ENGLISH 1301 – COMPOSITION & RHETORIC I
FALL 2010
Instructor: Charlene Green
E-mail: cmgreen@collin.edu
Office: University Hall - 116
Phone: 972-377-1558
Course Number and Section: ENG 1301-PV1 (Veterans Only)
Meeting Days and Times: Tuesday & Thursday – 11:30 am - 12:45 pm
Room: D164
Office Hours: Mon – Wed: 10:00 am-1:00 pm / Tues – Thurs: 8:30-10:00 am & 2:30-3:00 pm
Course Description:
A beginning freshman course in writing with emphasis on expository writing, development of paragraphs and the
whole composition, study of model essays, extensive essay writing, and individual conferences. Departmental
final essay exam to be given during final exams week.
Course Specifics:
Credit Hours: 3
Lab Hours: 1* (Required)
Pre-Requisite: Assessment Required
College Repeat Policy: You may repeat this course only once after receiving a grade, including W.
Important: The last day to withdraw from classes for the fall semester is Friday, October 15, 2010.
Course Format: Lectures, class discussion, small group discussions, computer-assisted instruction,
audio/visual materials, personal conferences, lab assignments.
A Special Note to Students:
Welcome to the fall semester at Collin College. I certainly hope you enjoy this class, and that you
take from it the critical thinking, research, and writing skills you will need to meet your future academic
and professional goals.
This course is intended to teach you the basics of rhetorical theory and practice and introduce you
to a representative selection of the various styles and genres of writing encountered in academic settings.
In this class, you will have extensive opportunities to demonstrate your understanding of rhetorical
concepts and strategies through the analysis and creation of a variety of writing projects.
I believe writing blends skill, art, and experience, and you will have the opportunity in this class
to perfect the skills necessary for creating effective discourse through practical experience. Moreover, you
will have the opportunity to develop and polish your own unique writing style as you read, evaluate, and
create a wide variety of texts – both fiction and non-fiction, and verbal as well as visual.
I am available to help you meet your individual academic and personal goals for this course;
however, the responsibility for meeting all course requirements remains with you. Regular attendance and
attentive participation is the primary ingredient for successful completion of this course. I believe you can
all be successful in this course, and I look forward to helping each of you achieve that goal!
Sincerely,
Professor Green
Textbooks:
• Ramage/Bean/Johnson, The Allyn & Bacon Guite to Writing – 5th Ed/Brief Edition
• Access to a college level dictionary
Other Supplies & Materials:
• An active Collin College e-mail account
• A portable hard drive (Flash drive, Jump drive, etc.)
• Writing materials, including paper and pen or pencil
• 3-Ring binder for working portfolio and materials distributed in class (recommended)
Student Learning Outcomes:
All reading and writing are rhetorical acts and occur in a system of on-going communication, not in a
vacuum. Therefore, English 1301 students will be able to do the following upon successful completion of
the course:
1. Students should be able to demonstrate rhetorical knowledge in the following ways:
a. Read and interpret a prompt for a writing assignment.
b. Write essays that take a position and successfully argue or defend that position.
c. Write essays with appropriate evidence, discussion, and organization for a specific
audience.
d. Write essays with strong introductions and conclusions that represent sophisticated
thought and writing.
e.
Write essays that use format, structure, tone, diction, and syntax appropriate to the
rhetorical situation.
2.
Students should be able to demonstrate critical thinking, reading, and writing in the
following ways:
a. Use reading and writing for inquiry, learning, thinking, and communicating.
b. Integrate their own ideas with those of others with clear distinction between the two.
3.
Students should be able to demonstrate knowledge of the writing process in the following
ways:
a. Create and complete a successful text through multiple drafts.
b. Develop and demonstrate flexible strategies for generating ideas, revising, editing, and
proofreading.
c.
Understand and utilize the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes by
learning to critique their own and others’ work.
4.
Students should be able to demonstrate knowledge of conventions in the following ways:
a. Apply knowledge of genre conventions ranging from structure and paragraphing to tone
and mechanics.
b. Control such surface features as grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Attendance Policy:
Attendance is very important in this class, as all assignments and major concepts will be explained in class. In
addition, we will be working on drafts of papers in workshops and conferences, for which attendance is necessary.
If you must be absent, let me know by email either before the class you will be missing or immediately following
your absence. You will be responsible for all deadlines and for all of the assignments and announcements you
missed.
Late Work Policy:
As a rule I do not accept late work, and all work is due at the beginning of class on the assigned dates. Please
do not offer me a disk or email version of your work in lieu of a paper copy. The best way to ensure I receive
your paper is to put it in my hands. Exceptions to this policy will only be granted in cases of genuinely
extenuating circumstances. Contacting me beforehand is an excellent way to improve the chances that I will
consider your circumstances to be truly extenuating. If you must be absent on a day that an assignment is due,
please have a classmate turn it in for you or arrange to turn it in early.
Due to printing costs and virus risks, I do not accept assignments via email. It is your responsibility to print
your work and turn it in to me, face-to-face. Graded daily activities and quizzes may not be made up and earn
zero points.
Email Policy:
Please use Cougar Web or the course room email function to contact me. I will not respond to email that is sent
from any other email servers as they are not secure and sending information through other email servers could
violate privacy regulations.
Remember: due to printing costs and virus risks, I do not accept assignments via email. NOTE: If you do email
me with a question, I will generally respond within 24 hours. If you do not receive a response from me within 48
hours, then I likely did not receive your email and you should re-send your question.
Class Discussion:
In this class, we will be discussing a variety of topics – some of which you and or other might feel strongly about.
Please demonstrate a civil regard for all present in class each day by acknowledging respectfully their opinions
and values. Listen attentively when others are speaking; and, avoid undue distraction such as tardy arrivals,
early departures, etc. Please respect the differences of others (as well as mine), and we will respect yours.
Please turn all cell phones off before entering the classroom. All cell phones must be off and out of sight during
tests. No phone calls, text messaging, or picture taking is allowed in class at any time.
Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance:
It is the policy of Collin County Community College to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified
individuals who are students with disabilities. This College will adhere to all applicable federal, state and
local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to
afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the ACCESS office, SCCG200 or 972.881.5898 (V/TTD: 972.881.5950), in a timely manner to arrange for appropriate
accommodations.
Religious Holidays:
In accordance with Section 51.911 of the Texas Education Code, Collin will allow a student who is absent from
class for the observance of a religious holy day to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for
that day within a reasonable time. Students are required to file a written request with each professor within
the first 15 days of the semester to qualify for an excused absence. A copy of the state rules and procedures
regarding holy days, and the form of notification of absence from each class under this provision, are
available from the Admissions and Records Office. Students who plan to observe religious holidays which will
require absences from class should consult the 2006-2007 CCCCD Student Handbook, section 6 Procedures, Subsection 2.23 Religious Holidays, for the correct process to follow. It is mandatory that this procedure be followed
in detail. See page 164 of the 2006-2007 Student Handbook.
Academic Ethics: The College District may initiate disciplinary proceedings against a student accused of
scholastic dishonesty. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts, or omissions
related to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work
material that is not one’s own. Scholastic dishonesty may involve, but is not limited to, one or more of the
following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion, use of annotated texts or teacher’s editions, and/or
falsifying academic records.
Plagiarism is the use of an author’s words or ideas as if they were one’s own without giving credit to the
source, including, but not limited to, failure to acknowledge a direct quotation.
Cheating is the willful giving or receiving of information in an unauthorized manner during an
examination, illicitly obtaining examination questions in advance, copying computer or Internet files,
using someone else’s work for the assignments as if it were one’s own, or any other dishonest means of
attempting to fulfill the requirements of a course.
Collusion is intentionally aiding or attempting to aid another in an act of scholastic dishonesty, including
but not limited to, providing a paper or project to another student; providing an inappropriate level of
assistance; communicating answers to a classmate during an examination; removing tests or answer
sheets from a test site, and allowing a classmate to copy answers.
Plagiarism is a serious moral offense. Many cases of plagiarism, however, are the result of careless
documentation or faulty notetaking. Unfortunately, the reader who finds the error, not knowing the
writer's intent, can only assume the plagiarism is intentional.
Intentional or not, plagiarism in any assignment will receive: an automatic grade of “zero,”
notation on the student’s permanent record, and a mandatory visit to the Dean of Students.
Grading:
Your grade for this course will be based on the following:
• Major Writing Assignments (60%) - You will complete four major writing projects in this
course. Each individual writing project will be worth 15% of your total grade. The four major
writing projects are: exploratory essay, narrative essay with a surprising twist, argument essay,
and original poem with rhetorical analysis.
• Lab Assignments/Homework (15%) - This will include a variety of writing and research
assignments completed outside of class time using our Blackboard (online) course room.
• Participation & Attendance (15%) - This will include preparation for class (including having
read the assigned material), group and class work, miscellaneous assigned activities, conference
work, written and oral evaluations, and a final oral report. Regular attendance is a requirement for
success in this course. You are expected to attend all class meetings unless you have a legitimate
excuse for being absent.
• Final Exam (10%) - The final exam will be an in-class essay; it must be taken during the final
exam period designated for this class.
Overall Course Grade: Grades of A and B reflect outstanding work overall: they are honor grades. A
grade of C is normal for the course, indicating that you have completed the requirements acceptably.
Lower grades indicate a failure to meet minimum requirements.
You must complete all major assignments in order to be eligible to pass the class. Late work will not be
accepted unless arrangements have been made in advance with the instructor.
Criteria for Effective Writing
A. Content
• Topic and purpose are clearly stated
• Writing does not stray from topic
• Topic is appropriate to the assignment
• Paper contains adequate and relevant details
• Ideas are sufficiently developed for purpose
• Information is accurate and consistent with verifiable sources
• Ideas are thoroughly and effectively communicated
B. Organization
• Paper is coherent and cohesive
• The material is presented in a logical order that is appropriate for the purpose
• The paper relates specifics to the overarching governing idea(s)
• Presents clear strategies for leading the reader through the text
• Includes effective transitions between ideas
C. Reasoning
• Significance of the purpose is clear for the intended reader
• Assumptions are recognized and, as appropriate, made explicit
• Contains sufficient, necessary, and accurate evidence
• Analysis of evidence is logical, internally consistent, and well-developed
• Visual elements, if included, are interpreted for the reader and integrated with the
verbal analysis and synthesis
• Synthesis of evidence and ideas generates a new perspective, or prompts an original or
creative application
• Evaluation of assumptions, information, evidence, and/or inferences leads to accurate
conclusions, informed recommendations, and/or thoughtful questions
• Conclusions or recommendations discussed are within the context of critical
conversations in the field
D. Rhetoric
• The genre is appropriate to the task and/or discipline
• The format is appropriate to the task
• The paper demonstrates an awareness of the audience
• The tone appropriate to the task
• The voice appropriate to the task
• The tone and voice are consistent
• The verbal and visual strategies are appropriate for achieving the purpose
E. Conventions
• The writing is fluent
• Contains few errors of sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics
• Information that is not the writer’s own work is properly credited to the appropriate
source(s)
• The work features appropriate formatting of titles, figures, and exhibits
Reading Schedule and Course Calendar
Unless otherwise noted, all reading assignments (page numbers in parentheses) are from The Allyn &
Bacon Guide to Writing – 5th Edition / Brief Edition. Copies of other materials and handouts that are
assigned will be provided in class. Students are responsible for changes to this schedule that are
announced in class and for obtaining copies of handouts and other materials missed due to absence.
Tuesday, August 24:
• Student Introductions
• Introduction to course and college writing; experiences with writing?
• Discuss: Concepts of voice, culture, and identity
• Introduce: Blackboard Course Room
Thursday, August 26:
• Read: “Gangs of New York: Fact vs. Fiction” – Ted Chamberlain (online)
• Virtual Tour: The Five Points Site (http://r2.gsa.gov/fivept/fphome.htm)
• Assign: Read Chapter 1: “Thinking Rhetorically About Good Writing”
Tuesday, August 30:
• Discuss: “Thinking Rhetorically About Good Writing”
• Discuss: Open-form prose versus closed-form
• Assign: Reading response journal/Blackboard discussion topic
Thursday, September 1:
• Discuss: Concepts of voice, culture, and identity in Gangs of New York
• Documentary Short: The Real Gangs of New York
• Introduce: Writing Project 1 – Exploratory Essay
• Assign: Read Chapter 8: “Writing an Exploratory Essay or Annotated Bibliography”
Monday – September 6, 2010 – Labor Day Holiday – Campus Closed
Tuesday, September 7:
• Film: Gangs of New York
• Assign: Reading response journal/Blackboard discussion topic
Thursday, September 9:
•
•
Film: Gangs of New York
Assign: Reading response journal/Blackboard discussion topic
Tuesday, September 13:
• Film: Gangs of New York
• Assign: Reading response journal/Blackboard discussion topic
Thursday, September 15:
• Film: Gangs of New York
• Discuss: Elements and levels of culture; Relationship between culture and identity
• Assign: Reading response journal/Blackboard discussion topic
Tuesday, September 21:
• In-class Writer’s Workshop: How to write an exploratory essay
• Assign: Read “Black Men and Public Space” – Brent Staples (in Blackboard)
• Assign: Read “No Cats in America” – Patrick Jose (A&B page 167)
• Assign: Reading response journal/Blackboard discussion topics
Thursday, September 23:
• Discuss: “Black Men and Public Space” and “No Cats in America”
• Assign: Draft of exploratory essay for Monday’s peer review
Tuesday, September 27:
• Due: Writing Project 1 – Exploratory Essay – Draft for peer review
• In-class Writer’s Workshop: Guided Peer Review – Exploratory Essay
• Revise: Exploratory Essay
Thursday, September 29:
• Due: Exploratory Essay – Revised version
• Introduce: Writing Project 2 – Informative Essay with Surprising Twist
• Define & Discuss: Style, Tone, Language, and Diction; Cultural Traditions
• Film: Mi Familia
Tuesday, October 5:
• Film: Mi Familia
• Assign: Reading response journal/Blackboard discussion topic
• Assign: Read Chapter 8: “Writing an Informative Essay or Report”
Thursday, October 7:
• Film: Mi Familia
• Discuss: Mi Familia
• Assign: Read Chapter 5: “Seeing Rhetorically: The Writer as Observer”
• Assign: Reading response journal/Blackboard discussion topics
Tuesday, October 12:
• Read: “Grandmother’s Sunday Dinner” by Patricia Hample
• Read: “The Joy of Funerals” by Alix Strauss
• Discuss: “Grandmother’s Sunday Dinner” and “The Joy of Funerals”
• Assign: Reading response journal/Blackboard discussion topics
Thursday, October 14:
• In-class Writer’s Workshop: How to write and informative and surprising essay
• In-class Writer’s Workshop: MLA Style
• Assign: Draft of informative essay with surprising twist for Monday’s peer review
Friday – October 15 – Last Day to Withdraw from Classes
Tuesday, October 19:
• Due: Writing Project 2 – Informative Essay with Surprising Twist – Draft for peer review
• In-class Writer’s Workshop: Guided Peer Review – Informative Essay
• Revise: Informative Essay with Surprising Twist Essay
• Assign: Read Chapter 6: Reading Rhetorically: The Writer as Strong Reader
Thursday, October 21:
• Due: Informative Essay with Surprising Twist – Revised version
• Introduce: Writing Project 3 – Classical Argument Essay
• Introduce: Film – Crash
• Assign: Reading response journal/Blackboard discussion topic
Tuesday, October 26:
• Film: Crash
• Assign: Reading response journal/Blackboard discussion topic
Thursday, October 28:
• Film: Crash
• Assign: Reading response journal/Blackboard discussion topic
• Assign: Read Chapter 10: “Writing a Classical Argument”
Tuesday, November 2:
• Read: “Subcontinental Drift: The Mind of a Racist” by Aparisim Ghohsh
• Read: “The English Language is My Enemy” by Ossie Davis
• Discuss: “Subcontinental Drift: The Mind of a Racist” and “The English Language is My
Enemy”
• Define & Discuss: Prejudicial language, argument, perspective
• Assign: Reading response journal/Blackboard discussion topics
Thursday, November 4:
• Assign: Read Chapter 10: “Writing a Classical Argument”
• Discuss: Identifying and incorporating opposing points of view
• Rhetorical Concepts: Inductive and Deductive Reasoning; Syllogisms
• In-class Writer’s Workshop: Strategies for organizing argument essays
Tuesday, November 9:
• Due: Writing Project 3 – Classical Argument Essay – Draft for peer review
• In-class Writer’s Workshop: Guided Peer Review – Argument Essay
• Discuss: “Composing and Revising Closed-Form Prose”
• Revise: Argument Essay
Thursday, November 11:
• Due: Writing Project 3 – Classical Argument Essay – Revised version
• Assign: Reading response journal/Blackboard discussion topic
• Introduce: Writing Project 4 – Original Poem with Rhetorical Analysis
• Discuss: Rhetorical poetry; contemporary American poetry
• Film: Def Poetry Jam
Tuesday, November 16:
• Assign: Read “Notes on the Craft of Poetry” by Mark Strand
• Assign: Read Thinking Rhetorically – Translating from Prose to Verse
• Film: Def Poetry Jam
• Discuss: Def Poetry Jam poems
• Assign: Reading response journal/Blackboard discussion topic
Thursday, November 18:
• Film: Def Poetry Jam – additional selections
• Discuss: Rhetorical poetry; contemporary American poetry
• Discuss: Def Poetry Jam poems
• Assign: Reading response journal/Blackboard discussion topic
Tuesday, November 23:
• Read: Various poetry selections (read in class)
• Discuss: Supplemental poems
• In-class Writer’s Workshop: How to write a rhetorical analysis
November 24-November 28 – Thanksgiving Holiday – Campus Closed
Tuesday, November 30:
• Review: Rhetorical concepts and strategies for writing; audience, purpose, style; ethos, pathos,
logos; Rhetorical Analysis
Thursday, December 2:
• Due: Reading Response Journals – Blackboard
• Due: Writing Project 4 – Original Poem with Rhetorical Analysis
• Presentations: Original Poems
December 6-12 – Final Exams – All Classes Meet Only Once – See Exam Schedule
• Final Exam: In-class Essay Exam
* Note: The lab component of this course is fulfilled through the completion of informal journal
writing in response to assigned readings and or class discussions (“reading response journal”). All
reading response journal entries will be completed in Blackboard and collected in an electronic
portfolio in our virtual classroom space. Completion of the electronic reading response journal is not
optional.