Course: R1A (Section5)
Time: M/W/F 10-12
Location: Evans Hall 65
Instructor: Ben Spanbock
Email: spanbock@ucsc.edu
Office Hours: M: 11:15-12:15 W: 1-2
Office: Wheeler M20
College Writing R1A: Accelerated Reading and Composition
“California History and Culture”
Course description:
The state of California encompasses a tremendous amount of social, cultural,
environmental, and regional diversity. Operating under the premise that our diverse
community stands to benefit from intellectually informed ideas and opinions, the purpose
of this class is to introduce practical methods for reading historical and cultural “texts”
(print, visual, auditory, etc.) and activating the writing process as a method for engaging
with the dynamic issues they raise. Together we will examine a number of short and long
texts that draw from and speak to a variety of academic discourses, including film,
journalism, environmental studies, literature, social sciences, history, and cultural studies.
Beginning with an overview of the place of California in writing, we will work together to
define the limits of the “California imaginary” that will serve as our common grounds while
students identify and pursue issues relevant to their own interests. Students will be asked
to read deeply and carefully, and to practice both formal and informal writing with the goal
of forming their own perspectives on relevant issues through acts of writing.
Course Website:
http://www.benspanbock.net/course-page.html
List of Texts (all texts are available at the Cal Student Store and online):
Bacon, Nora. The Well Crafted Sentence (second edition)
Jackson, H.H. Ramona (any edition)
Michaels, Reid, and Scherr. West of the West: Imagining California
Rodriguez, Louis J. Always Running
Yamashita, Karen Tei. Tropic of Orange
Other short texts and videos available on the course website
**(You will also need a single subject notebook for journaling, drafting, and taking notes)**
Accelerated Reading and Composition:
R1A is a six credit course defined as an “intensive, accelerated course [that] satisfies
concurrently the University of California Entry Level Writing Requirement and the first half
of the Reading and Composition Requirement. It is designed to offer students structured,
sustained, and highly articulated practice in the recursive processes entailed in reading,
critical analysis, and composing.” Since this course fulfills two Reading and Composition
(R&C) requirements, the reading as well as the writing load is heavy. Expect to spend about
twenty hours a week on this course, because it is the equivalent of two regular courses.
R1A MUST be taken for a letter grade (no P/NP option) to receive R&C credit and a grade of
C- or better is required to pass.
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Course Requirements:
1. Your writing this semester will include four shorter essays (2-3 pages) and four longer
essays (4-6 pages), along with a variety of other formal and informal writing activities
totaling 40+ pages. Papers will go through a series of drafts and revisions prepared both
in and out of class.
2. Class time will regularly be devoted to discussion of daily readings and assignments, as
well as topics like mechanics, analysis, structure, and style as they relate to your essays.
Students will frequently be asked to work together in revision groups, which will meet
during class, and in some cases before, after, or between classes.
3. Over the course of the quarter you will be expected to keep a writing journal and
complete several informal and/or exploratory writing assignments in addition to formal
assignments.
4. Students will be responsible for coming to class ready to discuss all readings assigned to
them for that meeting. This means bring all books and materials necessary for the
day’s class. You will be expected to engage in informed discussions pertaining to a text’s
content, its formal features, its cultural context, or other relevant aspects as deemed
necessary. You are also required to check your email daily for messages related to this
course.
5. Students must compile a portfolio of their best work from the course as a final project at
the end of the semester. YOU MUST KEEP ALL FORMAL AND INFORMAL MATERIAL YOU
CREATE DURING THE SEMESTER IN PREPARATION FOR THIS FINAL ASSIGNMENT.
Your portfolio will be read and assessed by other CWP faculty members.
Course Policies:
 Be respectful of the rights, opinions, and differences of others.
 Please take advantage of my office hours and/or email whenever you have a
question, or if you just want to talk about something related to the course.
 Academic integrity and scholarship are core values that should guide our conduct
and decisions as members of the UC Berkeley community. Plagiarism and cheating
contradict these values, and can have serious consequences that range from a failing
grade on an assignment to suspension from the University. This quarter we will
address research and citation methods that will help you avoid plagiarism, however
you should also review the university's Rules of Conduct regarding this matter to
help inform your study at: http://uga.berkeley.edu/sas/rtf/guide_student.rtf.
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Paper Submissions:
All papers should be brought to class on the day that they are due. They should include a
heading with your name, the date, and the course time and title (ie. R1A M/W/F 10-12).
Papers should be typed using Times New Roman 12pt. font with margins set to 1inch.
Late and incomplete assignments:
All work is expected to be handed in ON TIME unless an extension is arranged in advance
with the instructor. Last minute extensions will generally not be awarded. Keep in mind
that any incomplete assignments will be marked down accordingly, negatively
impacting your final grade and your ability to successfully complete the end of semester
portfolio assignment.
Attendance and participation:
Attendance and participation are critical to successful completion of this course. You do
not get credit for simply attending class, but absences count against you. That said,
participation does have the potential to lift your grade. Your first absence will be
excused, your second absence marked against your participation, and your third will result
in a lowering of your grade. More than three absences will be considered as grounds for
failing the course. Regardless of your reason for missing class, you will want to keep up
with your work. Punctuality is also important. Chronically arriving to class late or leaving
early is disruptive to your classmates and will damage your final grade.
Breakdown of Grade:
Journaling and Peer-editing:
Response Papers (5):
Short Essays (4):
Long Essays (4):
Annotated Bibliography:
Portfolio:
10%
10%
20%
40%
5%
15%
If you are ever concerned about your grade, come speak with me ASAP. It is always
best to address these issues earlier rather than later!
Student Learning Center:
The SLC offers a variety of peer based programs to help students write academic papers.
The center also offers drop-in sessions with tutors for all students and workshops for nonnative speakers of English. They are located in the Chavez Student Center across from
Sproul Hall. Their number is 642-7332 and their web address is http://slc.berkeley.edu.
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Essay Checklist:
(Please consult the daily schedule for due dates for these papers)
Short papers:
#1- “Origins of CA” (~3pags)
#2- “News Article Summary” (~2 pages)
#3- “Film Review” (~2pages)
#4- “Tropic of Orange” (~3pages)
Long papers:
#1 Ramona (~4 pages)
#2 Close Reading (~4 pages)
#3 Social Movements (~6 pages)
#4 Gangs, Prisons, Police Officers (~6 pages)
Single Page Response Papers:
#1 Reader/Writer
#2 Paradise videos
#3 Water Wars
#4 Transportation
#5 Bombay Beach
Annotated Bibliography (~5 pages)
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Class Schedule:
Week 1: Introduction/Paradise
Wednesday: Introductions and course overview; Distribution and discussion of
syllabus
Friday: Group discussion of readings; In-class writing activity
Read: Julián Marías, California as Paradise; Walt Whitman, Facing West From
California Shores (West of the West) Tupac Shakur, California Love (Website) Katy
Perry, California Gurls (Website)
Bring: Reader/Writer Statement
Week 2: Origins
***Individual meetings to be scheduled for this week***
Monday: Group discussion of readings; In-class writing activity
Read: Joan Didion, Notes from a Native Daughter (WOTW); Donald Murray
“Unlearning to Write” (website)
Bring: Paradise response paper
Wednesday: Group discussion of readings; In-class writing activity
Read: Native Creation Myths (Website) Richard Henry Dana Jr., Two Years Before
the Mast (selection) (Website) Henry Miller, “In the Beginning” (WOTW)
Friday: Class debate on the Origins of California History
Read: Donald Murray “Start the Writing Habit” (website) Ramona Chapters I-IV
Bring: “Origins essay” draft
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Week 3: Ramona
Monday: Group discussion of readings; Peer-editing activity; In-class activity on
clauses
Read: The Well Crafted Sentence (TWCS) Chapter 2: The Sentences Working Parts;
Ramona V-VIII
Bring: “Origins paper”
Wednesday: Group discussion of readings; In-class writing activity
Read: Ramona IX-XII
Friday: Group discussion of readings; Group workshop and free-write with news
article; Distribution and discussion of “News article summary” assignment
Read: Ramona XIII-XVI
Bring: Two newspaper articles related to a current issue or problem in California
Week 4: Spanish Fantasy Heritage
Monday: Group discussion of readings; In-class activity on active and passive voices
Read: TWCS Chapter 3: Well-Focused Sentences; Ramona XVII-XX
Bring: “News article summary” with original article attached
Wednesday: Group discussion of readings; In-class writing activity
Read: Ramona XXI- XXIII
Friday: Group discussion of readings; “Ramona essay” drafting activity; In-class
viewing of “Ramona: A Story of the White Man’s Injustice to the Indian”
Read: Ramona XXIV- XXVI
Bring: Three thesis statements that respond to the “Ramona essay” prompt
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Week 5: Water Wars
Monday: Campus Holiday/ No class
Wednesday: Peer Review Activity; Class visit to Bancroft Library
Friday: Discussion of readings; Peer Editing Exercise; In-class viewing of scenes from
Cadillac Desert
Read: Mary Austin, The Land of Little Rain (Selections on WEBSITE), PBS video:
Agriculture’s Effect on Frogs (Website) Gerald Haslam, The Water Game (WEBSITE)
Bring: “Water Wars” Response Paper
Week 6: City Life
Monday: Discussion of readings
Read: “Cities” [excerpts from Simone de Beauvoir, Rudyard Kipling, Frank Norris]
(WOTW 145-156)
Bring: Origins paper revision
Wednesday: Discussion of readings; Discussion of effective close reading skills; Hand
out and discuss “Close Reading” assignment
Read: “Cities” [excerpts from Jack Kerouac and Maxine Hong Kingston] (WOTW 157163)
Friday: Discussion of readings; Lecture on effective close reading skills cont.; Peer
editing exercise
Read: TWCS Chapter 4
Bring: “Close Reading” essay rough draft
Week 7: Decentering Anglo Experience
Monday: Discussion of Readings; In-class writing activity
Read: Takaki, Ronald. Gam Saan Haak: The Chinese in Nineteenth Century America;
(WEBSITE); Gretel Erlich, Heart Mountain (WOTW)
Bring: Draft for “Close reading” essay
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Wednesday: Group discussion of Readings; In-class writing activity
Read: Steven Pitti, The Devil in Silicon Valley; Lorna Dee Cervantes, Freeway 280
Bring: Draft for “Close reading” essay
Friday: Discussion of readings; Free-writing exercise; in-class writing activity on
interview and Oral History
Read: Connie Yu, The World of Our Grandmothers (WEBSITE); Sue Kunitomi Embrey,
Manzanar (WEBSITE)
Bring “Close reading” essay
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