Welcome to English 101
REBECCA LAWSON M.A.
Course Description from the L.A. Mission Catalog
 English 101 develops proficiency in college-level reading and
writing through the application of the principles of rhetoric and
the techniques of critical thinking. Students will write expository
essays based on college level readings. Emphasis is placed on the
research paper.
NOTE: This is the first freshman composition course that meets
requirements for the BA at four-year colleges and universities,
comprising intensive reading, writing of essays, term papers, the
study of style, methods of discourse, logic, and documentation.
Student Learning Outcomes:
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Produce unified essays of 1,000 words that shows a mastery of
critical thinking, logical organization, and mechanics.
Identify and analyze the logical fallacies in academic articles,
literature, and other media.
Produce a 6 to 8 page research paper which utilizes library research
materials and documents evidence.
What is Academic Writing?
 Academic Writing is NOT…
 Being perfect the first time
 Always having “original” ideas that are not influenced by
anyone else
 Being better than others around you
 Academic Writing IS…
 A process
 Developing ideas in connection with other ideas
 Being part of a community of writers and engaging in the
ongoing academic conversation.
Writing As A Process or a Journey
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Writing develops both recursively (as a process) and socially
(interacting with other texts).
•
The process of rhetoric in both reading and writing means
thinking about how to use language for a particular audience,
within a particular context, and how to use appropriate
conventions (grammar rules).
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It is important to note that reading and writing are connected
to each other.
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All writers enter conversations and communities through their
words, so writers must be readers of many texts, and should
also be aware of context and culture.
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This class aims to help you understand all these writing
techniques and use them successfully in your own writing.
Writing as Exploration and Connections
• We will read and analyze many kinds of writing that are a part of
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the academic conversation.
We will use outside sources to inspire and inform our own
writing
We will workshop our own essays.
These activities, along with student-instructor conferences, peer
work, and discussions, will demonstrate the social nature of
writing.
What is truly essential in this class is the ability to communicate
a given message through writing, reading, and speaking in class.
So, get to know your classmates, your professor, and
most of all, yourself. We will support each other to grow as
students, writers, readers, communicators, and individuals.
Important Class Information:
• My Office Hour and Location can be found at the top of
the syllabus and on Moodle.
•
My email addresses: lawsonrw@lamission.edu and
professorrlawson@gmail.com You may wish to write the second
address down on your syllabus.
 Required Textbooks:
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Pop Perspectives: Readings to Critique Contemporary Culture by
Laura Gray-Rosendale
The Little Seagull Handbook 2nd Edition by Bullock, Brody, and
Weinburg
 Also Required:
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Regular and reliable access to your school email.
Regular and reliable access to the class blog:
lawson101summer14.weebly.com
Regular and reliable access to turnitin.com
Grading
 Your grade will consist of the following:
 Two short scaffolding essays: 100 points each
 One 2000-2500 word Research Paper: 200 points
 Final In-class Essay: 100 points
 Homework, Readings, and In-class assignments: 5-20 points
each, depending on length and difficulty.
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Extra Credit: I give one extra credit assignment, usually
toward the end of the semester. It will be worth 15 extra credit
points. The assignment will be a short 2 review based on a pop
culture product of your choice (book, movie, tv show, album,
etc). More details to come.
Syllabus Overview
 Carefully follow along as we go over the Syllabus.
 You are responsible for knowing this information and
following all the guidelines set out in the Syllabus.
 Highlight and take notes if you need to.
The Secret to Success!
• It’s simple. Only 2 things.
1. Come to class.
2. Do the work.
Questions and Answers

Any questions?

Please ask any questions you might have
about the syllabus.
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No question is a bad question, and all
questions will help your classmates who
might be wondering the same thing!
Class Resources: Our Class Blog
 lawson101summer14.weebly.com
Class Technology: TurnItIn.com
Turnitin.com
 We be uploading all our major assignments to
turnitin.com for grading.
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Sometimes I will ask you to bring a copy of the shorter
scaffolding assignments to class for class discussion and
sharing, however the copy I grade will always be the one on
turnitin.com.
Make sure you look on the schedule to know if you should
upload to TurnItIn.com ONLY or if you should also bring a
printed copy for activities in class.
How to Read our Textbook
 When the schedule tells you to read a certain amount of pages
(9-17 for example) you might not technically need to read the
whole page. Rather, you should look for section headings
and start with the first section on that page.
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For example, on page 9, the section heading “A Critical Perspective:
Strategies for Thinking, Reading, and Responding” starts about halfway
down the page, but it is the first section that STARTS on page 9. Therefore
you should start there.
Likewise, the only thing on page 17 is an exercise. Since you have not been
instructed to do the exercise, but rather only to read and think about the
information, you can ignore this part.
 When I ask you to read an Essay or Article in your Textbook, I
will usually only list the first page number (p.396, for
example). Be sure preview the essay, see how long it is, and
give yourself enough time to read the whole thing.
The SCHEDULE
 Let’s preview the schedule together.
 Please Note:
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Assignments are DUE and should be TURNED IN on the day listed.
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No late in-class work will be accepted. It is important for you to
attend in order to get credit for these in-class assignments.
Break Time!
 Please return in 10 minutes.
Learning Names
 When you have over 100+ new students every
semester like I do, it can be a challenge to learn all of
their names!
 Please be patient with me as I learn your names.
 When I call on you, I may say “Yes,…(?)” or “What do
you think,….(?) and pause for you to offer your name.
Please remind me (and the rest of the class) of your
name before offering your comment/answer.
 We may do several ice-breaker exercises over the
course of the semester to help learn names.
What can I do to be successful in this class?
 Come to class
 Do the work
 THIS INCLUDES THE READINGS!
 Strive for excellence
 In order to help you meet these goals…
 Have a partner in the class who will take notes/get copies of
assignment sheets for you (assignment sheets will also be
posted on the class blog)
 Come to see me during my office hours.
 Come to class prepared to participate.
 Indulge in curiosity. Question your assumptions.
Brainstorming and Freewriting
 Brainstorming is a writing activity that asks you
to write down ideas quickly, in short bursts
without worrying about correctness.
 You
might use an idea web
 You might make lists of phrases/ideas as they come
to you.
 Freewriting is “stream of consciousness”
writing about a topic. While you freewrite, keep
your pen or pencil moving and do not worry
about unity, coherence, or correctness.
Brainstorming and Freewriting Practice
 Brainstorm or freewrite for five minutes about the
following topic:
“Attitudes and ideas I have about language,
reading, writing, or education.”
Brainstorming and Freewriting Practice
 Now, pick one of the ideas you brainstormed
that seems interesting to you, and ask yourself
why you have this attitude.
 What outside factors and influences caused you
to think this way?
 Are there other people who have this same
attitude?
 What is the “big picture” or cultural trends
that you are a part of because of this
attitude/idea?
Diagnostic Essay:
In response to our reading and brainstorming, we will
be writing a diagnostic essay.
 “Diagnostic essay” simply means a brief, in-class
writing that I will use to see where people are in
their development as writers and what issues we
need to address as a class.
 Please don’t stress it. You will receive full credit for
completing the assignment.
Diagnostic Essay:
Prompt:
What are your thoughts on the following statement:
“I am a writer.”
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Why do you answer this question the way that you do? What
events and circumstances have led you to this conclusion?
Look back at your brainstorming and freewriting if you are
stuck.
If you're stuck, you may wish to begin with, "I believe that I
am a writer because…" or "I don't believe that I am a writer
because…"
Remember, complicated answers like “yes, but…” or “no,
however…” are good too!
 Please write at least one full page.
What Should I Expect From a Typical Day of Class?
Homework:
 Tuesday, 7/22
Discuss academic reading. Defining “Pop Culture” and
writing about pop culture.
 Due:
 Pop Perspectives p. 4-6 and 9-17
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 Let’s preview the readings.