Expository Writing                                           Fall 2023

Miss Stelmachowicz                                         Email: [email protected]                         

One semester .5 Credits                                     Dual Credit Course – Concordia University Nebraska

Course Description

• Expository Writing is a course focusing on developing student processes for writing in multiple genres. This writing will include both research-based academic work and creative works. Students will use multiple techniques for idea generating (pre-writing); giving and receiving feedback; finding, evaluating, integrating sources; adapting strategies based on audience and context; revising; and editing.

  Materials

• Pens, paper, notebook, binder. This class has no textbook but we will be writing a great deal. Please have something to journal in and a binder to hold all of your papers

  Goals/Objectives

• Improve abilities to write clearly and concisely
• Understand and improve the writing process to produce more effective texts
• Refine writing abilities in multiple genres
• Expand abilities to give and receive helpful and constructive feedback
• Improve basic information and literary skills

  Outcomes

• 30 pages of published (final copy) material covering a variety of genres
• Over 60 pages of typed rough draft work
• One major research project. This will require students to frame a research question and integrate source material while properly crediting their sources
• Essays of definition, division and classification, analogy, cause and effect, comparison/contrast, persuasive, description, and evaluation
• Writing group collaboration will allow them to give and receive feedback on preliminary drafts
• A writing notebook – included will be all written material, drafts, revisions, writing in class assignments, etc.
• A summary portfolio exhibiting their best works

  Methods

  The instructor will…

• Facilitate discussions
• Write along with students and share strategies
• Offer critique and consultation
• Share examples of excellent writing for students to study and imitate
• Assign in and out of class writing prompts
• Guide students in peer review and critique

  Evaluation

• Involvement and participation in the writing process (in-class writing, notebook) 30%
• Demonstrated effectiveness of published writing (final drafts submitted) 40%
• Completed research paper 20%
• Demonstrated understanding of editing and evaluation techniques 10%

  Late Work

• Late work will affect a student grade negatively. Please communicate clearly and effectively if you are falling behind in the class.

  Cell Phone Policy

• Cell phone use is prohibited in this class unless otherwise noted by the instructor. Students should keep phones put away unless they are told they may be used for a certain assignment on the given day.

  Academic Honesty

• Every student will be expected to produce his or her OWN work. Anyone caught plagiarizing or cheating will have a meeting with me to discuss the situation. Plagiarism can take many forms. Please ask any questions about citing works, websites, people, etc. to avoid this infraction.