Gro10mont College / Summer 2010
Instructor: Sydney Brown
619.644.7523 / sydney.brown@gcccd.edu / sydbrown.net
Office: 564-B / Office Hours Monday & Tuesday 2:05-3
English 110: College Composition
Course
Calendar
Accelerated Pace Course
6/14-July 22
The following is a tentative schedule of readings, writings, course
activities, and due dates. They are subject to change at the
discretion of the instructor or unforeseen changes in collective
linguistic weather. Regular attendance is the best way to stay “in
the loop.” If you miss class, do not call or e-mail me to catch you
up—contact one of your peers or come to my office hour.
All bulleted entries marked “READ” or “DUE” or “DISCUSS” should
be completed BEFORE you come to class on the day they are
listed. All readings are in The Brief Bedford Reader, 10th edition, or
Keys for Writers (as listed). Please bring The Brief Bedford
Reader, Keys for Writers, and relevant handouts to class
everyday. For more detailed descriptions of the course and course assignments, please consult the syllabus handed out
the first day of class.
Accelerated Pace Reminder: Expect to spend two hours reading/studying/writing outside of class for every hour
you are in class—four hours a day for this course.
WEEK ONE
Monday, June 14
 INTRODUCTION: course, textbooks, setting up a paper in MLA format
 HANDOUTS: syllabus, course calendar
 REVIEW: Next class—always your time to ask questions!
 IN-CLASS DIAGNOSTIC: (30 points). Write an essay in which you describe your history (some aspect
of your history) as a reader, a writer, and a thinker.
 BUY YOUR TEXTBOOKS TODAY!
Tuesday, June 15
 READ: The Brief Bedford Reader “Part three: Mixing the Methods” (474-475); Sandra Cisneros’ “Only
Daughter” (476-479); and Keys for Writers “Developing Paragraphs and Essays” (27-29—review).
 LECTURE: Content and Form and the Pros and Cons of the 5 Paragraph Essay and Methods of
Development (Rhetorical Modes)
 RETURN/DISCUSS: Diagnostic
 REVIEW: Next class
Wednesday, June 16
 READ: Chapter 4 “Narration” (80-92); Chapter 5 “Description” (116-125); Amy Tan’s “Fish Cheeks” (99100); Brent Staples’ “Black Men and Public Space” (180-182).
 QUIZ #1 (25 points): Chapter 4 & 5, Tan and Staples
 DISCUSSION: Tan and Staples
English 110: Course Calendar
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REVIEW: Next class / Essay 1 (prompt on calendar 6/17).
Thursday, June 17
 READ: Keys for Writers, Sections 2d-3e—writing transitions, introductions, conclusions (35-39) and 3b
“Giving and Getting Feedback” 42-43). For an example of how to set your paper up in correct MLA
format, see sample essay in Keys for Writers (195-204) and “3f: Formatting a college essay” (49-51).
 DUE for Peer Workshop (25 points—no make-up) Essay 1 Draft: Bring four copies of one draft of
Essay #1. Draft must be Modern Language Association (MLA) format. You must be on time with your
four copies to participate in workshop. You may not use class time to make copies.
Essay #1 should be a response to the following prompt:
In his essay, “Clashing Civilizations?” Edward Said asserts that “labels, generalizations, and
cultural assertions” are “inadequate” (501). Write a multi-paragraph essay about a time where
you labeled, generalized, or made a cultural assertion about someone that proved to be
“inadequate”; OR, turn the tables and write about a time when you were labeled, generalized, or
made the victim of a cultural assertion. Your essay should utilize specific details and
description to narrate a specific personal event (or series of events, as with Staples’
essay) and explain how the narrative represents your thesis (position) about labeling,
generalizing, and or making cultural assertions.
Final essay should be 3-5 pages in length and in MLA format and style.
Hint: Both Tan’s “Fish Cheeks” and Staples’ “Black Men and Public Space” could be seen as responses to
this essay assignment.
 Handout: Edward Said’s “Clashing Civilizations?”: 56 Words Worth Knowing (28 points)
 Return: Quiz #1
 Review: Next class
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THIS WEEKEND:
READ & REVISE: Keys for Writers “3a: Developing Strategies for Revising” (39-42). Utilizing comments from
the Peer Workshop and class discussion, as well as your reading from Keys for Writers and the Bedford
chapters on narration and description, go back into Essay #1 and revise it. Hint: an excellent essay has each of
the following:
1) a great title; 2) an engaging first sentence that can stand alone; 3) a compelling introduction;
4) body paragraphs with strong transitioning topic sentences; 5) a clear focus (point/thesis); 6) fully
developed content; 7) a conclusion that resonates; 8) meticulous proofreading (beyond spell-check)
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WEEK TWO
Monday, June 21
 READ: The Brief Bedford Reader (10th edition): Chapter 1: “Critical Reading” (9-30).
 DUE: Essay #1 (100 points) with Reflection (20 points—see top of page 3 of syllabus). Staple in
the following order (from top to bottom) BEFORE COMING TO CLASS:
1. Final, polished Essay #1
2. Reflection (not included in page count of essay)
3. Draft from Peer Workshop
English 110: Course Calendar
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FILM: Edward Said on Orientalism (40 minutes) DVD-1183
CLASS ACTIVITY: Introduction to “Charting a Text.” Begin charting Said’s “Clashing Civilizations?”
(finish at home)
Review: Next class
Tuesday, June 22
 DUE: Edward Said’s “Clashing Civilizations?”: 56 Words Worth Knowing (handout should be completed
before reading Said essay)
 READ (finish charting): Edward Said’s “Clashing Civilizations?” (499-502).
 GROUP WORK: Working critically with Edward Said’s “Clashing Civilizations?” in The Brief Bedford
Reader (502-503): 1) Journal Writing; 2) Questions on Meaning (1-4); 3) Questions on Writing Strategy
(1-3); 4) Questions on Language (1-3).
 Review: Next class
Wednesday, June 23
 READ/SKIM: Keys for Writers, Chapter 11 “MLA Documentation” (155-204)
 DUE: Working Critically with Edward Said’s “Clashing Civilizations?” (55 points) in The Brief Bedford
Reader (502-503): 1) Journal Writing; 2) Questions on Meaning (1-4); 3) Questions on Writing Strategy
(1-3); 4) Questions on Language (1-3). Responses should be typed in MLA format and style.
 FILM: Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People. Dir. Sut Jhally. 2006. DVD. Media Education
Foundation. (50 minutes)
 LECTURE: Fully Introducing/Contextualizing a Source
 DISCUSS: Edward Said’s “Clashing Civilizations?”
 REVIEW: Next class
Thursday, June 24
 READ: Chapter 2 “The Writing Process” (31-49) and Keys for Writers “1e: Developing a focus and a
thesis” (18-22).
 RETURN: Working Critically with Edward Said’s “Clashing Civilizations?”
 HANDOUT / DISCUSS / BRAINSTORM/IN-CLASS WRITING: Assignment for Essay #2 (220 points)
 RETURN/DISCUSS: Essay #1
 REVIEW: Next class
WEEK THREE
Monday, June 28
 READ (before writing paper): Keys for Writers “1f: Using Outlines” and “1g: Overcoming Writer’s Block”
(22-27); Keys for Writers Part 6: Style” (320-350).
 DUE for Peer Workshop (25 points—no make-up) Essay #2 Draft: Bring four copies of one draft of
Essay 2. Draft must be Modern Language Association (MLA) format and style. Essay should be a direct
response to assignment handed out on 6/24. You must be on time with your four copies to
participate in workshop. You may not use class time to make copies.
 LECTURE: MLA Format & Style including the Works Cited Page
 REVIEW: Next class
Tuesday, June 29
 READ: Chapter 6 “Example” (157-167); Chapter 7 “Comparison & Contrast” (189-204); Keys for Writers
37a: “Students’ Frequently Asked Questions and Where to Find the Answers” (353-356).
 QUIZ #2 (25 points): Chapter 6 & 7
English 110: Course Calendar
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LECTURE: Exemplification and the Comparison and Contrast Model
HANDOUT: Compare & Contrast Diagram
REVIEW: Next class
Wednesday, June 30
 DUE: Optional Revision of Essay #1 (update Reflection). Staple graded copy behind revision.
 READ: Bruce Catton’s “Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts” (211-214).
 LECTURE: Academic Voice and the Infamous “I”—Who Needs it Anyway?
 GROUP ACTIVITY: Charting/dissecting Bruce Catton’s essay
 RETURN: Quiz #2
 REVIEW: Next class
Thursday, July 1
 DUE: Essay #2. Staple BEFORE coming to class in the following order (from top to bottom):
1. Final, polished paper.
2. Reflection (see page 3 of your syllabus)
3. ONE of the drafts from the Peer Workshop (preferably the one with the most comments from you
and/or your peer). Papers without drafts WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED; even if you miss the Peer
Workshop, you must have an earlier version of your paper to show your work.
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READ: Chapter 3 “Academic Writing” (51-78).
LECTURE: Key Concepts in Chapter 3 and Photograph Analysis
INTRODUCTION: Grossmont College Databases
HANDOUT/DISCUSS: Assignment for Essay #3 (220 points)
REVIEW: Next class
WEEK FOUR
MONDAY, JULY 5: INDEPENDENCE DAY OBSERVED—NO CLASS MEETING.
Tuesday, July 6
 READ: Chapter 9 “Division and Analysis” (270-279) and Laila Ayad’s “The Capricious Camera” (298304).
 DUE: Working critically with Laila Ayad’s “The Capricious Camera” (55 points). In MLA format, type
your response to each of the following in The Brief Bedford Reader (305):
1. Questions on Meaning (1-3)
2. Questions on Writing Strategy (1-4)
3. Questions on Language (1-4)
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RETURN: Essay #2 and Optional Revision of Essay #1
REVIEW: Next class
Wednesday, July 7
 READ: Chapter 10 “Classification” (309-317), Stephanie Ericsson’s “The Way We Lie” (335-342), and
William Lutz’s “The World of Doublespeak” (345-351).
 QUIZ #3: Chapter 10, Erickson and Lutz (prep for Essay #4: Midterm)
 RETURN: Working Critically with Laila Ayad’s “The Capricious Camera”
 REVIEW: Next class
English 110: Course Calendar
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Extra Credit Activity (10 points): Take the Online Text-Based Library Tutorial:
http://www.grossmont.edu/library/OnlineTutorial/libraryonlinetutorial.htm
For your topic, use Essay #3, or simply something of interest. Responses will be sent to me electronically.
Thursday, July 8
 READ: Keys for Writers, 5a: “Writing Under Pressure: Essay Exams and Short-Answer Tests” (78-84).
 DUE: Thesis statement for Essay #3 (handwritten or typed); optional revision of Essay #2 (staple
graded version behind revision and update Reflection).
 MIDTERM, IN-CLASS ESSAY #4 (100 POINTS): Bring 8 ½ x 11 college ruled, white paper; pen or
pencil; and dictionary. Exam is open notes/open book. No electronic and/or translation dictionaries.
 RETURN: QUIZ #3
 REVIEW: Next class
WEEK FIVE
Monday, July 12
 DUE: Typed introduction to Essay #3
 GROUP ACTIVITY: Developing Essay #3
 REVIEW: Next class
Tuesday, July 13
 DUE for Peer Workshop (25 points—no make-up) Essay 3 Draft: Bring four copies of one draft of
Essay 3. Draft must be Modern Language Association (MLA) format. Essay should be a direct
response to assignment handed out on 6/25. You must be on time with your four copies to
participate in workshop.
 RETURN/DISCUSS: Midterm
 REVIEW: Next class
WEDNESDAY, JULY 14: RESEARCH DAY FOR ESSAY #3—NO CLASS MEETING.
Thursday, July 15
 DUE: Optional revision of Essay #4: Midterm (staple graded version behind revision)
 RETURN: Optional revision of Essay #2
WEEK SIX
Monday, July 19
 READ: Chapter 11 “Cause and Effect” (357-370).
 DUE: Essay #3 (200 points—no option to revise). Staple BEFORE coming to class in the following
order (from top to bottom):
1. Final, polished paper.
2. Reflection (20 points—see page 3 of your syllabus)
3. The draft from our conference. Papers without drafts WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED; even if you
miss the Peer Workshop, you must have an earlier version of your paper to show your work.
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QUIZ #4: Chapter 11
LECTURE: Brief Introduction to Argument: Refutation, Concession, and Aristotle’s Persuasive Appeals:
Pathos, Ethos, and Logos
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REVIEW: Next class
Tuesday, July 20
 READ: Marie Javdani’s “Plato o Plomo: Silver or Lead?” (374-377)
 FILM: American Drug War: The Last White Hope. Dir. Kevin Booth. DVD. Sacred Cow Productions,
2007.
 RETURN: Quiz #4
 REVIEW: Next class
Wednesday, July 21
 DUE: Working Critically with Marie Javdani’s “Plato o Plomo: Silver or Lead?” (65 points) In MLA
format, type your response to each of the following in The Brief Bedford Reader (378-379)):
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Questions on Meaning (1-3)
Questions on Writing Strategy (1-4)
Questions on Language (1-4)
Introduce and briefly summarize Kevin Booth’s film, American Drug War: The Last White Hope,
and then explain how you think Marie Javdani would respond to Booth’s argument about the
War on Drugs. (10 points)
Class Activity: Review for Final Exam
Thursday, July 22
 FINAL EXAM (IN-CLASS ESSAY #5). Bring 8 ½ x 11 college ruled, white paper, pen or pencil, ONE
PAGE OF NOTES, your textbook, and a dictionary. Final exams are never returned; however, if you
want to know your score, e-mail me next week.
 RETURN: Essay #3 and Working Critically with Marie Javdani’s “Plato o Plomo: Silver or Lead?”
Enjoy the rest of your summer!