Texts:The Norton Field Guide to Writing.Richard Bullock et al
You will need a journal devoted strictly to this class; this can be maintained online if you find it easier, but you will have to print copies for review and grading.
You will also need a folder to organize and maintain course materials in a portfolio format. There will be routine portfolio checks.
Additional handouts will be provided as necessary.
A dictionary, or easy access to one, is recommended.
General course description:
This course is designed to help you become a better writer and reader of academic and other nonfiction writing.Reading assignments require students to strengthen and apply critical thinking to a variety of texts. You will explore various rhetorical formats through reading and discussions and you will be required to write three essays: one narrative, one critical analysis of a text, and one compare and contrast. The course emphasizes analysis, careful consideration of evidence, and full explanation of reasoning and consideration of evidence. The writing process is developed through weekly assignments of personal and academic essays in the standard rhetorical modes. Writing, revision and careful analysis of written work is a critical component of the course. An argument/persuasion research paper that supports argument as an everyday decision-making and problem-solving process, a means of negotiation, inquiry, and persuasion is required. The standard conventions of English will be reviewed as necessary.
NOTE: Everything you turn in except in-class writing is expected to be as error-free as you can make it. Get into the habit of editing and proofreading, because your instructors will expect clean correct prose, in informal as well as formal writing.
Course Objectives
Students will:
1.Approach writing as a process that includes prewriting, writing, reading, revision and editing,
2.Develop existing study skills by note-taking, interviews, discussions and research techniques,
3.Demonstrate the ability to produce clear, cohesive prose,
4.Revise essays to reflect the purpose, the audience, and the situation,
5.Understand and use proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure in his or her writing,
6.Read closely and critically from a variety of texts,
7.Develop critical thinking skills, including summarizing, analyzing, and applying,
8.Advise peers on their work,
9.Appropriately use MLA/APA standards for citation, documentation and paper format in a research paper
Class requirements:All work, except in-class work, MUSTBE TYPED. Use MLA format for all papers, except for the research paper where some students will be using APA. Final essays must be AT LEAST four pages long, double-spaced in 10 or 12-point type. Anything less will result in a reduction of one grade. Students are required to keep a portfolio of all drafts and final essays. The research paper must be at least eight FULL pages, double-spaced in 10- or 12-point type, and should show evidence of the student's ability to incorporate various rhetorical modes in one paper.Seven sources, including one book and two periodicals, are required. An oral presentation on the research topic is required. Assignments are due when assigned unless there are extraordinary circumstances. Late assignments will be penalized. Papers may be revised for a higher grade.
Plagiarism:Cheating or plagiarism will not be tolerated.Any student found guilty of either of these will receive a failing grade for the assignedwork. Students are expected to maintain a record of all source material, including copyright information, for all writing assignments. Evidence of plagiarism will be referred to the Academic Dean.
Please leave your cell phones on VIBRATE during class time so that you will be notified of emergency notifications from the college. Please DO NOT take personal calls, unless they are of an emergency nature, during class time. Texting will NOT be tolerated at any time.
Absences: Attending college is not mandatory; it is a choice that every student makes.Success, especially in my classes, is largely dependent on in-class discussions and activities. You will be doing a lot of group work in this class, and something will be due every period. Therefore, attendance in class is important. Absences can affect your ability to succeed and will be reflected in your final grade.More than two unexcused absences affect your grade.Three consecutive unexcused absences will result in automatic dismissal from the class.
An excused absence is awarded in the case of illness (you or your child), family bereavement/medical emergency, or adverse weather conditions. You must notify me ahead of time or as soon as is reasonably possible for an excused absence. COMMUNICATION IS CRITICAL.
Repeated absences will make it impossible to succeed and a total of seven absences can result in dismissal from the class. You are required to make up all the work missed in class. If you are absent from class, you are responsible for determining what work you missed and what assignments are due at the next class period. There is a penalty of one letter grade for late work, unless you have requested and received an excused absence, prior to the date of the absence or as soon as is reasonably possible.
GRADING:
·10 percent Group work
10 percent Responses to readings
10 percent Daily work
10 percent Final Graded Drafts
15 percent Midterm portfolio (Essays andwritings to date)
45 percent Research paper (40 percent for the written paper and 5 percent for the presentation)
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Notification
Any student with a documented disability (physical, learning or psychological) who would like to request academic accommodations should contact: Tammy Nelson, Director of Counseling, located in the main NMCC campus in the ChristieBuilding or by calling 768-2839.
Final Grade:The final grade will be determined based on individual student progress and mastery of material as indicated in weekly writing, class participation and effectiveness of the research paper.
EVALUATIONS:There will be a midterm conference at which time your midterm portfolio is due. Anytime you wish to know your grade, make an appointment with me and bring your portfolio with everything you’ve written for the course labeled and in order. I will go over it with you and let you know what your grade would be if I had to give it to you at that time.
FORMAT: Final drafts of essays in the portfolio must be printed, double-spaced, using 12-point font, and 1-inch margins; include your name, a brief description of the assignment and the date due in the upper right hand corner of each page. Assignments marked “informal” do not have to be in this precise format but should have your name, a brief description of the assignment and a date on them, even if you handwrite that information on. They should still be typed. All work must be done in Word format. Keep all your work compiled and in some kind of order as you must write a final self-assessment essay to be handed in with your research paper.
Do not rely on computers or jump drives to keep your work. Save it in at least TWO places. Keeping a working hardcopy is always wise.
All writing assignments are due on the last class day of the week.
VIGOROUS DIALOGUE: Part of writing is thinking, and thinking takes place during vigorous dialogue. During this class you will be expected to state your opinions and defend them. This does not give any one license to be rude or abusive to anyone in the class. However, please speak freely and don’t worry about what I think. My job is to teach you to think analyze and write; your job is to be brave enough to do it.
ACADEMICSUCCESSCENTER: The ASC is a terrific place to get assistance when you are having difficulty reading, writing or researching, and this happens to everyone. Take advantage of this resource; you will learn much and do well in this course. I may require some of you to go there.
DUE DATES:
Reading must always be done by the first class day of each week.
Copies of essays must always be given to group members on the last class day of week for peer editing.
Drafts of essays are due to me on the last class day of week unless otherwise noted.
DISCLAIMER: This syllabus is subject to change as I deem may be necessary to meet your needs as students. I won’t ever make changes that are potentially harmful to you.
Course Outline:
Week1: Introduction to Composition. How to format papers. Discussion of rhetorical situations, writing as a process, and how to read assigned essays and what you will learn from them. Narratives and memoirs, what they are and how to use them; double-entry journals.Reading: “Starting with Questions,” pages 211-214; “Beginning and Endings” pgs.261-270; “How I Learned About the Power of Words” pg. 25; “All Over But the Shoutin’” pg. 153. Writing: One page double entry journals for each of the assigned readings. Topic for your narrative memoir.
Week 2: Discuss readings of previous week. Group work: assignment to groups. Reading: “Analyzing a text and how to write about it, pg. 50-58. Writing reports: pg. 73-82. Analyzing causes and effects, pg. 299. Creating the first draft of your narrative/memoir. Writing: One page analysis of the points of the two assigned essays. Explain what caused the writers to write about what they did and how those things affected them. (Double entry journal format). First draft of your narrative/memoir due on the last class day of the week. Bring copies for every member in your group and one for me.
Week 3: Group work: Peer editing. Each group member should comment both in writing and verbally on
the work of the others. Discuss how to set up a portfolio. Reading: “Compiling a Writing Portfolio” pg. 248-251. “Class in America” pg. 69. Writing: One page analysis of the assigned essay. Explain what point the writer is arguing and how he supports his argument (Double entry journal format). Second (revised) draft of your narrative/memoir due on the last class day of the week. Bring copies for every member in your group and one for me.
Week 4: Group work: Peer editing. Each group member should comment both in writing and verbally on
the work of the others. How to write a research paper. Discussion of research format and requirements; beginning research. Determining the audience and how that affects the way a paper is written.Discussion of academic and personal essays, and language, including slang, jargon and vernacular words Discussion of paraphrasing, quoting and determining the purpose of an essay. Reading: “Developing a Research Plan” pg. 375-383. Handout, “Black Men and Public Spaces.” Writing: One page analysis of what kind of essay you have read and how the writer makes his points. (Double entry journal format) Outline of your research topic and your timeline. Final draft of your narrative/memoir and a two-page self analysis due on last class day of the week.
Week 5: Discussion of readings. Library research instruction. Comparing and Contrasting: Block approach or point-by-point. Reading: “Comparing and Contrasting” pg. 306. Handout: “Why I Want a Wife.” “Quoting, Paraphrasing and Summarizing” pg. 408-419. Writing: One page analysis of the points of “Black Men and Public Spaces” and “Why I Want a Wife.” Explain what caused the writers to write about what they did and how those things affected them. Analyze how the writers make their points. Explain the similarities and the differences between the two essays. (Double entry journal format) Due on last class day of the week. Bring copies for every member in your group and one for me.
Week 6: Group work:Peer editing. Each group member should comment both in writing and verbally on
the work of the others. Discussion of readings and writings. Discussion of division and classification. What is an abstract and a précis? Reading: “Eviction: The Day they Came for Addie Polk’s House” pg. 946. “Caught in the Ayatollah’s Web” pg. 742.“Generating Ideas and Text” pg. 219-225. Writing: Explain what caused the writers to write about what they did and how those things affected them. Analyze how the writers make their points. Identify the thesis of each. Explain how the writers support their thesis. (Double entry journal format). Working bibliography and Crappy First Draft of your research paper (2-3 pages) is due on last class day of the week. Due on last class day of the week. Bring copies for every member in your group and one for me.
Week 7: Midterm conferences. PORTFOLIO CHECK. Peer group must meet for editing and comments. Reading: “Assessing Your Own Writing” pg. 229-234. “Organ Sales Will Save Lives” pg. 92.Writing: Bring a two to three page self analysis of your progress in writing in general, and especially on how you feel about approaching the research paper.
Week 8: Group work: Group work:Peer editing of Research CFD. Each group member should comment both in writing and verbally on the work of the others. Analysis ofresearch papers and what is needed to expand the papers. Discussions of advanced research techniques to add to the paper. Checking for clarity in a paper.Reading: “Arguing a Position” pg. 97-108. “Evaluating Sources,” pg. 400-403. “Acknowledging Sources, Avoiding Plagiarism” pg. 420-424.
Week 9: Group work: Discussion of arguments, sources, and plagiarism. various genres/formats that can be used to expand and deepen the paper, with a particular focus on process analysis. Reading: “Analyzing the Argument” pg. 364.“Explaining Processes” pg. 338-342. “Mixing Genres” pg. 201-208. Writing: Choose one genre/format to combine into your research paper. Write 2-3 pages, CFD of genre/format to be included into your paper. Due on last class day of the week. Bring copies for every member in your group and one for me.
Week 10: Group work: peer editing of last CFD. How to edit and proofread any paper and especially an argument essay. In-class workshop on documentation: works cited and references as well as in-text citations. Reading: 425-427. Writing: Combine all drafts to date into one cohesive paper. Proofread and edit to as a high a level of quality as is possible. Due on last class day of the week. Bring copies for every member in your group and one for me. Consider going to the Academic Success Center for help or a second pair of eyes.
Week 11: Group work: Peer editing. Each group member should comment both in writing and verbally on the work of the others. You should also be prepared to explain which of the papers in your group you believe is the strongest and why. You must also offer comments on what others can do to improve their papers. Reading: read your own paper and determine if it is your best effort. “Key Features of Spoken Text” pg. 537-545. THIS MAY BE A GOOD TIME TO GO TO THE ACADEMIC SUCCESS CENTER FOR ASSISTANCE, ADVICE, PROOFREADING.
Week 12: Discussion of final presentation and the options available to you. Expanded draft of research paper (8 pages minimum) with works cited or references pages and in-text citations. Copies to peers and me. Discussion of presentations and scheduling of dates. PORTFOLIO CHECK.
Week 13: Group work: Final peer comments on papers. Reading: proofreading of your own research paper.Writing: Final revisions on research paper due for last class day this week. Two-three page self-analysis of the work you have done this semester.