Chaffey College
Class Syllabus
English 1B
Advanced Composition and Critical Thinking
Instructor: Deckard Hodge
Room: LA-14
Time: MW 3:30-5:00
Email: deckard.hodge@chaffey.edu
Course Website: www.chaffey.edu/english/hodge/index.htm
Semester: Fall, 2008
Section: 50862
Office: LA-9F
Office Hours: MW 2:00-3:30, TTh 8:30-9:30; ABA
Office Phone: 909-652-6924
Prerequisite:
English 1A or equivalent with a minimum grade of C.
Course Description:
Using primarily non-fiction, students will integrate critical thinking skills with effective written analysis and argument
and will draw distinctions between deductive and inductive reasoning. Students will write and critique essays using
research strategies, producing a minimum of 6,000 words.
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of English 1B, students will be able to:
 evaluate college-level reading materials;
 identify main ideas;
 recognize inferences, assumptions, and inductive/deductive reasoning;
 analyze evidence in support of claims;
 comment on the effect of diction, metaphor, connotative language, and denotative language;
 recognize the influence of style and voice on purpose;
 draw and articulate sound inferences about the intention of a writer;
 distinguish between fact and opinion;
 analyze the structure of arguments and evaluate their validity;
 identify common fallacies of language and thought;
 progressively refine their writing skills by constructing sound arguments, avoiding logical fallacies, supplying
sufficient support for claims, using outside sources, employing correct citation and documentation, and using
various diction levels and stylistic approaches;
 write essays that effectively employ such writing strategies as analysis, synthesis, and summary, and that emphasize
such writing tasks as causal analysis, advocacy of idea, persuasion, evaluation, refutation, interpretation, and
definition.
Academic Integrity:
The Chaffey College English Department has adopted the following policy:
Plagiarism, an unlawful act which is defined as the misrepresentation of the published ideas or words of another
as one’s own, will not be tolerated in Chaffey College English courses. At the discretion of the professor,
plagiarism may result in zero points for the assignment and/or failing the course.
For this course, the first offense—whether it is an outright theft of another’s work, an instance of lazy paraphrasing, or
somewhere in between—will result in an automatic failure of the semester. In addition, a disciplinary record will be
established and kept on file with the college.
Required Texts:
Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. New York: Anchor Books, 1996.
Maasik, Sonia and Jack Solomon, eds. Signs of Life in the USA. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006.
A soft, non-fastening folder with pockets.
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Attendance and Participation:
Attendance is assumed. Students get four personal days for which they owe me no explanation; these are your days on
which to be sick, tend to family business, suffer car breakdowns, etc.. Missing a significant portion of any class period
constitutes an absence. Missing more than four meetings, for any reason, will have a significant negative impact on your
course grade. Missing more than seven meetings, for any reason, may result in automatic failure of the course.
If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what you have missed and to read the syllabus to find out what you
need to do to prepare for the next class. Being absent is not an acceptable excuse for being unprepared when you return,
so it might be a good idea for you to exchange contact information with a few of your classmates.
Your contribution to classroom discussion and activity is important to your progress in this course. Homework and
participation will determine twenty percent of your grade. Participation includes arriving prepared for class activities
(such as reading discussions, presentations, and peer critiques), taking quizzes, revising multiple drafts, and otherwise
actively engaging with the course material. Be sure to always come to class with your reading and homework completed,
as late homework will not be accepted for credit.
Papers:
All papers must be typed, double-spaced, in 12 pt. Times New Roman font, with MLA style title and heading and one
inch margins. Essays should always meet the specified length and may be penalized for failing to do so. Essays have no
maximum length. Please bring two copies of your essay on peer critique days. Your work will be shared with the
members of this class for their benefit, appreciation, and constructive criticism. Do not write about a subject that you
would feel uncomfortable discussing in an open forum. If you miss class or arrive unprepared on the day of a peer
critique, you may make arrangements to have your paper critiqued by a classmate or an outside source. Final essays must
be accompanied by all drafts and pre-writing (in your soft pocket folder) in order to receive full credit.
Papers will be penalized ten percent if not turned in at the beginning of class on the date that they are due. Thereafter, you
will have one week to complete the assignment for a reduced grade. After one week, you will receive a zero for the
assignment. Because circumstances may arise which prevent you from submitting an essay on time, you will be allowed
one one-week grace period, during which time no late penalty will be assessed. This essay must still be submitted within
one week of the original due date in order to receive credit. Hopefully, there will be no problems.
Students are allowed to revise one essay. To receive credit for this revision, students must submit their original, graded
essay along with their revised version by the date indicated at the end of this syllabus. The average of the original grade
and the revised grade will replace the original grade. In order to see an improvement in their grade, students must make
substantial changes that show careful consideration of instructor feedback.
Grading:
Homework and Participation:
Essay # 1 - Analysis:
Essay # 2 - Fact Claim:
Essay # 3 - Value Claim:
Essay # 4 - Policy Claim:
(4 pages)
(4 pages)
(6 pages)
(4 pages)
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%
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Grading Standards:
An A paper (90-100) is excellent in nearly all respects. It shows originality of thought that goes well beyond material
presented in class. It is well argued and well organized with a clear, specific, and ambitious thesis. It is well developed
with content that is specific, interesting, appropriate, and convincing. It has logical and artful transitions and is marked by
stylistic finesse and varied sentence structures. It demonstrates command of mature diction and has few, if any,
mechanical, grammatical, spelling, or diction errors.
A B paper (80-89) is excellent in several respects but may have a less sophisticated thesis, a less distinguished style, some
minor lapses in organization and development, some ineffective sentence structures, and some minor mechanical,
grammatical, spelling, or diction problems.
A C paper (70-79) is generally competent, but compared to a B paper, it may have a weaker thesis and less effective style
and development. It may contain some lapses in organization, poor or awkward transitions, less varied sentence structures
that tend toward choppiness or monotony, and/or significant problems with mechanics, grammar, spelling, or diction.
A D paper (60-69) is below average and may present a thesis that is too vague or too obvious to be developed effectively.
It generally exhibits problems with organization, support, transitions, sentence structures, mechanics, grammar, spelling,
and/or diction that impede understanding.
An F paper (59 and below) is far below average and may have no clear thesis or central topic. It may display a lack of
organization, support, or development. It may contain major and repeated problems with mechanics, grammar, spelling,
and/or diction and may fail to fulfill the assignment or may be unacceptably brief.
Tutoring and Student Support:
The Chaffey College Success Centers offer free tutoring and academic support for all Chaffey students. To reserve your
space in a workshop or to ensure that a tutor will be available during your visit, please call ahead to schedule an
appointment. Three of the centers are designed to address specific subject needs:
Math Center
(PS-12)
652-6452
Language Center
(EEC-101)
652-6907
Writing Center
(Library)
652-6820
For all other subject needs and study support, students can access one of the Multidisciplinary Success Centers in Rancho
Cucamonga, Fontana and Chino:
Rancho Success Center
(EEC-101)
652-6932
Fontana Success Center
(CCFC-107)
652-7408
Chino Success Center
(CHMB-145)
652-8150
Chino Reading/Writing Center
(CHMB-240)
652-8160
DPS:
If you have a disability documented by a physician or other appropriate professional and wish to discuss academic
accommodations, please contact the DPS office (652-6379) ASAP. Please be sure to allow adequate time to arrange for
an appropriate accommodation.
EOPS and CARE
Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) is designed to ensure student retention and success through
academic support and financial assistance for eligible students. Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE)
is a program that serves a limited number of EOPS students who are single heads of household parents. It provides
additional support services beyond those available through EOPS. The ultimate goal is completion of a certificate
program, an associate degree, and/or transfer to a four-year college. Call (909) 652-6345 for more information.
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Sequence of Topics:
The tentative schedule for the semester is as follows:
* = bring Signs of Life to class
@ = bring Into the Wild to class
Week One
Aug. M 25: Introduction to semiotics, the course, and each other; Review syllabus.
Homework For Next Time: Read “Popular Signs” (1-19) and “The Culture of American Consumption”
(65-75).
*
W 27: Discuss readings and semiotics.
Homework For Next Time: Read “What’s In a Package” (91-100), “Brought to You Buy” (141-150),
and “Masters of Desire” (409-420).
Week Two
Sep.
M 01: Holiday.
*
W 03: Discuss readings.
Homework For Next Time: Read “Men’s Men and Women’s Women” (161-173), “Metrosexuals Come
Out” (174-177), and “The Beauty Myth” (486-494).
Week Three
*
M 08: Discuss readings; Discuss ad analysis; Sample ad analysis; Discuss Essay #1 and relevant terminology.
Homework For Next Time: Read “There Is No Unmarked Woman” (499-503).
Homework For T 2/5: Portfolio with at least three one-page analyses (for three different ads).
*
W 10: Discuss reading; Examine ads from our book; Practice ad analysis in groups; Group counter-argument
exercise.
Homework For Next Time: Complete portfolio.
Week Four
M 15: Share portfolios in small groups; Focus on ad details; Sample student essay; Time to write.
Homework For Next Time: Write the first two pages of Essay #1.
Homework For M 9/22: Complete rough draft of Essay #1.
W 17: What constitutes a good essay; Compare thesis statements; More work with details and counterarguments.
Homework For Next Time: Complete rough draft of Essay #1.
Week Five
M 22: Thesis exercise; How to peer critique; MLA format; Peer critique.
Homework For Next Time: Revise Essay #1; Read “The Semiotics of Home Decor” (109-119), “Kid
Kustomers” (178-182), and “The Progress Paradox” (400-407).
*
W 24: Discuss readings; Grammar day.
Homework For Next Time: Revise and finish Essay #1.
Week Six
M 29: Essay #1 due; The importance of proofreading; Share essays; Discuss claims of fact; Discuss debates;
Discuss Essay #2.
Oct.
W 01: Research workshop; Team research.
Homework For Next Time: Continue research from home.
Week Seven
M 06: Team preparation; Debates.
Homework For M 10/13: Rough draft of Essay #2.
W 08: MLA documentation; Quotation; Summary; Paraphrasing; Logical fallacies; Miscellaneous writing tips.
Homework For Next Time: Rough draft of Essay #2.
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Week Eight
M 13: Peer critique; Time for revision and/or additional research; Discuss politics.
Homework For Next Time: Revise Essay #2.
@
W 15: Class review of comments; Partnered review of Essay #1 comments; Sentence rhythm; Varied Diction;
Sign up for office grading visit.
Homework For Next Time: Revise and finish Essay #2; Read Into the Wild (3-69).
Week Nine
@
M 20: Essay #2 due; Discuss reading; Discuss value claims; Sign up for office grading vist.
Homework For Next Time: Read Into the Wild (70-97).
@
W 22: Discuss reading; Discuss Essay #3; In-class reading.
Homework For Next Time: Finish Into the Wild (98-203); Essay #3 topic proposal.
Week Ten
M 27: Office visits.
W 29: Office visits.
Week Eleven
@Nov. M 03: Discuss reading.
Homework For M 11/10: Rough draft of Essay #3.
@
W 05: Discuss Into the Wild.
Homework For Next Time: Rough draft of Essay #3.
Week Twelve
M 10: Self critique; Peer critique.
Homework For Next Time: Revise and finish Essay #3.
*
W 12: Essay #3 due; Discuss claims of policy; Discuss Essay #4; Discuss teams; Discuss reading reports.
Homework For Next Time: Rank survivors and provide rationale.
Week Thirteen
M 17: Survival Exercise #1 (in teams and as a class).
Homework For M 11/24: Rough draft of Essay #4.
W 19: Survival Exercise #2.
Homework For Next Time: Reading report summaries.
Week Fourteen
M 24: Peer critique; More work with value claims.
Homework For Next Time: Revise Essay #4.
*
W 26: Partnered review of Essay #3 comments; Time to meet with group; Watch film.
Homework For Next Time: Revise and finish Essay #4.
Week Fifteen
Dec. M 01: Essay #4 due; Finish film; Discuss film.
Homework For Next Time: Read SOL.
*
W 03: Reading reports; Discuss two-minute platform.
Homework For Next Time: Read SOL.
Week Sixteen
*
M 08: Reading reports; Partnered review of Essay #4 comments.
W 10: Two minute platform.
Finals Week
Monday, December 15th, 1:30-4:00. Optional revision is due no later than 4:00 on this date.