ENGLISH 1301 -- Composition I –Fall 2010 – WHITEBIRD
Instructor:
Scott Whitebird, English and Communications, Spring Branch
AD 6 (713)718-5678
scott.whitebird @hccs.edu
Advising, Office
AD6 MR 10-12, 5:00-5:30, 8-8:30 by appt
Texts:
Mirror On America
Handbook
Composition Study Guide (NW English Dept.)
Catalog 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 the introduction to
argumentation, critical analysis, and the use of sources. Core Curriculum course.
Prerequisite: A satisfactory assessment score, completion of ENGL 0310 or (for non-native
speakers) ENGL 0349.
Credit: 3 (3 lecture)
Course Purpose: English 1301 is the first of two basic college-level writing courses (the second
course is Freshman Composition and Rhetoric II – ENGL 1302). English 1301 is intended to
introduce students to basic forms of writing used in most academic contexts. This course
provides excellent preparation for English 1302. ENGL 1301 is designed around writing as a
process which enables students to develop organized, focused essays that demonstrate mastery of
the following skills:
 Analytical thinking (critical thinking)
 Clear thesis statements
 Relevant, engaging details and support
 Focused organization based on a unifying principle
 Appropriate strategies given audience, purpose, and subject
 Skillfully constructed and varied sentences
 Appropriate diction, style, and grammar
 Appropriate tone
 Correct manuscript form
Educational Outcomes: By the time students complete English 1301, they will:
 understand writing as a connected and interactive process which includes planning, shaping,
drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading;
 apply the writing process to out of class writing;
 apply writing process as appropriate to in-class, impromptu writing, thus showing an ability
to communicate effectively in writing in a variety of writing situations;
 apply suggestions from evaluated compositions to other writing projects;
 understand and apply basic principles of critical thinking in analyzing reading selections, in
developing expository essays, and writing argumentative essays;
 apply concepts from and use references to assigned readings in developing essays;
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analyze (for elements such as purpose, audience, tone, style, writing strategy), in writing,
essays by professional writers;
complete short writing assignments, journal entries, reading quizzes, and other activities to
strengthen basic thinking and writing skills;
understand and appropriately apply various methods of development in writing assignments;
and
fulfill the writing requirements of the course, writing at least 5000 words during the semester.
*An average of “C” (70%) must be earned on the two in-class essays (midterm and final) to
receive a grade of “C” of better in the course. A “D” (60-69) on these essays will mean a course
grade of “D.” An “F” average (0-59) on these essays will mean an “f” in the course, regardless
of your other grades.
Passing grades are required on essays 1, 2, and 3 IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR
PORTFOLIO REVISIONS.
CLASS POLICIES
Attendance and Withdrawal
Attendance is required. You are responsible for ALL materials covered in class. In addition,
HCCS has an attendance policy. You may miss no more than 12.5%, or six class hours, or the
instructor may drop you for non-attendance or require makeup work. Should you have to miss
class, you are still responsible for all material covered. As soon as you can, be sure to get the
name and phone number of a fellow student to contact. You may also leave me a message on my
voicemail at 718-5678 – although we should see each other regularly at class. Should you stop
attending class, it is your responsibility to withdraw from class, or you may receive an “F.”
Tardiness and Leaving Class Early
Anything more than occasional tardiness is not acceptable. Students arriving late must make sure
that class roll is correct by seeing the teacher after class. Leaving early should be
cleared/explained to instructor prior to leaving in the middle of class. Questions already
answered and topics covered will not be repeated during class time and remain the student’s
responsibility.
Class Preparation
Preparation is also required. Students should know calendar and syllabus information, and
should bring their syllabi to class. Assignments should be read and considered prior to class, and
re-read if necessary so that you can participate in class. Expect occasional quizzes. Take notes
in class; review them regularly.
Late Work
Late work costs points. Ten points off for each day (not class period) late; 20 points off for a
weekend. No papers accepted more than ONE week late. Unusual lateness caused by illness,
death in the family, and/or other emergencies must be explained in writing, and documented if
possible. Papers will be collected at the beginning of class and are late after that. Papers
turned in on the specified date but after papers have been collected will be penalized 5 points.
Make-up Work
If you know you must miss the midterm for a good reason, we can schedule a make-up time. If
you simply miss the midterm, you must have an excused absence and be ready to take the
midterm immediately when you return. The Final in class essay cannot be rescheduled, so
plan accordingly.
Scholastic Dishonesty (Plagiarism, Collusion, Cheating)
The student handbook lists cheating, plagiarism, and collusion as scholastic dishonesty. It
defines plagiarism as “the appropriation of another’s 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.” See Student
Handbook. NOTE: Teachers use computers regularly, and advanced searches make it
quick and easy for us to check phrases, sentences, keywords, paragraphs, etc. Be
HONEST, and be careful – GOOGLE RULES. And then there’s Turnitin.com….
Special Accommodations
Students needing special accommodations must give the teacher a current request from
Dr. Nancy Russell. 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
are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disabilities Support
Services Office.”
Repeating Courses Three Times or More
Students who enroll for most credit or CEU classes for s third time of more will be charged an
additional $50.00 per semester credit hour and $3.00 per contact hour.
ESSAYS
All out of class work, including reading log entries, must be typed or computer printed in
12 pt. type, double spaced with a title page. An essay package should contain title page, final
draft, rough draft, peer analysis, and anything else required by the instructor for that specific
essay (Source verifications (copies) required for argumentative paper). Please staple or
paperclip your work together. NO PLASTIC SLIPCOVERS PLEASE.
READING RESPONSE LOG
During this semester, you will keep a log of directed responses to each assigned reading. Bring a
spiral notebook to the2nd class. You will be asked torespond to each of the essays in Ch. 1-4..
on your own which will make 20% of your course grade. Each entry should be at least a
hundred words long, but need not ever exceed 200. Revise these, add a title and table of
contents for Monday July either paper clipped or stapled together.
This assignment puts a premium on work habits and rewards completion. If you finish and
subject or work , and turn them in on time and in correct form, you will earn either an A or a B
on this 20% of your final course grade. On the other hand, should you finish as few as 17, you
can earn no higher than a C; as few as 15, a D; as few as 12, an F. There will be one entry for
each of the essays in Ch 1-4. That’s 3 for Ch 1, 1 for Ch.2, 9 for Ch. 3, and 9 fopr Ch. 4, for a
total of 22 entries.
1. Ch. 1 –3
2. Ch. 2 – 1
3. Ch. 3 -- 9
4. Ch. 4 -- 9.
PORTFOLIO
60% of the student’s grade will be based on a revised Portfolio of work .which must include a revised
Research Paper (essay #5), one expressive essay (essay #1or #2), one analytic essay (#3 or #4), and an
original argument expressing your strengths and weaknesses and arguing for your choices based on the
strenghs of the essays and the value of your revisions. Turn in marked copies and all succeeding
revisions. Once a marked paper is returned to you, you may revise it and I will read ir again and
comment as many times as you wish.
Grading Scale
Portfolio
Midterm and Final
Response Logs
60%
20%
20%
Essays
Learnina narrative (#1)
Identity (#2)
Analysis of an essay (subject or message)
Analysis of an essay (five fundamentals)
Portfolio Defense
1000+ words
1000+ words
1000+ words
1000+ words
1000+ words
Research Areas
Internet and New Media, Movies, Music, Broadcast, Style (fashion, language)