Writing the Election TEXTS COURSE REQUIREMENTS
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English 101, OGS [email protected] Renée Dickinson Office: R230, 425.564.2341 Fall 2016 Office Hours: monday-thursday, 10:30 - 11:30 Monday - Friday, Online Only & by appointment Engl& 101: English Composition I - Writing the Election I knew a man who was a great mountain climber. One day, a friend asked him, “What’s the best training for mountain climbing? Biking? Weights?” The man looked at him, mystified, and said, “The best training for climbing is climbing.” So, too, the best training for writing is writing. In this class we will write and write and write. We will cross-train by writing in different modes and genres, from free- writing to non-fiction narratives to formal argumentative essays. Our mission here is to become better writers and to be able to write successfully for multiple audiences (professors and professionals). This quarter, we will conduct this mission by focusing our writing on the upcoming presidential election. No matter how you decide to vote, you will be an informed and articulate citizen and political participant. I look forward to our journey. Charge! *** I understand that some students may not be able to vote in this election. Regardless, this election will affect you and yours. Consider how you can frame your contribute to this course from your particular circumstance. How might that be different than someone who is voting? What might that person not see or understand that you do? TEXTS They Say, I Say, by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Numerous online articles and videos. *You will need to be able to watch all Presidential and Vice Presidential debates. COURSE REQUIREMENTS: In addition to being present at and prepared for class by having completed all of the scheduled reading and writing assignments and bringing those texts to class, students are expected to complete the assignments for the course listed below. All due dates are listed in bold in the Course Outline which follows. The breakdown of the course assignments is as follows: Discussion Questions (25) 125 points Personal Essay 50 points Argumentative Essay 100 points Evaluation Essay/Film Review 50 points Participation 100 points Final Exam: Final Reflection 50 points TOTAL 475 points 1. Participation: 100 points In order to fully participate in this course, you must read the material, be present online, and constructively contribute to group discussions and peer reviews. Mostly, your job is to show me that you are thinking about and engaging with what we’re reading and discussing. Please be aware that disruptive and/or abusive behavior negatively affects your participation grade. 2. Discussion Questions: 125 points Discussion questions are one way to show me that you are engaged in and thinking about the content of the course. For each day that that they are assigned please submit via email or Canvas by 8 a.m. that day a set of focus questions consisting of one paragraph about each assigned reading that culminates in your question about the text. For each reading assignment, the paragraph should: 1. introduce your focus and perspective on the reading, 2. refer specifically to and accurately cite the passage from the text provoking your question, 3. and ask your thoughtful and thought-provoking question or statement. Late discussion questions will not be accepted. 3. Personal Narrative Essay: 50 points For this essay, you will excavate your own ideas about politics using a variety of invention strategies and then write an essay based on your first-hand experience. Focus on developing and clarifying your ideas into an essay that demonstrates the significance of the remembered moment/place/story. You will be asked to share your writing and to revise based on the feedback of your peers. 4. Argumentative Essay: 100 points For your second paper, you will write a three-page essay that argues about a candidate, party, or issue of the election. 5. Evaluation Essay: Film Review: 50 points In this essay, you will write an evaluation of a film from the list on Canvas, taking into account audience, genre, visual and story elements, the film “power code,” and answering the question: “why is it worth my money?” 6. Final Examination: Personal Narrative & Final Reflection: 50 points For your final examination, you will submit a revision of your personal narrative and a self-reflective paper on what you’ve written this quarter and on your development as a writer and communicator. You will refer to each project and to individual drafts of a paper as evidence in your reflection. Please save all drafts of each assignment. ATTENDANCE POLICY: As this is an online AND participatory course, your preparation and participation are necessary. Please be especially conscientious about replying to fellow students’ drafts and contributing to group discussions in a timely and thoughtful manner. LATE ASSIGNMENTS: All assignments are due on the date assigned unless prior arrangement is made with me. Should life intervene (medical or personal emergency) and you are unable to submit the assignment on time, please contact me via email as soon as possible. Please provide documentation whenever possible. All other late assignments will drop 10% per CALENDAR DAY after the due date. REVISIONS of all papers will be accepted. Prior to revision, students must discuss with me, if we have not already done so, my comments and revision strategies. These papers must be received (with the original paper and rubric attached) by the last day of class (December 2nd). Revisions cannot repair lost points due to a late assignment. Grading Scale Used to Assign Final Grades: The following letter grade equivalents will be used on all assignments and at the end of the quarter to determine your final grade: 90-100 % = A 80-89 % = B 70-79 % = C 60-69 % = D 0-59 % = F STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY Any act of academic dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism, and fabrication and inappropriate/ disruptive classroom behavior are violations of the Student Code of Conduct at Bellevue College. Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to, talking out of turn, arriving late or leaving early without a valid reason, allowing cell phones/pagers to ring, and inappropriate behavior toward the instructor or classmates. The instructor can refer any violation of the Student Code of Conduct to the Dean of Student Success for investigation. Specific student rights, responsibilities, and appeal procedures are listed in the Student Code of Conduct at: Student Code. PLAGIARISM: Plagiarism may take many forms, including, but not limited to, using a paper written by someone else, using printed sources word-for-word without proper documentation, and paraphrasing or summarizing the ideas of others without acknowledging the source. Plagiarism can also occur when non-written ideas are taken without documentation--using someone else's design or performance idea, for example. In short, plagiarism is passing off someone else's ideas, words, or images as your own; it amounts to intellectual theft--whether or not it was your intention to steal. Bellevue College instructors have access to commercial plagiarism detection software, so please be advised that any work you submit may be tested for plagiarism. Participating in academic dishonesty in any way, including writing a paper or taking a test for someone else, may result in severe penalties. Dishonestly produced papers automatically receive a grade of "F" without the possibility of make-up. The Dean of Student Services will also be notified of such conduct, and repetition of the behavior will result in progressively more serious disciplinary action. Grades lowered for plagiarism or other forms of dishonesty may be appealed through the regular channels, and any further disciplinary action taken by the Dean may also be appealed through existing processes. Information about Bellevue College's copyright guidelines can be found at: College Copyright Policy. This link provides a good, short summary of how to avoid plagiarism: Avoiding Plagiarism. AFFIRMATION OF INCLUSION Bellevue College is committed to maintaining an environment in which every member of the campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college, free from harassment and discrimination. We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue College, and students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat one another with dignity and respect. RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS Students who expect to miss classes, examinations, or any other assignments as a consequence of their religious observance should be provided with a reasonable alternative opportunity to complete such academic responsibilities. It is the obligation of students to provide faculty with reasonable notice of the dates of religious holidays on which they will be absent, preferably at the beginning of the term. Students who are absent on days of examinations or class assignments should be offered an opportunity to make up the work without penalty (if they have previously arranged to be absent), unless it can be demonstrated that a makeup opportunity would constitute an unreasonable burden on a member of the faculty. Should disagreement arise over what constitutes an unreasonable burden or any element of this policy, parties involved should consult the department chair, or Dean. COLLEGE ANTI-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT (TITLE IX) Bellevue College does not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity; color; creed; national origin; sex; marital status; sexual orientation; age; religion; genetic information; the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability; gender identity or veteran status in educational programs and activities which it operates. For further information and contacts, please consult College Anti-Discrimination Statements. CONFIDENTIALITY AND MANDATORY REPORTING As an instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create a safe learning environment on our campus. It is my goal that you feel able to share information related to your life experiences in classroom discussions, in your written work, and in our one-on-one meetings.