HCCS: English 1302 Syllabus: Spring 2011
Instructor: Jeffrey A. Brown, M.A.
E-mail: jeffrey.brown@hccs.edu
Course Objective: In English 1302, students will master argumentative writing and critical analysis of
reading selections (both essay and literature). All elements of 1302 require students to apply critical
thinking and writing skills introduced in English 1301.
Student Learning Outcomes:
1. Apply basic principles or rhetoric analysis.
2. Write essays that classify, explain, and evaluate rhetoric 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 outof-class discourse.
5. Demonstrate library literacy.
Textbooks Required:
Seyler, Dorothy U. Read, Reason, Write: An Argument Text and Reader. 9th ed.
Boston: McGraw Hill, 2009. Print.
Modern Language Association of America. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
Papers. 7th ed. New York: MLA, 2009. Print
Grading Percentages:
Pop Quizzes & Homework — 10%
Annotated Bibliography 1 — 10%
Annotated Bibliography 2 — 10%
Essay 1 — 2 pages, 15%
Essay 2 — 2 pages, 15%
Essay 3 — 3 pages, 40%
*Participation: I highly suggest you do the reading, prepare
for class as best you can, participate, AND COME TO CLASS.
I cannot stress this enough!!
*Essays will be graded for appropriateness, unity and focus, development,
organization, sentence structure, word usage and mechanics.
*All essays will be typed, double-spaced, and in paper format
according to Handbook and Teacher instructions.
Late Assignments: I do not accept late assignments. Please get them in on TIME!! All
assignments are due ONLY in class on the day they are due. Papers are considered late after 15 minutes
has expired of the class on the day the assignment is due. There are no excuses and NO SECOND
CHANCES.
Absences: Any student who misses 6 class hours is subject to administrative withdraw. Please do
not miss class. You will need to be here to succeed!
Scholastic Dishonesty: According to the Student Handbook for the HCCS, “scholastic
dishonesty” includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. The possible
consequences of such dishonesty, as stated in the Student Handbook, include: “a grade of 0 or F for the
particular assignment, failure in the course, and/or recommendation for probation or dismissal from the
College System.”
Grading:
A 90-100%
B 80-89%
C 70-79%
D 60-69%
F 0-59%
I (Incomplete)
W (Withdrawn)
Withdrawal: The final date for student withdrawals is April 21, 2011 by 4:30pm. If you drop the course,
you must complete the necessary forms with the Registration personnel prior to this date. If you do not
complete the withdrawal form and do not complete the required work in this class, you will receive an “F”
for the course.
Class Schedule: The instructor may announce changes in this schedule at any time during the term:
Week 1:
T – No Class
TH – Intro to class; Assign Essay 1
Week 2:
T – pp. 72-82
TH – pp. 83-95
Week 3:
T – pp. 99-107
TH – pp. 217-228
Week 4:
T – pp. 107-117
TH – Drafts due
Week 5:
T – Essay 1 due; Read and Grade Essays
TH – Read and Grade Essays
Week 6:
T – Read and grade essays
TH – Read and grade essays
Week 7:
T – pp. 120-129l; Assign Essay 2
TH – pp. 130-138
Week 8:
T – pp. 139-141, 144-150
TH – pp. 230-240
Week 9:
Spring Break
Week 10:
T – pp. 241-244
TH – Drafts due
Week 11:
T – Essay 2 due; Read and Grade Essays
TH – Read and Grade
Week 12:
T – Read and Grade
TH – Read and Grade
Week 13:
T – pp. 589-598
TH – pp. 599-607
Week 14:
T – pp. 607-612
TH – pp. 612-621
Week 15:
T – pp. 622-628
TH – Drafts due
Week 16:
TH – Final Essay Due
Assignments Explanations:
Quizzes: Quizzes will be given randomly. They will be oral. The questions will come from the reading
assignments. Each student is given two chances. The first question can result in a 100%. Should the
student miss the first question, the second question will be different and worth 50%. If the student misses
the second question, the student will earn a zero. If there is a quiz and the student is absent, the student
earns a zero. If there is a quiz and the student arrives after any time the student’s name is called to answer
a question, an appropriate grade will be given depending on the particular question chance/s missed. Each
student will be given approximately 30 seconds to answer the question. If a question is missed, that
question is given to the next student. The question stands until answered or until it has cycled through the
class, at which time a new question is given. The instructor may make changes to this process at any time.
Annotated Bibliography: This is two separate assignments. Annotated bibliography One requires
each student to maintain this assignment on a daily basis. The assignment requires a 200 word paragraph,
which includes a summary of each reading assignment listed on the syllabus followed by a paraphrase of
the reading assignment. For each day we have a reading assignment due, the instructor will ask individual
students for either a summary or a paraphrase. The student should have their annotated bibliography
available to refer to for an answer. If the student does not have the answer and/or does not offer one, the
student will be given a zero for a homework grade. The assignment must have a proper heading, must have
a title, must be typed, must be double spaced, must be 12 point Times New Roman font, and the paragraph
must be followed by an appropriate MLA formatted citation for an essay from a book. The student will
turn in this assignment, properly formatted, on the last Thursday of class. The Second Annotated
Bibliography is related to the student’s research. Students will keep track of their research by reading
research and writing an annotation. All the perimeters for the first assignment apply, except instead of a
paraphrase the student will explain in detail if the essay is helpful or not for their essay.
Essay 1 and 2: Each of these essays will be typed and formatted according to instructor’s instructions.
Primarily, these essays will be double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, and no more and no less
than two pages. They must have a proper heading and a title, according to instructor’s instructions. Each
essay requires quoted support from outside sources. The student must follow proper MLA protocols.
Essay 1 will be an argument “for” the topic the student chooses. Essay 2 will be an argument “against” the
topic the student chose to write for the first essay. The instructor will offer more details throughout the
course. Each student must bring two copies of each essay. They must both exactly match. The essay
given to the instructor must be stapled in the upper left hand corner.
Essay 3: This essay will be typed and formatted according to instructor’s instructions. Primarily, the essay
will be double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, and no more and no less than three pages. It must
have a proper heading and a title, according to instructor’s instructions. The essay will be a critical analysis
that expresses a similarity between three or four of the reading assignments from the final third of the
semester. The student must follow proper MLA protocols. Only one copy is required. It must be stapled
in the upper left hand corner.
Grading for All Essays: The following may not cover every particular but gives a good idea of what
to expect from the grading. Primarily, each essay will be graded for the following: Any formatting error
will be charged 10 points. One point will be taken off for any edit mark made by the instructor. These
marks will be for grammar, syntax, or any writing mistakes deciphered by the instructor. Any misused or
misspelled words will cost the student five points. Each written paragraph is worth a total of 7 points (1 for
the Topic Sentence, 3 for the example, 3 for the explanation). Each paragraph missing will result in a 20 or
25 point reduction, depending on what the thesis of the paper suggests is required. Any improper or
missing ending punctuation will cost the student 10 points. Any MLA mistakes will result in a subtraction
of 5 points. A total of the points will be subtracted from 100. The remaining number will determine the
final grade of the essay.