Engl 1xx College Writing Guide Syllabus
100-LEVEL COURSES IN ENGLISH
100-level courses in English explore a variety of topics and media
types in a way that is accessible to majors and non-majors alike.
All courses at this level help students to develop fundamental skills
for critical reading and effective writing. English majors in the
literature or creative writing track may count no more than one course
at this level towards the requirements of the major.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students in ENGL 1xx will demonstrate
 the ability to read texts closely
 the ability to write clear and effective English prose in
accordance with conventions of standard English
 the ability to write with proficiency for a range of purposes
and occasions
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is a writing workshop designed to give you many
opportunities to practice your critical thinking and writing skills.
All assignments are in preparation for the research paper at the end.
A popular culture reader will immerse us in the complexity of this
historical moment. As we read, think, talk, and write thematically
about contemporary issues in North America, we will try to make
connections between now and the past. The five units in the course
are "Growing up ‘American’”; “Culture Wars: Constructing Gender”;
“Rethinking Race”; “Media Watch: What Does CLASS Have to do with it?”;
"Saving the Planet.”
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Dolores LaGuardia and Hans P. Guth. American Voices: Culture
and Community. Mayfield.
Martin Maner. The Research Process: A Complete Guide and
Reference for Writers
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Final grade will depend upon attendance, active and engaged class
participation [15%], your panel presentation [5%], peer-editing and
workshop "helpfulness" [10%], and overall progress in writing (three
2-3 page essays/response papers [40%], and one 5-6 page research paper
based on your panel presentation [30%]). So, keep all your writings
in a folder (the ones with my comments, not the copies!) because I
will collect everything yet one more time on the last day of class,
to reach a decision about your grade.
COURSE SCHEDULE: * Be sure to read all assigned essays before we
discuss them in class!!!
Week One
Overview of the course/personal narrative/response
papers/the writing workshop/panels
Portfolio grading explained
The nature of Readers in general and of my choices for each
unit: you can always read MORE than what has been assigned
for each week!
Group Assignments/Choices for FIVE Units
Week Two Personal Narratives
READ: Maya Angelou, "Graduation" (12); Alice Walker, "Beauty:
when the Other Dancer is the Self" (23)
The art of Persuasion: LOGOS/ETHOS/PATHOS
READ: Richard Wright, "The Library Card" (31) and Dan Kwong,
"Grandpa Story" (63)
DUE: two copies of your own personal narrative
Week Three
PEER EDITING with partner of your choice, followed by comparison
with returned paper. Discussion of rationale for my comments
and suggestions for improvement.
[Group A submit questions]
Week Four
UNIT ONE: MEDIA MADNESS: SEX, VIOLENCE, AND ROCK AND ROLL and/or
ROCK, RAP AND REPRESSION
GROUP A Panelists
READ: Bob Dole, "The U.S. Entertainment Industry Must Accept
Responsibility for Its Work" (171); Elaine Dutka and others,
"Sex, Violence, and Bob Dole" (176); Holly Brubach, "Rock and
Roll Vaudeville" (188); Alan Bloom, "Rock Music Has Harmed
American Youth" (467); Tipper Gore, "Rock Music Should Be
Labeled" (476).
Week Five
Discussion with Group A Panelists continued
READ: Jay McInerney, "Is SEINFELD the Best Comedy Ever?"(195;
Russell Gough, "On Ethics, Money and the Ending of 'Maguire'"
Lima - 3
(216).
Reading of papers by group D
ALL PAPERS DUE (two copies, please!)
Discussion continued
EDITING DAY
[Group B submit questions]
Week Six
UNIT TWO: CULTURE CLASH AND COMMUNITY CONSCIOUSNESS or WHO COUNTS
AS AMERICAN?
GROUP B Panelists
READ: Carlos Bulosan, "America Is in the Heart" (299); Richard
Rodriguez, "Does America Still Exist?" (315); Jeanne Wakatsuki
Houston, "Living in Two Cultures"(327); Christine Willis, "We
Are an Old-Fashioned Stew"(354).
Discussion with Group B Panelists continued
READ: Amy Tan, "Four Directions" (345); Jimmy Santiago Baca,
"So Mexicans Are Taking Jobs from Americans" (342); Jack G.
Shaheen, "The Media's Image of Arabs" (333).
Week Seven
Reading of papers by group E
ALL PAPERS DUE (two copies, please!)
Discussion continued
EDITING DAY
[Group C submit questions]
Week Eight
Spring Break
Week Nine
Introducing THE RESEARCH PAPER:
understanding plagiarism
READ: Chapter 1: "The Nature of Research Writing" and Chapter
2: "Finding and Narrowing the Topic"
(SGRW 1-35); sample paper in MLA format (p. 337) and "Overview
of Research Paper Formats," "The Function of Documentation,"
"Plagiarism and Common Knowledge" and the MLA Format (p. 142-65).
Week Ten
UNIT THREE: THE LONG ROAD TO EQUALITY
GROUP C Panelists
READ: Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have A Dream" (360); John T.
McGreevy, "From Melting Pot to Salad Bowl" (396); Henry Louis
Gates, Jr., "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Man" (400);
Lima - 4
Richard Smith, "Affirmative Action: Until a Fair Society is
Realized" (407).
Week 11
Discussion with Group C Panelists continued
READ: Bill Clinton, "A New Sense of Responsibility" (366);
Ishmael Reed, "America: The Multinational Society" (373);
Orlando Patterson, "Hidden Dangers in the Ethnic Revival" (379);
Cathleen Decker, "Affirmative Action: Why Battle Erupted" (383).
Week 12
Reading of Papers by Group A
ALL PAPERS DUE (two copies, I'm sure you'll remember!!!)
Discussion continued
EDITING DAY
[Group D submit questions]
Week 13
UNIT FOUR: FEMINISM AND GENDER ISSUES
GROUP D Panelists
READ: Emily Prager, "Our Barbies, Ourselves" (422); Susan
Faludi, "Blame It on Feminism" (426); Paula Gunn Allen, "Where
I Come from Is Like This" (433).
Week 14
Discussion with Group D Panelists continued
READ: Robin Abcarian, "Pink Does Not the Girl (or Boy) Make"
(442); Deborah Tannen, "Sex, Lies, and Conversation" (446);
Bethany Dever, "Gender Roles" (452).
Reading of Papers by Group B
ALL PAPERS DUE at Editing Day
[Group E submit questions]
Week 15
UNIT FIVE: SAVING THE PLANET AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL
CONCERNS
GROUP E Panelists
READ: Tom Wolfe, "The Intelligent Coed's Guide to America" (513);
Kirkpatrick Sake, "The Environmental Crisis is Not Our Fault"
(525); Robert Chianese, "Sustainability" (528); Connie Koenenn,
"Thinking Small in A Season of Excess" (534).
Discussion with Group E Panelists continued
READ: Frank Clifford, "The Environmental Battle Moves into the
Classroom" (538); Carl Sagan, "The Nuclear Winter" (544); Loren
Stein, "Bomb Ban on the Brink" (551); Linnea Saukko, "How to
Lima - 5
Poison Earth" (565).
Reading of Papers by Group C
All Papers DUE [still in two copies]
EDITING DAY
Week 16
More on the Research Paper
READ: sample paper in MLA format (p. 337) and "Overview of
Research Paper Formats," "The Function of Documentation,"
"Plagiarism and Common Knowledge" and the MLA Format (p. 142-65).
EDITING DAY
Week 17
Research Paper and whole portfolio are DUE on Study Day
Final Exam Day
Last meeting: portfolios are returned