Nassau Community College
One Education Drive, Garden City, NY 11530-6793
English 101, Section JC – Spring 2016
Prof. Bob Lazaroff
Course Information
Class: M/W 12:30 – 1:45, rm. S110.
Office: Bradley Hall, Rm. Y211
Phone: (516) 572-7185 ext 25659
Email: Robert.lazaroff@ncc.edu
Class website: www.lazaroffncc101.wordpress.com
Office hours: M/W 2:00 – 3:15
Purpose of the Course and Grading:
English 101 is the first of two required writing classes you will need to take to fulfill your writing
requirement. Needless to say, we will be doing a lot of writing in this class, from short in-class writing activities to
lengthier drafts that you will spend a few weeks on; you should come to every class prepared to write. At times I
will be giving you specific writing assignments, other times you will be responsible for selecting a topic. We will be
working on many aspects of “composition,” from the creation of written texts (including sentence and paragraph
development, diction, and style) to the creation and inclusion of photographs in texts and document design.
You should come to every class prepared to write. This means having pens/pencils available, a notebook, and your
textbook (since we will often look at reading examples in class). You should keep all the work you do in this class collected in a
folder.
All writing counts as part of your final grade, whether in-class writing, rough drafts, or final graded essays.
Essays/Presentations: Necessary Viewing/Listening; Response to History; My Long Island; (12 pts each);
Our Connected Landscapes; (15pts.) Letter responding to Invisible Child (6 pts) ; Six-image Memoir (5
pts).
Rough drafts. (8 pts.)
Low-stakes Responses to readings and Works Cited (for Our Connected Landscape) (30 pts.)
Percentage Equivalent Grade Quality of Achievement Quality Points
90-100%
A
Excellent
4.0
85-89
B+
80-84
B
75-79
C+
70-74
C
65-69
D+
60-64
D
Minimum Passing
1.0
F
Failure
0
3.5
Very Good
3.0
2.5
Average
2.0
1.5
Assignments:
 You need to be prepared for each class. If the assignment calls for a rough draft or a final draft of an essay,
you must do the work in preparation for the day’s class. Absences do not excuse you or the work - get
email addresses/phone numbers from other students in the class so you can check for assignments if you
have missed class.
 You get credit for doing low-stakes writings in response to readings. Low- stakes writings are only
accepted the day they are due. They must be typed. If you are absent, you can email me your low-stakes
response, but I will only accept it the same day it is due. They are worth three points. To receive full-credit,
they must be well-written and sufficiently developed with specific examples.
 Rough drafts need to be fully developed essays. They can be handwritten or typed. Full Credit is only
given if you have your rough draft with you in class.


Final drafts are graded. A separate handout will cover each essay. Due dates are specified; if a paper is
late you must speak to me about the situation. Late papers will be penalized, though I will offer a grace if
only one paper is late, and it is given to me the class following the deadline. Papers over two weeks late
will not be accepted.
The final drafts of essays must be typed. Papers should be double spaced with one-inch margins. The type
should be Times New Roman, with a size of 12 (that is what I am using for this information sheet).
Texts:


App:

The Colossus of New York by Colson Whitehead. 2003, Anchor Books. ISBN: 978-1-4000-3124-5
March: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell. 2014, Top Shelf (This book is the common
text for NCC for the 2015/2016 academic year).
Pearson Writer. You can purchase this as a physical card in the bookstore, which will give you the access
code. The Pearson Writer will be available on your phone or computer. We will be using this in class on a
regular basis.
Supplies:
 Digital camera
 Flash drive.
 A folder (either separate or part of your notebook) that you can dedicate to this class.
Registration:
In order to be in this class, you must be registered – and have paid the tuition for – this class. If there are any
discrepancies I will ask you to clear them up at the Registrar’s Office.
Attendance and Participation:
Class attendance is crucial. Absences, as well as latenesses, can and will affect your grade. You are allowed three
absences without penalty. If you are absent a fourth time, your final grade will drop one step (for example, a B will become
a C+). Any more than four absences will result in failure for the course.
Our class is an hour and fifteen minutes long. I expect you to stay in class during this time. If you need to
use the restroom, please do so, but leave and reenter as quietly as possible. Disruptive or inattentive behavior
during class is unacceptable and can adversely affect your grade. Two latenesses (or leaving class early) equal one
absence.
School closing / class cancelation:
If we miss a class due to school being closed because of weather, any work due will be collected our next class once
school resumes. Also, if for any reason I need to cancel class, I will send an email to students’ NCC addresses. It is
your responsibility to check your NCC email.
Writing Center:
Nassau Community College offers a Writing Center in Bradley Hall and in the library where tutors can help you
with your papers. They will not write papers for you, but will assist in helping you organize your thoughts and
helping you see writing errors. I will ask some of you to review your papers with tutors.
Students with Disabilities:
If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may impact your ability to carry out
assigned course work, I urge that you contact the Center for Students with Disabilities(CSD), Building U (516 5727241). The counselors at CSD will review your concerns and determine reasonable accommodations you
are entitled to by the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. All
information and documentation of disability remain confidential.
Eng 101: Sec. JC – M/W 12:30 – 1:45, rm. S110
Prof. Bob Lazaroff
Syllabus Sprig 2016
*** please note: Assignments are due the following class. For example, the assignment listed under Wed. Jan.
27th is due on Mon. Feb. 1 ***
Wed. Jan 20: Class introductions. In-class writing.
Mon. Jan. 25: Introduction to writing process. Using the handbook app. Brainstorming “Necessary
Viewing/Listening.” Writing about music; writing about images. Chance the Rapper, “Acid
Rain;” London Grammar, “Hey Now.”
Wed. Jan. 27: Using images to tell stories. In-class, read “Adorable Baby, Doubting Dad, Teaching
Moment: Revisiting ‘That’s My Boy’ on The Dick Van Dyke Show” (link on blog). Watch the
episode. Assignment: In your low-stakes response, write one paragraph summarizing the
article, and another paragraph responding to the line from the article: “Today TV seems to
push various envelopes with a vengeance, often clumsily so, trying for shock value in a world
that is increasingly hard to shock.” (Each paragraph needs to 150 words minimum).
Mon. Feb. 1: Using images to tell stories. Watching “Parents,” episode two of Masters of None. What is the
connection/disconnection between this episode and “That’s My Boy?” What are the “messages”
in the episode?
Wed. Feb. 3: Rough draft/peer review of “Necessary Viewing/Listening.” Writing workshop
Assignment: Final draft of “Necessary Viewing/Listening” due. Wed. Feb. 10th. Assignment:
Ali, “Day 22: Ross North Dakota… A Leap in Time” (link on blog). In your low-stakes
response, respond to this prompt (300 words): Ali is much moved to find the Ross mosque
on North Dakota’s barren landscape: “I begin to feel like I’m falling.” Have you ever been
similarly moved the discovery of a building or place connected to your personal history or
heritage?
Mon. Feb. 8: Review of Rough drafts. Discussion of “My Long Island.” Rough draft of “My Long Island”
due Mon. Feb. 29th.
Wed. Feb. 10: Final draft of “Necessary Viewing/Listening” due. In-class reading from Colson
Whitehead’s The Colossus of New York, “City Limits. In class writing. Assignment for Mon.
Feb. 22: read “Morning,” “Central Park,” “Subway,” and “Rain.” In your low-stakes
response, write of one sentence from each chapter that you find especially inspiring (100
word response each). Begin each response with the sentence you are responding to (not
part of the 100 words).
----------------------------------------------------------February Break--------------------------------------------------------Mon. Feb. 22: Listening: Armstrong and Fitzgerald, “Autumn in New York.” In-class reading, Mashburn,
“The Basement Room.” Student essay examples in response to “My Long Island.” Assignment
from Colossus: “Broadway, ” “Coney Island,” and “Brooklyn Bridge” (73-109). In your lowstakes response, write of three sentences, one from each chapter, that you find especially
inspiring (100 word response each). Begin each response with the sentence you are
responding to (not part of the 100 words).
Wed. Feb. 24: Student essay examples in response to “My Long Island.”
Mon. Feb. 29: Rough draft/peer review of “’My Long Island.” Writing workshop. Final draft due Wed.
Mar. 9.
Wed. Mar. 2: Layout workshop. In-class reading: de Vries, “Previous Address.” Song: Miranda Lambert,
“The House that Raised Me,” Assignment from Colossus: Read “Rush Hour,” Downtown,”
and “Times Square.” In your low-stakes response, write of one sentence, one from each
chapter, that you find especially inspiring (100 word response each). Begin each response
with the sentence you are responding to (not part of the 100 words).
Mon. Mar. 7: In-class reading/discussion of March: Book One. Assignment: Read through p. 78.
Wed. Mar. 9: In-class reading and discussion of March: Book One. Assignment,:finish the book. In your
low-stakes response, write of three panels that pique your interest (each response 100
words).
Mon. Mar. 14: In-class discussion of March and our next essay, “Response to History.” Assignment:
read “The Civil Right’s Legend Who’s Inspiring a New Generation with Comic Books” (on
blog under “The World of March”). In your low-stakes response, write of how social
media impacts current protesting (as compared to Lewis’ era). Bring up points raised in
the article.
Wed. Mar. 16: Discussion of readings. In class writing workshop on “Response to History.”
----------------------------------------------------------Spring Break--------------------------------------------------------Mon. Mar. 28: Rough draft of “Respone to History” due. Peer review workshop.
Wed. Mar. 30: Interpretation workshop.
Mon. Apr. 4: Final draft on “Response to History” due. Discuss “Our Connected Landscape.” “Obama Takes
on Climate Change: The Rolling Stone Interview, by Jeff Goddel (on blog). In your low-stakes
response, discuss/elaborate on three points from the interview you found interesting and/or
surprising (300 words – due Mon. Apr. 11).
Wed. Apr. 6: Class cancelled. Assignment: Go to “Global Warming Climate Change” (on blog). From the
vast resources depicted, find and read an article about climate change that piques your interest. In
your low-stakes response, discuss why you feel it is important and what you have learned from
it. Cite the author and the title in your response.
Mon. Apr. 11: Film, Chasing Ice.
Wed. Apr. 13: Film, Chasing Ice.
Mon. Apr. 18: Writing the documented essay. Citing sources correctly. Creating a works cited page.
Wed. Apr. 20: Exploring further sources. Sample student papers.
Mon. Apr. 25: Rough drafts and works cited due.
Wed. Apr. 27: Final drafts due. In-class reading and responding: Perez, “A Forgotten Child Remembers.
Assignment: In your low-stakes response (300 words), write of a positive or negative
educational experience (citing Perez). Due. Wed. Dec. 2.
Mon. May 2: In-class work on “Invisible Child” (letter due Mon. May 9). Discussion of Six Image Memoir.
Wed. May 4: Discussion of “Invisible Child.” In-class reading and discussion, excerpt from Frank McCourt,
Teacher Man.
Mon. May 9: In-class presentations of Six-Image Memoirs
Wed. May 11: In-class presentations of Six-Image Memoirs
Mon. May 16: Student conferences.