ENGL 111
Spring 2009 (083)
Annie Gray
Ivy Tech State College
Region 14--Bloomington
English Composition, ENGL 111
Spring 2009
ENGL 111-18, Fridays, 11:00 a.m. – 1:50 p.m., Rooms B210 and B211
I. Course Identification
Course Title: English Composition
School: Liberal Arts and Sciences
Program: General Studies
Course Number: ENGL 111
Number of Credits: 3
Number of Contact Hours: 3
Prerequisites: Demonstrated competency through appropriate assessment or earning a
grade of “C” or better in ENGL 025 Introduction to College Writing II and ENGL 032
Reading Strategies for College II
II. Instructor
Name: Annie Gray
Office: C103
E-mail: agray@ivytech.edu
Mailbox: A225
Office phone: (812) 330-6038
Office Hours: M, T, W, R, and F 9-11 am
M, T, W, R, and F 2-3 pm
III. Course Description
English Composition is designed to develop students’ abilities to think, organize, and
express their ideas clearly and effectively. This course incorporates reading, research,
and critical thinking. Emphasis is placed on the various forms of expository writing such
as process, description, narration, comparison, analysis, persuasion, and argumentation.
Numerous in-class writing activities are required in addition to extended essays written
outside of class.
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be expected to:
1. Understand communication theory and the roles audiences play in the writing
process.
2. Apply critical reading and thinking skills to the writing process.
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3. Demonstrate an awareness of language as a tool for learning and
communication.
4. Develop strategies for making independent, critical evaluations of student and
published texts.
5. Research and critically evaluate information to produce writing with
appropriate documentation.
6. Apply strategies for the composition process such as drafting, collaboration,
revision, and peer evaluation to produce written documents.
7. Write well-organized essays with a firm thesis and a clear introduction, body,
and conclusion.
8. Engage in pre-writing activities, including narrowing a topic, generating ideas,
determining the audience and the relationship between audience and content,
and setting an appropriate tone.
9. Demonstrate an understanding of various rhetorical modes, including
argumentation and analysis, and apply that understanding in various writing
environments, including an essay test.
10. Support a thesis statement with valid reasons and evidence.
11. Follow the conventions of standard written English, in sentence structure,
punctuation, grammar and usage, and spelling.
12. Recognize and develop styles appropriate to varied writing situations.
IV. Course Content
Topical areas of study will include:
Reading and thinking critically
Generating ideas
Identifying an audience
Developing a thesis
Organizing the essay
Using rhetorical modes including
argumentation and analysis
Prewriting, drafting, editing, and
revising
Following conventions of standard written
English
Writing essay exams
Gathering, evaluating, and using sources
for research
Paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting
Documenting sources
Developing style
Avoiding plagiarism
V. Required Texts and Supplies
Writing Analytically, 5th edition, Rosenwasser and Stephen
A Pocket Style Manual, 5th edition, Hacker
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, Barbara Ehrenreich
Electronic storage device
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VI. Course Policies
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Attend regularly. The importance of attending regularly cannot be
overestimated. Please arrive at class on time and expect to remain until class is
over. Your attendance and participation will figure into your final grade in the
form of points assigned for in-class exercises. These exercises cannot be made up.
If you arrive late and miss an in-class exercise, you will not be permitted to
complete it. If you leave early and miss an in-class exercise, you will not be
permitted to complete it.
Come prepared. Please bring your textbooks and an electronic storage device
with you to class. Have all assignments ready to turn in at the beginning of class
on the day they are due.
Keep up if you miss class. It is your responsibility, to keep up with assignments
if you miss class. “I wasn’t here last week” is never an acceptable excuse for
coming to class unprepared. If you miss class, check the syllabus and contact the
instructor or another student to collect your assignments.
Papers must be typed. All assignments (including drafts) should be typed,
double spaced, using 12-point Times New Roman type and MLA format, unless
the instructor indicates otherwise.
Save your work. It is your responsibility to keep an extra copy of all assignments
that you turn in.
Submit your work on time. (1) In-class exercises and drafts may not be
submitted late. (2) Final versions of the first 4 papers and of the midterm exam
may be submitted late, but for each week they are late, your grade will be reduced
by 10 percent. (3) I would prefer to receive final versions of the first 4 papers
during class on the day they are due, but they may be turned in (without penalty)
until 5:00 pm on the day they are due. (4) Absolutely no late work will be
accepted after the last class meeting of the semester.
Drafts and revisions are required for major papers. The major papers will go
through a draft version (TYPED) and a final, corrected version before a grade is
assigned. In terms of the grading system, drafts and final versions constitute
separate assignments, with drafts receiving points for completion. If a draft is
handwritten, haphazard, or incomplete, you will not receive full points. Failure to
have a draft in class/ready to go for the peer-review process will result in a draft
grade of zero.
Re-revisions. I will accept re-revisions (after a letter grade has been assigned) of
your first four papers. See the attached revision policies. All re-revisions must be
submitted no later than April 24.
Work must be original to this class. In this class, I teach writing as a process of
reading, thinking, drafting, and revising, with assignments building on each other
over the course of the semester. To complete the course successfully, students
must engage in the process. For this reason, students may not resubmit papers
they have written in previous semesters or for other classes or instructors. Papers
that are determined to be old work resubmitted (autoplagiarism) rather than new
work for this class will receive a zero.
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Blackboard. This class will make only minimal use of Blackboard (Ivy Tech’s
online learning platform). You may use Blackboard to check your grades.
Help is available. Come see me during office hours in C103 (or other times by
appointment); you can also visit the tutors in the Academic Support Center
(C126).
Extra Credit is available. This section of ENGL 111 is reading excerpts from
our Campus Common Reading book for 2008-2009, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not)
Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich. Several events related to this text
will take place on campus this semester, including a Poverty Simulation event
(Jan. 28, 2:00-5:00 p.m.), book discussions (Feb. 11, 12:00-1:30 p.m. and Apr. 2,
4:30-6:00 p.m.), and an essay contest (deadline April 1, 2009—first prize $300).
More information on the Common Reading can be found at
http://thecenter.ivytech.edu/read. You will have opportunities to earn extra credit
for participating in Common Reading events and preparing short reflective
analyses of the events. Additional information about the extra credit assignments
can be found at the end of this syllabus.
VII. Student Behavior Statement
Students should always conduct themselves in a respectful manner. No conduct will be
tolerated that might endanger or threaten anyone in the class. Disruptive behavior,
substance abuse, downgrading or disparaging remarks, and any other behavior that
shows a lack of respect for the instructor or other students, will not be tolerated.At
the instructor’s discretion, a student causing problems may be asked to leave the class for
the session.
VIII. Academic Honesty Statement:
The College is committed to academic integrity in all its practices. The faculty value
intellectual integrity and a high standard of academic conduct. Activities that violate
academic integrity undermine the quality and diminish the value of educational
achievement.
Cheating on papers, tests, or other academic works is a violation of College rules. No
student shall engage in behavior that, in the judgment of the instructor of the class, may
be construed as cheating. This may include, but is not limited to, plagiarism or other
forms of academic dishonesty such as the acquisition without permission of tests or other
academic materials and/or distribution of these materials and other academic work. This
includes students who aid and abet as well as those who attempt such behavior.
The instructor reserves the right to use the resources of the College to check student work
for plagiarism.
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IX. Copyright Statement
Students shall adhere to the laws governing the use of copyrighted materials. They must
ensure that their activities comply with fair use and in no way infringe on the copyright or
other proprietary rights of others and that the materials used and developed at Ivy Tech
Community College of Indiana contain nothing unlawful, unethical, or libelous, and do
not constitute any violation of any right of privacy.
X. Course Grading
Grading criteria are as follows:
100 – 90 %
89 – 80 %
79 – 70 %
69 – 60 %
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B
C
D
A: An “A” paper is outstanding. It explores the subject in great depth and reveals
attention to the nuances and complexities of the topic at hand. It is focused, carefully
supported, nicely organized, meets the requirements of the assignment, and exhibits the
writer’s mastery of mechanical skills and style.
B: A “B” paper is better than average. It examines the subject in some depth. Thesis is
supported and organization is generally clear. Paragraphs and sentences are generally
well constructed. Mechanics are clean for the most part. The paper meets the
requirements for the assignment.
C: A “C” paper offers an acceptable examination of the subject, but it lacks depth. Thesis
is present but not well-supported with examples and illustrations. Skeletal over-all
organization is present. Paper may depend on generalizations and lack detail. Paragraphs
may not be fully developed. Sentences are clear but may be awkward at times. The paper
meets the major requirements of the assignment.
D: A “D” paper demonstrates below average effort. It does not examine the subject in
depth and lacks organization. Paragraphs are not well-developed. Awkward sentence
structure may create problems for the reader. It may exhibit significant mechanical
difficulties. It may not complete all the requirements of the assignment.
F: An “F” paper is unacceptable. It lacks thesis and organization. Paragraphs are not
developed. It lacks details and examples. It may be difficult to follow.
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XI: Disability Statement
Ivy Tech State College seeks to provide effective services and accommodations for
qualified individuals with documented disabilities. If you need an accommodation
because of a documented disability, you are required to register with Disability Support
Services at the beginning of the semester. If you will require assistance during an
emergency evacuation, notify your instructor immediately. Look for evacuation
procedures posted in your classrooms.
The Disabilities Service Coordinator is Sue Gauck, Room C110, Phone 330-6046.
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XII: XI: Projects and Assignments
Projects and assignments for this class will center loosely on the concept of THE
AMERICAN DREAM.
Paper 1: After studying John Mellencamp’s “Little Pink Houses” (text and youtube)
write an essay that analyzes and explains Mellencamp’s position on the American Dream.
Does Mellencamp suggest that it can/can’t be achieved? That it’s worth achieving? That
some can achieve it, but not others?
Paper 2: Compare Ehrenreich’s attitude toward her work (in the first few chapters of
Nickel and Dimed), the attitudes of her colleagues and the attitude toward work that you
see described in Stud Terkel’s “The Mason.” What point can you derive from the
differences and similarities that you see?
Paper 3: Use a passage from Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed as a lens to focus your
attention on a specific element of Gabriele Muccino’s Pursuit of Happyness. Use this
“lens” to arrive at a focused point about Pursuit of Happyness that you then prove fully
by deriving evidence from the movie.
Paper 4: As a preparatory piece for the longer paper 5, identify a Wal-Mart related
controversy, research it carefully, and write a synthesis in which you offer an objective
description of what’s being said about the controversy and what’s at stake.
Paper 5: Now that you have a solid understanding of a Wal-Mart related controversy,
write an argumentative essay in which you take a position related to the controversy.
Argue your position and support it with evidence from your sources. Make sure that you
also acknowledge and respond to the opposition.
500 word Paper 1 (roughly 2 pages)
750 word Paper 2 (roughly 3 pages)
750 word Paper 3 (roughly 3 pages)
1000 word Paper 4 (roughly 4 pages)
2000 word Paper 5 (roughly 8 pages)
100 points
100 points
100 points
100 points
200 points
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
4 Drafts (25 points each)
Numerous In-Class Exercises (of varying point values)
50 points
50 points
100 points
200 points
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Total Possible
1000 points
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In order to receive a C or higher in the course, you must complete all of the major
papers.
XIII: Course Calendar
WA=Writing Analytically; PSM=Pocket Style Manual; HO=Handout
Date
Week 1
Jan. 16
Date
Week 2
Jan. 23
Date
Week 3
Jan. 30
Classroom Activities Jan. 16
INTRODUCTION
5 Bases
Classroom Activities Jan. 23
5 Analytical Moves
The American Dream
“Little Pink Houses”
Classroom Activities Jan. 30
“Little Pink Houses”
Academic Voice
Assignments Due Jan. 23
• Read and mark the
syllabus
• Be able to name and
define the 5 Bases
• Read WA, page 3 (“First
Principles”)
• Read WA, pages 4-10
(“Five Analytical
Moves”)
• Read WA, pages 11-12
(“Distinguishing
Analysis..”)
Assignments Due Jan. 30
• Draft Paper 1
• Read WA, pages 50-51
(“Pushing
Observations”)
• Read WA, pages 60-65
(“What Is and Isn’t”)
Assignments Due Feb. 6
• Revise Paper 1
• Read WA, pages 110114 (“The Function of
Evidence”)
• Read Ehrenreich,
“Introduction,” pages 110
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Date
Week 4
Feb. 6
Date
Week 5
Feb. 13
Date
Week 6
Feb. 20
Date
Week 7
Feb. 27
Date
Week 8
Mar. 6
Date
Week 9
Mar. 13
Classroom Activities Feb. 6
Documentation
Classroom Activities Feb. 13
Exam
Classroom Activities Feb. 20
Nickel and Dimed and “The Mason”
Classroom Activities Feb. 27
Nickel and Dimed and “The Mason”
Classroom Activities Mar. 6
Pursuit of Happyness
Classroom Activities Mar. 13
Pursuit of Happyness
Assignments Due Feb. 13
• Read PSM, pages 107154
• Read Ehrenreich,
“Serving,” pages 11-49
Assignments Due Feb. 20
• Read HO: Terkel, “The
Mason”
• Read WA, pages 206212 (“Reading
Analytically”)
Assignments Due Feb. 27
• Draft Paper 2
• Read WA, pages 100103 (“Comparison /
Contrast”)
• Read WA, pages 180189 (Introductions and
Conclusions)
Assignments Due Mar. 6
• Revise Paper 2
• Read Ehrenreich,
“Scrubbing in Maine,”
pages 51-119
Assignments Due Mar. 13
• Read WA, pages 193202 (“Weak Thesis”)
• Draft Paper 3
Assignments Due Mar. 27
• Revise Paper 3
• Read Ehrenreich,
“Selling in Minnesota,”
pages 121-191
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Spring Break, March 16- March 20
Date
Week 10
Mar. 27
Classroom Activities Mar. 27
Intro Papers 4 and 5
Research Exercise
Assignments Due Apr. 3
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Date
Week 11
Apr. 3
Date
Week 12
Apr. 10
Classroom Activities Apr. 3
Synthesis
Classroom Activities Apr. 10
Argumentative Writing
Read HO: Walmart
Read Ehrenreich,
“Evaluation,” pages
193-221
Bring 3 sources to class
Assignments Due Apr. 10
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Write Paper 4
Assignments Due Apr. 17
• Draft Paper 5
Introduction
• Reading: WA, pages
215-226 (“Using
Sources Analytically”)
April 13, last day to drop with a W
Date
Week 13
Apr. 17
Date
Week 14
Apr. 24
Classroom Activities Apr. 17
Using Sources Analytically
Classroom Activities Apr. 24
Plagiarism
Assignments Due Apr. 24
• Draft first 4 pages Paper
5
• Reading: WA, pages
260-262 (“How to
Integrate Quotations”)
Assignments Due May 1
• Draft Remainder Paper 5
• Read: WA, pages 254257 (“Plagiarism”)
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Date
Week 15
May 1
Date
Week 16
May 8
Classroom Activities May 1
Assignments Due May 8
• Revise Paper 5
INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCES
Classroom Activities May 8
FINAL EXAM
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The above course schedule and procedures in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating
circumstances as determined by the instructor.
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Revision Policy
Option to further revise your first 4 papers. You may re-revise any of your first 4
papers for an improved grade. The improved grade will replace the original grade
recorded in the gradebook.
Deadline: You may turn in re-revisions at any time; however, no re-revisions will be
accepted after April 24.
Format: Turn in your re-revision in a two-pocket folder with the original GRADED
version of the paper. Re-revisions turned in without the first graded version will not be
graded. Email submissions will not be graded.
Strategies:
• Before revising, carefully consider the comments made by both your instructor
and your peers. Brainstorm ways to address concerns. If somebody else had
written this paper and was showing it to you—what would you recommend?
• Revision involves more than simply correcting spelling or grammatical errors
noted on your papers. Revision also involves responding to readers’ needs,
answering questions, rethinking organization, adding needed material, and
deleting unnecessary material.
• You may always come with your drafts to my office hours for consultation and
feedback. I'll expect you to come in with specific questions for me about your
specific draft. Bring all previous drafts, my comments, and your peer response
sheets.
Caveats:
• I will not tell you exactly how to write any paper, nor will I correct all your errors.
I will discuss the ideas and organization of your paper with you and give you
further suggestions for approaching your revision. This may involve giving you
organizational patterns or wording to consider. The final version of any revision is
your responsibility.
• I will identify grammatical or format issues you need to address, and help you
understand those issues so you can correct your own mistakes. I will not
proofread your papers.
• Revising a paper requires effort and diligence. If you revise your paper in a
superficial way, do no expect to receive an improved grade.
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Extra Credit
EXTRA CREDIT 1
If you attended the Poverty Simulation on Wednesday, Jan. 28 from 2:00-5:00 p.m. in the
Student Commons, write up a minimum 500-word reflective analysis of the experience
for up to 40 points of extra credit. NOTE: Advance registration is required for this event.
Contact Peg Nelson (pnelson@ivytech.edu) to register.
Please focus your analysis in one of the following ways:
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Discuss the most important or surprising insight you gained about poverty from
participating in the Poverty Simulation.
Discuss how your experience participating in the Poverty Simulation compares
with or contrasts with what you know of Barbara Ehrenreich’s experiences in
Nickel and Dimed.
Your reflective analysis is due no later than 11:59 p.m. Friday, February 13.
*****
EXTRA CREDIT 2
If you attended the Campus Common Reading Book Discussion on Wednesday, Feb. 11
from 12:00-1:30 p.m. in Lamkin Hall, write up a minimum 300-word reflective analysis
of the event for up to 20 points of extra credit.
Be sure to provide the full name(s) of the presenters, their credentials, and the title of the
discussion in your write-up.
Please focus your analysis in one of the following ways:
•
•
Discuss the most important or surprising insight you gained about the discussion
topic from participating in the discussion.
Discuss how what you learned about this topic compares with or contrasts with
what you know of Barbara Ehrenreich’s experiences in Nickel and Dimed.
Your reflective analysis is due no later than 11:59 p.m. Friday, February 20.
*****
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EXTRA CREDIT 3
If you attended the Campus Common Reading Book Discussion on Thursday, Apr. 2
from 4:30-6:00 p.m. in Lamkin Hall, write up a minimum 300-word reflective analysis of
the event for up to 20 points of extra credit.
Be sure to provide the full name(s) of the presenters, their credentials, and the title of the
discussion in your write-up.
Please focus your analysis in one of the following ways:
•
•
Discuss the most important or surprising insight you gained about the discussion
topic from participating in the discussion.
Discuss how what you learned about this topic compares with or contrasts with
what you know of Barbara Ehrenreich’s experiences in Nickel and Dimed.
Your reflective analysis is due no later than 11:59 p.m. Friday, April 10.
*****
You may submit the work early, but points/comments will not be returned to you until
after the due date.
Extra Credit work will NOT be accepted after the due dates listed above.
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Ivy Tech Community College – Bloomington
ASC
Academic Support Center
The Academic Support Center is located in
A126
Phone: 330-6617
ASC Hours:
Monday – Thursday
Friday
Saturday
9 am – 7 pm
9 am – 6 pm
8:30 am - 12:30 pm
We provide FREE tutoring support in the following areas:
• All ASA courses (Math, writing and reading)
• Most other English (English 111 and higher)
• Most other math courses (Math 111 and higher)
• Many Accounting Courses
• Math and writing for most general education courses
• Most Anatomy and Physiology courses
There is always at least one tutor present to support ASA math courses. Because not all
types of support are available at all times, either call 330-6617 or check the bulletin board
outside of the tutoring center to see when tutoring is available in your subject area.
Students are seen on a walk-in basis.
Because you are required to sign in with their course number and your instructor’s name,
we suggest that you bring the following items to any tutoring session:
• Course syllabus
• Textbook
• Assignment sheets
• Rough drafts
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