Los Angeles Harbor College
English 28: Intermediate Reading and Composition
Spring 2012
Section 0204, Room NEA 109
9:35-11AM T-Th
3 units
Office hours: Tues. 12:45-1:30 in NEA 256; Thurs. by appointment only
Ms. Denise Dumars, Instructor
Office phone: (310) 233-4698 x4778
Email: eerieaerie@hotmail.com
Prerequisite:
English 28 has as its prerequisite a grade of “CR,” equivalent to a “C” or better in
English 21 or English 73 OR a Placement score of English 28.
Course Objectives:
English 28 is designed to give the student ample practice in college-level reading
and writing and to assist the student in making the transition to English 101. This course
introduces the student to critical thinking, reading, and writing. It will emphasize reading
comprehension and analysis, essay writing, and the improvement of grammar and other
sentence skills. Students will write several essays based primarily on topics drawn from
our text. These essays are the most important factors in preparing the student for English
101 and for success in academic writing and writing in a professional setting. In addition,
we will complete a research task and will read a short novel: John Steinbeck’s Cannery
Row.
We will be compiling portfolios made up of drafts of take-home essays, writing
we complete in class, written assignments and other handouts. Portfolios are of great help
to both student and teacher in that they indicate process as well as progress. All
coursework should be kept in a portfolio and brought to each class meeting.
There are five formal essays to complete as well as a final exam and other
homework, quizzes, and in-class work. Both your peers and your instructor will aid you
in your development as a writer—the more you participate in class, the more you will
learn, and the better your grade will be.
Writing takes time to improve, and students are expected to come to class each
day ready to discuss the assigned readings—you are being graded on your class
participation as well as on your writing! We will aim for a relaxed and companionable
atmosphere which will aid us in the process of peer editing and discussion.
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Hacker, Diana. A Pocket Style Manual, 6th Ed. 2012.
Steinbeck, John. Cannery Row.
Warner, J. Sterling and Judith Williard. Visions Across the Americas. 7th Ed. 2010.
A college dictionary & thesaurus
Essay and black or dark blue pens and correction fluid
TEXTBOOKS ARE REQUIRED. Portfolios and materials must be brought to each class
meeting.
COURSE POLICIES:
Essays and other handwritten assignments are to be written in ink—no exceptions.
Final drafts of essays completed outside of class are to be typed on a computer utilizing
standard MLA format. Learning proper MLA format of essays is of primary importance
in this class and you will be graded on your ability to recognize and utilize the right font,
margins, headers, and other formatting.
Electronic communication devices must remain off during class time. Exceptions
may be considered by faculty consultation (i.e. family emergency). First offense may
result in the student being suspended from the class for one meeting. Repeated offense
may result in up to a 2-day suspension from the class pending a conference with the Vice
President of Student Services.
All assignments are due according to dates noted on syllabus or indicated by the
instructor. Late work will not be accepted unless prior arrangements have been made
with the instructor. I generally do NOT accept late work.
Attendance in classes and labs is mandatory. This is the college policy. If a
student is absent for more than the hours that a class meets per week, or if there is
irregular attendance or a pattern of absences, the instructor has sufficient cause to drop a
student from the class. For example, if a course meets 3 hours a week, then a student is
allowed a maximum of 3 absences. Students who enter the class after the official starting
time will be marked absent for that particular day. If a student is absent the first and/or
second class meeting of the first week of semester, then the student will be dropped from
the class.
It is essential that you obtain the phone number and email address of at least one
other student in class and contact that student for assignments after any class that you
miss. “I wasn’t here that day” is not an excuse for not knowing or doing the assignment.
Always check with your “study buddy” if you have to miss a class meeting—please DO
NOT email me to ask what we did in class.
Do not bring food or drink into the classroom. Please do not bring children or
animals to class with the exception of “service dogs” which require Academic Affairs
authorization. Students with disabilities, whether physical, learning, or psychological,
who believe that they may need accommodations in this class, are encouraged to contact
Special Programs & Services as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are
implemented in a timely manner. Their phone number is 310-233-4620, and they are
located in Cafeteria 108.
GRADES:
Individual instructors establish grading criteria for each class. The Division posts
its Grading Standards outside the division office. Each student should familiarize
him/herself with the Standards and the Minimum Skills and Expectations.
I do not accept late essays and no make-up quizzes will be given. The five formal
essays count as 50% of your grade and all five must be completed in order pass the
class. In-class work such as quizzes, the midterm, and class participation as well as
homework, which includes writing assignments based on reading selections from the
book, will count as 25% of your grade. The remaining 25% of your grade will come from
the departmental essay exam. Grades on essays will include pluses and minuses (A-,
B+, etc.) and final grades will be whole letter grades (A, B, C, D, or F.) A grade of C or
better is considered a passing grade in this course.
OFFICE HOURS:
I am available on Tuesdays from 12:45-1:30 and on Thursdays by appointment
only in NEA 256. I AM NOT AVAILABLE AT THE END OF OUR CLASS PERIOD
BECAUSE I HAVE A CLASS AT 11:10. Please see me if you are having any problems
with your writing or have any questions or need to discuss anything at all related to the
course.
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Write a response to various modes of pre-collegiate level reading with logically
constructed, well-supported and edited essays that exhibit a critical analysis of
those readings.
2. Apply critical reading skills to recognize thesis, audience, purpose, and evidence
in advanced pre-collegiate texts.
3. Demonstrate awareness of the writing process and an ability to critique one’s own
work and the work of others with basic to intermediate skill.
4.
Produce sentences that are relatively free from grammatical errors which display
standard American English and an academic style.
5. Employ parenthetical citations, secondary source documentation, and MLA
conventions at a basic skill level.
PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism is a form of cheating. Any student who uses the published or
unpublished writing, ideas, and/or words of another person without crediting the original
author will receive a FAIL for the assignment. Further disciplinary actions may be taken.
If a student copies from another student’s paper, this is also plagiarism. In this case, both
students will fail the assignment. All plagiarized essays and exams will become the
property of the Division.
CLASSWORK AND HOMEWORK SCHEDULE:
All of the reading assigned here is expected to be done promptly as are the
exercises assigned. POP QUIZZES ON ANY AND ALL ASSIGNED MATERIAL
MAY HAPPEN AT ANY TIME—BE PREPARED. All five essays MUST be turned in
on time and the Departmental Essay Exam must be completed in order to receive
credit for this class.
NOTE: Each class has its own particular needs, necessitating flexibility in
assigning work, so the syllabus may be amended accordingly if need be. The syllabus
only covers the major assignments; more in-class and at-home activities should be
expected.
This syllabus is considered to be a contract between student and instructor;
students are expected to read and abide by the rules and procedures in this syllabus.
Week 1: Introduction, discussion of syllabus and texts. Begin discussion of paragraph and
essay writing. Begin Ch. 1: Communicating Is Language at Work in Visions Across the
Americas (VAA) (subject to availability). Begin Punctuation section in A Pocket Style
Manual (PSM). In-class writing.
Week 2: Paragraph writing. Continue work in Ch. 1 in VAA and study of
paragraph/essay writing. Essay #1, Illustration and Example, assigned (Ch. 4 VAA).
NOTE: although each essay assigned will be based on the mode of development
illustrated in a particular chapter of VAA, examples from other chapters may be assigned
as well. Essay format discussed and demonstrated in PSM.
Week 3: Finish Ch. 1 and continue working on assigned readings from Ch. 4 VAA.
Topic, thesis, and prewriting due for Essay #1. Ch. 18 in PSM.
Week 4: In-class work on Essay #1. Readings as assigned in VAA. Continue punctuation
chapters in PSM. Finish Essay #1.
Week 5: Essay #1 due. Essay #2, Definition, assigned (Ch. 5 VAA). Punctuation chapters
finished in PSM.
Week 6: Thesis and draft of Essay #2 due. In-class writing and work on Essay #2.
Continued work in Ch. 5 in VAA. PUNCTUATION REVIEW AND QUIZ.
Week 7: Essay #2 due. Essay #3, Comparison and Contrast assigned (Ch. 7 VAA) work
on Essay #3. Begin Grammar section in PSM.
Week 8: Essay #3 revised. Continued reading in Ch. 7 VAA. Continue Grammar in PSM.
Week 9: SPRING BREAK!
Week 10: Essay #3 due; Essay #4, Cause and Effect, assigned (Ch. 9 VAA). Finish
Grammar section of PSM.
Week 11: Essay #4 drafted. GRAMMAR REVIEW AND QUIZ.
Week 12: Essay #4 peer edited and revised Tues; due Thurs. Begin Essay #5, the
Research Essay, Argumentation (Ch. 11 VAA). Read first third of Cannery Row.
Week 13: Library research—ATTENDANCE MANDATORY. Begin discussion of
MLA citing in MLA chapters of in PSM (some of this we may have already covered).
Work on Essay #5. Readings in VAA as assigned. Read middle third of Cannery Row.
Week 14: Essay #5 drafted. Finish Cannery Row. MLA chapters and readings assigned as
necessary; MLA citations demonstrated on board—BRING SOURCES TO CLASS.
DEPARTMENTAL WRITING EXAM—MANDATORY FOR CREDIT IN THIS
CLASS—will be given this week or according to department schedule.
Week 15: Essay #5 peer edited and continued work on MLA citations. Discussion of
Cannery Row continued.
Week 16: Essay #5 due. Continued work in texts as necessary. Prepare for final exam on
Cannery Row.
Week 17: Monday Memorial Day—No Classes. Final Exam: Thursday, May 31, 10:30AM to 12:30 PM.