Western Nevada College
ENG 102 Composition 1 Sections 1014
Course Syllabus – Fall 2015
T/TH 4:00 – 5:15 P.M.
Bris 343
Instructor: Gary Brady-Herndon M.A.
gary.brady-herndon@wnc.edu
Number of Credits:
3
Transferability of Course within Nevada: This course transfers within
Nevada.
I.
Course Description
Continues the study of expository writing. Students read and analyze
writing and discursive techniques of interpretation, argument, and
research.
II.
Course Objectives
The purpose of this course is to provide a foundation of knowledge that
allows students to further their study of Literature and/or apply knowledge
to meet their personal and professional needs. The information in the
parentheses after a course objective refers to the specific general education
(GE) learning outcome that the objective meets. Objectives without this
information are not linked to WNC’s general education program.
Upon completion of this course the student should be able to:
1. Present substantially error-free prose suitable in style and
content to the purpose of the document and the audience. (GE
2)
2. Recognize, analyze, and apply the elements of various genres
(types) of literature.
3. Understand and use critical thinking and creativity to select and
apply terms used to analyze literature suitable for arguments
regarding literary texts. (GE 9) (GE 7)
4. Discuss, research, and write about literature with critical insight,
precision and clarity. (GE 4)
III. Topics
1. Short Stories
2. Poetry
3. Literary Research and/or Criticism
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Clifford, John and John Schilb. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for
Readers and Writers. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2015. 6th ed.
Microsoft Office or Open Office word processing program (free from
http://www.openoffice.org/). Do not turn in papers in PDF format.
INSTRUCTOR AVAILABILITY:
Instructor: Gary Brady-Herndon
Phone Number: Email: gary.brady-herndon@wnc.edu
contact me.
Please use email to
Fall 2015 Office Hours:
Office Hours by appointment: Bris 328
11:00 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.
I will make time for you, but please set it up with me in advance.
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS:
Short Story Analysis
(150 pts.)
Poetry Analysis
(150 pts.)
Research Proposal
(50 pts.)
Annotated Bibliography
(100 pts.)
Research Paper
(300 pts.)
Literary Opinion Essay
(100 pts.)
Daily Reading Comprehension Quizzes
(150 pts. total)
Attendance grade
(100 pts.)
1100 pts total.
EVALUATION METHODS AND GRADING CRITERIA:
For average work, you will earn an average grade, which is a "C". A further
important item of note: in general, papers that do not meet the minimum
page/word count requirements will earn a grade no higher than a "C-".
Major assignments (the 3 essays and the research project,) must be
completed in order to pass the class. Finally, Students will be expected to
submit all papers via Turnitin.com.
Participation weighs in more heavily in this course than in most others - you
are expected to contribute to class discussions regularly. I am here to
guide you. When you have questions, ask. But I also place great
responsibility on your shoulders. You must take an active role in
your education. Sitting here, trying just to "absorb" what is going on
is not likely to help you much. Learn to read carefully and ask
questions as soon as you feel lost.
As of March 17, 2015, the DSS office has moved to Cedar 209. Please advise
all faculty members in your divisions of this change and encourage them to
include a disability statement on their syllabi. Below please find sample
statements they may want to consider:
Western Nevada College supports providing equal access for students with
disabilities. This syllabus is available in alternate format upon request. Susan
Trist (DSS Coordinator) is available to discuss appropriate academic
accommodations that students may require. Please contact Susan Trist
(775-445-4459 or susan.trist@wnc.edu) at your earliest convenience.
ROUGH DRAFTS:
I am willing to look at rough drafts via email or in person, provided they
are submitted to me at least 1 week prior to the due date of essay.
However, I will only provide commentary and feedback - I will not engage in
grade speculation.
Grading: I do NOT mark every single error on your papers, especially
grammar and mechanical errors. I will point out major and recurring errors,
but there will be others that I will not mark.
WITHDRAWAL PROCESS AND RESPONSIBILITY:
In order to withdraw from a class, a student must fill out the requisite
paperwork before the final withdrawal date. I will not withdraw you from this
course; you must do it yourself! You will not be given a grade of “W” if you
stop attending class. You will earn a grade for work completed during the
semester unless you properly drop the course through the registration office.
If a student simply stops attending class, or fails to turn in major
assignments, a grade of “F” will be issued as the final grade. The Last Day
to Drop is October 29, 2015 with a “W”.
COURSE POLICIES AND EXPECTATIONS:
Attendance
While the temptation to skip class is a common one, I would strongly advise
against that mentality. I take attendance at the beginning of class. If you
are not in the classroom when I take attendance you will be counted absent.
You cannot make up missed attendance points. If you leave before the class
ends, I will change your attendance grade from Present (P) to Left Early
(LE). Two LE marks counts as one absence. If in the case of a question
about raising a student’s grade from say a 79.5 (C) to 80 (B-), I will use the
student’s attendance as a determining factor in whether or not I give the
extra point to raise the grade. Missing 25% or more of classes will tell me
that your involvement in the class is not that important to you, and you
waive the right to extra credit.
Most days you will be given a reading activity or a homework sheet to
complete before the next class. When you arrive to class, you will have a 10
point quiz over the reading assignment (or I will assess your completed
homework sheet, etc.). Quizzes cannot be made up; you must be in class
when the quiz is given in order to have a chance to earn those points. No
Exceptions!!! I will not go back and review questions for those who arrive
late, so make sure you are on time and remain for the entire period;
otherwise you will miss many easy points. You are responsible for the
material covered in class. If you miss a class, make sure to get the
information, notes, announcements, etc. from a classmate.
Late Work
The due dates for all assignments are important. If you miss a due
date in the Canvass assignment folder, email me telling me why. If I
find you excuse acceptable, I will tell you to email the paper to me.
One letter grade will be deducted for every late day up until the third
day. No paper will be accepted after three days, and you will receive
a zero for the assignment. Do not wait until the last minute to post
your work. Post early in the anticipation that Canvass may be
experiencing errors. If an emergency arises, please contact me ASAP.
Communication with me before an essay is due provides you the only
means to explain unforeseen circumstances and exercise other options.
Telling me you are going to miss class for a camping trip, family reunion, or
anything similarly lame and insignificant is not an acceptable excuse.
However, all major assignments (the 3 essays and the entire
research paper,) must be completed in order to pass the class. This
means that if you choose to not to complete an assignment by the
due date and receive zero points, you will still need to complete it
before the end of the semester in order to attempt to pass the
course via the points you have earned.
Cell Phone/Electronic Devices:
While Cell phones and iPods are convenient, their presence in the classroom
can be distracting. All devices of this type should be turned off or switched
to a vibrate setting while you are in class. Failure to do so will initially result
in a warning; subsequent violations of this policy will result in an absence for
the day. This policy includes texting during class or using phones/laptops for
Facebook! The best policy is to leave your laptop, tablet and phone off
during class.
Common Civility
Entering a college classroom demands that you treat others in a manner that
is supportive of academic inquiry, curiosity, and shared learning. By
respectfully acknowledging your similarities and differences with other
students, you will learn a great deal about yourself. Consequently, if you are
able to argue and discuss topics in a civil and reasoned manner (even those
you feel most passionate about), you will have empowered your own voice
and increased the likelihood that you will be heard and taken seriously by a
professional audience. Furthermore, common respect involves being adult
enough to not disturb others with side conversations. In this class, only one
person should be talking at a time. Whether it is the instructor or a
classmate, please give the individual speaking your full attention, as we will
do when you wish to speak. Failure to be civil and courteous to your
colleagues and/or professor will result in a loss of attendance/quiz points or
dismissal from the course.
ACADEMIC HONESTY STATEMENT:
The College is committed to academic integrity in all its practices. Cheating
on papers, tests or other academic works is a violation of College rules. No
student shall engage in behavior that, in the judgment of the instructor of
the class, may be construed as cheating. This may include, but is not limited
to, plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty such as the acquisition
without permission of tests or other academic materials and/or distribution
of these materials and other academic work. This includes students who aid
and abet as well as those who attempt such behavior. BUYING an essay or
willfully submitting someone else's work as your own are instances of
academic dishonesty that will result in failure of the class, at the very least.
In a word – do not even consider it. In addition, you may not turn in
papers written for another class to fulfill the assignments for this
one. Acts of academic dishonesty will result in an F grade for an assignment
or for the course, based upon the discretion of the instructor. Please refer to
the student handbook for more information of the College’s academic
dishonesty policies.
RIGHT OF REVISION STATEMENT:
The instructor and Western Nevada College reserve the right to make
reasonable changes to this syllabus and/or schedule as necessary.
Continued enrollment in this course indicates that you have read and
agree to follow the course policies and procedures discussed herein.
*This schedule is just a rough estimation of our activities this semester and
may change substantially and for any reason as the semester dictates*
**All assignments refer to the Making Literature Matter, unless otherwise
noted**
Tentative Schedule
Fall 2015
English 102
Date
Sept. 1
Week 1
Assignment
Introduction to the Course: review of syllabus, course
expectations, and policies.
Introductory remarks and review: 5 paragraph academic
essays as a template of longer essays.
Diagnostic Writing
Sept. 3
Date
Ch. 1 What is Literature? /How and Why Does it Matter?
Pgs. 1-8, pgs. 11-14
Ch. 2 How to Read Closely
Pgs. 16-21, 25-32, 40-46
Week 2
Assignment
Sept. 8
Review of academic language, formal tone, and MLA
documentation.
Assign 1st essay: Short Story Analysis.
Sept. 10
Chapter 3: p. 47-66,
Read Chapter 5: p. 115-130
Read the “Little Red Riding Hood Cluster”: p. 1393-1407.
Date
Week 3
Assignment
Sept. 15
Discussion of the reading assignment. Identifying,
digesting, and critiquing themes.
Read O’ Brien “Things We Carried” p. 1516
Read Dubus “Killings” on p. 1123
Sept. 17
What are themes and how do we recognize them?
Analysis of stories based on Short Story structure
Read Gilman “The Yellow Wallpaper” p. 231
Read Chopin’s “Desiree's Baby” p. 649
Date
Week 4
Assignment
Sept. 22
Discuss theme analysis through short story structure.
Read O’ Connor “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” p. 1173
Read Poe “The Cask of Amontillado” p. 1117
Sept. 24
Lecture on converting structural aspects into “points” to
support thematic interpretations.
Read Faulkner “A Rose for Emily” on p. 1102
Read Carver “What We Talk about When We Talk about
Love” p. 655
Date
Week 5
Assignment
Sept. 29
Theme-based Writing: “Reading between the lines”.
Discuss assignment and analyze themes. Grammatical
concerns and common paper errors.
Read Hawthorne “Young Goodman Brown” on p. 1345
Read Cather “Paul’s Case” pg. 896
Oct. 1
Discuss reading assignments. Q & A over paper topics,
format, structural concerns, and MLA style and works
cited pages.
Read Williams “The Use of Force” p. 1333
Sedaris “Tasteless” pg. 541
Espada Link for next time:
http://www.martinespada.net/Poems.html
Date
Week 6
Assignment
Oct. 6
Short Story Analysis Due!!!
Assign Poetry Analysis.
Bring to class a favorite poem (or two) to discuss and
share with the class.
Reading Martin Espada Readings Link Selected Poems
Blasphemy
Rednecks
http://www.martinespada.net/Poems.html
Oct. 8
Read Ch. 5 pgs. 136-149
Espada: The Republic of Poetry
General Pinochet at the Bookstore
Date
Oct. 13
Week 7
Assignment
Introduction to Poetry Analysis- Elements of poetry,
word/image interpretation, and visualization.
Read Dickinson “I Am Nobody! Who Are You?” 847
Read “Disrespecting Death” poetry cluster Oliver,
Donne, Thomas, and Szymborska pgs. 1317-1322
Read Wordsworth “The Solitary Reaper” pg. 81
Oct. 15
Date
Visual clues of descriptive language. The power of
image-based language.
Read Arnold p. 607
Read Lawrence p. 1027
Read Piercy p. 1037
Read Ríos p. 292
Week 8
Assignment
Oct. 20
Discuss the metaphoric value of poetry. Symbolism of
pervasive metaphors and the themes they illuminate.
Read Frost p. 71
Read Frost p. 1300
Oct. 22
Discuss the reading assignment and elements of poetry
Read Heaney p. 1018
Read Keats p. 582
Date
Week 9
Assignment
Oct. 27
Poetry discussion wrap up.
Read Eliot pg. 601
Read Shakespeare p. 581
Oct. 29
Bring a copy of your rough draft to class
Read Kumin p. 8
Read Sexton p. 841
Date
Nov. 3
Nov. 5
Week 10
Assignment
Poetry Essay Due
Assign Research paper and Proposal
Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle
Brainstorm Paper topics.
Read Chapter 3 p. 64-80
Brainstorm Paper topics. Introduction to synthesis paper
writing and analytical styles. Discuss individual articles
and paper topics.
Decide on three possible research topics and bring them
to class.
Week 11
Assignment
Date
Nov. 12
Library Day
Nov. 10
Proposal due
Assign Research Project
Assign Annotated Bibliography
Ch.5 187-197
Discussion of analytical research writing.
Research methods and strategies.
Handouts:
Read and discuss Michael Levin: A Case for Torture
Read and discuss Stephen Rose: Proud to Be a Speciesist
Date
Nov. 17
Nov. 19
Date
Nov. 24
Week 12
Assignment
Discuss organizational options and the various types of
arguments for these research papers.
Read Martin Luther King’s: Letter from a Birmingham jail
p. 1281
Decide on an organization plan for your paper. We will
discuss and write about your plan in the next class.
Annotated Bibliography Due
In class writing assignment: How will you organize your
final research paper and why did you select this style of
argument?
Complete an outline of your final paper in sentence
format and bring it to class
Week 13
Assignment
Discuss final outlines
MLA Citations Handout
Nov. 26
Thanksgiving No Class
Week 14
Assignment
Date
Dec. 1
Final discussion over MLA citation & final questions over
organization and structure?
Prepare a rough draft of the final research paper and
bring three copies of it to class next time 4/29.
Dec. 3
Peer review of final Research Paper.
Week Fifteen
Assignment
Date
Dec. 8
Research papers are due at midnight.
Assign Literary Opinion Paper
Bring three topics to class next time
Dec. 10
Discuss topics
Discussion of Literature. How do you define literature?
Academic definitions of literature?
Week Sixteen
Assignment
Date
Dec. 15
Literary Opinion Essay due at midnight
In class consultation with instructor. Bring any questions
about the graded Research Paper to class or questions to
fine tune the Literary Opinion Essay.
Dec. 17
No Class
Dec. 19
Semester ends