English Composition II– Spring 2012
Engl 1302 HCCS - Dual Credit KISD
3 credit hours / 48 hours per semester
16 weeks: 1/17/2012—5/15/2011
Lecture / Core Curriculum
Instructor: Christine Boyett Barr
Contact Information:
cboyettbarr@aol.com/christine.barr@hccs.edu
Please contact me at any time. I am happy to assist with assignments for this
class and also with any other classes, applications, or issues you may have.
Additional Support:
Tutoring: On-campus tutors are in the Katy Campus Writing Center, Room
321A (located across the hall from the third-floor library). Call 713-718-5841
before you go. They are open until 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.
At the Spring Branch campus, tutors are available until 8 p.m. Monday through
Thursday. Call 713-718-5889.
The Writing Centers open on January 31 and close the second day of finals.
On-line tutors are available at http://askonline.net
ADA Disability Support Services: Any student with a documented
disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to
arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Services Office
at the respective college at the beginning of each semester. Faculty is authorized
to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services
Office.
If you have questions, please contact Donna Price at 713.718.5165 or the
Disability Counselor at your college. To visit the ADA Web site, please visit
www.hccs.edu then click Future students, scroll down the page and click on the
words Disability Information.
District ADA Coordinator – Donna Price – 713.718.5165
Northwest ADA Counselor – Mahnaz Kolaini – 713.718.5422
Prerequisite:
Must be placed into college-level reading and college-level writing. Credit: 3 (3
lecture)
Instructional Materials:
Barnet, Sylvan and Bedau, Hugo. Current Issues and Enduring Questions. 9th editon.Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008.
Maimon, Elaine P., et al. The McGraw-Hill Handbook. 2nd ed. Boston: McGrawHill, 2009. Note: there is a red circle with the words “Includes 2009 MLA Update”
on the green and tan cover.
HCC English 1302 Study Guide
Hamlet – any edition, although I recommend the Dover Thrift Study Edition - Hamlet
In addition to these books, you will need to have the print version of the Sunday
edition of the Houston Chronicle 1/23/2011—4/3/2011.
Course Goals:
In English 1302, we seek to provide writing instruction and practice that will help
students master critical analysis of reading selections (both fiction and nonfiction)
and the research process, as well as to continue to creatively implement
persuasive/argumentative writing techniques. All elements of English 1302
require students to apply critical thinking and writing skill introduced in English
1301.
Course Description:
A more extensive study of the skills introduced in English 1301 with an emphasis
on critical thinking, research, documentation techniques, and literary and
rhetorical analysis. Prerequisite: English 1301 or a satisfactory score on the
CLEP Exam. Credit: 3 semester hours (3 lecture hours). CORE Curriculum
Course.
Student Learning Outcomes:
1. Apply basic principles of rhetorical analysis
2. Write essays that classify, explain, and evaluate rhetorical and literary
strategies employed in argument, persuasion, and various forms of
literature.
3. Identify, differentiate, integrate, and synthesize research materials into
argumentative and/or analytical essays.
4. Employ appropriate documentation style and format across the spectrum
of in-class and out-of-class written discourse.
5. Demonstrate library literacy.
6. Experiment in creative and reflective approaches to writing.
Learning Objectives:
1. Demonstrate the ability to coherently analyze: divide a text into rhetorical
parts, name the parts, identify examples that illustrate each part, and
evaluate the contribution of each in one or more essays;
2. Apply the basic principles of critical thinking—evaluation, analysis, and
synthesis— in written essays that persuade or argue;
3. Distinguish fact from opinion in others’ writings and evaluate whether they
prove their points and/or whether they can be appropriately used as
sources in documented papers;
4. Research and write documented paper(s) using proper MLA style;
5. Find and evaluate library books, journals, magazines, and/or data-bases
to find information on a topic or issue;
6. Expand the scope, confidence, and creativity of written expression.
Instructional Methods:
Although you will often be involved in collaborative activities—discussion, group
work, peer reviews, and projects—I will give you very specific guidance as to how
to write analyses and arguments. On more difficult assignments, you will be
provided worksheets to direct you through the prewriting stages where you will
be expected to reflect deeply upon an issue or an analysis. You will also learn
from your readings in the textbooks and in your research.
Competencies:
This course stresses the HCC CORE Competencies of reading, writing,
speaking, listening, critical thinking, and computer literacy.
Minimum Writing Requirement:
To be good on a computer, one must spend many hours on it. To be a good
short stop, one has to field endless amounts of grounders. To be a good writer,
one must . . . . As in any other skill, practice advances mastery: 6,000 words
minimum. This course requires more.
Student Assignments:
This course begins with a heavy reading load, then changes to emphasize
writing. Each assignment builds upon the previous one. Because each class
meeting will function as a writer’s workshop, students should avoid being absent.
Notebook: This is a spiral notebook, which you will bring to class every meeting.
In it you will collect (both in and out of class) writing exercises, notes, practice
writings, attempts at organization, sample paragraphs, plans and lists of things to
do, results of research sessions, annotated bibliographic entries, musings,
questions, etc. I will look at these with you periodically as we work together in
class.
Critical Responses: A set of ten weekly responses (one paragraph of summary,
one paragraph rhetorical analysis, one paragraph personal response, a total of
about 300-350 words each)) to current news reports and opinion essays
published in the Sunday edition of the Houston Chronicle. Due each Monday
1/24 - 4/4.
Overview: A 1000-word paper in MLA format (the Works Cited page must list at
least five sources, including CIAEQ, answering the following questions about the
issue you have chosen: What’s the problem? Who cares? Why should we care?
Due _____________________
Devil’s Advocate: A 1000-word paper in MLA format (the Works Cited page must
list five sources, including CIAEQ) in which you present, fairly and thoroughly, one
of the positions on the issue with which you personally disagree.
Due _____________________
Researched Position Paper: A 2000-word paper in MLA format, using at least
five sources including CIAEQ articles found in academic databases through HCC’s
remote library access, current news articles (found both in print and on the Web),
and your personal interviews with experts. You will argue for what you believe
should be done to resolve the issue you have chosen. Along with the finished
paper, you must turn in hard copies of your sources..
Midterm: A timed, in-class essay. You will analyze the argument of one of the
professional writers’ pieces reprinted in CIAEQ.
Final: A timed, in-class essay in which you evaluate and rebut a published critical
analysis of Hamlet. May 9.
Student Assessments:
News Analyses , Class participation = 10%
Midterm = 10%
Final = 10%
Overview = 20%
Devil’s Advocate = 20%
Researched Position Paper = 30%
Instructor Grading Criteria:
Each of the “published” writings (those turned in upon a certain date) will adhere
to a particular format and purpose, and will evolve from a process of writing
occurring in and out of class and preserved in your Notebook. In other words, not
only the product but also the process (the paper you turn in AND the
conferences, class discussions, and writings that precede it) will be graded.
You will be given a Grading Rubric explaining the requirements for each
particular paper and exactly how the paper will be graded.
The midterm and the final will be graded according to HCC English Department
standards, which include grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, word usage,
tone, and mechanics. Content (your ideas) is of utmost importance. The grading
profile is weighted by the following percentages:
Content 27%
Organization 23%
Sentences 20%
Word Use and Tone 17%
Punctuation and Mechanics 13%.
The English Department has a long-standing rule on in-class essay exams. If the
average of the midterm and final in-class essays falls below a 70 (C), the student
cannot make above a C in the course. If the average of the in-class writing is a D
(60-69), the student must receive a D in the course. If the average of the in-class
writing is an F (0-59) the student must receive an F in the course. The average of
the in-class essays is formed by counting the first in-class essay (the mid-term)
once and by counting the last one (the final) twice.
HCC Grading Scale:
A = 100-90
B = 89-80
C = 79-70
D = 69-60
F = 59 and below
HCC Policy Statements:
Recording Devices and Cell Phones:
Current HCC policy states: “Use of recording devices, including camera phones
and tape recorders, is prohibited in classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, and
other locations where instruction, tutoring, or testing occurs. Students with
disabilities who need to use a recording device as a reasonable accommodation
should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities.”
No one is allowed to use a cell for conversation or texting during class. Keep
them turned OFF and put away.
Discipline: Academic freedom will be maintained in this class. Students are
expected to participate. Passive learning is an oxymoron: don’t be one. Behavior
which interferes with the learning environment will not be tolerated. Please refer
to the Student Handbook.
Academic Honesty: The Student Handbook defines plagiarism as “the
appropriation of anothers’ work and the unacknowledged incorporation of that
work in one’s own written work offered for credit.” It defines collusion as “the
unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work for
credit.” Possible punishments are “a grade of 0 or F on the particular assignment,
failure in the course, and/or recommendation for probation or dismissal from the
College System.”
Attendance: Your grade will suffer as a result of absences. If you miss more
than 6 hours of class, (“excused” or “not excused” is irrelevant) I may drop you
from the course. Do not be tardy.
Withdrawal: Sometimes students wish to withdraw from a college course.
Before you decide to do so, please meet with me. Your success is important to
me. After we talk, if you still wish to withdraw, you must do so in a timely manner
and through the appropriate process. You should also consider that the State of
Texas imposes penalties on students who drop courses excessively. For
example, if you take the same course more than two times, you have to pay extra
tuition. In 2007, the Texas Legislature passed a law limiting students to no more
than six total course withdrawals throughout their academic career in obtaining a
baccalaureate degree.
The last day for student withdrawals is _____________at 4:30 p.m.
Instructor requirements:
Mid-term and final will be hand-written, double-spaced, on one side of the paper
only.
All other papers (all “published” papers) are due at the beginning of the class
period. No late papers are accepted. Follow basic MLA rules: MLA heading,
typed, double-spaced, 81/2 X 11 white paper with black ink, 1 inch margins, 12
point, plain font, stapled. No binders, coversheets, paper clips, etc.
Critical Responses to newspaper articles are due at the beginning of class on
Mondays, and must conform to the requirements of “published” papers.
All papers must be submitted to turnitin.com in order to be graded.
A special note to Dual Credit Students:You will receive a grade for
HCC Engl 1302 from me. Your high school registrar will translate this HCC grade
into your grade for the second semester of high school English 4. You will NOT
receive progress reports or 6-weeks grades. Your grade in this course affects
BOTH your high school and college GPAs.
As a college student, you have privacy under FERPA (the Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act of 1974). I cannot discuss your educational records or
performance with anyone else, except you, the student. If your parent or anyone
else wants information about your grades or anything else related to this class,
s/he must make a written request to HCC. Of course, you may disclose whatever
you want to whomever you wish.
For Dual Credit students, failing this college course means that you must re-take
the high school course before you can graduate.
If you choose to withdraw from this course, you must do so not only at your high
school but also at HCC. You are responsible for contacting the HCC Dual Credit
Liaison (Mary Alice Wills, 713 718-5785) and withdrawing from HCC. If you stop
attending but do not officially withdraw, you might get an F in the course.
Dual Credit students have many claims on their time. Enjoy your senior year of
high school, but exercise self-disciple. You are enrolled in college, and you will
be treated as an adult. Plan ahead, keep up with daily requirements, and turn in
assignments on time.
Remember, these papers build upon one another. No late papers are accepted.
The only paper you may rewrite for a better grade is the Researched Position
Paper.
Calendar for Composition II: Spring 2011
(Changes may be made as the semester progresses. Please check the Learning
Web , facebook class page and stay alert during class for announcements of changes.)
One: 1/18, 19
Introduction to the course. Review of logic – pgs. 3 – 21 Study Guide (HCC)
CIAEI – Part One – Critical Thinking and Reading – pgs. 3 - 31. Diagnostic essay.
Exploring a topic, finding and evaluating sources of information, creating a
plan for research.
Two: 1/23, 25, 26
M: Critical response 1 due. How to analyze and evaluate a source.
CIAEI – Critical Reading – Chapter 2 - pgs. 32 – 52. BE PREPARED TO ANSWER THE
QUESTIONS IN THE BOOK DURING OUR CLASS DISCUSSION.
HCC – Review Critical Analysis – pgs. 22 – 34.
Three: 1/30, 2/1, 2
M: Critical response 2 due. CIAEI – Chapter 3 – pgs. 73 – 104. “When 'Identity Politics' is
Rational” (pg.111),”It's Hard Enough Being Me” (pg. 119).
Four: 2/6, 8, 9
M: Critical response 3 due. CIAEI - Chapter 4 – Visual Rhetoric – pgs. 137 – 73.
Five: 2/13, 15, 16
M: Critical response 4 due. Drafting the Overview Paper: synthesizing sources
Six: 2/20, 22, 23 Critical response 5 due. Overview Paper due. HCC – Chapter 3 Argumentation
Seven: 2/27, 2/29, 3/1
Critical response 6. Applying argument theories in your own writing: stance,
arguable claim, support, linking, audience. CIAEI – Chapter 5 . Pgs. 177 – 225. Preparing for
midterm: analyze an essay from the textbook
Eight: 3/5, 7,8
M: Critical Response 7. MIDTERM. CIAEI – pgs. 226 – 261. Introduction to Devil’s Advocate
Paper and the importance of considering opposing viewpoints
.
SPRING BREAK MARCH 12—18
Nine: 3/19, 21, 22 . Working on Devil’s Advocate Paper: organization and language
PEER REVIEW.
Ten: 3/28, 30, 31
M: Critical Response 9. Read-alouds of Devil’s Advocate Paper
W: Devil’s Advocate Paper Due. Introduction to Researched Paper
Th: Work on Researched Paper: reworking the Devil’s Advocate paper
Eleven: 4/2, 4, 5
M: Critical Response 10. Researched Paper: identify and rank your
arguments/conversation/common ground.CIAEI – Chapter 7. pgs. 262 – 307/
Working on Researched Paper: definitions/explanations/sources
Twelve: 4/9, 11, 12
M: Researched paper: working with sources
W: Review/Revise Researched Papers
Th: Researched Paper Due. Introduction to Argument in Literature ( Hamlet)
Thirteen: 4/23, 25, 26
M: Hamlet
W: Hamlet
Th: Hamlet
Fourteen 4/23, 25, 26
M: Hamlet
W: Hamlet
Th: Finish Hamlet movie. Return graded researched papers and discuss revision
Fifteen: 5/2, 4, 5
M: Read and discuss published critical analyses of Hamlet
W: Respond to published critical analyses
Th: prepare for final. Revisions of Researched Paper due.
Sixteen: 5/9
M: Final: evaluation and rebuttal of analysis.