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Western Nevada College
English 99.1001
Basic Writing Strategies
Spring
2016
INSTRUCTOR: Daniel R. Wexelblatt
DAYS/TIMES/LOCATION:
Tues/Thurs. 1:00PM – 2:45PM REYN113
DATES: 1/25/16 – 5/21/16
Contact: daniel.wexelblatt@wnc.edu
Office Hours: available as necessary, by appointment
Prerequisites: NONE
Required Text/Materials:
Fawcett, Susan. Evergreen: A guide to Writing with Readings. 10th edition. Boston: Wadsworth,
2013. ISBN: 9781133946779
Various Handouts Given by Instructor
Microsoft Word, or other word processing program (upon instructor approval)
A binder with notebook paper, or a spiral notebook, are required for daily journaling and in-class
assignments, along with a pen or pencil
Course Description:
This course provides instruction in basic English skills, including sentence patterns and
basic paragraph development. The course presents a review of grammar, mechanics, punctuation,
spelling, and word usage. This course offers practice in sentence, paragraph, and short essay
writing with attention to grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation. The student will learn
how to combine sentences and paragraphs into entire essays, in order to communicate clearly and
effectively. Students should expect to spend 8 – 10 hours a week outside of class completing
assignments for this course.
Section Course Description:
This course will attempt a “flipped classroom” model, which means that the majority of the work
for this course will be done in class, but the lessons will be done, by you, at home. In other
words, this means that you will read the lesson material and take notes on your own time, then
we will put the lessons to practice during class time. This is a new and experimental model for
me, so I might not stick exclusively to this model, but we’re going to try.
This section of English 101 will include readings from your book and news websites, as well as a
selection of stories and selected film segments from early 20th Century through Contemporary
Western Culture. Topics covered may be considered to be controversial, and include any or all of the
following: African American Civil Rights; Women’s Rights; Latino issues; Native American issues;
Gender issues, including homosexuality and homophobia; Western (American) Militarism and
Imperialism; Islamophobia; Climate Change issues; economic and social inequality in the U.S. and
globally; and sexism and misogyny in American culture. If you are uninterested in, or unwilling to
participate in these types of discussions, you will be happier in another section of this course. Also, as it
will be our aim to foster an accepting and welcome environment for everyone, racism, sexism, classism,
homophobia, xenophobia, and other unwelcoming attitudes will not be tolerated in this class.
We will be using the subject matter of literature and contemporary culture to build thinking and
writing skills applicable to other courses that require writing as an element of critical thinking.
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There will be a written quiz at the beginning of every class unless otherwise noted. The intent of
these quizzes is to ensure that you have read the material so that you will be able to contribute to
our class discussions and exercises.
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course the students should be able to:
Identify the essential elements of the sentence;
Practice sentence skills such as: appropriate word choice; correct grammatical usage;
correct capitalization, spelling, and punctuation; recognizing and writing complete sentences;
Write effective topic sentences and clincher sentences (closing statements);
Generate specific evidence in support of topic sentence;
Develop topic sentences into unified, coherent, detailed paragraphs;
Establish a clear method of organization through the use of logic, transitions, and other
connective devices;
Formulate the thesis statement and its development into an essay;
Use correct MLA manuscript form;
Use correct techniques of revision;
Practice critical reading (recognition of main idea, support, patterns of organization);
Practice peer review and self-evaluation.
Although this course does not fulfill any general education or degree program requirements, it
will assist students toward developing college-level reading, writing, and critical thinking skills,
and prepare them to succeed in college-level courses.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
Necessary accommodations will be made for any and all students with a disability which affects
either directly, or indirectly, their personal learning process. If you have a disability for which
you will need to request accommodations, please contact the Disability Support Services office
(CED 103) at 775-445-4459 or susan.trist@wnc.edu as soon as possible to arrange for
appropriate accommodations.
Class Policies:
Anonymous Sharing of Student Work:
A large portion of the learning in this course will come from other students: this is known as
“peer-revision” or “workshopping.” As a member of this course, you consent to the anonymous
sharing of any of the content you create for this course with any and all other members of the
course. This policy means that in addition to the sharing that you are expected to do with partners
and in groups, your work may appear, anonymously, on the board for everyone as part of a class
exercise. During such exercises, the aim will be to improve your writing skills as well as those of
the students around you. If you are uncomfortable with this type of sharing, please let me know;
otherwise, I will assume I have your permission.
Attendance:
You may miss three (3) class periods throughout the semester without penalty, however, you will
miss class participation points, as well as any homework assignments or quizzes that were
assigned unless you make PRIOR ARRANGEMENTS. Additional or excused absences must be
accompanied by a doctor’s note declaring medical emergency. A fourth absence (4) will drop
your final score by one letter grade, and missing more than four classes without a doctor’s note
will result in failure (F) of the course.
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I will keep track of attendance in three ways: (1) Formal attendance sheet; (2) Daily
Quizzes/Journaling; (3) Issuing homework on a daily basis, in class. You will lose points for not
being here!
As for tardiness, I will begin class on time, and I expect you to be on time. If I have taken
attendance before you arrive, you will be marked absent for the day. Being habitually tardy – the
definition of “habitually” being entirely at my discretion, but, for example, being late more than
once in three class periods – will result in loss of class participation points and/or an absence.
Participation:
Class participation is absolutely mandatory! For our purposes, participation means contributing
to meaningful conversation and group exercises surrounding our readings; thus, you must have
read the assignments in order to contribute. Also, regarding your responses both in-class and in
general, remember that I am more interested in you being thoughtful than right.
Grading Criteria:
Attendance
= 10% of total grade.
Participation in class Activities & Discussions/Daily Assignments/Quizzes = 30% of total grade.
Essays/Projects/Presentations
= 40% of total grade.
Exams (Midterm)
= 20% of total grade.
All Course Assignments listed above must be completed in order to pass the course. This course
will use a “straight grades” system (no plus or minus grades given): i.e., 100-90% = A; 89-80%
= B, etc.
Make-up/late work policy:
I will not accept late work. To reiterate: I WILL NOT ACCEPT LATE WORK (other than upon
communication with me PRIOR TO the due date of an assignment). Should an emergency arise,
contact me as soon as possible for an explanation of class activities you may have missed, and/or
to receive homework. Communicating with me BEFORE an assignment is due is your only
means to explain unforeseen circumstances and exercise other options. Sudden computer or
printer failure is not an exception to the late work policy. I recommend printing your work out
and/or emailing it to yourself at least one day before it is due.
In the event of an absence, it is your responsibility to get notes and/or assignments that you may
have missed. For this reason, I highly recommend having a study partner or partners that can
relay the necessary material in the event of an absence.
Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism:
Academic dishonesty is a serious offense and will not be tolerated. All submitted work for this
course must be in your own words. Do not copy from the Internet or other sources nor allow
someone else to do assignments for you. Papers that are plagiarized will receive a grade of zero.
Papers and other submitted assignments that are similar in content will result in both students
receiving a grade of zero. In addition, the use of any electronic devices during quizzes/exams
will be considered academic dishonesty. If you have any questions, please refer to the student
handbook for more information on the College’s academic dishonesty policies.
I take plagiarism and academic dishonesty very seriously, and report to the Dean of Students
EVERY TIME I am concerned that a student may be cheating. At this institution, students who
cheat are putting themselves at risk of strict consequences, up to and including expulsion, even
for first time offenses. DO NOT CHEAT.
As a side note, I will use turnitin.com to verify originality of all major assignments, so if you
cheat, you will be caught!
Tutoring:
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It is MANDATORY for this course that you enroll in tutoring services. Certain assignments will
require that you have a tutor sign off on them, however, as a bonus for taking the learning
process seriously, if you have at least one session with a tutor who signs off on one of your typed
assignments for which tutoring was not mandatory, you will receive 5 extra percentage points for that
assignment. But remember: writing tutors are not there to edit your work, they are there to teach you how
to edit your own work. Also, be sure to bring the original assignment instructions so the tutor can get an
understanding of what is expected by me.
While we will discuss and define strong composition skills in class, it is up to you develop these
skills yourself, and a writing tutor can help tremendously in this capacity. My notes on your
papers may include specific errors you are making, however, might not include how to fix such
errors; this is another area where a writing tutor comes in handy.
Formatting, Editing, and Proofreading:
Unless otherwise noted, all work must be typed and correctly formatted in accordance with MLA
guidelines. One of the intents of this course is to instill in the student the habits of strong,
college-level writers; proper formatting, editing, and proofreading constitute a large portion of
those habits. As the saying goes: “Writing is re-writing.” We will be discussing MLA in class, so
don’t worry if you don’t have a grasp on the concepts early on.
Withdrawal Process:
In order to withdraw from the course, you must submit the required paperwork before the final
withdrawal date. Withdrawing from the course is entirely your responsibility – I will not
withdraw you. Failure to attend class and/or missing major assignments will result in an “F” for
the course. The last day to drop with a “W” grade is Friday, April 1st. The last day to drop
for a full refund is Friday, January 29th.
Electronic Devices:
Laptops are not to be used during class. Electronic screens and clacking keyboards can be
distracting to other students, so as a way of being respectful of the learning needs of others
laptops must remain stowed. Also, there is no way for me to monitor whether you are taking
notes or playing Call of Duty. If you have a disability that requires you to use a computer, please
let me know, and in this case, we will make the necessary accommodations for you.
Other electronics are also distracting to other students. All personal electronic devices (cell
phones, e-readers, e-notebooks, etc.) are to remain in silent mode while in class. Generally, we
will have a short break toward the middle of class during which you will be able to conduct
personal business. Violation of this policy will incur consequences up to an including an absence
for the day and/or being asked to leave class. As this course will be conducted mostly through
discussions and lectures, this policy is about respecting the learning environment for everyone in
our community.
Behavior:
This is a college course at a school for adults. As such, you are expected to act as college
students and mature adults. Above all, this means being respectful: of the instructor when I am
teaching; of your classmates when they are speaking; or yourself and your education when you
are writing as it concerns your effort; of the guidelines established in this syllabus. As far as class
is concerned – so others are free to learn in the way that best suits them – this often means
simply being quiet and polite. Being respectful also means listening attentively during class
discussions.
Also, disagreements over certain issues may result. In the event that you disagree with me or
your classmates, you are expected to disagree politely; proper, logical discourse is, in fact, part
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of the learning objective for this course. Repeated violation of this policy will result in
consequences up to and including expulsion from the course.
Study Skills and Practices:
You should always have your book and writing materials when you come to class. You should
have read the assigned material at least twice and taken enough notes to sufficiently remind you
of the concepts and/or the basic events.
Extra Credit:
There will be no opportunities for extra credit in this course. Just focus on the regular credit.
Description of Course Work:
Quizzes:
There will be a written quiz at the beginning of every class unless otherwise noted. Quizzes are
designed to verify that you have read the material, and to measure your general preparedness for
discussions. You will be best prepared by reading all material more than once.
If you have clearly absorbed the basic idea of the readings, you should do fine. However, if you
have not done the readings, or if you have merely skimmed them, you will likely do poorly.
Points lost on quizzes will accumulate quickly, and poor grades in this area will jeopardize your
passing of this course. There are no make-ups for quizzes.
Exams:
There is one exam: A Midterm. It will measure understanding and command of all course
concepts. These concepts will be covered in class, but it is your responsibility to ensure you have
a strong understanding of them. Your textbook, as well as writing tutors can be very helpful for
this purpose.
Class Participation:
Participation will include your level of involvement in class discussions, workshops, and other
exercises. There is no makeup process for class participation.
Course Journal:
The Course Journal must be kept in a bound composition format. Students will be directed in
class to record certain activities into their course journal; therefore, it is essential that you have
your journal with you as well as your textbook at each and every class session. The course
journal will also be used to take notes on lesson material between classes, and periodically I
might check that you have these notes.
Papers:
All Formal Papers must be submitted in hard copy to the instructor. In general, we will be
workshopping all of these papers, and the instructor may require that you bring two hard copies
to class. Instructor commentary on these papers will be aimed at how to improve for future
assignments.
Right of revision statement: I reserve the right to make reasonable changes to this syllabus
and/or schedule as necessary.
Continued enrollment in this course indicates that you have read and agree to follow the
course policies and procedures discussed in this syllabus.
Course and assignment schedule:
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Week One
Tuesday, January 26: Personal introductions (Journal Entry 1)/ Introduction to the course: review
of syllabus, course expectations, etc.
Homework:
Thursday, January 28: Sign up with Tutoring Center/ Introduction to Grammar, Punctuation,
Mechanics/ Intro to writing and Journal Entry 2: 1) Think about a book or story that
interested you/made you happy/made you sad/made you upset. Discuss the piece as a whole
(plot), and highlight what about it interested you/made you happy, etc. Then, reflect on
what it is about you that made you connect with this piece. 2) Think about an issue on
which you have a definite or strong view (climate change/abortion/Common Core
education/the Affordable Care act/the War on Drugs/the privatization of prisons, etc).
Then, reflect on what it is about you that makes you take that view. Put in a different
position in life, do you think you would feel differently? Can you imagine the set of
circumstances it would take to make you have a different perspective?
Homework: Read Evergreen Chapters: 26 (all), 32 (all), 33 (462-469), 34.
*Last day to drop with a refund and no record: Friday, January 29th.
Week Two
Tuesday, February 2: Quiz on Evergreen reading/Review of Evergreen Chapters/Group
Exercises/Introduction to homework
Homework: Read Evergreen: “Reading Strategies for Writers” (p.557 – 558), “Multitasking or
Mass ADD” (Ellen Goodman; p. 560 – 561).
Thursday, February 4: Quiz on Reading/Review of “Reading Strategies…” and
“Multitasking…”/ In-class writing on “Multitasking…” and introduction to Personal Error
Patterns Chart and peer revision
Homework: Read Evergreen Chapters: 27 (all), 28 (all).
Week Three
Tuesday, February 9: Quiz on Evergreen reading/Review of Evergreen Chapters/Group
Exercises/Introduction to homework
Homework: Read Evergreen: “Only Daughter” (Sandra Cisneros, p.562)
Thursday, February 11: Quiz on Reading/Review of “Only Daughter”/In-class writing on “Only
Daughter”
Homework: Read Evergreen Chapters: 37 (all), 38 (all)
Week Four
Tuesday, February 16: Quiz on Evergreen reading/Review of Evergreen Chapters/Group
Exercises/Introduction to homework
Homework: Read Evergreen: “A Brother’s Murder” (Brent Staples, p. 565)
Thursday, February 18: Quiz on Reading/Review of “A Brother’s Murder”/In-class writing on
“A Brother’s Murder”
Homework: Read Evergreen Chapters 1 (all), 2 (all).
Week Five
Tuesday, February 23: Quiz on Evergreen reading/Review of Evergreen Chapters/Group
Exercises/Introduction to homework
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Homework: Read Evergreen: “My Two Lives” (Jhumpa Lahiri, p.568)
Thursday, February 25: Quiz on Reading/Review of “My Two Lives”/In-class writing on “My
Two Lives”
Homework: Read Evergreen Chapters: 3 (all), 4 (all)
Week Six
Tuesday, March 1: Quiz on Evergreen reading/Review of Evergreen Chapters/Group
Exercises/Introduction to homework
Homework: Read Evergreen: “Driving While Stupid” (Dave Barry, p.571)
Thursday, March 3: Quiz on Reading/Review of “Driving While Stupid”/In-class writing on
“Driving While Stupid”
Homework: Read Evergreen Chapters: 5 (all), 6 (all)
Week Seven
Tuesday, March 8: Quiz on Evergreen reading/Review of Evergreen Chapters/Group
Exercises/Introduction to homework
Homework: Read Evergreen: “10,000 Hours” (Malcom Gladwell, p.576)
Thursday, March 10: Quiz on Reading/Review of “10,000 Hours”/In-class writing on “10,000
Hours”
Homework: Read Evergreen Chapters: 7 (all), 8 (all).
Week Eight
Tuesday, March 15: Quiz on Evergreen reading/Review of Evergreen Chapters/Review for
Midterm
Homework: Study for Midterm
Thursday, March 17: MIDTERM
Homework: Read Evergreen Chapters: 6 (all), 10 – 13 (all); Daily Activity Journal of Spring
Break (3 Days); Read 3,000 Words (your choice)
Week Nine
Tuesday, March 22: Spring Break, No Class
Homework:
Thursday, March 24: Spring Break, No Class
Homework:
Week Ten
Tuesday, March 29: Quiz on Evergreen reading, your own reading, and journal check/Review of
Evergreen Chapters/Group Exercises; develop beginning of Essay One: Narration
Homework: Read Evergreen Chapters: 14 (all), 15 (all), 16 (B only); Read Evergreen: “Book
War” (Wang Ping, p. 595)
Thursday, March 31: Quiz on Reading/Review of Readings/ Finish Development of Essay One:
Narration.
Homework: Read “Writing About Plot” (handout); Read “The Story of an Hour” (Kate Chopin),
and “The Yellow Wallpaper,” (Charlotte Perkins Gilman).
*Last day to drop with a “W” is April 1st. *Last day to change from credit to audit is April
1st.
Week Eleven
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Tuesday, April 5: Quiz on “The Story of an Hour” and “Yellow Wallpaper”/Review of Writing
About Plot/ Writing About Plot Exercises w/ “Story of an Hour” and “Yellow Wallpaper”
Homework: Read “Paul’s Case” (Willa Cather).
Thursday, April 7: Quiz on Paul’s Case/ Review of “Paul’s Case”/Watch “Paul’s Case” w/
journal questions.
Homework: Read the first half of The Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka); available at http://historyworld.org/The_Metamorphosis_T.pdf
Week Twelve
Tuesday, April 12: Quiz on first half of The Metamorphosis/Review of The Metamorphosis/Intro
to Essay 2: Plot/ Begin Essay 2: Plot
Homework: Read second half of The Metamorphosis.
Thursday, April 14: Quiz on the second half of The Metamorphosis/ Review of The
Metamorphosis/ Finish Essay 2: Plot
Homework: Read “Sweat” (Zora Neale Hurston)
Week Thirteen
Tuesday, April 19: Quiz on “Sweat”/Review of “Sweat”/ Start Reflective Writing: How am I
Developing as a Writer, Reader, Student/ Intro to Writing About Character
Homework: Read “Writing About Character”/Read “Hills Like White Elephants” (Ernest
Hemingway); “Barn Burning” (William Faulkner).
Thursday, April 21: Quiz on “Hills Like White Elephants” and “Barn Burning”/Review of
“Hills…” and “Barn Burning”/ Finish Reflective Writing: How am I Developing as a Writer,
Reader, Student.
Homework: Read “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” (Richard Wright)
Week Fourteen
Tuesday, April 26: Quiz on “The Man Who Was Almost a Man”/Review of “The Man Who
Was…”/ Introduction to Essay 3: Character/ Begin Essay 3: Character
Homework: Read “The Lottery” (Shirley Jackson).
Thursday, April 28: Quiz on “The Lottery”/Review of “The Lottery”/ Finish Essay 3: Character
Homework: Read “Sonny’s Blues” (James Baldwim)
Week Fifteen
Tuesday, May 3: Quiz on “Sonny’s Blues”/Review of “Sonny’s Blues”/ Watch “The Man Who
Was Almos’ a Man” with journal questions.
Homework: Read “Cathedral” (Raymond Carver)
Thursday, May 5: Quiz on “Cathedral”/ Review of Cathedral/ Introduction to Essay 4 (Final
Essay): Theme/Begin Work on Essay 4: Theme
Homework: Read: “The Things They Carried” (Tim O’Brien)
Week Sixteen
Tuesday, May 10: Quiz on “The Things They Carried”/Continue work on Essay 4: Theme
Homework: Read “Work” (Denis Johnson); Read Evergreen Chapter 19 (all)
Thursday, May 12: Quiz on “Work”/ Finalize Essay 4: Theme/ Intro to Reflective Writing
Project
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Homework: Reflective Writing Project/Presentation due May 17
Week Seventeen
Tuesday, May 17: Reflective Writing Projects Due/Presentations
Homework:
Thursday, May 19: Reflective Writing Presentations Continue
Homework:
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Sample Grading Rubric
Below are the criteria I will use to grade this essay. Each section is given a numeric value of 1-10; 1-2
indicates it wasn’t done / is non-existent, 3-6 means poor, 7-8 indicates average or acceptable, 9 means
good/ above average, and 10 denotes excellence/nearly perfect. I then total the points, score the essay out of
100, and calculate a letter grade.
Content
Clarity
Coherence
/ Structure
Critical
Thinking
Does the essay adequately summarize the reading, as well as respond the question,
using specific evidence from the text?
Does the essay meet other assignment criteria? Assignment length? Does the essay
contain the correct MLA format?
Does the essay follow proper grammatical rules (concerning commas, pronouns,
apostrophes, etc)? Does it avoid grammatical errors, slang words or stock phrases,
verb tense shifts, spelling mistakes, etc?
Are quotes smoothly integrated? Does the essay avoid the use of “I,” “you,” and
“they”?
Does the essay have interesting word choice that avoids repetition? Does it have
correct sentence construction that avoids sentence fragments, run-ons, and confusing
wording?
Does the essay have a clear, well-structured topic sentence? Is there a clear method
of organization?
Does the essay include sufficient support from the text? Is the thesis validated?
Are there effective transitional words and phrases? Does it “flow”?
Is there an adequate, multifaceted thesis?
Does every paragraph work to present a unified argument? Are the quotes/evidence
thoughtful? Does the essay address the larger, “human condition” issue of the
reading?
Total
Points:
Grade
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Literary Terms List
Archetype Character
Allusion
Antagonist
Antihero
Atmosphere
Character
Climax
Complication
Compression
Conflict
Connotation
Crisis
Dialogue
Epiphany
Explication
Exposition
First person narration
Flashback
Flat character
Foreshadowing
Frame story
Imagery
Irony
Magical realism
Metaphor
Minimalism
Motif
Motivation
Narrator
Naturalism
Plot
Point of view
- omniscient
- limited omniscient
- objective
Protagonist
Realism
Resolution
Rising action
Round character
Second person narration
Setting
Simile
Symbol
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Theme
Third Person Narration
Tone
Unreliable narrator
Verisimilitude
Other Terms to Know
Marxist Criticism
Feminist Criticism
Cultural Criticism
Eco Criticism
Master Narrative
Victorian Era Literature
Modern Literature
Post-modern Literature
Contemporary Literature