English 1301 Syllabus
Fall 2013
English 1301 WCJC and Semester 1 of English IV Ridge Point HS
Instructor
Nancy Dickinson
nancy.dickinson@fortbend.k12.tx.us
English 1301 WCJC Course Description
Intensive study of and practice in writing processes, from invention and researching to drafting, revising, and editing, both
individually and collaboratively. Emphasis on effective rhetorical choices, including audience, purpose, arrangement, and style. Focus
on writing the academic essay as a vehicle for learning, communicating, and critical analysis.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes.
2. Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution.
3. Write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose.
4. Read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts.
5. Use Edited American English in academic essays.
Required Texts
1. Hacker, Diana. The Bedford Handbook. Bedford-St. Martin’s. Eighth Edition.
2. Flachmann, Kim and Michael Flachmann. Nexus: A Rhetorical Reader for Writers.
Boston: Pearson, 2012.
(Students must purchase Nexus at the WCJC Bookstore in order to have access to MyCompLab, a major component of the course.)
Grading System
WCJC
A 90-100
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
F 59 or below
Fortbend ISD
A 90-100
B 80-89
C 75-79
D 70-74
F 69 and below
English 1301 WCJC will consist of three categories:
Major Papers 60%
Grammar, Peer Editing, Journals, Reading Quizzes 20%
Research Paper (Final Exam) 15%
Grammar Post Test 5%
The first semester of English IV will consist of three categories:
1st 9-Weeks Average 42.5%
2nd 9-Weeks Average 42.5%
Final Exam 15%
English IV: According to Ridge Point and Fortbend ISD policy, there will be at least one major grade and three minor grades each
progress report.
English 1301: There will be six major composition grades for English 1301, which constitute 60% of the student’s grade. Twentypercent of the final grade is based on grammar (primarily from quizzes taken on MyCompLab), reading quizzes, peer editing and
journals. The final exam for English 1301 will consist of the research paper, making up 15% of the final average in the course. As
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required by the WCJC English Department, 5% of the final grade will be based on the Grammar Post Test given on MyCompLab. At
least one major grade will be based on collaborative work, and the student can expect at least one oral assessment.
Grading Practices
Students will submit all essays to Turnitin.com. Papers are due at 3:00 a.m. on the due date. Essays will be scored on
Turnitin.com as quickly as possible by the instructor. In addition to marking mechanical errors, the instructor will make evaluative
comments and recommendations for the next paper. Students are expected to review comments on Turnitin.com. The instructor
reserves the right to require students examine instructor comments before accepting the next paper. Assignments not meeting the
requirements of the instructor will not be accepted. Per policy, papers not accepted on the due date are considered late.
All writers make mechanical errors; however, papers that have gone through revision and peer evaluation should possess a
certain professionalism. Errors such as the following should be avoided: ineffective sentence fragments, run-on sentences, pronoun
errors, faulty complements, confusion of commonly used words, shifts in constructions, comma splices, subject-verb errors, and
misplaced modifiers.
Content and organization are valued at 60-65% of an essay’s grade; mechanical errors are worth 40 to 35% percent of the
final grade. Mechanical errors on papers written in class, or timed writings, will not be penalized as severely. However, MLA
formatting is required of every assignment.
Regarding peer editing in class, the instructor expects students to arrive to class with a hard copy of the original assigned
essay. Students will not be allowed to print the paper in class nor will students be allowed to go to the library to print the assignment
during the class hour on peer editing day. Rough drafts will also be submitted to Turnitin.com. Periodically, peer editing will take
place on Turnitin.com. A strict compliance of the due date and hour must be observed for full credit.
Papers submitted to Turnitin.com will not be accepted with over 24% originality. As per policy, any paper turned in late will
be subject to late point penalties, including papers re-submitted after failure to comply with requirements.
When submitting an assignment to Turnitin.com, the student must verify that the uploaded document is the correct document.
The instructor will not delete uploaded assignments to Turnitin.com.
Communication and Cell Phone Policy
Cell phone use is at the instructor’s discretion. All non-academic use of cell phones is prohibited. During class, cell phones
should be off and stored out of sight until the instructor invites the use of the device. The instructor reserves the right to collect any
cell phone being used in an inappropriate or even unnecessary manner. The confiscated phone will be turned in to an administrator.
Students must use a working email for Turnitin.com. This email will be used by the instructor for updates, notices and
handouts. Students are required to check this email every 24 hours.
Late and Absence Policy
Students are expected to turn in papers by 3:00 a.m. on the due date. FBISD excused absence policy will be followed;
however, absences from class do not constitute an excuse for late electronic submissions to Turnitin.com. Late papers will lose
twenty-five points daily. After two school days, the assignment will no longer be considered for submission. No assignment will be
scored without submission to Turnitin.com. It is recommended that the student bring a hard copy and electronic copy of the
assignment to class on the due date.
If a student is absent on peer editing day, students must attend a 20-minute tutorial with the instructor before credit will be
awarded. Students who are present in class but fail to produce a paper for peer editing will not receive credit for the assignment.
Upon returning from an absence, students must consult their college study group for details on assignments missed while out.
The instructor advises that the student exchange contact information with four peers (Ask 4 Policy). These peers must be consulted
before the student asks the instructor about missed assignments. All questions for the instructor regarding missed assignments must be
made during office hours.
Quizzes, tests, and timed writings assigned in advance must be taken on the assigned date even if the student is absent the
preceding class.
Scholastic Dishonesty
Students are expected to maintain the rules and policies of both educational institutions.
Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but shall not be limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. "Cheating on a
test or quiz" shall include copying from another student's test paper; using materials not authorized by the person administering the
test; collaborating with or seeking aid from another student during a test without permission from the test administrator; knowingly
using, buying, selling, stealing, or soliciting, in whole or in part, the contents of a test; the unauthorized transporting or removal, in
whole or in part, of the contents of a test; substituting for another student, or permitting another student to substitute for oneself, to
take a test; bribing another person to obtain a test or information about a test.
Wharton County Junior College requires that students submit their own work, whether they are writing papers, taking exams,
or making oral presentations. Plagiarism, taking someone else’s words or ideas and representing them as your own, is expressly
prohibited by the college. Good academic work must be based on honesty. Submitting someone else’s work as one’s own is
considered a serious offense by the college. Student academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to the following:
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• copying the work of another during an examination or turning in a paper or an assignment written, in whole or in part, by someone
else;
• copying from books, magazines, or other sources, including Internet or electronic databases like EBSCOhost and Elibrary, or
paraphrasing ideas from such sources without acknowledging them;
• submitting an essay for one course to a second course without having sought prior permission from your instructor;
• giving a speech and using information from books, magazines, or other sources or paraphrasing ideas from such sources without
acknowledging them.
CONSEQUENCES for Academic Dishonesty
Disciplinary action will be pursued in all instances in which it is determined that academic dishonesty has occurred. In the case of
suspected wrongdoing, the faculty member may file charges with the Dean of Students, inform his or her department head, and follow
the process specified by the college. Disciplinary action may include but is not limited to the following:
• Assignment of a failing grade for a test, examination, or assignment;
• Assignment of a failing grade for the course;
• Assignment of a student disciplinary sanction from the college;
• Suspension or expulsion from the college.
SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Wharton County Junior College is committed to providing a discrimination-free environment for its students with disabilities. Students with disabilities are
encouraged to inform the college of any assistance they may need upon application. Early self-identification will allow the student to receive whatever accommodation
he or she may need as quickly as possible.
Students with disabilities are encouraged to register with the ADA Coordinator, located in the Office of Student Services and to provide appropriate
documentation. This action entitles qualified students with disabilities to their legal rights and assures them of receiving information on services and procedures
available to them. Disability information is strictly confidential and is not released without consent of the student.
It is the responsibility of the student with a disability to voluntarily and confidentially disclose information regarding the nature and extent of the disability.
Wharton County Junior College does not assume responsibility for providing special accommodations and services to students who have not identified themselves as
having a qualifying disability and who have not made their need known.
COURSE CALENDAR
Week 1 Aug 26-30
Introduce syllabus and expectations for the course.
Discussion of Brave New World with study guide.
Grammar Boot Camp: Bedford Handbook Part V: 19a-d, 20a-d, 21a-k
Readings at Home: Nexus Chapter 2 and Bedford pg. 87.
MyCompLab Grammar Pre-test completed by September 2.
Week 2 Sept. 3-6
Quiz on Brave New World (English IV Major Grade only).
Discussion of Blink.
Open-book Test over Blink (English IV Quiz Grade only).
Read Ch. 2 Nexus “The Reading Process” pg. 6-9.
Read pg. 87 in Bedford Handbook.
Week 3 Sept. 9-13
Readings in Nexus: Chapter 5 Descriptions, “Raging Bulls,” “Officer’s Describe 9/11 in Memos,” Chapter 6 Narration, “I Will Never
Know Why,” “Only Daughter.”
Quiz over readings in Nexus from Week 3.
My CompLab Quiz.
Week 4 Sept. 16-20
Brainstorm topic of paper, in-class rough draft, peer revisions and peer editing.
Bedford Part V: 22, 23, 24.
Students selected to read on Friday.
Paper 1: Description/Narration Paper due on Sunday, Sept. 22, by 12:00a.m. to Turnitin.com.
Week 5 Sept. 23-27
Readings in Nexus: Chapter 7 Illustration, “Body Piercing,” “How Twitter is Hurting Students,” “The Multitasking Generation.”
Quiz over readings in Nexus from Week 5.
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My CompLab Quiz.
Week 6 Sept. 30-Oct. 4
Brainstorm topic of paper, in-class rough draft, peer revisions and peer editing.
Bedford Part V: 25 26, 27.
Begin planning group Process Paper.
Paper 2: Illustration Paper due on Sunday, October 6, to Turnitin.com.
Week 7 Oct. 7-11
Readings in Nexus: Chapter 8 Process Analysis, “How to Say Nothing in 500 Words,” “What Makes A Successful Business Person?”
Reading provided by Instructor: “Anatomy of a Joke” by Gary Trudeau.
Quiz over readings in Nexus from Week 7.
Students will make suggestions for group for Process Paper. Instructor will assign groups.
Brainstorm topic of paper, in-class rough draft.
My CompLab Quiz.
Week 8 Oct. 14-18
Bedford Part VII 32, 33, 34
Peer Edit Process Analysis Paper with Group in class.
Group Presentations: Groups will present the process to class with demonstrations.
Paper 3: Process Analysis Paper is due on Sunday, Oct. 20, by 12:00 a.m.
Week 9 Oct. 21-25
Readings in Nexus: Chapter 10 Comparison and Contrast, “Grandma,” “Indecent Exposure,” “Sex, Lies, and Conversation.”
Quiz over readings in Nexus from Week 9.
Brainstorm topic of paper, rough draft.
My CompLab Quiz.
Week 10
Oct. 28- Nov. 1
Peer edit and make revisions to Paper 4: Compare and Contrast.
Bedford Part VII: 35, 36, 37, 38, 39
Paper 4: Compare and Contrast Paper due on Friday, Nov. 1, by 12:00 a.m.
Readings in Nexus: Chapter 12 Cause and Effect, “What Evolutionary Psychology Says About Social Networking,” “Black Men and
Public Space,” “Skin Deep: Seeking Self-Esteem Through Surgery.”
Introduction of Research Paper Topics.
Week 11
Nov. 4-8
Quiz over Cause and Effect Readings.
Brainstorm topic of cause and effect paper, create rough draft.
Bedford Handbook Part VIII: 40, 41, 42, 44 and 45.
Students declare Research Paper Topics.
Week 12
Nov. 11-15
Peer edit and revise draft of Cause and Effect Paper.
Readings in Nexus: Chapter 13 Argument, “Now You take ‘Bambi’ or ‘Snow White’—That’s Scary!” “Online Privacy Fears Are Real,”
“Privacy, Facebook, and the Future of the Internet.”
Paper 5: Cause and Effect Paper due Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 12:00 a.m.
Week 13
Nov. 18-22
Lab/Library to find sources for research paper.
Annotated Bibliography and Works Cited MLA review.
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Annotated Bibliography due before Thanksgiving Break.
My CompLab Quiz.
Week 14
Nov. 25-29
Thanksgiving Week--Off
Week 15
Dec. 2-6
Peer revisions and editing of research paper.
Week 16
Dec. 9-13 Finals Week WCJC
Research paper due.
Review Grammar.
MyCompLab Grammar Post-test.
Exam Week for Ridge Point HS
December 16-20
English IV Final
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Evaluation of English 1301 Essays
Indicators for an “A”
Paper
Indicators for a “B” paper
Indicators for a “C”
paper
Indicators for a “D” paper
Indicators for a “F” paper
*Topic clearly and fully
addressed identifiable
rhetorical pattern used
throughout most of the
essay. *Arresting
introduction.
*Thoughtful, well
positioned thesis
*Three or more body
paragraphs
*Effective topic
sentences
*Strong conclusion
*The number, depth, and
specificity of supporting
details are persuasive
*Factual information is
correct
*Assumption that are
generally accepted as
true, and if they are not,
they are fully supported
by argument
*Topic addressed
*Identifiable rhetorical
pattern used throughout
most of the essay
*Interesting introduction
*Clear thesis
*At least three body
pargraphs
*Acceptable topic
sentence
*Competent conclusion
*Topic minimally
addressed
*Little adherence to an
identifiable rhetorical
pattern
*One or two sentence
introduction
*Unclear or poorly placed
thesis
*Fewer than three body
paragraphs
*Poor topic sentences
*Weak conclusion
*The number, depth, and
specificity of supporting
details are insufficient
*May be errors of fact
Illogical assumptions
*Topic merely repeated
and not addressed
*Unidentifiable rhetorical
pattern
*Lack of an introduction
*Unclear or missing thesis
*Illogical paragraphing or
lack of paragraphing
*Poor topic sentences
*Lack of conclusion
Unity and Focus
The clarity with which the
writer states and
maintains the main idea
*Main idea treated
throughout the paper
*No extraneous ideas
*Main idea abandoned
after first two paragraphs
*A secondary idea that is
blatantly contradictory to
main idea
*Main idea is unclear
*Topic is abandoned after
first paragraph
Organization
Logical sequence of
ideas, plan and method
of essay, and transitions
*Essay progresses by
clearly ordered and
necessary stages
*Arrangement is effective
*Transitions are explicit
and effective
*Main idea treated in
most of the essay
*A secondary idea, which
is supportive of the main
idea, may be included
but remains
undeveloped
*Plan and method are
apparent but not
consistently fulfilled
*Arrangement is not the
most effective
*Transitions are
competent
*Topic partially
addressed
Identifiable rhetorical
pattern used in parts of
the essay
*Mechanical
introduction
*Thesis apparent but
trivial or too general
*Fewer than three body
paragraphs
*Weak topic sentences
*Adequate conclusion
*The number, depth,
and specificity of
supporting details are
minimal
*May be some errors of
fact
*Assumptions may not
be valid; and if they are
ones that are not
generally held to be
true, they are not
supported by argument
*Main idea treated in
some parts of the essay
*A secondary idea that
weakens the main idea
or contradicts the main
idea may be present
*Method and plan are not
apparent
*Sequence of ideas is not
logical
*Transitions are ineffective
*Method of plan are not
apparent
*Sequence of ideas is not
logical
*Transitions are missing or
inappropriate
Sentence Structure
The effectiveness of
sentence structure and
the extent to which the
writing is free of errors in
sentence structure and
dictation
Usage and Mechanical
Conventions
The extent to which the
writing shows care and
precision in word choice
and is free of errors in
usage, is free of spelling
errors, and follows the
conventions of
punctuation and
capitalization
*No fragments, run-ons,
mixed constructions, or
lacks of parallelism
*Sentence variety
effectively used
*Occasional fragments,
run-ons, mixed
constructions, or lacks of
parallelism
*Little sentence variety
*Plan and method are
apparent but not
consistently fulfilled
*Sequence may not be
logical
*Arrangement may not
be logical
*Transitions are
mechanical
*Some fragments, runons, mixed
constructions, or lacks
of parallelism
*Monotonous
sentences
*Sentences incoherent
*Correct use of idioms
*Precise and distinctive
diction
*Correct use of adjectives
and adverbs
*No errors in subjectverb agreement or shifts
in voice, mood, and tense
*No errors in pronoun
usage
*No errors in spelling,
punctuation, or
capitalization
*Correct use of idioms
*Diction is correct but
undistinguished
*Correct use of
adjectives and adverbs
*Minimal errors in
subject-verb agreement
and in shifts in voice,
mood, and tense
*Minimal errors in
pronoun usage
*Minimal errors in
spelling, punctuation, or
capitalization
*Several fragments, runons, mixed constructions,
or lacks of parallelism
*Errors in sentence
structure that interfere
with communication of
ideas
*Imprecise diction
*Unidiomatic and
incorrect usage
*Several errors in use of
adjective and adverbs
*Several errors in subjectverb agreement and in
shifts in voice, mood, and
tense
*Several errors in pronoun
usage
*Several errors in spelling,
punctuation, or
capitalization
Essay Structure
The extent to which the
writer addresses the
topic and uses the
pattern indicated by the
prompt. The degree of
adherence to the major
components of an essay:
introduction, lead-in,
thesis, paragraphing,
topic sentences, and
conclusion
Development
The number, depth, and
specifically of supporting
details
*The number, depth, and
specificity of supporting
details to support the
thesis are persuasive
*Factual information is
correct
*Assumptions are valid
and generally accepted
as true
*Diction is generally
correct but may be too
informal (use of second
person, contractions,
slang)
*Minimal errors in use
of adjectives and
adverbs
*Occasional errors in
subject-verb agreement
and in shifts in voice,
mood, and tense
*Occasional errors in
pronoun usage
*Occasional errors in
spelling, punctuation,
and capitalization
*The number, depth, and
specificity of supporting
details are insufficient
and/or irrelevant
*Errors of fact
*Illogical assumptions
*Use of substandard
language
*Unidiomatic and
incorrect usage
*Numerous errors in use
of adverbs
*Numerous errors in
subject-verb agreement
and in shifts in voice,
mood, and tense
*Numerous errors in
pronoun usage
*Numerous errors in
spelling, punctuation, or
capitalization
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