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Western Nevada College
English 101.1009
Composition 1
Spring
2016
INSTRUCTOR: Daniel R. Wexelblatt
DAYS/TIMES/LOCATION:
Mon./Wed. 5:30PM – 6:45PM BRIS343
DATES: 1/25/16 – 5/21/16
Contact: daniel.wexelblatt@wnc.edu
Prerequisites: ENG 99 with a grade of “C” or better or appropriate skills demonstrated through
the English Assessment Process
Required Text/Materials:
The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction by Ann Charters (Ninth Edition);
ISBN: 9781457664618
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:
Study expository writing with special attention to the modes, arrangement and style. Students
learn to write essays which are unified, thorough, clear and convincing. They learn the research,
reasoning and organizational skills necessary for effective academic and research writing.
Students should expect to spend 6 – 8 hours a week on studying and assignments outside the
classroom.
Section Course Description:
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.
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 and Linkage to General Education:
The purpose of this course is to provide instruction in the procedures and skills necessary to
write clear and effective college-level prose for the academic environment. The information in
the parentheses after a course objective refers to the specific general education (GE) learning
outcome that the objective meets. Objectives without this information are not linked to WNC’s
general education program.
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Students who pass this course must demonstrate they can:
1.
Approach writing as a process.
2.
Present substantially error-free prose suitable in style and content to the purpose of the
document and the audience (GE 2).
3.
Establish a thesis about a contemporary or enduring social issue and support the claim
with appropriate reasoning and evidence (GE 10).
4.
Locate, evaluate, and correctly use information from multiple, appropriate resources to
complete an argumentative research paper (GE 4).
5.
Write quality essays and assignments that demonstrate knowledge of either the Modern
Language Association [MLA] or the American Psychological Association’s [APA] style manual
(GE 2).
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:
Attendance:
You may miss two (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.
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. Remember: 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.
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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 ultimately 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:
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 assignment with what they worked on with you, 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.”
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
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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
of the learning objective for this course. Repeated violation of this policy will result in
consequences up to and including expulsion from the course.
Revisions:
I am open to allowing you one revision per major assignment (other than the Final Project), so if
you are unhappy with your grade on an essay, contact me no later than one class period
following the handing-back of the assignment, and we will discuss what kind of direction you
need to take in your revision. However, if a revision is being done, the original assignment must
have been received on time, and the due date for the revision will likely be no more than one
week following the handing back of the original assignment. In the event of a revision, your
revised grade will replace the original grade.
Other stipulations that apply: When you turn in your revision, you must also turn in the original
paper that I have marked. The revision must follow the same formatting and style guidelines as
all of our papers, with all changes you’ve made (including the insertion of punctuation)
highlighted or circled. All words and sentences that have been added must be highlighted or
circled as well. Anything you have deleted from the original paper should be crossed out on the
original copy.
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 have a strong sense of what happened in the
story, whom it's about, and where it takes place.
Extra Credit:
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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; so it must be either a spiral
notebook or a small binder with notebook paper. This is so we can both look back at your
previous work as we go. Your journal will generally be turned-in at the beginning of each class
session so that I can give you credit for your entry for that class. It will generally be returned
after the quiz. Also, there will be in-class journals as well as other activities that you will record
in your journal; therefore, it is essential that you have it with you as well as your textbook at each
and every class session. Journal Content will include, but is not limited to: answering basic plot
questions, analyzing characters, evaluating the imagery, making conjectures about theme, etc.
Responses FOR EACH QUESTION should be at least one paragraph (4 – 6 sentences) in length.
Papers:
All Formal Papers must be submitted in hard copy to the instructor. In general, we will be
workshopping 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.
List of Formal Papers: Persuasive Paper on Plot, 600 words; Compare Contrast Paper, 1200
words; Rhetorical Analysis of Literature, 1200 words; Research Project, including Proposal (300
words), Annotated Bibliography (300 words), Opposing Argument Paper (300 Words), and Final
Research paper (2000 Words).
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.
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Course and assignment schedule:
Week One
Monday, January 25: Personal introductions (Journal Entry 1)/ Introduction to the course: review
of syllabus, course expectations, etc.
Homework: 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?
Wednesday, January 27: Review of Grammar, Punctuation, Mechanics/Discuss course
assignments in depth/ Discuss Journal Entry 3/ Intro to reading for college classes (handout)
Homework: Read three (3) news and/or opinion articles of no less than 500 words on a
“controversial issue” (defined in class)/Journal 3: 1) For each article, write a one
paragraph summary of what the article says. 2) For each article, write a one paragraph
summary of the side of the argument that the article takes, using specific examples.
*Last day to drop with a refund and no record: Friday, January 29th.
Week Two
Monday, February 1: Warm-up reading and in-class journal on Feminist Literary Criticism and
Journal Check/Discuss warm-up reading and writing/Discuss Victorian Era Lit (Feminist Lens,
Marxist Lens, etc)
Homework: Read “The Story of an Hour” (Kate Chopin), and “The Yellow Wallpaper,”
(Charlotte Perkins Gilman)/ Journal Entry 4:
1. Regarding “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin is regarded as a “realist” writer.
In other words, she portrayed true-to-life characters for her era (even is many in
her era refused to admit it). Does Mrs. Mallard seem like a true-to-life character to
you, by today’s standards? Why or why not?
2. Regarding the same story, does the narrator’s excitement seem justified, or does she
come across as cold? Recall that she mentions, specifically, that her husband “never
looked save with love upon her.”
3. Regarding “The Yellow Wallpaper”: describe the narrator’s setting and condition.
Does it seem that her setting is conducive to healing her mentally? In general, do
you suppose that one’s surroundings greatly affect one’s mental state, or in some
way imprint certain ideas on one’s psyche? How so? Give an example.
4. From the same story, thinking about the husband, what do you think about his
intentions and/or motives? Do you suppose he has truly good intentions in his
actions? (Is there any reason evident, in the text, that he does not?) Given the
narrator’s position and condition, which is a scarier prospect, culturally speaking:
that the husband is a bad guy who’s locking his wife up as a sick game, or that he’s
doing what he thinks is right?
Wednesday, February 3: Quiz on Reading and Journal Check/Discuss Journals, Reading, and
Quiz/Discuss “Plot”
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Homework: Read “Paul’s Case” (Willa Cather)/Journal…
Week Three
Monday, February 8: Quiz on Reading and Journal Check/Discuss Reading and Journals/Watch
Paul’s Case with in-class journal questions.
Homework: Read First Half of The Metamorphosis/Journal…
Wednesday, February 10: Quiz on Reading and Journal Check/Discuss Reading and
Journals/More on Plot/Introduction to Persuasive Principle
Homework: Read Second Half of The Metamorphosis/Journal…
Week Four
Monday, February 15: President’s Day Holiday, No class
Homework:
Wednesday, February 17: Quiz on Reading and Journal Check/Discuss Reading and
Journals/More on the Persuasive Principle/Introduction to Essay 1: Persuasive Paper on Plot
Homework: ESSAY 1 Due Monday, February 22.
Week Five
Monday, February 22: Essay 1 Workshop/Introduction to Historical Context of Heart of
Darkness
Homework: Read first part of Heart of Darkness/Journal…
Wednesday, February 24: Quiz on Reading and Journal Check/Discuss Reading and
Journal/Watch first part of Apocalypse Now with journal questions
Homework: Read second part of Heart of Darkness/Journal…
Week Six
Monday, February 29: Quiz on Reading and Journal Check/Discuss Reading and Journal/Watch
second part of Apocalypse Now with journal questions
Homework: Read final part of Heart of Darkness/Journal
Wednesday, March 2: Quiz on Reading and Journal Check/Discuss Reading and journal/Watch
final part of Apocalypse Now with journal questions.
Homework: Read “An Image of Africa: Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’” (Chinua
Achebe)/Journal…
Week Seven
Monday, March 7: Quiz on Reading and Journal Check/Discuss Reading and Journals/Discuss
“The Master Narrative”/Intro to Compare and Contrast (handout)
Homework: Read “The Greatness of Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’” (Lionel Trilling);
“Coppola’s Apocalypse Now and Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’” (John Simon)/Journal…
Wednesday, March 9: Quiz on Reading and Journal Check/Review Heart of Darkness and
Apocalypse Now/ Intro to Essay 2: Compare and Contrast
Homework: Essay 2: Compare/Contrast Paper, draft 1 due March 14 (Must bring 2 copies
for submission)
Week Eight
Monday, March 14: Essay 2 Workshop/Review for Midterm
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Homework: Essay 2: Compare/Contrast, final draft due March 16
Wednesday, March 16: MIDTERM
Homework: Read “Sweat” (Zora Neale Hurston)/Journal…
Week Nine
Monday, March 21: Spring Break, No Class
Homework:
Wednesday, March 23: Spring Break, No Class
Homework:
Week Ten
Monday, March 28: Quiz on Reading and Journal Check/Discuss Reading and Journal/Discuss
Harlem Renaissance and themes in “Sweat”
Homework: Read “Hills Like White Elephants” (Ernest Hemingway); “Barn Burning”
(William Faulkner)/Journal…
Wednesday, March 30: Quiz on Reading and Journal Check/Discuss Reading and
Journal/Discuss Modern Literature/Intro to Rhetorical elements of Literature
Homework: Read “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” (Richard Wright)/Journal…
*Last day to drop with a “W” is April 1st. *Last day to change from credit to audit is April
1st.
Week Eleven
Monday, April 4: Quiz on Reading and Journal Check/Discuss Reading and Journals/Watch
Almos’ a Man with in-class journal questions
Homework: Read “Sonny’s Blues” (James Baldwin)/Journal…
Wednesday, April 6: Quiz on Reading and Journal Check/Discuss Reading and Journals/Discuss
Civil Rights Movement from 1960’s through 2015/Intro to Essay 3: Rhetorical Analysis of
Literature
Homework: Essay 3: Rhetorical Analysis of Literature, draft 1, due April 11 (Must bring 2
copies for submission)
Week Twelve
Monday, April 11: Workshop Essay 3/Reading and Discussion of the state of the Civil Rights
Movement/Intro to Research Project
Homework: Essay 3, final draft, due April 3/Read “The Lottery” (Shirley
Jackson)/Journal…
Wednesday, April 13: Quiz on Reading and Journal Check/Discuss Reading and Journals/Recap
of Themes so far…/Relating Themes to Issues
Homework: Research Project: Proposal
Week Thirteen
Monday, April 18: Proposal Due/TBD
Homework: TBD
Wednesday, April 20: TBD
Homework: Research Project: Annotated Bibliography
Week Fourteen
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Monday, April 25: Annotated Bibliography Due/TBD
Homework: TBD
Wednesday, April 27: TBD
Homework: Research Project: Opposing Argument Paper
Week Fifteen
Monday, May 2: Opposing Argument Paper Due/TBD
Homework: TBD
Wednesday, May 4: TBD
Homework: Final Research Paper, draft 1, due May 11 (Must bring 2 copies for
submission)
Week Sixteen
Monday, May 9: TBD
Homework: TBD
Wednesday, May 11: Final Research Paper due for Workshop/TBD
Homework: Final Research Paper, final draft, due May 16
Week Seventeen
Monday, May 16: Final Research Paper, Final Draft Due
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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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SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
PUNCTUATION AND GRAMMAR CONCEPTS
The following is a list of some mechanical and grammatical conventions. Repeated errors in
these conventions result in writing that is difficult to impossible to follow. The list is a short list
(considering a survey of any comprehensive grammar text). Therefore, these will be the
conventions covered in the tests as well as concepts graded on all papers. If you are making
errors in these areas, you should refer to a writer’s handbook, or a writing tutor to study them.
The list below identifies the basic concepts.
comma, coordinating conjunction
comma, introductory (to prevent a misread of a sentence)
comma, series
comma, non-restrictive or parenthetical
comma, coordinate adjectives
semicolon
quotation marks -- citing
apostrophe
comma splice
misspelled words
capitalization
incorrect tense shift
ellipsis
hyphenation
spelling numbers
misplaced modifiers
The following two items are major errors and are equated with sentence-ending punctuation.
fused sentences (run-on)
fragment
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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