English Composition 1301.0005.87425
Houston Community College –SE ANGELA MORALES BLD 312
Summer I (M-Th June 6 – June 30 / final exam July 6, 2011) 10:30AM-1PM
Instructor: S. Worley, Ph.D.
Sharon.worley@hccs.edu
281-360-7196
English 1301 Catalogue description: A course devoted to improving the student’s
writing and critical reading. Writing essays for a variety of purposes from personal to
academic, including an introduction to argumentations, critical analysis, and the use of
sources. Prerequisite: A satisfactory assessment score, completion of Engl 0310, or for
non-native speakers) ENGL 0349. Credit: 3 semester hours (3 lecture hours.)
ADA Statement: HCC adheres to federal, state and local rules and guidelines concerning
accommodations for students with disabilities. If you have a disability, contact student
services and notify the instructor.
Required Textbooks:
1) McCuen-Metherell and Winkler. Readings for Writers. 13th edition.
Wadsworth Cengage (2010) ISBN 978-1-4282-31283-3
2) McGraw-Hill Handbook 2009 MLA update. 2nd edition. NY:
McGraw-Hill (2010) ISBN 978-0-07-730074-6
3) Online resource: Connect Composition online Access for the
McGraw-Hill Handbook. ISBN-13 9780077344825
http://catalogs.mhhe.com/mhhe/viewProductDetails.do?isbn=0077
395778
Recommended Reference Materials:
1) MLA Handbook 7th ed. 2009 www.mlahandbook.org (purchase a
book – no electronic copy is available)
2) www.Purdue OWL.edu - see MLA style guide
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
3) American Standard English Dictionary
4) Thesaurus
Course Description and Objectives:
English 1301 prepares students for a variety of writing situations, especially writing
assignments encountered as a college student. While the course will include a review of
basic writing skills, it will focus primarily on improving and refining the analytical and
critical thinking skills necessary for effective communication. By the end of the course,
students will have developed their own process for writing that will include all stages of
the writing process: inventing, organizing, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading.
More specifically, by the end of the course, students will be able to do the following:
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Focus a topic appropriate to audience, purpose, situation, and length of
assignment;
Use appropriate resources to find reference materials, books, articles, and
government documents;
Use and evaluate evidence in support of a claim;
Formulate clear and concise thesis statements or propositions;
Use effective organizational strategies in support of a thesis;
Write clear, correct, and appropriate paragraphs that create an essay which
demonstrates a command of unity, coherence, and development;
Write clear, correct, and appropriate sentences avoiding major grammatical
and semantic problems that confuse readers;
Incorporate quotations and paraphrases in papers while avoiding plagiarism;
Follow standard guidelines in documenting sources;
Analyze a text according to purpose and audience.
Course Policies
Plagiarism: A student who knowingly submits the work of others for evaluation has
committed an act of plagiarism. It is considered academic misconduct or cheating.
Borrowed material MUST be documented with the MLA style in-text documentation
(Author page) and Works Cited page of fully documented sources. Directly quoted
material or copied material MUST be enclosed in quotation marks. When in doubt, see
the MLA Handbook or www.PurdueOWL. Collaboration with another student, or
collusion, of using the work of another student or sharing the research and writing of an
assignment, is also considered plagiarism. Students must work independently outside of
class room exercises. If a student plagiarizes, she/he will receive a grade of 0 for the
submitted work and may lose all credit for the course. It will also be reported on the
student’s permanent academic record.
The Writing and Tutoring Center: The Writing Center is staffed with professional
writing tutors who can help you with your paper at any stage in the writing process. The
Writing Center is located in room 102 of the Felix Morales Bld and the Tutoring Center
is in 245 of the Felix Fraga Annex. For more information on tutor appointments and
other resources, please visit the Writing Center website: http://rich15.com/hccs/
Follow the hyperlinks:
Hccs.SE
Academics
English Studies
WritingCenter
You may also use: hccs.askonline.net an online tutoring service
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement:
If you have a disability, you must register with the Counseling Center to
receive appropriate accommodations.
Withdrawal: June 24 is the last day to take a “W.” It is the student’s
responsibility to Withdraw from a course. You will NOT be automatically
dropped by the instructor. Students are limited to 6 “W’s” for their entire
academic degree by the State of Texas.
Late Assignments/Papers: Late papers will be penalized by 5 points for
each week they are submitted late.
Grading:
Essay 1 Personal Narrative/Descriptive
Essay 2 Cause/Effect
Essay 3 Argument Essay
Five in-class assignments
Research paper
Midterm Thurs June 23
Final exam Wed July 6
Total
due June 13
due June 27
due June 30
due June 30
due June 30
10%
10%
10%
05%
25%
20%
20%
100%
Essays 1-3 must be three-five pages, typed double-spaced with one inch
margins. Apply MLA style in-text documentation (Author page) and
attach Works Cited bibliography with full documentation at end of
papers.
Topics:
Essay 1 Personal narration/description: Due June 13 Write an essay
about a personal experience which dramatically impacted your life, or a
family vacation. Use descriptive adjectives and adverbs, concrete and
specific nouns, and figures of speech.
Essay 2 Cause and Effect: Due June 27 Write an essay about the causes
and effects of a natural disaster (earthquakes; tsunamis) or the causes and
effects of teen drinking. Research your topic online, and apply correct and
FULL MLA documentation for web sources.
Essay 3 Argument: Due June 30 Write an essay in favor of or opposed to
animal rights. Research your topic and apply correct and full MLA
documentation.
Research paper assignment: Due June 30 Write a 7-10 page research
paper on a current events topic (medicine; science; environmental pollution;
politics, criminal justice, etc.). Formulate a thesis (opinion) about the topic.
Include an annotated bibliography with at least five sources due June 20
and a formal outline. Apply correct and full MLA documentation.
Calendar
Week 1 June 6 Lesson 1 Essay organization/Narration
Read MH Part 1 and RW Part 1
Read RW Chapter 7-8 Narration/Description
Narration/Descriptive Essay due June 13
Week 2 June 13 Lesson 2 Research paper (Library tour)
Read MH Part 3 researching; MH ch 23 MLA style; RW Part 4
Annotated Bibliography Exercise Due June 20
Research paper Due June 30
Week 3 June 20 Lesson 3 Cause and Effect
Read RW Ch 9-14 Process Analysis – Causal Analysis
Essay 2 Causal Analysis Due June 27
Midterm exam Thur June 23
Week 4 June 27 Lesson 4 Argument Research paper due Thur June 30
Read MH Ch 10; RW Ch 15
Essay 3 Argument Due THUR June 30
Week 5 Wed July 6 Final Exam
All late Essays must be submitted BEFORE THE FINAL EXAM. NO LATE PAPERS
WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER YOU HAVE TAKEN THE EXAM.
Essay Format Guidelines
1.
Your papers should reflect your best work. A professional appearance is
important. All papers should be typed, double-spaced, with one inch margins.
2.
Do not include a separate cover sheet for essays 1-3. Instead, write the following
in the upper left-hand corner, and center the title:
Your name
Course: English 1301
Instructor’s Name: Worley
Date
Assignment Title
Your title should follow the heading and should be centered. Do not underline or italicize
the title. Capitalize only the first letter of major words.
3.
Paper content should follow the assignment. It should also meet the specified
length guidelines.
4.
Part of your responsibility as a student is to meet deadlines; consequently, I
expect your papers to be turned in on time. Late papers receive a 5 point penalty for each
week late.