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This section features the writing assignments required for this course. Each assignment is due during the class session indicated below. (Note: Not all class sessions have assignments.)
A Note on Critical Reflections
These assignments are based on the text A World of Ideas, abbreviated below as IDEAS (Jacobus, Lee A. A World of Ideas: Essential Reading for College Writers. 7th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/Saint Martin's, 2005. ISBN: 9780312437176.)
Students were required to turn in a total of three critical reflections only. Only the first critical reflection was mandatory; the second and third ones were turned in depending on which critical reflections each student chose. The guidelines for the critical reflections are provided below in Ses #4 and apply to all subsequent reflections.
Assignments table.
| SES # |
ASSIGNMENTS |
| Introductions to Each Other and Plato |
| 2 |
Speech of Self-Introduction (PDF) |
| Rhetoric |
| 4 |
1st Critical Reflection (PDF): Write an essay (500-750 words, ~2-3 double-spaced pages) on one of the following "Suggestions for Writing" in IDEAS about Plato's "Cave": 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 (p. 454). |
| 8 |
Major Essay 1: Sophist Essay (PDF) |
| Rhetoric and Ethics |
| 9 |
Mandatory Revision of Major Essay 1 |
| Rhetoric and Government |
| 10 |
Critical Reflection: Write an essay (500-750 words) on one of the following "Suggestions for Writing" in IDEAS: 1, 2, 3, and 4 (pp. 50-51). |
| 11 |
Critical Reflection: Write an essay (500-750 words) on one of the following "Suggestions for Writing" in IDEAS: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 (pp. 72-73). |
| 12 |
Critical Reflection: Write an essay (500-750 words) on one of the following "Suggestions for Writing" in IDEAS: 1 or 3 (p. 97). |
| 13 |
Critical Reflection: Write an essay (500-750 words) on one of the following "Suggestions for Writing" in IDEAS:
- For Jefferson 3, 4, or 5 (p. 82)
- For Stanton 1, 4, 5, or 6 (pp. 168-169)
|
| Rhetoric and Justice |
| 14 |
Major Essay 2 (PDF) |
| 15 |
Critical Reflection: Write an essay (500-750 words) on one of the following "Suggestions for Writing" in IDEAS: 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 (pp. 157-158). |
| 16 |
Mandatory Revision of Major Essay 2 |
| 17 |
Critical Reflection: Write an essay (500-750 words) on one of the following "Suggestions for Writing" in IDEAS: 1, 2, or 4 (pp. 190-191). |
| Rhetoric and Ethics (cont.) |
| 18 |
Critical Reflection: Write an essay (500-750 words) on one of the following "Suggestions for Writing" in IDEAS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 (pp. 222). |
| 19 |
Critical Reflection: Write an essay (500-750 words) on one of the following "Suggestions for Writing" in IDEAS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 (pp. 205). |
| 20 |
Major Essay 3 (PDF) |
| 22 |
Mandatory Revision of Major Essay 3
Critical Reflection: Write an essay (500-750 words) on one of the following "Suggestions for Writing" in IDEAS: 1, 2, 3, 5, or 6 (pp. 818-819).
|
| 23 |
Critical Reflection: Write an essay (500-750 words) on one of the following "Suggestions for Writing" in IDEAS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 (pp. 725-726). |
| Rhetoric and Oral Presentations |
| 24 |
Optional Revision of Major Essay 2 |
| 24-27 |
Final Persuasive Speech (PDF) |
| 25 |
Typed Version of Final Persuasive Speech (PDF) |
| 27 |
Optional Revision of Major Essay 3 |