ENGL 1023: Composition 2 (3 Credit Hours)
Instructor: Laine Perez
Office: M154A
Class Time and Place: TR (11:00-12:20); M136
E-mail: lperez@northark.edu
Office hours: MWF (8:00-11:00); TR (9:30-11:00)
Course Description:
This course builds on the skills students have developed in ENGL 1013 and helps refine and
develop more complex writing skills, so that students can become even stronger and more
confident writers. In this course students will learn further reading, writing, and critical thinking
skills by exploring and writing about various literary genres including prose fiction, drama, and
poetry. Accordingly, students will write well-developed essays about various works of literature.
At the end of the semester, students will be asked to prepare and write a research paper using a
longer literary work; this novel will be both a springboard and a major source for this project.
The classes will be conducted primarily in a discussion-type format in which I will introduce the
work, its history, and its central themes and then ask for your impressions and ideas on particular
topics. As this class will be primarily in discussion format, I will expect you to be tolerant and
respectful of others’ opinions. I will also expect you to participate in class discussion to the best
of your ability.
Prerequisite and Course Rationale:
Prerequisite: A minimum of “C” in ENGL 1013
Rationale: ENGL 1023 is a general education requirement that helps students apply critical
thinking skills across disciplines, communicate clearly in written and oral formats, and explore
and analyze complex issues arising from discussion of literary texts
Required Texts:
1. Roberts, Edgar V. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing 10th Ed. Upper
New York: Longman, 2009.
2. Hacker, Diana. Rules for Writers. 6th Ed. Boston: Bedford, 2009.
3. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2004.
Required and Recommended Course Resources:
Required: You must always bring your book(s) to class. You also must have access to a
computer and the internet since all essays must be word-processed and turned in electronically.
Recommended: If you have difficulty with the course, please go to the Writing Center for free
tutoring. Please go to the Writing Center when you are beginning to have problems. The earlier
you go, the easier it will be to help you.
Coursework
Course Requirements:
To pass this course you must complete every reading assignment on time. You will also be
required to complete homework assignments for some of the piece that we read in this class. I
will provide you with questions regarding the plot, settings, and characters (and occasionally a
question or two to get you thinking about what we will be discussing in class). Reading quizzes
will be given occasionally throughout the semester so make sure that you complete your reading
assignments on time.
You will also write four short papers—two over short stories, one over drama, and one over
poetry. At the end of the semester, you will write a research paper (as well as an annotated
bibliography and map) over the novel The Great Gatsby. You will use this novel as a source for
this paper, and you will also be required to use three other sources in this paper. You will also be
given reading quizzes and other brief writing assignments.
Grading Policy
Evaluation:
Students will be evaluated on completion of reading and writing assignments (including essays
and journal entries), quizzes, and classroom attendance:




Four essays (100 points each) and research paper (200 points)
Quizzes, readings, homework assignments
Attendance
Participation
70%
20%
5%
5%
All assignments are due by the beginning of class whether turned in electronically (see below) or
otherwise. If you will not be in class the day an assignment is due, you must contact me ahead of
time to make alternate arrangements. I WILL penalize late work. You will be penalized 1 letter
grade for every day that the paper is late. I accept no excuses for late papers. If the paper is late,
it will be penalized.
Your four short essays and one research paper will be submitted electronically on turnitin.com
and are due at the specified due date and time. These papers must be turned in through
turnitin.com. I will not take the paper in any other form.
Letter Grade Scale:
A
B
C
D
F
=
=
=
=
=
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
59 and below
Attendance/Participation
Students are expected to attend all class meetings. Do not forget that absences can affect your
grade! If you miss more than 15% of the class, the instructor has the prerogative to assign an F
for the course. If you must withdraw from the course, you are responsible for doing so. I am not
permitted to drop you from the class.
Tardiness can also affect your grade. Two tardies will count as one absence. You will be
considered tardy if you are not in class when I call roll. If you are more than 15 minutes late for
class, you will be counted absent for the day. Also, if you sleep in class, you will be counted
absent for that day.
Make sure that your cell phone is off before class begins. I do not want to see your phone during
class. I do not want to hear your phone during class. I do not want to see you texting during
class. If I catch you texting, I will count you absent for that day and will drop your participation
grade.
If I catch you talking in class, you will be given one warning before I ask you to leave the class.
I will count you absent for the day, regardless of how much time you have actually spent in the
class.
The English faculty makes no distinction between an excused and an unexcused absence. It is
your responsibility to find out what you missed in the event of an absence; the fact that you
missed the previous class is not an excuse for showing up unprepared for the next class.
Academic Integrity
North Arkansas College has a strong commitment to academic achievement which is supported
by a strict but fair policy to protect academic integrity. This policy regards academic fraud and
dishonesty and disciplinary offenses requiring disciplinary actions. Any student who engages in
such offenses (as here defined) will be subject to one or more courses of action as determined by
the instructor, and in some cases, by the Division Chairperson or Program Director, and Vice
President of Learning, and the Institutional Standards and Appeals Committee as well.
Academic fraud and dishonesty are defined as follows:
Cheating: Intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study
aids in any academic exercise.
Test-Tampering: Intentionally gaining access to restricted test booklets, banks, questions, or
answers before a test is given, or tampering with questions or answers after a test is taken
Plagiarism: Intentionally or knowingly representing the words and ideas of another as one’s own
in any academic exercise. If you use materials from a secondary source—even when you
paraphrase from a secondary source—make sure that you give the author credit and use
quotation marks to indicate a direct quotation.
Facilitating Academic Dishonesty: Intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help
another commit an act of academic dishonesty.
Disability Services
North Arkansas College complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Students with disabilities who need special
accommodations should make their requests in the following way: (1) talk to the instructor after
class or during office hours about their disability or special need related to classroom work;
and/or (2) contact Special Services in Room M149 and ask to speak to Kim Brecklein.
Student Responsibilities
1. Read the college catalog and all materials you receive during registration. These
materials will tell you what the college expects from you
2. Read the daily schedule for each class. You are responsible for completing all essays and
readings BEFORE coming to class so that you can understand the lecture and participate
in discussions.
3. Please check your Northark email daily. I will use email to notify you of significant
changes to the schedule. Not having access to this e-mail for whatever reason does not
serve as an excuse for not turning in assignments on time or not being aware of
schedule changes.
4. Attend all class meetings. If you must miss a class, make an appointment to meet with
me and discuss what you should do.
5. Treat others with respect. Part of the college experience is being exposed to people with
ideas different from yours. Listen to others’ ideas, do not interrupt their comments, and
evaluate their ideas on their own merit.
6. Make sure that you have all the materials you need for class including pen/pencil, paper,
books, etc. Do not rely on me or on your classmates to provide class materials for you.
This is your responsibility.
7. Learn to take good notes. Write down ideas rather than word-for-word statements by the
instructor.
Schedule of Readings and Major Assignments
Notes: The following calendar may change depending on class needs. I will inform you of any
changes in class. The paper due dates, however, will NOT change.
Unit I: Drama
Week One
8.19
8.21
Week Two
8.26
Class Activity: Introduction to the Class; Turnitin.com sign up; First day reading
Lecture: How to Mark a Text
Read: Tennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie (1649-1669)
Class Activity: Discuss Williams Play; Watch Selections from Play
Read: Tennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie (1669-1698)
Class Activity: Discuss Williams Play; Watch Selections from Play
Take-Home Assignment: Essay #1 Prompt
8.28
Lecture: Thesis Statements and Mapping
Class Activity: Write Thesis Statements and Maps for Essay #1
Week Three
9.2
Lecture: Quotation, Paraphrase, and Plagiarism
Class Activity: Practice Quotation and Paraphrase; Write Body Paragraphs
9.4
Lecture: Introductions and Conclusions
Class Activity: Write Introduction and Conclusion for Essay #1
Take-Home Assignment: Essay #1
***ESSAY #1 DUE THURSDAY BY 9PM***
Unit II: Short Stories
Week Four
9.9
Read: Sandra Cisneros’s “Mericans” (89-90)
“Deep Ties Tested on Mexico’s Border” (on Portal)
Class Activity: Discussion of Cisneros’s Story and Article
Take-Home Assignment: Essay #2 Prompt
9.11
Class Activity: Continue Discussion of Story and Article
Discuss and Brainstorm Essay #2 Prompt
Week Five
9.16
Class Activity: Finish Brainstorming; Prepare Thesis and Map for Essay #2
Take-Home Assignment: Essay #2 Draft
9.18
Class Activity: Essay #2 Editing and Revising Workshop
Take-Home Assignment: Essay #2
***ESSAY #2 DUE THURSDAY BY 9 PM***
Week Six
9.23
9.25
Read: Selection from “Invisible Child” (on Portal)
Class Activity: Discuss and Analyze Article
Read: James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” (pgs. 443-451)
Class Activity: Discuss Baldwin Story
Week Seven
9.30
Read: James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” (pgs. 451-461)
Class Activity: Continue Discussion of Baldwin Story
Take-Home Assignment: Essay #3 Prompt
10.2
Class Activity: Finish Discussion of Baldwin Story; Begin Discussion of Essay #2
Week Eight
10.7
Class Activity: Brainstorm Essay #3 Prompt
Work on Essay #3 (Thesis, Map, Paragraphing)
Take-Home Assignment: Essay #3
***ESSAY #3 DUE BY 9PM***
Unit III: Poetry
10.9
Read: Selections from Zitkala-Sa’s American Indian Stories (on Portal)
Class Activity: Discuss Zitkala-Sa’s Stories
Week Nine
10.14
10.16
Read: Louise Erdrich’s “Indian Boarding School: The Runaways” (762)
Class Activity: Discuss and Analyze Poem
Read: Sherman Alexie’s “On the Amtrak from Boston to New York City” (716)
Class Activity: Discuss and Analyze Poem
Week Ten
10.21
10.23
Read: “This Land is Their Land” (on Portal)
Class Activity: Discuss Article and Maps
Read: “Louisiana Native Guard in the Civil War” (on Portal)
Selections from Natasha Trethewey’s “Native Guard” (on Portal)
Class Activity: Discuss Trethewey Poems
Week Eleven
10.28
Read: Selections from Natasha Trethewey’s “Native Guard” (on Portal)
Class Activity: Continue Discussion of Trethewey Poems
Take-Home Assignment: Essay #4 Prompt
10.30
Class Activity: Discuss Essay #4 Prompt
Begin Brainstorming for Essay #4; Begin Writing Poems
Week Twelve
11.4
Class Activity: Essay #4 Work Day
Take-Home Assignment: Essay #4
***ESSAY #4 DUE 9 PM WEDNESDAY***
Unit IV: Novels
11.6
Read: The Great Gatsby (pgs. 1-59)
Class Activity: Discuss The Great Gatsby
Week Thirteen
11.11
Read: The Great Gatsby (61-111)
Class Activity: Discuss The Great Gatsby
Take-Home Assignment: Research Paper
11.13
Read: The Great Gatsby (113-180)
Class Activity: Discuss The Great Gatsby; Discuss Research Paper Assignment
Week Fourteen
11.18
Class Activity: Brainstorm Ideas for Research Paper
Begin Research
Take-Home Assignment: Read Annotated Bibliography and Map Prompt
11.20
Class Activity: Continue Research; Writing Annotations
Take-Home Assignment: Annotated Bibliography
Week Fifteen
***THANKSGIVING BREAK***
***ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE NOV. 30TH BY 9 PM**
Week Sixteen
12.2
Class Activity: Research Paper Map
Lecture: Organizing Your Research Paper
Take-Home Assignment: Research Paper Map
***RESEARCH PAPER MAP DUE BY 9 PM***
12.4
Class Activity: Research Paper Work Day
Take-Home Assignment: Research Paper Draft
***DRAFT DUE IN CLASS ON TUESDAY***
Week Seventeen
12.9
Class Activity: Editing and Revising Workshop
12.11
***FINAL PAPER DUE BY 11:00 AM***