Wayland Baptist University
at Mililani Campus
English 1301
Syllabus
Composition and Rhetoric
Spring II 2012 T/R 6:00- 10:00 PM
May 8 – June 7, 2012
Mission Statement:
We seek to serve the Lord by offering quality education in a
Christian environment and with Aloha spirit. We further
seek to provide practical and meaningful instruction and encouragement that will lead to
professional advancement and enriched lives.
-- Aloha Ke Akua –
Instructor Tad T. Matsunaga
Phone
(808)455-8365
e-mail
tadmatsunaga@aol.com
Office Hours Before or after classes and by appointment with the instructor.
PREREQUISITE: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Principles of clear, correct, effective expository writing, with illustrative
readings and frequent essays and conferences.
English 1301 teaches the techniques of English composition with an emphasis
on the process of learning to write clearly and effectively, and to read
analytically. This course fulfills the English prerequisite requirement for higher
courses, such as English 1302.
You will develop effective writing skills through practice and study of:
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topic selection
writing structure and organization
writing mechanics
critical reading
college level analysis of various types of writing
English 1301 Syllabus
You will experience and participate in:
l self-editing and peer editing
l actual writing experience and conferencing with the instructor
TEXTBOOKS
l Strategies for Successful Writing, by James A. Reinking and Robert
von der Osten; Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/ Prentice Hall,
9th ed., 2011. ISBN-13: 978-0-205-68944-6, ISBN-10: 0-205-68944-2
l Practical English Handbook, by Floyd C. Watkins, William B.
Dillingham, John Hiers, and Byron Brown; Boston, New York:
Houghton Mifflin Company, 11th ed., 2001. ISBN 0-618-42274-9
MATERIALS
l A portfolio. You are responsible for saving pre writing, drafts, peer
evaluations, and final drafts of all written assignments in a portfolio.
You should bring this portfolio with you to all conferences with the
instructor. This portfolio with the ending writer’s evaluation essay
will be worth 20% of your grade.
COURSE COMPETENCIES
l By the end of the course, you will be able to:
1. apply standard rules and conventions of the English language
to written expressions.
2. summarize the steps and components of the writing process.
3. compose academic, nonfiction essays or responses in at
least four different rhetorical modes or styles.
4. demonstrate proficiency in writing skills based on the criteria
of standard essay structure and English usage.
5. compose a clear, coherent, unified essay, organized around a
single central idea and use a variety of techniques to support
your writing.
6. compose effective thesis statements.
7. apply basic rhetorical modes: description, comparison,
narration, and illustration.
8. employ the various stages of the writing process, including:
brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising, and editing.
9. demonstrate understanding of and effective use of paragraph
structure, including topic sentences, supporting examples,
and transition sentences.
10. demonstrate effective use of introductions and conclusions.
11. employ various forms of support for claims, including
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English 1301 Syllabus
12.
13.
14.
15.
concrete, significant and specific examples, illustrations,
anecdotes, facts and reasons.
read, analyze, and discuss readings with an understanding of
structure and mechanics.
identify effective writing techniques in your own essays and
in peer writing.
organize and develop essays, demonstrating the ability to
write for an academic audience.
avoid plagiarism
PLAGIARISM
Copying written material that is not your own without indicating the source of
the material is called plagiarism, and is considered cheating. It is expected
that you will do your own work. Copying someone else’s work without giving
credit to them is dishonorable. You should be especially careful not to copy
from printed material or from someone else’s written material without telling
the reader where the material came from. Work that is not done by you and
not attributed to a source will receive an “0” grade. Please consult with the
instructor if you have any doubt about what constitutes plagiarism.
COURSE WORK
Essay #1
Essay #2
Portfolio and Writer’s Essay
Quizzes, Classwork, Participation
Final Examination
Total Grade
GRADE SCALE
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%
____________
100%
90 – 100%
80 - 89%
70 - 79%
60 - 69%
Below 60%
=
=
=
=
=
A
B
C
D
F
PAPERS (40%)
You will write two essay papers (3 or more pages for each). All
essays must be typed, double-spaced with a cover page (see sample APA
cover page in writing handbook). The cover sheet includes, the title
(concise) of your paper, your name, and the person or agency to which
your paper is submitted. It also usually provides a line that states the
reason for the submission—for example, to satisfy a course requirement
(English 1301), and the date. Margins should be one inch. Number
each page top right (short title, page number). Staple all work together
before it is to be turned in (also include drafts and peer evaluations) —
newest material should be placed on top. Loss of one letter grade per
day for late papers.
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English 1301 Syllabus
PORTFOLIO and WRITER’S ESSAY (20%)
You will be required to hand-in a WRITING PORTFOLIO with all of the
work you have done for the course, collected together, including your
drafts of papers, etc. Bring this portfolio with you to all conferences
with the instructor, and you should also make it a point to evaluate your
progress as you go along. At the end of the term, you will turn in your
portfolio and a WRITER’S ESSAY in which you present an analysis of
yourself as the writer of the essay(s) that you wrote for the English 1301
course⎯ using terminology and concepts covered in the textbook, e.g.
vantage point, sensory words, thesis statement…. Analyze and describe
the process used in writing the essays, and what you observed about
yourself as a writer. Reflect on strengths and points needing
improvement as you have written the essays. Recommended paper
length for this Writer’s Essay is two pages minimum (with cover page,
thesis statement, etc.). The Writer’s Essay and the portfolio will count
for 20% of your final grade.
WBU STATEMENTS
A) Notice to Students Experiencing Disabilities:
It is university policy that no otherwise qualified disabled person
be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be
subject to discrimination under any educational
program or activity in the University. Students should inform the
instructor of existing disabilities the first class meeting. (Documentation
of disability may be required.)
B) Statement to Students to retain course research papers [for
undergraduate course only]:
WBU degree-seeking students are strongly encouraged to retain copies of
all research papers. To graduate from WBU, students must complete the
senior Exit Seminar course, GRAD 4101. The Exit Seminar is designed to
capstone an adult learner’s discipline knowledge through the completion
of a discipline portfolio or the completion of an approved research
project. The research papers retained from previous courses,
particularly courses within the discipline, will aid the adult learner in
completing the GRAD 4101 course.
QUIZZES, CLASSWORK, PARTICIPATION (20%)
There will be both announced and unannounced quizzes. Your quizzes
will test your reading comprehension and your writing ability.
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English 1301 Syllabus
There will be class assignments both in and outside of class. You must
participate. Any non-documented absences will be deducted from your
grade. The class will do in-class and group assignments, and your
contribution in these activities will become your participation grade. Be
prepared for the classwork assignments so that you can speak up and
contribute to the class. Students are responsible for finding out from
classmates or the instructor, all missed work and assignments.
ATTENDANCE
As stated in the Wayland Catalog, students enrolled should make every
effort to attend all class meetings. All absences must be explained to the
instructor, who will then determine whether the omitted work may be made
up. When a student reaches that number of absences considered by the
instructor to be excessive, the instructor will so advise the student and file an
unsatisfactory progress report with the campus dean. Any student who misses
25 percent or more of the regularly scheduled class meetings will receive a
grade of “F” for the course. Additional attendance policies for each course, as
defined by the instructor in the course syllabus, are considered a part of the
University’s attendance policy.
FINAL EXAMINATION (20%)
The Final Examination will consist of two parts: 1) answering various
course content questions, and 2) responding to questions on a published
essay.
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English 1301 Syllabus
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
(Tuesdays and Thursdays)
WEEK ONE (May 8 and 10, 2012)
Introduction, course syllabus, The Writing Process, audience and purpose,
Thesis statement, introduction, body, conclusion,
Tuesday’s Readings
In Strategies … : Chapters 1, 3, 6
In … Handbook : Chapter 2
Effective words, sentences, paragraphs,
Topic sentences, supporting sentences, concluding sentences,
The Descriptive Essay
Thursday’s Readings
In Strategies … : Chapters 2, 4, 5, 9
In … Handbook : Chapter 3 —section 3a, pages 60-64
WEEK TWO (May 15 and 17, 2012)
Essay #1 — Descriptive Essay Peer Editing First Draft due May 15, 2012
Major support, minor support, transition words and phrases, transition
sentences, major support, minor support,
The Comparative Essay
Tuesday’s Readings
In Strategies … : Chapter 13
In … Handbook : Chapter 42
Essay #1 — Descriptive Essay FINAL DRAFT FOR GRADE due May 17, 2012
Quotation, citation, paraphrase,
The Example (Illustration) Essay
Thursday’s Readings
In Strategies … : Chapter 11
In … Handbook : Chapter 3 —sections 3b-f, pages 80
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English 1301 Syllabus
WEEK THREE (May 22 and 24, 2012)
The Narrative Essay
Tuesday’s Readings
In Strategies … : Chapter 8
Patterns in causal analysis, Reasoning errors, ethical issues,
Defining definitions, types of Definitions,
The Cause and Effect Essay and The Definition Essay
Thursday’s Readings
In Strategies … : Chapters 14, 15
WEEK FOUR (May 29 and 31, 2012)
Essay # 2 — Narrative Essay PEER EDITING First Draft due May 29, 2012
Defining process analysis, kinds of process analysis,
The Process Analysis Essay
Tuesday’s Readings
In Strategies … : Chapter 10
Essay #2 — Narrative Essay FINAL DRAFT FOR GRADE due May 31, 2012
The rational appeal, reasoning strategies, the emotional appeal, the ethical
appeal, ferreting out fallacies,
The Argumentative Essay
Thursday’s Readings
In Strategies … : Chapters 16
In … Handbook: Chapter 1
WEEK FIVE (June 5 and 7, 2012)
Argumentaion fallacies, The Essay Examination,
Tuesday’s Readings
In Strategies … : Chapters 18
— Final Examination and Writer’s Essay due June 7, 2012
Final Examination
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