WR 115: Intro. to College Writing
Instructor Lucette Wood
English Department
Fall Term 2011; CRN20538
Office Location: SSH 208 Main Campus
Course Days/Times: M/W 1:00-1:50PM
Office Hrs: MW 2:00-3:30 & by appt.
Course Location: NSH107
Voice Mail: 917-4620 (only checked on M/W)
E-mail: lucette.wood.2868@mail.linnbenton.edu
Homepage: LBCC home > Academics > Instructor WebPages > Wood, Lucette
WR115: BEGINNING COMPOSITION is a hybrid class, which means we will meet in a classroom on
Monday and Wednesday during the designated time, and rather than meeting in class on Friday, you will
complete activities in our online course platform. The course materials can be accessed through Moodle:
http://elearning.linnbenton.edu . This course is internally populated through SIS enrollment on Monday of
the first week of the term.
Prerequisite: To take WR115, you need to have earned a 'C' grade for WR95 or to have been placed
into WR115 by passing the computer placement test. If you have any questions about your readiness for
WR115, please talk with me.
Required Materials:
 Rosa, Alfred and Paul Eschholz. Models for Writers: Short Essays for Composition. 10th ed. NY:
Bedford/St. Martins, 2009.
 Aaron, Jane E. LB Brief. 4th ed. NY: Longman, 2011.
 Paper folders to submit assignments and a good dictionary
 Email address is required. If should already have a free account using LBCC’s student Gmail
account. Follow this link to the login page: http://www.linnbenton.edu/go/netmail .
Students who have emergency medical information the instructor should know of, or who
might need special arrangements in the event of an evacuation, or students with
documented disabilities who have special needs, should make an appointment with the
instructor no later than the first week of the term. If additional assistance is required, the
student should contact LBCC’s Office of Disability Services at 917-4789.
Student Decorum Statement: Because college coursework and professional correspondence require
focused study and open exchange of ideas, the Department expects the classroom to be a place of
courteous interaction, a forum for demonstrating mutual respect between teachers and students.
Professional communication requires all of us to listen carefully to each other (whether we agree or not)
and to state our positions with clarity and our disagreements with tact. Standards for academic courtesy
apply to group work, on-line interaction, and student-teacher conferences as well.
LBCC prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, ethnicity, use of native
language, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, veteran status, age, or
any other status protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.
Course Description:
Welcome to Writing 115! This term you will get lots of practice writing, reading, and responding to
essays. Learning to write well like any skill takes frequent practice, commitment, a positive attitude and
patience! I look forward to guiding, supporting, and encouraging you as you work on improving your skills.
WR 115 is an introductory course in college-level academic reading and writing, and in this course you
will:



practice writing a clear and focused summary/response.
practice a variety of techniques for writing and revising paragraphs and essays.
read a rich assortment of essays to develop your good critical reading skills and enhance your
writing.
 review and use strong study skills, grammar and mechanical skills, and collaborative skills
throughout the term.
We will work together to practice these skills and you will have many opportunities to develop and
demonstrate your progress in these areas.
Course Outcomes:
With your successful completion of this class, you will be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Write thoughtful, clear, and effective expository paragraphs and essays for a variety of purposes.
Read critically; paraphrase, summarize, and directly quote from readings.
Write clear, focused, and well-organized summary and response paragraphs using in-text citations.
Focus a thesis and develop this thesis clearly and logically using examples and illustrations in a wellorganized essay.
5. Revise writing using standard college editing and proofreading conventions (grammar, syntax,
spelling, and punctuation).
6. Enjoy confidence in your own writing.
Developing your writing skills can be especially challenging because you will actually be trying out new
ways to express your ideas. Plan to spend about two hours outside of class for every class hour. Your
commitment will directly affect your progress.
Course Requirements:
You will receive a detailed assignment sheet for each paper including the criteria on which you will be
evaluated. A brief description of requirements follows:
I.
Class Participation/Exercises: In addition to class attendance and participation in discussion,
several other assignments contribute to your participation grade. These assignments include inclass group exercises (you will be placed in groups and asked to prepare to present on or lead
discussions on the readings), individual writing exercises, and quizzes. Quizzes will cover the
chapter readings and vocabulary and will frequently be given at the beginning of class on the day
the reading is due.
II.
Essays: Following is a brief explanation of the required writing assignments:
1. Summary and Response Assignment #1: For the first assignment, you will demonstrate
your close reading and synthesis skills as you work to summarize the main point and
supporting points of an assigned essay. You will write two paragraphs. In the first
paragraph, you will summarize the essay, and in the second paragraph, you will write a welldeveloped response to the essay you’ve summarized. The aim of this assignment is to make
you a critical reader and allow you to join the academic conversation while you make clear
distinctions between your ideas and the ideas of others. This will be 1-2 typed, doublespaced, pages.
2. Literacy Narrative Essay: For this essay, you will expand on your first response to expand
a summary and recreate a scene to show your developing literacy. You will work to use
concrete descriptions that allow your readers to see and hear the scene. It should be clear
what the point of your story is to your reader, why it is significant to you. This essay will be 23 typed, double-spaced, pages.
3. Summary and Response Assignment #2: For the third assignment, you will write a second
Summary and Response in response to a different essay from the first assignment. Again,
you will write two paragraphs. In the first paragraph, you will summarize the essay, and in
the second paragraph, you will write a well-developed response to the essay you’ve
summarized. This will be 1-2 typed, double-spaced, pages.
4. Response Essay: For the second full essay you will expand a response to any of the
essays we have read this term. You will focus on a thesis statement and clear organizational
pattern. The essay will also be 2-3 typed, double-spaced, pages.
III.
Reader Response Workshops: Reader response workshops are a time for you to get helpful
feedback from your peers, bringing your writing into the social context it was created for. These
workshops are designed to develop your growing audience awareness, helping you understand
not only how your writing sounds to others but also how it affects or fails to affect others. You will
be given worksheets to fill out on each other’s drafts; and after you have read and commented on
the drafts, you will post your feedback online in a Discussion Forum, pointing our both the
strengths as well as the weaknesses of the draft and identifying areas that need clarification.
IV.
Grammar Workshops: Through the term you will work to identify the patterns that appear in
your writing and evaluate the strengths you see and the areas you identify that need revision. To
overcome your grammatical patterns of error, we will cover six proficiencies: fragments, run-ons,
commas, subject-verb agreement, apostrophes, and commonly confused words. You will be
given take-home assignments and in-class exercises to practice these. To receive points for the
workshop, you must pass a diagnostic test on each. You will not be given a passing grade in this
course without passing each of the diagnostic exams.
V.
About the WR115 Final: The WR115 final exam consists of two hours of testing during the final
week of the term. You will be given a short essay to read and will write 1) a summary paragraph
and 2) a response paragraph for that essay. Your response will be scored by two outside
readers. 30% of your final course grade will be based on the points you receive for the essay
exam. (The other 70% of your grade is determined by your course work.)
Course Policies:
 Attendance: I will take attendance weekly. If you are absent due to illness or a verifiable
emergency, you must contact me to make further arrangements. If you miss more than four
class meetings, you risk failing the course.
 Assignment Submission: Assignments must be submitted in person the day they are due. All
drafts and submitted papers must be word-processed—even rough drafts—and follow MLA
format (double-spaced, 12-inch Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins). Your name, the
instructors name, course title, and date should appear in the upper left-hand corner of the first
page (double-spaced). The title should directly follow in center alignment. All drafts should be
typed and proofread. All incomplete or late first versions will result in a letter grade being
deducted from the final assignment grade. Please keep a copy of every paper you submit.
 Late Work: Our classroom standards reflect workplace standards; a due date is a deadline and
you don’t miss deadlines without informing your supervisor of your progress on the report in
advance. If you feel circumstances are working against you, you may make arrangements for an
extension PRIOR TO THE DEADLINE. Late work will lose 10% automatically and may suffer
additional penalties. If any late assignments are turned in after Week 9, I cannot guarantee that
I'll be able to read them for a grade before the end of the term.
 Disruptions: Please help your classmates by limiting the number of distractions in the
classroom. Turn off all cell phones and beepers and plan to sit near the door if you must come
late or leave early. Consistent and uncorrected disruptions will affect your participation grade.
 Plagiarism: Do your own work! Using someone else’s work as your own or using information or
ideas without proper citations (which we will learn and practice in this course) can lead to your
failing the assignment or the class. Bibliographies (called “Works Cited” in MLA) and in-text
citations are required whenever you use outside sources. Depending on the severity of the
plagiarism, the student may be subject to administrative action. If you have any questions as to
what constitutes plagiarism, please ask.
Resources:
o The Writing Center: While enrolled in Writing 115, you are encouraged to seek extra help at the
Writing Center (917-4684), located on the second floor of the Learning Resource Building (Willamette
Hall, above the library) on main campus. They are available to help with reading, writing, and study
skills. If needed, they will also be able to direct you to the ESOL lab for additional support. Visit their
website at http://www.linnbenton.edu/go/learning-center/writing-help. No appointment is necessary.
You are encouraged to seek help early in the term. This is a free service to all LB students.
o Computer Lab Resources: You may use either LRC 213 or Forum 204 as a drop-in computer lab.
WR115 Student Assignment Log
Name:________________________
This course is graded on a point scale. You can earn an 'A' with 90-100% of total points, a 'B'
with 80-89%, etc.
Participation & Writing Activities (100 points) (10 points per day for participation in
class activities.)
Grammar Workshops (70 points) *Students must pass all grammar workshops (with a
grade of 80% or better) to pass this course.
___ #1 Fragments (10 points)
___ #2 Run-ons (10 points)
___ #3 Commas (10 points)
___ #4 Subject/Verb Agreement (10 points)
___ #5 Pronouns (10 points)
___ #6 Apostrophes (10 points)
___ #7 Commonly Confused Words (10 points)
Formal Writing Assignments (530 points)
___ Summary / Response #1 (100 points)
___ Reader Response Workshop (10 points)
___ Essay 1: Literacy Narrative (130 points)
___ Reader Response Workshop (10 points)
___ Summary / Response #2 (100 points)
___ Reader Response Workshop (10 points)
___ Essay 2: Response Essay (160 points)
___ Reader Response Workshop (10 points)
Final Exam (30%— 300 points)
Total Points _________/1000
WEEKLY SCHEDULE:
Class sessions will include a variety of activities designed to improve your writing skills: writing
exercises, small-group workshops, small and large group discussions, and brief lectures. The
success of these activities depends on your active participation and thorough preparation.
 Please have all writing and reading activities completed before coming to class.
 All assignments are due on the day they appear in the schedule.
 This schedule is tentative and is subject to change at any time during the term.
Models for Writers—Models
LB Brief—Style
Week 1: Course Introductions
M, Sept. 26
Course Introductions &
Writing Sample.
Grammar Quiz: Diagnostic
W, Sept. 28
Reading Due:
Due Friday by midnight:
Developing Critical Reading &  READ: Models “Critical
 Enter Moodle & orient to
Note-taking Skills. Distinguish
Reading,” pg. 43-51,
course material. Start at
between summarizing,
“Note taking,” pg. 610-613
http://elearning.linnbenton.ed
paraphrasing & plagiarizing.  READ: Models On Being
u Your login name is your
XO# (or 9# if you are dual
17, Bright, and Unable to
Review assignment guide for
enrolled) and your temporary
Read, David Raymond,
Summary/Response #1.
password is “changeme”
pg. 196-201
(lower case, without the
Grammar Workshop:
quotation marks). Be sure to
You should be logged into our
Fragments
change your password in the
Moodle course no later than
profile settings once you
Week 2. If you are having
have entered the course.
problems accessing this
course, please ask for help.
Week 2
M, Oct. 3
Developing a response.
Grammar Quiz: Fragments
W, Oct. 5
Using and integrating
quotations and writing a
citation.
Grammar Workshop: Runons
Reading Due:
 READ: Models How I Got
Smart, Steve Brody, pg.
152-157
 READ: Models Becoming
a Writer, Russell Baker,
pg. 202-207
 READ: Style Fragments
(pg. 288-293).
Reading Due:
Due Friday by midnight:
 READ: Style Run-ons
 Rough Draft of Summary
(pg.294-300).
/Response #1 Due to be
posted in the Forum within
 READ: Styles “Avoiding
Moodle.
Plagiarism” & “Integrating
Sources,” pg. 414-422,
SKIM “MLA Citations &
Works Cited,” pg. 427-
Week 3
M, Oct. 10
Reading Due:
Due Monday by midnight:
Review assignment guide for  READ: Models
 In Moodle review two rough
Essay #1
“Paragraphs,” pg. 169-172
drafts of this assignment
posted in our Forum (found
 READ: Models “The
Grammar Quiz: Run-ons
on the corresponding week).
Writing Process,” pg. 7-21
Please use the Reader
Response form to guide your
feedback.
W, Oct. 12
Reading Due:
Due Friday by midnight:
Discuss the rhetorical context  READ: Models “Figurative  Final Draft of Summary/
of the essay. Focusing and
Language” pg. 303-304,
Response #1 Due to be
learning to write with detail.
“Description” pg. 387-388
emailed to your instructor or
handed in during class on
Wednesday, not posted
within Moodle.
Week 4
M, Oct. 17
Reading Due:
Developing and pacing a
 READ: Models “Narration”
story that engages the reader.
pg. 357-360
W, Oct. 19
Grammar Workshop:
Commas
Reading Due:
 READ: Style Commas
(pg. 310-319).
Week 5
M, Oct. 24
Grammar Quiz: Commas
Reading Due:
 READ: Models, “Writing
Process” pg. 33-42
W, Oct. 26
Grammar Workshop:
Commas
Reading Due:
 READ: Style Commas
(pg. 320-325).
Due Monday by midnight:
 Essay #1 Rough Draft Due to
be posted in the Forum
within Moodle.
Due Friday by midnight:
 In Moodle review two rough
drafts of this assignment
posted in our Forum (found
on the corresponding week).
Please use the Reader
Response form to guide your
feedback.
Week 6
M, Oct. 31
Grammar Quiz: Commas
Reading Due:
Due Monday by midnight:
 READ: Models What’s in  Final Draft of Essay 1 Due to
a Name? Henry Louis
be emailed to your instructor
Gates Jr., pg. 361-365
or handed in during class on
Monday, not posted within
 READ: Models “The
Moodle.
Jacket,” Gary Soto, pg.
312-317
W, Nov. 2
Grammar Workshop:
Subject/Verb Agreement
Reading Due:
 READ: Style Subject/verb
agreement (pg. 246-253).
 READ: Models “The
Barrio,” Robert Ramirez,
pg. 305-311
Week 7
M, Nov. 7
Review assignment guide for
Essay #2
Grammar Quiz: Subject/Verb
Agreement
W, Nov. 9
Reading Due:
Grammar Workshop:
 READ: Style Pronouns
Pronouns
(pg. 254-269).
LBCC Campus is closed
Friday, 11/11, in honor of the
Veterans’ Day holiday.
Due Monday by midnight:
 Rough Draft of Summary &
Response #2 Due to be
posted in the Forum within
Moodle.
Due Friday by midnight:
 In Moodle review two rough
drafts of this assignment
posted in our Forum (found
on the corresponding week).
Please use the Reader
Response form to guide your
feedback.
Week 8
M, Nov. 14
Reading Due:
Due Monday by midnight:
Organizing and developing an  READ: Models “Thesis”  Final Draft of
essay.
pg. 73-75; “Beginnings
Summary/Response #2 Due
and Endings, pg. 137-145
to be emailed to your
Grammar Quiz: Pronouns
instructor or handed in during
class on Monday, not posted
within Moodle.
W, Nov. 16
Reading Due:
Grammar Workshop:
 READ: Models, “Unity” pg.
Apostrophes & Commonly
94-97; Organization, pg.
Confused Words
114-118; “Transitions” pg.
192-195
 READ: Style Apostrophes
(pg. 333-337) & review
the Glossary of Usage
(pg. 517-530).
Week 9
M, Nov. 21
Introduce and Discuss Final
Exam and Timed Writing.
Grammar Quiz: Apostrophes
& Usage
Due Monday by midnight:
 Essay #2 Rough Draft Due to
be posted in the Forum
within Moodle.
W, Nov. 23
Review Final Exam Range
Finders
LBCC Campus is closed
Thursday, 11/24, and Friday,
11/25, in honor of the
Thanksgiving Day holiday.
Reading Due:
 Range Finders (handout
given)
Due Sunday by midnight:
 In Moodle review two rough
drafts of this assignment
posted in our Forum (found
on the corresponding week).
Please use the Reader
Response form to guide your
feedback.
All grammar quizzes must be
passed by Nov. 30th to pass
the class.
Week 10
M, Nov. 28
In-class practice exam.
W, Nov. 30
Review of practice exam and
course review.
Due Wednesday by midnight:
 Final Draft of Essay 2 Due to
be emailed to your instructor
or handed in during class on
Wednesday, not posted
within Moodle.
Week 11: Finals Week
M, Dec. 5 &
T, Dec. 6
The WR115 Final is held
campus wide on Monday from
noon – 12:50 p.m. and
Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. 12:20 p.m. Students must
test on both days. The
location will be announced.
Congratulations on completing WR115!