Duvall English 1113
English 1113, Composition I
Section 127
Spring 2013, Tulsa Community College-Metro Campus
Instructor: Kelsey S. Duvall
Monday, 5:30-8:20
January 14-May 12, 2013
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CRN 21648
Contact Information: kelsey.duvall@tulsacc.edu
Office Hours: Arranged
COURSE PREREQUISITES:
ENGL 0933 with a grade of “C” or better, or appropriate placement score.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Effective communication skills are crucial to your success in both future college courses and the
workplace. This course will introduce you to contemporary and classic essayists and the variety of
ways ideas can be communicated through writing. Reading and writing work in tandem—you
develop your writing skills by reading and analyzing different writing styles. In this class, you will
read and respond to essays weekly, review and enhance grammar skills, conduct research
informally and formally, and complete in-class projects. Each week, the class time will be divided
into thirds: review of reading, style practice, in-class activity/lecture.
From the catalog: “The first in a sequence of two courses. Introduces students to academic
writing, basic research, and documentation.” See prerequisite above.
NEXT COURSE(S) IN SEQUENCE: Composition II
TEXTBOOKS, SUPPLIES, & OTHER RESOURCES:
Little, Brown Handbook by Fowler and Aaron, 2nd custom edition for TCC
(Be SURE to buy a new copy of this one for the access code.)
The Norton Reader by Peterson, Brereton, et. Al, 13th edition.
(Used copy acceptable on this text.)
Flash Drive
Course Objectives:
In this class, a student will learn to:
 Use a writing process to discover and shape ideas and draft, revise, and edit essays.
 Restrict a subject and define a clear purpose (thesis or topic sentence).
 Write well-developed, coherent, and unified paragraphs and essays.
 Adapt style to a particular audience.
 Compose sentences that are effective, concise, and varied in structure.
 Choose words that are precise and appropriate.
 Use mechanics of English correctly (i.e., grammar, punctuation, and spelling.)
 Understand, analyze, and evaluate assigned readings.
 Present appropriate evidence from primary and/or secondary sources using MLA
documentation.
 Understand and avoid plagiarism.
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COURSE OUTCOMES:
A student who successfully completes Comp I will be able to:
 Produce a minimum of four essays that are each at least 800-1000 words in length,
including one rhetorical essay, and that each demonstrate the student’s ability to do one or
more of the following:
o Critically examine texts (written, oral, and visual) and identify and analyze the
rhetorical strategies used by the author/creator. These strategies include audience
appeals, types of claims and sub-claims, and lines of reasoning as well as writing
structures used to create desired effects.
o Provide evidence of understanding hierarchical ordering as well as the structural
relationships between statements, evidence, and analysis.
o Develop arguments using logic, evidence/support, and an acknowledgement that
arguments are contextualized.
o Integrate source material using summary, paraphrase, and quotation.
o Use in-text citations effectively, without loss of one’s own formal voice, and use an
MLA style manual to document that support.
o Write with a specific audience and purpose in mind.
o Create mechanically sound papers relatively free of errors in grammar and
mechanics.
 Produce an in-class rhetorical analysis essay as the final exam answering a specific prompt
about a scholarly article.
TEACHING METHODS:
Weekly written response
Discussion
In-class skill practice
Group reading and analysis
Peer Review
EVALUATION TECHNIQUES:
Informal Writing Response
Full-length Papers
Group Presentation
Grades and Feedback:
The grading scale will be total points. Weekly assignments are usually worth 10-15 points, in-class
assignments 15-20, major papers 40-50, and exams 50.
Check Blackboard regularly for your running average.
It is my goal to return your papers with comments each week.
ATTENDANCE:
In addition to outside reading and writing, we work on assignments in class. I also provide
details and guidelines for assignments as they are made and reviewed. Missing class will cause
you to fall behind and possibly be unable to complete the work or unable to complete it to the
required standards. Please make every effort to attend class. More than two (2) absences is
considered excessive and will be reported to the academic office.
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LATE ASSIGNMENTS AND MAKE-UP WORK:
Late work will not be accepted without prior approval from the instructor. Computer and
printer issues are not an excuse. Exceptions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Course Withdrawal: The deadline to withdraw from a course shall not exceed
3/4 the duration of any class. Check the TCC Academic Calendar for the
deadline that applies to the course(s). Begin the process with a
discussion with the faculty member assigned to the course. Contact the
Advisement Office at any TCC campus to initiate withdrawal from a course
('W' grade) or to change from Credit to Audit. Withdrawal and/or change
to an audit from a course after the drop/add period can alter the
financial aid award for the current and future semesters. Students may
receive an outstanding bill from TCC if the recalculation leaves a
balance due to TCC. Students who stop participating in the course and
fail to withdraw may receive a course grade of “F,” which may have
financial aid consequences for the student.
COMMUNICATIONS:
Email: All TCC students receive a designated “MyTCC” email address (ex:
jane_doe@mail.tulsacc.edu). All communications to you about TCC and course
assignments will be sent to your MyTCC email address; and you must use MyTCC email
to send email to, and receive email from, the instructor regarding this course.
**THE BEST WAY TO CONTACT ME IS THROUGH THE GMAIL LISTED ABOVE.
OFFICE HOURS: I do not have an office on campus, but I will be here and available to help
each Monday no later than 4 p.m. We can also arrange study sessions if needed.
Inclement Weather: TCC rarely closes. If extreme weather conditions or emergency
situations arise, TCC always gives cancellation notices to radio and television stations.
This information is also posted on the TCC website (www.tulsacc.edu).
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE:
Be respectful—of yourself, of your classmates, and of me.
Please be on time. I understand emergencies—if you are running late, please join class quietly.
Pet Peeve: Talking while I’m talking. I try to keep lectures reasonable in length then give you
“hands-on” time. Please save the talking until then.
Snacks and drinks are fine as long as they aren’t distracting and trash finds its way to the proper
receptacle.
We are all addicted to our cell phones. I will ask you to use them for reference, but please don’t
let it distract you from class.
SYLLABUS CHANGES: Occasionally, changes to the reading and assignment schedule may be
necessary. I will notify you in class, in writing, and on Blackboard.
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MICROSOFT OFFICE:
TCC has a licensing agreement with Microsoft that allows you to download and use the latest
Microsoft Office software (for PC and Mac) for free during your tenure as a TCC student. Access
the software download area through Blackboard. Go to the Organization tab and search for
“software.” Enroll in the organization (as prompted on screen) and follow the on-screen
instructions. If you have problems downloading the software, call the Help Desk at 918-595-2010.
DISABILITY RESOURCES: It is the policy and practice of Tulsa Community College to create
inclusive learning environments. Accommodations for qualifying students in compliance with the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act are available. To
request accommodations, contact the Education Access Center (EAC) at eac@tulsacc.edu or call
(918) 595-7115 (Voice). Deaf and hard of hearing students may text (918) 809-1864.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Academic dishonesty (cheating) is defined as the deception of others
about one’s own work or about the work of another. Academic dishonesty or misconduct is not
condoned or tolerated at campuses within the Tulsa Community College system. Tulsa Community
College adopts a policy delegating certain forms of authority for disciplinary action to the faculty.
Such disciplinary actions delegated to the faculty include, but are not limited to, the dismissal of
disrespectful or disorderly students from classes. In the case of academic dishonesty a faculty
member may:

Require the student to redo an assignment or test, or require the student to complete a
substitute assignment or test;

Record a "zero" for the assignment or test in question;

Recommend to the student that the student withdraw from the class, or administratively
withdraw the student from the class;

Record a grade of "F" for the student at the end of the semester. Faculty may request
that disciplinary action be taken against a student at the administrative level by
submitting such a request to the Dean of Student Services.
INSTITUTIONAL STATEMENT: Each student is responsible for being aware of the
information contained in the TCC Catalog, the TCC Student Policies & Resources
Handbook, and semester information listed in the class schedule. All information may be
viewed on the TCC website: www.tulsacc.edu
Tobacco Free College: Tulsa Community College is a Tobacco Free college in accordance with
the Governor’s Executive Order 2012-01 and Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes, Section 1-1523
which prohibits smoking or the use of any tobacco products in all public places, in any indoor
workplace, and all vehicles owned by the State of Oklahoma and all of its agencies and
instrumentalities. This Order includes property leased, rented, or owned by TCC including, but not
limited to, all grounds, buildings, facilities, and parking lots. Tulsa Community College’s policy
includes a tobacco free environment on all campus and off-campus locations conducting TCC
credit or non-credit classes. The TCC Campus Police is responsible for ensuring compliance with
the Tobacco-Free Environment Policy. Violations of the policy may be addressed through
issuance of campus or state citations.
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Reading and Assignments Calendar:
The readings and assignments should be completed for the date listed. You will write an 800-1000
word essay for each unit. More detailed instructions will be provided before the rough draft is
assigned.
NR= Norton Reader
LBH= Little Brown Handbook
Unit I: College Writing, Description, and Narrative
January 14: Syllabus, Introductions, and LBH “Preface” (ix-xiv) & “Introduction” (1-7) & 1a, 1c-1e,
The Writing Situation
Essays—History and Purpose Lecture
Paragraph Basics & Embedded Quotes
January 21: NO Class—Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 
January 28: LBH Chapter 2 & 3a-g Ideas and Drafting
NR “On Writing” Stephen King (443)—Page 445, #2
NR “On Going Home” Joan Didion (1)—Page 3, #1
NR “Once More to the Lake” E.B. White (79)—In class assignment.
Descriptive/Narrative Essay Assigned—Rough Draft Due Next Week
February 4: NR “On Going Home” Joan Didion (488)—Page 488, #1
Peer Review
Final Essay Due Next Week
Unit II: Rhetorical Analysis
February 11: LBH 6a-c Critical Perspective & 7a-e Academic Writing
Handouts: Grisham & Stone Articles
In-class SMELL Analysis with Rhetoric Lecture
February 18: LBH 8a-d Reading Arguments Critically & 9a-f Writing an Argument
NR “The Case for Torture” Michael Levin (647)—Page 649, #3
Toulmin Analysis Lecture in Class
February 25: LBH Chapters 17 & 18 Sentence Structure
Rhetorical Analysis Essay Assigned—Rough Draft Due Next Week
NR “What Should a Billionaire Give—and What Should You?”
Peter Singer (578)—Page 589, #3
March 4: LBH Chapter 26 Sentence Variety
NR “Motherhood: Who Needs It?” Betty Rollin (286)—Page 295, #2
NR “The Case for Single Child Families” Bill McKibben (494)—Page 304, #3: shorten to
a “response” rather than the full essay requested in the question
Peer Review
Final Essay Due Next Week
Unit III: Comparative Analysis
March 11: LBH 6d Analyzing Visuals
NR “The Wheels of Freedom: Bicycles in China” Fred Strebeigh (276)—in class
response with lecture
Comparative Analysis Assigned—Rough Draft Due March 25
--This assignment will ask you to read a pair of essays on the same topic. The essay
pair you choose is part of the reading assignment for our next class meeting…you
can’t write the rough draft without it.
Duvall English 1113
March 18: NO Class—Spring Break 
March 25: LBH 8f-8h Logical Fallacies
In-Class Reading of another Peter Singer article
Syllogisms & Enthymemes Lecture & Activity
Peer Review
April 1: Handouts—“Self-Reliance” Ralph Waldo Emerson: Annotate for discussion
Excerpt from Into the Wild Jon Krakauer: Annotate for discussion
NR “Where I Lived, and What I Lived for”
Henry David Thoreau (1098)—Page 1106, #4
Final Essay Due
Unit IV: Argumentation & Formal Research
April 8: LBH Chapters 41 & 42 Planning a Research Project & Finding Sources
Research Assignment Explained—8 potential sources due next week.
Summary Practice Activity in Class
April 15: LBH Chapters 43 & 44 Working with Sources & Writing the Paper
NR “The Gettysburg Address” Abraham Lincoln (486)
NR “I Have a Dream” Martin Luther King, Jr. (487)
Handout: JFK’s Inaugural Address
In-Class Analysis of Speeches & Rhetorical Structures
April 22: LBH Chapters 38 & 39 Using Exact Language & Writing Concisely
NR “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” Mary Wollstonecraft (480)—Page 481, #1-3
NR “ Taking Women Students Seriously” Adrienne Rich (386)
Rough Draft Due for Peer Review
April 29: NR “Being a Man” Paul Theroux (176)—Page 179, #1
NR “Under the Influence” Scott Russell Sanders (100)—Page 110, #2
Second Peer Review
May 6: LBH Chapter 10 Taking Essay Exams
Practice Reading & Analysis with an in-class reading as review for exam.
Final Paper Due
FINAL EXAM
May 12 Rhetorical Analysis of a Scholarly Article
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