ENGLISH 101A
Reading and Composition
The Journey
Patten University at San Quentin
Summer 2011
Instructors: Erica Backus, Jillian Smith, and Alessandra Wollner
Course Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:00PM to 8:20PM
Course Introduction
This course is designed to help you develop effective writing and critical thinking
strategies that can be applied across a spectrum of academic disciplines. By treating
good writing as a skill that can be taught, we will focus on revision as a means for
advancing that skill. Academic writing is almost always a response to the ideas and
theories put forth by others. Your participation in class discussions will be a way to
strengthen your response to others, which will in turn strengthen and define your own
ideas. A journey is the act of traveling from one place to another.
In this course we will explore journey as a theme across a broad base of texts to define
and expand our own personal views on journey. However, the theme of “The Journey”
extends beyond the materials we'll read this semester. Just as we start a physical
journey and proceed towards a destination, predetermined or otherwise, the same
holds true for every piece of writing. We begin with an idea and/or a text, and set out
on a journey. What we learn and experience along the way ultimately leads to our
destination, a finished piece of work. In the course of the semester we will explore
journeys undertaken in a variety of contexts—the wider world, within ourselves, in
search of answers, in pursuit of a vision or idea—examining what is discovered, learned,
lost, and developed along the way.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of English 101A, students should be able to:
· Write a text-based essay of 3-7 pages that contains a clear thesis statement
that unifies the essay; body paragraphs that contain topic sentences and develop
logically with specific reasons, examples, and explanations drawn from course
readings; critical analysis of the evidence drawn from the text; and a conclusion
that explores the greater significance of the particular topic of the essay.
· Recognize and evaluate the most common strategies that writers use to
shape meaning; definition, analogy or comparison, logical development,
illustration, supporting evidence.
· Use those strategies to shape their own essays.
· Incorporate sources by paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting.
· Write complex and varied sentences.
· Revise their essays effectively.
· Proofread effectively for those errors in mechanics/usage that impede
understanding or are numerous enough to distract the reader.
· Give an oral presentation of about five minutes in length.
Students will refine these skills throughout the course of the semester by writing
and revising three longer essays and completing a number of other short written
assignments.
Required Texts
Long Readings
⁃ The Hero with 1000 Faces Joseph Campbell. Pages 49-254.
⁃ Metaphors we Live By George Lackoff. Chapters 1-24
⁃ The Odyssey (excerpts) Homer. ed. Robert Fagles
⁃ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass; An American Slave Frederick Douglass
⁃ Cesar Chavez: Autobiography of La Causa (excerpts) Jaques E. Levy
⁃ The Places in Between (excerpts) Rory Stewart
Short Readings:
⁃ Provided in class
Assignments and Grading
Written Assignments
Note: please include the following information on all assignments: name, CDC#, date,
name of course, name of instructor.
⁃ Page Count: All written work should be double-spaced.
1 Page Typed (Times New Roman 12pt. font) (T) = 2 Pages Handwritten (H).
⁃ On Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty: Plagiarism is the presentation of someone
else’s words or ideas as your own; it is considered stealing. It’s a serious offense,
even if accidental. It is easy to plagiarize accidentally if you don’t know all the
rules for quoting and citing sources. We will provide information about
plagiarism, and we’ll discuss proper quotation and citation of sources. Our
responses to plagiarized material will range from tolerance for a lack of
knowledge, in which case we require correction of the mistake, to intolerance
for what we perceive as willing deception, in which case you may receive an “F”
for that assignment.
Essays: 60% of Final Grade
In order to get credit for the course you must turn in all First Drafts and Final Drafts.
Each draft must contain proper MLA citations and a Works Cited page (works cited
pages don’t count towards overall page count).
Each draft will be assigned on Thursday and due the following Thursday. As part of your
participation grade, you must attend study all once during the course of each essay for
the purposes of revision.
- Essay #1: 10%
3-5 Pages (T) 6-10 Pages (H)
First Draft 5%
Final Draft 5%
- Essay #2: 20%
3-5 Pages (T) 6-10 Pages (H)
First Draft 10%
Final Draft 10%
- Essay #3: 30%
5-7 Pages (T) 10-14 Pages (H)
First Draft 10%
Final Draft 20%
Homework 20%
- Throughout the semester you will write Critical Responses, responding to some idea,
argument, or theme in the reading. The Critical Responses will give you a chance to
engage with the material before you write a full essay and develop ideas and that you
can then bring to class.
-Each week you will complete some type of homework, totaling 11. Each homework
assignment is worth 2%. You may miss one homework assignment without penalty.
Should you complete all 11, the 11th assignment will count towards extra credit.
Presentation 10%
Details Forthcoming.
Participation 10%
- 3 Study Hall Sessions. 6%
One session per essay for revision purposes (2% Each).
Study hall will be held on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings and on Friday
mornings. The study hall tutors are very skilled and experienced writing instructors and
they will be a great resource to you. They can help you with grammar or other basic
writing issues, with reading and responding to the assigned texts, with drafting and
revising your essays. When you attend study hall, bring the “Essay Checklist” and all
relevant materials with you, including the original assignment sheet and all outline
materials or drafts. To receive credit for going to study hall, you must have the tutor
sign one of the attendance slips we will distribute.
- In-Class Participation.
Including but not limited to, participation in in-class reading and writing assignments,
participation in class discussion, and asking questions.
-Attendance.
PUP Attendance Policy:
-Attendance at both class meetings and after the break (unless you are “Close B”) is
required. Attendance includes arriving on time and staying to the end of the class. Each
student is allowed one unexcused absence. From that point forward, each absence, late
arrival, or early departure that is not excused by the instructor will result in a grade drop
of 1/3 of a letter grade (i.e., from an “A” to an “A-“).
-Students are responsible for catching up on material covered during classes they’ve
missed, and for completing all assignments.
-An explanation of any absence, late arrival, or early departure should be submitted in
writing.
-Absence due to circumstances outside of students’ control will not be penalized. These
circumstances include partial lock-downs, physical illness, evening medical
appointments, court appointments, and administrative segregation.
-Note: In spite of the policy that students should not be penalized for individual
absences resulting from the above circumstances, it is also program policy that students
cannot earn credit for a class that meets two or three times a week if they have missed
more than 5 class meetings. This latter policy takes precedence over the former.
-Note: Some students may also have other regular commitments that conflict with one
of the regular class meetings; it is program policy that students NOT be allowed to enroll
in a class if they are not able to attend all regularly scheduled class meetings. Thus this
is not considered a legitimate excuse for absence.
Extra Credit. Up to 10%
- Homework #11, 2%
- Other Options (details forthcoming) 8%
Grading Chart.
- We will be keeping track of your grade throughout the term. While we encourage you
to do the same in order to track your progress. We’ll provide a midterm grade
assessment, which will explain where your grade stands and why.
Letter Grade
A+
A
Numerical Score
97-100
93-96
Grade Points
4.3
4.0
Achievement Level
Superior
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
CR
NC
90-92
87-89
83-86
80-82
77-79
73-76
70-72
67-69
63-66
60-62
0-59
70-100
0-70
3.7
3.3
3.0
2.7
2.3
2.0
1.7
1.3
1.0
0.7
0.0
N/A
N/A
Above Average
Average
Below
Average
Passing
Not Passing
Course Calendar: English 101
Summer Semester 2011
Please have the texts read by the day they’re listed on the syllabus.
Class 1: Tuesday, May 17th
In Class: Introductions
Class 2: Thursday, May 19th
In Class: Writing Assessment
Read: O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”
Class 3: Tuesday, May 24th
Read: Joseph Campbell’s The Hero With a 1000 Faces, pages 49-68
Due: Critical Response #1
Class 4: Thursday, May 26th
In Class: Begin discussion of Essay #1
Read: Joseph Campbell’s The Hero With a 1000 Faces, pages 69-89 and Petrarch’s “My
Journey Up the Mountain”
Class 5: Tuesday, May 31st
In Class: Critical Response #2
Read: Joseph Campbell’s The Hero With a 1000 Faces, pages 89-120, Thomas’ “Do Not
Go Gentle Into That Good Night,” Roethke’s “The Waking”
Class 6: Thursday, June 2nd
Read: Joseph Campbell’s The Hero With a 1000 Faces, pages120-149
Due: Rough Draft, Essay #1
Class 7: Tuesday, June 7th
Read: Joseph Campbell’s The Hero With a 1000 Faces, pages 149-192 and Homer’s The
Odyssey, Book 1
Due: Critical Response #3
Class 8: Thursday, June 9th
Read: Homer’s The Odyssey, Books 2 & 5 and Lakoff & Johnson’s Metaphors We Live By,
Chapters 1 & 2
Class 9: Tuesday, June 14th
Read: Homer’s The Odyssey, Books 9, 10 & 11 and Lakoff & Johnson’s Metaphors We
Live By, Chapters 3 & 4
Due: Critical Response #4
Class 10: Thursday, June 16th
Read: Homer’s The Odyssey, Books 12, 13 & 14 and Lakoff & Johnson’s Metaphors We
Live By, Chapters 5 & 6
Due: Final Draft, Essay #1 & Study Hall Slip 1
Class 11: Tuesday, June 21st
Read: Homer’s The Odyssey, Books 15, 16 & 19 and Lakoff & Johnson’s Metaphors We
Live By, Chapters 7 & 8
Due: Critical Response #5
Class 12: Thursday, June 23rd
In Class: Begin discussion of Essay #1
Read: Homer’s The Odyssey, Books 21, 22, 23 & 24 and Lakoff & Johnson’s Metaphors
We Live By, Chapters 9 & 10
Class 13: Tuesday, June 28th
In Class: Mid Term Conferences
Read: Obama’s The Audacity of Hope, Chapter 3 and Martin Luther King’s “Unfulfilled
Dreams” and Lakoff & Johnson’s Metaphors We Live By, Chapters 11 & 12
Due: Critical Response #6
Class 14: Thursday, June 30th
Read: Augustine’s Confessions, Book 10 and The United States Declaration of
Independence and Lakoff & Johnson’s Metaphors We Live By, Chapter 13
Due: Rough Draft, Essay #2
Class 15: Tuesday, July 5th
Read: Anzaldua’s Borderlands, Chapter 1 and Power’s “Mississippi Drift” and Lakoff &
Johnson’s Metaphors We Live By, Chapter 14
Due: Critical Response #7
Class 16: Thursday, July 7th
Read: Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Chapter 1 and Toure’s
“What’s Inside You Brother?” and Lakoff & Johnson’s Metaphors We Live By, Chapter 15
Class 17: Tuesday, July 12th
In Class: Critical Response #8
Read: Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Chapters 2-9 and Lakoff &
Johnson’s Metaphors We Live By, Chapters 16 & 17
Class 18: Thursday, July 14th
In Class: Begin Discussion of Essay #3
Read: Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Chapter 10 and Levy’s Cesar
Chavez: Autobiography of La Causa, Book IV and Lakoff & Johnson’s Metaphors We Live
By, Chapter 18
Due: Final Draft, Essay #2 & Study Hall Slip 2
Class 19: Tuesday, July 19th
Read: Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Chapter 11 and Stewart’s
The Places in Between, Chapters xx and Lakoff & Johnson’s Metaphors We Live By,
Chapters 19 & 20
Due: Critical Response #9
Class 20: Thursday, July 21st
Read: Stewart’s The Places in Between, Chapters xx and Lakoff & Johnson’s Metaphors
We Live By, Chapter 21
Due: Topics for Essay #3
Class 21: Tuesday, July 26th
Read: Stewart’s The Places in Between, Chapters xx Lakoff & Johnson’s Metaphors We
Live By, Chapter 22
Due: Critical Response #10
Class 22: Thursday, July 28th
Read: Salopek’s “Lost in the Sahel” and Lakoff & Johnson’s Metaphors We Live By,
Chapter 23
Due: Rough Draft, Essay #3
Class 23: Tuesday, August 2nd
Read: Read: Contemporary news article on Afghanistan and Lakoff & Johnson’s
Metaphors We Live By, Chapter 24
Due: Critical Response #11
Class 24: Thursday, August 4th
Read: Sontag’s “Unguided Tour”
Class 25: Tuesday, August 9th
Read: Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, Chapters 1-5
Class 26: Thursday, August 11th
Due: Final Draft, Essay #3 & Study Hall Slip 3
Read: Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall”