Course Syllabus
Instructor contact information
Instructor:
Castro, Tim
Office Phone:
713-718-2453
E-mail:
Tim.castro@hccs.edu
Office Hours:
By Appointment (Northline rm. 320)
(or hours of availability)
Welcome to Composition II: English 1302-0012(41930)
Course Title:
Course Prefix:
Course Number:
Credit Hours:
Comp II
ENGL
41930
3
Semester and Year:
Spring/2015
Class Days & Times:
M_W 8:30-9:30
Class Room Location:
Northline Rm. 210
Course overview
Catalog Description: A continuation of English 1301. Emphasis on persuasive techniques, style, and research
skills. Prerequisite: ENGL 1301 or a satisfactory score on the CLEP exam. 3 credit hours (lecture).
Course Learning Outcomes:
 Analyze a text by implementing rhetorical and/or literary strategies.
 Recognize the elements of appropriate literary genres.
 Focus a topic and formulate a critical/analytical thesis, focus, main point, or claim appropriate for an
academic audience that analyzes literature—nonfiction and/or fiction.
 Use a variety of organizational strategies within a single paper to support a thesis, focus, main point, or
claim.
 Interpret texts in a variety of cultural and historical contexts.
 Demonstrate an ability to use effective research techniques to find appropriate oral and/or written media
such as books, articles, interviews, visuals, and government documents.
 Demonstrate an ability to evaluate sources.
 Avoid plagiarism when incorporating quotations, paraphrases, and ideas.
 Follow standard guidelines in documenting resources.
 Synthesize and evaluate various interpretations of texts to complete an extended research project.
 Compose relatively error-free papers.
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Getting ready
Prerequisites:
passing grade in ENGL 1301
Co-requisites:
none
Required Material:
Optional Materials
or Reference Texts:
Read, Reason and Write; An Argument Text and reader
Dorothy U. Seyler (RW11e)
The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Pocket
Dictionary
Class Practices and Procedures
1. Attendance: College policy stipulates that any student who misses more than 12.5 % of instruction (6 class hours
= 4 sessions) may be subject to administrative withdrawal. Attendance and on time arrival to class are absolutely
essential to you success in this class. You will earn an attendance grade based upon the following scale: 0
absences=100; 1 absence= 90; 2 absences= 80; 3 absences=70; 4 absences=60; and more than 4 absences is a failing
grade for this portion of final grade distribution. This policy will be followed and please remember excused or
unexcused absences make no difference you will be dropped if you do not adhere to the colleges attendance policy;
you will be notified according to HCCS policy. Be advised there is no such thing as excused or unexcused absences,
if you miss class you are responsible and you will be held accountable without exception.
2. Assignments: Failure to attend one class does not excuse a student from preparing for the following class. Also, I
may make changes to the assignments listed on the Calendar, so you might want to call a member of your class if
you miss class. All papers assigned to be completed outside of class are due at the beginning of the class period on
the assigned due date. Papers must be submitted to the instructor in hard copy format (i.e., e-mail and data storage
devices will not be accepted, so do not ask). Out of respect for students who turn their assignments on time, late
assignments cannot be graded according to their full value. Expect a deduction of 20 percentage points for each
class period that an assignment is late. (This equates to a letter grade for each class period the assignment is not
turned in.)
3. Late Work/ Make –up work: All out of class papers are due at the start of class on the date designated. I reserve
the right not to accept late work. You know now the due date for every major assignment in this class. ALL
PAPERS MUST BE SUBMITTED DIRECTLY TO THE INSTRUCTOR. DO NOT LEAVE PAPERS WITH
SECRETARIES, IN MAIL BOXES, AT THE FRONT DESK, ETC... If a paper is not submitted on time, you
must request an extension, which may or may not be granted due to my discretion. There will be no make-up of
short writing assignments, reading quizzes, or in-class writing activities. There will be no make-up of Final
Examination unless you make prior arrangements with me.
Cell phones and beepers: Ringing cell phones cause disruption and loss of instructional time. Please turn off all
cell phones during class. If you must keep your phone on because of work or child issues, please turn it on vibrate
mode. Laptops may be used unless they are deemed a disruption to the class or are being used to do something other
than take notes. Texting during class time takes away from your ability to engage or participate in class. If you
cannot control yourself in the brief time we have together in class please drop. If your cell phone usage interferes
with your participation you will be warned. You will forfeit or lose all your participation points if you cannot control
yourself and an early intervention counselor will be notified.
4. On site Tutoring: Free tutoring is available at the Northline and Pinemont Campuses. Tutors are available during
day and night and on the weekends. A schedule of tutoring hours is attached.
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5. HCCS On Line Tutoring: There is also an on-line tutoring service available at www.askonline.net Students can
now access tutoring help 24/7 for writing assigned in any class, not just in English classes. Drafts seen by tutors are
clearly marked; if submitted with papers, these prove that tutors have looked at the paper, Looking at these tutor
reviewed drafts also allows teachers to see exactly what kind of help students are getting. CHAT and DISCUSS
transcripts can be printed as proof of use.
HCCS On-line Tutoring has three components, all of which are available to every HCC student. ASK has two subcomponents: paper submission and live tutors.
1. Students e-mail any paper, not just those assigned for English classes, and HCC tutors will pinpoint problem areas
in organization, following directions, formatting, citing sources, and grammar; offer suggestions for correcting those
problems; suggest links to other on-line resources; and guide students through the revision process. Papers will not
be corrected or edited. They will be annotated because teachers need to evaluate student work, not tutor work. We
hope to have a 24-hour turn-around on all papers submitted.
2. From 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm every day, a real, live HCC English faculty person will be live on-line to answer
questions. Papers will not be read, but questions about understanding assignments, formatting papers, and other
related questions will be answered. This component allows students to make sure that they are starting their work
well.
CHAT is an exciting feature. Real, live teachers will host 2-hour scheduled, focused chats on a regular basis. Some
of the topics already on tap include understanding research methods, documenting sources, finding and fixing one’s
own grammar problems, critical reading, and the difference between an analysis and a book report. A bi-weekly
schedule will be posted on the splash page (what you see when you open Askonline / HCCS) and on HCC News.
DISCUSS is the third component, and it has great potential for all students, especially non-native speakers of
English. Students e-mail a question, a tutor answers it, and students check back to see the answers. All questions are
threaded, so students can see what others have asked and increase their knowledge. We anticipate that this feature
will be used for vocabulary questions, cultural context questions, questions about idiomatic expressions used in
readings and class discussions, identification of people and places mentioned in classes and myriad other areas.
6. Withdrawal: The final date for student withdrawals is Nov 1st @ 4:30. If you drop the course, you must
complete the necessary forms with the Registration personnel prior to this date. If you do not complete the
withdrawal form and do not complete the required work in this class, you will receive an “F” for the course. HCCS
instructors are no longer allowed to give students a grade of “W” at the end on the semester. The only way your
grade will appear as a “W” on your course record is if the withdrawal form is submitted prior to the deadline.
7. Tardiness: Please arrive on time. I will call roll every day at the beginning of class.
8. Participation: Your level of participation in class discussions and evidence of your preparation for these
discussions are very important to your final grade and to enhancing your ability to analyze literary works. It counts
and does affect your grade!!!!!!!!!!
LETTER GRADE ASSIGNMENT:
Letter Grade
A
Final Average in Percent
90-100%
B
80-89%
C
70-79%
D
60-69%
F
0-59%
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GRADE DETERMINATION:
Your grade will be
determined by the following
Details
Percent of
Final
Average
20% ***
2 in class essays
10% each this includes the mid-term and
final. Departmental rule listed below ***
2 out of class essays
10% each-one of the essays must be presented
20%
Research paper
On a topic approved by the instructor
30%
Short assignments
Journal, quizzes, response papers
20%
10%
Class participation
All students must demonstrate competence in
in-class writing to complete English 1302
Total:
100%
*** Department Rule on in Class Essay Exams:
The English Department has a long standing rule regarding the importance of in class essays.
If the average of the midterm and the final in-class essays falls below a 70 (C), the course
grade will be the average of those two essays i.e., either a “D” or an “F”
Essays will be graded according to the following holistic standard:
A: An outstanding performance. An “A” paper demonstrates a consistent ability to develop and organize ideas
around a central thesis that draws the reader into dialogue with the ideas presented in the paper.
B: Surpasses the requirements of the assignment. A “B” paper demonstrates a greater fluency in developing and
organizing ideas around a central thesis than the “C” paper and allows the reader to focus less on structure and
language use and more on content
C: Satisfies the requirements of the assignment. A “C” paper demonstrates an adequate development and
organization of ideas around a central thesis in a polished piece of writing.
D: An unsatisfactory performance. A “D” paper fails to satisfy one or more of the assignment requirements. Ideas
may not be sufficiently developed or effectively organized around a central thesis, and errors in grammar, spelling,
and mechanics may be noticeable enough to distract the reader from the ideas in the paper.
F: An unacceptable performance. An “F” paper fails to satisfy the fundamental requirements of the assignment.
Ideas do not relate to an identifiable central thesis, or they lack any development or appropriate organization. Errors
in language use (particularly errors in sentence structure) result in a breakdown of communication.
Academic Integrity
Colleges and Universities are committed to a high standard of academic integrity in the academic community. In
becoming a part of the academic community, students are responsible for honesty and independent effort. Failure to
uphold these standards includes, but is not limited to, the following: plagiarizing written work or projects, cheating
on exams or assignments, collusion on an exam or project, and misrepresentation of credentials or prerequisites
when registering for a course. Cheating includes looking at or copying from another student's exam, orally
communicating or receiving answers during an exam, having another person take an exam or complete a project or
assignment, using unauthorized notes, texts, or other materials for an exam, and obtaining or distributing an
unauthorized copy of an exam or any part of an exam. Plagiarism means passing off as his/her own the ideas or
writings of another (that is, without giving proper credit by documenting sources). Plagiarism includes submitting a
paper, report or project that someone else has prepared, in whole or in part. Collusion is inappropriately
collaborating on assignments designed to be completed independently. These definitions are not exhaustive. When
there is clear evidence of cheating, plagiarism, collusion or misrepresentation, disciplinary action may include but is
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not limited to: assigning a grade of "F" for the course. Additional sanctions—including being withdrawn from the
course, program or being expelled from school—may be imposed on students who violate the standards of academic
integrity.
Americans with Disabilities Act Statement
The college is dedicated to providing the least restrictive environment for all students. We promote
equity in academic access through the implementation of reasonable accommodations as required by the
Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title V, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990 (ADA) which will enable students with disabilities to participate in and benefit from all postsecondary educational activities.
If you require reasonable accommodations because of a physical, mental, or learning disability,
please contact the Counseling Office to obtain the necessary information to request
accommodations. Upon completion of this process, please notify your instructor as soon as possible
and preferably before the end of the first two weeks of class to arrange for reasonable
accommodations.
English 1302 Student Learning Outcomes:
1. Apply basic principles of rhetorical analysis.
2. Write essays that classify, explain, and evaluate rhetorical and literary strategies employed in
argument, persuasion, and various forms of literature.
3. Identify, differentiate, integrate, and synthesize research materials into argumentative and/or
analytical essays.
4. Employ appropriate documentation style and format across the spectrum of in-class and out-ofclass written discourse.
5. Demonstrate library literacy.
Tentative Instructional Outline:
Week
Number
Activities
and Assignment
Objectives and Details
1
Introduction to the course-syllabus and Rhetoric
WE
JAN 21
Online close reading
assignment due
Course expectations: What it takes to pass the course and your
responsibility/how you will be held accountable
2
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Week
Number
Activities
and Assignment
MO
JAN 26
No Class
WE
JAN 28
RRW”Who Does The
Talking Here” p.7
Summary assigned Due
Mon. next week
Chapter one- Writers and their Sources p.2-33
Only read the stories assigned
Exercise: Summary pg. 11 (typed)
RRW
Intro To Final Research Paper
Introduction to Crisis Rhetoric Paper and its value
Deadlines for approval of topic and final due date
Research paper Introduction
3
MO
FEB 2
Objectives and Details
No Class
RRW
Chapter Three-Understanding the Basics of Argument p. 7077
MO
FEB 9
RRW
How Can we Ban Insults
Against Jews but not
Muslims” p.93
Chapter Three continued p. 81-87
Paper ONE Assigned due Wen Feb 18.
3 page essay (MLA Format) Q. 7 pg 96
WE
FEB 11
5
RRW
Chapter Four: Writing Effective Arguments
p. 98-103
MO
FEB 16
RRW
Intro to Crisis Rhetoric - Lecture
WE
FEB 4
“Your Brain Lies To You”
p.79
4
WE
FEB 18
Paper One Due
Paper Two Assigned
Due Feb 25
Chapter Four Cont.103-111
Reading: “Five Myths About Torture and Truth” p.112 –
“Torture is Wrong- But it Might Work” p. 115
6
Blue Book Testing and test preparation
MO
FEB 23
WE
FEB 25
7
Paper Two Due
In-Class writing Practice test for a grade no make up
MO
MAR 2
Chapter Five: P 120-139 Lecture
WE
MAR 4
In-class project: Visual rhetoric
No Make-up do not miss you will not receive credit
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Week
Number
Activities
and Assignment
Objectives and Details
Studying Some Arguments By Genre
8
MO
MAR 9
Chpt. 7- p. 180-187 Chpt 8 – 194-202 Chpt. 9- p.209-213
WE
MAR 11
Argument By Genre Continued
Chpt. 10- p.224-231 Chpt 11- p.240-248
9
MID TERM REVIEW
MO
MAR 16
Mid Term - No
WE
MAR 18
Make UP
10
MO
MAR 23
Deduction for late
proposals
Research Paper Topic and proposal
Written proposal on topic will be due. (topic must be
approve by me or I will not accept your paper) if you miss
this date or do not get approval you will lose a letter grade on
this paper without exception
Review: of Crisis Rhetoric and presenting your paper
WE
MAR 25
11
MO
MAR 30
WE
APR 1
Organizing your Paper
RRW
In Class Writing
12
MO
APR 6
Progress- Question and Answer Day For research paper
WE
APR 8
13
MO
APR 13
WE
APR 15
RRW
Research paper Due (check requirements online)
Introduction to Literary Analysis
Kate Chopin “Story of an Hour”536
William Shakespeare “Sonnet 116” 539-544
14
MO
APR 20
Paper Four Literary
Analysis
Analysis Cont.
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Short in class writing/Final review
WE
APR 22
15
MO
APR 27
Literary Analysis due
Course Recap
Review for the final
WE
APR 29
16
MO
MAY 4
Instructors choice
WE
MAY 6
Last Day of Class
This is a tentative schedule and does not account for holidays or weather related events. Therefore the instructor
reserves the right to make changes to this schedule to accommodate for any unscheduled interruptions and will
notify the students in a timely manner. If at any time you do not understand the contents of this document contact
the instructor for clarification.
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