Engl 1301 – Summer 2013
M-F 8:00-10:00
3 Credit Hours / 48 hours per semester
5 Weeks: 07/08/2013 – 08/11/2013
Lecture / Core Curriculum
Instructor:
Ms. K.S. Thomas, M.A.
Contact Information:
Phone: N/A
Email: kisha.thomas@hccs.edu
Office: N/A
Office Hours: Available by appointment only
Course Description:
This course is designed to prepare students for college-level composition through an
intensive review of paragraph development, organizational patterns, and essay structure.
Students are introduced to a variety of rhetorical strategies for the informal and formal essay.
Students will analyze model essays, learn principles and patterns of construction for each model,
write five paragraph essays in multiple drafts, and consider the language for a specific audience
and purpose. Students will also review and eliminate typical errors in sentence structure that
weakens the fluency of an essay.
Prerequisites:
A satisfactory assessment score, completion of English 0310, or (for non-native speakers)
English 0349.
Rationale:
By studying the development of the five-paragraph essay and the four modes of discourse,
students can begin to examine the role of writing, to see relationships between and among ideas,
and to clarify concepts and patterns all writers use. By actually composing their own essays,
students can practice self-expression, demonstrate critical reading skills, and produce clear,
concise, expository writing in college level courses across the curriculum.
General Course Goals:
1. The student should be able to develop college-level essays.
2. The student should be able to develop the ability to express ideas clearly, concisely,
and logically.
3. The student should be able to use the various patterns of development.
4. The student should be able to write an essay using the writing process.
5. The student should be able to increase vocabulary skills.
6. The student should be able to read critically and independently.
7. The student should be able to use Standard English correctly.
Course Description:
A course devoted to improving the student’s writing and critical reading. Writing essays for a variety of purposes
from personal to academic, including an introduction to argumentation, critical analysis, and the use of sources.
Course Goals:
In English 1301, we seek to provide writing instruction and practice that will help students master writing the short
essay while developing critical reading skills. We believe that in mastering this particular kind of writing, students
will also gain skills that will permit them to be successful at writing tasks in other college courses, their careers, and
in their personal lives.
Student Assignments:
Personal Narrative or Memoir: One 750+ word out-of-class reflective essay that requires
narration and description, including figurative language and imagery. Basic sentence structure
will be reviewed for the purposes of writing sentences effectively with variety, emphasis, and
correctness.
Critical Analysis: 750+ word out-of-class essay comparing two essays in the text. The goal is
to break down a topic into smaller parts for discussion via content, argument, organization,
style, persuasive strategies, etc.
Informative Essay: 750+ word out-of-class essay informing the reader about a topic of interest
which includes primary research via detailed observations, surveys, and interviews. Any of the
developmental and organizational strategies may be used.
Midterm Analysis: 600+ word in-class essay that critically analyzes the essay handed out to the
student the day of the exam.
Persuasive Essay: 1000+ out-of-class essay that focuses on an ethical issue, which will require
some research as well as the use of MLA documentation, including parenthetical references and
a works cited page. This essay also focuses on the effective use of the three appeals of logic,
emotion, and credibility.
Final: 600+ word in-class persuasive essay chosen from three topics presented to the class at the
time of the exam.
Instructional Method:
The lecture method is used to introduce material. Student models from our text or from
handouts will be discussed before most essays are written. Students will often collaborate in
assigned and unassigned groups. Peer revising and peer editing groups or pairs are vital in the
writing process. In addition, sentence structure, grammar, mechanics and paragraph
development will be addressed as needed, although some usage exercises are built around certain
lessons. In addition, students may access the WebCT companion site to take notes, tests, or
quizzes. Students may also complete library assignments and write some essays in the computer
lab as well as write reaction papers to videos and assigned readings.
CELL PHONES: Please silence or turn off ALL cell phones upon entering my classroom. If
your phone happens to ring or buzz during a lecture, group assignment, or test/quiz politely
silence your phone; however, DO NOT answer your phone and start talking in the classroom or
you will be asked to leave the room, receive a zero for the day, and not be able to return that day.
Evaluation of Writing:
The first essay will be evaluated on the structure of the essay alone. This essay must
demonstrate the competencies listed in items 1-10. Subsequent essays must meet the same
requirements as well as demonstrate appropriate usage and punctuation skills throughout the
course.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
EFFECTIVE THESIS- The writer organizes the composition around a
clearly stated, effective thesis statement that appears at the end of the
introduction.
LOGICAL ORGANIZATION- The writer demonstrates competence with the use of an
organizational pattern: developmental, spatial, order of importance, chronology.
COHERENCE - The writer uses a variety of transitional devices, repeats key phrases,
pronouns to connect ideas smoothly.
UNITY-The writer eliminates unrelated or irrelevant ideas.
ADEQUATE DEVELOPMENT OF IDEAS. The writer meets the length requirement
and develops his or her essay using specific facts, examples, reason, statistics, and
anecdotes.
STRONG INTRODUCTION AND CONCLUSION- The writer grabs the audience’s
attention and focuses the reader; the writer indicates that he or she understands the
purpose, adapts and uses language appropriately for different audiences. The conclusion
reinforces the thesis and leaves the reader satisfied that the writer has accomplished his or
her purpose.
VARIES SENTENCE STRUCTURE- The writer avoids using short, choppy sentences
and uses subordination and coordination effectively.
8.
9.
10.
ADHERENCE TO ASSIGNMENT AND FORMAT- The writer demonstrates that he
or she understands the assigned topic and addresses it effectively with relevant details,
illustrations, and examples. He or she uses MLA correctly.
INDENTIONS FOR PARAGRAPHING – The writer separates his essay into natural
shifts of meaning and indents appropriately for each new paragraph.
USAGE AND PUNCTUATION- The writer demonstrates knowledge of grammar,
mechanics, and usage by having few errors, if any, in the essay.
Student’s Grade Determination:
Your grade will be
determined by the
following
4 papers + Writing
Assignments
In-Class Writing/Work/Pop
Quizzes
Homework/independent/gro
up assignments
Journal Entries
Peer Review/Mid-term
Research Paper
Details
Points
(if applicable)
Must be typed
400
Percent
of Final
Average
20%
Must be present to complete and receive
credit for either.
200
10%
Must be complete at time of instructor
review
Must be complete with question and
complete answer
200
10%
100
10%
Must have complete draft to exchange
and review
Final
100
20%
100
30%
1,100
100%
Total:
Text and Materials:
BOOK: The Bedford Reader, 11th edition by: X.J. Kennedy, Dorothy M. Kennedy, and Jane E.
Aaron
MATERIAL:
Spiral Notebook (for note taking)
Binder with Pockets (for Handouts, Essays, and Worksheets)
Highlighters, Pens, and Pencils (for Active Reading note taking)
USB Drive (for saving research information and papers)
Rubrics /Checklists for Essays:
You will have a rubric (grading scale for some essays). The rubric indicates what the A -paper,
B -paper, C- paper contains or does not contain. If I need to point out particular types of
problems found in your work, I will do so; however, I will not be writing comments or marking
errors on all essays. I have found that students rarely pay attention to my comments, they rarely
make changes in grammar, usage, or punctuation skills even when I point them out; and students
see my comments not as constructive criticism to improve the writing. Therefore, if you need to
know specifically what caused you to make an A, B, C, or D, etc., you may consult the rubric.
Otherwise, you may schedule an appointment to discuss your paper. Some returned essays might
have a checklist attached to them. In this way, students will be able to see which skills need to
be reviewed throughout the semester.
Attendance and Punctuality:
The attendance policy is outlined in Houston Community College Catalog and Student
Handbook. Note that three absences are considered excessive. The instructor reserves the right
to decide if the circumstances are beyond the students’ control. However, I realize that
sometimes students cannot avoid missing a class. Students should report to class on time. A
student is considered tardy if he or she is not present when I call the roll. If students are
consistently tardy for class, the instructor reserves the right to lock the door once class has
begun, and students will not be allowed to enter.
Make-up Policy and Late Work:
Although a student is allowed to be absent, he or she will not be allowed to make-up work, even
with documentation. Students who do not have drafts ready for peer revision or peer editing will
not receive credit for the essay. Late homework, essays, or drafts will not be accepted because
students will have received ample time to complete essays. The final copy of an essay, its drafts,
and prewriting are due when I ask for the work.
Special Circumstances:
The instructor reserves the right to amend the policies for individual circumstances. Students
with serious problems should discuss them with me, and I will do what I can to assist you.
Students will be treated with dignity, equity, and fairness. If students have failed to meet the
requirements of the class, they should not ask for nor expect to receive special consideration.
Extra Credit: Students will not be given any extra credit work for this course.
Essay Format and Software:
Every essay will be formatted according to MLA (Modern Language Association). All papers
must be typed and saved in Microsoft Word because that’s what our institution uses. If students
do not have Word, they should save the essay as a “rich text” file.
Originality/Plagiarizing:
Plagiarism –whether intentional or unintentional- is a serious offense and can be grounds for
failing the course. If a student plagiarizes an assignment, he will receive 0/F for that assignment.
Deliberate acts of plagiarism exists when the student borrows a previously written work from
someone, uses a paper he has previously written for another class, seeks assistance from others
without the instructor’s permission, buys or takes a paper from someone else, and uses a source
without appropriate documentation. In other words, a student can plagiarize if he or she
borrows, purchases, uses something that is not his original idea, is not common knowledge, or
fails to use complete documentation when a source was used. The mere suggestion that one
doesn’t know how to avoid plagiarizing will not exempt the student of responsibility or liability.
Assignment Schedule:
No assignment schedule will be given with the syllabus. However, there will be times that I will hand out
a tentative assignment schedule. I may need to modify that schedule to accommodate students’ needs.
When I see that additional work is needed, I will require students to view Internet websites, view videos,
work assigned material from these sites, or review material from supplemental sources. We may also
complete assignments from our Composition I website. When homework, quizzes, or tests are assigned
for our class through the assigned Comp website, students will have to use their own time to access the
website. Sometimes I may schedule our class time for us to use a computer lab, but the students should
not expect me to provide computer time for them. Students are responsible for getting the assignments
completed just as they would be responsible for any other assignment. Lacking a computer does not
release a student from completing the requirements or assignments for the course since computers are
available on campus for student use.
Rough Draft Days:
Sometimes, students will be assigned a day to write their rough drafts, to type their essays, to receive
assistance from a campus provided tutor, or to obtain help from me before the completed essay is due.
Class time may be divided among students so that I can assist individuals. Students will sign a log in
sheet. If students do not meet with me for scheduled rough draft time, they will be counted as absent.
Receiving Lecture Notes and Handouts:
When I disseminate handouts or give a lecture, I expect students to be present to receive the information.
If students are absent, they should not expect me to bring the handouts to class again. It is the students’
responsibility to get the handout from me. Students should not interrupt class to ask what they have
missed. I will not make copies of lecture notes for students.
Timed Tests/Quizzes:
Some tests and quizzes are timed. If you are not present when the tests or quizzes begin, you
will not receive additional time to complete your work. Your work must be turned in when I call
for it.
Checking Homework:
I do not give busy work or frivolous assignments. Homework is designed to give students
practice on skills that they need to strengthen. However, not all homework will receive a grade.
Several homework assignments will be checked in class. Students may be called upon to answer
questions, or we may exchange the work and check it as a group. If I see that students are not
working the assignments, I will give pop quizzes that will cover the homework. I will not take
up all of the assignments and check the papers individually, but I do reserve the right to decide to
check homework randomly for a grade. These checked assignments will count as quiz grades.
Assignments/Take-Home/Open Notebook Tests/Group Work:
All work is individualized unless I indicate otherwise. I will assign group work when I deem it
appropriate, especially for peer editing or peer revising. If, however, students work in groups,
prior permission must be received from the instructor, or the students can receive a zero for the
work.
HCC Policy Statements:

Discipline: As your instructor and as a student in this class, our shared responsibility is to
develop and maintain a positive learning environment for everyone. I take this responsibility
seriously and will inform members of the class if their behavior makes it difficult for me to carry
out this task. As a fellow learner, you are asked to respect the learning needs of your classmates
and to assist me achieve this critical goal. (See Student Handbook)

Academic Honesty: A student who is academically dishonest is, by definition, not showing that
the coursework has been learned, and that student is claiming an advantage not available to other
students. The instructor is responsible for measuring each student’s individual achievements and
also for ensuring that all students compete on a level playing field. Thus, in our system, the
instructor has teaching, grading, and enforcing roles. You are expected to be familiar with the
HCC’s policy on Academic Honesty found in the catalogue. What that means is that if you are
charged with an offense, pleading ignorance of the rules will not help you.
Just so there is no misunderstanding, plagiarism (using another's ideas or words without giving
credit), Collusion (unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work
offered for credit), and other forms of cheating will not be tolerated. To be accepted, all papers
require proof of their development. Students who plagiarize, collude, or cheat may face
disciplinary action including the grade of 0 for the assignment, an F for the course, and/or
dismissal from the college. For more on plagiarism, see "Plagiarism" in The New McGraw-Hill
Handbook, second edition. (See Student Handbook)

Special Needs: Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric,
vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the
Disability Services Office at the respective college at the beginning of each semester. Faculty is
authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services
Office. For questions, please contact Donna Price at 713.718.5165 or the Disability Counselor
at your college. To visit the ADA Web site, please visit www.hccs.edu then click Future
students, scroll down the page and click on
the words Disability Information.
Northwest ADA Counselor – Mahnaz Kolaini – 713.718.5422
Tentative Instructional Outline:
Note: Assignments and Dates may be modified by instructor!!!
EACH ESSAY ASSIGNED OUT OF THE CLASSROOM MUST BE TYPED!!!!! (MLA FORMAT)
Week, Review, Assignments, Quiz, &
Essays:
Reading and Homework:
After each Reading you will be assigned a
brief homework/journal assignment TBA
Week 1
Monday: Syllabus Review, Ice breakers, and The
Writing Process
Tuesday’s Reading: Read “The Writing Process”
p 33-51
Wednesday’s Reading: “Champion of the World”
p 110
Thursday’s Reading: “The Lottery” p139
Handouts
Group Assignment
Research Topic Discussion
Week 2
Handouts
Group Assignment
Journal Writing
Week 3
Handouts
Group Assignment
Choose Topic
MID-TERM!!!!!!!
Friday: Essay 1 Narrative Due
Monday: “Description: Writing with Your
Senses” p 153-161
Tuesday’s Reading: “Arm wrestling with My
Father” p163
Wednesday: “Shooting Dad” p171
Thursday: Descriptive Writing Review/Draft-Peer
Review
Friday: Essay 2 Descriptive Due
Monday: “Example: Pointing to Instances” p203209/“Process Analysis: Explaining Step by Step”
p299-306
Tuesday’s Reading: “On Compassion” p 211 and
“Homeless” p 216
Wednesday’s Reading: How to Poison the Earth”
p308 and “Chronicles of Ice” p313
Thursday’s Reading: Review/Draft
Friday: MID-TERM!!!!! Essay
3 Due
topic TBA
Week 4
Handouts
Group Assignment
Journal Writing
Monday: “Division or Analysis: Slicing into
Parts” p 351-358/“Classification: Sorting into
Kinds” p399-405
Tuesday’s Reading: “I Want a Wife” p 360 and
“Men—It’s in Their Nature” p365
Wednesday’s Reading: : “The Ways We Lie”
p408 and “The World of Doublespeak” p 418
Thursday: Review/Draft
Week 5
Research Paper Due
ProCon.org
Bibme.org
Final Topic
FINAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday: Essay 4 Due topic TBA
Monday: “Argument and Persuasion: Stating
Opinions and Proposals” p547-561/Image Writing
Assignment
Tuesday’s Reading: Too Much Pressure p 564568
Wednesday: Thesis Workshop
Thursday’s Reading: Choose from the stories in
this section and then begin writing your
preliminary argument for that particular subject.
Friday: Research Day/Final Paper Due