ENC 1101: Engaging Cultural Mediums: Multimedia Texts, with Bishops On Writing

Instructor: Ashley Humphries

Email: AHumphries@fsu.edu
Section 19 WMS 217
MWF 8:00 AM 8:50 AM
Section #6 WMS 217
MWF 10:10 AM 11:00 AM
Office: WMS 321
Office hrs: MWF 9-10 & W 11-12

First Year Composition Mission Statement
First-Year Composition courses at Florida State University teach writing as a recursive and frequently
collaborative process of invention, drafting, and revising. Writing is both personal and social, and
students should learn how to write for a variety of purposes and audiences. Since writing is a process of
making meaning as well as communicating, First-Year Composition teachers respond to the content of
students' writing as well as to surface errors. Students should expect frequent written and oral response
on the content of their writing from both teachers and peers.
Students are expected to be active participants in the classroom community. Learning from each other
and from their teachers, students are invited to give thoughtful, reasoned responses to both assigned
readings and the compositions of their peers. With an emphasis on in-class discussions and workshops,
First-Year Composition courses facilitate critical understandings between reading and composing.
If you would like further information regarding FSU's First-Year Composition Program, feel free to
contact the program director, Dr. Deborah Coxwell Teague (dteague@fsu.edu).

Course Goals
This course aims to help you improve your writing skills in all areas: discovering what you have to say,
organizing your thoughts for a variety of audiences, and improving fluency and rhetorical sophistication.
You will write and revise four papers, write sustained exploratory journals, devise your own purposes
and structures for those papers, work directly with the audience of your peers to practice critical reading
and response, and learn many new writing techniques.

Course Outcomes
In ENC 1101 and ENC 1102, students work to develop their own thinking through writing. The First-Year
Composition Program sees the aimsgoals and objectivesof the courses as outcomes for students, and
we share the position adopted by the Council of Writing Program Administrators (WPA) regarding
outcomes, or types of results, and not standards, or precise levels of achievement . . . [that] we expect
to find at the end of first-year composition (from the WPA Outcomes Statement). The aims lie in several
areas:

Rhetorical Knowledge
By the end of first-year composition, students should:
Learn and use key rhetorical concepts through analyzing and composing a variety of texts
Gain experience reading and composing in several genres to understand how genre conventions
shape and are shaped by readers and writers practices and purposes
Develop facility in responding to a variety of situations and contexts calling for purposeful shifts in
voice, tone, level of formality, design, medium, and/or structure


Understand and use a variety of technologies to address a range of audiences
Match the capacities of different environments (e.g., print and electronic) to varying rhetorical
situations

Critical Thinking, Reading, and Composing
By the end of first-year composition, students should:
Use composing and reading for inquiry, learning, critical thinking, and communicating in various
rhetorical contexts
Read a diverse range of texts, attending especially to relationships between assertion and evidence,
to patterns of organization, to the interplay between verbal and nonverbal elements, and to how
these features function for different audiences and situations
Locate and evaluate (for credibility, sufficiency, accuracy, timeliness, bias and so on) primary and
secondary research materials, including journal articles and essays, books, scholarly and
professionally established and maintained databases or archives, and informal electronic networks
and internet sources
Use strategies--such as interpretation, synthesis, response, critique, and design/redesign--to
compose texts that integrate the writer's ideas with those from appropriate sources

Processes
By the end of first-year composition, students should:
Develop a writing project through multiple drafts
Develop flexible strategies for reading, drafting, reviewing, collaborating, revising, rewriting,
rereading, and editing
Use composing processes and tools as a means to discover and reconsider ideas
Experience the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes
Learn to give and to act on productive feedback to works in progress
Adapt composing processes for a variety of technologies and modalities
Reflect on the development of composing practices and how those practices influence their work

Knowledge of Conventions
By the end of first-year composition, students should:
Develop knowledge of linguistic structures, including grammar, punctuation, and spelling, through
practice in composing and revising
Understand why genre conventions for structure, paragraphing, tone, and mechanics vary
Gain experience negotiating variations in genre conventions
Learn common formats and/or design features for different kinds of texts
Explore the concepts of intellectual property (such as fair use and copyright) that motivate
documentation conventions
Practice applying citation conventions systematically in their own work

Required Textbooks and Materials
On Writing, FSU edition, by Wendy Bishop
The McGraw-Hill Handbook, FSU edition, by Maimon, Peritz, and Yancey
Our Own Words available at http://wr.english.fsu.edu/First-Year-Composition/Our-Own-Words-The-
James-M.-McCrimmon-Award/Our-Own-Words-2014-2015-Edition
Access to a computer (the university provides a number of computer labs if you do not own one)
Resources for printing (money, paper, technology, etc.)

Requirements of Course
All of the formal written assignments below must be turned in to me in order to pass the course.
Three major projects, edited and polished
Three drafts and revisions of each of the three major projects
Around 10 informal exploratory journals
Two individual conferencesscheduled by you and your instructor, in lieu of class time, to work one-
on-one on a draft, writing strategy, etc.
Thoughtful, active, and responsible participation and citizenship, including discussion, preparation
for class, in-class informal writing

Paper-by-Paper Evaluation
Active participation in class discussion, discussion boards, conferences, workshops, and preparedness in
class all factor into this section. Drafts will be graded on completeness and potentialnot on editing or
other mechanical issues. Final papers will be graded on audience awareness, organization, coherence,
supporting evidence, thorough analysis, and editing. All other written and oral work will be graded on
meaning or content and appropriateness to the assignment.

Paper 1 = 15%
Paper 2 = 30%
Paper 3 = 20%
Final Project = 10%
Journals = 15%
Participation = 10%

ALL FORMAL PAPERS AND ALL THREE OF THEIR DRAFTS MUST BE COMPLETED AND TURNED IN
TO EARN A PASSING GRADE IN THIS COURSE.

Your participation requires that you are present, alert, and engaged. Participation also includes being
prepared for class. This includes having read the materials and bringing them to class. Also, having
something to write with (and on) is probably important, too. Therefore, I reserve the right give quizzes to
test your outside participation if I sense that a number of you arent reading. These quizzes will go into
your participation grade for the day.

Grading Scale:
A 93-100 C 73-76
A- 90-92 C- 70-72
B+ 87-89 D+ 67-69
B 83-86 D 63-66
B- 80-82 D- 60-62
C+ 77-79 F 59-0


Attendance
The First-Year Composition program maintains a strict attendance policy to which this course adheres:
an excess of four absences in a TR class (or six absences in a MWF class) is grounds for failure. You should
always inform me, ahead of time when possible, about why you miss class. Save your absences for when
you get sick or for family emergencies. Not showing up for a conference counts as two absences. Part of
your grade is based on class participation if you are not here you cant participate!

That being said, tardiness is also unacceptable. You have until I call your name during roll before you are
considered tardy. 3 tardies will equate one absence. If you are more than 15 minutes late, you will be
considered absent.

If you come to class unprepared on workshop days (i.e. dont have an updated draft, forgot to upload it,
havent written anything, etc.), I will ask you to leave and you will be counted absent for the day. If you
dont have a draft to work on during workshops, you cant really participate! If you are absent for
workshop day (or are asked to leave), then you must visit the Writing Center with a draft for an hour. The
tutor must sign off on your paper, indicating that you attended and worked your appointment.

If you are coming from across campus and simply have a hard time getting to class, please let me know
and we will try to work something out together! If you have to leave class early for a doctors
appointment, game (if you are an athlete), etc., then please let me know before class time or shoot me an
e-mail.

In the event of a planned absence on my part, I will hold a digital class session. You will be informed of
this ahead of time. During our digital classes, youll be expected to log on to Blackboard during our class
time, use the discussion boards Ive provided and respond to a prompt. Follow any directions. Failure to
do part of the assignment may result in an absence for that day. Failure to post during class time will also
result in absence. These posts will be graded more for completion, but I expect a thought-provoking and
engaging conversation.

First-Year Composition Course Drop Policy
This course is NOT eligible to be dropped in accordance with the Drop Policy adopted by the Faculty
Senate in Spring 2004. The Undergraduate Studies Dean will not consider drop requests for a First-Year
Composition course unless there are extraordinary and extenuating circumstances utterly beyond the
students control (e.g. death of a parent or sibling, illness requiring hospitalization, etc.). The Faculty
Senate specifically eliminated First-Year Composition courses from the University Drop Policy because of
the overriding requirement that First-Year Composition be completed during students initial enrollment
at FSU.

Civility
This class will tolerate neither disruptive language nor disruptive behavior. Disruptive language includes,
but is not limited to, violent and/or belligerent and/or insulting remarks, including sexist, racist,
homophobic or anti-ethnic slurs, bigotry, and disparaging commentary, either spoken or written
(offensive slang is included in this category). While each of you have a right to your own opinions,
inflammatory language founded in ignorance or hate is unacceptable and will be dealt with immediately.
Disruptive behavior includes the use of cell phones, pagers or any other form of electronic
communication during the class session (email, web-browsing). Disruptive behavior also includes
whispering or talking when another member of the class is speaking or engaged in relevant conversation
(remember that I am a member of this class as well). As this is a space for learning, I also expect that you
wear appropriate clothing to class. If I ask to you leave class in the event of an extreme violation of the
civility clause, you will be counted absent for the day.

Essentially, if you are disrupting or distracting the class in a way that is of detriment to my teaching and
your peers learning, you are in violation of the civility clause. This classroom functions on the premise of
respect, and you will be asked to leave the classroom if you violate any part of this statement on civility.
Remember that you will send me an email during the first week of class that indicates you have read and
understand this policy.

For the civility e-mail, write this: I, [insert your name], read, understood, and agree to abide by the
civility clause as written in my ENC 1101 syllabus. I understand that by agreeing to abide by this clause
that I am held accountable for my behavior in classroom settings, including online settings.

SILENCE YOUR PHONES. If I see your phone out, it will result in an immediate and sharp loss of
Participation points. If your phone goes off in class, the same is true. You can use the bathroom
whenever you like, and can check your phone or use it then, but not in my classroom. And yes, I can see
your phone behind your laptop, at your side, and any other move you think is slick. Youll silently have
your final grade penalized, and I wont say a word unless youre distracting me or others. Just..... dont.
If cellphones continue to be a problem, I will ask you to leave class, no matter what time during the class,
and you will be counted absent for the day.

Check your email daily. No excuses for missed emails I send to you or the classyou should be
checking your email daily for all of your classes. Now you have a reason to do exactly that. Similarly, keep
an eye on the class website and Twitter (@TeachAshley) for timely updates on what you need to know.

Journals
Exploratory journals usually deal with a reading assignment or class discussion. Journals should be
thoughtful and show the depth of your thinking process; you might tell stories to illustrate your ideas,
you might end up contradicting yourself, you might write things you arent certain are true or notthese
are a few ways you can explore in your journals. Post your responses on Blogger, Wordpress, Tumblr,
or any other blog site that allows you to post videos, pictures, and text. Also, these journals will be visible
by others, so be sure to write things you are comfortable discussing with others. We might also
incorporate them into class discussion. Journals are due by 5 PM on Sundays.

If you do not complete a journal before the deadline, then youll earn a ZERO for that journal.

Heres how I will grade these journals:
0- for late submissions or no submission
50- for failing to completely answer the prompt in a formal response or failing to meet the
minimum word count
100- for completely answering the prompt in a formal
response on time
110- for obviously going above and beyond in a post
(for example, an incredibly thoughtful response
that exceeds the minimum and potentially has
visuals, videos, etc.)

Drafts, Revisions, and Final Papers
Youll need to make copies of your drafts and revisions (not
final papers) before you come to class on days we workshop.
You will be responsible for some photocopying expenses for
this class on occasion, in order to share your writing with your
peers. I will let you know how many copies of your draft you
need to bring prior to each workshop. I require that all drafts
and revisions be typed (MLA format, 1-inch margins). You have access to a number of computer labs
around campus. If you dont have your own computer, take advantage of one of FSUs. Final papers do not
need covers or title pages, but they do need to be binder clipped to all your previous drafts. If youve (or
your classmates) make revisions on a printed copy, turn that draft in (rather than a fresh one). All your
written work must have your name, my name, the section youre in, and the date at the top of the first
page. You will generally be choosing your own topics and structures for the drafts and papers in this class
(after the first week). You will be required to share your work with your classmates so take care in what
you choose to write about. Your writing for this class is nearly always public writing in the sense that
others will be reading, hearing, and commenting on it.

You must turn in all drafts in order to receive a passing grade for each paper. Late drafts will be penalized
2 points from the final paper grade for every late that it is late, unless otherwise specified or agreed upon.
If you do not turn in multiple drafts, the deductions stack (combine).

Final papers that are turned in late will receive a deduction of half a letter grade every calendar day it is
late. For example, if a paper is due on Monday and you dont give me your paper until Thursday, then I
automatically deduct 15 points from the final grade you would have received. I will also take a 5 point
deduction for improper margins that result in affecting the length of your writing (increased period,
comma, or other punctuation sizes, etc.).

Provisions for Revising
You have a chance for earning a higher grade if you choose to revise, although revising is not a
requirement. Students may revise only papers one and two. In order to revise a paper for a new grade,
students must first obtain permission from the instructor; the opportunity for revision is granted on a
case-by-case basis. In other words, if you turned in your paper late without reason, I will be very unlikely
to grant you the option to revise if you receive a poor grade.

The revision process must include substantial revisions to
the graded final draft. I highly recommend making an
appointment with a tutor at the RWC (details below)
remember that your revisions must be substantial. You are
allowed to turn in revised papers up to two weeks after the
day that I returned your paper to you.

I want to see (visually) what changes youve made to your
previous drafts. Deletions, consisting of more than one
sentence, must be struck through. Additions must be in
another font color, preferably a color that wont kill my eyes,
but Ill let you make that decision. Major content
changes/revisions should also be in another font color different than black or the additions color. This
just helps me get your revised paper grades back to you quicker. I realize that adds a little bit of hassle,
but it really does help me to help you. I appreciate that! Alternatively, you can enable the Track Changes
option on Microsoft Word before you start revising and that would work just as well. Print your paper
with the changes showing.

As I know your revision process is highly thoughtful, I also want a short 300-500 word
justification/reflection that explains why you made the changes you did. You must put thought and effort
into the revision of your paper. Thus, your thought process and experience must be detailed in the
reflection. The more detailed and thorough, the better your chances are for a higher grade. The overall
grade for revised papers will be an average of the two grades you receive.

Within two weeks, you will turn into me:
the graded original copy
the revised copy with changes visually present
the short 300-500 word justification
a signed draft (with the date and time) that you worked on with an RWC tutor

These are to be submitted in print along with the graded original paper. Revisions without all the
required pieces will not be reviewed.

Reading/Writing Center (RWC)
What is the RWC?
Part of the English Department, the RWC serves Florida State University students at all levels and from all
majors. Think of the RWC as an idea laboratory: it is a place to develop and communicate your ideas!

Who uses the RWC? In short: everyone! The RWCs clients include a cross-section of the campus: first-
year students writing for composition class, upper-level students writing term papers, seniors composing
letters of applications for jobs and graduate schools, graduate students working on theses and
dissertations, multilingual students mastering English, and a variety of others.

Where is the RWC located?
As of Fall Semester 2012, the RWC currently has four locations: the newly remodeled Williams 222
location, the gleaming Johnston Ground location, the happening Strozier Library location, and the up-and-
coming Dirac Library location. For students who are distance learners, online tutoring is available.
Contact Dr. Wells at jwells2@fsu.edu for information.

What are the hours?
Hours vary by location. Check the online schedule for availability.

Who works there?
The tutors in the RWC are graduate students in English with training and experience in teaching writing,
and undergraduate students who have completed a 3-credit English elective course in tutoring writing
and who have been apprentice tutors in the RWC.

What happens in a RWC session?
Many things! You can come with a prompt and talk about your ideas with someone who will be an active
listener and ask questions to help you figure out what you think. You can come with a few ideas jotted
down, and you can talk through your organization with a tutor. Once you have written parts of a draft or
a whole draft, you can see if you communicated your ideas clearly by having a tutor be your practice
audience. They will listen as a reader, and explain to you what they are thinking as a reader. If they hear
what you intended to communicate, hooray! If not, you have an opportunity to revise before you give
your work to your actual audience. The tutors will even help you learn editing and proofreading
strategies so you can independently communicate your ideas clearly.

How do I make an appointment?
The best way is by using our online scheduling website: http://fsu.mywconline.com Instructions for
making an appointment can be found here:http://wr.english.fsu.edu/Reading-Writing-Center/How-to-
Make-an-Appointment While we will accept walk-ins if a tutor is available, it is usually best to book
ahead.

How much tutoring help can I have?
All FSU students can have 1.5 hours of tutoring a week FOR FREE! This includes all locations, i.e., NOT 1.5
hours in Williams, 1.5 hours in Strozier, etc. Students who opt to register for ENC 1905, REA 1905, or ENG
5998 may have more time depending on the number of credits they choose to take. Appointments are
limited to 60 minutes/day.

The Digital Studio
What is the Digital Studio?
The Digital Studio provides support to students working individually or in groups on a variety of digital
projects, such as designing a website, developing an electronic portfolio for a class, creating a blog,
selecting images for a visual essay, adding voiceover to a presentation, or writing a script for a podcast.
The DS has both Macs and PCs, and some of the cool software available in the DS includes Photoshop,
InDesign, Windows Movie Maker, iMovie, and more!

Who uses the DS?
Any FSU students who want to complete digital class assignments (e.g., for FYC or WEPO) or to improve
overall capabilities in digital communication. Students also use the DS to make Prezis, business cards,
flyers for their own student organizations, and more!

Where is the DS?
There are two DS locations: Williams 222 and Johnston Ground.

What happens in a DS session?
Like the RWC, think of the DS as an idea lab, only it is a place to explore ideas in digital texts and to learn
new technologies to communicate ideas in those mediums.

How do I make an appointment?
The best way is by using our online scheduling website: http://fsu.mywconline.com The DS does accept
walk-ins, but the DS gets booked by large groups and is very busy at the end of the semester, so it is best
to plan ahead.

How much tutoring can I have?
You can use the DS as much as youd like!

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is grounds for suspension from the university as well as for failure in this course. It will not be
tolerated. Any instance of plagiarism must be reported to the Director of First-Year Composition and the
Director of Undergraduate Studies. Plagiarism is a counterproductive, non-writing behavior that is
unacceptable in a course intended to aid the growth of individual writers. Plagiarism is included among
the violations defined in the Academic Honor Code, section b), paragraph 2, as follows: Regarding
academic assignments, violations of the Academic Honor Code shall include representing anothers work
or any part thereof, be it published or unpublished, as ones own. A plagiarism education assignment
that further explains this issue will be administered in all first-year writing courses during the second
week of class. Each student will be responsible for completing the assignment and asking questions
regarding any parts they do not fully understand.

ADA
Students with disabilities needing academic accommodations should in the first week of class 1) register
with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) and 2) bring a letter to
the instructor from SDRC indicating the need for academic accommodations. This and all other class
materials are available in alternative format upon request.

I reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus any at point during the semester. You will be
notified of any changes.










Your Digital History Narrative



What are we doing?
The Digital History Narrative is a digitally-focused version of a personal history with an emphasis on
texts like videogames, online video, music, social networking sites, and other digital content. For this
project I want you to revisit and examine the digital texts (i.e. sitcoms, cartoons, movies, music/music
videos, eBooks, ads anything digital!) that have influenced or shaped your character. You may also want
to analyze or reflect on the ways in which these texts appealed to you (what kinds of language, aesthetic,
plot, or images did they use?). Think about how these texts have fostered your understanding of the
world as you've come to know it. Also, examine how your most influential texts have changed over time
and how these changes have influenced/reflect your personality and your knowledge of the world.

How are we doing it?
In short, youll
1. Pick a topic relating to a series of digital texts and/or hardware you experienced them through.
2. Craft a story (or connect together several) illustrating the history and/or progression of your
experiences with these digital texts.
3. Combine details and specific moments and anecdotes to bring your story to life.
4. Make connections between your experiences with digital texts and a facet of your life and/or
development as a person.

How should I do this?
You might create a narrative about your progression of favorite movies from the time you were young up
until the present: from The Lion King when you were eight, to Mean Girls when you were in middle
school, to Inglorious Bastards during your senior year of high school. You could also create a television
narrative tracing your history from the Rugrats, to The Simpsons, to South Park. Why did your tastes shift
in this way and what might it say about you?
You might create a musical history narrative by tracing your grade school infatuation with country music
and how that fed into your decision to start playing guitar and listening to Rage Against the Machine.
You might also create a sports history narrative by tracing the films or movies you watched over a period
of time (for example, Friday Night Lights) that portrayed a sport you play(ed), one that has been deeply
influential to your personal development.
Another option includes approaching this assignment as a progression, exploring the most memorable
and developmentally important digital texts and hardware that have influenced you over the years (early
emailing or early IMing, first game consoles, first cellphones, Photoshopping images, developing web
pages, and far more than I can list here!). Consider them carefully: why were they important to you? Did
these things affect your desires, friendships, purchases? Why did you like them at a particular moment?
When did they "get old," or if they never did, why? How did you change over time, and how did your early
experience as well as changes in the media alter your perceptions? What changes did you notice in the
games/sites/interactions?

***These are, of course, just a few suggested approaches; there are many ways of approaching paper one.
The only restriction that I will give you is that this paper does need to be analytic in nature. It's fine for
you to relate to me your experiences with your digital history, but I want you also to be able to interpret
and critique the visio-cultural texts that have influenced you to see how they have contributed to the
overall development of your character.

Why are we doing this project?
This is a common, and typically unspoken, concern Why are we doing this in an English class? Good
question! Throughout this semester we will be diving into a few different genres of composingpersonal
narrative, textual analysis, visual analysis, and multimodal composition. Throughout them all, we will be
maintaining a focus on digital texts and how they function in our daily lives and the role they played in
shaping who we are. Therefore, our first assignment will serve as a bridge between your experiences
before coming into this classroom and the kinds of analysis we will be doing in the coming weeks as well
as the kinds of critical analytical skills you will need as both a college student and in your future careers.

Logistics
You will complete three drafts, followed by a final draft. All (4) will be due to me on the final due date,
clipped and marked, if appropriate.
Length: 4-6 pages
Formatting (VERY IMPORTANT): 12 point size, MLA header, Double spaced. (This means 1
margins all the way around. If you have questions about this, see me.)

Assessment Model
1. Does this project clearly connect the writers real world experiences with digital texts?
2. Does the writer successfully integrate written details into the text to highlight specific moments in
the narrative?
3. Is there a strong and clear central theme connecting the narrative of this project together?
4. Does this project illustrate mastery over fundamental elements of writing, such as structure/order
of content, grammar, punctuation, word choice, and use of sources when/if applicable?
5. Does this project show clear signs of the drafting process, including multiple drafts, decision-
making skills in adding or altering content, and proofreading content?

This is whats known as a heuristic model of writing assessment and focuses on the parts of what
youve done and how they come together holistically to create a complete project rather than breaking it
up exclusively into individual parts.

Drafts and Due Dates
(Shitty) First Draft Workshop: 9/3
Second Draft: 9/8, 9/10, and 9/12
Third Draft Workshop: 9/17
FINAL DRAFT AND ALL PREVIOUS DRAFTS DUE: 9/22


Visual/Textual Analysis

What are we doing?
For this paper, you will build on the observation and analytic skills we hinted at in our digital narratives
with the objective of exploring connections between written and visual texts. In achieving this goal, you
will focus on how elements from both visual and written texts serve to interpret, emphasize, complicate,
or mask one another. Think of your favorite website, for instance. Now imagine if it had no visuals in it
whatsoever, no pictures or cartoons or ads. How different would the site be? The visuals included in
digital and print texts serve a distinct purpose, and for this essay you will consider what the purpose of a
visual (moving or static) is that accompanies text in a digital or print-based context.

How are we doing it?
In short, youll
1. Choose a text that incorporates visuals and text in some way.
2. Consider and analyze elements of the visual text like image, layout, color, design, and lighting.
3. Consider qualities of the written text, such as voice, tone, audience, and style.
4. Compare the visual and alphabetic texts and how they work with and/or against each other.
5. Find 3 outside resources to help you reinforce the arguments youre making about the visual and
text and integrate them into your ideas.
6. Make an argument about what the relationship between visual/text means and support it by
discussing the analytical elements mentioned above and others we explore in class and explicit
moments in the visual and alphabetic text.
7. Explain why/how this might matter to the person experiencing the text, and what the creators
intent might have been based on your analysis.

How should I do this?
Your first step should be to select a text with visual representations. Your choices are basically endless.
Heres a handful of possible examples:
If you are a fan of comic books/graphic novels, you might consider how the images in Bob Kanes
earlier Batman comics relate to their updated film counterparts by Christopher Nolan. How has
Batman changed visually, and how has his image (moral and artistic) changed to reflect the times
they were made in? In analyzing a text like this you might consider elements of color, point of
view, arrangement, movement, and style. (Note: Any comic or film adaptation will work for this
same kind of analysis)
Is there an illustrated storybook from your childhood that has always intrigued you, such as Green
Eggs and Ham? If this is the case, you could discuss the narrative and text alongside the book's
images, looking again at the illustrator's use of things like color and style.
Another possibility includes looking at CD song lyrics, liner notes and cover art. You might
consider, for instance, how the cover art on Modest Mouses The Moon & Antarctica supplements
meaning for the lyrics in various songs.
You might explore website text and graphics, observing sites such as college and university
homepages and discussing things like mission statements and messages addressed to prospective
students. You could then talk about the textual message in relation to corresponding, graphics,
layout, and design.
Or you could consider how a particular movie or play deviates from its original screenplay (or
perhaps from the book it was adapted from). Does the screenplay for The Departed match with
Scorseses final cut? Does a certain scene of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire differ from the
book in a meaningful way, creating a disconnect I meaning between the two?
Gaming! You will still need a combination of visuals and text. How do the visuals and text mesh?
What is the point of view and how does it work for or against the game? I will fall back on Zelda for
my example. You could analyze how the visual style of Hyrule matches/clashes against the content
of the game why is Wind Waker done in cartoon-like cell-shading while Ocarina of Time and
Twilight Princess are done with polygons and (relatively) realistic and gritty visuals? What effects
are added to the games by these choices? What do these choices say about the games? Do they
work with the written text in the game? How and why/why not?

Why are we doing this project?
As you can see in the comic above, all media has a message tucked away somewhere (intentional or not),
and this project is designed to get to start thinking about the relationships between images and text and
to start shifting away from a consumer of these texts and to begin criticizing them. Project one was our
introduction to college writing through experiences with digital texts; now its time to start thinking
about digital texts critically. This project will help you develop skills that will allow you to be a better
producer and consumer.
Logistics
You will complete three drafts, followed by a final draft. All (4) will be due to me on the final due date,
clipped and marked, if appropriate.
You MUST include your visual, so some form of scanning (magazine, book, or graphic novel), screenshot
(gaming or website), or hyperlink (YouTube video or song) will be required. In the Digital Studio
Williams location (down the hall from our classroom) we have a scanner you could use for anything you
are examining. Any questions, feel free to ask me.
On top of this visual source, you must also engage at least three outside sources.
Length: 7-8 pages. Nonetheless, 7 pages is a hard minimumyou should be shooting to go past it
and develop your ideas to their fullest potential as this will earn you the best possible assessment.
Formatting (VERY IMPORTANT): 12 point size, MLA header, Double spaced.

Assessment Model
When assessing your writing, I will provide you with responses to the following questions in regards to
the written component of your project.

1. Does the writer frequently engage in deep analysis of the relationship between visuals and text?
2. Is this project organized in a way that helps move from one argument to the next about different
facets of visual and text?
3. Did the writer engage thoughtfully with outside resources for this project?
4. Does this project illustrate mastery over fundamental elements of writing, such as structure/order
of content, grammar, punctuation, word choice, and use of sources when/if applicable?
5. Does this project show clear signs of the drafting process, including multiple drafts, decision-
making skills in adding or altering content, and proofreading content?

Drafts and Due Dates
(Shitty) First Draft Workshop: 10/1
Second Draft (Conferences in my Office): 10/6, 10/8, and 10/10
Third Draft Workshop: 10/15
FINAL DRAFT AND ALL PREVIOUS DRAFTS DUE: 10/24

Exposing Advertisements and Uncovering Truths



What are we doing?
Since we are trying to build on each paper, pulling elements from the previous for the subsequent, the
logical step for the final project is to create a text that utilizes some of the rhetorical strategies that weve
studied or evaluated up until this point. To begin this project, you will need to think about how current
advertisements workwhat images and texts do they use? How are these images displayed on the ad?
What makes this product look appealing? Does it even relate to the products purpose? However, we
dont want to perpetuate the type of mentality in implementing those strategies. So, instead of simply
creating an advertisement, we are going to create an anti-advertisement. You will need to spend some
time looking at adbusters.org for inspiration.

How are we doing it?
In short, youll
1. Pick an advertising that interests or even bothers you and has a rhetorical message that combines
the use of visual and textual (or lack thereof) elements.
2. Figure out what makes the adwhat techniques the advertiser is using, etc.
3. Reverse (and expose) the ad by creating an anti-advertisement. Make sure you utilize the same
techniques ads do: carefully choose your images, colors, text, etc.
4. Explain and provide a rationale for your choices in creating the anti-advertisement.

How should we do this?
Pick an advertisement that you dislike or that you feel is misleading to the consumer? Is there a
particular ad that attempts to advertise to the wrong audience (based on the visual/textual aspects of the
ad)?
Another way of approaching this topic is to focus on an issue that you want to research more in-
depth. For example, if you are passionate about global warming, then you start with this topic.
Once you begin researching, you can decide what advertisement or product you want to spoof in
order to make your point (i.e. gas companies, certain brands or models of cars). For example, you
could create an anti-ad dealing with the destruction of coral reefs due to global warming.
For your paper, deal with questions related to how the advertisers for the ad you are spoofing
manipulate or create their ad. How is this ad successful and how does it alter the true image of the
product? Or how does it accent the positive aspects of the product and downplay the negative
ones? Who is the audience that your advertisement addresses and who do you want to target in
this anti-advertisement? What images make the focal point of the ad you are spoofing? Is the
image the focus? What color do they use and how is this effective or not?
Then, apply these ideas to the anti-advertisement that you are creating to reveal the hidden truth
behind advertisements. Who is your audience? What is the rationale behind the images and text
you incorporate in your anti-ad? What idea are you trying to convey to your audience? How
successful are you at achieving this goal?

Why are we doing this project?
Project 1 focused on crafting narratives and details with words. Project 2 focused on learning the nuts
and bolts of design terminology by analyzing how images and text interact with one another in someone
elses original text. Now, its time to bring all of that together with skills as composers in digital spaces.
This unit and project encourage you to become a creator of a unique kind of text that combines images
and alphabetic text for yourself and requires you to focus strongly on your audience and gain experience
in creating texts, rather than simply consuming them.

Logistics
You will complete three drafts, followed by a final draft. All (4) will be due to me on the final due date,
clipped and marked, if appropriate.
You MUST include both of your visuals, so some form of scanning (magazine, book, or graphic
novel), screenshot (gaming or website), or hyperlink (YouTube video or song) will be required. In
the Digital Studio Williams location (down the hall from our classroom) we have a scanner you
could use for anything you are examining. Any questions, feel free to ask me.
Length: 6-7 pages
Include at least one secondary source.
Formatting (VERY IMPORTANT): 12 point size, MLA header, Double spaced.

Drafts and Due Dates
Idea workshop: 10/27
(Shitty) First Draft Workshop: 11/3
Second Draft (Conferences in my Office): 11/10
Third Draft Workshop: 11/17
FINAL DRAFT AND ALL PREVIOUS DRAFTS DUE: 11/21


Final Project

What are we doing?
Advertisements are not viewed completely in isolation. Instead, magazines, Internet sites, movies, and
television shows incorporate these ads into their own mediums. Therefore, the same product will
generate different ads depending on the audience of each one. For example, an ad for a cell phone will
vary from a parent magazine to one designed for teenagers or college students. Advertisers will use
ringtones and special colors to grab the attention of the latter, and for parents, they may use the idea of
having their child stranded alone at school as the motivation for purchasing a cell phone. Also, the idea of
a family plan would be important to parents and not necessarily to teenagers. The point is that you work
together to produce a magazine that could include all of the anti-ads you created in Paper Three.

How are we doing it?
In short
1. Youll be place into a group of four or five.
2. Work as a group to create a magazine that could utilize all of your own specific anti-
advertisements, either in an existing magazine or one youve created.
3. As a group, you will compose a detailed rationale for your magazine, which provides a justification
for the content and relates the magazine to the individual anti-ads.
4. As a group, create a magazine cover and table of contents, which will include the placement of
each anti-ad.
5. Each group member will compose a process memo describing their own experience and any
changes they would make to their anti-ad to better fit the magazine.
6. Present your magazine and anti-ad to the class.

How should we do this?
Therefore, you need to think about the audience each anti-ad targets and the type of ideas that you are
trying to convey to that audience. Then, create or find a magazine that would fit these specific
requirements. As a group, design a magazine cover and a table of contents for this magazine; then
position your anti-ads into this magazinewhere would you place each specific anti-ad? Would you pair
an anti-ad about Hummers around an article related to global warming? Be creative in designing these
magazines.

Why are we doing this project?
This assignment brings all of the rhetorical, visual, and textual aspects of media together. Its also a fun
way to end the semester!

Logistics
Each group member must participate actively in both the creation of the magazine and the memo and in
the presentation.
Length: group memo: 2-3 pages, individual memo 1-2 pages
Formatting (VERY IMPORTANT): 12 point size, MLA header, Double spaced.