Greenfield – ENGL 099 – 1
ENG 099-04 Syllabus
Mott Community College
Winter 2013
MW 930-11a | CM1108
Instructor: Philip T. Greenfield, Associate Professor of English
Email: philip.greenfield@mcc.edu
Office Room Number: CM1105
Office Phone: (810) 762-5638
Humanities Office: (810) 762-0470
Office Hours: MW, 12-2p (in the Writing Center) 1-2p; TR, 130-3p (in CM1105)
TR, 1030a-12p (in CM3103)
Writing Center: MW, 830-930a
Course Description:
English 099 is designed to help students expand their ability and confidence in the writing
process: prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing. Through practice, students learn the basic
principles of focus, development, organization, and sentence level clarity. English 099 is graded
as follows:
 S1 = student can register for English 101/103
 U = Unsatisfactory— student must repeat English 099 and fulfill the course objectives
before moving forward
Course Prerequisites:
Placement into ENGL-099 or higher on the MCC placement test or "S9" in ENGL-098 or
ENGL-095 with teacher recommendation to move to ENGL-099.
English 099 Course Objectives:
By actively participating in the English 099 course, you will:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Use reading as a stimulus for discussion, writing, and thinking about writing.
Use writing as a way to discover and develop your own ideas.
Explore your ideas in informal journal writing.
Explore various forms of writing and the possibility of taking creative risks when you
write.
5. Use the writing process, including idea-generating activities, drafting, revising, and
editing, to produce meaningful whole texts geared to specific audiences.
6. Focus your writing around a central idea.
7. Develop the central idea of essays and other forms of writing with details, examples,
and/or explanation.
8. Organize writing in a reader-friendly manner, giving longer pieces a distinct beginning,
middle, and end.
9. Revise your writing to more effectively meet the needs of your audience and to better
achieve a desired effect on your audience.
10. Use peer feedback and self-evaluation in the revision process.
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11. Reflect about your development as a writer and about why the revisions that you make to
your writing are helpful to your readers.
12. Identify and correct surface errors, particularly those involving sentence boundaries.
13. Develop flexibility to use a variety of sentence structures.
14. Choose words effectively and with an awareness of purpose.
15. Participate actively in groups and in the class as a whole.
16. Demonstrate responsible college- and workplace-appropriate behaviors including daily
attendance and on-time completion of assignments.
17. Develop word-processing and basic computing skills.
18. Format your formal documents in the MLA style.
Required Text and Materials for English 099
Bring these items to all class meetings:
1. Textbook
50 Essays: A Portable Anthology — available at the MCC
Bookstore.
2. The Coursepack
MCC English 099, Basic Writing, Fourth Edition— available
at the MCC Bookstore.
3. Access to a college dictionary (paperbacks are really
cheap)
such as The American Heritage — available at the MCC
Bookstore.
Greenfield – ENGL 099 – 3
4. A USB flash drive
for saving the work that you type on a computer. I will also
be teaching you how to save work to your personal space and
to ‘class shares’ on the MCC server. Your final essay (for
publication in a class booklet) must be typed with Microsoft
Word. I will provide instruction and some in-class time to
type, but you will need to save it to your flash drive and
finish on your own.
5. A 1-inch 3-ring binder WITH 4 index dividers AND loose
leaf college-lined paper
One of the most important habits you will need to develop
this semester is to be an organized student. Part of being
organized is to keep all of your class work for each course in
one place, separate from your other classes. In this class, a
three-ring binder is required so that we can easily pass items
back and forth and keep related items together. This cannot
be accomplished with a spiral notebook and folder; if you
have already purchased these items, take them back or save
them for a different situation.
Use your index dividers to create 8 sections in your English 099 binder:




Basic Information: In this section, keep your syllabus and 20 sheets of looseleaf paper so you are prepared to take notes in class. Be sure to write the date
at the top of each day’s notes. You will also keep many of the handouts you
receive in this section.
In-Class Writing: Keep 30 sheets of loose-leaf paper for your in-class writing
assignments. Label them by date, number and title.
Essays: In this section, keep ALL drafts of your documents for this class –
use colored sheets to separate assignments from each other.
Sentence/Mechanics work: Keep all sentence exercises and handouts on
grammar/mechanics in this section. Be sure to date all of the exercises you
complete, and if the exercise comes from your course pack, include the page
number, too.
6. Black Ink pens. All in-class assignments must be completed
in ink on loose leaf paper; formal assignment must be typed.
7. A lightweight stapler
to staple assignments being turned in.
8. Your MCC Student ID Card, with at least $2.00 placed on it
to pay for copies of printouts in MCC computer labs, the writing center, etc. Printing
Greenfield – ENGL 099 – 4
costs 4 cents per page. You will be doing some printing for this class, bringing your
writing to class to share with your peers. If you will be doing the majority of your
printing on campus, budget $2.50 for this course. Keep in mind that you will likely need
to print for other courses, as well, and can also use your card in vending machines, at the
Bear Bistro, and in the paid-parking lot. Keep some $ on your card at all times so you are
prepared.
Assignments & Grading:





Grade Check List:
Informal in-class writing, usually daily, and/or informal
Assignment
Want
sharing of current events you’ve been discovering (these
Pre-midterm
12 p.
will comprise your “journal” entries). You may only
In-Class
complete these items in class on the day they are written.
Writing
If you are absent or late that day, you will lose all credit
Essay #1:
6 p.
for that entry.
Inspiration
Essay #2:
6 p.
Three formal(-ish) essay drafts, typed in MLA style and
Summary
offered for a grade. Each paper is graded out of 6 points: 4
Peer Letter
3 p.
for focus and development toward the assignment, and 2
Midterm
6 p.
for sentence and format correctness. Students may revise
Reflection
each paper on an ongoing basis up to the full credit; only
Midterm
33 p.
papers which have received full credit can be submitted in
Total
Post-Midterm
8 p.
the midterm or final portfolios.
In-Class
A formal response given to fellow students for their
Writing
revision of the midterm portolio essay – this essay
Essay #3:
6 p.
response cannot be made up.
ENGL 101
Peer Letter #2
3 p.
A Midterm Portfolio, with reflective cover letter, a fullTotal
for
50 p.
credit copy of one of your first two formal essays, and a
Class
Work
typed and sentence corrected version of one of your inclass writings from the first half of the semester. (You will
Midterm
S
get credit for your Midterm Cover Letter, up to 6 points.)
Portfolio
A Final Portfolio, with reflective cover letter, two of your
Final Portfolio S
Final Exam
S
essays for which you have full credit, and a sentence
corrected version of one of your in-class writings from the
Course Grade S1
second half of the semester. (75% on this assignment is
required for a passing grade in the course).
Got
To Pass English 099 with an “S,” YOU must do the following:
1. Receive an S- or above on 70% of your class work,
including appropriate daily participation in the community of writers (which begins with
attendance), in-class and at-home assignments. Caution: More than four absences in a twiceweekly, 16-week semester (or more than 2 in an accelerated 12- or 10-week semester or
once-weekly 16-week semester) may lead to a final grade of “U”; every single class period is
important. Late arrivals and early departures will count toward this maximum.
Greenfield – ENGL 099 – 5
2. Turn in a midterm portfolio.
The grade is for informational purposes and doesn’t affect your final grade.
3. Complete the departmental practice essay exam.
Revision time is built into the exam schedule. The grade is for informational purposes and
doesn’t affect your final grade.
4. Receive a 75% or above on the final portfolio assignment
by demonstrating your ability to revise your writing in order to improve focus, development,
organization, and surface-level clarity.
5. Receive an S- or above on the departmental final essay exam
by showing your ability to focus, develop and organize your writing with minimal surfacelevel errors. Revision time is built into the exam schedule.
At the end of the semester, I will review your progress and evaluate your readiness to proceed to
English 101/103. If, on the basis of your work and attendance, it is clear that you are not ready to
succeed in English 101/103, I will recommend that you repeat English 099 or take English 095
or 098.
Instructional Policies

Attendance: Be here. If you must miss class for emergency situations, you must contact
the instructor BEFORE the specific class (or as soon as possible for large emergencies).
Missing more than four class sessions in a 16-week semester of
English 099 (or more than 2 in an accelerated 12- or 10-week
semester or once-weekly 16-week semester) may lead to a final
grade of U. Late arrivals and early departures will be counted
toward this maximum.

Participation: Do it. This includes coming to class prepared and sharing part in the
discussion of the day. This also includes working hard in class, and outside of class.
Expect to revise everything. There is no end to your development as a writer and student,
only other places you can go.

Plagiarism: Don’t copy other people words and pass them off as your own; if you do,
you’ll lose credit for the assignment and be recommended for academic discipline; you
may also receive a U (Unsatisfactory) on the Midterm or Final Portfolio, which can lead
to an overall U in the course. Be cautious, also, of getting too much help from friends and
family. Letting them look at what you’re doing is fine; letting them “edit” your work or
give you specific language to change things with is disasterous to what we’re trying to
accomplish this semester. Rather, the Writing Center and my office hours are the best
places to go for help.

Etiquette: Be respectful of other people’s ideas, work, cultural expressions, and personal
space. Put your cell phones on vibrate – don’t text during class – take important calls
outside of the classroom – and don’t eat or drink disruptively. Don’t miss class and
Greenfield – ENGL 099 – 6
expect everyone to help you get caught up. Most impantly, be interested in other people’s
experiences and work this semester. I will remove disruptive and disrespectful students
for the safety and progress of others. This will be safe space. For other expectations, refer
to the MCC Student Code of Conduct.
Greenfield – ENGL 099 – 7
Students with Disabilities
Mott Community College is committed to providing equal opportunity for
participation in all programs, services and activities and adheres to Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act (1973) and the Americans with Disabilities Act, as
amended (2008) to provide effective auxiliary aids and services for qualified
students with documented disabilities. Requests for accommodations by students
with disabilities may be made by contacting DisAbility Services at 810-232-9181
or on the web at disability.mcc.edu. Once your eligibility for an accommodation
has been determined, you will be issued an Instructor Notification Letter. Please
present Instructor Notification Letters to instructors at the start of the semester
and/or two weeks prior to the accommodation date (test, project, etc). Requests
received after this date will be honored whenever possible.
Schedule of Readings, Workshops and Assignments:
Week 1
Tuesday
January 14
 In-Class Writing Prompt #1:
Who inspires you to go to
college? (1 point)
Thursday
January 16
 Reading: “Mother Tongue” (Tan
396-402)
 In-Class Writing Prompt #2: How
do define inspiration? (1 point)
 In-Class Workshop: Discuss
writing methods, and introduce
Essay #1.
Essay #1: Describing our Inspirations (worth 6 points)
Choose an individual who inspires you, and develop your freewriting on it further
into a four paragraph “essay” (we’ll call it an essay, but it’s going to stay fairly
informal).




Your first paragraph should talk fairly generally about inspiration. Why do
people need to be inspired? Who/what inspires you in your education?
(about ¼ a page, typed)
Your second paragraph should describe your inspirational person, paying
attention to specific details that helps your reader see them (and hear them,
and smell them, etc.; about ¼ a page, typed).
Your third paragraph should provide a specific example illustrating how
they inspire you (about ½ a page, typed).
Your fourth paragraph should connect that example to your definition of
inspiration, and explain why that person is inspiring to you (about ¼ a page,
typed).
This piece is going to end up being about 1-1½ pages, though it might go over a
little bit. It should be formatted according to MLA standards (don’t freak out; we’ll
do this together), and will be included in your midterm portfolio. You’ll receive
Greenfield – ENGL 099 – 8
points for the focus of each of your paragraphs on their specific “jobs” (4 points
total), and for specific the “correctness” of your sentences and MLA document
format (2 points total).
Week 2
January 21
MLK Day – No Class
Week 3
January 28 (ML3103)
 Meet in MLTBA –Flash Drive
Required
 In-Class Writing Prompt #5:
Why should it matter how
something is formatted? (1
point, please complete this
prompt before class)
 In-Class Workshop: Format
Essay #1
February 4
February 6
 Reading: “On Compassion”
 Essay #1 Due (6 points)
(Ascher 46-48)
 Reading: “Learning to Read” (X
257-266) & “An Introduction to
 In-Class Writing Prompt #8:
Poetry” (Collins, on back of
What was Ascher’s piece about?
syllabus)
(1 point)
 In-Class Writing Prompt #7:
 In-Class Workhop: Compose
How did you learn to read? (1
summary paragraph
point)
 In-Class Workshop: Discuss
Reading & Introduce Essay #2
Week 4
January 23 (meets in ML-TBA)
 Reading: “Seeing” (Dillard 112128)
 In-Class Writing Prompt #3 & #4:
What does your person of
inspiration look like? What is one
example of why they inspire you?
(2 points total)
 In-Class Workshop: Develop
Essay #1
January 30
 Typed Draft Required
 In-Class Writing Prompt #6: How
do you edit? (1 point)
 In-Class Workshop: Sentence
Boundaries
Essay #2: Summary & Connection, Part I (worth 6 points)
Find a poem or song that has some connection for you.


In one paragraph, summarize the poem or song. Include the name of the
song or poem, and that of the author, and tell your reader what generally the
piece was about. Include in this first paragraph some important details from
the piece (written into your own words) that helps us understand what the
author was trying to say. Flesh your paragraph out by including points that
you were interested in (again, in your own words). (about ½ a page)
Follow your summary paragraph, with a paragraph of reflection. This
Greenfield – ENGL 099 – 9
paragraph will need to include a specific experience that helps us understand
your reflection. This paragraph will begin with some agreement or
disagreement with the writer (“Like Allen Ginsberg, I sometimes feel like
America has let me down. Once, when I was younger,….” Or “Unlike
Collins, however, I enjoy tearing apart a piece. When I was in high
school….”). (about ½ a page)
This piece is going to end up being about a page, though it might go over a little bit.
It should be formatted according to MLA standards, and may be revised as part of
your midterm portfolio. You’ll receive points for the focus of each of your
paragraphs on their specific “jobs” (2 per paragraph; 4 points total), and for specific
the “correctness” of your sentences and MLA document format (2 points total).
Week 5
Week 6
February 11
 Reading: “How it Feels to Be
Colored Me” (Zora Neale
Hurston 182-186)
 In-Class Writing Prompt #9:
How do you see yourself in
Hurston’s essay? (1 point)
 In-Class Workshop: Discuss
Connections & Compose
Reflection Paragraph
February 17
 Essay #2 Due (15%)
 In-Class Writing Prompt #11:
How are you doing? (1 point)
 In-Class Workshop: Introduce
the Midterm Portfolio and
Develop Midterm Reflection
February 13
 Typed Draft Required
 In-Class Writing Prompt #10:
When is something fun to read?
When is it boring? (1 point)
 In-Class Workshop: Sentence
Extras
February 20
 In-Class Writing Prompt #12:
What fears do you have when
other people read your work? (1
point)
 In-Class Workshop: Discuss
possibilities for each other’s
journal entries. See Peer Letter
Assignment, due next week.
 Schedule appointments for
conferences next week.
Midterm Portfolio & Reflection (Reflection Letter worth 6 points)
Your Midterm Portfolio is going to give me a good sense of where you’re at, at this
point of the semester. It will include a reflective letter, one of your first two essays
for which you received full credit (only 6-point essays can be included in your
portfolios), and an editing of one of your journal entries.

Midterm Reflection: Compose a four-paragraph, typed business-style letter
to me, telling the story of how are developing as a college writer so far this
semester.
o Your first paragraph will talk about yourself as a writer: how you
feel your writing is developing and any struggles you find yourself
Greenfield – ENGL 099 – 10


still facing.
o Your second paragraph will talk specifically about your work on the
two main essays: how you developed those pieces and what
responses you’ve gotten so far on them.
o The third paragraph should talk about how you revised your journal
entry based on your work so far.
o The fourth paragraph will talk about your plans for the rest of the
semester.
You’ll receive credit based on the focus and development of each paragraph
(4 points total) and for sentence and document format correctness (2 points
total).
Essay #1 OR #2, Revised based on instructor feedback.
Best In-Class Writing, Typed and Edited.
At this point, you will also bring your entire three-ring binder, for verification. Your
Midterm Portfolio will be graded S (all portions completed) or U.
Peer Letter (worth 3 points)
Compose a letter to one of the peers you worked with, noting the greatest strength
your group found from their Essay #1 or #2 (1st paragraph), and what suggestions
your group discussed for them to develop further (2nd paragraph). Ensure you
distribute the letter writing so that each peer will receive one. Following class, type
your letter into the body of an e-mail message to that writer (do not attach a word
document), and e-mail it to that writer and to me.
You’ll receive credit for the focus and development of each of paragraph (2 points
total), and for sentence correctness (1 point).
Week 7
February 25 (ML3103)
 Peer Letter Due via e-mail (3
points)
 Meet in MLTBA – Flash Drive
Required
 In-Class Workshop: Revise
essays and assemble the
Midterm Portfolio; Schedule
conference; Introduce Essay #3.
February 27
 Meet in my office for your
scheduled appointment; NO
CLASS TODAY (Requirement
for Completion of the Course)
Essay #3: ENGL 101 Expectations & Fears
Find out about ENGL 101, the next course in this sequence, including what the
course basically entails (its course description) and what other students (and at least
one instructor) have to say about it. Your goal is going to be to explain ENGL
101 to an imaginary student preparing to take it. You’ll do this in four paragraphs
(count them, four), about 2 pages, typed.
Greenfield – ENGL 099 – 11

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

Week 8
Spring
Break
Your first paragraph should be truly introductory. Talk about English
courses generally (ala “English is one of the most hated high school classes,
and then students get to college and discover it’s there too.”) or about the
college experience, building to English as a part of it. Remember, these are
just suggestions to get you to see possibilities. We’ll try out several
possibilities to get the right one. (about ½ page)
Your second paragraph should describe ENGL 101. Go to the Course
Catalog for a description. Talk with other students for their experiences. Ask
an instructor that you may have right now who also teaches ENGL 101 and
is sitting right in front of you (it’s me). Do not simply copy what you find.
Boring! Instead, make sure you understand what the words in the
descriptions actually mean, and then put it into your own words. Still, these
are other people’s ideas, so you’ll want to make sure you tell your reader
who said them (“Annie Lerner, a current 101 student, says that they do a lot
of research in 101”). (about ½ page)
Your third paragraph should explore some “insider knowledge” about
ENGL 101. What tricks did your student say would help you get through?
What special ideas did your instructor give you? Again, make sure you
understand what the suggestion is, and then put that suggestion into your
own words. And again, these are other people’s ideas, so you’ll want to
make sure you tell your reader who said them. (about ½ page)
Your final paragraph is a reflective type of a conclusion: how prepared are
you for ENGL 101? What else do you need to do to get more prepared?
What are you afraid of? How will you make sure your ENGL 101
experience is successful? (about ½ page)
This piece will be typed in MLA standards. You’ll be graded for the focus and
development of your paragraphs (4 point total) and sentence and document format
correctness (2 points).
March 4
March 6
 In-Class Writing Prompt & #15:
 Student Interviewee Found
What did you find out from your
 In-Class Writing Prompt #13 &
interview? (1 point)
#14: When has the internet
answered questions, and when
 In-Class Workshop: Interview
has it not? AND What are your
Philip & Develop Essay #3
expectations for ENGL 101? (2
points)
 In-Class Workshop: Develop
questions for your interview
March 11
March 13
 Spring Break – No Class
 Spring Break – No Class
Greenfield – ENGL 099 – 12
Week 9
March 18 (ML3103)
 Meet in ML3103 – Flash Drive
Required
 Prompt #16: What mechanical
problems do you still struggle
with? (1 point, please complete
before today’s workshop)
 In-Class Workshop: Mechanics
Research
March 20
 Typed Draft Required
 In-Class Workshop: Mechanics
Workshops
Mechanics Research (3 points)
Look online in small groups for additional explanations and exercises for working
on sentence issues you still have. On Wednesday, you’ll share your findings and
take us through one of the exercises tips your group found to help students with the
first a paragraph of their third essay. You’ll get credit for completing the research (1
point), for participating in the sharing activity (1 point), and for the appropriateness
of the exercise tips and information (1 point).
Week 10
March 25
March 27
 Essay #3 Due (6 points)
 Typed Draft of Final Reflection
Due
 Prompt #17: How did you do on
Essay #3? (1 point)
 In-Class Workshop: Provide
Response for Final Reflection
 In-Class Workshop: Introduce
the Final Portfolio and Develop
the Final Reflection
Final Reflection
This is going to be a typed, business style letter to me, telling the story of how you
are developing as a college student and as a writer so far this semester. In each
paragraph, I will be looking for specific explanations and examples to back up your
points.



In paragraph one: Talk about yourself as a writer overall this semester. For
example, is your thinking about your writing changing? Are you facing
your writing assignments any differently than you did at the beginning of
the semester? What is your writing process like? What is the hardest part
of writing for you? What do you like best about the way that you are
writing?
In paragraph two: Summarize your work from the first half of the semester,
and what you found out through your midterm conference. How have you
worked on those elements? What else have you found successful?
In paragraph three: Talk about how you revised essay #3. What did you
want to achieve with this piece of writing? What did you change as you
continued to work? What was the impact of your readers’ responses during
the workshop? How well have you achieved what you wanted to with this
paper?
Greenfield – ENGL 099 – 13

In paragraph four: Tell me about your overall experience and the strengths
you’ve developed (as well as the weaknesses you’re still working on). What
do you want to work more on? How do you plan on tackling that work?
This letter is going to “cover” your final portfolio. It should be followed by your
Final Portfolio self-evaluation form (filled out, of course), your re-edited midterm
essay, your revised 3rd essay, and all essay drafts (the one your peers read), and
copies of all other writing you’ve done (typed copies are even better). It will be
graded as part of that portfolio.
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
April 1
 In-Class Writing Prompt #18:
What do you have to do to get
the Final Portfolio together?
How do you plan on doing that
work? (1 point)
 In-Class Workshop:
April 8
 Take Practice Final
(requirement for completion of
class)
April 15 (ML3103)
 Meet in ML3103 – Flash Drive
Required
 Complete Course Evaluations
 Revise Documents for Final
Portfolio
April 22
 Take Final Exam (requirement
for completion of class)
April 29
 Meet in my office for your
scheduled appointment; NO
CLASS TODAY
April 3
 In-Class Workshop: Introduce &
Practice Exam Techniques
 In-Class Writing Prompt #19:
Pracice Final Notes Sheet (1
point)
April 10
 Revise Practice Final
(requirement for completion of
class)
April 17
 Final Portfolios Due
 In Class Writing Prompt #20:
How do you feel like you did on
the Practice Final? How could
you do better? (1 point, completed
before )
 Introduce the Final Exam Topics
(requirement for completion of
class)
April 24
 Revise Final Exam
May 1
 Conferences Continue; NO
CLASS TODAY