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Axia College

Course Design Guide

COM/156 Version 3University Composition and Communication II

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Course Design GuideCOM/156 Version 3

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Edited in accordance with University of Phoenix® editorial standards and practices.


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Course Description

This course builds upon the foundations established in COM/155. It addresses the various rhetorical modes necessary for effective college essays: narration, illustration, description, process analysis, classification, definition, comparison and contrast, cause and effect, and argumentation. In addition, requirements for research essays, including the use of outside sources and appropriate formatting, are considered.

Course Topics & Objectives

Week One: Writing Basics: Audience, Purpose, and the Process

Identify strategies for successful writing. Determine appropriate purpose, audience, and content for the writing process.

Week Two: Topic Selection, Writing a Thesis Statement and Introductory Paragraphs

Determine the topic of an essay assignment. Explain effective practices for developing a thesis statement. Explain effective means for establishing an introductory paragraph.

Week Three: Organizing Ideas and Topic Sentences

Create an outline to organize ideas. Identify topic sentences for key paragraphs from an outline. Identify supporting points for your topic sentences.

Week Four: Supporting Paragraphs

Identify appropriate sources for an academic paper. Distinguish between fact and opinion. Select primary support most related to a thesis.

Week Five: Learning the Revision Process

Explain the role of feedback in the revision process. Describe how to use feedback objectively. Revise a draft of an essay.

Week Six: Using Persuasion Effectively

Describe elements of a persuasive essay. Identify negative aspects of biased writing.

Week Seven: Explaining Results and Learning to Create Cause, Effect

Explain the purpose of process analysis writing. Analyze cause and effect in writing. Describe supporting elements in a cause and effect essay.

Week Eight: Learning to Define, Compare and Contrast in Essay Writing

Explain the four basics of effective definition in writing. Describe appropriate uses of compare and contrast essays. Explain organizational methods used when comparing and contrasting.


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Week Nine: Comprehensive Writing Skills and Strategies

Demonstrate comprehensive writing skills. Identify writing strategies for use in future classes.


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Course Materials

Anker, S. (2009). Real essays with readings: Writing projects for college, work, and everyday life (3rd ed.). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Axia College’s Short Form Writing Style Handbook, available online via your student web page.

Axia College’s Writing Style Handbook, available online at https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/CWE/pdfs/Axiawriting_style_handbook.pdf.

All electronic materials are available on your student Web site.

Recommended Weekly Point Values Week One

Assignment: Challenges of a Paper 5Week Two

Assignment: Select a Topic for Your Final Paper 5Week Three

Assignment: Complete an Outline 5Week Four

Assignment: Write Your Thesis Statement 8Week Five

Assignment: Revision Practice 10Week Six

Assignment: Effective Persuasion 10Week Seven

Assignment: Rough Draft of Your Final Paper 5Week Eight

Assignment: Compare and Contrast Paragraphs 5Week Nine

Assignment: Persuasive Essay Final Paper 20

All WeeksParticipation and Discussion Questions 27

Point Total 100

https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/CWE/pdfs/Axiawriting_style_handbook.pdf


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Week One

Writing Basics: Audience, Purpose, and the Process

Identify strategies for successful writing. Determine appropriate purpose, audience, and content for the writing process.

Course Assignments

1. Course Preparation

Read the course description and objectives. Read the instructor’s biography and post your own.

2. Readings

Read Ch. 1–3 of Real Essays With Readings. Review the Electronic Reserve Readings for this week.

3. Nongraded Activities and Preparation

Watch the video entitled The Writing Process. Read the Short Form Axia Writing Style Handbook.

4. Assignment: Challenges of a Paper

Write a paragraph of at least 200 words identifying three challenges that might arise when writing a paper.

Write a second paragraph of at least 200 words explaining the strategies you will use to overcome those challenges.

Post your paper as an attachment.

5. Discussion Questions

Review the information provided on pp. 51–53. Explain the initial steps of writing an essay. Identify how your audience, purpose, and content will influence your approach.

The purpose of an essay, as explained on p. 47, will affect all aspects of the paper. In this class, the final paper will be a persuasive essay. Throughout the class, you will complete assignments that directly or indirectly help you complete the final paper. Identify the main purpose of a persuasive essay and the elements necessary for it to be effective.

Review the video titled Writing Process. Read the Short Form Axia Writing Style Handbook. What are the two most helpful suggestions in each? If you were to propose one additional suggestion to include in each what would it be?

Explain the time management strategies you will use when writing a successful academic paper. What techniques discussed in your US/101 course may help you manage your time when writing a paper?

The ultimate success or failure of a paper may often be traced back to the planning stages. What might you do to provide yourself with the best opportunity to succeed when writing your college papers?


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Week Two

Topic Selection, Writing a Thesis Statement and Introductory Paragraphs

Determine the topic of an essay assignment. Explain effective practices for developing a thesis statement. Explain effective means for establishing an introductory paragraph.

Course Assignments

1. Readings

Read Ch. 4–5, pp. 112–118 in Ch. 8, & pp. 290-291 in Ch. 18 of Real Essays With Readings.

Review the Electronic Reserve Readings for this week.

2. Nongraded Activities and Preparation: Thesis Review

Resource: Center of Writing Excellence Access the Grammar Mechanics section of the Grammar and Writing Guides.

o Click Library. o Go to the Center for Writing Excellence. o Click Tutorials & Guides. o Click The Grammar and Writing Guides.o Click Writing Style. o Finally, click Thesis. o Review the information provided.

Feedback Question (optional): How does the communication tone and style in the field of media compare with standard academic communication? Is it similar or different? Explain how so.

3. Assignment: Select a Topic for Your Final Paper

Resources: Appendix A and Appendix B Read Appendix A. and Appendix B. Choose a topic for your final paper, due in Week Nine. Write two paragraphs, with a total minimum word count of 350 words, explaining

what your point of view will be and what you plan to accomplish in your paper. Post your paper as an attachment.


Read pp. 290–291 in Ch. 18. Those pages provide an overview of writing that persuades. Ch. 4 provides ideas for choosing a topic. Based on those ideas and knowing that your final paper will be a persuasive essay, what topic from Appendix B will you choose for your paper? Based on the readings from the text this week identify key points to keep in mind when working on the thesis statement and introduction of your essay.

Identify two different points of view for the topic from the list in Appendix B that you have chosen. Choose the point of view you will use in your paper and explain why you have chosen it.


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Review the information about thesis statements in the Center for Writing Excellence. Identify your point of view and the point you will prove in your paper. How will your thesis statement clearly identify your point of view and point to prove?

Page 112 explains what role an effective introduction should have in a paper. What aspect of writing an introduction do you anticipate will be a challenge for you? Explain why.

Ch. 5 explains how to write an effective thesis statement. Explain two key ideas you learned in the reading this week which will assist you in writing an effective thesis statement.


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Week Three

Organizing Ideas and Topic Sentences

Create an outline to organize ideas. Identify topic sentences for key paragraphs from an outline. Identify supporting points for your topic sentences.

Course Assignments

1. Readings

Read Ch. 7 & p. 111 of Real Essays With Readings. Review the Electronic Reserve Readings for this week.

2. Nongraded Activities and Preparation: Developing Outlines

Watch the video entitled Developing Outlines located on your student Web site.

Feedback Question (optional): How has the reality of college matched your initial expectations about college? Is it what you expected? What’s working for you? What’s still a challenge?

3. Assignment: Complete an Outline

Resources: Appendix A Complete an outline. The outline will be related to the topic chosen in Week Two and

will help you as you complete the final paper in Week Nine. Explain why you decided to sequence your paragraphs as you did. Your paragraph

must be no less than 150 words. Post your paper as an attachment.


An effective persuasive essay involves developing an outline, planning topic sentences, and identifying supporting points. How will you use these three concepts in planning and writing your final essay?

What steps are included in the prewriting phase of essay writing? How does prewriting affect the success of an essay?

The video, Develop Outlines, provides an overview of the purpose behind planning an outline. How might your outline make the writing process go more smoothly? How might an outline contribute to the success of a paper?

What steps must be taken prior to writing an effective persuasive essay? How will those steps contribute to the effectiveness of your final paper?

Review p. 111. Write one topic sentence for your Week Nine essay and explain the primary role of a topic sentence in an effective essay.


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Week Four

Supporting Paragraphs

Identify appropriate sources for an academic paper. Distinguish between fact and opinion. Select primary support most related to a thesis.

Course Assignments

1. Readings

Read Ch. 6 & 21 of Real Essays With Readings. Review the Electronic Reserve Readings for this week.

2. Nongraded Activities and Preparation: Evaluating Internet Sources

Resource: Center of Writing Excellence Access the Plagiarism section of the Grammar and Writing Guides.

o Click Library. o Go to the Center for Writing Excellence. o Click Tutorials & Guides on the left. o Click The Grammar and Writing Guides under Grammar Tutorials o Then under Plagiarism click Plagiarism. o Click Evaluating Internet Sources. o Review the information provided.o Complete the following practice quiz: Skill-and-Drill: Evaluating Internet

Sources Quiz.

Post your assignment for faculty review.

Feedback Question (optional): How do you think the content of this course will be applicable to your professional development and career plans?

3. Assignment: Write Your Thesis Statement

Resources: Real Essays With Readings, ERRs, and Appendix A Write your thesis statement. Write paragraphs that support your thesis statement. The minimum word count for

this assignment is 450 words. These paragraphs may be used in your final paper. Cite all sources used according to the Short Form Axia Writing Style Handbook. Post your paper as an attachment.


To make supporting points it is important that one finds relevant, accurate, and reliable sources. What should you consider when looking for helpful sources? What are some red flags that indicate you should avoid a particular source?

Review Ch. 21 to learn about finding and using sources. What types of sources will you use to help support your topic sentences? Why do you believe they are effective choices to support your point of view?


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After completing the skill and drill this week, identify three essential steps that a writer might take to choose accurate sources.

How might you determine what is fact and what is opinion? Does the opinion of an expert in the field carry more weight than the opinion of someone that is not? Explain why or why not. Find one factual article online about popular music. Find an opinion-based article about popular music.

One common mistake made in a persuasive paper is taking one side to the extent that the writing becomes biased. How does a persuasive essay differ from a biased essay?


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Week Five

Learning the Revision Process

Explain the role of feedback in the revision process. Describe how to use feedback objectively. Revise a draft of an essay.

Course Assignments

1. Readings

Read Ch. 9 of Real Essays With Readings. Review the Electronic Reserve Readings for this week.

2. Nongraded Activities and Preparation: Writing Academic Papers

Resource: Center of Writing Excellence Access the Writing Wizards section of the Grammar and Writing Guides.

o Click Library. o Go to the Center for Writing Excellence. o Click Tutorials & Guides on the left. o Click The Grammar and Writing Guides under Grammar Tutorials o Then on the left under Wizards and Tutorials click Writing Wizards. o Click on Guidelines for Writing Academic Papers. o Finally, click on the link Download the Complete Guidelines for Writing

Academic Essays. o Review the information provided on page 11.

Feedback Question (optional): Maintaining a healthy lifestyle during college is often difficult. Develop a list of strategies that might help you maintain good mental and physical health. This list must be a minimum of 150 words.

3. Assignment: Revision Practice

Resources: Appendix C and Appendix D Read the sample student paper in Appendix C. Write two paragraphs explaining the changes that you would make to revise the

paper. The minimum word count for these two paragraphs is 400 words. Read the faculty’s rubric comments and the Turnitin® report provided in Appendix D. Write one paragraph of at least 200-words explaining what the student could have

done differently to avoid the plagiarism concerns raised by the faculty member. How could the use of Plagiarism Checker have helped the student?



Why is it important to be objective when receiving feedback? How might you use feedback to revise your rough draft to make it as effective as possible?

How might you use feedback to help you determine what areas to focus on further when writing?


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Page 11 of the Guidelines for Writing Academic Essays offers a number of suggestions to help revise a paper. Which of the methods do you believe will work well for you in this class? Explain why.

Feedback on our work may come in many forms. It may be feedback received from the instructor, feedback from CWE, or feedback from a friend or relative. What types of feedback do you find most effective as you work towards completing your final paper?

Using the Guidelines for Writing Academic Essays and the feedback received to date, list three adjustments to your paragraphs which you might implement to make your final paper more effective.


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Week Six

Using Persuasion Effectively

Describe elements of a persuasive essay. Identify negative aspects of biased writing.

Course Assignments

1. Readings

Read Ch. 18 & 51 of Real Essays With Readings. Review the Electronic Reserve Readings for this week.




Academic Essays. o Review the information provided on page 14.

Feedback Question (optional): Using all of the resources available to you, identify two strategies to reading academic articles, textbooks, and other college literature. After identifying the strategies, discuss how they would relate to time management.

3. Assignment: Effective Persuasion

Resources: Real Essays With Readings and ERRs Choose 1 of the 4 persuasive essays in Ch. 51. Read the essay and write a paragraph of at least 200 words in which you discuss

how effectively the author persuaded you. Submit the current version of your paper to Writepoint and retrieve the results. Write one paragraph explaining how you might use the feedback received from

Writepoint to make your persuasive essay more effective. Write a third paragraph in which you discuss how effectively you think your essay will

persuade your readers and whether you believe it may be interpreted as biased. Post your paper as an attachment.


Identify the four basics of a good persuasive essay, referred to on p. 290. How would overly biased writing negatively affect a persuasive essay?

When writing a persuasive essay the ultimate goal is to persuade the reader. List three techniques you plan to use in your persuasive essay that will help you to persuade your reader.


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Review the essay checklist provided on p. 14 of the Guidelines for Writing Academic Essays. Which of the elements in the checklist will you focus on the most while completing your paper?

As you polish your essay in preparation for your final project, which areas do you believe you need to improve and how will you make those improvements?

Using the Internet, find two examples of what you consider biased writing about the effect of videogames on children?


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Week Seven

Explaining Results and Learning to Create Cause, Effect

Explain the purpose of process analysis writing. Analyze cause and effect in writing. Describe supporting elements in a cause and effect essay.

Course Assignments

1. Readings

Read Ch. 13, 17, & 50 of Real Essays With Readings. Review the Electronic Reserve Readings for this week.

2. Nongraded Activities and Preparation: Cause and Effect Essays



Academic Essays. o Review the information provided on p. 1.

Feedback Question (optional): How are your stress management strategies holding up for you? Is the stress you are experiencing what you expected it to be? What did you not expect? How are you handling those stressors? What stress management techniques have you found to be particularly useful for yourself?

3. Assignment: Rough Draft of Your Final Paper

Resources: Real Essays With Readings, ERRs, and Appendix A Complete a rough draft of your final paper on persuasion. The rough draft must be at

least 900 words and expand on the submission posted in Week Four. Address the following questions:

o Process analysis is used in some, but certainly not all essays. Did you use process analysis in your rough draft? If you did, then explain why. If not, explain why not.

o Do you have cause and effect statements in your rough draft? If so, identify which statements are cause and effect statements. If not, explain whether you think they would help improve your paper or not.




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Read the cause and effect essay titled “Struggling for Perfection” on pp. 829–832. What supporting elements did Amy Beck use to support her key points?

Ch. 13 describes process analysis in detail. What is the main point of process analysis in writing? Why are the four basic steps of process analysis important? What happens if you skip a step?

In EBSCOhost, locate the article titled “Morphing Video Games into Movies.” Identify what you believe are the strongest parts of the article and those that you believe are the weakest. Explain your selections.

What are some common transitions? How might transitions help with the flow of a cause and effect essay? Do certain transitions affect the main point of your essay? Explain why or why not.

What is the definition of a cause and effect essay? Describe a cause and effect situation related to the effect of video games on society.


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Week Eight

Learning to Define, Compare and Contrast in Essay Writing

Explain the four basics of effective definition in writing. Describe appropriate uses of compare and contrast essays. Explain organizational methods used when comparing and contrasting.

Course Assignments

1. Readings

Read Ch. 15–16 & 48–49 of Real Essays With Readings. Review the Electronic Reserve Readings for this week.

2. Nongraded Activities and Preparation: Four Basics of a Good Definition

Resource: Ch. 15 of Real Essays with Readings Review p. 1 of Ch. 15, Four Basics of Good Definition. Feedback Question (optional): How might understanding what makes an effective

definition essay help you in college or the workplace?

3. Assignment: Compare and Contrasts Paragraphs

Resources: Real Essays With Readings and ERRs Review the outline posted in Week Three and the paragraphs posted in Week Four

to determine what terms, if any, you may need to define. Determine if compare and contrast paragraphs are applicable for your paper. Write three paragraphs, which combined will be at least 500 words, explaining why

you will or will not use definitions and compare and contrast paragraphs in your final paper.



Name some examples of the effective use of compare and contrast essays. Explain the key differences, identified on pp. 255–256, between the two basic organizational methods for comparison and contrast.

Compare and contrast essays are explained in Ch. 16. Please describe and provide examples of two situations where a compare and contrast essay would be appropriate.

Is the sample essay, located in Ch. 15 on pp. 245-246 titled, Celebrity Teeth, an effective example of a definition essay? What does or does not make it effective?

Please read the definition essay found in Ch. 48 by Nancy Mairs titled "On Being a Cripple." Mairs uses several terms to describe disability. What terms are familiar or unfamiliar? Are these terms appropriate in a definition essay? Explain why or why not. Provide examples.

What are the two types of organization used in compare and contrast essays? What are the steps of organization? What happens if you skip a step?


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Week Nine

Comprehensive Writing Skills and Strategies

Demonstrate comprehensive writing skills. Identify writing strategies for use in future classes.

Course Assignments

1. Readings

Read Ch. 19 of Real Essays With Readings. Review the Electronic Reserve Readings for this week.




Academic Essays. o Review the information provided on p. 11.

3. Assignment: Persuasive Essay Final Paper

Resources: Real Essays With Readings, ERRs, and Appendix A Write a persuasive essay on the topic chosen in Week Two with a minimum of 1000

words in length. Include the following elements:

o A title page o An introduction and a thesis statement o A body with supporting evidence and in-text citations o A conclusion o A reference list

Format your paper according to the Short Form Axia Writing Style Handbook. Post your paper as an attachment.


Writing is something that improves with practice and focus. What steps will you take to ensure that your writing continues to improve throughout your college experience?

Identify the writing strategies you have learned in this course and how you plan to use them. How have your thoughts about the suggestions in the essays changed based on your experiences over the last 9 weeks?


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Describe the various university resources you have learned about in this course and others at Axia that will be useful to you in the on-going development of your grammar and writing skills.

Describe how the plagiarism tutorial and the Turnitin® service may ensure that you are an ethical academic writer.

Effective formatting helps make a paper more accessible to the reader and helps the writer more effectively convey their ideas. Microsoft® Word has a built-in help feature. In Word 2007, you may access it by clicking the question mark in the upper-right part of the screen. In Word 2003, you may access the help by clicking the Help menu towards the top of the screen. Review the information on formatting documents, using headers and setting margins. Based on that review, what features in Word might you use to help format your papers effectively?

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