ENGL 1550 - Writing 1
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 12, CRN 42955,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Course Description
Dr. Gordon's section: Writing with Archival Sources
We can find many fascinating documents in public archives, from newspaper articles to photographs to genealogical records, and much much more. Moreover, we all have a personal “archives” in the form of documents that are meaningful to us, such as photographs, letters, and official documents. Throughout the course, we’ll explore how these documents can be used as sources for your writing projects.
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | "Milestone Documents" at the National Archives "Introduction to Archives" | The Purdue OWL | |
| Required | "President Washington's First Inaugural Address" | George Washington | |
| Required | Estelle Bedford oral history (audio file and transcript) | Estelle Bedford | |
| Required | Selected birth records, New York, 1855-1895 | (various authors) | |
| Required | Excerpt from "Are They Dead Yet?" | Sam Roberts | |
| Required | "Things To Do At Home: Organize Your Personal Archive" | The Writer's Guild Foundation | |
| Required | "It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint: Personal Archiving" | The Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) | |
| Required | "My Father’s Home" | Antonio Reis | |
| Required | "Research Guides: Local History and Genealogy" | The Library of Congress | |
| Required | Five biographies in "The Ohio Women's Hall of Fame" | The Ohio History Connection | |
| Required | "Cuyahoga River Fire: The Blaze That Started a National Discussion" | Michael Rotman | |
| Required | "Brainstorming Ways to Develop and Expand Your Writing" (video) | Jay L Gordon |
For course readings, you will do the following:
- Read online texts as assigned.
- Read both primary and secondary sources that you find and use yourself for your major writing projects.
Note that your student fees pay for The Norton Field Guide to Writing textbook. However, you have the option to opt out of the student fee charge. Keep in mind that you may be required to use it later, in Writing 2 (ENGL 1551).
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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SCHEDULE (all readings are online, and links will be provided)
| Week of | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/24 | "Milestone Documents" at the National Archives "Introduction to Archives" at the Purdue OWL website |
What is an archive? | |
| 8/31 | "President Washington's First Inaugural Address" | Exploring online archives | Writing Goals (5 pts) |
| 9/7 | Estelle Bedford oral history (audio file and transcript) | Birth records, certificates, and announcements | Documenting My Birth - draft 1 |
| 9/14 | Selected birth records, New York, 1855-1895 | Birth records, certificates, and announcements | |
| 9/21 | Excerpt from "Are They Dead Yet?" by Sam Roberts | Putting births information into context | Documenting My Birth - draft 2 |
| 9/28 | "Things To Do At Home: Organize Your Personal Archive" at The Writer's Guild Foundation website | Revision strategies | |
| 10/5 | "It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint: Personal Archiving" at the CALS website | Family history, family records, genealogical archives | Documenting My Family's Past - draft 1 |
| 10/12 | "My Father’s Home" by Antonio Reis | Family history, family records, genealogical archives | |
| 10/19 | Revision strategies | Document My Family's Past- | |
| 10/26 | "Research Guides: Local History and Genealogy" at the Library of Congress website | Revision strategies | |
| 11/2 | Five biographies in "The Ohio Women's Hall of Fame" at the Ohio History Connection website | Exploring Ohio in the Archives - draft 1 | |
| 11/9 | "Cuyahoga River Fire: The Blaze That Started a National Discussion" by Michael Rotman | ||
| 11/16 | Revision strategies Strategies for further development and expansion |
Exploring Ohio in the Archives - draft 2 | |
| 11/23 | Thanksgiving: Wed-Fri (Nov 25-27) | ||
| 11/30 | "Brainstorming Ways to Develop and Expand Your Writing" (video) | Development and Expansion | |
| 12/7 | Finals week | All final revisions due per arrangement with instructor |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.