English 1010: Expository Writing
Theme for Fall 2003: Thresholds: Defying Authority—Claiming Independence
Prof. Elke Bartel
Office: AMG 305
Office phone: (615) 904-8262
Office hours: TR 1 pm—3 pm and by appointment
For email (preferred and the best way to reach me) use PipelineMT
READ CAREFULLY! This syllabus is a contract. By staying in this class, you bind yourself to all
obligations, benefits, and conditions set forth herein. In remaining with the class, you declare yourself
responsible for all consequences of your actions or inactions performed by you. If you do not agree with
any portion of this syllabus, drop the class immediately.
Course Objectives: In English 1010 you will be introduced to a specific form of professional writing: socalled academic writing. This specific kind of writing builds on and improves skills you have already
acquired in your previous career, such as critical reading and thinking. Academic writing (like every
conscious act) is itself to be understood, in fact, as a way of thinking and not as a mere mechanical activity.
Like thinking, academic writing constitutes a process. Accordingly, you will not only have to deliver a
finished product but also be involved in continuous rewriting and editing tasks and understand both as
separate processes. In this class, you will use a number of texts in various media to develop the skills of
critical and logical reading and thinking, organization of information and arguments, and expressing ideas
and facts in a language that appropriately addresses your audience. Despite its name, academic writing thus
prepares you not only for your time in college, but it also provides you with useful and necessary tools to
succeed in any other career.
Important: As an institution of education, college is a place of learning, of becoming. One part of
becoming educated is learning to overcome prejudice and hereditary notions of right and wrong.
Therefore, this class will deal with adult language, material, and situations in an adult manner. If you
are uncomfortable with this, then please drop the class.
Required Texts:
SCW: Strategies for College Writing, Second Edition, by Funk, Coleman, and Day
HHH: Hodges’ Harbrace Handbook, 15th edition, by Webb, Miller, and Horner
FC: Surviving Freshman Composition, by A. Smith, T. Smith, and Klein
LF: Lord of the Flies, by William Golding (any original, unabridged edition).
Supplemental Texts:
In-class movies will be provided: Rebel without a Cause, Uncle Buck, Lord of the Flies.
Thematically appropriate advertisement, song/album lyrics, DVDs/videos for essay 3 to be supplied by
student.
Required Materials:
Access to the internet and word processing software (note that a great variety of computer
labs exist on campus, guaranteeing access to both 24/7. “My computer/printer/internet didn’t
work” thus can never be a valid excuse. Info about hours etc. on MTSU website)
Wide-lined paper for in-class drafts and assignments
A stapler and large paper clips for submissions
A folder to keep your invention writing, drafts (graded and ungraded), tests, etc.
Floppy disks to save your work (always make a safety copy)
General guidelines:
Be sure to visit the English Department’s website at http://www.middleenglish.org for more information on
MTSU’s policies on civility in the classroom, academic dishonesty, disabled services, and absences/tardies.
Also available are the English Department’s standards, goals, writing requirements and grading procedures
for English 1010.
Tutoring services:
The Writing Center is located in Peck Hall (PH) 325 for students to receive valuable one-on-one assistance
with their writing. Experience shows that students who visit the UWC regularly and often can make
tremendous progress in their writing. The tutors are skilled instructors and will help you in the best way
possible; however, remember that you are the person responsible for your learning. Real growth and
improvement require hard and dedicated work; there is no miracle-grow for writing skills.
Paper guidelines:
All source materials will be loosely based around our class theme. However, to promote the skills
mentioned above, I encourage you to use this merely as a basis for discussion and expand your and your
audience’s horizon by writing about a variety of topics. In this class, you will write a total of five in-class
essays of about 550-750 words for which you will prepare extensively. You should use a variety of
expository genres; thus, you may only have one narrative essay. Three of the five essays you must revise
thoroughly and turn in to receive a grade (see grading scale). Essays and revisions are due at the respective
deadline (hence the name). Absence at the day of an in-class essay leads to an automatic “0” for that essay.
Not previously submitted essays, of course, cannot be revised. Likewise, your failure to be present and
adequately prepared on the day of your oral presentation will result in an “0” for the assignment. Despite
the in-class essays, this class is computer-intensive. All out-of-class assignments must be typed and printed.
If you are at this point not familiar with word processing, I encourage you to drop since you probably won’t
have enough time to acquire those skills on top of everything else. Furthermore, I will post handouts,
schedule information, assignments, and other information on PipelineMT. A certain familiarity with the
Internet is thus desirable. Check your email and the course info daily or at least in sufficient time to catch
assignments, hints, and important information before the following class period or assignment. Be aware
that CourseInfo serves as an additional tool and will mostly provide supplemental information; visiting
the course site does not replace attendance in class.
In good writing, quality outweighs quantity. Similarly, I want to provide you with the best feedback
possible to help you in your progress as a writer—or shall we say, thinker. Therefore, I ask you to bridle
your understandable impatience and trust that I will return your work as soon as possible.
Evaluation and Grading Scale:
To pass the course and earn three credit hours, you must achieve an overall class average of C- or
better.
Five in-class essays (7.5 % each, lowest grade will be dropped)
Revision of either essay 1 or 2
Revision of either essay 3 or 4
Revision of essay 5
Oral Presentation
Diagnostic, Midterm, and Final Exams
Tests, Quizzes, etc.
30%
15%
15%
15%
10%
10%
5%
Note: Students are expected to attend all classes and to be suitably prepared to join in class discussions and
activities. Enthusiastic and informed class participation will definitely help resolve problems associated
with determining final grades.
Grading Scale: I will use the following grading scale.
94-100=A; 91-93=A-; 88-90=B+; 84-87=B; 81-83=B-; 78-80=C+; 74-77=C; 71-73=C-; 68-70=D+; 6467=D; 61-63=D-; below 60= F.
Important: Although I will award the grade of D on individual assignments and papers, remember that it is
imperative for you to receive a grade of C- or better as a final grade at the end of the semester in order to
pass this course.
Class guidelines:
Attendance and class participation are both mandatory if you want to pass this course. Your simple
physical presence will not be sufficient to create a favorable impression; I expect you to actively participate
(attentive listening also counts as active participation, by the way). Be aware that all absences negatively
impact your grade in one way or another because each day of class prepares you for the next. You are
allowed four absences. Any additional absences will result in an automatic F for the class independent of
your performance. The only exception to this rule is for university-sanctioned absences—if you will be
missing class for university games, speech trips, livestock judging or some official university activity,
please provide your absence schedule to me by the second week of classes. Only by giving me this
notification prior to your absence will you be allowed to make up assignments. If you have to miss a class
for any reason whatsoever, you need to hand in all due assignments prior to their due date. I do not accept
late submissions.
Do not be late to class. It is rude and disrupts the class unnecessarily.
If you have missed a class (not recommended!), it is your responsibility to find out about assignments,
class content, and handouts provided prior to the next class period. Note that classes and in-class
assignments cannot be made up.
In a collaborative project, you will prepare a brief, yet accurate and informative, handout of at least three
chapters of The Lord of the Flies, present that material in a creative way (short play, miming, paintings,
etc.), and lead the class discussion. Details follow in due time.
I will, at various times in the semester, set up student-teacher conferences with you to discuss your progress
in class and help you in the revision process. These conferences are mandatory. Failure to attend or be
adequately prepared will reduce your final grade on the revised essay by one letter grade.
I reserve the right to administer at any time unannounced tests and quizzes about material covered in and
pertinent to this class as, for example, basic essay features or grammar exercises.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this class. At minimum, you will receive a ZERO for a plagiarized
paper. MTSU policy requires that I notify Judicial Affairs in any plagiarism case. This is a serious matter
equivalent to criminal fraud or theft. It is my expectation and should be yours as well that as a university
student you can do any assignment in this class without cheating. Please do all your own work; it is the
only way you will improve your writing and critical thinking abilities.
Please Note: If you need special accommodations due to a disability, please provide a letter from Disabled
Student Services to me at the beginning of the semester. I am happy to provide special accommodations
but need to know in advance; please do not wait to give me your letter.
General Schedule for the Semester
Subject To Change
T, 08/19:
R, 08/21:
Introduction. Critical Reading. The Writing Process. WebCT and Internet.
SCW, “Writing from Reading.” FC, Section II: “The Writing Process,” pp.
31-47.
T, 08/26:
DIAGNOSTIC EXAM DUE (take-home). SCW, “Strategies for Making a
Point: Exemplification,” “Strategies for Clarifying Meaning: Definition.”
SCW, “Strategies for Examining Connections: Comparison and Contrast,”
“Strategies for Interpreting Meaning: Cause and Effect.”
R, 08/28:
T, 09/02:
R, 09/04:
SCW, “Strategies for Influencing Opinion: Argument.”
ESSAY 1 (in class).
T, 09/09:
FC, “Writing About Film.” FC, “Finding and Documenting Sources,” “Doing Research,”
“Using MLA.” SCW: “Using and Documenting Sources.”
R, 09/11:
In-class movie: Rebel without a Cause.
***Reminder: September 15 is the last day to drop without a grade!
T, 09/16:
R, 09/18:
In-class movie: Rebel without a Cause.
Movie analysis and discussion.
T, 09/23:
R, 09/25:
ESSAY 2 (in class).
SOURCE MATERIAL FOR ESSAY 3 DUE. FC: “Writing about Advertising,” “Writing
about Music.”
T, 09/30:
R, 10/02:
FC “Writing about Television.”
Revision Workshop. MIDTERM EXAM DUE (take-home).
T, 10/07:
R, 10/09:
ESSAY 3 (in class).
***Reminder: October 13 is the last day to drop with a grade of “W”!
T, 10/14:
R, 10/16:
In-class movie: Uncle Buck. REVISION DUE OF ESSAY 1 OR 2.
Fall Break, no class 
T, 10/21:
R, 10/23:
In-class movie: Uncle Buck.
Movie analysis and discussion.
T, 10/28:
R, 10/30:
ESSAY 4 (in class).
PRESENTATIONS & HANDOUTS DUE ON: LF, “The Sound of the Shell,” “Fire on
the Mountain,” “Huts on the Beach,” “Painted Faces and Long Hair.” “Beast from
Water,” “Beast from Air.”
T, 11/04:
R, 11/06:
PRESENTATIONS & HANDOUTS DUE ON: LF, “Shadows and Tall Trees,” “Gift for
the Darkness,” “A View to a Death,” “The Shell and the Glasses,” “Castle Rock,” “Cry
of the Hunters.”
Book analysis and discussion.
T, 11/11:
R, 11/13:
ESSAY 5 (in class).
Revision Workshop and Review.
T, 11/18:
R, 11/20:
Movie The Lord of the Flies. REVISION DUE OF ESSAY 3 OR 4.
Movie The Lord of the Flies.
T, 11/25:
R, 11/27:
Review and Revision Workshop.
Thanksgiving Holiday, no class 
T, 12/02:
R, 12/04:
Review and Revision Workshop.
REVISION DUE OF ESSAY 5. Last day of class. Final observations.
T, 12/09:
R, 12/11:
8-10 am
3:30-5:30 pm
Dec. 15:
Final Grades will be posted on WebMT
FINAL EXAM ENGL 1010-76
FINAL EXAM ENGL 1010-A4