Welcome to English 101! QUARTER ITEM COURSE TITLE INSTRUCTOR Spring 2018 8400 ENGL&101 English Composition I Prof. RANDEE VOSS BUILDING START END DAYS START TENTH ROOM TIME TIME DAY CTR 252 7 AM 7:50 M-F 04/02/18 4/13/18 Office hours: MWF, 8-8:50; I will be outside our classroom sitting nearby. Also, T/Th, 10-10:30 (longer if needed); I will be outside our classroom sitting nearby. Don t hesitate to come and see me, even if you just want to say Hello. Introduction: I am Dr. Randee Voss, your teacher for our morning adventures in writing, reading, and talking about both. I m really looking forward to meeting you. Adventure? That sounds like something a teacher would say. Yet many folks have really enjoyed this class in the past and allowed it to push out the frontiers of their thinking. This course includes a lot of reading and speaking, as well as writing, because the three are intertwined. Becoming a better reader helps with writing better because readers soak up good form, and speaking helps writers because it helps us to figure out what we think. I have put a lot of thought into designing this course to strengthen your writing and help you succeed as a student. But ultimately it is up to you to seize the opportunity. Writing
2 is hard work; you have to set your intention to try hard in order to get results. So are you all in? Book and Materials: Our books are 1. The Writer s Presence, the Eighth Edition, Edited by McQuade and Atwan. This is in our bookstore. 2. The Little DK Handbook Second Edition, by Wysocki and Lynch. This book is not in our bookstore yet, and feel free to order it online. 3. Also required: handouts that I will give you and post on Canvas under Files. You need to keep these materials organized and ready to use. I might give you a handout in week two, but expect you to be able to pull it out of your backpack in week eight. I suggest a binder. I much prefer that you buy the books, and if you do so on Amazon, it s probably cheaper than renting them. Attendance and participation/engagement: Both matter. This class is a workshop very active and interactive. We will be reading, writing, talking, and doing various learning activities in class. I try to keep class lively so that folks don t get bored. That means you have to attend to learn, and you have your heart and mind in participating in whatever is on the agenda for the day. If everyone commits, the class will be great. If some people drag their feet, it will drag down the community. Don t be that person. You should try not to be absent at all, but if you do exceed three absences, I will begin to deduct two percentage points per absence from your course grade. (Five percent of the final grade is given for simply showing, but please note that there s no limit to points that can be subtracted.) Arriving late and leaving early is both disruptive and rude. Two instances will equal one absence. (If you have a work situation that might make you late, let me know right away so that I can take that into account.) Please note: If you miss a class, you MUST get notes from a classmate. Take a minute to exchange email addresses with a few of your classmates. I will not re-teach a class by reviewing what was done in class. If anyone asks me, What did we do in the class I missed? I will simply refer him or her to this paragraph. How attendance works is clear enough, but how will I determine participation and engagement? Easy. It is very obvious who is trying and who isn t. You do not have to be an outgoing person to get full credit for participation and engagement, but I expect
3 everyone to be able to contribute to small-group discussions. This part of the grade is worth five percent. Classroom environment (rules): In the interest of creating the best course experience that we can, I also require that you not engage in distracting or unmindful behaviors in class. Electronic devices need to be put away. It is NEVER acceptable in class to text, tweet, Facebook, etc. If you are using technology other than for a specified class activity (like research), I will ask you to leave. Other distracting behaviors include eating loud, smelly, or messy food in class, whispering while someone has the floor, attending to personal hygiene, having poor personal hygiene, and so on. Remember that this is college. It s also important to be aware of how much you are talking, you tone, and how your speech affects others. It is definitely possible to speak too much or too aggressively, and this can really tank a class. If this is you, I expect you to rein yourself in. And if you re a person who gets overly upset at others views, it can help to maintain an attitude of curiosity rather than judgment. But we cannot just ask people not to be offended. It is equally important not to give offense. I expect everyone to be respectful of all kinds of people, including groups that may not be represented in class, or that you don t know are present. The Assignments: You will be writing four essays in this class, ranging in length from two to four pages, except that one has two parts, so the final version is actually about six pages long. A rough draft will usually be required so that you can get feedback from classmates. You will be able to revise your essays, taking into account the advice you received in class. Sometimes you will also conference with me about your draft before you turn in your final version. Other writing will include answering questions about the readings, freewriting, and writing short pieces in class (usually parts of an essay you re working on). Essays: 1) A summary and response to a reading; 2) A Comparison of how two writers treat one subject; 3) Researched Exploratory Essay; 4) a This I Believe essay OR a resume and cover letter. Upon-Arrival Quizzes and Critical Reading Questions (CRQs): You will be answering questions in relation to assigned reading. The questions you do at home need to be typed or handwritten very neatly in dark pen. Percentage breakdown of grades (for a total of 100 points):
4 Essay 1: Summary and Response 10% Essay 2: Comparison/Contrast 15% Midterm 5% Essay 3: Exploratory Researched Essay 25% Presentation of Research 5% Essay (Project) 4: Resume and Cover Letter, or This I Believe 10% Final 5% Arrival Quizzes, Reading Questions, and midterm 20% Participation/Engagement 5% Turning in work: Work is due at the beginning of class on the due date, unless the assignment says otherwise. On draft days, you will need to bring a hard copy; when the final version is due, always turn in the work on Canvas. Reading questions need to be brought to class (hard copy, typed or very legible). Late work: Late work is inconvenience for teachers. If you must turn something in late, I will accept it up to two days after the due date and deduct 10% for each day it is late. I will occasionally accept late work without a penalty, but it will be at my discretion, when there is a very good reason. Plan to finish your work at least a day ahead of time so that you are not caught in a bind. Revisions: This course includes opportunities for drafting and revision. On classmate review days, you must bring two hard copies of your essay at the beginning of class. If you do not, you will not receive credit for the review. I may offer the opportunity for the class to revise an essay after I have graded it. To take advantage of that opportunity, you must meet me for a conference to plan your revision. I will not raise a grade for simply inputting the corrections that I have made on your paper. You have to actually re-think aspects of the essay and significantly rewrite in order to get credit for revision. Pierce College Resources: Pierce College has a wonderful library with very helpful librarians who are happy to aid you in finding appropriate sources. Be sure to take your assignment with you (or pull it up electronically) so that they can help you
5 more effectively. Likewise, the Writing Center (LSC 207) is a terrific resource. Why go it alone? And, of course, I am always available after class, by email, and by appointment to help you! And finally, if you re feeling stressed or blue, do go to the Student Success Center in Gaspard to talk with someone about your situation. Grading scale: Here is the scale for final grades for the quarter: 95-100%: 4.0, 94%: 3.9, 93%: 3.8, 92%: 3.7, 91%: 3.6, 90%: 3.5, 89%: 3.4, 88%: 3.3, 87%: 3.2, 86%: 3.1, 85%: 3.0, 84%: 2.9, 83%: 2.8, 82%: 2.7, 81%: 2.6, 80%: 2.5, 79%: 2.4, 78%: 2.3, 77%: 2.2, 76%: 2.1, 75%: 2.0, 74%: 1.9, 73%: 1.8, 72%: 1.7, 71%: 1.6, 70%: 1.5, 69%: 1.4, 68%: 1.3, 67%: 1.2, 66%: 1.1, 65%: 1.0, 0-64%: 0.0 Student Outcomes: The English Department has agreed on nine specific outcomes for English 101. Outcomes are things a passing student will have done by the end of the course. 1. Compose work in a variety of genres, including but not limited to thesis-driven, college-level essays that synthesize researched sources (3,500 words minimum of formal writing, total, excluding revisions) by using the writing process. 2. Apply key rhetorical concepts (writer, audience, subject, purpose, and context) in order to analyze and compose a variety of texts. 3. Analyze texts as purposeful responses to a variety of situations and contexts as well as products of social identity (e.g., gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and social class). 4. Use rhetorically appropriate English language structures, including disciplinary conventions of syntax, grammar, punctuation, spelling voice, tone, and diction. 5. Demonstrate information competency by locating, reading, and evaluating a diverse range of primary and secondary research materials (both scholarly and popular) in order to synthesize original ideas with those from appropriate sources. 6. Quote, paraphrase, cite and document sources appropriately in a consistent documentation style to maintain academic honesty and intellectual integrity.
6 Academic Honesty: I do not expect any cheating in this class. Nevertheless, I must say this: All work submitted in this course must be your own and be written exclusively for this course. The use of sources (ideas, quotations, paraphrases) must be properly documented. In cases of clearly established plagiarism, the award of F for the final course grade is the standard practice of the college. Please come see me or e-mail me if you have any questions about your use of sources. Disabilities: Be sure to take advantage of the support available to you! Pierce College supports an integrated learning experience for students with disabilities by promoting an environment that is free from physical and attitudinal barriers. Students are encouraged to develop successful learning strategies in collaboration with faculty and staff. Students with permanent or temporary disabilities may be eligible for services. Please contact Access & Disability Services (ADS) for more information on required documentation and the process for eligibility. Voice: (253) 840-8335; TTY: (253) 840-8474; Fax: (253) 864-3159; PuyDSSAccess@pierce.ctc.edu (Located in A115) Emergency Procedures for Classrooms: Call 911 first, and then Campus Safety, in response to an imminent threat to persons or property. In the event of an evacuation (intermittent horns & strobes), gather all personal belongings and leave the building using the nearest available safe exit. Be prepared to be outside for one hour and stay a minimum of 200 feet from any building or structure. So long as it is safe to do so students are expected to stay on campus and return to class after evacuations that last less than 15 minutes. Do not attempt to re-enter the building until instructed by an Evacuation Director (identified by orange vests) or by three horn blasts or bell rings. Please notify the nearest Campus Safety Officer or Evacuation Director of any one left in the building or in need of assistance. Puyallup Campus Safety: (253) 840-8481.
7 Course Calendar Important: It is your responsibility to keep up with the schedule of readings and assignments. It s easy! Just check the Home page, where you are now. Note: The reading listed below is to be done BEFORE the day it s listed on. Week Assignments due (Both reading and writing) and topics to be discussed Week 1 4-2 M: Talk about what makes good writing T: Reading due: Syllabus; in class: syllabus quiz and discussion of basic grammar concepts W: Dinaw Mengestu, Home at Last, TWP, 202 Th: Read Anna Quindlen, Homeless (handout and also posted under Files); Reading Response Homework: in one paragraph, please compare and contrast Mengestu s and Quindlen s ideas about the meaning of home. Use one quotation from each essay in your paragraph. In class: Intro to the Summary and Response Essay. F: Read DK, Summarizing and Paraphrasing, 56-57; also, 230-231, 248-258 (on what makes a sentence a sentence).
8 Week 2 4-9 M: Eighner, On Dumpster Diving, TWP, 399 (and also The Writer at Work, which follows. Answer question 1, 2, OR 3 on page 409. In class: discuss the Response part of the Summary and Response Essay. T: No new reading. In class, discuss MLA format, do some brainstorming, and have some time to write. W: DRAFT of S and R Essay due at the beginning of class (two hard copies). In class, read each others essays. Th: Read Solnit, excerpt from Nomadland (handout and also under Files); reading response homework: compare (and/or contrast) one aspect of* the semi-homeless, semi-nomadic experiences of Solnit s subjects with Eighner s experience of homelessness. Style lesson 1: real actors as subjects and real actions as verbs. *What do I mean by one aspect of? For example, their feelings about their situation, or their resourcefulness, or their approach to their situations, or how they came to be nomadic workers, or. F: Summary and Response due in class and on Canvas. Continue discussion of Solnit. Week 3 4-15 Readings: Solnit, part 2; Staples, Just Walk on By (both versions); TWP, Working with Words, 19; Silko, In the Combat Zone, 728. DK 215-219 (fixing sentence fragments; combining sentences correctly). Short reading response for each reading. Style Lessons: Cutting clutter; having a purpose Week 4 4-22 Readings: Douglass, Learning to Read and Write, 106; Dubus, The Land of No, 112. (Reading response for each reading). W: Draft of Comparison essay due F: Final version of Comparison essay due
9 Week 5 No classes Friday Begin the Research project; learn about using and citing sources; one class in the library; learn to use MLA without fear or loathing. Week 6 Continue with your research, continue learning MLA, review for midterm, take midterm, practice using sources, learn about ways of organizing an essay. Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 No classes Mon. Week 10 Read about research in DK; reading from TWP to be determined; draft of Part 1 of Research project due Thursday; study verb issues in DK (236-238, 208, 210, 204); style lesson on unity and coherence (purpose, topic sentences, old before new, transitions, repeating key ideas for continuity). Monday: final version of Research Part 1 due; style lessons about precision; thesaurus exercise; continue research for Part 2, continue to write; essay from TWP to be determined, read DK 115 on parallelism, sources and plan for Part 2 due. Work on finishing research project; draft due Weds; final version of Parts 1 and 2 combined due Friday. How to write a This I Believe essay; how to write and design a strong resume; how to write a cover letter; last project (TIB essay or resume and cover letter) due on Friday. Week 11 M-T: Review for final W or Th: Take final