College Prep Department

COLLEGE PREP DEPARTMENT ROOM 6104

MAIN OFFICE: 237-1269 CHAIRPERSON: 237-1267 LAB: 237-1649

REA 0003 COURSE SYLLABUS

Term: Spring 2009-2 Reference: 549147 Credits: 4 Credits Location: 6135 Beginning Date: January 5, 2010 Ending Date: April 22, 2010 Final Exam Date: April 27, 2010 Instructor: Ethel Dunn Office: Room 6103 Office Hrs: T/TH 12:40 PM– 1:40 PM Class: T/TH 11:15 AM – 12:30 PM Phone: 305 237-6103 Email: [email protected]

TEXT: TEN STEPS TO ADVANCING COLLEGE READING SKILLS: Fourth Edition Author: John Langan - Townsend Press

ADVANCING VOCABULARY SKILLS: SHORT VERSION/Third Edition Authors: Sherrie Nist and Carole Mohr

MERRIAM-WEBSTER POCKET DICTIONARY/ELECTRONIC DICTIONARY Author: Merriam-Webster (recommended) (optional)

SUPPLIES: #2 Pencils 1 Pack of Scantrons (alphabetical)

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This college preparatory course is designed to assist students in building vocabulary skills, literal and critical comprehension skills, and successful reading strategies. This course encompasses all CLAST reading competencies and also encourages attitudes and habits that lead to a lifetime of reading. In REA 0003, instructors provide reading instruction in class, and developmental educators in the required college prep lab will assist students with lab assignments. In this course, students will participate in a variety of reading projects and assignments. Students must also pass the State Exit Examination.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: 1. Students who successfully complete this course will be able to demonstrate mastery of vocabulary skills as found in the course and supplementary text. 2. Students who successfully complete this course will demonstrate mastery of context clues that leads to the improvement of vocabulary skills. 3. Students who successfully complete this course will demonstrate mastery in identifying stated and implied main ideas in paragraphs, passages, and stories. 4. Students who successfully complete this course will demonstrate the ability to draw conclusions from inferences. 5. Students who successfully complete this course will show mastery of the skills necessary to sucessfully pass the REA0003State Exit Exam. 6. Students who sucessfully complete this course will be able to transfer strategies learned in narrative reading to solving word problems in the mathematics discipline.\ 7. Students who sucessfully complete this course will be able to demonstrate critical thinking skills that extends across disciplinary lines including mathematics. 8. Students who sucessfully complete this course will be able to demonstrate mastery of graph and chart reading and interpretation including numeric representations and projections.

METHODOLOGY: This is a student – centered course that focuses on critical thinking skills utilizing lecture, small and large group presentation as well as other strategies that lends themselves to teaching reading as an active interaction with the text. This course invites planning, pairing and the implementation of teaching strategies across disciplinary lines such as mathematics and the humanities.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PASSING THE COURSE: In order to successfully complete the REA 0003 course requirements students must:

1. Successfully complete course requirements with a grade of “S”. 2. Successfully complete lab assignments. 3. Achieve a passing score on the REA0003 State Examination. 4. No more than three unexcused absences.

*LAB ATTENDANCE AND ASSIGNMENTS: Students will attend scheduled lab this semester and are responsible for successfully completing lab assignments. Students must begin attending lab as soon as possible and at the scheduled lab times. The lab is located in room 2205. The lab instructors will assign all work in the lab. Attendance in the lab is mandatory and is monitored. Each student will be assigned a lab instructor who will monitor and report his or her progress throughout the semester.

Open Lab is available. See lab instructor.

ATTENDANCE POLICY AND PROCEDURES: A schedule of test dates is provided on this syllabus. Any changes will be announced in class. It is the student’s responsibility to adhere to this schedule and any changes made, and to be present and on time for exams. There will be no make-up tests except for of these circumstances: (1) arrangements made in advance with instructor or (2) or a doctor’s note or other documentation to support your absence on a scheduled test day. A grade of zero will be recorded for each test not taken when scheduled and will be averaged with other scores.

HOMEWORK /CLASS ASSIGNMENT: If you are absent, you are responsible for contacting the instructor or another student to find if additional work has been assigned in addition to the work listed on the on your syllabus. This work will be due at the usual time. Being absent is no excuse for late work.

WITHDRAWAL/AUDIT: It is the student’s responsibility to adhere to the policy and officially withdraw from the class. After who does not plan to complete the course and wishes to receive a “W” is advised to submit the appropriate form to the Registrar’s Office by the designated deadlines (refer to your college catalog). Students who fail to follow this procedure and not show up for class ad do not take tests when scheduled will run the risk of receiving “U” and will be required to repeat the course.

COURSE EVALUATION POLICY: The grading system utilized in REA0003 is as follows:

S - All curriculum requirements for college-prep reading and an acceptable score on the REA 0003 State Exam ination have been satisfied. (Class attendance, Colege-Prep Lab Attendance, completing and submitting required work successfully and on time (class and lab work). Achieving a passing score of 61% on the REA0003 State Exit Examination.) P- Sufficient progress has been made this semester to continue in REA 0003 course until reading requirements are satisfied.

U- Unsatisfactory performance in the course and course must be repeated.

Your grade will be determined using the following format for all class assignments and tests:

S= 100 -70 points U= 69 – 0 points P= incomplete or no assignment

ALL STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO KEEP A RECORD OF THEIR SCORES ON THE TESTS AND ASSIGNMENTS FOR IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK OF THEIR PROGRESS IN THE COURSE.

Students are required to follow the course outline unless otherwise advised by the instructor.

 Each activity/assignment (as outlined) should be pre-read before class. During class the material will be reviewed and discussed. Homework assignments are follow up activities of each week’s class session.

 Each assignment will be checked, the percentage recorded and used as part of the overall grading criteria for the course. In the event that an assignment is not submitted, the student will receive a grade of zero which will be averaged as part of the total grade for the course.

 Each student is to complete a Career write-up. This assignment requires research at the library or via the internet which will be done during the first two weeks of class.

 A written review of a book (fiction/non-fiction) of the student’s choice and a least a 10.0 reading level will be submitted by the date on the course outline. A book report format to be followed for this report is attached to this syllabus.

 A movie review of the film The Debaters starring Denzel Washington and produced by Harpo Productions will be due on date as outlined on your course outline. A format to be utilized is included with this syllabus. All of the skills that are taught in REA0003 will used to evaluate this film.

In order to ensure an environment that is conductive to learning, it is necessary that cellular telephones are turned off in class. In the event of an emergency situation, leave your name, course and room number at the security station, so that you can be contacted.

This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. All changes will be announced in class.