English 120/Section 06507 & Section 12501
College Composition I
Professor Diana H. Polley
Spring 2016
Class Hours—06507: Wednesday/Friday 11:00am-12:15pm (RF 201)
Class Hours—12501: Wednesday/Friday 3:30pm-4:45pm (RF 301)
Office Hours:
Tuesdays 1:30-2:00pm & Wednesdays/Fridays 10:30-11:00am & 12:15pm2:00pm
Office:
Robert Frost 218
Office Phone:
x2539
Email:
d.polley@snhu.edu
Website:
dhpolley.com
Course Description:
ENG 120 is a college-level writing course that introduces students to various forms of academic
discourse. Students are required to prepare essays in a variety of rhetorical modes, including
exposition, description, and argumentation. In addition to out-of-class writing assignments,
students will be required to compose in-class essays in response to readings and other
prompts. ENG 120 introduces students to process-writing techniques, library research, and MLA
documentation procedures. The primary focus of ENG 120 is to help students acquire the
writing skills they need to succeed in an academic environment.
Course Objectives and Learner Outcomes (General Education Learning Goals are indicated in
parenthesis):
This course will help you to develop strong reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. Over the
next fifteen weeks, you will read a series of challenging and thought-provoking essays on the
topic of popular culture and use these essays as springboards for discussion, analysis, and
writing exercises. Through these in and out-of-class assignments, you will learn to:
• Produce writing whose form, organization, syntax, diction, style, and tone are
appropriate for a given audience, subject, and purpose. (Communication)
• Read critically with an eye toward identifying main ideas, supporting evidence, and
conclusions so that you can utilize these components in their own writing.
(Communication)
• Use process writing for generating ideas, drafting, and revising.
• Locate, evaluate, and integrate information purposefully from electronic and print
sources and to document them correctly using MLA style. (Communication)
• Write captivating introductions, coherent theses, well developed, organized, and
supported text, and conclusions that lead the reader to the bigger picture. (Critical
and Creative Thinking)
• Demonstrate personal and collaborative editing skills developed through workshops
and peer feedback. (Collaboration)
• Craft a variety of essays, including a narrative essay, critical analysis assignments, and
a research paper.
Most importantly, this course aims to prepare you for your future as a college-level writer at
SNHU.
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Required Texts/Materials:
Lester Faigley. The Brief Penguin Handbook. 5th Edition. New York: Pearson Longman, 2013.
Manila Folders: you will be asked to turn in final drafts (with rough drafts) in a manila folder.
(manila folder)
Laptop: you will need to bring your laptops to class for workshops and other classes as
announced.
Handouts as well as articles posted on BlackBoard will supplement these materials; any
readings required for class, you will be required to print out and bring to class with you.
A STAPLER!!!
(stapler: own it, love it)
Course Requirements and Grading (the Arguing a Position paper will be used as the critical task,
used for University Assessment purposes):
Narrative Paper (~3-5 pgs)
10%
Critical Analysis: Advertising Paper (~4-6 pgs)
20%
Critical Analysis: Television Paper (in-class essay)
15%
Arguing a Position/Research Paper: (~8-10pgs)
25%
Arguing a Position/Oral Presentation
10%
Quizzes, Workshops, and Presentations
10%
Class Participation, Effort, and Attendance
10%
Writing Assignments:
Please hand in all assignments in class. Only under special circumstances will papers be
accepted in my mailbox or via email. All drafts and final assignments must be typed or wordprocessed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins and 12-point font. Please staple your pages
together on the upper-left corner; paper clips and loose pages result in lost work. See “sample
research paper with MLA documentation” in The Brief Penguin Handbook for a full explanation
of proper formatting. For each final formal essay, you will be asked to hand in the final and all
previous drafts in a manila folder. If you are having trouble with a paper or a due date, let me
know immediately. Only under special circumstances will late papers be accepted, and they
may be marked with a grade penalty (5 points each class).
Writing Workshops:
For two of the papers (advertising and research papers), we will dedicate a class to peer review.
During workshop days, you will be asked to bring in your laptop and upload your paper to an
assigned folder in Blackboard. These workshops will contribute to your grade; to fulfill the
assignment, you must upload your paper on time and come to class prepared and participate.
If you are absent during workshops without an excused absence, I may count the class as two
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absences…. Thus, even if you have failed to finish a draft for the workshop, you must still attend
class and participate. Finally, because these peer-review sessions will be online, even if you
cannot physically be in class, you can still participate online if you want credit for the
assignment.
Reading Assignments:
Reading assignments must be completed on the day they are assigned. You do not need to
complete accompanying questions or exercises in the readings unless they are specifically
assigned by me. To ensure active participation by each member of the class, I will occasionally
give unannounced quizzes and informal in-class writing assignments; these assignments will be
designed to test your preparation as well as comprehension of the material. To be prepared for
a quiz, be sure not to simply skim the text but to read the assignment carefully and critically.
General Education Assessment:
Your final research paper will be used to assess the General Education Learning Goals for
this course (see Student Learning Outcomes above). In addition to using Turn-It-In, you will
need to upload this final paper to Chalk & Wire, the University e-portfolio software, to
prepare for this assessment. Details will be forthcoming in class.
Attendance:
I consider effort to be an essential aspect of this course. This means that being late, absent,
and not participating in class discussion and paper workshops will illustrate a lack of interest
in the class, in your work and in your final grade. Ten percent of your grade will be
determined based upon your class participation and attendance. Anything over four
absences is considered unacceptable; if you miss more than four classes, you may be
dropped from the class at my discretion. Three late arrivals (i.e. after I take attendance) will
count as one absence. AND, if you come in after I have taken attendance, it is your
responsibility to remind me of your presence after class.
Other Classroom Policies:
When you enter this classroom, you join a group of students who sit down for over an hour
at a time to study together. For this reason, some general common courtesy policies are
essential. Among them… Please turn off or silence your cell phones BEFORE you come into
class. Sometimes you forget, and so the first time it goes off, you will get a warning; the
second time, however, you may be asked to leave. This goes for texting as well (and please
note that texting above or below the desk is equally rude). And, unless we are SPECIFICALLY
using laptops in class, please keep them CLOSED—laptop use unrelated to classroom use
results in distraction for all, particularly the student using the laptop. If you need to bring
food or a beverage to class, it should be inoffensive (e.g. loud crunching on chips, messy
dripping ketchup, and smelly tuna sandwiches are generally distracting). Finally, please
follow basic protocols of politeness: this means coming to class late, walking in and out,
talking to your neighbor, leaving early are all rude and affect the learning environment. In
general, use common sense.
Resources:
Writing Tutors: You can walk in or set up regular appointments to work on your essays or
grammar with tutors. The Learning Center is located in Suite 207 of the Library.
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Computer Centers: Main Lab: RF 108—General PC use and printing 8am-Midnight Daily. The
Library has carrels where laptops may be connected to the internet and to printers.
Library: Links on documentation (MLA, APA, Chicago Style): Go to SNHU
Library>Guides>Documentation Guides>MLA. Research Help: ask a Reference librarian for help
finding printed or online information.
Southern New Hampshire University Policy Statements:
Academic Honesty Policy:
http://family.snhu.edu/Resources/policiesandprocedures/UC/Pages/Academic-HonestyUC.aspx
ADA/504 Compliance Statement:
Southern New Hampshire University is committed to and concerned with meeting the
needs of students challenged by physical, sensory, psychiatric, attention, and/or learning
disabilities with regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the
1973 Rehabilitation Act. At the beginning of each term, or as soon as you become aware of
a disability, we encourage you to contact the Office of Disability Services to discuss
accommodations for which you may be qualified.
For questions concerning support services, documentation guidelines, or general disability
issues:
Office of Disability Services, Exeter Hall, Suite 56
603.644.3118
disabilityservices@snhu.edu
For questions concerning ADA/504 related compliance matters, grievance or legal issues,
the contact information is:
adacompliance@snhu.edu
(603)645-9664 phone/(603)645-9717 fax
For all syllabi statements, use the link below:
https://my.snhu.edu/Academics/Pages/SyllabiStatements.aspx
Schedule of Assignments:
The following is an outline of assignments for the semester. Assignments may be shifted or
changed as necessary; if you miss a class, be sure to contact a fellow classmate and/or check
Blackboard.
Week One
Jan. 20
Introduction to class
Jan. 22
Introduction to each other
Introduction to BlackBoard
Introduce Narrative Paper
Penguin, 1-16
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Week Two (note: 1/25=last day to add/drop classes)
Jan. 27
Penguin, 17-25
Rothstein, “Damning (Yet Desiring) Mickey and the Big Mac” (BlackBoard)
Delaney, “Popular Culture: An Overview” (BlackBoard)
Sternbergh, “What It Means to Be Popular (When Everything is Popular)”
(BlackBoard)
Bring LAPTOP to class (and topic for paper)
Jan. 29
Introduce Advertising Paper
Advertising, 36-39 (BlackBoard)
Jack Solomon, “Masters of Desire,” 46-60 (BlackBoard)
Narrative Paper DRAFT Due
Week Three
Feb. 3
Jib Fowles, “Advertising’s Fifteen Basic Appeals,” 60-77 (BlackBoard)
Feb. 5
Jib Fowles, continued
Narrative Paper Review
Week Four
Feb. 10
ONLINE CLASS: Solomon and Fowles review
Feb. 12
ONLINE CLASS: Mark Crispin Miller, “Getting Dirty,” 125-133 (BlackBoard)
Week Five
Feb. 17
Miller Review
Bring in several printed advertisements for Advertising Paper
Narrative Paper FINAL Due
Feb. 19
Advertising Group Presentations
Week Six
Feb. 24
Penguin, 26-34
Advertising Paper WORKSHOP Due
Bring LAPTOP to class
Feb.26
Introduce “Arguing a Position” Research Paper
Penguin, 232-286 (you can skim 239-286)
Introduction to MLA Documentation
Advertising Paper DRAFT Due
Week Seven
Mar. 2
Penguin, 158-203
LIBRARY DAY (meet in the Library Instruction Room #105)
Mar. 4
Advertising Paper Review
LIBRARY DAY #2—Sources
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Week Eight
Mar. 9
Spring Break
Mar. 11 Spring Break
Week Nine
Mar. 16 MLA Review: “Arguing a Position” Research Paper WORKS CITED Page due
(upload to BlackBoard by 8am Oct. 21)
Bring LAPTOP to class
Mar. 18
MLA Quiz
Advertising Paper FINAL Due
Week Ten
Mar. 23 Penguin, 208-232
Additional Reading, TBD
Introduce Alternative Citation Methods
Mar. 25
Introduce Oral Presentation Assignment
“Arguing a Position” Research Paper WORKSHOP Due
Bring LAPTOP to class
Week Eleven
Mar. 30 Additional Reading, TBD
Oral Presentation Review
“Arguing a Position” Research Paper DRAFT Due
Apr. 1
Group A: Conferences
Group B: Work on Paper and Oral Presentation
Week Twelve
Apr. 6
Group B: Conferences
Group A: Work on Paper and Oral Presentation
Apr. 8
Oral Presentations
Week Thirteen
Apr. 13
Oral Presentations
“Arguing a Position” Research Paper FINAL Due
Apr. 15
Oral Presentations
Week Fourteen
Apr. 20
Paul A. Cantor, “The Simpsons: Atomistic Politics and the Nuclear Family,” 734-749
(BlackBoard)
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Apr. 22
Cantor continued
Week Fifteen
Apr. 27
Cantor continued
Final Paper Review
Apr. 29
CHOOSE & PREVIEW an episode from The Simpsons
 Available via http://www.simpsonsworld.com/ if you have a cable provider
 Available via http://kisscartoon.me/
“Critical Analysis” In-Class Essay
Exam Day:
Section 06507: Wednesday, May 4th @ 1pm-3pm (RF 218)
Section 12501: Friday, May 6th @ 3:30pm-5:30pm (RF 218)
Although we will not have a formal exam, this time will be used for professor/student
conferences.