ENGL 124 Syllabus 1
Advanced Composition:
Critical Reasoning and Writing
Grossmont College English 124 / Spring 2010 / Reference #7258 / 3 units
Course Meets: MW 2-3:15 in 585
Instructor:
Sydney Brown
Phone: 619.644.7523
E-mail:
sydney.brown@gcccd.edu
Website
sydbrown.net
Office Hours
M 11-12
T 5-6 (1st 8 weeks)
W 11-12 & 3:15-4:15
and/or by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
English 124 is designed to develop critical thinking, reading, and writing skills beyond the level achieved in English 120. The course will
focus on the development of logical reasoning and analytical and argumentative writing. In other words, be prepared to think critically, and
most importantly, to think critically for yourself. Our venture will include practice in academic and professional writing, reading, and critical
thinking. It will also include dissecting and evaluating the soundness of arguments in a variety of texts constructed by professional authors
and your peers. By the end of the course, there should be no (okay, maybe less) mystery in effective writing. Writers make choices, and it
will be our job to understand and identify those choices so that we can become more sophisticated and effective readers and writers. As in
the prerequisites, there will be continued attention to decisions about structure, cohesion, and rhetorical conventions. Workshops, small
group collaborations, and stimulating class discussions will play a significant role in the course.
PREREQUISITES
Prerequisites: English 120 with a grade of C or better, or equivalent.
It is assumed that you have written essays, including those which incorporate research and demonstrate effective and accurate integration
and documentation of a variety of sources. It is also assumed that you have a solid understanding of the Modern Language Association’s
(MLA) guidelines for style and format prior to enrolling in English 124. Additionally, your command of English grammar and punctuation
should be at college level. While there will be some discussion of these matters in class, we will focus more on the challenges of writing
strategy than to problems of writing mechanics. It will be left largely to you to take responsibility for any gaps in your mechanical or basic
research skills, or knowledge of MLA.
REQUIRED TEXTS & MATERIALS




Baron, Ella deCastro. Itchy Brown Girl Seeks Employment. San Diego: City Works Press, 2009.
Course handouts and films.
An MLA guidebook
Copies of essays for Peer Workshop.
RECOMMENDED TEXTS



Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say, I Say: Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. New York: W.W. Norton &
Company, 2006.
Raimes, Ann. Keys for Writers, 5th edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006 (with 2009 MLA Update).
A good Dictionary (e.g. American Heritage 4th edition).
ENGL 124 Syllabus 2
CONSTRUCT YOUR OWN ARGUMENT
EVALUATE THE ARGUMENTS OF OTHERS
EXAMINE AND ARTICULATE YOUR WORLD VIEW
IDENTIFY THE ARGUMENTS OF OTHERS
DEVELOP BASIC SKILLS AND UNDERSTANDING OF CRITICAL THINKING AND RHETORIC
“We can refuse to accept passive,
obedient learning and insist upon critical thinking.”
–Adrienne Rich
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (AKA SLOS)
A Student Learning Outcome or SLO is a statement that describes the knowledge, skills, attitudes, or abilities that a student can
demonstrate at the end of a course. SLOs generally relate to broad overarching goals and require higher thinking abilities. It is my hope
that you perceive them here as not only an introduction to the goals of this course, but a contract between you and me.
Analytical Reading Outcomes
Students will become autonomous readers of various expository prose arguments (as well as arguments made in films, television, literature,
advertisements, photographs, editorials, and cartoons); they will be able to do the following:
1. Articulate the argument and ideological assumptions in a number of primarily non-fiction texts, explaining the relationship between
the argument and the ways writers support/advance their main claims.
2. Analyze and evaluate rhetorical choices made by authors, including appeals to needs and values and the use of logical,
emotional, and ethical appeals.
3. Recognize problems in logic and reasoning, especially through understanding of fallacies, induction, deduction, and models such
as those of Toulmin and Rogers.
Analytical Writing Outcomes
Students will become autonomous writers of expository prose arguments (as well as of analyses of arguments made in films, television,
literature, advertisements, photographs, editorials, and cartoons); they will be able to do the following:
1. Integrate ideas and information from outside sources (through quotation, paraphrase, and summary) with their own voice,
analysis, or position.
2. Acknowledge and evaluate opposing viewpoints and the underlying assumptions, using concession and refutation when
appropriate.
ENGL 124 Syllabus 3
"It is the mark of an educated mind
to be able to entertain a thought
without accepting it."
—Aristotle
COURSE CONTENT
READINGS
We will be actively reading a variety of texts. By “actively,” I mean the
opposite of the type of reading where one gets to the end of the article,
story, or essay and asks, “What did I just read?” We will avoid this in two ways. First, I will work very hard to assign texts that are not only
challenging, but interesting. And second, you should approach each reading as a challenge. Consider not only WHAT the text is about,
but HOW the text is written. Just like in the Land of OZ, someone behind the curtain is making it all happen. What is the writer’s goal?
For whom is s/he writing? What assumptions are made about the issue or audience? What is his or her agenda? Take notes, underline
passages, shifts in focus, circle recurring words or phrases, and jot down questions. If you don't understand something you read, try to
formulate a specific question about it. If you don't like or even find yourself disturbed by something you read, try to analyze why. Confusion
and irritation are legitimate responses to a first encounter with any art form (yes, writing is an art form), but they are useless responses if
you don't search for their sources in the art and in yourself. All readings should be completed for the day assigned. Please do not
come to class unprepared, as you become a drain on our collective energy. A course calendar of activities and due dates will be
handed out the second week of class.
ESSAYS & REFLECTIONS
You will be required to construct essays varying in length and source requirement. These essays should be typed, double-spaced, and
in MLA format, including a Works Cited page. These advanced compositions will be generated from stimulating class readings,
discussions, and comprehensive research; you will receive detailed descriptions of each of these assignments. You will make two-three
copies of one typed draft for each Peer Workshop (see below). After receiving feedback, individual essays will be revised and then
submitted for a final grade in the following order—top to bottom (please organize and staple work before coming to class):
1.
2.
3.
4.
final, polished essay with Works Cited page;
Reflection (see below);
one workshopped draft or significant draft (if paper is not workshopped);
please do not include a cover page or folder.
At no longer than one, double-spaced, typed page, the
1.
2.
3.
4.
REFLECTION should include EACH of the following:
informal ideas on the stages of writing the essay (i.e. readings, pre-writing, writing, rewriting, editing, and proofreading);
a review of the Peer Workshop—if applicable (be sure to include the names of your peers);
your feelings about the work as a whole (strengths and weaknesses). Be specific;
one question that you would like me to address in my comments (design your question to elicit feedback) OR how the essay
reflects your growth as a writer.
PEER WORKSHOPS
Peer Workshops provide you with your own writing community for each assigned essay. Granted, as you will discover, some groups are
more effective than others, but with each group, you will have the opportunity to: 1) discuss the assignment; 2) discover how your peers
addressed the assignment; 3) evaluate you peers’ essays and improve critical reading and thinking skills; 4) have your own writing
evaluated; and 5) build interpersonal skills.
Copies needed and workshop format may vary with each paper. You must have your copies at the beginning of the workshop in order to
participate. Do not expect your group to wait for you.
ENGL 124 Syllabus 4
IN-CLASS ESSAYS
Two formal in-class essays based on course readings and discussions, one around midterm and one the week of finals, will give you the
opportunity to develop as a writer and thinker as well as prepare for a variety of the writing situations that you will encounter in college and
the workplace.
FALLACY EXAM
A multiple choice and short answer exam will test
your knowledge of logic fallacies early in the semester.
EVALUATION
4 Essays……………….…………...@ 100 each = 400
1 Rogerian Argument………………………………..200
3 Reflections…………………….…..@ 20 each = 60
3 Peer Workshops……………….....@ 25 each = 75
Fallacy Exam…………………………………………100
Participation & Misc.……………………………..….165
Thinking
in its lower
grades
is comparable
to paper
money,
and in its
higher forms,
it is a kind
of poetry.
(Includes the diagnostic, critical reading responses and/or other writing
assignments and quizzes; regular and prompt attendance; presentations;
participation in group work and class discussion.)
TOTAL…………………………………………………1000
(Small print: Assignments subject to change at the discretion
of the instructor or unforeseen changes in collective linguistic weather.)
****************************************************************************************************************
COURSE POLICIES:
—Henry Ellis
CONVERSION TABLE
A
B
C
D
F
900-1000
800-899
700-799
600-699
below 600
Excellent
Very Good
Satisfactory/College Level
Below College Level
Fail
This course does not utilize the plus/minus grading system.
“Only mediocrity can be trusted to be always at its best.”
TARDINESS
—Max Beerbohm
Granted, we all run late on occasion; however, excessive tardiness will not be accepted in this class. Coming to class late is disruptive as
well as disrespectful; the same is true for leaving class early. If you are one of those people who is constantly struggling to get to class on
time or constantly having to leave early, this is not the course for you. Excessive tardiness may result in your being dropped from the class.
ATTENDANCE
The Grossmont College Catalog states, “When absences exceed the number of hours a class meets in a week, the instructor may drop the
student from the class” (16). So, if you miss more than two classes, you may be dropped from this class. I think that’s a pretty good
thermometer; however, more importantly, your attendance is an integral part of the growth you will make as a writer this semester. A
significant point of this class is to work together, the idea being that we somehow convert our group—a mass of strangers, ambition and
anxiety—into a chaotic, intellectual collective: a community of writers. That means you’ve got to be here. If you miss class, you are
missing the whole point of the wager. Remember, this is primarily a skills course, not a “lecture” course. Your active participation as both
critical reader and aspiring writer is the key to the success of our community. Excessive absences, beyond one class week (except for
extended illness or extenuating circumstances), will be considered grounds for dropping a student from class. Students who repeatedly
miss class almost always fall behind and eventually drop or fail—it’s that simple. Furthermore, changes may be made in the syllabus or
calendar due to “fruitful digressions,” so the only way to stay in the loop is to come to class. If you are unchallenged, frustrated, bewildered,
or overwhelmed by the course, OR perhaps having trouble managing your time, PLEASE TALK TO ME. I am just as committed to your
success as a student as I am to the success of the class as a whole.
*Note: It is ultimately your responsibility to drop yourself from the class—do not assume that I will do so.
ENGL 124 Syllabus 5
AH…TECHNOLOGY
Save yourself some embarrassment: While you’re in class, please turn off your cell phones and pagers and DO NOT leave them sitting on
your desk. Do not take or make phone calls from the classroom (brain surgeons: please talk to me individually). Do not send or receive
text messages—don’t even read them. You may not use laptops in class. We do it old school
here. Electronic dictionaries are not allowed during exams (midterm, final, fallacy). Extenuating
circumstances? See me.
CROSS-TALK
Talking to your neighbor (as interesting or attractive as he or she may be) while the instructor or a
fellow student has the floor is not only distracting and disrespectful, but it also robs the rest of the class
of the information being shared. The same is true for “Pre-launching.” The class ends when it ends,
please do not pack up early. My goal is to make you lose track of time. Hey, I can at least try.
SUBJECT MATTER
Your classmates will be reading your essays, and I will sometimes copy and share your essays
(anonymously) with the class for different purposes, perhaps as an example of an effectively written
essay or as a sample text on which to make revisions. So please avoid subjects you would not feel
comfortable sharing and/or discussing critically with the class. Additionally, racism, sexism, and
homophobia—any form of hate speech—are not acceptable in this classroom. We will work together to cultivate open-mindedness and
intellectual empathy.
LATE WORK

I WILL ACCEPT NO LATE WORK; however, if arrangements are made BEFORE the due date, I have no trouble working with
you. Of course, emergencies will be handled on an individual basis.

Papers are ALWAYS due at the beginning of class. Late papers will be penalized by means at my discretion—usually points
are subtracted.
I do not accept work via email or my school mailbox, so if you want credit for your hard work, do not submit it this way..
EXTRA CREDIT
Yes, I do offer a few extra credit opportunities throughout the semester. These opportunities are always announced in class and usually
involve a one-page, typed creative response or review of a reading, film, or cultural event. All extra credit this semester will be related
to the Literary Arts Festival which occurs the last two weeks in April. FYI check out: http://www.grossmont.edu/english/Festival/
ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATIONS
Students with disabilities who may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to notify the instructor and contact Disabled Student
Services & Programs (DSP&S) early in the semester so that reasonable accommodations may be implemented as soon as possible.
Students may contact DSP&S in person in room 110 or by phone at (619) 644-7112 (voice) or (619) 644-7119 (TTY for deaf).
OFFICE HOURS
I do not require you to talk to me on your own time, but let me say that it is a pleasure when you do. If I could change one thing about the
way in which I approached my undergraduate education, it would have to be the way I approached, or did not approach, my relationships
with professors. It was not until graduate school that I discovered how rewarding the interaction could be. Communication is the key to the
success of any relationship, so I hope you take advantage of my office hours on a regular basis. Drop by my office and discuss what you
think about an assigned (or unassigned) text or a “heated” class discussion; get feedback on an essay; discuss an alternative approach to
a current essay assignment. I know there is much to learn from you outside, as well as inside, the classroom. If you need clarification on a
specific assignment, have ideas you want to run by me for a paper topic, or simply want to talk about career choices, music, film, or
whatever, please make an appointment or drop by. One of the joys of teaching is this one-on-one interaction.
NOT-SO-SMALL-PRINT
Assignments subject to change at the discretion of the instructor—or unforeseen changes in collective linguistic weather. The best way to
stay in the class (and in college) is to attend regularly. Make sure the college has your most recent e-mail address so that you receive my
absence notifications when applicable.
ENGL 124 Syllabus 6
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Grossmont College Statement on Academic Integrity:
Cheating and plagiarism (using as one’s own ideas writings, materials, or images of someone else without acknowledgement or
permission) can result in any one of a variety of sanctions. Such penalties may range from an adjusted grade on the particular
exam, paper, project, or assignment (all of which may lead to a failing grade in the course) to, under certain conditions,
suspension or expulsion from a class, program or the college. For further clarification and information on these issues, please
consult with your instructor or contact the office of the Associate Dean of Student Affairs.
Let me begin by saying that if you ever get to the point that you feel you have to borrow or purchase someone else’s ideas or papers,
please call, email, or drop by my office and we’ll work something out. With that said, plagiarism will result in an automatic F for the
assignment, and it may result in an F in the course and /or expulsion from the college. The following definition is taken from your
handbook, Ann Raimes’ Keys for Writers:
If you deliberately or inadvertently present someone else’s actual words or even ideas as if they were your own, you can be
accused of plagiarism. The word plagiarism is derived from the Latin verb meaning “to kidnap,” and kidnapping or stealing
someone else’s ideas and presenting them to readers as your own is regarded as a serious offence in Western academic culture
and public life.
The Grossmont College English Department has purchased a program that detects plagiarism of papers of portions of papers from the
Internet. You may be asked on any assignment to submit or resubmit your paper on disk for this reason.
Often, students are not clear on what constitutes plagiarism. In the academic world, you will be perceived as plagiarizing if you:
include in you own essay a passage, an identifiable phrase, or an idea that you have copied from someone else’s work without
acknowledging and documenting your source;
use exactly the same sequence of ideas and organization of argument as your source;
fail to put an author’s words inside quotation marks;
use in your paper long sections that have been rewritten by a friend or a tutor;
buy, find, or receive a paper that you turn in as your own work.
Some Guidelines for Avoiding Plagiarism:

Use your own words and ideas.
Practice is essential to learning. Each time you choose your words, order your thoughts, and covey your ideas, you can improve
your writing. When you plagiarize or when others edit your work for you, you are not learning.

Give credit for copied, adapted, or paraphrased material.
If you repeat another’s exact words, you MUST use quotation marks and cite the source. If you adapt a chart or paraphrase a
sentence, you must still cite. Paraphrase means that you restate the author’s ideas, meaning, and information in your own words.

Avoid using others’ work with minor “cosmetic” changes.
Examples: using “less” for “fuller,” or reversing the order of a sentence.

There are no “FREEBIES.”
ALWAYS cite words, information, and ideas you use if they are new to you (learned in your research). No matter where you find
it—encyclopedia or on the Internet—you cite it!

Beware of “common knowledge.”
You don’t have to cite “common knowledge,” BUT the fact must really be commonly known. That Abraham Lincoln was the U.S.
President during the Civil War is common knowledge; that over 51,000 Union and Confederate soldiers died in the Battle of
Gettysburg is not.

When in doubt, cite.
ENGL 124 Syllabus 7
Remember, through in-class writings, in-class essays, and formal essays, your instructor knows your writing level and style. Don’t
fool yourself into thinking you can pass off someone else’s work as your own.

BE UP FRONT WITH YOUR SOURCES.

Examples of ethical scholarship:
In describing the role of the Los Angeles Times in the conflicts and events surrounding the diversion of water from the Owens
Valley, a great deal of evidence is available in the article “Thinking Big: The Story of the Los Angeles Times.” The author, Susan
Garcia, a Professor of History at UCLA, argues that…
In her book A Writer’s Reference, Diana Hacker notes, “In research writing, sources are cited for two reasons: to alert readers to
the sources of your information and to give credit to the writers from whom you have borrowed words and ideas” (260).
“Any knowledge that doesn’t lead to new questions
quickly dies out: it fails to maintain the temperature
required for sustaining life.”
—Wislawa Szymborska
Helpful Resources
Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (includes some MLA):
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
Comprehensive On-Line Tutoring/Training
for Critical Thinking Courses:
http://www.santarosa.edu/~dpeterso/permanenthtml/sitemap.html
My website: sydbrown.net
Questions? Just ask!
This course adheres to the policies outlined in the Grossmont College Catalog.
For further information, consult “Academic Policies” in the catalog.