REQUIRED
TEXTS:
Koeppel,
Mary Sue. Writing Strategies Plus Collaboration. 2nd ed.
New Jersey:
Simon & Schuster, 1996.
Watkins,
Floyd C & William B. Dillingham. Practical
English Handbook. 10th
ed.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1996.
COURSE
OBJECTIVES:
This
course is designed to develop the student’s reading and writing skills as
preparation for college work. Individual
instruction is available and each student will complete considerable work in
those areas which are the most appropriate to his/her needs.
We shall be reading and writing extensively both
alone and in collaboration with our peers and instructor.
But progress as a writer comes from practice, and in this course you will
not simply be delivering enough words and sentences to reach the page limit, nor
will you be able to write any of your papers the night before the due date.
You’ll be thinking and taking notes about your subject from the day
each paper is assigned. You will
also find that collecting, sorting, and drawing conclusions from a variety of
sources for your final draft are integral parts of the writing process.
This class is intended to make you a better, more confident writer for
the rest of your writing career.
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS:
4
major papers to be written outside of class
5
in-class essays
2
oral reports
Daily
in-class writing; i.e. summaries, grammar exercises, etc.
Assigned
readings/exercises in our texts.
HOMEWORK
ASSIGNMENTS:
All
written work completed outside of class must
be prepared as outlined in the attached handout “About this Class.”
NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED
Due dates for specific reading and grammar assignments
will be announced in class. Please
see “Proposed Course Schedule” for listing of topics to be covered in each
of the five unit sections.
Any student who comes to class unprepared will be asked
to leave and will be counted absent for that class period.
If
you miss class please check with a classmate about assignments etc.
CLASS
PARTICIPATION:
Before
submitting final drafts of some major papers you will work in small groups
editing and evaluating each other’s work.
How seriously you evaluate, how specific your comments, and how helpful
you are will be evaluated by your peers as well as me.
Reading
and grammar assignments are an important part of our work; you will be expected
to participate fully in both class discussions and group exercises.
COURSE
POLICIES & PROCEDURES:
Attendance:
You are allowed
two legitimate class absences (sickness, etc.).
You must let me know if you have a legitimate reason for missing class.
You must do this the day after the absence occurs, if not before.
*You will be allowed one unexcused absence. After the fourth absence I reserve the right to ask you to withdraw from the class
*Three
lates equal one absence
*Failure
to meet with instructor for an appointed conference equals one class absence.
Grading:
There is no final letter grade for this class; however, we will be working on a demerit system. Failure to:
complete all assigned homework, or correctly prepare and format assignments, or
adequately revise papers, or attend tutoring (if required) will result in 50
demerits (each). Any student
accruing 300 or more demerits will lose his/her eligibility to write the final
(exit) essay.
Exit essays are read and graded by the English
faculty; their assessment of your writing skills will determine your eligibility
to enter English 111 in the spring semester.
You will be given three opportunities to write a successful essay; these
essays will be written during the final three weeks of class.
CONFERENCES:
As part of our course requirements, you will be expected
to meet with the class instructor for individual conferences.
We will meet together 5 –
6 times during the semester.
PLAGIARISM is
academic dishonesty. If I believe
you to be guilty of plagiarizing you will be asked to withdraw from the course.
PROPOSED
COURSE SCHEDULE
The semester will be divided into five units.
The following is a tentative outline of what we will be covering in each
unit.
UNIT ONE
Reading: Chapters 1 through 5
Audience: General introduction
Writing: 1 x in-class essay 1 x major paper (2 pages)
Composing: The structure of the essay
** Introduction to the library and NCLIVE
** Conference I
UNIT TWO
Reading: Chapters 7 through 9
Audience: Identifying & appealing to specific audiences
Writing: 1 x in-class essay 1 x major paper (2 pages)
Composing: Theses/rhetorical devices for introductions & conclusions
** Conferences II and III
UNIT THREE
Reading: NCLIVE assignment
Oral report research
Audience: Engaging/persuading/refuting. Creating a profile
Writing: 1 x in-class essay 1 x major paper (2-3 pages)
Composing: Transitional phrases, words, and sentences
** Conference IV
** First oral report
UNIT FOUR
Reading: Chapters 12, 13, 15 and 16
NCLIVE assignment
Audience: Appeals
Writing: 1 x in-class essay 1 x major paper (2-3 pages)
Composing: Paragraph development techniques/diction & syntax
** Oral report (2)
** Conference V
UNIT FIVE
Reading: Chapters 20, 21, 22
Writing: In-class essay practice. 1 x short research paper (3 pages)
Composing: Review of essay structure & rhetorical devices and techniques
** Group conferences
** Final essay test review
About this Course
To help you prepare your semester, listed below are some
of the things we shall be doing, how these tasks should be completed, and a list
of the items you will need for the course.
MAJOR PAPERS:
We shall begin by brainstorming and writing rough drafts
of these papers in class. We will
continue to work on these in our peer groups, and the final draft will be
prepared by you on your word processing system. Please use a 12 pt
font size (type face size). Do not
user larger or smaller fonts. Papers
submitted must be free of perforated edges and pages must be separated.
All papers should be double-spaced and the pages named
and numbered (as this page is named and numbered).
Each page should have one inch side margins, one and one half inch top
margin and one inch bottom margin. Every
new paragraph should be indented five spaces.
Papers should have a typed cover sheet showing: Title,
assignment number, your name, course number & section, date, and
instructor’s name.
All papers
submitted must be accompanied by invention notes, your outline, the various
rough drafts, and all appropriate peer-editing materials.
Your paper should be submitted in a pocket folder. This
folder must have your name and section number clearly marked on the outside.
You will need two of these folders.
Rewritten and revised papers must be accompanied by the original (graded)
draft.
Any papers submitted which do not conform to the
foregoing will be returned ungraded and you will receive 25 demerits.
INFORMAL/PREPARATORY WRITING:
Short assignments, summaries, paraphrasing and rough
drafts may be hand written, although it is best to type your work whenever
possible. Please ensure that your
handwriting is neat as neither I nor your peers can fairly assess illegible
work. Handwritten work, whether
written in class or out, should be submitted on lined paper and you should skip every other line. Please
remove any perforated edges from the sheets before handing them to the
instructor. All work must
be dated and must state your name, course number/section and the appropriate
assignment number and title.
ORAL REPORTS:
We shall be presenting two oral reports in class this
semester. These are the guidelines:
* List your ideas or information
* Write three or four paragraphs on your topic (remember to include material from the sources you consult)
* Practice reading your paragraphs aloud
*
Once you feel confident that you have committed the details to memory,
write your MAJOR POINTS (only) on 3 x 5 index cards—you will not be permitted
to read your report from your written work.
Please hand your paragraphs and cards to the instructor at the end of
your report.
LIBRARY ASSIGNMENTS
Since your presentations will be based on topics
individually researched in the library, we shall be taking a tour early in the
semester. We shall be using the
library facilities frequently, so please study the following information
carefully.
1. If you are unaware of where to look for what you need, if you simply cannot
Locate a book or article, or if you need help with locating material on the Internet
please
ask for help
2.
Please respect the library rules. Faculty and other students use the library for study and
research—it is not a social gathering place.
Be as quiet as possible when in the building.
Do not take food, beverages, or radios in with you.
3. This is your library—use it. Return books promptly and in good condition.
Make friends with the library personnel. Become as familiar as possible with
The library resources---they’ll be invaluable to you during the next four years.