English 100.01: Composition I (3 Hours)

English 100.01: Composition I (3 hours) English Building 123 Fall 2010 MWF 9:00 to 9:50 AM

Instructor

Dr. Espen Kosur, English faculty, English Building 345A Office Phone: (123) 555-1234 Office Email: [email protected] Office Hours: Tuesday 1:00 to 3:00 PM, Friday 10:00 to 11:30 AM

Materials

Required: Langan, John. College Writing Skills, 7th edition. McGraw-Hill, 2008. ISBN 9780073384092. Defeyter, Margaret Anne, and Pamela Louise McPartlin. "Helping Students Understand Essay Marking Criteria and Feedback." Psychology Teaching Review. 13.1 (2007): 23- 33. Self Study Guide for English Punctuation: http://www.brighthub.com/education/languages/articles/72719.aspx

Recommended: Kovalik, Doina L., and Ludovic M. Kovalik. "Language Simulations: The Blending Space for Writing and Critical Thinking." Simulation & Gaming. 38.3 (2007): 310-322. Barnet, Sylvan, Pat Bellanca, and Marcia Stubbs. A Short Guide to College Writing, 4th edition. Longman, 2010. ISBN 9780205706600.

Description

Catalog Description: A course in the principles of effective writing. Special emphasis given to functional grammar, spelling, vocabulary building, punctuation, and composition development. Assignments based upon the study of exposition, narration, description, and argument, in writing and collateral reading. Students will use the computer lab.

Objectives: English 100.01 is a freshman composition course designed to help you develop and exercise your critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. It is first and foremost a writing class, and most of our time in this class will be spent on reading and discussing the writing of others and creating and producing our own. The two goals of this course are to achieve competence with the use of English and fluency with written English. To accomplish the first goal, we will study the structure of the English language, and to accomplish the second goal, we will study how several writers create their work. I have selected the textbook and designed the syllabus to expose you to a variety of writing styles and genres as well as to refresh your memory and polish your skills as a writer. When you are able to write correctly and knowledgeably to the various issues raised in class, you will be able to write about anything. You must be prepared to spend a great deal of time and energy on this class, but remember as well that you can play a major role in choosing the materials you will read, the issues you will discuss, and the topics about which you will write.

Assignments

Week 1 1. Introductions 2. Read chapter 1 Langan, 300 word reading response 3. Read Defeyer and McPartlin, 300 word reading response Week 2 1. No class 2. Read chapter 2 Langan, 300 word reading response, essay 1 topics due 3. In-class outlines for essay 1 Week 3 1. Essay 1 rough draft due (3 copies), peer review 2. Peer reviews due, in-class discussion 3. Essay 1 draft due Week 4 1. Read chapter 3 Langan, 300 word reading response, essay 1 drafts returned 2. Essay 1 final draft due, essay 2 topics due 3. In-class outlines for essay 2 Week 5 1. Essay 2 rough draft due (3 copies), peer review 2. Peer reviews due, in-class discussion 3. Essay 2 draft due Week 6 1. Read journal article on topic of your choice, essay 2 drafts returned 2. Essay 2 final draft due, essay 3 topics due 3. In-class outlines for essay 3 Week 7 1. Essay 3 rough draft due (3 copies), peer review 2. Peer reviews due, in-class discussion 3. Essay 3 draft due Week 8 1. Library lesson, essay 3 drafts returned 2. Essay 3 final draft due, library assignment 3. Reading responses on 3 texts from library assignment Week 9 1. Outline for essay 4 due, question and answer session 2. Essay 4 outlines returned, library research day 3. Essay 4 bibliography due Week 10 1. Essay 4 rough draft due (3 copies), peer review 2. Peer reviews due, in-class discussion 3. Essay 4 draft due Week 11 1. Essay 5 rough draft due (3 copies), peer review 2. Peer reviews due, in-class discussion 3. Essay 5 draft due Week 12 1. Read chapters 5-6 Langan, 300 word reading response, essay 5 drafts returned 2. Essay 5 final draft due, essay 6 topics due 3. In-class outlines for essay 6 Week 13 1. Essay 6 rough draft due (3 copies), peer review 2. Peer reviews due, in-class discussion 3. Essay 6 draft due Week 14 1. Essays 6 returned, begin portfolio 2. Essay 6 final draft due, outline for portfolio introduction 3. Draft of portfolio introduction due, revise all 6 essays over break Week 15 No class for Thanksgiving break Week 16 1. Computer lab, work on portfolio 2. Computer lab, work on portfolio 3. In class discussion and review of portfolio Finals Week Portfolio due

Policies

Attendance: Attendance will be graded as follows: No absences: A+ One absence: A Two absences: B Three absences: C Four or more absences: F Absences for which a medical or court excuse is provided (professional letterhead required) will be recorded but not figured in the attendance grade. Likewise, one absence for which advance notice is given by phone or in person will not be figured in the attendance grade. Any significant tardy or early departure from class will be figured as a half absence. Also, anyone who has more than four class-long, unexcused absences will receive an "F" grade for the course.

Class participation: To receive full class participation credit a student must speak at least once per class and must not have any unexcused absences. Students who speak almost every class and have not exceeded allowable absences will likely receive class participation credit in the 90s. Students must read over prior to each class the pages of the textbook indicated by the professor in the previous class. It will be obvious to me if you come to class unprepared.

Grading: All assignments must be turned in to receive a passing grade for the course. Late assignments will lose one letter grade for each class period late. Each essay is worth 10% of your grade for a total of 60%. The entire writing process for each essay will be taken into consideration for your grade for the individual essays. The final portfolio is worth 30% of your grade. Reading responses and class participation count for the final 10% of your grade.

Academic Dishonesty: Plagiarism and academic dishonesty. To claim as one´s own ideas or works of another is plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined as the following: • using the exact words of another person´s work/writing without acknowledgement of your source through the use of quotation marks and correct citation/documentation; • rephrasing a passage by another writer without giving proper credit; • using someone else´s facts or ideas without acknowledgement; • using a piece of writing for one course that was already used in a previous course (or in courses in which you are simultaneously enrolled) without express permission from both instructors to do so; and • presenting fabricated or falsified citations or materials. Please consult with the instructor of this course if you are unsure about how to document sources. An assignment on which plagiarism or cheating has occurred will receive no credit. A plagirarist/cheater is also subject to failure in the course and/or appearance before the Justice Council.