Eng 111College Composition I Christina Vazquez DE Adjunct Course Syllabus 2014-2015
Semester, Mode, Campus Instructor Name, Position Instructor: Christina Vazquez Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Course Description: English 111 introduces students to critical thinking and the fundamentals of academic writing. Through the writing process students: refine topics, develop and support ideas, investigate, evaluate, and incorporate appropriate resources, edit for effective style and usage, and determine appropriate approaches for a variety of contexts, audiences, and purposes. English 111 will prepare students for all other expected college writing and for writing in the workplace through understanding the writing process and creation of effective texts.
Course Credit: 3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Students must achieve satisfactory scores on placement tests or SATs as established by the VCCS and adopted by their college, or have satisfactorily completed either ENF 1 or ENF 2, depending on where the student was placed.
Final Exam: January 20-23, 2015
Drop Date: The last date to drop is October 17, 2014. If you are not proving successful in this college course due to its rigor or personal issues, the course can be dropped by the above date. Your school will not be billed for your participation in the course. With your agreement, your teacher will send an e-mail with this request to the DE Registrar. If a transferrable course, you must be removed from the course. If non-transferable, you can take the high school only credit and remain in the course.
Withdraw Date: The last date to withdraw is December 12, 2014. If you missed the drop deadline, you may also be withdrawn from the course. A withdraw places a W on your college transcript but does not impact your college GPA. To be withdrawn, with your permission, your DE Instructor will complete the DE withdraw form and send to the DE Registrar. Please note, too many “W’s” on a college transcript can impact your ability to secure financial aid in the future!
1 Eng 111College Composition I Christina Vazquez DE Adjunct Course Syllabus 2014-2015
Semester, Mode, Campus Instructor Name, Position Course Objectives: Upon completion the course, the student will be able to:
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to produce an effective essay through an organized and coherent process. They will be able to develop a topic, draft an essay, revise the draft for improvement, and edit a final copy. They will be able to incorporate reading and experience into their writing. Students who successfully complete this course will be able to explain, describe and inform in expository writing and will be able to identify the purpose of the mode of argument in persuasive writing. They will be able to organize and explain ideas with clarity, vividness, effectiveness and grammatical and mechanical correctness in expository essays. They will be able to use evidence in a thesis-driven essay argumentatively asserting one viewpoint over another. (A fuller and more robust study of argument is the province of ENG 112.) Students who successfully complete this course will be able to analyze and investigate ideas and present them in well-structured prose appropriate to a particular purpose and audience. They will be able to read, summarize, and respond to college level texts – their own and others--of varying lengths They will be able to create unified, coherent, well-developed texts that demonstrate a self-critical awareness of rhetorical elements such as purpose, audience, and organization. They will be able to employ grammatical and mechanical conventions in the preparation of readable manuscripts, including the documented research essay. They will be able to use and evaluate outside sources of information, incorporate and document source material and avoid plagiarism. They will be able to produce 15-20 pages of finished, graded text, including a documented essay.
Major Topics to be Included: • Selecting/Refining topics • Critical thinking • Composing effective sentences and paragraphs • Developing, organizing, and supporting ideas • Investigating and evaluating resources • Incorporating appropriate resources into a text • Considering context, audience, and purpose
2 Eng 111College Composition I Christina Vazquez DE Adjunct Course Syllabus 2014-2015
Semester, Mode, Campus Instructor Name, Position
Method of Instruction: The course will utilize: classroom, computer lab, and Blackboard (Bb). This is a lab-based course, and you will be expected to write during scheduled lab time as well as outside of class. All mastery assignments will be posted on Blackboard. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to check Blackboard (Bb) to access assignments and be aware of due dates; additionally, if school is cancelled due to inclement weather, check Blackboard and complete the assignments for the day. If you know in advance that you will miss class, please alert me to make arrangements for missed work.
Instructional Materials: Cooley, Thomas. The Norton Sampler. 6th ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2010. Print.
Writing for Success. N.p.: n.p., n.d. The Saylor Foundation. Web. Any additional readings will be provided. Assignments/Activities Grading Breakdown: Formal Essays: 50 points each Grammar: 100 points Class Participation/Blackboard Forums: 20 points Writing Workshop Activities: 30 points Total = approx.. 500 points (miscellaneous points/assignments may be added to the course) NVCC Grading Scale: A = 100 - 90 B = 89 - 80 C = 79 - 70 D = 69 - 60 F = 59 and below LCPS Grading Scale: A+ = 100-98 A = 97-93 A- = 92-90 B+ = 89-87 B = 86-83 B- = 82-80 C+ = 79-77 C = 76-73 C - = 72-70 D+ = 69- 67 D = 66-63 D - = 62-60 F = 59-0 Note: The NVCC grading scale does not use pluses or minuses. In terms of percentages, the grade is the same as LCPS; however, on your LCPS transcript the grade will reflect the LCPS grading scale. 3 Eng 111College Composition I Christina Vazquez DE Adjunct Course Syllabus 2014-2015 Semester, Mode, Campus Instructor Name, Position Assignments: Reading Assignments — Class discussions and writing assignments will be paired with assigned readings. Students are responsible for all reading assignments both in and outside of class. Journals — A regular warm-up activity, students will be asked to write paragraph-length or longer responses to prompts. Quizzes — Students may be assigned quizzes based on reading or workshop-related activities including writing mechanics and integrating and citing sources. Rough Drafts — Formal writing will begin with a full-length rough draft, which counts as a mastery grade. Peer Edits — Rough drafts will undergo mandatory peer editing by one or more students during class time. Final Drafts — Final drafts reflect substantial time and effort devoted to revising, with evidence of drafting and editing. Final Assessment — A portfolio-based final assessment offers students an opportunity to reflect on and critique their growth as writers throughout the course, and to establish goals for English 112. All essays need to be typed and double-spaced in 12-pt. font (Times Roman), and must be turned in via SafeAssign. Honor Code: Neither cheating nor plagiarism will be tolerated. If you are found cheating or plagiarizing you will receive a grade of 0 for that assignment, and the incident will be reported to the principle and academic dean. According to the NOVA Student Handbook, “Academic dishonesty cannot be condoned. When such misconduct is established as having occurred, it subjects you to possible disciplinary actions ranging from admonition to dismissal, along with any grade penalty the instructor might, in appropriate cases, impose. Procedural safeguards of due process and appeal are available to you in disciplinary matters.” The complete policy may be reviewed at www.nvcc.edu/curcatalog/policies/integrity. Students have the right to due process and to appeal as defined in the sections on Students Disciplinary Procedure and Student Grievance and Academic Due Process in the student handbook. Special Services: To the extent allowable by NVCC, students with IEPs or 504 plans will receive the accommodations specified in those IEPs or 504 plans. It should be noted that such modifications will NOT include excusing students from completing the minimum page requirement for the class specified by the university. Attendance: Good attendance is key to success in the class. If an absence is unavoidable, you will have one class (or however many days you were absent) to make up any missed work. 4 Eng 111College Composition I Christina Vazquez DE Adjunct Course Syllabus 2014-2015 Semester, Mode, Campus Instructor Name, Position Please note that if you have a formal writing assignment due on a day you are absent, it is your responsibility to turn in your work, via Blackboard, before your scheduled class time. Policy for Make-up Work: Papers must be submitted at the beginning of class, or they are considered late. Late assignments will be accepted up to one week from the due date with a penalty of no more than 20% of the total points available. If you have a legitimate emergency and need to make arrangements for an extension, you must do so before the due date. Papers and other assignments will not be accepted if they are later than one week from the original due date. Revision/Retake Policy: Students will be allowed one revision on formal essays. Students will have one week from the day the paper is returned to submit a revision; they will receive the higher/better grade. No retakes on quizzes or in-class writings. Additional Course Information: Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as using another person’s work or ideas without giving proper credit. Any attempt to take credit for work that is not yours may lead to an automatic zero for the assignment and a report will be filed with the academic dean and principal. Classroom Etiquette: This is a college course, and you are expected to behave like a college student. This means refraining from all distracting behavior including participating in irrelevant discussions, using personal electronic devices, and completing work for another class. Have cell phones off and out of sight during class. Miscellaneous Information: NVCC IT Help Desk: 703-426-4141 Writing Center (make an appointment first): 703-450-2511 [located in LR 250] NVCC ID cards: Bring your student ID number to: LR 241 Parking is free at NVCC after 4 p.m. in student lots. 5 Eng 111College Composition I Christina Vazquez DE Adjunct Course Syllabus 2014-2015 Semester, Mode, Campus Instructor Name, Position Class Schedule: Each week will also include work on developing language and grammar and/or research skills (MLA). This will include graded activities. The schedule is subject to change. Week 1: Course introduction & guidelines; history as Readings: a writer, writing process “50 Pieces of Writing Advice from Successful Authors” (handout) “At the Fishhouses” (handout) Week 2: Strategy 1: Description Readings: Assigned: Paper 1 Read Illustrate in writing a work “My Face” (handout) of visual art Week 3: Description, continued Readings: Assigned: Paper 2 “A View from the Bridge” (Norton, Depict a place, event, or object using all five 37-41) senses “No Wonder They Call Me a Due: Paper 1 Bitch” (Norton, 72-80) Week 4: Strategy 2: Narration Readings: Assigned: Paper 3 “The Purpose of Description in Recall a moment in your life that reveals Writing” (Saylor, 373-376) something about your character/college “Frank Sinatra’s Gum” (Norton, 88- application essay 91) Due: Paper 2 “The Ashen Guy: Lower Broadway, September 11, 2001” (Norton, 60-63) Week 5: Narration, continued. Readings: Assigned: Infographic Sample college essays Research a topic of your choice using visual “What is Academic Writing” literacy to present the topic. (Lumen, 2-9 and 14-15) Due: Paper 3 Week 6: Strategy 3: Example and begin MLA Readings: Discussion “All Seven Deadly Sins Committed Assigned: Paper 4 at Church Bake Sale” (Norton, 101- Explore various labels and ads. Select one 105) you find interesting and explain, using three “English is a Crazy Language” examples from the ad, the effectiveness of (Norton, 110-115) the label. Due: Infographic Presentation Week 7: Strategy: Peer Editing and Revising, Readings: Example continued “Homeward Bound” (Norton, 123- Due: Rough Draft of Paper 4 126) Assigned: Final Draft of Paper 4 Sample Papers 6 Eng 111College Composition I Christina Vazquez DE Adjunct Course Syllabus 2014-2015 Semester, Mode, Campus Instructor Name, Position Week 8: Strategy: Process Analysis Readings: Assigned: Paper 5 “How Boys Become Men” Demonstrate your expertise of a specific (Norton, 174-177) topic through process writing “How to Write a Letter” (Norton, Due: Paper 4 Final Draft along with 187-191) Rough Draft and peer editing Week 9: Strategy: Cause and Effect Readings: Assigned: Paper 6 Using the library’s databases, find 6 Select a current debatable event and develop readings related to your current a position event, position, and Due: Paper 5 counterargument “The Wounds That Can’t be Stitched” (Norton, 309-313) Week 10: Strategy: Cause and Effect continued Readings: Due: Paper 6 source materials and Cause and Effect (Norton, 276- outline 283) “A Giant Step” (Norton, 303-308) Week 11: Strategy: Definition and Peer Editing Readings: Due: Paper 6 Rough Draft “Guys vs. Men” (Norton, 246-253) “If You are What You Eat, Then What Am I?” (Norton, 269-275) Week 12: Strategy: Definition continued Readings: Due: Paper 6 Final Draft “In Praise of the Humble Comma” (Norton 254-259) Week 13: Strategy: Argumentation Readings: Assigned: Paper 7 Argument (Norton, 314-321) Analyze a current event depicted through editorial cartoons Week 14: Strategy: Argumentation and continued Readings: Due: Paper 7 “The Island of Plenty” (Norton, 328-333) Week 15: Strategy: Prepare portfolio materials Week 16: Portfolio assessment Northern Virginia Community College Course Policies and procedures can be found at http://www.nvcc.edu/current-students/policies--forms/students-handbook/ 7 Eng 111College Composition I Christina Vazquez DE Adjunct Course Syllabus 2014-2015 Semester, Mode, Campus Instructor Name, Position Teach Act Copyright Notice: “The materials provided for this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course, and may not be retained or further disseminated.” Teach Act Copyright Notice "The materials provided for this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course, and may not be retained or further disseminated." 8