first day

1. ENGL 318/JAMM 328 (Science Writing)
Purposes and Goals

2. Instructor: Dr. Jodie Nicotra
(Department of English)
TA: Kenetta Nunn (PhD student, BCB)

3. SCIENCEnot this
approach

4. Rather, we’ll be attempting to
understand the rhetorical dimensions
of both scientific work and popular
“accommodations” of that work.
And…what does “rhetorical”
mean?

5. Rather, we’ll be attempting to
understand the rhetorical dimensions
of both scientific work and popular
“accommodations” of that work.
And…what does “rhetorical”
mean?
Basically: the understanding that all
communication has purpose and shape,
and changes according to its audience.

6. We’ll also be considering ideas of science
literacy: literacy at the individual level as
well as literacy at the community level.

7. Course Learning Outcomes (in plain
English)
At the end of this course, students should be able to do the following
things:
 Rhetorically analyze scientific texts and popular science writing.
 Use a bag of tricks for communicate complex information.
 Be able to use the conventions of many kinds of science
communication genres.
 Be able to write to audiences with varying levels of expertise.
 Understand science and science literacy as a community as well as
an individual enterprise.
 Be able to analyze how scientific issues affect communities, and
respond accordingly.

8. Course Policies (in brief)
• Come to class (attendance is mandatory).
• Be civil.
• Turn off your phones and put away laptops for the
most part.
• Participate in draft workshops (these are
mandatory, too).
• Turn things in on time.
• Don’t plagiarize.

9. Project Sequence:
1. Weekly analysis of science stories (semester-long)
2. Project 1: Comparative rhetorical analysis of a scientific article and
its popularization.
3. Project 2: News release about work done by a UI scientist for the UI
website.
4. Project 3: Infographic.
5. Project 4: Analyzing how a scientific issue affects a community,
developing a communication plan, and producing two types of
communication from the plan.
6. Final reflective memo.