ENGLISH 1301.0060: COMPOSITION I, CRN 43591
TTh 12:30-2:00 PM, ROOM 108, KATY CAMPUS
SPRING, 2015
Instructor: Francis Williams
Total course contact hours: 48
Type of Instruction: Lecture
Email address: francis.williams@hccs.edu
Credit Hours: 3.00
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This is a course in traditional college-level rhetoric, designed for students who
have demonstrated mastery of basic language skills. The purpose is to give
students the skills in critical reading and academic writing that will prepare them
for later college courses, both in English and other disciplines.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
English Composition I Student Learning Outcomes
1. Demonstrate knowledge of writing as process.
2. Apply basic principles of critical thinking in analyzing reading selections,
developing expository essays, and writing argumentative essays.
3. Analyze elements such as purpose, audience, tone, style, strategy in
essays and/or literature by professional writers.
4. Write essays in appropriate academic writing style using varied rhetorical
strategies.
5. Synthesize concepts from and use references to assigned readings in
their own
REQUIRED TEXT: Peterson, Linda H., et al., eds. The Norton Reader. 12th ed.
New York: Norton, 2008. (Bring this text to every class unless told otherwise.)
NECESSARY MATERIALS: Come to class prepared with
1.
Spiral or looseleaf notebook for taking class notes.
2.
Pen or pencil
3.
A separate bound or spiral notebook or composition book for weekly
journal entries.
Please make sure you have these materials when you come to class. It is an
inconvenience to other students to have to wait while somebody tries to
borrow a pen and paper.
RECOMMENDED MATERIALS:
1.
A collegiate dictionary.
2.
A thesaurus.
3.
Gibaldi, Joseph. The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.
7th ed.
ABSENCES: It is very important that you attend regularly to keep up with what is
going on. This is a “face” class, not a distance learning or blended class, so you
will miss assignments and fall behind if you are not here. You are responsible
for material covered and assignments given in classes from which you are
absent. Swap phone numbers or email addresses with another student so you
may acquire material and assignments you have missed. The instructor does
not withdraw students for lack of attendance. Every five absences will
result in three points deducted from your final average. If you are unable to
attend the class regularly, it is advised that you drop the course.
WITHDRAWAL DATE: March 24, 2015.
GENERAL GUIDELINES: Please be on time for class. It is rude and distracting
regularly to arrive late. Students who are persistently late may have points
deducted from assignments. Students who are unprepared, who sleep in class,
who do not pay attention, or who are disruptive will be asked to leave class and
will be counted absent.
ELECTRONICS POLICY: Unless the instructor asks you to do so, do not
bring laptops or other electronics to class. The exception to this is students
who are certified by the Disability Services Office to require an in-class laptop for
note-taking. No texting, listening to music, playing games, accessing social
media, or anything else interfering with your attention will be allowed in class.
Turn cell phones to vibrate and silence them. Do not take them out of your
pocket or purse except at class break. Students who text in class will be asked to
leave and will be given an absence for that day.
PLAGIARISM: To present other authors’ work as your own, without giving
proper acknowledgment, is plagiarism, a serious academic offense. Plagiarism
includes, but is not limited to, copying essays from books or journals,
downloading papers from free or pay websites, buying or borrowing essays
written by others, cutting and pasting material from different websites without
providing proper acknowledgement, or using direct quotations from someone’s
work without indicating the words are the other author’s and not your own. Any
plagiarized work will be given an F, and you will not be allowed to rewrite
the plagiarized assignment.
GRADED ASSIGNMENTS THIS SEMESTER: All papers written outside class
must be word processed, doublespaced; no handwritten papers will be accepted.
Papers may be submitted electronically to the instructor as Microsoft Word files
attached to emails. Do not type the paper directly into the email. Students who
miss more than five classes will lose the privilege of submitting papers
electronically and must bring the papers to class in person. Work submitted
after the due date will have five points deducted for each late day; work
that is one calendar week late will be given a zero. See below for policy on
missed daily grades.
Major essays: You will write two undocumented papers, each approximately 750
words (about three word processed pages). These papers will deal with the
various writing strategies we cover in class and may be in response to assigned
readings.
Essay analysis: You will select and read an essay from the text which we have
not previously discussed in class. You will write a paper of approximately four
pages in which you analyze the effectiveness of this essay based on various
concepts we have discussed in class. Please select three of the following topics
to include in your analysis: tone, organization, evidence, use of examples,
diction, use of narrative, sentence variety, and introduction and conclusion
strategies.
Midterm exam: The midterm exam (process analysis essay) will be written in
class.
Final exam: The final exam will be a timed essay in response to your choice of
various short readings selected by the instructor.
Daily grades: You will have a variety of shorter assignments such as
homework, pop quizzes over readings or lectures, and brief writing assignments.
I will not accept any late daily work; if you are not there when an
assignment is due, you get a zero. However, there is a built-in curve. I will
automatically drop your lowest grade in this category before figuring your final
average.
Journal entries: You will write four one-page, doublespaced entries per week in
your journal. You may select whatever topics appeal to you. Twice this semester
I will ask you to turn in your journals, and I will grade them. I will record only the
higher of the two grades. These will be unannounced journal checks. If you are
absent that day or have forgotten your notebook, you will receive a grade of 0 for
that journal check.
McGraw Hill Connect: Your tuition and fees includes a subscription to Connect,
an online grammar improvement program. After you enroll in Connect, you take a
diagnostic online exam which identifies areas you need work in and then designs
a customized program for you. You are expected to enroll within in Connect
within the required time and to work regularly in your customized program until it
is complete. There will be more information forthcoming on how to enroll.
Your semester grade will be figured according to the following percentages:
Major Essays (2):
Essay Analysis:
Midterm exam:
20%
10%
10%
Daily grades:
Journal entries
Connect:
Final exam:
20%
10%
10%
20%
100%
Policies for Missed and Late Work: If a major essay is late, five points per day
will be deducted, and you will lose the option to rewrite that paper. If a major
paper is over one week late, it will be given a zero. No daily grade assignments
will be accepted late under any circumstances. Assignments that are submitted
on time will be graded and returned promptly. Late assignments will be graded at
the instructor’s convenience. Unless otherwise indicated, assignments are
due on the last day we meet for class that week.
Rewrites: The major essays and midterm (see above) may be rewritten for a
higher grade. A rewrite must be turned in the next class after the graded original
was returned. Any rewrites turned in later than the beginning of the next class
will not be graded, and the original grade will remain in place. A rewrite will not
be graded unless the original paper with the instructor’s comments accompanies
it.
Tentative Schedule: This schedule is subject to change, so you need to attend
class to keep up with assignments. Assigned readings should be completed
before you come to class as there may be a pop quiz over the material. These
readings are tentative; others may be added. MA indicates a major assignment;
R means this assignment may be rewritten for a higher grade.
WEEK 1 (Jan. 20, 22)
Introduction to course. Diagnostic essay written in class. Introduction to
writing process. Major sentence errors.
WEEK 2 (Jan. 27, 29)
Illustration. Generating ideas for writing.
Reading this week: Lars Eighner, “Dumpster Diving” (NR 31-40). Weekly
In-class journal writing.
WEEK 3 (Feb. 3, 5)
Thesis and evidence. Organization.
Reading this week: Isaac Asimov, “The Eureka Phenomenon” (NR 89099). Weekly in-class journal writing.
Illustration paper (MA, R) dueThurs.
WEEK 4 (Feb. 10, 12)
Review illustration essay. Narrative/personal experience strategies.
Reading this week: Langston Hughes, “Salvation” (NR 1059-60).
Weekly in-class journal writing. Monday, Sept. 8 is official day of record.
WEEK 5 (Feb. 17, 19)
Effective introductions and conclusions. Description.
Chang-Rae Lee, “Coming Home Again” (NR 3-11)
Narrative/personal experience paragraph due Thursday.
Weekly in-class journal writing.
WEEK 6 (Feb. 24, 26)
Review narrative/personal experience paragraph. Introduction to
argumentation.
Reading: Henry David Thoreau, “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”
(NR 1098-1106)
Weekly in-class journal writing. Description.
WEEK 7 (Mar. 3, 5)
Description paragraph due. Review description paragraphs. Process
analysis.
Reading this week: Jessica Mitford, “Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain”
(NR 314-20).
Weekly in-class journal writing.
WEEK 8 (Mar. 10, 12)
Correcting wordiness. Definition.
Reading this week: Roland Barthes, “Toys” (NR 274-75).
Process analysis essay (midterm) written in class Thursday (MA/R).
WEEK 9 (Mar. 17, 19)
SPRING BREAK. NO CLASS THIS WEEK.
WEEK 10 (Mar. 24, 26)
Review process analysis essays. Transition. Classification.
Weekly in-class journal writing.
Tues., Mar. 24 is last day to withdraw with a W.
WEEK 11 (Mar. 31, Apr. 2)
Sentence variety.
Revision and editing strategies. Writing the critical essay.
Reading this week: Martin Luther King, r., “I Have a Dream” (NR 852-55).
Classification essay (MA/R) due Thursday.
Weekly in-class journal writing.
WEEK 12 (Apr. 7, 9)
Review classification essays.
Comparison and contrast strategies.
Readings this week: David Guterson, “Enclosed. Encyclopedic. Endured:
The Mall of America” (NR 161-73)
Weekly in-class journal writing.
WEEK 13 (Apr. 14, 16)
Critical essay due Thursday. Reading this week: Edward Abbey,
“The Serpents of Paradise” (NR 589-95).
Weekly in-class journal writing.
WEEK 14 (Apr. 21, 23)
Rewrite of critical essay due. Reading this week: Barbara
Tuchman, “’This Is the End of the World’: The Black Death” (NR 759-71).
Weekly in-class journal writing.
WEEK 15 (Apr. 28, 30)
Review for final exam. Weekly in-class journal writing.
WEEK 16 (May 5, 7)
FINAL EXAM. NOTE: At NWC, the English Dept. traditionally
schedules its finals for the week before those of other departments.
WEEK 16 (May 12, 14)
Regular final exams week. Final meeting to collect research papers
and final exams: Tuesday, May 14. Student personal evaluation
of class.
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. Look for the survey as part of the Houston Community College
Student System online near the end of the term.