English 101: College Reading and Composition Tth 9:15 – 10:40, Spring 2016

English 101: College Reading and Composition TTh 9:15 – 10:40, Spring 2016

Instructor: Eric Brach Contact: [email protected] Office Hours: LAPD ARTC, TTh 10:45 – 1:00

Course Description:

This 3-unit course aims to teach students the reading skills necessary to comprehend texts of all types, as well as the writing skills needed for success in college coursework and the professional world, with a special emphasis on exposition and textual analysis. This class will place significant emphasis on the written word. Be forewarned that there will be a homework assignment after every class, and you will be expected to read every day and be prepared to discuss what you have read.

Student Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the course, the successful student will be able to argue a point and support it (in writing) using extensive evidence from outside sources. Additionally, upon completion of this course, the successful student will be expected to be able to:

Write, having mastered the ability to, among others: (1) Compose complete and correct sentences. (2) Utilize punctuation properly. (3) Employ sentences to build paragraphs. (4) Structure paragraphs to create coherent compositions. (5) Use diction appropriate to the purpose, occasion, and audience of a composition. (6) Craft papers and reports of appropriate technical quality and insight.

Reason, having mastered the ability to, among others: (1) Construct an argument based on analysis of a text or texts. (2) Evaluate sources for support, logic and/or research. (3) Recognize and utilize rhetorical, argumentative, and persuasive methods of writing.

(4) Formulate and develop a controlling idea/objective for any full composition and to properly order the parts therein in pursuit of that goal.

Comprehend, having mastered the ability to, among others: (1) Exhibit critical thinking skills. (2) Examine arguments and texts from multiple viewpoints. (3) Analyze arguments and critique or support them based on their merits.

It is envisioned that, upon completion of this course, students will have reached a place of self-sufficiency in reading comprehension, wherefrom they can confidently read and understand any text, regardless of its source, subject matter, or previous level of familiarity. Additionally, it is envisioned that, upon completion of this course, students will possess the writing tools and skills needed to effectively communicate in professional and academic settings.

Class Expectations:

(1) Conduct yourself appropriately and behave with respect for all. (2) Arrive on time. Do not leave early. (3) Complete all assigned work, including readings, before entering class. (4) Be prepared to engage in lively class discussion. The Socratic Method may often be used when discussing texts. (5) Be prepared to contribute and to learn. (6) Do not utilize any electronic device, including cell phones or computers, while in class.

Required Texts:

The following texts will be used in this class in whole or in part. You will be provided with copies of these books:

Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Random House, 2013. Print. King, Stephen. Night Shift. Random House, 1978. Print. Langan, John. College Writing Skills with Readings, 8th Ed. McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print. McGill, Billy and Brach, Eric. Billy the Hill and the Jump Hook: the Autobiography of a Forgotten Basketball Legend. University of Nebraska Press, 2013. Print.

O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1990. Print. Shanley, John Patrick. Doubt: A Parable. Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 2005. Print. Strunk, White & Kalman. The Elements of Style Illustrated. Penguin, 2007. Print.

Additionally, the following short works and/or excerpts from the following texts will also be used and will be provided directly to students:

Castellanos, Carlos. “Rubber May Hurt, But It Don’t Kill.” Unpublished, 2009. Didion, Joan. “Some Dreamers of the Golden Dream.” Slouching Towards Bethlehem. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1968. Print. Genis, Daniel. “Violence is Currency: A Pacifist Ex-Con’s Guide to Prison Weaponry.” Deadspin / The Concourse. Gawker Media, 16 November 2014. Web. 16 November 2014. Gladwell, Malcolm. “The Ketchup Conundrum.” The New Yorker. Condé Nast, 6 September 2004. Print. Hacker, Diana. Rules for Writers, 7th Ed. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011. Print. Jouve, Pierre Jean. The Desert World. Marlboro Press, 1996. Print. King, Stephen. On Writing – A Memoir of the Craft. Pocket Books, 2001. Print. Lapcharonesap, Rattawut. “Instant Noodles.” From Alone in the Kitchen With An Eggplant: Confessions of Cooking for One and Dining Alone. Riverhead, 2007. Print. McCarthy, Cormac. All the Pretty Horses. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992. Print. Miner, Horace Mitchell. “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema.” [excerpt] From American Anthropologist 58.3 (1956), 503-507. Print. “Parable of the Good Samaritan.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. January 2015. Perrotta, Adam. “Down Under.” Unpublished, 2011. Proust, Marcel. In Search Of Lost Time (Swann’s Way). [excerpt] Éditions Grasset, 1913 (French; First English edition 1922). Print. Robinson, John Elder. “Prologue.” Look Me in the Eye. Three Rivers Press, 2007. Print. Soling, Cevin. “Why I Think Students Should Cheat.” Wired. Condé Nast, January 2015. Web. January 2015.

Still further supplementary materials may also be used; these will be distributed to students at the instructor’s discretion.

Students are also expected to be able to access the WLAC Etudes portal if/as needed.

Assignments and exams:

In addition to completing readings and discussions, students will generate significant work product of their own this semester in the form of written assignments, presentation assignments, annotative assignments and exams. Putting your name on something is a promise that it is the best work that you can do. Therefore, you must proofread. Half-complete or carelessly done work will not looked upon positively. Work riddled with errors shows that its author didn’t bother to read it before turning it in – and if the creator of a work can’t be bothered to read it, why should anybody else? All written assignments to be turned in must be typed, printed, and stapled in the top-left hand corner. Additionally, these assignments must be presented in standard MLA format: double-spaced and with 1-inch margins, produced in 12-point Times New Roman font, and with a header stating your name, my name, the class/assignment, and the date written. Students must also report upon and properly cite all sources (see § “Required Texts”, pp. 2-3, for correct formatting of citations.) The expectation is that all work will be completed and turned in on time, and at the highest level of quality of which the student is capable. No late work will be accepted, except in extraordinary circumstances and at the discretion of the instructor. Assignments not turned in by announced due dates will receive a grade of zero. Minimum length requirements will be announced for every paper. These minimum requirements must be met and are exclusive of a list of works cited, which is expected to be attached, if necessary.

Plagiarism:

Don’t do it. Cheating is one of the biggest mistakes you can ever make. The risk of destroying your integrity and good name is not worth saving time when attempting to complete an assignment. Better even to take a zero on an assignment than to risk ruining all you’ve worked for by cheating.

Plagiarism is, at its essence, written cheating, and it includes: - Copying the work of other people (whether you know them personally or not) - Doing work for other people or in their name - Presenting others’ thoughts, ideas, or words as your own - Representing previously produced material as new work produced for an assignment

If you copy and paste sentences from the internet, that’s plagiarism. If you use ideas from a research source and neglect to cite that source, that’s plagiarism. If you ever use any research tool or source when you are completing your work, regardless of what it is, cite it. You will never get in trouble for being up-front about using others’ ideas or thoughts as a jumping-off point; on the contrary, providing sources and proving that you have performed additional research is laudable and will often earn you credit! You will, however, find yourself in trouble if you base your ideas on other people’s thoughts or words and fail to make clear that you have done so. Remember, “I didn’t know” is not a valid excuse. Could a murderer or thief use lack of knowledge of the law as a defense in court? Of course not. The same rules apply here. West Los Angeles College has a stringent academic integrity policy (as does the LAPD and our school), and I will uphold it. www.plagiarism.org is also a strong resource for understanding more. If you ever have any question, feel free to ask.

Attendance and Preparation:

Attendance in class and completion of homework is mandatory. You must attend class and complete all homework to receive credit for this course.

It is expected that you will have and bring a notebook, as well as any assigned reading or working materials, to class every day. Arriving late or leaving early will count toward absences.1 Accommodations will be made for students registered through the DSPS office, as appropriate.

Grading:

Grading for the course will be on a standard A-F scale, out of 100. A 90—100 B 80—89 C 70—79 D 60—69 F Below 60

Explanation of Grades:

Examples of papers at various levels of grade standards will be provided. Generally, the grading scale applies as follows:

A work is exceptional in quality, well-organized and demonstrates a sensitive and resourceful use of language. It gracefully and effectively presents details, evidence, and examples to prove its thesis. It is well-researched, and it responds to the assignment in its focus and scope. The writing uses lively, well-chosen and precise vocabulary. It contains almost no errors in usage or spelling. Grammar, punctuation and spelling enhances meaning rather than makes the essay hard to read.

B work is superior in quality but may be less thorough and graceful than A work. It contains few errors in usage or spelling.

C work is only somewhat acceptable. It may be somewhat clearly organized, but it is frequently disjointed. It may provide inaccurate or misleading arguments or repeat commonplace ideas in an unexciting manner. It contains moderate to frequent errors in usage or spelling. Ideas may be presented without being fully explored.

D work is barely adequate. Although it shows some effort to engage the topic, it may be confusing or incorrect. It is usually full of serious errors.

F work is unacceptably poor. It is confusing, chaotic, and full of errors in thought and usage.2

1 Boutry, Katherine. Syllabus for Fall 2013 WLAC ENGL 101 class. 2013. Online. 2 Ibid.

Remember, writing assignments will never be about asking you to Google a fact and regurgitate it on the page. Rather, writing assignments will ask you to develop an original idea, then use logic and those facts to support it.

End-of-semester grades will be assigned via the following weighting:

In-class work product, tests, preparation, participation, and generation of communal understanding of material: 40% Essays, presentations, and homework: 40% Final project: 20%

Final grades will be based on instructor evaluation of all written work (quizzes, essays, exams, etc.) as well as meaningful participation in class; therefore, it is important to come prepared to discuss the readings and to write in class.3

Pop quizzes may be given in addition to tests to ensure that students are keeping up with their assigned work. Extra credit work may frequently be available; however, this will be on an ad hoc basis, and the onus for creating these assignments will be upon the students.

Course Schedule / Scheduled Reading and Writing Exercises:

What follows is the expected course schedule of reading and writing skill-building exercises to be tackled in this class, subject to modification as needed as the semester progresses. It is expected that all students will have finished assigned readings before listed class dates so that they will be prepared to discuss those readings in detail. Students must ALWAYS bring to class texts scheduled to be read in class AND texts assigned as HW reading from the class before. Additionally, beginning week 2, this class will contain extensive lessons on proper grammar and usage, drawing primarily from Langan’s College Writing Skills with Readings and

3 Ibid.

Strunk, White & Kalman’s The Elements of Style, Illustrated. Therefore, students will also be expected to have these texts available in class throughout the semester, starting at the beginning of Week Two. The specific topics to be covered cannot be determined until after students have complete relevant diagnostic exercises during Week One.

Week One / Feb 9th and 11th: In-class reading: (2/9) Soling; (2/11) Jouve and McCarthy. Reading HW: (Due 2/16) O’Brien through end of first chapter. Writing HW: (Due 2/11): 1.5p paper on Soling: do you agree or disagree, and why?

Week Two / Feb 16th and 18th: Reading HW: (Due 2/18) O’Brien through end of fourth chapter. Reading HW: (Due 2/23) O’Brien through end of seventh chapter. Writing HW: (Due 2/23): 2p paper on an aspect of The Things They Carried. Grammar HW / In-class work: TBD

Week Three / Feb 23rd and 25th: In-class reading: (2/25) “Parable of the Good Samaritan”. Reading HW: (Due 2/25) Genis. Reading HW: (Due 3/1) Doubt, acts I-VII only. Grammar HW / In-class work: TBD

Week Four / Mar 1st and 3rd: Reading HW: (Due 3/3) Doubt, through the end of the play. Writing HW: (Due 3/8): 3p paper on Father Flynn’s guilt or innocence in Doubt . Grammar HW / In-class work: TBD

Week Five / Mar 8th and 10th: Reading HW: (Due 3/10) McGill through end of chapter 9. Reading HW: (Due 3/15) McGill through end of chapter 19. Grammar HW / In-class work: TBD

Week Six / Mar 15th and 17th: In-class reading: (3/17) Didion. Reading HW: (Due 3/17) McGill through end of chapter 28. Reading HW: (Due 3/22) McGill through end of chapter 42. Writing HW (Due 3/22): 1.5p paper on an aspect of Billy The Hill and the Jump Hook and L.A. Grammar HW / In-class work: TBD

Week Seven / Mar 22nd and 24th: In-class reading: (3/24) King, “On Writing”. Reading HW: (Due 3/24) McGill through the end of the book. Reading HW: (Due 3/29) King, “On Writing”. Grammar HW / In-class work: TBD

Week Eight / Mar 29th : MIDTERM EXAM.

***Spring Break***

Week Nine / Apr 12th and 14th: In-class reading: (4/12) Castellanos; (4/14) Lapcharonesap and Proust. Reading HW: (Due 4/14) Perrotta. Reading HW: (Due 4/19) Gladwell. Writing HW (Due 4/14): 1.5p paper close reading Perrotta. Writing HW (Due 4/19): Finish papers about symbolic foods. Grammar HW / In-class work: TBD

Week Ten / Apr 19st and 21st: In-class reading: (4/21) Robinson. Reading HW: (Due 4/26) Haddon through end of chapter 79. Writing HW (Due 4/26): Rewrite Doubt paper. Grammar HW / In-class work: TBD

Week Eleven / Apr 26th and 28th: Reading HW: (Due 4/28) Haddon through end of chapter 149. Reading HW: (Due 5/3) Haddon through end of chapter 191. Writing HW (Due 4/19): 2p paper on the social acceptability of lies. Grammar HW / In-class work: TBD

Week Twelve / May 3rd and 5th: Reading HW: (Due 5/5) Haddon through end of chapter 229. Reading HW: (Due 5/10) Haddon through the end of the book. Grammar HW / In-class work: TBD

Week Thirteen / May 10th and 12th: Reading HW: (Due 5/12) King’s Night Shift – Foreword, Introduction, and “The Ledge”. Reading HW: (Due 5/17) King’s Night Shift – “Quitters, Inc.” Writing HW (Due 5/17): 3p paper: could Quitters, Inc. exist in our world? Grammar HW / In-class work: TBD

Week Fourteen / May 17th and 19th: TBD

Week Fifteen / May 24th and 26th: Reading HW: (Due 5/26) King’s Night Shift – “Jerusalem’s Lot” and “The Ledge”. Grammar HW / In-class work: TBD

Note: The specific dates of written assignments, as well as the content and depth of the grammar, mechanics, and other technical aspects of writing we will cover this semester, may change due to the knowledge, skills, and pace of progress exhibited by the students in the class. Students will be expected to be cognizant of any updated deadlines for written work, and it is understood that they will prepare, produce and present all written work as assigned.

STUDENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT To be completed and returned to instructor after the first day of class:

“I, ______have completely read and understood this syllabus, and I agree to the course requirements set forth herein.”

Student Name: ______

Student Signature: ______

E-mail address: ______

(Note: I will at times be communicating with the entire class via email, so please write this legibly. If I can’t read it, what value is there in giving it to me?)

Date: ______

Please indicate below any special needs or circumstances you face that may impact your ability to perform the work expected in this class, and for which you may require special accommodations:

Brach – ENG 101 – Spring 2016