COLLEGE COMPOSITION & READING
ENGLISH 120
Prerequisites apply
Course Syllabus
Lucinda Almond
Spring 2007
(Last update: Jan. 29, 2007)
Office: Email: lucinda.almond@gcccd.edu
Accommodations for Students
with Disabilities:
Students with disabilities
who may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to notify the instructor and
contact Disabled Student Services & Programs (DSP&S) early in the semester so
that reasonable accommodations may be implemented as soon as possible. Students may
contact DSP&S in person in room 110 or by phone at (619) 644-7112 (voice) or (619)
644-7119 (TTY for deaf).
CLASS SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNMENTS:
Prerequisite: English 110 or College Placement Test
All assignments are due on Monday at 8:00 am..
Please send emails only; no attachments (virus concerns).
On-line tutors (Click on "Join Our On-Line Writing Center" at end of their web page) THIS SERVICE IS CONTINGENT ON YEARLY FUNDING. CHECK WITH THE WRITING CENTER FOR AVAILABILITY. OR, FEEL FREE TO USE THEIR ON-CAMPUS SERVICES.
Mini Grammar lessons (A proof-reading guide is located at the end of this syllabus.)
Composition students frequently have problems with run-on sentences--learn to fix them
before I see them! You not only have punctuation exercises to access on the web page, you
may use (we have been given permission) the Purdue On Line Writing Center exercises:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
as well as the explanations and exercises in your textbook. Know how to use commas and
semi-colons correctly. If you have any questions, you may contact me through e-mail. I
will give Fs for sentence fragments or excessive run-ons.
Please be sure to write your name/week # on the emails and the discussion "post" (web board) items. Thanks!
Also: plan on having computer problems! I'm sorry, but I can't accept this as an excuse for late papers. You might want to submit your work early. Be sure to print and save to disk any work you do. You can also print/deliver your work to the school by the due date (make sure they put a date/time stampe on it). The work will be placed in my mailbox.
PLEASE NOTE:
Begin reading some novels/short story collections from one of the following authors in preparation for your research paper: These are the ONLY approved subjects.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Mark Twain
Willa Cather
Edith Wharton
Langston Hughes
Alice Walker
Walt Whitman
Sandra Cisneros
This class is conducted strictly on the web (you do not need a password; just follow the links listed below). We will not need to meet on campus at all.
Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have questions about the assignments. I am here to assist you, so please don't be bashful about seeking information.
Web classes take A LOT of self-discipline in terms of time-management. Do not let yourself get behind in the assignments. If any special problems arise, please contact me immediately; I will work with you to help ensure your success!
A note about the essays: All essays should contain five paragraphs and aproximately 700 words. If an essay or other assignment is late or incomplete, I will not accept it. Don't forget to inlcude a title for your essay (be creative!). All essays should contain a thesis statement; always type your thesis in all caps. I will focus on your thesis to see how well you defend it in your supporting paragraphs.
Check this space (and the "week" link) at least once a week for any changes to assignments or for any announcements.
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SYLLABUS
IMPORTANT NOTE: I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE PAPERS OR INCOMPLETE PAPERS. PAPERS NOT SUBMITED ON TIME/INCOMPLETE WILL ALSO BE COUNTED AS AN "ABSENCE." TWO ABSENCES WILL RESULT IN A DROP.
English 120: Reading and Composition
Course Description: Elements and principles of composition. Practice in writing expository and argumentative themes. Research paper. Reading to stimulate logical thinking and effective writing.
Course Objective:
a. The students will develop skill in writing expository essays, using a variety of rhetorical techniques;
b. The students will develop skill in reading expository essays in order to understand how professional writers employ organizational and rhetorical techniques to develop their ideas clearly and persuasively. Those readings will also serve as resources for the student's own writing and the development of the student's own clear style;
c. The student will be taught the tools of rhetoric and the principles of organization and style as the basis for writing logically and clearly;
d. The student will learn to research and write a fully documented research paper--skills necessary for the detailed study of whatever field the student may enter at a 4-year institution.
Course Content:
a. Reading: The student will read on a wide range of subjects; the student will learn rhetorical strategy used by professional writers and through class discussion will learn to evaluate and analyze expository writing.
b. Writing: The student will utilize in his/her own writing those techniques observed in the essays read; the student will learn to chose and restrict a topic, write a thesis statement, and from it prepare a plan for a paper; the student will write many themes; the students will learn what is to be considered an "A" paper, a "C" paper, or an "F" paper. The students will write correct sentences and organized paragraphs.
c. The Research Paper: The student will write one long investigative research paper to be completed near the end of the semester. In this paper the student will demonstrate the skills learned in previous assignments and the mechanics of the research paper-- note cards, Works Cited page, documentation, and form.
Texts:
1. Patterns for College Writing (Kirszner), 9th edition. (not the 10th ed.)
2. Writing the Research Paper (Lester), 11th edition.
3. Optional text: MLA Handbook, 6th edition. (Or newest edition, per the bookstore.)
Also, I recommend the video, The Wrinkle Free World of English Composition by Standard Deviants from the Cerebellum Corporation. The video is available for viewing in the LRC.
Grammar exercises as individually assigned
A collegiate dictionary
Course Requirements:
Assigned readings.
Approximately 7 essays.
An original 10-12 page (approx,. 3,500 words) research paper (you cannot pass this class without successfully completing this assignment).
Late work and incomplete work is not accepted.
Academic Integrity:
Plagiarism on an assignment will result in an F.
Plagiarism is
Basically--give credit where credit is due!
Grading Guide
Half of your final grade will come from the essays/reading assignments; the other half comes from your research paper.
I use a GPA method of calculating your final grade. For example, if you receive all A's on your essays, then your GPA is a 4. If you receive a C (GPA=2) on your research paper, then your final grade would be a B (GPA=3).
A--Excellent writing answers the question with maturity, thoroughness, and originality. A focus (stated or implied thesis, statement of purpose, dominant impression, focus questions, central idea, etc.) which responds to the assignment is developed by a clear and logical organization of ideas, relevant and convincing supportive detail and examples, sophisticated sentence variety, effective word choice, and few errors. Your organization shows the relationship of the paragraphs with appropriate and smooth transitions. Your paper will contain an introduction and appropriate conclusion relating to the thesis.
B--Good writing answers the question competently, is organized, has well chosen supportive detail, some sentence variety, few errors in diction and mechanics, but the lacks the level of development and facility with language of the best papers.
C--Adequate writing is marginally satisfactory, answers the question, has some organization and support for the controlling idea, but few specific examples, little sentence variety, and contains some punctuation and grammar errors.
D or F--Inadequate Writing is difficult to follow, lacks clear reference to the question, has little supportive detail, and a range of errors that obscure meaning. A D or F paper may respond to the text illogically; it may lack a thesis statement or focus; it may lack coherent structure or elaboration with examples; it may contain paragraphs that are too short (lack sufficient examples and details); it may lack transitions or a conclusion relating to the thesis. Frequently failing papers contain sentences that are unclear, repetitive, simplistic, run-on, or fragmented. Repetitive sentences are underdeveloped sentences, revealing little new information. A simplistic sentence is usually short, often following a subject-verb-object pattern, with minimal coordination or subordination.
Inaccurate use of words (for example, "its" and "it's," "accept" and "except," "cloths" and "clothes," "loose" and "lose," "their" and "there," "know" and "no," "where" and "were," and so on will result in a failing paper. Lack of agreement between subject and verb or lack of agreement between pronoun and antecedent as well as unclear pronoun references will also warrant an F. Lack of understanding or application of rules of punctuation will also warrant an F.
Your ideas may be great, but unless they are presented in a grammatically correct, organized fashion, your paper is not acceptable!
OR IN OTHER WORDS:
Relating grades to World of Work .................
A--manager would be impressed and remember this work when a promotion is discussed.
B--manager might be satisfied with the job but not necessarily impressed.
C--necessary to revise work before acceptable.
D--Performance may not be adequate to maintain job.
F--unemployable
PROOFREADING GUIDE:
Papers displaying the following errors may be returned to students
as unacceptable:
sentence fragments
comma splices or run-on sentences
errors in sentence structure
dangling modifiers
subject-verb agreement errors
verb-tense errors
pronoun case or agreement errors
word form errors (for example: honest, honesty, honestly) incorrect
use of words commonly confused (for example: its and it's; there,
their, and they're; to, too, two; where, were)
careless typing or proofreading
no contractions
I will give an F to a paper that contains fragments or a glut of run-ons.
I will grade down papers with its/it's or there/their/they're confusions.
For those of you who would like some assistance regarding online classes, you may
enroll in PDC 299, Section 6801 (one unit class). Class sessions: April 27 and
May 18 (Fridays), 9am-12:30pm, Room 70-103 (Technology Center). There will also be
weekly on-line course time utilizing Black Board and Web CT. Instructor:
Janice Johnson. For more information, email: janice.johnson@gcccd.edu
Supervised Tutoring Referral
Students are referred to enroll in the following supervised tutoring courses if the service indicated will assist them in achieving or reinforcing the learning objectives of this course:
IDS 198, Supervised Tutoring to receive tutoring in general computer applications in the Tech Mall;
English 198W, Supervised Tutoring for assistance in the
IDS 198T, Supervised Tutoring to receive one-on-one tutoring
in academic subjects in the
To add any of these courses, students may obtain Add Codes at the Information/Registration Desk in the Tech Mall.
All Supervised Tutoring courses are non-credit/non-fee. However, when a student registers for a supervised tutoring course, and has no other classes, the student will be charged the usual health fee.
FAQ SECTION:
Welcome
Please read the following info to make sure that you and web-based learning are a good fit.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS!
Read on for FAQ.
Thank you for your interest in English 120 on-line.
Before you decide to enroll in an on-line class, may I ask you a few questions? Do you like to read? Are you self-motivated? Do you learn better by reading or by listening? Can you learn by yourself or do you need contact with others? Are you willing to spend nine hours a week on the class (three hours in class and six hours homework)? I think you can see where I am going with these questions. This type of class requires LOTS of self-discipline. If you are that kind of learner, please join up. If not, you may find that a campus classroom will be more conducive to your success.
The requirements for English 120 on-line are the same as for on campus--the venue is just a bit different; namely, your time and your space. There will be due dates. And we must meet face-to-face at least three times during the semester. These meetings will be on the Grossmont campus at specified dates and times. However, if you are physically unable to come to campus, arrangements can be made for me to come to your home.
You will write approximately seven essays, each one will be about 2-3 pages. You will also write a 3,400 word (10-12 pages, double-spaced) research paper. You will submit these via e-mail will also respond to the assigned readings via a web board.
You will access assignments and lectures through our class web page. You will do the assignments during the prescribed time frame (yes, there are due dates), but you can do those assignments at your leisure before the assignment is due. For example, if a paper is due on September 10, that paper must be in my e-mail box by 8:00 a.m. on September 10 or it will be counted late. But you do not need to be in class MWF at 9 am.
1) Will there be a midterm and final in class?
A final exam will be conducted on the web; we do not need to meet on campus.
2) What will be the grading scale?
The grading scale is quite arbitrary. I decide what is A, B, C, etc. I do count grammar, spelling, etc., as well as content.
3) What books, if any, will I have to buy?
The texts are:
a. Patterns for College Writing (Kirszner), 9th edition.
b. Writing the Research Paper (Lester), 11th edition.
c. Optional text: MLA Handbook, 6th edition. (Or updated, as per the bookstore.)
d. Also, I recommend that you view the video, Wrinklefree World of English Composition, by the Standard Deviants from Cerebellum Corp. which is on limited loan in the Library.
4) Will the lectures that you discussed in class be posted on the web verbatim?
There are no lectures in class--or better said--the lectures in class are on the web. Class is conducted ON the web at your time and your space.
You send me your papers by e-mail and you post your discussion comments on our class Webboard--a private, virtual (not real time) chatroom for our class only.