University of West Georgia
English 1101 (English Composition II); Fall 2013
Instructor: Laura McKee
Email: lmckee@westga.edu
Office phone: 678-839-4965
Office Hours (Pafford 105): Mon/Wed.: 9:30-10:30 AM; Wed. 2-3 PM; Tues./Thurs.: 1-3 PM & by
appointment. I am also outside these times for tutoring at the Writing Center (Mon. 1-3 PM & Wed. 1-2
PM).
Required Texts:
1. Literature: a Portable Anthology, 3rd edition (must be this edition). Bedford/St. Martins, 2013. Gardner,
Lawn, Ridl, and Shakel. ISBN: 978-1457606502
2. A Writer’s Resource, 4th edition (Custom Version for UWG). Maimon, Elaine. McGraw Hill, 2012. ISBN:
978-0-07-769604-7
3. Winter’s Bone. Woodrell, Daniel. Back Bay Books, 2007. ISBN: 0-316-05755-9.
4. (film) Winter’s Bone, dir. Granik, Debra. Lionsgate, 2010.
Materials Needed for Class:
1) Notebook for lecture and discussion notes
1) Folder for class handouts
2) Pencil or pen
3) Stapler (I won’t provide stapler; recommend purchasing small, travel-size stapler.)
Email Policy: Please email only from your UWG account. Though I’ll often reply much sooner, please
allow 24 hours for a response during the week (48 hours over the weekend), before sending a follow-up
email. Email is another opportunity to practice good writing techniques--always include a greeting (Dear,
Hello, Hi Ms. McKee) and a closing with your name. Also, be sure to proofread for clarity, spelling, and
grammar. Remember: well-written, courteous emails will get you far in life, and are MUCH more likely to
receive prompt replies.
Attendance/Lateness Policy: You may miss class up to 3 class sessions without penalty, no questions
asked. Use these days wisely. After the 3rd absence, you MUST provide documentation (doctor’s note,
death of immediate family member, legal reason etc.) Missing class for work, transportation issues etc. are
NOT excusable absences. This is why you should use your freebies wisely over the semester. For every
unexcused absence after the initial 3 freebies, 10 points will be deducted from your final
participation grade. Arriving late or leaving early (more than ten minutes) will count as a ½ absence.
Laptop Policy/Cell Phone Policy: You are allowed to use laptops or tablets to take notes and for in-class
writing exercises. However, you may only have word processing programs open during class (i.e. Word)—in
other words—absolutely no Internet usage during class. Be honest with yourself—if you can’t resist the
temptation to check email or Facebook, don’t use your laptop or have your cell phone in sight. Repeated
abuse (more than 2 times) will result in a full-letter deduction (10 points) from your final participation grade.
Cell phone use is NOT allowed in class. Please make sure your cell phones are silenced and put away
before class begins. Failure to do so will impact your participation grade as above. This includes, texting,
email, surfing the web, or taking photos in class (not allowed without instructor permission). If you’re
looking at your lap, I pretty much assume you’re texting.
Taking Notes: Learning to take comprehensive detailed notes is an absolutely critical skill for your college
years. You are expected to take notes throughout every class session, and your notes should include key
points and ideas raised in our conversations about the texts as well as my lectures and visual presentations.
If you miss class for any reason, it is your responsibility to obtain a set of notes from a classmate—I do not
provide my students with my lecture notes, nor do I post lectures on Course Den. It’s fairly easy to record
notes from Power Point presentations, but you need to practice synthesizing and summarizing information
transmitted through spoken lectures and class discussions as well. That said, if you ever need an idea or
concept repeated or clarified, don’t be afraid to ask! To ensure everyone is developing their note-taking
skills, I will conduct periodic note-taking spot checks at the end of class. These checks will count as pop
quizzes. To receive full credit, your notes need to detail the range of information and ideas covered in class.
Submitting Assignments: All written assignments should be submitted in hardcopy to me at the
beginning of class on the due date. Emailed files will NOT be accepted. All assignments should be double
spaced in a 12-point plain font (i.e. Times New Roman), and follow MLA formatting guidelines (see page
327 of A Writer’s Resource)
Late Assignments: 5 points will be deducted for every class period late (unless for an excused absence
with written documentation—see above). Note: don’t miss class because you haven’t finished a paper. It is
better to take the deduction, than to fall further behind by missing class. Emailed assignments do not count.
Plagiarism Policy: Plagiarism will not be tolerated and is defined as using another’s words OR ideas (in
whole or in part) without giving credit through proper documentation. If plagiarism is suspected, the
instructor reserves the right to submit a student’s paper to Turnitin.com, a plagiarism detection service. Any
plagiarized work found in a student paper will result in an automatic F for that assignment and potential
UWG disciplinary action. For more information on UWG policy on plagiarism, see
http://www.westga.edu/writing/index_153.php.
Drafts and Draft Workshop: Because writing is a process, each of the formal writing assignments will
build from syllabus readings, class discussions, in-class writings, and draft workshops. Draft workshops are
peer review groups which allow you an opportunity to receive feedback during the final stages of revision as
well as to practice your own critical reading and editing skills. These are crucial class sessions to attend.
Rough drafts (with workshop and peer feedback sheets) must be turned in with final drafts (just staple to
back.) Papers turned in without a copy of a (complete) workshopped rough draft will receive an
automatic 10-point deduction. Only those students with written documentation of illness, death in family,
etc. will be allowed to make-up the workshop. No exceptions.
Revision: As revision is one of the most effective ways to improve as a writer, you will have the option (not
mandatory) to revise the first three papers. If you choose to accept the revision option, you will need to
carefully review my comments on your graded paper and address all of the areas noted in need of
improvement. Only revised papers that merit a higher grade will receive one. If you do receive a higher
grade on your revision, I will average the two grades (i.e. if you received a 70/C- on your paper and a 80/Bon your revision, you will receive a 75/C for your final grade). Revisions must be submitted within one week
of receiving your graded paper and must be submitted with the original, graded paper.
Grading Scale: A 90 – 100 (Excellent); B 80 – 89 (Good); C 70 – 79 (Fair); D 60 – 69 (Poor); F below 60
(Failure)
2
Assignment/Assessment Tool;
Description
Participation
Thoughtful participation in classroom
and small group discussions as well as
completion of in-class writing exercises,
regular attendance, and arriving to class
on time. Most importantly, always
come to class having completed all
syllabus reading and assignments
for that day. (Assignments are due
the day listed)
800 words (2-3 pages)
1000 words (3 pages)
1200 words (4 pages)
Essay 1 (Poem Response/Explication)
Essay 2 (Analysis of Short Story)
Essay 3 (Comparison of Novel and
Film with Research)
Essay 4 (Thematic Analysis Across
Genres with Research )
Quiz Average
Final Exam
Percentage of
Final Grade
10%
10%
15%
20%
1500 words (5 pages)
20%
To include both scheduled and pop
quizzes on reading assignments from
syllabus, as well as terms, formatting
and grammar rules reviewed in class.
Also includes note-taking spot checks.
10%
Quizzes can not be made up. I will,
however, drop your two lowest quiz
grades at the end of the term. This is
another reason regular attendance is
crucial.
In-Class Essay
15%
Course Schedule: (Assignments and readings are due the day listed)
AUGUST
Week 1
Mon./ 26: Introduction to course, syllabus, & class procedures
Wed./28: Reading for Structure; Complexity & Economy of Figurative Language
Read: “A Blessing” (Wright 592)
SEPTEMBER
Week 2
Mon./2
NO CLASS. Labor Day.
3
Wed./4: Intro to Poetry, Imagery, the Writing Process, Critical Reading Strategies,
Read: “Intro to Poetry” (1208-1212), “Facing It” (Komunyakaa 650); “Morning Song” (Plath 608)
Week 3
Mon./9: Poetry ctd; Narrative & Poetic Discovery; Literary Analysis as Argument; Intro to Paper 1
Read: “Pomegranate” (Boland 645); “Those Winter Sundays,” (Hayden 522)
Wed./11: Voice & Identity; Developing Essay 1; Using supporting evidence/quoting from poems, Review
MLA format (in-text citations; works cited)
Read: “Postcards to Columbus” (Alexie 698), “History Lesson” (Tretheway 699)
Week 4
Mon./16: Using supporting evidence/quoting from poems, Review MLA format (in-text citations; works
cited); Developing Essay 1
Wed./18: : Revision Techniques; Draft Workshop for Poem Response/Explication
*Due: Bring 1 hardcopy of complete rough draft to class.
Week 5
Mon./23: Intro. to Fiction; Character
Read: “Intro to Fiction” (1197-1200) “The Cathedral” (Carver 299)
Due: Essay #1 (Hardcopy in class)
Wed./25: Fiction ctd.; Setting & Conflict
Read: “Interpreter of Maladies” (Lahiri 407); Quiz on Lahiri at beginning of class
Week 6
Mon./30: Fiction ctd.; Image & Metaphor in fiction; Grammar Review
Read: “Every day Use” (Walker 336); Quiz on Walker at beginning of class; Handbook reading TBA
Wed./2: Fiction ctd.; Intro. to Essay #2
Read: “The Things They Carried” (O’Brien 344)
OCTOBER
Week 7
Mon./7: Fiction ctd; Thesis Statements; Summarizing, Paraphrasing & Quoting texts
Read: “Drown” (Diaz 425)
Wed./9: Developing Essay 2; Avoiding plot summary
Read: (sample essay TBA)
Week 8 (**Oct. 18 last day to drop with “W”)
4
Mon./ 14: Fiction ctd.; Draft Workshop Essay 2
*Due: Bring 1 hardcopy of complete rough draft of Essay 2 to class
Wed./16: Introduction to the Novel; Quiz on first section of Winter’s Bone; Intro. to Research Methods
Read: Pages 1-63 of Winter’s Bone
*Due: Essay 2 (Hardcopy due in Class)
Week 9
Mon. 21: Novel ctd.; Primary & Secondary Sources
Read: Complete Winter’s Bone (pages 63-193)
Wed. 23: Discussion of Winter’s Bone ctd., Intro to Essay 3
Week 10
Mon./28: Intro. to Film Analysis; Discuss the film adaptation of Winter’s Bone
Due: Make sure you have watched all of Winter’s Bone the film by this date
Wed./30: Discussion of Winter’s Bone (film and movie) ctd. ; Developing Essay 3, Comparison Techniques
NOVEMBER
Week 11
Mon./4: Draft Workshop Essay 3; Intro to Essay 4
Read: Handbook reading TBA
*Due: Hardcopy of complete rough draft of Essay 3
Wed./6: Intro to Advanced Research Methods/Peer Review Journals; Review MLA (introducing sources;
in-text citations, and works cited page)
Read: TBA
**Due: Essay 3
Week 12
Mon./11: Research Methods ctd.; Argument strategy; Building your analysis from research
Read: TBA
Wed./13: Preparing Annotated Bibliography
Due: Bring at least 3 sources from research to class
Week 13
Mon./ 18: Developing your argument; Incorporating Research
Read: TBA
Wed./20: Developing Essay 4
Read: TBA
Week 14
5
Mon./25: NO CLASS for Thanksgiving Break
Wed./26: NO CLASS for Thanksgiving Break
December
Week 15
Mon./2: Developing Essay 4
Wed./4: Draft Workshop Essay 4
*Due: First 3 pages of Essay 4 rough draft due
Week 16 (Exam week)
See Section Syllabus for exact exam time and day
**Due: Essay 4
**This syllabus is subject to change. The instructor reserves the right to make changes and/or adjustments
to assignments, readings, and/or due dates as deemed necessary for the success of the class. If you miss
class, it is your responsibility to check Course Den for any announcements regarding changes to the syllabus
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