ENGL 105 Composition and Reading
SYLLABUS
ENGL 105 - Composition and Reading
Course Description
Students enhance writing skills through the process of prewriting, organizing, drafting,
revising, and editing of expository and argumentative essays. The course includes a review
and further development of sentence writing and editing skills for the development of a
college writing style. Various texts are analyzed to develop critical thinking skills. 4 units
Prerequisites
Eligibility to enroll in this course is determined by placement exam scores or successful
completion of ENGL 10 Essential Language Skills.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
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Write formal, academic essays.
Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation when writing.
Critically analyze readings.
Integrate new vocabulary in writing.
Prepare oral presentation(s) using principles of organization and formal language.
Instructor Information
Teri Tosspon
Oct 2010 – Jan 2011
ttosspon@gmail.com
http://ttosspon.wikispaces.com/English+105
(949) 682-8374
Office hours: Tu/Wed/Fri afternoons and by appointment
Topics Covered
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Writing Mechanics
General Essay Writing Skills
Oral Presentations
Reading
Critical Thinking
Internet
Portfolio
All homework, tests, projects, and activities are listed in this syllabus.
Whenver you are unsure about what you should do, just look here!
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Textbook(s)
Bundle ISBN: 053845962X
This bundle consists of:
Wyrick, J. (2008). Steps to Writing Well with Additional Readings, w/2009 MLA Update Card
(7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. ISBN 0495899763
Wadsworth. (2004). Patterns of Inquiry Comp21 CD-ROM. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
Cengage Learning. ISBN 1413006825
Kirszner, L.G., & Mandell, S.R. (2009). Advantage Books: The Pocket Wadsworth Handbook,
2009 MLA Update Edition (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. ISBN
1439081816
Robitaille, J., & Connelly, B. (2003). Writer’s Resources CD-ROM 2.0 (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth Cengage Learning. ISBN 0838406742
Grading
Exams
Projects and Assignments
Participation
15%
75%
10%
A grade of 90 percent or higher earns an A grade; 80 to 89 percent earns a B grade; 70 to
79 percent earns a C grade; 60 to 69 percent earns a D grade. A minimum grade of C is
required in major courses or courses that are prerequisites for advanced courses.
Instructor’s Biography
Teri Lynn Tosspon grew up on a farm in the middle of Nebraska. Daughter of a
farmer and an elementary school teacher, she fell in love with books, language, and
literature. After a study-abroad program at Oxford University (Mansfield College), Teri
acquired two masters degrees: in English from the University of Nebraska and in History
from University of California Irvine. She is the only member of her family to leave the state
of Nebraska. Her research interests were in the cultural influences of North Africa on earlymodern (15th – 18th Century) England. Teri Tosspon has given lectures on this topic at
conferences around the country and has had pieces of creative writing published. In her free
time, she writes, manages websites, bakes and paints (watercolors and oils). Heald provides
Teri with an opportunity to directly assist students in a caring, compassionate environment.
Teri can be reached at ttosspon@gmail.com or via phone at (949) 682-8374.
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Course at a Glance
COURSE AT A GLANCE
Week 1
Readings
10/14
 Chapter 1 – Prewriting (pg 3), Chpt 2 Thesis Statement (pg 31)
 Syllabus & course plan
Week 2
10/21
Homework assignments:
 Pre-Write: Narrative essay
 Thesis statement for narrative essay
Readings
 Chapter 3: Body Paragraphs (p 47)
 Chapter 12, Narration (pp. 343)
Homework assignments:
 Write first draft of Narrative Essay
 Vocab: Choose 25 pairs of words from handbook list (pg 369).
Write the pair, a definition of each word and a sentence using each
word correctly. VOCAB DUE WEEK 6
Week 3
10/28
Week 4
11/04
Week 5
HOLIDAY
11/11
Week 6
11/18
Week 7
HOLIDAY
11/25
Readings
 Chapter 4: Beginnings and Endings (p 81)
 Chapter 20, Grammar (pp. 549)
Homework assignments:
 Narrative Essay 1st draft DUE NEXT MEETING (50 points) – bring 2
copies
 Using verbs: Practicing 1-5 (pg 551) and A, 1-5 (p 553)
Readings
 Chapter 5: Drafting and Revising (p 95)
 Chapter 20: Grammar (p. 549)
Homework assignments:
 Final draft of narrative essay due at beginning of next class (100
points).
 Using nouns and pronouns: Practicing 1-10 (pg 559)
Veteran’s Day – No class
Readings
 Chapter 9: Exposition by comparison and contrast (p 227)
 Chapter 20: Grammar (p 540)
Homework assignments:
 Using adj. and adv.: practicing 1-10 (p 561)
 Write 1st draft of compare/contrast essay (50 points)
Thanksgiving – No class
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Week 8
12/02
Week 9
12/09
Readings
 Chapter 6: Effective sentences (p 125)
 Chapter 20: Grammar (p 549)
Homework assignments:
 Using modifiers: Practicing 1-10 (p 563)
 Write final draft – Compare/Contrast Essay (100 points)
Readings
 Chapter 7: Body Paragraphs (p 47)
 Chapter 9: Process Analysis (p 209)
 Chapter 20: Grammar (p 549)
Homework assignments:
 Avoid fragments/comma splices (p 565A 1-5, + 567A 1-5)
 Write first draft – Process Analysis Essay (50 points)
Week 10
12/16
Readings
 Chapter 8: Reading/Writing Connection (p 179)
 Scoring rubric for oral presentation
Homework assignments:
 Write final draft of Process Analysis essay (100 points)
 Prepare oral presentation
 Prepare for Final exam
Week 11
01/06
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Oral presentations
Final Exam
Heald Policy Reminders
Heald College policies can be found in the Heald Academic Catalog. Please review the
reminders below and, if needed, refer to the Academic Catalog for complete policy details.
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Attendance
Policies and standards at Heald College prepare graduates to meet the demands of
future employers. Attendance is considered in the evaluation of each student’s
performance when making recommendations to employers.
Students are required to attend all classes on required attendance days and are
expected to be ready for class at the scheduled time. Students who are tardy or leave
early may miss graded events that will negatively impact their overall course grade.
A record of attending at least 85% of the scheduled class meetings generally supports
student success academically and in the work place. Students are encouraged to monitor
their attendance by using the following table to maintain at least 85% attendance
Students who exceed the absence limits specified in the 85% attendance guidelines
listed above will not be admitted to class without following the procedures indicated in
the Heald Academic Catalog.
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Heald College has set 70 percent as the minimum attendance standard for a student to
continue to be enrolled in a course. Using 70 percent as a guideline, students will be
withdrawn from any course when their absences exceed those in the 70% Attendance
table.
A student who is absent 14 or more consecutive calendar days in a course will be
withdrawn from the course.
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Makeup Policy
Each student has the opportunity to make up one missed major in-class graded event.
Your instructor will inform you of which graded events fall into this category in this
course.
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Professional Appearance
At Heald College, student professional appearance standards have been established to
be at or above those normally required for employment in business, industry, and
healthcare in the area. The dress standard helps prepare a student for the workplace
and fosters a professional appearance, which is a positive factor in job placement. The
professional appearance policy is discussed in the enrollment process and is available in
the Academic Affairs office.
Academic Integrity
True learning can take place only when students do their own work honestly, without
copying from other students or other sources. Heald College enforces the highest standards
of academic integrity, both to preserve the value of the education offered and to prepare
students to become productive members of the workforce and society. At Heald, it is
considered a breach of academic honesty for students to employ any form of deception in
the completion of academic work, including, but not limited to:
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copying work, ideas, or projects from any other person or media
allowing another person to copy or borrow original work in any form
allowing another person to copy answers on a quiz or test or to communicate with
another person during a quiz or test
representing the work of another team member as one’s own
stopping or delaying another student in the completion of any work
plagiarism in any form, including failing to give credit to the source of thoughts,
words, ideas, or work from any other person, printed material, or web site
When a violation of this policy occurs, disciplinary action will be taken. Subject to the
severity of the violation or repeated/multiple occurrences, academic dishonesty may result
in an “F” grade for an assignment, project, assessment, or the course itself, or may result
in dismissal from the College. All violations of the Academic Integrity Policy are
documented and made a permanent part of a student’s record. Further information is
available from the campus director of academic affairs or a Director of Academic Affairs.
Instructor’s Classroom Policies
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The fundamental guideline for this class is the ever popular golden rule: treat others as
you would like to be treated. Translated to our policies this means Respect. I require
that all students respect me, each other, and our classroom. This general principle
guarantees a pleasant and safe environment that promotes learning and the sharing of
ideas. In addition to this general rule we have 5 specific policies:
1. Be courteous and respectful of everyone and everything
2. Be prepared for class and actively participate (This includes completing assignments
and having required materials)
3. Raise hand to speak when others are speaking.
4. Electronic devices are not allowed in class unless they are specially needed and
approved by the instructor.
5. Food or drinks other than water in a re-sealable water bottle are allowed.
A note about Late Work:
1. Any work turned in late will be graded down 10% for each day late. This 10% begins
as soon as class is over. Thus, If an assignment is due Thursday at 9am and is
turned in Friday at 8am, the maximum grade for that assignment will be 90%.
2. Work must be turned in within one week (7 calendar days of the original due date),
or it is worth 0 points.
3. Work that is submitted before or on the day it is due in class or via e-mail is not
considered late.
4. Late work should be submitted via email.
5. Work conducted during class that is missed cannot be made up under any
circumstances (except in the case of tests).
6. No points will be given for a draft that is not ready before class on draft-revision
days. Thus, if we are “revising a draft” and you do not have a completed draft, you
will be awarded no points.
7. No late assignments will be accepted after week 8, no assignments will be
accepted after the last scheduled class date (even if it is 1 HOUR LATE).
ABSENCES/Participation Points:
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Student MUST text ((949) 682-8374) or e-mail (ttosspon@gmail.com) instructor
reason for absence in ADVANCE or before the end of class. Note: I will not
answer my phone during class time or breaks, but I will return calls after class.
Students MUST complete and turn in all homework due PRIOR to the class meeting
they are missing, look up the assignments for the following week online, and contact
at least one of the 3 students contacts on their “STUDENT CONTACT” sheet to
confirm assignment the day missed
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Participation is given based on quizzes and in-class discussions. This grade is dependant
upon in-class participation in discussion, tardies, and leaving early as well the below policy.
If you are not in class, you will not be awarded ANY participation points for inclass activities. These points cannot be made up.
REVISION REQUIREMENT:
Before a FINAL DRAFT is turned in for the 3 MAJOR WRITTEN assignments in this class, a
Rough Draft of the final must be stapled to the back with a signature of the editor. Never
submit an unedited draft as your final draft.
Resubmission of assignments. If a student is displeased with his/her grade on a project
or homework assignment, the student may request to re-do the assignment. It MUST be an
assignment the student turned in on time. Late work is not eligible for resubmission. The
student must follow the procedures below:
1. Contact the instructor via phone, text message, email, or web post about the
assignment
2. Make corrections to the assignment as suggested, instructed, or researched
3. Turn in the resubmitted work no later than 1 week after it was returned to the
student. Example if the student originally turned in the assignment on the 1 st,
received the assignment back on the 8th, the latest the work could be
resubmitted would be on the 15th.
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Assessment Rubric for Essays
I will assess your essay (final drafts) according to the following rubric (100 points):
E=Excellent (10 points), S= Satisfactory (7 points); N = Needs Improvement (4 points); O = Omitted (0)
Area
Criteria
Evaluation
Thesis (10)
The thesis is clear and meaningful enough to engage
the reader
E S N O
Support (10)
The essay sufficiently supports the thesis
E S N O
Credibility (10)
The writer seems to be knowledgeable about the
topic
E S N O
Introduction (10)
Introduction gains attention and goodwill, sets the
tone, builds credibility
E S N O
Body-Details (20)
The body paragraphs provide sufficient specific
details to support the thesis.
E S N O
Conclusion (10)
Ending (conclusion) ties the essay together
E S N O
Grammar and word use
(10)
Grammar use is correct. Word use is formal and
appropriate to topic.
E S N O
Capitalization and
punctuation (10)
Capitalization and punctuation were used correctly.
E S N O
Format (10)
Correct and complete MLA format
E S N O
Points
Total points (100)
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Oral Presentation
Each student in English 105 will write a compare/contrast essay and a process analysis essay. The oral
presentation is an opportunity to share the content of one of those essays with your classmates. The
presenter should be prepared to respond to questions by the audience.
Specifics:
1. Each student will have 3-5 minutes for the oral presentation.
2. The oral presentation must not be a matter of simply reading your paper to the class. Prepare
note cards, an outline, or a power point so that you can refer to them briefly as needed. The
presentation should clearly outline your paper. Everything in your presentation shoud di9rectly
support your thesis.
3. Students who are listening will be graded on the quality and thoroughness of their peer
evaluation (forms will be provided).
The presentation will be graded on this rubric:
E=Excellent (10 points), S= Satisfactory (7 points); N = Needs Improvement (4 points); O = Omitted (0)
Area
Criteria
Content (30)
Point of the presentation is clear
E S N O
Details and specifics make presentation memorable
E S N O
Content is appropriate for audience
E S N O
Introduction gains attention and goodwill, sets the tone,
E S N O
builds credibility, and leads into the speech
Transitions lead smoothly from one detail to another
E S N O
Ending (conclusion) ties the speech together
E S N O
Language is professional and appropraite to topic
E S N O
Speaker is enthuastic about topic
E S N O
Nonverbal: speaker looks at audience, has good posture,
E S N O
and uses appropriate body language/gestures
Verbal: Presentation is fluent and articulate’ speaker speaks E S N O
at appropriate volume, pronounces clearly
Total points (100)
Organization (30)
Language (10)
Delivery (30)
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Portfolio
A portfolio represents the assembly of – and reflection upon – the depth and breadth of
learning that has taken place at Heald College during your program of study. It can be used
during the job interview process to highlight the skills and knowledge gained throughout
your education.
You should start saving key assignments from each class in your first quarter at Heald
College. You will select those documents that best highlight your skill development
throughout your time at Heald. In general, the portfolio should contain evidence of learning
related to your program’s outcomes including written communication, business, computer
and keyboarding skills, as well as interpersonal skills and teamwork. Consult with your
instructor on strategies for collecting evidence.
We recommend creating both an electronic and paper storage system and storing evidence
as you complete each course in your program. You can create a folder in your P: drive
titled “Portfolio” in which to place portfolio documents. You can also buy a two-inch binder
and start saving paper copies of your work.
Student Contact Information
Share your information with 3-5 classmates and have them share their information with
you. Record the information here so you may contact classmates if you are absent.
Name
ENGL 105
Composition and Reading
Phone
Email
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