English 900.23
Intermediate Writing and Grammar
CRN: 22083
Instructor: J. Grimes Days & Time: T/TH, 2:10-4:35 p.m. T-15
OFFICE HOURS: MW 9-11:30 a.m. in T-6L
OFFICE PHONE: 661. 763. 7721
EMAIL: jgrimes@taftcollege.edu
TAFT COLLEGE COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course reviews basic communication skills, specifically targeting academic writing through composing,
revising, and editing essays. It fuses writing and reading skills through vocabulary acquisition and reading
short works. Particular attention is placed on applying grammar, punctuation, and mechanic rules to
writing. Prerequisite: Qualification by assessment process or successful completion of English 800 with a
grade of “C” or better or requalification by assessment process after completion of English 800.
REQUIRED TEXTS, MATERIALS, AND TECHNOLOGY: 1
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Anderson, Debra J., ed. College Culture, Student Success. New York: Pearson/Longman,
2008. Print.
Brandon, Lee. At a Glance, 5th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2012. Print.
(MyWriitngLab access code packaged with the book)
Carlson, Kamala, and Jessica Grimes. Grammar Cards, 2nd ed. 2012. Print.
Flash drive or an online Cloud device
Note cards (typed)
jupitergrades.com (access grades)
E-MAIL REQUIREMENT: All students are required to provide a working e-mail address by the end of the first
week of class and are expected to check their e-mail frequently for updates. Contact Technology Services
at 763-7797 to set up an email account.
TAFT COLLEGE COURSE OBJECTIVES:
By the end of the course, a successful student will be able to
 Identify parts of speech,
 Compose sentences using subjects/verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions
correctly,
 Apply punctuation and capitalization rules to writing,
 Use a computer to write coherent, unified essays containing an introduction, body, and a
conclusion,
 Compose three or more essays,
 Read short works of literature and respond in writing, and
 Integrate the following transitions in writing: as a result, because, consequently, due to, however, in
addition to, in contrast, likewise, similarly, therefore, whenever, while.
TAFT COLLEGE COURSE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES2:
At the end of the course, a successful student will be able to do the following:
1. Compose and revise essays according to the conventions of MLA format,
The following acronyms are used for the books of this class: AG (At a Glance), CCSS (College Culture,
Student Success), and Grammar Cards, 2nd ed. (GC), MWL (MyWritingLab).
2 Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
1
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2.
3.
4.
Explain and differentiate grammatical and mechanical errors in written work using meta-cognition,
Identify and correct grammatical and mechanical errors in written work, and
Use new vocabulary accurately in written work.
TAFT COLLEGE COURSE POLICIES:
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Taft College
defines academic dishonesty in The Taft
College Student Handbook as “any type of
cheating that occurs in relation to a formal
academic exercise” (2). Any form of
dishonesty—intentional plagiarism, selfplagiarism, cheating, fabrication,
deception, sabotage, or using and/or
obtaining Teacher’s editions—will result in a
“0” for the assignment (3). Additionally, in
accordance with Taft College’s policy, the
Vice President of Student Services will be
notified and given the incriminating
evidence (3). Depending on the severity of
the offense, other disciplinary measures may
result in suspension or expulsion.
ATTENDANCE: Academic success often
hinges on a student’s punctuality and
consistent attendance. Once a student has
4 unexcused absences or has been
chronically tardy and/or chronically leaving
early, s/he will be dropped from the course
unless the instructor classifies an additional
absence beyond the allotted 4 under
“extenuating circumstances.” As much as
possible, outside commitments should be
arranged to avoid absences.
COURSE REPETITION AND WITHDRAWAL: The
Board of Governors for California has
mandated that students earning a course
grade of D, F, NP, W, or FW 3 times will not
be permitted to repeat the course at Taft
College. Contact the Counseling Center at
661-763-7748 for further questions.
STATEMENT ON DISABILITIES: Students with
disabilities who believe they may need
accommodations in this class are
encouraged to contact Student Support
Services located in the Student Services
Building or call 661-763-7799 for an
appointment. It is important to request
services as soon as possible to ensure such
accommodations are implemented in a
timely fashion. If you have an
Accommodations Card, show it to your
instructor to ensure accommodations are
met.
TUTORS AND SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTOR
ASSISTANTS (SIS): The Writing and Language
Lab, open Monday through Thursday 8:006:00 p.m. and Friday 8:00-4:00 p.m., supports
learning outside the classroom with tutors
and Supplemental Instructor Assistants who
can assist students with assignments, such as
MyWritinglab, homework, and essays.
Additionally, Supplemental Instructor
Assistants periodically conduct study
sessions designed to deepen a student’s
understanding of the material.
COURSE EXPECTATIONS:
COLLEGIATE BEHAVIOR: Students thrive in a welcoming environment of minimal distractions and
mutual consideration. Therefore, students are expected to respect themselves, their peers, and
the professor by being prepared for class, paying attention, being on task, and turning off ALL
technology, including cell phones, with the exception of assigned computer work. Additionally,
consulting other materials, including textbooks from other classes, is strictly prohibited. If
distractions interfere with learning, materials may be confiscated.
COMPLAINTS/QUESTIONS REGARDING GRADES: If a student wants to contest a grade, she/he is
expected to follow the protocol outlined below:
1). Allow 24 hours before speaking to the instructor about the assignment.
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2). Make an appointment with the instructor to discuss the complaint BEFORE the next
paper/test is due.
3). Explain why the grade was unmerited by illustrating how the assignment adhered to
the rubric.
If the student’s grade merits a change, the instructor will revise the grade. If, however, the
student received a fair grade but would like to try for a better grade, s/he may revise it as long
as it is turned in BEFORE the next paper/test is due. If the subsequent paper is better than the
first, then an average grade from the first and second paper will be given.
SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS: Class attendance is required for assignments to be accepted.
Assignments are due at the beginning of class. Additionally, emailed assignments will only be
accepted if prior arrangements have been made. Furthermore, unless the Office of Instruction
has approved different arrangements for final exams, they must be taken according to set
schedule.
ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTIONS AND EXPECTATIONS:
BLOG (Online Writing Journal): Students will
write on an online blog their responses to
essays in College Culture, Student Success
(CCSS) to extend ideas and skills learned
from the class. In addition to responding to
the posted questions, students will also
respond to at least another student’s
comment. This is a pass/fail writing
assignment, so students will receive full
credit for completing all the blog entries.
REVISIONS: Revisions can be submitted for
paragraphs and essays. FINAL DRAFTS must
indicate changes in BOLD. Additionally, if a
student desires to revise a final draft, these
will only be accepted until the next essay is
due. Students who choose to revise final
drafts must conference with the instructor.
Only comprehensive revisions—significant
changes in content, grammar, and
mechanics—will be considered for a grade
change. However, this privilege will not be
extended to students who have exceeded
the allotted 4 absences
LATE WORK PASSES: Students will receive 2
Late Work Passes (LWPs) to be used
exclusively for late papers up to 2 class days
after the due date. No other assignments
will be accepted late. Once a student has
exceeded 4 absences, s/he will not be
allowed to make up work. Students with an
Accommodations Card may be exempt
from this policy.
ORAL PRESENTATIONS: Students will present
on one of the topics featured in the
documentary Declining by Degrees and on
a grammar topic. Presentation grades will
be graded based on a rubric.
EXAMS (MIDTERM AND THE FINAL EXAM): The
midterm and final exams will be based on
the Student Learning Outcomes and have an
in-class essay and a small grammar and
mechanics editing exercise.
ANATOMY OF AN ESSAY PARAGRAPHS: To
master and understand the parts of an
essay and to structure it, students will
practice templates and be graded
accordingly.
MYWRITINGLAB (MWL): This class requires an
hour lab/week designed to strengthen
writing skills in grammar and punctuation. To
register, students must purchase an access
code packaged with At a Glance (AG), to
practice sentence-level and paragraphlevel skills. In addition, to registering for the
lab in English 900, students must use the
ESSAYS: All essays must be typed, doublespaced, and in Times New Roman font or its
equivalent. Essay grades will be based on a
rubric. Not adhering to these guidelines will
result in not receiving a grade. In addition,
without the rough draft and peer review
sheet, final drafts will not be graded.
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MWL course access code (grimes35376).
Mastery of 80% on topic assessments more
will determine if students pass/fail.
conventions. The title of the grammar topic,
two sentences on what the student
understood about the topic, two-three
sentences on what was unclear WITH an
example(s) from MWL. In addition, the
student must include one question on the
topic.
NOTE CARDS (MWL topics): Each week,
students will turn in a note card with the
following information according to MLA
GRADE SUMMARY (JUPITERGRADES):
ASSIGNMENTS
DESCRIPTION
POINTS
Online Writing Journal
CCSS essays (10)
75 points
Declining By Degrees
Packet and Presentation
75 points
My Writing Lab (MWL)
80% Average= Pass on Post-tests (12)
120 points
Grammar Note Cards
MWL and AG Topics (12)
60 points
Anatomy of an Essay (12)
60 points
Rough Draft of Essay #1
500-250 words or 2-3 pages
25 points
Essay #1
500-250 words or 2-3 pages
100 points
Rough Draft of Essay #2
500-750 words or 2-3 pages
25 points
Essay #2
500-750 words or 2-3 pages
100 points
Rough Draft of Essay #3
500-750 words or 2-3 pages
35 points
Essay #3
500-750 words or 2-3 pages
125 points
Exams (2)
50 - Midterm/150 – Final (Essay 4)
200 points
In-Class Paragraphs
TOTAL POINTS
1,000 points
GRADE SCALE
Letter Grade
Percentage
A+ to A100-90
B+ to B89-80
C+ to C79-70
D to D69-60
F to F50-0
Complaints/Questions Regarding Grades: If a student has a question regarding a grade, follow
the protocol outlined below:
1). Allow 24 hours before speaking to the instructor about the assignment.
2). Make an appointment with the instructor to discuss the complaint BEFORE the next
paper/test is due.
3). Explain why the grade was unmerited, and bring the original assignment sheet
showing where he/she adhered to the rubric.
If the student’s grade was incorrect, the instructor will revise the grade. If the student received a
fair grade but would like to try for a better grade, s/he may revise it as long as it is turned in
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BEFORE the next paper/test is due. If the subsequent paper is better than the first, then I will
average the first and second paper, and the student will receive the average.
After a week, the student may not lodge a complaint about the grade.
I ____________________________ understand the syllabus and what is expected of me. I agree to
comply with the policies and rules outlined for each assignment and understand the penalties
for non-compliance. In addition, if I have a complaint, I agree to follow the protocol to resolve
any issues that I might have regarding grades.
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SLOs
Introduction to
the Course
WEEK 1
Tuesday
January 20
Thursday
January 22
In-Class Work (GCs, AG, and CCSS)
Syllabus Overview, SLO Diagnostic Essay Assessment
Homework (Use the appropriate book.)
Buy books (AG and CCSS), highlighters, and a onesubject notebook/journal.
Reading and Understanding Prompts, Prompt
Response Analysis, MLA Format, Anatomy of an
Essay/Dissection, Jupitergrades
Lab Day-
WEEK 2
SLO 1
SLO 1
SLOs 1-3
Tuesday
January 27
Thursday
January 29
WEEK 3
Tuesday
February 3
Anatomy of an Introductory Paragraph: Template 1(HIT),
“And Then I Went to School” CCSS 2-7, Pre-writing Techniques
MyWritingLab Registration (MWL-Overview), Anatomy
of an Introductory Paragraph: Template 2 (HIT)
Lab Day-
MyWritingLab 8.3-8.4 (Nouns and Pronouns)
Note Cards
FIRST DATE TO DROP WITH A “W” (2/2)
Thursday
February 5
Anatomy of an Introductory Paragraph: Template 3, (HIT)
“Mother Tongue” CCSS 8-14, Nouns and Pronouns AG 2-3, 13
Lab Day- Anatomy of an Introductory Paragraph: Template 4
(HIT), Nouns and Pronouns AG 2-3, 13
CCSS Online Writing Journal
MyWritingLab 8.7 (Verb Forms)
Note Cards and AP Paragraphs
WEEK 4
Tuesday
February 10
Thursday
February 12
Anatomy of a Body Paragraph: Template 1, Transitions, Verbs
AG 3, 17-19, “Let the Colors Run” 28-34
Lab Day- Anatomy of a Body Paragraph: Template 2 (TECT),
Transitions, and Verbs 3, 17-19
CCSS Online Writing Journal
MyWritingLab 8.6 (Verb Tenses)
Note Cards and AP Paragraphs
Anatomy of a Body Paragraph: Template 3 (TECT), Transitions,
Verb Tenses AG 86-95, “Could Facebook Throw a Wrench in
Your Future?” 44-47
Lab Day- Essay 1 Handout, MWL, Anatomy of a Body Paragraph:
Template 4 (TECT), Transitions, Verb Tenses AG 86-95
CCSS Online Writing Journal
MyWritingLab 8.9 (Prepositions)
Note Cards and AP Paragraphs
Anatomy of a Concluding Paragraph: Template 1 (HS),
Prepositions AG 5-6, 14, “Universities Seeing a Gender Gap in
Enrollment” 58-60
CCSS Online Writing Journal
MyWritingLab 8.2 (Subjects and Verbs)
Note Cards and AP Paragraphs
WEEK 5
Tuesday
February 17
SLOs 1-3
Thursday
February 19
WEEK 6
SLOs 1-4
Tuesday
February 24
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Thursday
February 26
WEEK 7
Tuesday
March 3
SLOs 1-3
Thursday
March 5
MWL, Rough Drafts of Essay 1 Due, Anatomy of a
Concluding Paragraph: Template 2, Prepositions AG 5-6, 14
Lab Day-
“ADHD” 69-71, Subjects and Verbs AG 12-19, Anatomy of a
Concluding Paragraph: Template 3
Lab Day-MWL,
Final Drafts of Essay 1 due, Subjects and Verbs AG
12-19, Anatomy of a Concluding Paragraph: Template 4
Work on the paper.
CCSS Online Writing Journal
Study for the midterm.
MyWritingLab 8.1(Parts of Speech-Sentence Types)
Note Cards and AP Paragraphs
WEEK 8
SLOs 1-4
SLOs 1-3
SLOs 1,3
Tuesday
March 10
Thursday
March 12
WEEK 9
Tuesday
March 17
Thursday
March 19
WEEK 10
Tuesday
March 24
Thursday
March 26
Essay 2 Handout, “Log on to Learn” 72-77, Sentence Types
and handout AG 29-37, Anatomy of an Essay Dissection and
Analysis
Lab Day- MWL, Sentence Types and handout AG 29-37,
Anatomy of an Essay Dissection and Analysis
Study for the midterm; revise rough drafts.
CCSS Online Writing Journal
MyWritingLab 9.1(Sentence Structure)
Note Cards
Midterm, Rough Drafts of Essay 2 Due
Note Cards
MyWritingLab 9.1(Sentence Structure)
Lab Day-
MWL, Sentence Types and handout AG 29-37
Final Draft of Essay 2, Sentence Types and handout AG 29-37,
Lab Day-
Introduction to Declining by Degrees
LAST DATE TO DROP WITH A “W” (4/6)
MyWritingLab 9.1(Sentence Structure)
Note Cards
SPRING BREAK MARCH 30TH – APRIL 3RD
WEEK 12
SLOs 1-4
Tuesday
April 7
Thursday
April 9
Essay 3 handout, Oral presentation handout
Argument/Counterargument, work on the presentation and
rough draft.
Lab Day-MWL, Work on the oral presentations and paper,
Declining by Degrees Presentations
WEEK 13
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Oral presentations and paper
MyWritingLab 9.2 and 9.3 (Fragments and Runons/Fused Sentences)
Note Cards
SLOs 1-3
SLOs 2-4
SLOs 2-3
SLOs 2-3
Finals Week
Tuesday
April 14
Thursday
April 16
WEEK 14
Tuesday
April 21
Thursday
April 23
WEEK 15
Tuesday
April 28
Thursday
April 30
WEEK 16
Tuesday
May 5
Thursday
May 7
WEEK 17
Tuesday
May 12
Thursday
May 14
WEEK 18
Tuesday
May 19
Thursday
May 21
Rough Drafts of Essay 3 Due, “Symptoms of Math Anxiety” 149152, Fragments AG 59-62
Lab Day-MWL, Fragments AG 59-62
Revise the paper.
Note Cards
MyWritingLab 9.2 and 9.3 (Fragments and Runons/Fused Sentences)
Final Drafts of Essay 3 Due, “Saved” 96-99, Comma Splices
and Run-ons AG 67-68
Lab Day- MWL, Comma Splices and Run-ons AG 67-68
MyWritingLab 9.2 and 9.3 (Fragments and Runons/Fused Sentences)
MyWritingLab 9.4 (Subject-Verb Agreement)
Note Cards
“General Education and a College Degree” 166+, SubjectVerb Agreement AG 103-108
MyWritingLab 9.8 (Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement)
Note Cards Cards
Sign up for Grammar/Punctuation Presentation.
Lab day-MWL,
Subject-Verb Agreement AG 103-108,
Grammar/Punctuation Presentation Handout, Final Exam
Essay handout,
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement AG 127-130, Work on
presentations. SLO Post-Diagnostic Assessment
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement AG 127-130, Work on
presentations.
Work on the presentation.
Grammar/Punctuation Presentations, Final Exam Grammar
Review
NO CLASS
Study for the final exam.
NO CLASS
Study for the final exam.
FINAL EXAM, 11:10-2:00 p.m.
The syllabus is subject to change. If it does, you will be notified.
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