Welcome to English 101: Composition
Fall Quarter 2006
North Seattle Community College
Instructor:
J.C. Clapp
Office Location:
2313A Instruction Building
Office Phone:
206-934-4531
Office Email:
jc.clapp@seattlecolleges.edu
Office Hours:
1:00-2:30 p.m. Daily
Required Book:
Axelrod & Cooper’s Concise Guide to Writing, 4th edition, Rise Axelrod
and Charles Cooper, 2006, Bedford/St. Martin’s Press (ISBN:
0312434391)
Required Materials:
3-ring binder (at least 1”) with loose leaf paper (no spiral notebooks)
Several 2-pocket folders
Multi-colored pens or highlighters
Course Prerequisites: This course is a college level English composition course which requires
that you provide me with a piece of paper, from the NSCC Testing Center
(http://www.northseattle.edu/enroll/testing/) or from your previous NSCC
English Instructor (http://www.northseattle.edu/humanities/english/),
which documents you have the skills necessary to succeed in this class.
Keyboarding/typing skills are required.
Course Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Read critically.
2. Write about and respond to texts.
3. Use the writing process.
4. Use peer review.
5. Produce writing with a thesis or central purpose.
6. Produce specific details, facts, or examples to support thesis.
7. Demonstrate critical thinking.
8. Produce coherent prose (transitions).
9. Choose an appropriate organizational pattern.
10. Make writing choices based on various audiences and purposes.
11. Write clear, grammatically and mechanically correct prose.
12. Develop style and voice.
13. Integrate sources and avoid plagiarism.
2
Homework, Essays and Quizzes: All of the homework is due at the beginning of class, and no
late homework will be accepted. Unless special arrangements are made, I will not accept
assignments submitted via email or on a disk. Papers, homework, in-class activities, and
quizzes cannot be made up or turned in late (unless arrangements are made in advance).
All of your homework must be typed. When formatting your homework, please use: 1
inch margins, double spacing, 12 pt. font size, and a standard font like Times New Roman. Put
your name, the class name, the assignment name, and the date at the top of the page. Please
staple your paper in the upper left hand corner. All homework should put placed inside a 2pocket folder (with your name on it).
Participation Policy: This class is very interactive and participation is essential. If you are more
than 10 minutes late you will be marked as absent. If you miss more than 5 class periods your
ability to pass the course will be in jeopardy, since you can’t participate if you’re not here. If you
miss more that 10 class periods you will not earn higher than a 1.0 grade. If you encounter an
unexpected illness, accident, or emergency, please contact me as soon as possible so
arrangements can be made for you to turn in your assignments.
Academic Honesty: The papers we will be writing in this class will require multiple drafts, so a
plagiarized paper will not go unnoticed. If you choose to plagiarize a paper, you will receive 0
points on that assignment and a formal report will be filed with the college requesting
disciplinary action. You will not be given a warning.
Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities needing accommodations must contact
Disability Services at 527-3697 (2nd floor of the College Center near Registration). Disability
Services can assist individuals with both physical and learning/academic disabilities.
The Loft Language Lab: The Loft is the campus language lab/writing center, located on the top
floor of the library. One of the primary attributes of The Loft is the free tutoring! The tutoring
sessions last 30 minutes, are held on a first-come first served basis, and can help you with
reading, writing, grammar, listening and speaking. For more information:
http://www.northseattle.edu/services/loft/
Course Requirements and Grade Breakdown: The grade given at the end of the quarter will be
based on a 4.0 scale. No grades of I (“incomplete”) or NC (“no credit”) will be granted. If you
do not feel you will be able to complete the course to your satisfaction, it is your responsibility
to drop/withdraw from the course. In order to decide if you will pass the course, there will be
points assigned to most of our class activities:
Analysis Essay: 100 points
Analysis In-Class Essay: 100 points
Personal Narrative: 100 points
Problem/Solution (Proposal): 100 points
Group Written/Oral Proposal and Presentation: 100 points
Self-Evaluation of Group Proposal: 10 points
Evaluation/Review: 100 points
Participation: 90 points
3
Total Points: 700
4
Course Agenda: The schedule of daily events is subject to change. All readings are from
Concise Guide to Writing, 4th edition. If you miss class, you need to check with a fellow student
to see what you missed. Extra copies of all handouts will be in the box outside my office door.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
September 25
Receive Syllabus
26
Student
Introductions
27
Lecture: Parts of
Argument and the
Rhetorical Triangle
Read: pgs. 1-20
29
Finish analyzing
“Abortion Too
Complex”
Read: 337-361
October 2
Analyze “Sticks and
Stones,” pg. 165
3
Analyze “Sticks and
Stones,” pg. 165
4
Analyze “Nickel and
Dimed”
Read: pgs. 307-322
28
Review Analysis
Essay Handout
Read “Abortion Too
Complex” in class
Read: pgs. 161-184
5
Finish analyzing
“Nickel and Dimed”
9
Discuss how to write
introductions
Read: pgs. 323-336
10
Discuss how to write
conclusions
Read: pgs. 193-208
12
JC will outline a
sample paper in class
16
Peer Review
Analysis Essay –
bring 3 copies of
your draft to class
17
Discuss sentence
level editing
23
Analyze “On Being
a Real Westerner,”
pg.33
24
Analysis In-Class
Essay
30
Final Draft of
Narrative Due
Introduce
Problem/Solution
Read: pgs. 209-235
6
Outline of Proposal
due
Analyze “More
Testing,” pg. 226
31
Discuss how to come
up with a topic, pg.
236
11
Thesis Statement
for Analysis essay
due – be prepared
to write your on the
board!
18
Final Draft
Analysis Due
Review Personal
Narrative Essay
Handout
Read: pgs. 23-43
25
Go over the In-Class
Essays briefly
Analyze “On Being
a Real Westerner,”
pg.33
November 1
Analyze “Dead-End
Jobs,” pg. 218
Read: pgs. 236-257
2
Analyze “Dead-End
Jobs,” pg. 218
3
Analyze “More
Testing,” pg. 226
7
Analyze sample
student proposals
8
Peer Review
Problem/Solution –
bring 3 copies of
your draft to class
9
Analyze sample
student proposals
13
Work on your group
proposal
14
Work on your group
proposal
15
Work on your group
proposal
16
Work on your group
proposal
20
21
22
23
10
Final Draft of
Problem/Solution
Due
Introduce Group
Proposal
17
Rough Draft of
Group Proposal
Due
24
19
Analyze “American
Childhood,” pg. 26
26
Discuss adding
descriptive language
6
Activity: Write
letters to the
Governor in
different personas
Read: pgs. 362-376
13
Outline of Analysis
essay due
JC will draft a
sample paper in class
20
Receive Analysis
In-Class Essay
Information
Analyze “American
Childhood,” pg. 26
Read: pgs. 44-63
27
Peer Review
Narrative – bring 3
copies of your draft
to class (pg. 200)
5
Oral Presentations
Oral Presentations
27
Introduce Evaluation
Paper
Read: pgs. 258-282
4
Analyze “The Elder
Scrolls,” pg. 267
11
Discuss how to
avoid plagiarism
28
Evaluate our class
textbook
5
Thesis Statement
for Evaluation due
12
Peer Review
Evaluation – bring
3 copies of your
draft to class
Self-Evaluation of
Group Proposal
Due
29
Read sample student
evaluations in class
Read: pgs. 283-303
6
Analyze “A Hell for
Fathers,” pg. 261
13
Go over the revision
checklists
NO CLASS
NO CLASS
30
Analyze student
samples
December 1
Analyze “The Elder
Scrolls,” pg. 267
7
Analyze “A Hell for
Fathers,” pg. 261
14
Final Draft of
Evaluation Due
8
Outline for
Evaluation due