English 115
Reading and Composition:
Exposition and Argumentation
Monday-Friday (every two weeks, beginning 8/18)
10:20a-12:10p
Instructor: Laura Brooks
Email: lbrooks@swccd.edu
Office Hours: By appointment
Mailbox: 430J (School of Languages and Literature)

“The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but
progress” (Joseph Joubert).
 “Argument is the essence of education…[and] central to democratic
culture” (Lasch).
 “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live
forever” (Mahatma Gandhi).
 “A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can
learn from a wise answer” (Bruce Lee).
Prerequisites: In order to take this course you must meet the equivalent skill level as
determined by the Southwestern College English Assessment, or you must have passed English
114 and RDG 158, (or an equivalent), with a grade of “C” or better.
Required Texts:
1. Understanding Rhetoric: A Graphic Guide to Writing by Losh, Alexander, Cannon, and
Cannon.
2. The Little Seagull Handbook first edition by Bullock and Weinberg
Also Required:
In this class, you will be asked to complete many online activities, so you will need access to a
computer and the internet. That also means that you will need a flash drive to save your work in
the lab and for presentations in class. You may also be required to print out some readings for
class, and you will be required to print all of your homework assignments and papers.
You Are Responsible For:





The quality and content of your work
Consistent attendance
Punctuality and attentiveness
Reading all assigned texts
Knowing when work is due
 Thoughtful and respectful participation
 Using resources effectively
 Asking questions for clarification
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 Taking pride in your work
Course Description and Objectives:
English 115 is a transfer level course that provides instruction and practice in reading and
writing expository and argumentative essays. This class emphasizes principles of organization,
logical reasoning, research (both library and internet), essay development, as well as the writing
process (drafting, revising, and editing). Furthermore, reading selections will be used for
discussion topics, writing assignments, and examples of good writing.
The following list illustrates some of the main objectives of this course, and you will accomplish
the following objectives through a variety of essays and other writing/critical thinking pursuits:
1. Student will identify and compose a minimum of 6,000 graded words for this course,
including at least three formal essays, two in-class essays, and a research essay.
2. Student will identify and compose at least three formal essays of 750 words or more,
synthesizing the principles of effective writing.
3. Student will identify and compose at least two in-class essays of 500 words each to
demonstrate writing proficiency.
4. Student will identify and compose a 5-10 page research essay, using library and Internet
sources, documented according to MLA style guidelines.
5. Student will identify the steps of the writing process and apply them to formal writing
assignments.
6. Student will identify and perform a variety of informal writing tasks, such as reading
responses, journal writing, and reflections on the writing process.
7. Student will apply a variety of reading strategies to interpret and critically analyze both
professional and student texts.
8. Student will assess the reasoning in written arguments and identify rhetorical appeals and
logical fallacies.
9. Student will identify and apply the elements of essay structure and various organizational
methods.
10. Student will apply effective search strategies to locate and evaluate source material.
11. Student will correctly summarize, paraphrase, quote, integrate, and cite source material to
support arguments and avoid plagiarism.
12. Student will describe and apply editing and proofreading techniques to ensure a level of
grammar consistent with the minimum college-level writing standards set forth by the
department.
Whereas the Course Objectives provide general information about what students need to
accomplish in order to succeed in this course, the Student Learning Outcomes give students an
idea of what they will be able to do upon successfully completing English 115.
Student Learning Outcomes:
1. Compose essays using a variety of rhetorical modes that support and develop a thesis
statement.
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2. Evaluate argumentative essays and assess the effectiveness of the rhetorical strategies
used by the authors.
3. Analyze arguments concerning a controversial issue and evaluate their validity in written
and oral discourse.
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of written arguments and select appropriate strategies to
incorporate into argumentative research papers.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
“Ask a question and you may be a fool for five minutes. Don’t
ask, and you will be a fool for life” (Chinese Proverb).
Essays: You will write three formal essays of three to seven pages in length for this course, an
annotated bibliography for your research analysis paper, an in-class essay, and a final paper that
we will discuss later. Most papers will require at least one rough draft and peer workshop.
Assignments: You will compose a number of less formal, shorter texts: homework, in-class
writing, reflections, reading responses, and peer reviews which will be announced in-class. Most
of this work will help you draft the three major papers. Due dates are not negotiable. If you will
be absent, you may turn in your homework electronically, but it must be turned in before class
time or it won’t be counted towards your grade. We will also be workshopping our writing
throughout the semester, and that peer feedback is expected to be incorporated into your final
drafts, and counts toward your grade, so it is important for you to bring your completed work
with you to class.
Quizzes: On occasion, I will surprise you with a quiz to assess your understanding of the
assigned reading. If you’ve read the material, these will be easy for you.
Blogs: You are all expected to maintain a blog for this course, and your participation on the
blog, as well as your active comments on your classmates’ blogs, will be a part of your final
grade in this course. You will get prompts from me, but you are encouraged to enrich the blog
with your own posts, pictures, and other decoration and musings as often as you would like.
Participation/Attendance: Everybody participates. This doesn’t mean that you just show
up to class. We will often work in groups, and you are expected to participate and add to group
discussion and activities. Our in-class discussions are designed to assist you in your
understanding of the coursework and readings, and to give you the essential tools that you need
to succeed in this class. You must come to class prepared and ready to contribute; failure to do
so will negatively affect your participation grade. You will be dropped from the course if you
acquire 1 absence during the add/drop period at the beginning of the semester or if the hours of
unexcused absences for the semester exceeds the number of hours the class meets per week.
Please note every 2 late arrivals/early departures is equal to 1 absence. If you are physically
present in class, please be prepared to be mentally present as well. Your participation grade will
be reduced if you are unprepared, unresponsive, or napping in class. Please pay attention when
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others are speaking and present your ideas and/or questions thoughtfully and respectfully. This
means that sexist, racist, and homophobic comments, as well as other kinds of demeaning
language, will not be given a forum in this class as they are offensive and inconsistent with an
academic atmosphere.
Grading:
In order to earn the following grades, you must satisfy both categories:
Grade
A=
B=
C=
D=
F=
Total Points
90-100%
80-89%
70-79%
60-69%
0-59%
and
and
and
and
and
Final Draft Writing Project Grades
Minimum 80% average on final drafts
Minimum 75% average on final drafts
Minimum 70% average on final drafts
Minimum 60% average on final drafts
Less than 60% average on final drafts OR any missing
writing projects
Grading:
ASSIGNMENTS
Project One
Project Two
Project Three
Project Four
Project Five
Project Six (Final)
Blog
Quizzes
Homework
In-Class Work/Participation
Workshops
Group Presentation(s)
Point
Value
100
100
50
150
100
100
150
50
50
50
50
50
Total
1000
Major Assignments:
Project One: Soundtrack of your life.
Project Two: Critical literary analysis
Project Three: Annotated bibliography
Project Four: Research paper
Project Five: Rhetorical Analysis
Project Six: (To be discussed at a later date)
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POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:
“Better three hours too soon than a minute too late” (William
Shakespeare).
Blackboard: We will only be using Blackboard for posting and viewing grades and for
turning in essays through Safe Assign. For all other announcements and assignments, you can
check the course blog and Facebook.
Course Blog: As I mentioned above, you are all expected to maintain a blog, and I will be
posting to the course blog regularly. My posts will be similar to the ones I ask you to post, and
they may also include assignment details and other announcements that I make in class. On the
blog, you can also find links to course documents, helpful resources, and anything else that I
think is important for this course. Please check it often. You may also consider subscribing to the
blog so that you will get updates as they are posted. You can find the course blog here:
lbrooksswc1@wordpress.com
Turning in Your Work: All final drafts of our major papers are to be turned in through
Safe Assign on Blackboard before the class period on their due date. All homework and essays
must be typed and adhere to MLA format and must be stapled. For information about MLA
formatting, please consult pages 130-135 in The Little Seagull Handbook. You may also find
information on the Purdue OWL website (a link can be found on the course blog).
Late Work: You can turn in one of the first four (4) writing projects one class period late
(You get one free pass) without penalty. As I mentioned before, we will be workshopping our
work, so it is important for you to bring your first drafts to class when they are due. For the
writing projects, you are expected to complete all your work leading up to that paper (first draft,
peer feedback, etc.). In addition, if you didn’t turn in your major paper on its due date, for each
class period after it is due, it will drop a full letter grade. For all the other short assignments, no
late work will be accepted. The final two (2) writing projects are in-class essays, and may not
be made up or turned in late.
Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devices: All cell phones, laptops, tablets, and other
electronic devices will be turned off before the start of class and remain off until class is over. If
you are in class listening to music, playing games, texting, etc., I will mark you absent.
Special Accommodations: If you have a special learning need, a disability (hearing or
vision difficulties, a learning difference, physical impairment, etc.) or are registered with
Disabled Student Services, please let me know right away so that we can work together to
address that need and make any necessary adjustments.
Southwestern College recommends that students with disabilities or specific learning needs
contact their professors during the first two weeks of class to discuss academic accommodations.
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If a student believes that they may have a disability and would like more information, they are
encouraged to contact Disability Support Services (DSS) at (619) 482-6512 (voice), (619) 2074480 (video phone), or email at DSS@swccd.edu. Alternate forms of this syllabus and other
course materials are available upon request.
Tutoring: English 115 assumes college-level writing proficiency, including the appropriate
punctuation and grammar skills. If any aspect of your writing is not yet at this level, it is your
responsibility to improve these skills through the use of campus resources like writing and
English tutors. These tutors are available to help you develop as a writer. They will help you
with any part of the writing process, and they are there to guide you as you work through
concepts, rather than to “fix” papers. Tutoring is designed to assist you with refining and
developing skills that you will carry with you beyond any one assignment or course. Tutors are
located in the ASC and the library and are available by appointment or on a first-come/first
served basis in the ASC.
Academic Honesty: Don’t pretend to have written something that was written by someone
else. There is a zero-tolerance policy in this class regarding plagiarism. When in doubt, cite your
source. Consequences range from grade reduction, failing the paper, or failing the course to
expulsion from the college. For more information on the college’s policy regarding plagiarism,
look in the Course Catalog.
Questions? Ask! Contact me. You can always reach me by email or arrange some
time to meet with me. A word of warning, though: Do not try to email me the
evening before an assignment is due to ask about its requirements. (This may be a
good time to look on the blog or ask your classmates on Facebook for assignment
details.) I will respond to your questions within 24 hours. Your success in this
class is important to me, and I am dedicated to helping you pass this course in any
reasonable way I can.
“Do or do not. There is no try” (Yoda).
“Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more
open” (Dalai Lama).
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