CERRO COSO COMMUNITY COLLEGE
American Sign Language 1
FALL 2011 Semester
Syllabus
Course Title: American Sign Language 1
Course Number: ASL C101
Days/Times: Tuesday/Thursday 6:40-8:45 PM
Instructor: Antwan Miller M.A.
Email:antmille@bakersfieldcollege.edu
anmiller8775@sbcglobal.net
Required Textbooks:
 Smith, Cheri and Ella Mae Lentz. Signing Naturally Units 1-6.
Dawn Sign Press. 2008.
 Register online for ASL 1 at CyberASL.com. Go to www.cyberasl.com and click College
Register button.
Census Date: Sept 6, 2011
30% Date: 9/2/11
30% Date (no W on transcript) 9/19/11
60% (last date for a “W”) 10/31/11
Disability Accommodation
The college will make reasonable accommodations and/or academic adjustments to ensure that
students with disabilities have equal opportunity to participate in the college’s courses. Students
with disabilities, who are requesting academic accommodations, auxiliary aides or services,
should contact Special Services at 760-384-6250.
ASL C101 American Sign Language I (4units)This
course is an introduction to American Sign
Language (ASL), a visual-gesture language used by the deaf community in the United States and
Canada, and more importantly, focuses on the development of basic conversation skills
emphasizing the culture and history of ASL through in-class and out-of-class requirements. 72
hours lecture. Recommended reading level 1. Transferable to UC and CSU.
Course Objectives:
1. Students will comprehend and express 3– 4 letter words using the manual alphabet.
2. Students will converse using culturally appropriate behaviors including: attention getting,
maintaining eye contact and turn-taking
3. Students will produce and comprehend the following sentence structures and language
functions: Wh and yes-no questions, giving directions, making excuses, forming negative
statements and contrastive structure.
4. Students will converse using the following strategies: opening, maintaining and closing
conversations as well as confirming and correcting information.
5. Students will comprehend and express use of numbers from 1-100.
6. Students will synthesize information on the topic of Deaf culture values from readings,
lectures, field trips and discuss in writing how knowledge and understanding has changed
throughout the semester.
Course Requirements:
1. The students will not be permitted to use voice in the classroom. ASL depends on eye
contact, not sound. The students will learn and develop ASL without the necessity of
using voice. This class will be taught in ASL without the use of spoken English.
2. Attendance is very important and enables students to learn ASL. Excessive absences,
late or missed paper assignments, missed quizzes, tests and evaluations, and
inadequate class participation will affect the students’ grade average.
3. Completion of all homework and assignments due on the date specified. Late work
will be penalized for each day late and will not be accepted beyond one week after
due date.
4. Quizzes will be announced or POP quiz format.
5. Midterm & Final exam will be cumulative.
6. CyberASL will have quizzes & homework assignments that will go toward grade.
7. Community Event Paper: This paper will be presented in bulleted format and will
include 8-15 Deaf community events in the Bakersfield or other nearby area. Due on
September 13, 2011. 10 pts.
8. Deaf Event: Attend one or more Deaf events and write a brief one page paper on your
experience. Due on December 1, 2011. 25 pts
9. Each student will choose from a selection of ASL stories to sign and also will tell
about their family using ASL.
10. Students are strongly encouraged to practice outside of class with each other,
whenever possible, with a member of the Deaf community and/or each other. ASL
cannot be learned from a book. You must use it to understand and remember what
you are learning!
11. Please be sure to discuss with you instructor any emergency that arises which
interferes with your taking a quiz/test. Do this as soon as possible to avoid penalty.
This includes assignments as well.
Evaluation:
Title
Score
Class Participation
Homework assignment
Deaf Event Report
Community Event Outline
Midterm
Quizzes
Final
Grades:
100-90
80-89
70-79
60-69
59- below
10%
15%
10%
5%
20%
20%
20%
A
B
C
D (a grade of D or lower will require ASL I to be retaken before taking ASL II)
F
Weekly Schedule: Subject To Change!!!
Note: PRACTICE THE NEW SIGNS YOU’VE LEARNED EACH WEEK!!!!!
Week Topic
Unit
Homework
8/23
Greeting, Classroom Rules, Texts
1
One Page Reflection Paper
8/25
Lesson 1:1-1:4
1
1:1-1:4
8/30
Lesson 1:5-1:7
1
1:5-1:7
9/01
Lesson 1:8-1:9
1
1:8-1:9
9/06
Lesson 1:10-1:12
1
1:10-1:12
9/08
Review Unit 1 Video Clip:
1
One Page Reflection Paper
“Through Deaf Eyes”
9/13
Lesson 2:1
2
Deaf Community Event Outline Due
9/15
Lesson 2:2-2:4
2
2:2-2:3
9/20
Lesson 2:4-2:7
2
2:4-2:6
9/22
Lesson 2:7-2:9
2
2:7-2:9
9/27
Lesson 2:10-2:12
2
2:10-2:12
9/29
Review Unit 2 Video Clip: “TDE”
2
One Page Reflection Paper
10/4
Lesson 3:1-3:2
3
10/6
Lesson 3:3-3:5
3
10/11 Lesson 3:6-3:8
3
10/13 Lesson 3:9-3:11
3
10/18 Lesson 3:11-3:13
3
10/20 Lesson 3:13-3:15
3
10/25 Review Unit 3
1-3
Review ALL UNITS 1-3
10/27
1-3
MIDTERM
11/1
Lesson 4:1-4:4
4
4:1-4:4
11/3
11/8
11/10
11/15
11/17
11/22
11/24
11/29
12/1
12/6
12/8
Lesson 4:5-4:8
Lesson 4:8-4:10
Lesson 4:11-4:14
Review Unit 4
Lesson 5:1-5:3
5:4-5:6
Happy Thanksgiving
Lesson 5:6-6:1
Autobiographies Student
Presentations
REVIEW
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
6
1-6
1-6
Deaf Event Report Due
REVIEW ALL UNITS 1-12
FINAL EXAM 6-8PM