English 101.17
Instructor: Kelly Wolfe
Fall 2011 | August 29, 2011 - December 10, 2011
MWF 9:30 to 11:20 a.m.
Class Locations: M, F – KH 19; W – IN 317
Office Location: Science and Tech II, Room 122
Office Hours: 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday and Wednesday
Email: kwolfe5@gmu.edu
Textbooks and Materials, Available at Campus Bookstore
Backpack Writing by Lester Faigley
A Pocket Style Manual by Diana Hacker
English 101 Course Goals
This course is designed to help you improve your ability to read, write, and think at a college
level. You will learn to write like a scholar, so that you can be successful no matter your major.
You’ll learn how to generate and organize ideas, research topics, create rough drafts, accept and
provide feedback, and revise. But you’ll also learn how to use writing to explore and reflect on
your own ideas, adapt your writing for multiple audiences, inform and persuade readers, and
provide insight and analysis. These are skills you’ll need for life.
General Education: This course is part of the GMU General Education Program, which is
designed to help students prepare for advanced work in their major field and for a lifetime of
learning. For more information on the mission of the General Education Program, consult the
University Catalog or visit www.gmu.edu/departments/provost/gened/.
Methods of Instruction: Class meetings will be interactive and involve student discussion and
writing. Students may be asked to work individually as well as in groups as they investigate
issues, practice writing strategies and techniques, learn research and critical reading approaches,
and review their own and their peers’ writing. Students who attend regularly and stay engaged in
class activities, keep up with all of the assignments, and who block off sufficient time each week
for thoughtful drafting and revising will succeed in this class.
Course Requirements and Grading Percentages
10%
Essay 1: What I think, 750 words
Due: 9/19
20%
Essay 2: Commentary Analysis, If I Were King, 1000-1500
words
Due: 10/17
30%
Essay 3: Researched Argument for Change, 1500+ words
Due: 11/21
15%
Essay 4: Writing for Change, 500-750 words and informal
presentation
Due: 12/7
15%
Homework, Real World Writing presentations and blogs
10%
Class Participation (includes peer review)
Completion Policy: All final essays must be accompanied by one or more earlier drafts. You
must complete all main essay assignments to earn a “C” or higher.
English 101 Grading Policy: Students in English 101 must earn a grade of C or higher to
complete the 101 requirement; students whose grades are lower than a C will earn an NC. A
grade of NC reflects the philosophy that learning to write in an academic setting is a
developmental process and that some students may require more time in this development. Since
this grade does not affect students’ Grade Point Averages, students are not penalized for
requiring additional time to meet the course requirements in ENGH101. Because of this policy,
grades of Incomplete are not given in ENGH101.
Midterm Grades: In English 101, students receive a midterm letter grade based on the work of
the first seven weeks of the course. The purpose of this grade is to help students find out how
well they are doing in the first half of the course in order to make any adjustments necessary for
success in the course as a whole. The work in the second half of the semester may be weighted
more heavily, and so the midterm grade is not meant to predict the final course grade. Students
may view their grade online as soon as it is recorded.
Course Grading Policy: In grading essays, I use the following general criteria:
A “C” level grade (70-79%) denotes average college-level writing and achievement. The essay is
a competent response to the assignment: it meets, to some degree, all the assignment
requirements, and demonstrates that the author has put significant time and effort into
communicating his/her ideas to his/her targeted audience. It has a thesis, presents some support,
and moves from point to point in an orderly fashion; sentence-level errors do not significantly
prevent comprehension. Essays that do not meet these criteria will not earn a “C.”
A “B” level grade (80-89%) highlights a strong example of college writing and thinking. In
addition to meeting the “C” level requirements, such an essay goes further in some way(s): it
demonstrates some insight into the “gray areas” of the topic, provides original or very thorough
support that is tightly woven into the overall argument, reads smoothly at both the sentence and
paragraph levels, and/or exhibits a personal “voice” or style. It has few sentence-level errors.
An “A” level grade (90-100%) marks an essay that engages the reader in a provocative
conversation. Even more than in a “B” essay, its author anticipates and responds to possible
reader questions, uses a wide range of supporting evidence, structures arguments and analyses to
create a fluid reading experience, provides unexpected insights, and/or uses language with care
and facility.
“D” and “F” level essays do not meet the basic expectations of the assignment.
Submitting Class Work: Assignments are due by the beginning of class on the due date. This
means they should be uploaded on the Wiki by the start of class. In an emergency, you can also
e-mail me your assignments, but I expect all of you to be primarily using the Wiki. Make sure
your name is on all of your assignments, and that your user ID is in the file name of any
uploaded document. (For example, I would call my first essay kwolfe5—essay1.doc.)
Late Work Policy: Each assignment must be uploaded to the Wiki or e-mailed to me by the
beginning of class. Late assignments are those arriving any time after the beginning of class on
the due date. Late assignments will lose five percent for each calendar day that they are late.
Class Participation: 10 percent of your total grade counted as 100 points. If you miss class, for
whatever reason, you lose 2 participation points for that day, out of 80 possible points (there’s a
little slack built into this score). At the end of the semester, I’ll give you a grade from the final 20
points. Students who are prepared for class, completed the reading, and provide thoughtful
insight will get an additional 16 points. Students who consistently go the extra mile will get 20
points. Students are regularly unprepared, who sleep, carry on private conversations, answer cell
phones or text during class will receive fewer points.
Revision Policy: Essays #2 and #3 must be revised to receive full credit for the assignment.
Revisions must demonstrate substantial change to the focus, support, approach, and/or
organization of the essay. Revisions must be submitted with all previous peer-reviewed drafts.
Students may revise graded essays for a better grade. If you choose to do this, please e-mail me
first so we can talk about it.
Statement on Plagiarism: Plagiarism means using the exact words, opinions, or factual
information from another source without giving that source credit. Writers give credit through
the use of accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical citation, footnotes, or end notes;
a simple listing of books, articles, and websites is not sufficient.
This class will include direct instruction in strategies for handling sources as part of our
curriculum. However, students in composition classes must also take responsibility for
understanding and practicing the basic principles listed below.
To avoid plagiarism, meet the expectations of a US Academic Audience, give their readers a
chance to investigate the issue further, and make credible arguments, writers must
•
put quotation marks around, and give an in-text citation for, any sentences or distinctive
phrases (even very short, 2- or 3-word phrases) that writers copy directly from any
outside source: a book, a textbook, an article, a website, a newspaper, a song, a baseball
card, an interview, an encyclopedia, a CD, a movie, etc.
•
completely rewrite—not just switch out a few words—any information they find in a
separate source and wish to summarize or paraphrase for their readers, and also give an
in-text citation for that paraphrased information
•
give an in-text citation for any facts, statistics, or opinions which the writers learned from
outside sources (or which they just happen to know) and which are not considered
“common knowledge” in the target audience (this may require new research to locate a
credible outside source to cite)
•
give a new in-text citation for each element of information—that is, do not rely on a
single citation at the end of a paragraph, because that is not usually sufficient to inform a
reader clearly of how much of the paragraph comes from an outside source.
Writers must also include a Works Cited or References list at the end of their essay, providing
full bibliographic information for every source cited in their essay.
While different disciplines may have slightly different citation styles, and different instructors
may emphasize different levels of citation for different assignments, writers should always begin
with these conservative practices unless they are expressly told otherwise. Writers who follow
these steps carefully will almost certainly avoid plagiarism. If writers ever have questions about
a citation practice, they should ask their instructor!
Instructors in the Composition Program support the George Mason Honor Code, which requires
them to report any suspected instances of plagiarism to the Honor Council. All judgments about
plagiarism are made after careful review by the Honor Council, which may issue penalties
ranging from grade-deductions to course failure to expulsion from GMU.
Students with disabilities: If you are a student with a disability and you need academic
accommodations, please see me and contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at 703-9932474. All academic accommodations must be arranged through the ODS.
GMU Nondiscrimination Policy: George Mason University is committed to providing equal
opportunity and an educational and work environment free from any discrimination on the basis
of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or age.
GMU shall adhere to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity/affirmative action statutes
and regulations.
GMU Email: Students must activate their Mason email account and check it regularly. For
privacy reasons, all class-related emails will be sent only to students’ official GMU email
addresses.
Important Dates



Last Day to Add a Course: September 6
Last Day to Drop a Course: September 30
Selective Withdrawal Period: October 3 through October 28
The University Writing Center: Since you will be writing several papers in this course, you
may want to visit the University Writing Center (http://writingcenter.gmu.edu), located in
Robinson A114, for assistance. The Writing Center is one of the best resources you will find on
campus. They have an outstanding website that offers a wealth of online resources for student
writers. You can schedule a 45-minute appointment with a trained tutor to help with any phase of
the writing process. You can even obtain assistance with papers by visiting the online writing
center at http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/owl/index.html, but please plan ahead and allow yourself
at least 2-3 days to receive a response. Make an appointment via their website.
Academic Freedom: As a student at George Mason University, you have the right to expect a
quality education that is free from prejudice, inaccuracy, and misleading or irrelevant course
material. At no point will you be examined on the personal beliefs or opinions of the instructor.
Furthermore, your grade will reflect your efforts and accomplishments as a student and a scholar,
not your beliefs, heritage, gender identification, or any other similar consideration.
Homework assignments: 15 percent of your grade and 150 points. Homework assignments and
Real World Writing presentations should be uploaded to the Wiki or e-mailed to me by their due
date. Each homework assignment counts for up to 10 points. Your Real World Writing
presentation (one per semester) will count for up to 30 points; and your Real World blogging
(five times a semester) will count for up to 20 points, or up to four points for each post.
More about Real World Writing
Students will be expected, once during the semester, to bring in an article, blog, or column to
class and show how writing techniques we’ve discussed in class were used to craft that piece of
writing. You will sign up for a date (on the Wiki) to make your presentation. A brief (two
paragraph) synopsis of what you intend to talk about should be uploaded to the Wiki by class
time on that date. As stated above, you will receive up to 30 points for a clear, thoughtful
presentation that leads students into a class discussion. Five times during the semester, students
will blog a personal reflection about how a Real World Writing sample brought to class
presented an example of a lesson talked about in class. Students earn up to four points for each
blog, for a total of 20 points at the end of the semester.
Essay Assignments
Essay One: What I Think, 750 words; plus 1 page of reflection
10 percent of your grade and a total of 100 points. Rants are worth up to 10 points, reflection is
worth up to 10 points, and your essay counts for 80 points. I want to know what you think about
the essay Shitty First Drafts written by Anne Lamott. Read the essay. What is Lamott’s thesis?
How does she construct her argument? Do you agree with her argument? Why or why not? Use
quotes from the essay to back up what you think. What words does Lamott use to persuade her
readers? Do you think Lamott could have been more persuasive? How? What do you think of
Lamott’s use of humor in this essay? For this assignment, students must show a confidence in
their own beliefs, use those beliefs to construct a thesis statement, and use Lamott’s own words
to back up an argument.
Essay Two: If I Were King; 2-3 pages; plus 1 page of reflection
20 percent of your grade and a total of 200 points. First drafts are 10 points, reflection is 10
points, and your final draft is worth up to 180 points. If you were king, and had the power to
change anything happening in your world, what would it be? Pick a worthy cause, explain why
you believe it is worthy, and sketch out a plan to fix it. This does not mean you are magical. It
does not mean you can wave a wand and cure cancer. But it does mean you have the power to
make sure more money goes to cancer research. Do you get the idea? You may want more hot
water in the dorms. You may want all the books in the library to be online so you can read
anything you want from home. What do you believe you could change for the better? Now think
about how you would change it. What would need to happen? Where would you start? What
groups would you need to contact? For this assignment, students must show that they can think
clearly, not just passionately, about a problem, construct a thesis statement, construct a viable
argument for change, construct a viable plan for change and determine what audience could help
bring about change.
Essay Three: Researched Argument; 5 pages; plus 1 page of reflection
30 percent of your grade and 300 points. First drafts are worth 10 points, reflection is worth 10
points, and your final draft is worth 280 points. You may choose to follow up on an issue that
interested you in your If I Were King essay. Or you may choose a subject you’ve written about in
your blogging or an article mentioned in Real World Writing. It’s your choice. Use library
research to locate at least three sources of information, including two scholarly articles. For this
assignment, students must show that they have an understanding of how to organize a research
paper, write a thesis sentence, how to incorporate research and analysis in a research paper and
how to write clear, authoritative sentences.
Writing for Change: You will revise your researched argument for a broader audience.
This may be a letter you send to a non-profit organization, publication or lawmaker. But it
may also be a blog for your own site, or a song, speech or video for You Tube.
15 percent of your grade and 150 points. First drafts are worth 10 points, your informal
presentation is worth 10 points (Think of this the same as the written reflection you’ve been
doing all semester, just out loud to the class with a little celebration thrown in.) and your final
project is worth 130 points. The blog or letter should only be one to two pages. Videos or songs
should be between 1:30 and 2 minutes. If you blog or create a video, you must send the link to at
least one organization, lawmaker or publication that can bring about change. It is my suggestion
that you choose carefully a topic for your If I were King essay, then flesh that out with research
for your research paper, then use this same topic and the research from your research paper to
write a well-informed letter presenting a problem and a solution to people who may be able to
bring about change. This is not the only way to complete this assignment. You may choose
another topic altogether. But if you choose your If I were King topic carefully, and then use that
topic for your research paper, you will find that you have gathered enough evidence to write a
well-informed letter, blog or song by this point in the semester.
More about Presentations: We’ll spend the last two class sessions reading our letters,
watching our videos, and listening to our songs. Each student will be expected to present his or
her work, and then give a short explanation about how an audience was chosen, what problem or
issue he or she wants to change, and what editorial decisions were made along the way. This is
informal, but not being prepared or being unwilling to participate will impact your grade. Not
showing up for both classes will also impact your grade.
A Final Word:
This may look like a lot. So I want you to know that if you come to class, do the reading, and
take all of the required steps I have no doubt that you will not only succeed in this class, but you
will increase your writing abilities, and expand your knowledge of how writing can contribute to
your future success.
Class Day
M 8/29
W 8/31
F 9/2
M 9/5
W 9/7
F 9/9
M 9/12
W 9/14
F 9/16
M 9/19
W 9/21
F 9/23
M 9/26
W 9/28
F 09/30
Weekly Schedule
Class Agenda
Assignments Due Readings Due
Syllabus Introduction
Introduction to RWW; Ways
writing is used in the college
setting; writing as discovery;
writing to answer questions
Lesson in first drafts, Discussion What I Think rant Anne Lamott
of essay What I Think
due
Shitty First
Drafts
Labor Day – No Class
RWW; Reflective Writing lesson.
Faigley 54, 55,
62-66, 74-77
Thesis statements; Discussion of
Two paragraphs
Faigley 20-21,
If I Were King assignment
blogged on Wiki
316-317
about first day at
GMU, using
reflection
Lesson in argument
Three ideas for If Faigley 285-319
I Were King on
Wiki
RWW; Drafting; structure; what
Faigley 320-323
does a college essay look like?
Lesson in revision
Faigley 25, 26,
324-331
Discussion of If I Were King
What I Think
Faigley 20-21,
assignment; discussion of thesis
essay due
387-38, 391
statements; and time
management exercise
RWW; Discussion of audience,
Faigley 296,
purpose
305-309
Writing great introductions and
On Wiki, choose
TBA
conclusions. Or, avoiding “In
a publication,
conclusion”
describe it, and
tell me who the
audience is.
Discussion of Counterargument
If I Were King
outline due
RWW; Writing with style; Active
TBA
v. passive voice, learning to love
details.
Discussion of peer review, peer
Faigley 25-29
review practice
M 10/3
Peer Review
W 10/5
RWW; Peer Review & Revision
Strategies
Free writing; Peer Review &
Editing Strategies
Introduction to research;
evaluating sources; scholarly and
credible sources
F 10/7
Columbus Day:
Monday classes
meet on
Tuesday, 10/11
W 10/12
F 10/14
M 10/17
W 10/19
F 10/21
M 10/24
W 10/26
F 10/28
M 10/31
W 11/2
F 11/4
RWW; Library research skills,
database skills
MLA/Plagiarism
Incorporating research,
paraphrasing/quoting/plagiarism.
RWW; Lesson in critical
thinking in the research process,
reading sample research papers,
game of pin the research on the
topic sentence
Time management during the
research, writing process, re-visit
topic sentences, re-visit
organization
Incorporating evidence in new
forms.
RWW; Analysis; incorporating
analysis
More analysis and incorporating
analysis
Conferences
RWW; Discussion of Writing to
Save the World assignment; use
computers to work on research;
day to ask me questions
Lesson in words that have
changed the world; taking a look
at letters, speeches, etc. that have
changed the world; discussion of
Writing to Save the World
First Draft If I
Were King due
Faigley 387-388,
390, 393-394,
396-403
Two sources that
could reveal more
about topic you
chose for If I
Were King due to
Wiki
If I Were King
final draft due
Faigley, 418-441
Faigley 406-410,
411-413
Faigley 9-17
Thesis topics due
Faigley 123-147
Faigley 154-155,
174-175
Research paper
outlines due; two
sources due
TBA
Advocacy
examples due;
bring something
found online to
share as an
TBA
assignment.
M 11/7
Peer review
W 11/9
RWW; Peer Review & Finding
one more source
Free writing, Peer Review &
Editing for Power Sentences
How to write and organize a
persuasive letter
RWW; Introduction to online
publishing: Blogger, You Tube
F 11/11
M 11/14
W 11/16
F 11/18
W 11/30
Day to work on research papers,
day to ask me questions about
research, day to ask me questions
about introductions and
conclusions; day to talk to me
about Real World assignment
ideas
Discussion of ideas for Writing
for Change; Franken-paper Day
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Lesson in finding sources,
organizations, lawmakers,
publications, etc. that will help
you change the world. How do
you know if a source is valid?
Writing for Change conferences
F 12/2
Peer review Writing for Change
M 12/5
RWW; Day to work on
presentations, find sources, do
M 11/21
W 11/23
F 11/25
M 11/28
example of
advocacy. Be
prepared to tell
the class about
audience,
purpose, and
voice.
First draft
research papers
due
Revisit Faigley
286-297
Writing for
Change ideas
due: Submit two
ideas.
Final Research
Papers due
Revisit Faigley
393-400
Two ideas for
where you intend
to send your
letter, blog or
song due.
First draft
Writing for
Change due
research, ask me questions about
writing, ask me questions about
online publishing, ask me
questions about sources
W 12/7
F 12/9
Writing for
Change due;
Presentations
Presentations