English 1301: Composition and Rhetoric I
Spring 2015, Jan. 20-May 17, Mon/Wed, 8-9:30am
Rooms 117 and 113
Houston Community College South Campus
Professor Gary Pegoda
Professor: Gary Pegoda Email: gary.pegoda@hccs.edu
Office Hours: After class. Emailed questions are also welcome.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Composition and Rhetoric I is a course devoted to improving the student's writing and critical reading. Students will
be writing essays for a variety of purposes from personal to academic, including the introduction to argumentation,
critical analysis, and the use of sources in this Core Curriculum Course. Students Must be placed at college-level
reading and college-level writing or pass INRW 0420 or ESOL 0360 with a grade of C or higher.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
By the end of this semester, successful students will be able to do the following:
 Demonstrate knowledge of writing as process.
 Apply basic principles of critical thinking in analyzing reading selections, developing expository essays,
and writing argumentative essays.
 Analyze elements such as purpose, audience, tone, style, and strategy in essays and/or literature by
professional writers.
 Write essays in appropriate academic writing style using varied rhetorical strategies.
 Synthesize concepts from and use references to assigned readings in their own academic writing.
Core Objectives for English Classes
 Given the rapid evolution of necessary knowledge and skills and the need to take into account global,
national, state, and local cultures, the core curriculum must ensure that students will develop the essential
knowledge and skills they need to be successful in college, in a career, in their communities, and in life.
Through the Texas Core Curriculum, students will gain a foundation of knowledge of human cultures and
the physical and natural world, develop principles of personal and social responsibility for living in a
diverse world, and advance intellectual and practical skills that are essential for all learning.
Students enrolled in this core curriculum course will complete a research project or case study designed to
cultivate the following core objectives:
 Critical Thinking Skills—to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation, and
synthesis of information
 Communication Skills—to include effective development, interpretation, and expression of ideas through
written, oral, and visual communication
 Personal Responsibility—to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical
decision-making
 Teamwork —to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others
to support a shared purpose or goal
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT:
A student’s enrollment in this class acknowledges he/she intends to learn course material. To that extent, certain
behaviors that would impede this process are not permitted. These include, but are not limited to, reading
newspapers or books, text-messaging, surfing the web, answering cell phones, talking out of turn, etc. If a student is
not sure what is appropriate, he/she should ask. Students are responsible for knowing and following common sense
rules of behavior. The instructor is committed to creating and maintaining an open and productive intellectually
engaging learning environment. Disruptive students will be asked to leave the classroom – this is college, warnings
will not be issued.
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Course Syllabus and Calendar, Course Contract
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This is not entirely a lecture-based course; rather, it is often discussion-based. You will be responsible for coming to
class on time, prepared to discuss the reading assignments and practice writing, thinking, and writing during class.
Students are strongly encouraged to visit with the professor during the course of the semester (and afterward).
REQUIRED READINGS/SUPPLIES:
Students are required to read all assigned material. Students must buy the textbooks and bring them to class.
Students may not share books in-class. The reading load is not designed to be heavy. As with any lecture or
discussion material, any reading material is fair game for exams, quizzes, or in-class discussions.
--Bullock, Richard, Michal Brody, and Francine Weinberg, The Little Seagull Handbook, 2nd Ed. (In course
calendar, “G”)
-Peterson and Brereton, Norton Reader, 13th Ed. (In course calendar, “R”)
-pens and paper for notes and in-class assignments, no pencils are allowed
-a flash drive or access to an online storage site such as Dropbox
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Students are required to complete all assigned readings, students are required to participate in class discussions, and
students are required to submit written work. College instructors expect students to spend at least two or three hours
outside of class reading, writing, and studying course material for every hour you are in class.
The breakdown of the requirements is as follows:
30% Essays (not including the Mid Term or Final)
30% Shorter Writings, Other In Class Activities, and Participation (which includes attendance)
20% Quizzes
20% Exams (10% each for the Midterm and Final)
Semester grades will be assigned as follows:
90.0% and above
=A
80.0% - 89.9%
=B
70.0% - 79.9%
=C
60.0% - 69.9%
=D
59.9% and below*
=F
*Students may also receive an “F” if they do not submit the required work, if they have poor attendance, or if they
plagiarize repeatedly or egregiously. There will be exceptions to these policies only at the discretion of the
instructor.
ESSAYS:
Students will complete five research-based and thought-based essays of at least 600 words. Students will only use
outside sources with the professor’s permission or guidance. These essays will analyze, compare, and discuss
relevant readings. A rough draft must accompany every essay that is submitted, or that paper cannot make an A.
After Essay 1, all essays must have at least two academic, peer-reviewed sources and quotations from the academic
databases available online through the HCC library.
Essay 4 in particular will be a special research paper, which will satisfy the requirements for this Texas Core
Curriculum course.
All essays are graded according to the Grading Rubric and common rules of English. Copies of the out of class
essays must be submitted to Turnitin.com before class starts on the day the essays are due, unless other instructions
are provided. The student is responsible for making sure the essay reaches the instructor.
ESSAY REVISIONS:
Students may revise either of the first two Major Essays, if they wish to do so in an effort to gain a higher grade. It is
strictly optional.
These revised essays must be submitted to Turnitin.com,
In addition, any student who receives a zero on a major essay for plagiarism may not revise that essay. Turnitin.com
is not being used to find plagiarism but rather to teach students how to avoid plagiarism, and Turnitin.com is also
being used as a way to get papers back and forth between students and the instructor. Plagiarism will be evaluated
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Course Syllabus and Calendar, Course Contract
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on an individual basis. With Turnitin.com, we can avoid the problems with printing and attachments that we have
had in the past. It is first and foremost a way for us to communicate about grades and corrections.
WRITING ACTIVITIES:
Students will frequently write shorter essays in class. These essays must also follow the guidelines of Standard
English and MLA. Students must have at least a 60 percent average in this section in order to pass the class, no
matter what the student’s overall grade is. More details will be given in class. Students may not make up these
shorter essays: attendance is crucial.
QUIZZES:
During the first five minutes of almost every class, students will have a quiz. These quizzes may include
identification items, short answer questions, essay, and/or objective questions. These quizzes will show whether
students have done their assigned readings. Furthermore, they will greatly help the student in learning the material,
placing that material in her/his long-term memory, and excelling on course exams. Students who are often late will
lose a substantial number of points because they miss these quizzes; no makeups are allowed.
EXAMS:
These exams will have short essay questions, long essay questions, and ID questions. Exams will be cumulative.
More details will be provided in class. Makeups will only be allowed at the instructor’s discretion.
Attendance:
According to official HCCS policy, you may miss no more than six hours of class before being dropped from a
three-hour course. Keep in mind that whatever the reason for your absence, you will still miss important class work.
If you know you must be absent or if you have an emergency, please discuss these situations with me. Missing a
substantial number of classes (whatever the reason) will result in administrative withdrawal.
Withdrawal Policy:
You may drop yourself through your HCCS student center login.
GUIDELINES FOR WRITTEN WORK:
Quizzes and other handwritten assignments must be completed in blue or black ink – any other work will not be
graded.
Essays, Revisions, and Writing Activities must be typed and submitted through Turnitin.co unless the student and
the instructor agree on some modification. All typed work must follow these guidelines: They must be in Times
New Roman size 12, with one-inch margins on all four sides, double-spaced, and in the MLA format (as shown on
the MLA template in the syllabus).
Out-of-class and in-class work must also follow normal guidelines of Standard English and the MLA template – this
includes using complete sentences. Use professional/formal English (this means not using text-message language,
clichés, or slang, for example).
GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING WORK:
Printed copies of major essays and revisions must be submitted to Turnitin.com before class begins on the due dates.
Upon having graded work returned, students should wait 24 hours before asking any questions about the grade or
feedback. During this time, students should review the feedback and any relevant notes. Grades will only be
changed if a mistake was made. Students should have clear and specific questions prepared if they are wondering
why a certain grade was assigned to a paper. Students may no longer “question” a grade after a two-week period.
LATE WORK POLICY:
Out-of-class essays may sometimes be submitted late, at the discretion of the instructor. Students must approach the
instructor and discuss late work with the instructor. This is college - learn to meet deadlines. You are provided a list
of major dates for a reason.
Gary Pegoda
Course Syllabus and Calendar, Course Contract
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Scholastic Dishonesty/Plagiarism:
According to the Student Handbook for the Houston Community College System, scholastic dishonesty includes
cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. Since you'll be writing essays in this class, I'll be concerned with
plagiarism, which means using another person's words or ideas and assimilating them into your own written work
without quotation marks [if exact words are used] or appropriate acknowledgment if borrowed material is
summarized or paraphrased—and collusion—“unauthorized collaboration.” Plagiarism can result in a grade of 0
for the assignment. You may not be allowed to rewrite plagiarized work.
SUPPORT SERVICES
Tutoring: Free tutoring is available in SJAC 384 in the new Learning Emporium.
Library: The library is in the Learning Hub (3rd floor).
Reasonable Accommodations: Students who require reasonable accommodations for disabilities are encouraged to
report to LHSB, Suite 202, or call (713) 718-6164 to make necessary arrangements. Faculty are only authorized to
provide accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office. We are committed to providing equal
education opportunities to every student. The college offers services for individuals with special needs and
capabilities including counseling, tutoring, equipment, and software. Please contact the campus Special Populations
Counselor for further information. STUDENTS MUST NOTIFY THE INSTRUCTOR OF ANY
ACCOMMODATIONS DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASS.
SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION POLICY:
HCC is committed to provide a working and learning environment that is free from discrimination on the basis of
sex which includes all forms of sexual misconduct. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 requires that
when a complaint is filed, a prompt and thorough investigation is initiated. Complaints may be filed with the HCC
Title IX Coordinator available at 713-718-8271 or email at oie@hccs.edu.
EGLS3 -- Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System:
At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary to
improve teaching and learning. During a designated time, you will be asked to answer a short online survey of
research-based questions related to instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your
professors and division chairs for continual improvement of instruction. Go to hccs.edu/egls3
for directions.
VERY IMPORTANT TIPS FOR BEING SUCCESSFUL IN THIS CLASS:
This course is not designed to be difficult. Students who attend class, take notes, and read and study the required and
recommended readings should have no problem making a decent grade in this course. The instructor is available to
students for any questions or concerns about the subject material. Improvement does count. The professor will be
more than happy to review early assignments.
OBJECTIONABLE MATERIAL WARNING/ACADEMIC FREEDOM:
This is a college course and students should know that anything is fair game. The college classroom is a unique
place in society where any ideas, opinions, and perspectives are welcomed and should be shared--respectfully.
Additionally, college professors have the academic freedom to discuss anything they desire, within the bounds of
common decency and good taste, as related to the subject.
COPYRIGHT PROTECTION:
Copyright Gary Pegoda, 2014
All federal and state copyrights reserved for all original material presented in this course through any medium,
including lecture or print. Unless otherwise noted, all course materials are the intellectual property of the instructor
and are thus copyrighted. Individuals are prohibited from being paid for taking, selling, or otherwise transferring for
value, personal class or other information notes made during this course to any entity without the express written
permission of Andrew Joseph Pegoda. In addition to legal sanctions, students found in violation of these
prohibitions may be subject to disciplinary action from the college administration.
Gary Pegoda
Course Syllabus and Calendar, Course Contract
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DISCLAIMER:
The course instructor reserves the right to make changes to any part of the course requirements, policies, deadlines,
content, etc. Students are responsible for keeping track of all changes. The instructor assigns grades solely based on
performance, not effort, or anything else. There will not be any opportunities for extra credit. If a student anticipates
any difficulty meeting course requirements or deadlines, he/she should contact the instructor well in advance. If an
emergency should happen, documentation is required, and the instructor will be more than happy to help the student
complete the course successfully.
GRADING PROCEDURE AND GRADING RUBRIC:
Work is graded on performance only, not effort or anything else. Please note, once receiving graded work back,
students must wait 12 hours before asking any questions about the grade. During this time, students should review
the feedback and any relevant notes. Assigned grades are final and will only be changed if a mistake was made.
Students should have clear and specific questions prepared if they are wondering why a certain grade is assigned to a
paper. Students with questions about an assignment should seek help early—and well before it is due.
The descriptions below will help students understand the difference between the various letter grades.
A: An essay or discussion graded “A” excels in both content and style. It goes beyond the requirements of the
assignment. It presents a clear central thesis, which is effectively developed throughout the paper. It contains
interesting and original ideas, which are organized in a logical structure. Paragraphs are unified, coherent, and well
developed. The “A” paper relies on support that is sufficient, appropriate, and effective. Transitions within and
between paragraphs are fluent and guide the reader along a clear line of reasoning. Sentences are varied in structure
and consistently correct. Vocabulary is well chosen, specific, and precise. The “A” paper contains few, if any,
errors, in form, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
B: An essay or discussion graded “B” responds to the topic with engaging and interesting ideas. It has a clearly
stated thesis and logical structure, but may reveal minor lapses in development. Paragraphs clearly relate to the
paper’s main idea; however, transitions between ideas may be less fluent and supportive evidence less effective than
in a “A” paper. The “B” paper uses words accurately and effectively and contains few errors in the mechanics of
writing. Occasionally an essay that excels in other areas but contains some sentence-level errors may receive a
grade of “B.”
C: An essay or discussion graded “C” displays a satisfactory response to the assignment; a “C” is not a penalty
grade. The “C” paper may present the central idea in general terms, depending on platitudes or clichés to develop it
points. While it usually shows some pattern of organization, transitions from point to point may be less fluent than in
an “A” or “B” paper. Support may be in the form of generalizations or examples that are not relevant. Sentence
structure may be repetitive and word choice imprecise. The “C” paper may contain mechanical errors, but these
should not be numerous or hinder the communication of ideas. A paper that has few errors but relies on superficial
reasoning or broad generalizations will receive a “C.”
D: An essay or discussion may be graded “D” for a variety of reasons. It may respond inappropriately to the topic
or fail to present a clear thesis. It may be organized illogically, with few internal transitions between ideas.
Paragraphs may not relate to the central idea, may lack development, or may rely solely on repetition and
generalization. The “D” paper may contain sentences that lack variety and may exhibit frequently inappropriate or
limited word choice. A paper graded “D” often contains frequent errors in sentence structure, grammar, punctuation,
and spelling.
F: An essay or discussion may be graded “F” for any one or more of the following reasons. It may lack a thesis and
display no clear logical pattern. Development may lack complexity, may be repetitive, or may be unduly brief.
Paragraphs may be absent or undeveloped and disorganized. Numerous mechanical errors may impede the clear
communication of ideas. Occasionally a paper will be graded “F” because it does not respond to the assignment.
Gary Pegoda
Course Syllabus and Calendar, Course Contract
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A FEW BASICS OF WRITING FOR THIS CLASS:
1.
Format: All essays must be in MLA format. This includes typing the essay in Microsoft Word (not works)
in a size twelve Times New Roman font. Use one-inch margins on all four sides and double-space
everything. Also have a proper heading. On the left side have your name, my name, class, and date, each on
a new line. Essays must be at least 600 words and have five paragraphs.
2.
Introductory Paragraph: Develop a good clear thesis with three supporting points. Have some
background information, but avoid excessive summary – two or three sentences will do.
3.
Body Paragraphs: Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence and should continue to clearly and
originally support the assignment and thesis of the paper.
4.
Concluding Paragraph: Restate the thesis. Including broader findings or implications for the topic.
5.
Student Essay Titles: Essays must have titles. These should be original and creative and in the same exact
font as the rest of the essay, neither bolded nor italicized nor in quotation marks. The main words of the
title should be capitalized.
6.
Assigned Essay Titles: The name of an assigned essay should be typed in quotation marks, not italicized.
7.
Present Tense for Literature: Write about literature in the present tense, for the most part. In other words,
when discussing a fifty year-old essay in which a woman runs across a street, students should write, “The
woman runs across the street”--present tense. However, when an event in an essay occurs in the distant past
of that same essay, another fifty years ago, for example, use past tense. For example, “The woman, whose
brother was killed by a car fifty years ago, runs across the street.” Using the past tense is also appropriate
when discussing the history of the essay itself. For example, “Staples wrote this essay thirty years ago.”
8.
Rules for Using Names: The first time someone is named, use the full name (never a title such as “Dr.”).
After that, use only the last name. Then in each new paragraph, the first time someone is mentioned, use the
last name, not a pronoun.
9.
Writing Numbers: When writing a number, write the words out if the number can be expressed in one or
two words. It would be four hundred or five, not 400 or 5. If it takes three words, write the numbers. For
example, it would be 365, not three hundred sixty-five.
10. Emphasizing a Word: Do not use quotation marks, bolded fonts, or capital letters to emphasize a word.
11. Spelling and diction: Use the spell checker to avoid spelling errors. Do not use any of the following or
similar words: I, you, me, we, us, very, really, awesome, wonderful, great. In fact, as regarding pronouns,
use only third person pronouns, with some exceptions; for instance, you can use “I” sometimes, but not too
often. For most papers, three times would be all right. And, for less formal papers, using “I” and “me” and
“you” is sometimes acceptable. It will vary with the sort of papers we are writing. Similarly, contractions
(i.e., two words shortened with an apostrophe, such as can’t) are not allowed on the most formal papers, but
they are all right on some less formal papers. However, no slang is allowed, and clichés are to be avoided.
12. Quote Length: Please keep quotations down to about two lines and take as much or more time explaining
the quotation as it takes to write the quotation. No more than four and no less than two good quotations per
assignment.
13. Citations and Works Cited page: Citations must be used to backup assertions and paraphrases. They must
also be used with quotations. MLA requires inline citations, such as: “She walks through the tall pines”
(Heart 223). The last page of each essay should be the Works Cited page. See the grammar book for
specifics.
Gary Pegoda
Course Syllabus and Calendar, Course Contract
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14. Unprovable Statements: Be careful to avoid making statements you cannot prove.
15. Mechanics: Essays should pay careful attention to periods, commas, semicolons, colons, dashes, and
apostrophes. Be extra careful here. Students frequently write run on sentences and fragments (even
occasionally a run on fragment) and misuse apostrophes. Generally, sentences should not be more than two
or three full lines. Use the grammar book, the Writing Center, and other resources for help here.
Punctuation usually goes inside the quotation marks at the end of the quote - except when a citation follows
the quotation marks. Then, the punctuation usually goes after the citation, as in the previous example (13,
above).
16. Grammar: Use the grammar check to help ensure everything reads and sounds correctly. Make sure to
read over your paper a few times, too. Read it aloud. Subject/verb agreement is one of the most common
errors.
17. Students must write with third person pronouns and proper names, except for a few instances of “I,” in the
more formal major essays. In other less formal works, as per specific instructions, students may use “you,”
“I,” “me,” and other second and first person pronouns.
Modern Language Association (MLA) TEMPLATE – Required for all typed submitted
work
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Course Syllabus and Calendar, Course Contract
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Last name here 1
First Name LastName
Gary Pegoda
ENGL1301
01/01/2011
Your Original, Creative Title Here
Please start typing your first paragraph here. Hit enter and then tab to create a new paragraph. Do not hit
enter or anything else when you reach the end of a line. Word will automatically move the text to a new line.
Everything should be double-spaced, from your name to the last word on the paper.
Please note that the “last name here 1” in the upper right hand corner is in the header area, not in the body
of the paper like everything else is.
For inline citations, simply put the last name of the author and the page number in parenthesis, at the end
of the sentence in which the quote is used.
For instance – “Hamilton was a famous man” (Smith 27). That’s all there is to it.
Works Cited
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Course Syllabus and Calendar, Course Contract
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Enter your first source here. If you use this template and allow Word to do its magic, your “Works Cited” page will
be formatted correctly. Remember to place these entries in alphabetical order. You may use the entry
below for many of the assignments in this class.
Author’sLastName, Author’sFirstName. “Name of Article Here,” The Norton Reader. Ed. Linda H. Peterson and
John C. Brereton. 12th ed. NYC, NY: Norton, 2008. PageArticleStarts-PageArticleEnds.
Course Calendar –Do the Readings before Class the Week They Are Listed
Gary Pegoda
Course Syllabus and Calendar, Course Contract
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Week 1, Jan 21 - Syllabus, Computer log-ins, Introductions (typed), Emailing Attachments, using Turnitin.com
Video “How to Write an Effective Essay”
The Five-Paragraph Essay, From Thesis to Conclusion
In class essay
Week 2, Jan. 26, 28– R - Brent Staples 314
G – “Writing Contexts,”
In Class Essay/Details TBA
Week 3, Feb. 2, 4 – R - Frederick Douglass 346
G – “Academic Contexts”
In Class Essay/Details TBA
Week 4, Feb. 9, 11 – R - James Baldwin 304
G – “Writing Processes,” “Literary Analysis”
In Class Major Essay 1, Details TBA
Week 5, Feb 18th only – R - Langston Hughes 1059
G – “Developing Paragraphs”
In-Class Required Revision 1 instructions TBA
Week 6, Feb. 23, 25 – R - Virginia Woolf 1107
G – “Rhetorical Analysis”
In Class Essay/Details TBA
Week 7, March 2, 4 – R - Henry Louis Gates Jr. 260, Richard Rodriguez 405
G – “Arguments”
Out of Class Major Essay 2 Instructions TBA
Week 8 – March 9, 11 – R - John Muir 525, Chief Seattle 532
G – “Elements of a Sentence”
Review for Midterm
Essay 2 Due when class starts, in Turnitin.com
Week 9 – March 16, 18- Spring Break
Week 10 – March 23, 25 – R - Gloria Anzaldua 411, Jamaica Kincaid 139
MIDTERM EXAM
Major Essay 3 assigned, details TBA
Week 11 – March 30, April 1 – R - Maya Angelou 15, Alice Walker 55
G – FANBOYS rule “Comma Splices,” “Fused Sentences”
Major Essay 4 assigned – this is the research paper - details TBA
Major Essay 3 Due when class starts, in Turnitin.com
Week 12 – April 6, 8 – R - Maya Angelou 15, Alice Walker 55
G – FANBOYS rule “Comma Splices,” “Fused Sentences”
Major Essay 4 assigned – this is the research paper - details TBA
Major Essay 3 Due when class starts, in Turnitin.com
Week 13 – April 13, 15 – R – Stephen King 443, Garrison Keillor 446
G – “Subject-Verb Agreement,” “Parallelism”
In Class Major Essay 5
Gary Pegoda
Course Syllabus and Calendar, Course Contract
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Week 14 – April 20, 22 – R - Martin Luther King Jr. 852, Abraham Lincoln “The Gettysburg Address” (not in text)
G – “Commas,” “Semicolons”
In Class Essay
Week 15 – April 27, 29 - R - Mark Twain 550, Molly Ivins 323
G – “Words Often Confused,” “Unnecessary Words”
In Class Essay
Week 16 –
May 4, 6– Final Exam/Essay Due both printed out and through Turnitin.com
Week 17 – May 13 only – 8:00 am - Final Exam/Essay grades returned, attendance required for 10% of Final
Exam/Essay
grade
Grades due, turned in by instructor, before noon, May 18 th
Gary Pegoda
Course Syllabus and Calendar, Course Contract
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