WCWP 10A: The Writing Course A 

A seminar-style course in reading and writing required of all Warren College students. The course emphasizes argumentation and critical writing based on sources. Each year, all classes focus on a single topic for the 10A course, and writing assignments are consistent across all 10A sections. 

2022-2023 Course Theme: "Promises and Contradictions of Science and Technology"

Course Description

In Warren Writing, we focus on how to become better writers and communicators. To do this, we need topics to write about. How did we choose our 10A topic for this year? We started by listening to our students, their interests, and the things that matter to them. 

Last year, almost 70% of Warren students declared majors in the STEM fields. Many of them told us that they hope to work in the STEM fields when they graduate. Meanwhile, during the pandemic, Warren students have shared powerful stories about engaging in or witnessing debates (either in person or online) about whether we should trust scientists and science. Our students have also questioned the ethical practices of major tech companies, including the ones they hope to work for someday. Finally, our students have challenged us to think deeply about the impact of science and technology on working class communities, women, and communities of color. 

Therefore, we designed our course topic to meet Warren students at the intersections of science, technology, communication, and justice. You will think critically about the many historical, political, and cultural aspects of this topic and its significance to you. In the process, we hope you learn a lot more about yourself, your voice, and the power you have for writing answers to the problems that we most need to solve today.

To do this, you will compose three different writing projects. The first project will ask you to tell a story about a meaningful life experience that has shaped or changed your worldviews about science and/or technology. In the second project, you will do a close reading and analysis of a text (or part of a text) that argues for how science or technology can help and/or harm people (or both). For your final project, you will use personal storytelling and/or other strategies to make a claim about an example of science or technology that is out of balance and causing harm to individuals or communities. 

Required Texts

There are no textbooks to purchase in this class. You can find our course reading materials on Canvas. To find these texts, please open the program called Perusall and register for this program. You can locate this program on the left side of your Canvas home page.