Brownsville Academy High School
English Department
Instructor: Ross
Rm. 405
Email: Cross6@schools.nyc.gov
Course Description
This composition course emphasizes the various types of critical and expository writing
scholars will need throughout their college career. They will learn rhetorical skills, become
fluent in academic discourse, and develop proficiency in the conventions of language through
a series of writing assignments emphasizing the process of drafting and revision. They will
learn how to synthesize primary and secondary sources and give proper attribution. Their
engagement with a wide variety of texts will broaden their global and cultural awareness and
allow them to gain insight into themselves and their society.
Course Objectives / Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, scholars will be able to:
1. Read and listen critically and analytically, including identifying an argument’s major
assumptions and assertions and evaluating its supporting evidence.
2. Write clearly and coherently in varied, academic formats (such as formal essays, research
papers, and reports) using standard English.
3. Demonstrate research skills using appropriate technology, including gathering, evaluating,
and synthesizing primary and secondary sources.
4. Support a thesis with well-reasoned arguments, and communicate persuasively across a
variety of contexts, purposes, audiences, and media.
5. Formulate original ideas and relate them to the ideas of others by employing the
conventions of ethical attribution and citation.
Basis for Final Grade
Class Participation/Discussion
15%
Classwork Text Comprehension
20%
Classwork Homework
20%
Final Project
20%
Personal Competencies
25%
The difference between and 100, 90, 85, 80, etc depends on the quality of the work. Grammar,
neatness and depth mark the differences.
Course Policies
Late Work Policy: Assignments turned in 1 – 2 days late will result in a loss of a half-letter
grade. Assignments turned in 3 – 4 days late will result in a loss of a full-letter grade.
Assignments turned in 5 or more days late will result in a loss of two full-letter grades. Please
note that any and all work is due on the last day of the grading period.
Revision Policy: Revision is a vital element of writing. All scholars can expect to better their
overall grade when they revise their work.
Group Work Policy: Group work is a vital component of this class. Scholars are expected to be
respective and supportive of their fellow classmates.
Attendance Policy: Attendance is imperative. It is a scholar’s responsibility to approach the
instructor in regards to any and all assignments he/she may have missed.
Professionalism Policy: Scholars are expected to arrive to class on time and be prepared. A
student’s professional attitude towards the class and their fellow classmates is required.
Academic Conduct Policy: Academic dishonesty of any type, including cheating and
plagiarism, is unacceptable. Plagiarism is the representation of another person's work, words,
or ideas as your own. The consequence of plagiarism will result in a zero. If a scholar
repeatedly turns in plagiarized work, they fail the marking period.
Writing Center Policy: Scholars will be required to attend sessions at the Writing Center as
assigned by the instructor.
Extra Credit Policy: Extra credit assignments are given according to the individual student’s
needs or concerns.
Essay Commentary Policy: Scholars should expect to have their manuscripts edited and
proofread in a professional manner by the instructor.
Class Schedule
Week 1: Race Lines
Texts: Only a Pawn in Their Game by Bob Dylan. New York Times article on Byron De La Beckwith. Medgar
Evers biography from History.com
Monday:
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Introduction to PWA assignment and The Body Paragraph.
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Pawn in Their Game by Bob Dylan.
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In-class writing exercise: Reaction to Text/Develop Meaning.
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(Class Participation/Discussion)
Tuesday:
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Discussing the New York Times article on Byron De La Beckwith and Medgar Evers.
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In-class writing exercise: Reaction to Text/Develop Meaning.
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Scholars are given a Thesis and are to pull supporting evidence from the texts.
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(Classwork Text Comprehension)
Wednesday:
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Class discussion and in-class writing exercise: Research Skills, Drawing Connections and Idea Development.
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Scholars are to write a Thesis and Analysis from pieces of supporting evidence given to them.
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(Classwork Text Comprehension/Classwork Homework)
Thursday:
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Class discussion and In-class writing exercise: Organization and Language Choice.
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Friday’s assignement given to scholars: Write two body paragraphs on Byron De La Beckwith and the
murder of Medgar Evers.
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In-class writing exercise: Scholars are to write a body paragraph each for the pair of Thesis statements given
to them.
-
(Personal Competencies)
Friday:
-
Two body Paragraphs due at the end of class on Byron De La Beckwith and the murder of Medgar Evers.
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Scholars are given more time to write their body paragraphs.
-
(Personal Competencies/Final Project)
Week 2: Gender Roles
Texts: Woman Work by Maya Angelou. Home Burial by Robert Frost
Monday:
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Introduction to Maya Angelou’s Woman Work.
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Class discussion: Reaction to Text/Develop Meaning. Discussion consists of four large sheets of paper on
the walls. 1. Women Back Then. 2. Men Back Then. 3. Women Nowadays. 4. Men Nowadays.
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Scholars rewrite their version of Woman Work/Man work in regards to gender roles in contemporary
society.
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(Class Participation/Discussion)
Tuesday:
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Discussion the story based upon Robert Frost’s Home Burial.
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In-class writing exercise: Reaction to Text/Develop Meaning.
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Scholars write a summary of the story by writing your version of the argument between the two main
characters.
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(Classwork Text Comprehension)
Wednesday:
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Class discussion and in-class writing exercise: Research Skills, Drawing Connections and Idea Development.
-
Scholars research on gender roles in contemporary society.
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Due at the end of class: Two thesis statements and three pieces of evidence that addresses the topic.
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(Classwork Text Comprehension/Classwork Homework)
Thursday:
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Scholars are given the choice of a number of Thesis statements that address the topic: gender roles in
contemporary society.
-
Assignment: Due at the end of school on Friday: Write two full body paragraphs. Each paragraph should
hold at least two pieces of evidence from the research. And the paragraphs are to follow the Thesis,
Supporting Evidence, Analysis structure.
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Scholars are given time for further research.
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In-class writing exercise: Applying research. The basics of MLA.
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(Time Management/Personal Competencies)
Friday:
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Scholars are given more time to write and research in class.
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Due at end of school day: two body paragraphs on gender roles that follow the structure of: Thesis,
Supporting Evidence and Analysis.
-
(Personal Competencies/Final Project)
The following weeks will cover the texts and topics:
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Identity/Gender
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
Identity/Gender
Drown by Junot Diaz
The Immigrant Experience
My New American Life by Francine Prose
The Immigrant Experience
Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin
Race Lines
Zero Fade by Chris L. Terry
Race Lines/Coming of Age
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
Gender/Coming of Age
PWA
English
Ross
Critical reading is an essential part of understanding one’s argument. Although some of the material you read
will be very persuasive, do not fall under the spell of the printed word as authority. Remember that the author
of every text has an agenda, something that he or she wants you to believe. This is OK—everything is written
from someone’s perspective or point of view—but it’s a good thing to be aware of.
Part of your goal as a reader and Free Thinker should be to put an author’s ideas in your own words. Then
you can stop thinking of these ideas as facts and start thinking of them as arguments.
As you get used to reading critically, you will start to see the sometimes hidden agendas of other writers, and
you can use this skill to improve your own ability to craft effective arguments.
The Assignment:
Write an essay that addresses the various points of views that are discussed in class. Your essay will address
questions:
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What is the author trying to prove?
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Do I agree with the author?
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Does the author adequately defend his/her argument?
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What kind of proof does the author use?
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Is there something the author leaves out that I would put in?
Components of the Essay:
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5 – 6 pages
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Double-spaced
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Times New Roman
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12 font size
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Cover page
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Follow MLA guidelines
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Minimum of 4 sources. These sources are provided for you throughout the trimester, but if you choose to
provide an outside source of your own, please check with the instructor.