Syllabus 1
TULSA COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WILL ROGERS, EXCELERATE
COURSE SYLLABUS
Professor Virginia B. Garrett-Cannon
ENGLISH 1213 – Composition II
CRN XXXXX | Sec. XXX
Monday & Wednesday
9:45 a.m. – 11:05 a.m.
Spring 2015
To contact me:
Email: virginia.cannon@tulsacc.edu
Phone: Deaf, please use email or post to Discussion Board --> Questions
*Please permit up to 72 hours for a response.
To contact my supervisor:
Dr. Cindy Hess, Associate Dean of Communications, Southeast Campus, 918-595-7694
To contact the division office:
Office of High School Relations, Northeast Campus, suite 2425
Dean of High School Relations: Rick Roach, 918-595-7811
To get help with technology issues (Blackboard, email, TED, etc.): Call 918-595-2000 for
help with Blackboard, TCC email, or TED. Technology issues are not an excuse for
failing to complete an assignment on time.
COURSE PREREQUISITES: Completion of ENG 1113, Composition I, with a grade
of “C” or better. See “Prerequisites for Composition II” pages xv—xvi in Little, Brown.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The TCC Catalog states “The second in a sequence of two
courses. Furthers analytical reading skills, academic writing, and techniques of research
and documentation.” This course deals specifically with critical reading, argumentation,
and research-based writing and is designed to improve your college-level reading and
writing skills.
Course work will include class discussions, a movie analysis essay, a documented
argument, a research proposal, an annotated bibliography, an 8-10 page research essay,
and a reflection essay.
NEXT COURSE IN SEQUENCE: None
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TEXTS:
The Little, Brown Handbook, TCC 2nd Custom edition, Fowler & Aaron
The Craft of Research, 3rd edition, Booth, Colomb and Williams
X-Men and Philosophy: Astonishing Insight and Uncanny Argument in the Mutant
X-Verse, Series Editor, William Irwin, ISBN: 978-0-470-41340-1. This
book is not available in TCC bookstores.
Selected readings from TCC’s online databases or uploaded PDFs.
MOVIES:
X-Men – full-length and/or snippets from the series.
Spiderman – full-length and/or snippets from the series.
Fantastic 4 – full-length and/or snippets from the movies.
Hulk – full-length and/or snippets from the movie or television series.
Please note: The materials you will be reading and viewing this semester are not G-rated;
they contain adult situations and potentially offensive language and situations (e.g., curse
words and scenes depicting physical injury or death). You don’t have to like these
materials, but you do have to read assigned essays and view assigned digital media, so if
you’re not comfortable reading or viewing fiction intended for mature audiences, you
may not want to remain in this class.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: The main goal of Composition II is to teach students how to
produce a focused, well-developed college research paper. To that end, students will need
to apply the skills learned in Composition I (see Composition I Course Objectives) to
longer and more challenging writing assignments and to demonstrate more depth and
complexity of thought in their essays. Specifically, by the end of the semester, students
should demonstrate that they can
 analyze a research subject accurately and perceptively
 develop a nuanced and compelling thesis statement for an 8-10 page research
paper
 locate and evaluate primary and secondary sources appropriate for college-level
research
 support arguments with convincing rhetorical appeals, including appropriate
evidence from scholarly sources
 integrate evidence from sources into an essay smoothly and accurately
 conform to discipline standards (MLA) for documentation, citation, and academic
integrity
TEACHING METHODS: Teaching methods include lecture, discussion, readings
from the textbooks, viewing and discussing digital media, and feedback on written work.
Teaching methods are not nearly as important as the strategies you implement to learn.
You should take notes over assigned texts and during discussions and lectures; participate
earnestly in class discussions and activities; read my feedback on graded work; study
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Syllabus 3
specific writing strategies; and spend sufficient time reading, researching, writing and
revising.
GRADING: Grades will be determined according to the following scale:
Class participation
150 points
Movie Analysis Essay
150 points
Documented Essay
150 points
Research Proposal
50 points
Annotated Bibliography
150 points
Research Essay
250 points
Final Exam (self-reflection essay)
100 points
TOTAL
1000 points
A=1000-900; B=899-800; C=799-700; D=699-600; F=599-0
(Please note: Final grades are based on total points earned, not percentages)
Written work will be graded using the criteria described in your Little, Brown, p. xvii-xxi.
Additional, more specific grading criteria for all assignments are on the assignment
sheets.
English Professors assign "I" grades only when genuine emergencies prevent a student
from completing the class and/or from withdrawing before the deadline and only when
the student is earning a satisfactory ("C" or better) grade.
Unlike high school teachers, I am not required to nor will I update grades on a weekly
basis. Instead, I will update the Blackboard grade book once a month and/or after grading
essays. The “grade-to-date” column in the Blackboard grade book will reflect your
current grade for eligibility purposes.
LATE WORK: Only Essay 1 and 2 may be submitted late; however, your paper will
receive a penalty of one letter grade deduction for each day late. After 72 hours, late
work will not be accepted under any circumstances. Late work will receive a grade only,
and no feedback.
I do NOT accept emailed assignments unless the college notifies me that Blackboard is
not functioning. All work must be submitted to the appropriate area in Blackboard.
ATTENDANCE/WITHDRAWAL POLICY: In most college courses, each class
meeting is important. In Composition II, if you miss class, for whatever reason, you will
miss important instruction, which will always put you at a disadvantage. If you miss
several classes or arrive late frequently, your class participation grade will suffer. I
appreciate when students let me know they’re going to miss class, but doing so is only a
courtesy; it does not change the class participation policy or help you find out what you
missed. To find out what you missed, you need to talk to another classmate and check
the course schedule.
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Syllabus 4
Students who miss more than nine hours of class, who plagiarize, and/or who fail to turn
in a significant number of assignments may be dropped from the class, which will result
in an “AW” on the transcript (see below for more details).
Students may also drop classes themselves and will receive a “W” on their transcripts.
The deadline to drop this class is _____________.
A “W” and an “AW” are grade-point neutral, but non-completion of a class may affect
financial aid for the current and future semesters. I will let the appropriate high school
administrators know when students drop or are dropped from class. Talk to Lisa
Reynolds to initiate withdrawal from a course (“W” grade) or to change from Credit to
Audit.
FORMAT FOR COURSE WORK: Formal writing assignments should follow MLA
format as described in Little, Brown. All essays in this class must be saved as a Word
document and submitted to SafeAssign, a plagiarism detection tool. Students must also
submit print copies of the research essay and reflection essay. I will not grade work that
has not been submitted to SafeAssign. Please save your work as your last name first name
and the assignment, abbreviated (e.g., SmithJane_E1, for Essay 1).
WRITING CENTER: Writing Centers are located on all TCC campuses. Please
reference TCC’s webpage for their locations and hours. TCC also provides online
tutoring.
PLAGIARISM POLICY: Please see pp. xxvi-xxvii in Little, Brown. I will report any
student who plagiarizes to the Associate Dean of the Communications Division and to the
Dean of Student Services, who keeps records of students who violate TCC’s policies on
academic integrity. If you submit any assignment containing plagiarism of any kind, and
it is your first offense, you will receive a score of 0 for that assignment and will not have
a chance to revise; you may also be dropped from the class. If you submit an assignment
containing plagiarism and it is your second offense (in my class or according to the Dean
of Student Services), you will receive a grade of F for the course.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY OR MISCONDUCT: Academic dishonesty or
misconduct is not condoned nor tolerated at campuses within the Tulsa Community
College system. See the college’s Academic Integrity Statement:
http://www.tulsacc.edu/page.asp?durki=2984&site=16&return=126.
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE: See Little, Brown, page xxix. Students who do not
follow the etiquette policy may be dismissed from class and required to meet with the
dean of student services. Moreover, violation of the etiquette policy will affect the class
participation grade.
EDUCATIONAL ACCESS POLICY: It is the policy and practice of Tulsa Community
College to create inclusive learning environments. Accommodations for qualifying
students in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504
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Syllabus 5
of the Rehabilitation Act are available. To request accommodations, contact the
Education Access Center (EAC) at eac@tulsacc.edu or call (918) 595-7115 (Voice). Deaf
and hard of hearing students may text (918) 809-1864.
EMAIL: Every student enrolled at Tulsa Community College is issued a TCC email
account. Students are expected to check their College email account on a regular basis in
order to stay current with College-related communications, particularly those that may be
time sensitive in nature. Students will be held responsible for the information transmitted
to the College email account.
I check email Monday-Friday and will usually respond within 72 hours. I also try to
check email at least once during the weekend. If you don’t receive a prompt response
from me, you should assume I didn’t receive your email and resend it.
I prefer for my students to post assignment questions, not personal questions, to the
Discussion Board “Questions.” You can locate “Questions” by logging into your
Blackboard, clicking on Discussion Board, then “Questions.” Please check this area prior
to sending emails regarding assignments.
INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY: If extreme weather conditions occur, TCC sends
alerts to all students (http://www.tulsacc.edu/about-tcc/tcc-alerts), gives cancellation
notices to radio and television stations, and posts notifications on the TCC website. If you
lose power, call the TCC main number (918-595-7000) for an updated, recorded message
regarding closure.
If the high school closes and TCC does not, students will be expected to complete any
homework or assigned readings and may be required to complete an online assignment,
using Blackboard. Even when TCC is closed, students should keep up with the course
agenda and check Blackboard for updates on assignments.
FERPA: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law
designated to protect the privacy of a student’s education records and academic work,
applies to all schools, including TCC, that receive funds under an applicable program of
the U.S. Department of Education. This law protects your right as a student by stipulating
that instructors will not share information about your grades, your progress in the class,
or any materials you submit in their courses with anyone other than you.
INSTITUTIONAL STATEMENT: Each student is responsible for being aware of the
information contained in the TCC Catalog, the TCC Student Policies & Resources
Handbook, and semester information listed in the class schedule. All information may be
viewed on the TCC website: www.tulsacc.edu.
OTHER: Occasionally, when genuine emergencies or problem situations occur, the
course policies outlined here can be modified to help a student complete the course if the
student has been attending regularly, has completed most assigned work, and is earning at
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Syllabus 6
least a "C." It is always in your best interest, therefore, to contact me immediately if a
crisis situation prevents you from attending class or completing assignments.
The specific needs of the class may require minor changes in the policies in this syllabus.
Students will be given written notification of any policy changes.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE: Below is a schedule of activities for the semester. Keep it
with you and refer to it frequently. Readings and exercises must be completed BEFORE
coming to class, but major assignments should be submitted to SafeAssign no later than
11:59 PM on the date they are due. Always bring assigned texts to class along with any
work due. Any schedule changes will be based on the needs of the class and will be
posted to Blackboard.
TENATIVE COURSE CALENDAR:
Note: This is a tentative Course Calendar, and it is subject to change, with or without
prior notice, in order to accommodate learning objectives.
If you need help with any assignment, please visit with me before or after class, post to
“Questions” Discussion Board, or email me. You may also utilize any of TCC’s oncampus Writing Centers or TCC’s Online Writing Center (OWL): http://owl.tulsacc.edu/.
*LB=Little, Brown Handbook, CoR= The Craft of Research,
XM= X-Men and Philosophy
BB=Blackboard, DB=Discussion Board
Week Class
In-class: Discussion, Lecture,
Work Due
Date
Exercises, and Quizzes
the Day of Class
UNIT ONE:
Introduction to Course Theme Material
Argument and Research: How to Locate Sources and Craft a Research Question
1
01-14  Introductions
none
01-16
 Discuss Syllabus
 Discuss Syllabus
Acknowledgment
 Discuss Peer Contacts
 Discuss – Research Topics
 Library Orientation
*Refresh your Comp I skills*
 Read – LB, Ch. 42 – 43, “Finding
Sources” and “Working with
Sources”; Come prepared to
interact with our guest librarian,
Adam. Remember, you need to
choose a topic that is under the
greater umbrella of Comics,
Superheroes, Villains, and PopCulture.
 Review LB pages xv-xxviii
6
Syllabus 7
 Due – Peer Contacts
 Due – Syllabus Acknowledgment
 Brainstorming – Research Project
2
01-21  Lecture – CoR, Ch. 1 – 4
 Read – CoR, Ch. 1 – 2, “Thinking
in Print: The Uses of Research,
Public and Private” and
“Connecting with Your Reader:
(Re-) Creating Yourself and Your
Readers”
 Read – CoR, Ch. 3 – 4 “From
Topics to Questions” and “From
Questions to a Problem”
 Brainstorming – Research Project
UNIT TWO:
Introduction and Application of Movie Analysis
Improving Research Skills: Working with Sources
01-23  Lecture – LB, Ch. 49 , Literary
Analysis, and Movie Analysis
 View – “How to Analyze
Archetypes in Film”
http://youtu.be/rxNFhDtb4Uw
3
01-28  Continue Discussion – Film
Analysis
 Lecture – XM, “X1: Origins”
 Begin Movie – X-Men
01-30  Lecture – CoR, Ch. 5 – 6
 Lecture – XM, “X1: Origins”
 Finish Movie – X-Men (if we do
not finish in class, then you will
need to finish movie during your
own time; I have provided a copy
that must stay on campus)
4
02-04  Lecture – CoR, Ch. 7 – 8
 Continue Lecture – XM, “X1:
Origins”
 Begin Lecture – XM, “X2:
Evolution”
 Read – LB, Ch. 49 “Reading and
Writing About Literature”
 Read – Read “Literary Analysis,”
Bucks Community College
 Read – “How to Write About
Film” (PDF)
 Read | Skim – “Film Analysis”
(PDF)
 Brainstorming – Research Project
 Read – Richard Barickman’s
“Writing About Literature:
Guidelines for Literature Papers,”
http://rwc.hunter.cuny.edu/reading
-writing/on-line/writing-aboutliterature.html
 Read – XM, Introduction and
Section, “X1:Origins” (pages 149)
 Brainstorming – Research Project
 Read – CoR, Ch. 5 – 6 “From
Problems to Sources” and
“Engaging Sources”
 Finish Movie – X-Men (if we do
not finish in class, then you will
need to finish movie during your
own time; I have provided a copy
that must stay on campus)
 Brainstorming – Research Project
 Read – CoR, Ch. 7 – 8 “Making
Good Arguments: An Overview”
and “Making Claims”
 Read – XM, “X2: Evolution” (53121)
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Syllabus 8
02-06
5
02-11  Lecture – XM
 MLA Review
 View Snippets – X-Men: The Last
Stand
02-13
6
 Begin Movie – X2: X-Men United
 Lecture – XM, “X2: Evolution”
 Lecture – XM, “X3: United”
02-18
*No In-House Class*
 Research Day – You have read
half of CoR. This plus your
knowledge of They Say, I Say will
help you narrow your topic and
formulate a well-crafted research
question for your semester project
 Lecture – closing our Unit on
Movie Analysis; previewing
Documented Essay; reminding
Semester Project
 Hand-out, Documented Essay
 Brainstorming – Research Project
 Read – XM, “X3: United” (125193)
 Finish Movie – X2: X-Men United
(if we do not finish in class, then
you will need to finish movie
during your own time; I have
provided a copy that must stay on
campus)
 Brainstorming – Research Project
 View Movie – X-Men: The Last
Stand
 Read – XM, “X4: The Last Stand”
 Drafting | Brainstorming –
Research Proposal
 Drafting – Movie Analysis Paper
 Brainstorming – Research Project
 Research
 Drafting – Movie Analysis Paper
Drafting | Brainstorming –
Research Proposal
 02/18 – DUE, Rough Draft,
Movie Analysis
 Drafting | Brainstorming –
Research Proposal
UNIT THREE:
Documented Essay
Honing Research Skills & Developing Research Plans
02-20  Lecture – CoR, Ch. 9 – 10
7
02-25  Lecture – CoR, Ch. 11 – 12
 Discussion - “Heroes and
Superheroes”
 02/20 – DUE, Peer Review, via
DB
 02/23 – DUE, Finalized Movie
Analysis, via Safe Assign
 Read – CoR, Ch. 9 – 10
“Assembling Reasons and
Evidence” and
“Acknowledgments and
Responses”
 Drafting | Brainstorming –
Research Proposal
 Drafting | Brainstorming – Essay
2, Documented Essay
 Read – CoR, Ch. 11 – 12
“Warrants” and “Planning”
 Read – Jeph Loeb and Tom
Morris’ “Heroes and
Superheroes” (PDF)
8
Syllabus 9
02-27  Lecture – CoR, Ch. 13
 Disccussion – “Myth, Morality,
and the Women of the X-Men”
8
03-04  Lecture – CoR, Ch. 14
 Begin viewing – Fantastic 4 (106
minutes)
03-06  Discussion – “Why Should
Superheroes Be Good?
Spiderman, the X-Men, and
Kierkegaard’s Double Danger”
and “With Great Power Comes
Great Responsibility: On the
Moral Duties of the SuperPowerful and Super-Heroic”
 View – TBA
9
03-11  Lecture – CoR, Ch. 15
03-13
 View – Snippet of Hulk
 View – Snippet of Spiderman
 Discuss – “Questions of Identity:
Is the Hulk the Same Person as
Bruce Banner?”
 View - TBA
 Drafting | Brainstorming – Essay
2, Documented Essay
 Drafting | Brainstorming –
Research Proposal
 Read – CoR, Ch. 13 “Drafting
Your Report”
 Read – Rebecca Housel’s “Myth,
Morality, and the Women of the
X-Men” (PDF)
 Drafting | Brainstorming – Essay
2, Documented Essay
 Drafting | Brainstorming –
Research Proposal
 Read – CoR, Ch. 14 “Revising
Your Organization and
Argument”
 Read – Chris Ryall and Scott
Tipton’s “The Fantastic Four as a
Family: The Strongest Bond of
All” (PDF)
 Drafting | Brainstorming – Essay
2, Documented Essay
 Drafting | Brainstorming –
Research Proposal
 Read – C. Stephen Evan’s “Why
Should Superheroes Be Good?
Spiderman, the X-Men, and
Kierkegaard’s Double Danger”
(PDF)
 Read – Christopher Robichaud’s
“With Great Power Comes Great
Responsibility: On the Moral
Duties of the Super-Powerful and
Super-Heroic”
 Finish viewing – Fantastic 4
 Drafting | Brainstorming – Essay
2, Documented Essay
 Drafting | Brainstorming –
Research Proposal
 Read – CoR, Ch. 15
“Communicating Evidence
Visually”
 Read – “Questions of Identity: Is
the Hulk the Same Person as
Bruce Banner?”
 03/13 – DUE, Rough Draft,
Essay 2, Documented Essay, via
DB
 03/15 – DUE, Peer Review,
Essay 2, Documented Essay, via
9
Syllabus 10
10
DB

 Drafting | Brainstorming – Essay
2, Documented Essay
 Drafting | Brainstorming –
Research Proposal
 Drafting | Brainstorming – Essay
2, Documented Essay
 Drafting | Brainstorming –
Research Proposal
03-18  SPRING BREAK
03-20  SPRING BREAK
UNIT FOUR:
11
Writing the Research Paper
 03/25 – DUE, Finalized Essay 2,
03-25  Research Proposal
03-27
12
 Discuss – Research Project
 Bring laptops for in-class
revisions and peer reviews; You
will need laptops for the rest of
the semester.
 Discuss Annotated Bibliographies
 Librarian Adam will be visiting to
help answer your questions.
04-01
*No In-House Class*
RESEARCH WEEK
 Research Day – You have had
two library sessions. You have
been brainstorming all semester
long. Now, time to refine your
argument and write.
04-03
13
*No In-House Class*
RESEARCH WEEK
Research Day – You have had two
library sessions. You have been
brainstorming all semester long.
Now, time to refine your argument
and write.
Documented Essay, via Safe
Assign, Week 12
 Drafting | Brainstorming –
Research Proposal
 Come prepared to ask specific
questions regarding research
issues for your project
 Drafting | Brainstorming –
Research Proposal
 Research
 Drafting | Brainstorming –
Research Proposal
 Research
 04/06 – DUE, Research
Proposal, via BB
04-08  Discuss – Annotated Bibliography  Read – CoR, Ch. 16 – 17
 Lecture – CoR, Ch. 16 – 17
14
15
In-Class Exercise
In-Class Exercise
Argument Review
On-Campus Conferences




04-24  On-Campus Conferences

04-10
04-15
04-17
04-22




 Argument Review
“Introductions and Conclusions”
and “Revising Style: Telling Your
Story Clearly”
Drafting – Research Paper
Drafting – Research Paper
Drafting – Research Paper
04/22 – DUE, Rough Draft,
Research Paper, via DB
04/24 – DUE, Peer Review,
Rough Draft, via DB
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Syllabus 11
16
04-29
 Argument Review
05-01
 Review for final exam
 04/29 – DUE, Finalized
Research Paper, via Safe Assign
 Prepping for Final
Class Final
SUGGESTIONS FOR RESEARCH
1. A.I., Artificial
Intelligence
2. After Earth
3. “Agent Carter”
4. “Agents of Shield”
5. “Arrow”
6. Avatar
7. Batman
8. Bicentennial Man
9. “Black Butler”
10. “Breaking Bad”
11. Captain America
12. Cat Woman
13. “Constantine”
14. Daredevil
15. “Death Note”
16. Divergent
17. “Doctor Who”
18. Ender’s Game
19. “Fairy Tail”
20. Fantastic 4
21. “Flash”
22. “Full Metal
Alchemist”
23. “Galavant”
24. Godzilla
25. “Gotham”
26. Green Lantern
27. “Grimm”
28. Guardians of the
Galaxy
29. Harry Potter
30. Hellboy
31. How to Train Your
Dragon
32. Hulk
33. Hunger Games
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
I Am Legend
I, Robot
Iron Man
Lord of the Rings
Maleficent
Matrix
Men in Black
“Once Upon A
Time”
Pacific Rim
“Paranormal”
Percy Jackson
Planet of the Apes
RoboCop
“Sherlock”
Spiderman
Star Trek
Star Wars
Superman
“Supernatural”
Transcendence
Teenage Mutant
Turtles
The Avengers
“The Librarians”
The Maze Runner
“The Walking
Dead”
Thor
Transformers
V for Vendetta
Vampire Diaries
“Warehouse 13”
Watchmen
X-Men
11