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English 101: English Composition 1
Fall 2010 – Item: 4039
Instructor Info
Caitlin Carle
ccarle@greenriver.edu
Class: When/Where
1:00-1:50 daily
SMT 133
Office Hours:
HSA-37A
Daily 11:00AM-12:00PM
By appointment (email me)
Required Materials
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TheWriter’sPresence:APoolofReadings.Editors:McQuadeandAtwan.Bedford,
2009.
AWriter’sReference.6thEditionbyDianaHacker.StronglyRecommended.
AccesstoAngel,aGreenRiveremailaccount,aUSBdrive,orreliableemailtosend
yourselfdrafts.
Afoldertostoreclassnotes,handouts,andshortwritingassignments.
Course Description
Youarenotwritingtoahouseplant!Butwhoareyouwritingfor?Andhowshouldyouwritefor
thatgroup/person?OneofthemanygoalsofEnglish101istoanswerthatquestionandtohelp
guideyoutowardmorethoughtful,complicatedwritingthanyoumayhavedoneinpastclasses.
YourwritinginEnglish101(aswellasthewritingyoudofortherestofyourlife)ismeanttobe
readbyrealpeople(notjustateacher)andshouldtakepartinanongoingconversation;thismeans
yourworkwilladdress,addto,andquestiontheideasproposedbyotherwritersinthesamefield
(wewilldiscussthis“field”later!).
Thiscourseisdesignedtohelpfamiliarizeyouwiththestylesofthinkingandcommunication
typicallyusedintheseacademic“conversations”andbydoingso,helptofamiliarizeyouwithmany
oftheskillsyouwillusethroughoutyourcollegecareer.
ThepaperswewriteinEnglish101relyonintellectualexplorationandcriticalanalysis.Analysis,in
thiscase,requiresyoutoworkasbothathoughtfulreaderandwriterinordertograpplewithwhat
maynotbeseenaboutasubjectonthefirstorsecondglance.Thistypeofthinkingrequiresyouto
resisttheurgetofind“onesolution”oranswertoacomplexproblem;instead,wewillexamine
multiplesides,pushthequestionintonewareas,and,inturn,questionourownthinking.
Some questions we will explore this quarter:
 How does our writing fit within ongoing conversations?
 What rhetorical tools do writers use to make their works more explicit and engaging?
 What writing processes can help guide me toward a complete work?
 Who is meant to read my writing? How can I write for a specific audience?
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COURSE GOALS
English101providesstudentswithtechniquesandtoolsforeffectivewritten
communication,whichincludecriticalthinkingandreading;writingprocesses;and
knowledgeofconventions.Specificassignments,texts,approaches,andemphaseswillvary
basedoninstructor.English101willemphasize:
 CriticalThinking,Reading,andWriting:readingandwritingforinquiry,learning,
thinking,andcommunicating;understandingawritingassignmentasaseriesof
tasks,includingsummarizing,evaluating,analyzing,andsynthesizingideas;
integratingtheirownideaswiththoseofothers.
 RhetoricalStrategies:focusingonapurpose;respondingtotheneedsofdifferent
audiences;adoptingappropriatevoice,diction,tone,andlevelofformality.
 WritingProcess:recognizingtheneedformultipledraftstocreateandcompletea
successfultext;developingflexiblestrategiestogenerate,revise,edit,andproof‐
read;understandingwritingasarecursiveprocessthatenableswriterstochange
theirdraftstoimproveformandcontent.
 WritingConventions:selectingappropriateformatsfordifferentkindsof
purposes;practicingappropriatemeansofdocumentingtheirwork;using
appropriatesyntax,grammar,punctuation,andspelling.
Todemonstrateproficiencyinthecoursecontentoutcomes,studentswill:
 Studyanddiscussrhetoricaltechniques.
 Criticallyreadanddiscussavarietyoftextsassignedbytheinstructor.
 Submitthreetofiveessays:threeformalessays,oneofwhichwillbedocumented,
andtwootherformalwritingassignments,including(butnotlimitedto)summaries,
readingresponses,reflectiveessays,self‐assessments,essayexams,etc.Bytheend
ofthequarter,studentswillproduceaminimumoftenpagesofformalessaytext.
 Revisewrittenassignmentstoreflectrhetoricalawarenessandknowledgeof
conventions.
Prerequisite=English100andEnglish104orCOMPASSplacement.
COURSEWORK
All the work in English 101 is organized around the interdependent acts of reading, writing, and
discussion. The goals of this course culminate in you becoming a better, more conscious
language user, so what we do in 101 is designed to be completely inter-connected. I’ll try hard
to make these connections explicit but please try to integrate them on your own, as well.
Learning works best if the teacher and student are both making an equal effort.
Writing Projects:
Theformalwritingassignmentsin101aresequencedtoteachyouhowtogenerateanddevelop
ideasfromacademicreading,howtofocusandshapethoseideasintocohesiveandorganized
papers,andhowtowriteinastyleappropriateforthevariousdisciplinesintheuniversity.There
willbethreewritingprojects,eachtaking1/3ofthequarter.Wewillbeginthequarterstarting
offbywritingapersonalnarrativeessay.Here,youwillbeworkingondevelopingyour
personalauthoritytowriteaboutasubjectanddevelopapersonalconnectiontoyour
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topic.Wewillthenmoveontoanexpositoryessay,whereyouwillbebringinganclass
author’svoiceintoyourperspectiveandexploringatopic.Asyourfinalessay,youwillbe
writingapersuasiveessay,whereyouwillbeputtingintomotionallwehavelearnedthis
quarter.Thesequenceoftheseessaysisbuilttobedevelopment,wherewebuildonthe
knowledgewehavelearnedintheprevioussequencewhilecomplicatingitwithmore
deliberateexpectations.Thisriseindifficultyandexpectationwitheachessayiswhyyou
willseeeachessaybeingworthahigherpercentageofyourgrade.
(Possible) Mid-Term Quiz:
Everydayyou’llbebuildingyourrhetoricalknowledgeandwritingvocabulary.Half‐waythrough
thequarter,wemaytakeabriefmid‐termexamontheseskills.Moreonthatlater.
Practice work:
English101isaclasswhereweusewritingtodiscoverandlearninsteadofjustdoingwritingto
showotherswhatweknow.Itisalsoaplacewherewelearnhowwritingworksby
experimentinginsideit.EverydayI’llbeaskingyoutowriteinandoutofclass.Inbetweenformal
draftsofclassprojects,youwillcompletepracticeworktoapplyvarioustechniquesfor
development,focus,andstyle.Thispracticeworkisbrief,rarelymorethanapageortwo.Itwillbe
uptoyoutousethefeedbackonthesepiecestoreviseyourwholepapers.
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RECURRING COURSE PRACTICES
Draft Review Workshops — Writersneedreaders,soonerecurringfeatureofthiscoursewillbe
theuseofdraftreviewworkshopstogetfeedbackonideasandcontent.BecauseIexpectyouto
readyourclassmemberspaperswiththesamecareyouwouldtakewithpublishedwriters,Iwill
collectandgradethewrittenfeedbackyougivetoyourdraftreviewgroup,aswellassuggestways
youcanbecomeabettercollaborator.
Discussions —Everyclassmeetingwillrequireyourinvolvementinclassdiscussion.Sometimes
ourdiscussionswillbeabouttheideasinthetextsweread,sometimesthey’llbeaboutrhetorical
choiceswritersmake,andoftenthey’llbediscussionaboutourownwriting.Inallcasesyouare
expectedtobeengagedandmakeanefforttoparticipate.Thoughkeepingadiscussiongoingis
everyone’sresponsibility,Imayassignyoutoleadusnowandthen.Ifyougetconfusedaboutwhat
wearetalkingaboutorwhy,pleasedon’tdropoutoftheconversation.Askquestions!
Computers —English101isacomputer‐assistedwritingcourse,meetinginalabatleastoncea
week.JustasabiologyorchemistrylabisdesignedtohelpyoulearnhowtoDOtheworkinthose
subjects,ourlabtimeisintendedtohelpyoupracticeDOINGacademicwritingwithguided
assistance.Itisimperativeyoucomepreparedtowrite.Ifyouareuncomfortablewiththe
technology,pleaseletmeknow;wewillfigureitallout.
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CONFERENCES 
Becausewewon’talwaysbeabletotalkone‐on‐oneinclass,Irequireoneconferencewithme
duringthequarter.Thesewillmostlikelytakeplaceduringthelaterweeks,andwewill
schedulethemthebestwecanaroundourschedules.
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EVALUATION
Thiscourseasksyoutogrowintoastronger,morecompetentwriter.Therefore,thelaterprojects
areworthmore.Evaluationbreaksdowninthisfashion:
Personal Narrative Essay
10%
Compare/Contrast Piece
10%
Expository Essay
20%
Final Draft of Expository Essay +
Reflective Letter
35% + 5% (letter)
Participation/Attendance/Preparation
20%
ConversionTable:
Tableforconvertingyourpercentagegradeinthisclasstoadecimalgrade:
99‐100=4.0 89=3.4
97‐98=3.9 88=3.3
95‐96=3.8 87=3.2
93‐94=3.7 86=3.1
91‐92=3.6 85=3.0
90=3.5
84=2.9
61%andbelow‐‐nocredit
83=2.8
82=2.7
81=2.6
80=2.5
79=2.4
78=2.3
77=2.2
76=2.1
75=2.0
74=1.9
73=1.8
72=1.7
71=1.665=1.0
70=1.564=0.9
69=1.463=0.8
68=1.362=0.7
67=1.261=0.0
66=1.1
CLASSROOM POLICIES
Attendance
Becausesomuchofyourgradereliesonyourbeingpresent(physicallyandmentally)inthe
classroom,yourpeersandIexpectyoutobeattendclassregularly.Iunderstandthatcircumstances
arise,soifyouaregoingtomissclass,youmustletmeknowassoonaspossible.Youwillonlybe
abletomakeupquizzesandclassworkifyouletmeknowinadvance.Otherwise,yourabsencewill
bereflectedinyourgrade.Thisisaperformance‐basedcoursewhereyoupracticewhatyou
learnandlearnwhenyoupractice,soyouneedtobepresentandworkingeachtimewe
meet.Becauseemergenciesarise,Iwillallowthree(3)absenceswithnoeffectonyour
grade.Yourattendancedirectlyreflectsyourparticipationandpreparationforthecourse
Assuch,thefollowingishowyourattendance/participationgradewillbedetermined:0‐3
daysmissed=A.4‐5daysmissed=B.6‐7daysmissed=C.over8daysmissed=F.Ifyou
missmorethanten(10)daysormore,youareadvisedtowithdrawfromthecourse.
Developmentally,youhavemissedsomuchthatitisunlikelyyouwillbeabletopass.
Note:Don’teverjuststopattendingclasswithoutdroppingitofficially.Ifyoudonotofficiallydrop
aclass,youwillreceivea0.0asagradeonyourtranscript.A“W”(withdraw)willnotimpactyour
totalGPA(gradepointaverage)buta0.0willloweryourGPAsubstantially.
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Assignments
Allassignmentsaredueatthebeginningofclassunlessnotedotherwise.Itisyourresponsibilityto
contactmeoryourclassmatestofindoutwhatyoumissedwhenabsent;Iamhappytohelpyou
makeupworkifyoustayincontact.
Cheating or Plagiarism
Plagiarismoccurswhenyouknowinglysubmitsomeoneelse'sideasorwordsasyourown.
Plagiarismisanactofintentionaldeceptionthatisdishonest,androbsyouofthemostimportant
productofeducation‐‐‐theactuallearning.IfIsuspectacademicdishonesty,Iwilldiscussitwith
you;plagiarismwillresultinafailedassignment.Repeatedplagiarismorcheatingwillresultin
yourfailingthiscourse.Talktomeifyouarestruggling—plagiarismismuchlessproductive.
Plagiarismisaseriousoffense.ForGRCCpolicy,seethestudenthandbook.
Conduct and Cell Phone Use
Thisisacollegecourse,andthereforethisinstitution,yourclassmates,andIhavehighstandards
foryourbehaviorduringthisquarter.Anyconductthatmakesourlearningenvironmentlesssafe
orimpedesanotherstudent’slearningisabsolutelyunacceptable.AtGreenRiverCommunity
Collegewedonotdiscriminateagainstanyonebasedonrace,ethnicity,creed,color,nationalorigin,
sex,maritalstatus,sexualorientation,age,religion,orthepresenceofanysensory,mental,or
physicaldisability,andIexpectourclassroomtoreflectthat.
Pleaseturnyourcellphonestosilentorvibratewhenyouenterclass.Ifyouareexpectingan
importantcall,youmustleavetheclassroomtotakeit.Berespectfulinnotdisturbingothers.Ifyou
aretextingduringclass,Iwillaskyoutoleave—nohardfeelings,itisjustextremelydistracting.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT
Instructor Support
Iwillholdofficehoursdirectlyafterthisclassmostdays.Oncemyofficehoursareestablished,I
welcomeyoutocometalktomeaboutthisclass;pleasedonothesitatetospeakwithmeifyouare
struggling,confused,orsimplywanttotalkaboutyourwork.Iameasilyreachedbyemail
(ccarle@greenriver.edu)until9PMmostnights,butspeakwithmeinpersonifitisamoreinvolved
question.
Tutoring and Writing Centers
GreenRiverprovidesmany(free!)academicservicesoncampusforstudents.Ifyoucannotmeet
withmeorwouldlikeanotherperspectiveonyourwork,checkout:
TheTutoringandResourceCenter–HolmanLibrary,2ndfloor.
Hours:Monday‐Thursday8:00AM‐5:00PM;Friday9:00AM‐4:00PM
TheWritingCenter–RLC173
Hours:Monday‐Friday8:00AM—3:00PM
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Students Subject to Provisions of Americans With Disabilities Act
IfyoubelieveyouqualifyforcourseadaptationsorspecialaccommodationsundertheAmericans
WithDisabilitiesAct,itisyourresponsibilitytocontacttheDisabledStudentsServicesCoordinator
intheLSCandprovidetheappropriatedocumentation.Ifyouhavealreadydocumentedadisability
orotherconditionthatwouldqualifyyouforspecialaccommodations,orifyouhaveemergency
medicalinformationorspecialneedsIshouldknowabout,pleasenotifymeduringthefirstweekof
class.Youcanreachmebyphoneat253‐833‐9111,4211.Or,youcanscheduleanoffice
appointmentwithmeinRLC165duringmyofficehoursoranothermutuallydeterminedtime.If
thislocationisnotconvenientforyou,wewillscheduleanalternativeplaceforthemeeting.Ifyou
useanalternativemediumforcommunicating,letmeknowwellinadvanceofthemeeting(atleast
oneweek)sothatappropriateaccommodationscanbearranged.
Ilookforwardtoagreatquarterinthisclass!