Time Schedule:
Jun Xu
ENGL 281
Seattle Campus
Writing papers communicating information and opinion to develop accurate, competent, and effective expression.
Class description
Writing about Science: A Writing Journey of the Double Helix
ENGL 281F is designed as an interdisciplinary writing class. In this class, if you are a student who majors in the humanities, you will have a taste of scientific publication and practice; if you are a student who majors in science, you will learn the ways in which humanists think, debate, and write about science. The theme of this class is the double helix, or more precisely, various genres surrounding the topic of the double helix as the symbol of hereditary material. The discovery that the material that determines heredity has the structure of a double helix is arguably the most significant scientific discovery of the twentieth century. Thus, the writings about the double helix represent the controversies, power struggle, and social effects of modern scientific practice. Through studying writings on the same topic and through the comparisons between the writings, you will come to understand better the importance of language, rhetoric, and genre. You will practice writing in various genres, and furthermore, developing flexible strategies for revising, editing and proofreading.
While 281 has no formal prerequisite, this is an intermediate writing course, and instructors expect entering students to know how to formulate claims, integrate evidence, demonstrate awareness of audience, and structure coherent sentences, paragraphs and essays. Thus we strongly encourage students to complete an introductory writing course before enrolling in English 281.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
