GEN 120, Spring 2016 1 St. Louis Christian College GEN 120, English Composition II Professor Alice Perrey 3 Credit Hours Spring, 2016 Tuesday and Thursday Course Prerequisite: GEN 110 or 115n 1:30-2:45 MISSION STATEMENT St. Louis Christian College pursues excellence in the Word and develops servant leaders for urban, suburban, rural, and global ministry. COURSE DESCRIPTION This advanced course is designed to develop writing skills through in-depth research, Internet usage, critical analysis, and source documentation. Emphasis is on producing quality argument and research essays. Advanced research and critical thinking skills are stressed along with excellence both in content and mechanics. Students must pass this course before admission to upper division classes and to Hermeneutics, BBI 211. COURSE RATIONALE As a part of your educational program, you are enrolled in English Composition II an advanced course which will develop your writing skills through the use of in-depth research, critical analysis, and source documentation. This course is designed to help you in your academic life at the college. You will be called upon to reflect on a journal article, to research a theological issue, to expound a biblical passage, to prepare a manuscript for a sermon all tasks involving a working knowledge of the writing process, critical thinking, and investigative research. Yet, these writing skills extend outside of the classroom and campus; they extend into the real world. You may be called upon to write an interoffice memo, a letter of recommendation, a church/business proposal, a ministry/employee manual, an informational brochure, a church newsletter article, a funeral message all tasks involving the same working knowledge of writing. My desire and goal is to guide and encourage you so you may write with confidence, clarity, and conviction, effectively communicating in this class, in your other classes, and outside of the college in your career and ministry.
GEN 120, Spring 2016 2 COURSE OBJECTIVES This course will help the student satisfy the educational goal of demonstrating effective written communication skills (#3). This course will help accomplish the General Educational Division objective of preparing the student to produce a sample writing which displays his or her ability to communicate effectively, using a variety of research and documentation techniques. After completion of this course, a student will be able to: 1. Develop a working knowledge of a research topic through the use of reference materials. 2. Produce a research question to build a research project. 3. Use keyword and subject databases library catalogs, periodical databases, and internet search engines. 4. Evaluate the credibility, accuracy, reliability, and bias of secondary sources. 5. Practice foundational research reading strategies. 6. Create major notetaking examples summaries, paraphrases, quotations, and comments. 7. Recognize multiple levels of plagiarism and their corresponding penalties. 8. Organize a logical, coherent outline, incorporating a variety of paragraph patterns. 9. Produce a first draft blending quality sources by supporting stated claims. 10. Create multiple drafts demonstrating the revision, editing, and proofreading processes. 11. Use in-text documentations and a works cited page which conform to MLA standards. 12. Produce a final thesis-driven research paper included in a portfolio. 13. After reading a short story, write a literary analysis, including textual support. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Texts: Badke, William B. Research Strategies: Finding Your Way Through the Information Fog. 5 th edition. Bloomington, IN: iuniverse, 2014. Print. Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7 th edition. NY: The Modern Language Association of America, 2009. Print. Shulman, Max. Love is a Fallacy. (Google: Love is a Fallacy). Web. Sires, James W. How to Read Slowly: Reading for Comprehension. Colorado Springs: Waterbrook Press, 1978. Skwires, David, and Harvey S. Wiener. Student s Book of College English. 13 th edition. Boston: Pearson, 2012. These are required texts.
GEN 120, Spring 2016 3 COURSE ASSESSMENT The student s final grade will be determined according to the St. Louis Christian College grading scale, located in the College Catalog. Work will be graded using rubrics. Reflective Writings 5% Argument Paper 10% Literary Analysis 10% Research Paper Assignments Book source list Book notes Periodical source list Periodical notes Evaluation of sources Formal outline Draft 1 Draft 2 Final Draft COURSE SCHEDULE 2% 3% 5% 5% 20% Date Read before class Class Topic Turn in Introduction to Class 12 14 SBCE 323-333 Shulman Love is a Logic and Fallacies Fallacy SBCE 334-347 19 21 SBCE 359-367 26 28 Feb. 2 Sire ch. 3 Reading Poetry Feb. 4 No class Boatmen Leadership Intensive Feb. 9 Sire ch. 4 Reading Fiction Feb. A Temporary Matter by 11 Jhumpa Lahiri Feb. One Ordinary Day, with Master Plots 16 Peanuts by Shirley Feb. 18 Writing an Argument Reflective Paper SBCE 348-356 Reading discussion SBCE 335-336 thesis and outline Reading discussion SBCE 238-341; 388-395 Literary Analysis Argument paper Jackson Badke ch. 1 Reading for the Plot Information Tell-Tale Heart Analysis Feb. Badke ch. 2 Planning your Research Topic for apologetic paper
GEN 120, Spring 2016 4 23 Feb. 25 Badke ch. 3 Database searching with keywords and Hierarchies Research question and Thesis for 1 st apologetic paper Preliminary outline 1 Badke ch. 4 Metadata and controlled vocabularies 3 Badke ch. 5 Catalogs and Journal Databases Book source list 7-11 15 17 22 24 29 31 5 7 12 14 19 21 26-28 No Class Lab Week Bring MLA Book to class Sire ch. 2 Badke ch. 8: 188-196 No Class Spring/Easter Break Documenting Sources: in-text citations and the Works Cited Page Reading nonfiction Evaluating your sources Book notes Periodical and Internet Source List Periodical and Internet notes Badke ch. 9 Writing the paper Evaluation of sources SBCE 451-453 Formal Outline No Class Potluck Palooza SBCE 370-384 Developing Paragraphs Introductions and Conclusions Peer Review Formal Outline, showing types of paragraphs and transitions Draft 1 Conferences--peers Draft 2 Conferences Professor Draft 3 Final Paper Due 26, 9:00 a.m., in the Professor s office. Final Consult the Final Exam Schedule for date, time, and location. Class will meet during the final exam time scheduled.
GEN 120, Spring 2016 5 COURSE RESOURCES Arkin, Marian and Cecilia Macheski. Research Papers: A Practical Guide. New York: Houghton, 2001. Print. Badke, William B. Research Strategies: Finding Your Way through the Information Fog. 5th ed. Bloomington, IN: iuniverse, 2014. Print. Flesch, Rudolf and A. H. Lass. The Classic Guide to Better Writing. New York: Harper, 1996. Print. Fowler, H. Ramsey and Jane E. Aaron. The Little, Brown Handbook. 12 th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2012. Print. Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7 th edition. NY: The Modern Language Association of America, 2009. Print. Harris, Robert A. The Plagiarism Handbook: Strategies for Preventing, Detecting, and Dealing with Plagiarism. Los Angeles: Pyrczak, 2001. Print. ---Using Sources Effectively: Stregthening Your Writing and Avoiding Plagiarism. 2 nd ed. Los Angeles: Pyrczak, 2005. Print. ---.Writing with Clarity and Style: A Guide to Rhetorical Devices for Contemporary Writers. Los Angeles: Pyrczak, 2003. Print. Lay, Douglas. Journey of Discovery: Research Writing in College. 2013. Print. Little, Paul E. Know Why You Believe. Downers Grove, IL: Intervasity P, 1975. Print. Sires, James W. A Little Primer on Apologetics. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity P, 2006. Print. ---. How to Read Slowly: Reading for Comprehension. Colorado Springs: Waterbrook Press, 1978. ---. The Universe Next Door. 5 th ed. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity P, 2009. Print. Shulman, Max. Love is a Fallacy. (Google: Love is a Fallacy). Web Skwires, David, and Harvey S. Wiener. Student s Book of College English. 13 th edition. Boston: Pearson, 2012. Spurgin, Timothy. The Art of Reading. Chantilly, VA: The Teaching Company, 2009. DVD. COURSE POLICIES 1. Conduct: Courtesy and a positive regard for the learning of others is expected at all times. If you display disrespectful conduct toward other students or the professor, one verbal warning will be given. A second infraction will result in dismissal from that day s class. A third infraction will result in a report to the Dean of Students for discipline. No food or drink other than plain water is permitted in the classroom. Appropriate attire as defined by SLCC (including the removal of hats) will be worn in the classroom. Sleeping in class is done at your own risk, and may result in dismissal from that day s class and deemed absent. 2. Academic Integrity: Academic dishonesty, whether intended or unintended, is not acceptable. Turning in work that is not your own, in whole or in part, will result in a failing grade for the assignment. Consult the College Catalog, Academic Information section, for the College s academic dishonesty policy. 3. Absences: The professor will follow the attendance policy of SLCC. If you come to class late, you will be marked tardy. Three tardies constitute one absence.
GEN 120, Spring 2016 6 Missing more than 15 minutes of a class will constitute an absence. Missing more than 3 classes will result in a grade penalty for each additional absence. Missing more than 25% of class sessions will result in administrative withdrawal from the class with a failing grade. Those receiving institutional walks should arrange to turn in necessary work or take tests before the scheduled absence. The walk still counts toward the 25% absence limit, though you will not incur a grade penalty. 4. Technology: No use of cell phones in the class is permitted. They must be either off or turned to vibrate. Text messaging during class is not allowed. Violations of this policy will result in being dismissed from that day s class and counted absent. Should personal emergency warrant constant access to electronic communication, make arrangements with the professor. Laptop computers are allowed for notetaking, but you will derive more benefit from taking notes by hand. No other usage of computers is permissible. 5. Late work will be accepted up to one week after the due date, but there will be a 50% penalty in the grade. (Translation: you may take extra time, but it will result in a failing grade for that assignment. However, you will fail with a grade higher than 0). 6. All e-mail communications from the professor will be sent to the student s SLCC e-mail address. 7. In compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as amended and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act), students who have a diagnosed disability and need accommodations should present his or her documentation to Professor Barbara Veech, the Coordinator of 504 Services. See Professor Perrey privately to discuss accommodations that would enhance your ability to succeed. 8. Your expectations of the professor: This syllabus and its accompanying Course Pack provide you with clear expectations about what I expect from you in this class. However, you should, in turn, expect certain things from me: I will always be prepared to teach each class session, and the topics will follow the calendar in this syllabus. If there is a change in the schedule, you will always be notified. I will return your assignments in a timely manner. My goal is for you to get your assignments back within one week. You should expect me to treat you in a fair, professional, and friendly manner. You should also expect me to be happy and to include appropriate humor in our classes. You should expect me to pray for you daily, and I covet your prayers for me as well. 9. Instructional disclaimer: The professor reserves the right to give pop quizzes over readings. These will count as a quiz grade, and may take any format. The professor reserves the right to modify this course plan by changing topics, due dates, or assignments to enhance student learning. (Translation: I teach students, not subjects.) Changes to the syllabus will not add to the student workload. PROFESSOR CONTACT INFORMATION Professor Alice Perrey Office: Upstairs in the White House Office hours: Wednesday: 8-11:00 a.m.; 1-3 p.m. Friday: 1-3 p.m. Other times by appointment Phone: (314) 837-6777, extension 1515; cell: (636) 395-0607 (either text or voice) e-mail: aperrey@stlchristian.edu