You must complete ALL assignments, formal and informal, to pass the class – no exceptions. If you have any questions, please ask before you take (or do not take) action.

Revisions. Most writing is rewriting, and I encourage you to revise your work frequently. In order to encourage the process of revision, I will accept one revision of any two formal assignments you choose (other than the final research essay) over the course of the semester. You can hand these in at any time in the course of the semester, with two exceptions: you can only give me one at a time; and I will not accept revisions during the final week of class (as I will be reading your long essays then). You will then earn the highest grade on the assignment, whether it is the first grade or the revision grade.

How to think about informal assignments. While most informal assignments are ungraded, your diligence and approach will be taken into account in determining your final grade. The kind of question I will be asking as I read these materials is: “Has this student used these informal assignments as tools for learning, or as mere tasks to be completed as quickly as possible…?” Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 16

All essays are due at the beginning of class on the days indicated on the syllabus. I may or may not accept work that is late, depending on the circumstances (see below). If I do accept it, out of respect to students who hand essays in on time, I will dock late essays one-half of one grade per class day unless I decide that there are extenuating circumstances. If you arrive at class late on the day an assignment is due, the assignment will be considered to be late by one day. Unless you have previously cleared an electronic submission directly with me, it will not qualify for turning in an assignment; it must be done in person.

Assignment Formatting. All formal assignments must be typed, double-spaced, in MLA format. Please use Times New Roman 12-pt. font and 1” margins.

Free advice. Do not wait until the last minute to type your essay. Save and back up your work constantly. Computers are unreliable. They may decide to erase your entire essay for no apparent reason. This goes for printers as well, which have an annoying tendency to malfunction ten minutes before an essay is due. Give yourself adequate time to recoup in case this happens by finishing and printing your assignments well before class. I do NOT give extensions for computer or printer malfunctions. Also, be sure to keep a copy of each assignment in the (rare) event that I lose it. If you do not have a copy, you will have to rewrite the lost assignment.

Discussions about grades. If you have concerns about your grade, I encourage you to come see me. Remember, however, that this does not mean your grade will change. The real goal is to discuss your thinking and your writing. Among other things, discussing your work does allow us to explore why you received the grade that you did. The most important thing about this process to keep in mind is that I am always interested in discussing your writing with you.

And yet… Extenuating circumstances do arise. If you face something not discussed here, please let me know and we will try to work through it. Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 17

SYLLABUS

When an assignment is due on a given date, it is due at the beginning of class. If you arrive at class late on the day an assignment is due, the assignment will be considered to be late by one day.

A syllabus is like a budget – it often needs tweaking. This syllabus is provisional, and as the semester goes on I may change it as the need arises. While we will stick quite closely to the assignments schedule, we cannot possible discuss all the reading in the class – yet you should still try to do it all – the books are excellent and will be useful even if we do not discuss every article.

It is your responsibility to be present in class or to learn about the revisions that were made out in your absence. I strongly encourage you to get the name and email of a classmate or two for this purpose.

Date: In class today: Due today at the beginning of class:

Week 1 T, Aug. 28 Introductions You.

Th, Aug. 30 Syllabus review. Purchase textbooks. Discuss readings. Read: Syllabus; Handouts; Blum, Part Question: “What is narrative and 1; Skloot: Rosenwald, Brenkus, why does it matter in science Blum; Dawkins, Part I (Weeks 1 – writing?” 4). Diagnostic Essay (no grade).

Week 2 T, Sep. 4 Discuss readings. Read: Blum, Part 1, cont.; Skloot: Question: “What is close reading?” Butler.

Th, Sep. 6 Discuss readings. Read: Blum, Part 1, cont.; Skloot: Question: “What is a cliché and Colapinto. Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 18

why does it matter?” Narrative, Workshop Draft Due. Workshop/Master Class Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 19

Week 3 T, Sep. 11 Discuss readings. Read: Blum, Part 3; Skloot: Homans. Peer Workshop: bring four copies Narrative, Rough Draft Due. of your essay to class.

Th, Sep. 13 Discuss Readings. Read: Blum, Part 3, cont.; Skloot: Question: “What is the difference Zimmer. between correcting and revising?”

Week 4 T, Sep. 18 Discuss Readings. Read: Blum, Part 3, cont.; Skloot: Whitty. Narrative, Final Draft Due.

Th, Sep. 20 Question: Read: Blum, Part 3, cont.; Skloot: Gorney.

Week 5 T, Sep. 25 Discuss readings. Read: Skloot: Siebert; Dawkins, Part 2 Workshop: Bring four copies of (Weeks 5-7). your essay to class. Description, Rough Draft Due.

Th, Sep. 27 Discuss readings. Read: Skloot: Harmon.

Week 6 T, Oct. 2 Discuss readings. Read: Blum, Part 4; Skloot: Beauchamp / Balaban.

Th, Oct. 4 Discuss readings. Read: Blum, Part 4, cont.; Skloot: Question: “What are logical Schwarz. fallacies?” Description, Final Draft Due. Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 20

Week 7 T, Oct. 9 Discuss readings. Read: Skloot: Yong. Question: “What are the function, purpose and structure of an abstract and why do they matter?”

Th, Oct. 11 Discuss readings. Read: Skloot, Folger. Question: “What are the relations between critical inquiry and creativity?

Week 8 T, Oct. 16 Discuss readings. Read: Blum, Part 5; Dawkins, Part 3 Question: “What is explanation and (Weeks 8-11). what is exposition?” Abstracts, Rough Draft Due. Workshop: Bring four copies of your essay to class.

Th, Oct. 18 Discuss readings. Read: Blum, Part 5, cont.; Skloot, Bilger.

Week 9 T, Oct. 23 Discuss readings. Read: Review Question: “What is evidence and Abstracts, Final Draft Due. what kinds of evidence are there?”

Th, Oct. 25 Discuss journals and readings. Read: Skloot: Ohlson. Question: “What is the difference Bring: Three written questions for between searching…and Research papers. researching?” Handout on Research Proposals. Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 21

Week 10 T, Oct. 30 Discuss readings. Read: Skloot: Specter. Question: “What is academic Reading Journal Due (minimum of integrity and why does it 18 entries). matter?” I will conduct individual 30- min. conferences with each student this week – class will still be held.

Th, Nov. 1 Discuss readings. Read: Review Upload Research Paper Rough Drafts to Desire2Learn.

Week 11 T, Nov. 6 Discuss readings. Read: Blum, Part 6. Question: “How can and should we Research Paper, Rough Draft Due. use we use other disciplines when discussing objects?” Peer Workshop on Research Papers.

Th, Nov. 8 Discuss readings. Read: Blum, Part 6, cont.; Skloot: Question: “How should I use the Bowden. web in my research?”

Week 12 T, Nov. 13 Discuss Readings. Read: Dawkins, Part 4 (Weeks 12-15).

Th, Nov. 15 Discuss Readings. Read: Skloot: Boyer. Research Paper, Final Draft Due.

Monday, Nov. 19 – Friday Nov. 23 Thanksgiving Break

Week 13 T, Nov. 27 Discuss research techniques. Read: Review

Th, Nov. 29 Discuss research techniques. Read: Skloot: Curry. Upload Explanatory Essay Rough Drafts to Desire2Learn. Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 22

Week 14 T, Dec. 4 Discussion readings and your final Review. projects. Explanatory Essay, Rough Draft Workshop on Explanatory Due. Essays.

Th, Dec. 6 Discuss readings. Review. FCQ Administration.

Week 15 T, Dec. 11 Discuss readings. Your research.

Th, Dec. 13 Last day of class. Explanatory Essay, Final Draft Due. Q&A and responses on Research Journals Due (minimum of 12 new Essays. entries; minimum of 30 entries Class Review and Summary. total).

Additional Resources

You have several options if you are if you want outside help with this class. You can always come to see me in my office during regular office hours (Wednesdays, 10 – 1) or by appointment. Do not wait until the days immediately before an assignment is due. Office time becomes limited because of the number of people who want some guidance on their papers. The sooner you come see me, the more guidance I can give you on your work.

The Writing Center. The Writing Center is in Norlin Library, Room E-156. Every Writing Center consultant has experience teaching writing at the college-level and working one-on-one with students to help each of you improve your writing based on your goals and needs.

You can schedule one-hour consultations on the Writing Center website at www.colorado.edu/pwr/writingcenter.html. You must register for a free account in order to make an appointment and appointments must be made in advance. I highly recommend making your appointment well in advance of when your draft is due to insure that you get an appointment and to give yourself ample time to revise after your appointment. Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 23

Remember that you can go to the Writing Center at every stage of the writing process. Even if you haven’t started writing yet, but you have some ideas, the Writing Center will help you to create a plan for putting those ideas down on paper. When you go to the Writing Center, go prepared. Always bring your assignment sheet, any class handouts, any peer or teacher feedback on your drafts, and any other related materials. The more context you give the writing consultant, the more appropriate assistance s/he can give you.

Writing Center hours of operation

Mon-Thurs: 10am-7pm

Fri : 10am-1pm

Sun: 4pm-7pm

The Writing Center generally opens during the second week of classes each term.

Further Information

Enrollment. To keep the class at a manageable size, I do not over-enroll. If you find yourself on the waitlist, you have several options: you can stay on the waitlist in hopes that an enrolled student drops the course during the drop/add period; you can stay on the waitlist in order to be eligible for course reservation the following semester (guidelines for course reservation are online at http://registrar.colorado.edu); or you can look for a section with openings. Staff in the English Department office can help you decide which is the best option.

Adds/Drops. You must attend your class regularly during the drop/add period. Any student who misses two classes during that period may be administratively dropped in order to make space for students on the waiting list. However, this process is not automatic, so if you decide you don’t want to take the class, it is your responsibility to drop it in order to avoid receiving an “F” for the course. Rothman, WRTG 3030-023: Writing on Science and Society / 24

Students with Disabilities. If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit a formal letter to me from Disability Services in a timely manner so that I can address your needs. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documgrt3gtented disabilities. The office is in Willard 322. You can contact them at 303-492-8671, or at: www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices. While I am willing to make reasonable accommodation for most disabilities, you must attend class, participate in workshops, and hand in work on time in order to pass this course. If your disability makes it impossible for you to participate in this way, you cannot enrolls in this course and must find a substitute.

Religious holidays. Campus policy requires that faculty make every effort to deal reasonably and fairly with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. In this class, it is your obligation to inform me in writing if you will be missing class at least one week prior to the date you will be unable to attend. See policy details at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html.

Discrimination and Harassment. The University of Colorado Boulder (CU-Boulder) is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working, and living environment. The University of Colorado does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status in admission and access to, and treatment and employment in, its educational programs and activities (Regent Law, Article 10, amended 11/8/2001). CU-Boulder will not tolerate acts of discrimination or harassment based upon Protected Classes, or related retaliation against or by any employee or student. For purposes of this CU-Boulder policy, “Protected Classes” refers to race, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or veteran status. For more information, see http://www.colorado.edu/policies/discrimination-and- harassment-policy-and-procedures.