Composition I

English 1113-0335

Fall 2007

MWF 11:00-12:00 NB 1074

 

Dr. John Hodgson NB 2033 581-2934 johnh@cameron.edu
Office Hours 10-12 Tuesday and Thursday and by appointment


Schedule
August
September
October
November
December
Final Exam

Course Description

This course provides practice in critical thinking and composition through analyzing both fiction and nonfiction works and through writing multiple expository essays, at least one of which is a documented research paper.

 

Course Objectives

This course is designed to support the general education of students by improving their ability to:

 

Required Texts and Materials

Comely, Nancy R., David Hamilton, Carl H. Klaus, et al, eds. Fields of Reading: Motives for Writing. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford, 2007.

 

Troyka, Lynn Quitman and Douglas Hesse. Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2007.

 

A report cover with two interior pockets for turning in essays.

 

Paper and pen for daily writing assignments. Bring both books to class with you each class day.

 

Course Requirements

 

Mandatory Assignments

The majority of your grade (80%) will be based on evaluation of your essays, and because writing is a process, you will be expected to revise every essay at least once. Your course grade will be based on your performance on the following assignments:


Participation (includes diagnostic, In-class writing, quizzes, etc)
10%
Compare and Contrast Essay  
15%
Cause and Effect Essay
15%
Annotated Bibliography 10%
Argument Essay (Research) 20%
Definition Essay
20%
Final Exam 10%

Grading Scale: A = 90-100 B = 80-89       C = 70-79       D = 60-69       F = 59 or below

 

Peer responses

Peer response is mandatory on each first draft. There are no exceptions. No second drafts will be accepted without a completed 1st draft and peer responses. This is non-negotiable.

 

Revised drafts

Revisions of each of the four major essay assignments are mandatory. Students are strongly encouraged to use the Center for Writers and my office hours in revising and editing their essays.

 

Late Assignments

Papers are due by the beginning of class on the due date listed in the schedule. Because of the short turn-around time and the volume of writing in this class, I will not accept any late papers. Be responsible and manage your time appropriately.

 

Turnitin.com

All work prepared out of class will be submitted through turnitin.com as well as in class.

 

Mandatory Final Exam

In addition to other requirements noted above, all students enrolled in English 1113 must pass the final exam to receive a passing grade in the course.

 

Attendance

<>Your grade will inevitably suffer if you are not present for class discussion. Composition is not a subject you can learn by simply reading a text. We want you to succeed and therefore encourage you to make attendance a top priority. If you are unable to be in class regularly, you are advised to withdraw from the course and reschedule it at another time. If you find it necessary to withdraw, you must complete a drop/add slip and return it to the Office of Admissions and Records.  The last day to withdraw from a class with an automatic "W" is November 14.  The last day to withdraw from a course at all is December 3.                       

 

Public Writing

English 1113 is a workshop class. You will share your writing with other students, and the instructor reserves the right to make copies of your work for use in teaching the writing process. Please consider all writing for this class public and refrain from excessive self-disclosure.

 

Courtesy

We will encounter several controversial issues in class readings and discussion. Please remember that we are here to evaluate how ideas are expressed, not the ideas themselves. Racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise offensive language will not be tolerated.

 

Phones and other annoyances

Turn off pagers, cell phones, and other personal noisemakers before entering the class. No exceptions.

 

Attention to detail

Very often what separates an A from a B, a B from a C, or a C from a D, is how much attention the writer paid to details. Proofread and edit carefully, multiple times. Rewrite from the sentence level. Make sure the formatting is 100%. Arrange all the previous drafts, etc. in the correct order (most recent on top), and staple everything together before you get to class. Sloppy work gets sloppy rewards, here and in the so-called “Real World.”

 

Tentative Schedule

This schedule of readings and assignments is subject to change on short notice. All such changes will be announced in class.

 

FR = Fields of Reading 8th ed.       HW = Simon & Schuster Handbook For Writers 8th ed.

 

Date

Topic

Readings/Assignments

August

 

 

M 20

Course Introduction: Syllabus, Policies

 

W 22

Diagnostic essay--in class

 

F 24

Thinking Like a Writer

HW Chapter 1

M 27

Planning, Shaping, Drafting, and Revising

HW Chapter 2, FR pp. 1-23

W 29

Reading and Writing Process

Plato, "The Cave"

FR pp. 23-40, 241-246

F 31

Turnitin.com and Writing Center Orientation

Meet in the Center for Writers

NB 2034

September

 

 

M 3

Labor Day

No Classes

W 5

Thinking, Reading, and Writing Critically

HW Chapter 4

F 7

Gray, "The Work of Mourning";  Rogers, "Don Ysidro"

FR pp. 104-113

M 10

Coyne, "The Long Goodbye"; Boufis, "Teaching Literature at the County Jail"

FR pp. 141-157

W 12

Cofer, "The Story of My Body;"

Paragraphing

FR pp. 336-345; HW Chapter 3

F 14

Organizing and drafting the Compare and Contrast essay

 

M 17

Peer Response

Compare and Contrast Essay 1st draft due; bring two typed copies of your draft

W 19

Discussion of first drafts

handouts

F 21

Cause and Effect--overview

handouts

Compare and Contrast Essay 2nd draft due

M 24

Johnson, "Watching TV Makes You Smarter"

FR 301-312

W 26

Applebome et al, "A Delicate Balance is Undone . . ."

FR 638-656

F 28

Convocation

Morning classes do not meet

October

 

 

M 1

Research Paper--Overview and topics

HW Chapter 5, handouts

W 3

Orwell, "Politics and the English Language"

FR pp. 280-291

F 5

Keizer, "Why We Hate Teachers"

FR pp. 292-300

M 8

King, "Pilgrimage to Nonviolence"

FR pp. 346-353

W 10

Organizing and drafting the Cause and Effect essay

 

F 12

Peer response

Cause and Effect Essay  1st draft due; bring two typed copies of your draft

M 15

Discussion of first drafts

 

W 17

Research Writing as a process

 

HW Chapter 31

F 19

Fall Break

No classes

M 22

Finding sources and using the library

Meet in the library classroom

Cause and Effect Essay 2nd draft due

W 24

Finding sources and using the library

Meet in the library classroom

F 26

Finding and Evaluating Sources

HW Chapter 32

M 29

Using Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism

HW Chapter 33, handouts

W 31

MLA Documentation

Preparing the Annotated bibliography

HW Chapter 34; models

November

 

 

F 2

 Writing a compelling opening

Annotated Bibliography due

M 5

Discussion of annotated bibliographies

 

W 7

Writing a meaningful conclusion

handouts

F 9

Peer Response

1st Draft of Research Argument Due; bring two typed copies of your draft

M 12

Workshop Papers

Bring 2 copies of your draft

W 14

Editing and revising

Bring 2 copies of your draft

F 16

Statehood day--whatever the heck that is

No classes

M 19

Introduction to Extended Definitions

handouts

W 21

Wolfson, "Isn't Marriage for Procreation?"

Yes, we have class today--see Friday 16 November, above

FR 588-595

2nd draft of research argument due

F 23

Thanksgiving Holiday

 

M 26

Discussion of research papers

 

W 28

Wright, "Fool's Paradise"

FR 596-601

F 30

Hodgson, "Chicken Little and the News"

Handout

December

 

 

M 3

Peer Response

Definition Essay 1st draft due; bring 2 typed copies of your draft

W 5

Discussion of 1st drafts

 

F 7

Workshop papers

Bring 2 copies of your draft

M 10

Review for Final Exam

Definition Essay Final Draft due

F 14

Final Exam 1:00-3:00 p.m.

 

 

Important Dates:

 

August 31       Writing Center Orientation   Meet in the Center for Writers NB 2034

 

September 17           1st draft of essay #1 due      Bring two typed copies to class

 

September 21           2nd draft of essay #1 due   

 

October 12     1st draft of essay #2 due      Bring two typed copies to class

 

October 22     2nd draft of essay #2 due    Meet in the library today and Wednesday

 

November 2   Annotated Bibliography due           

 

November 9   1st draft of essay #3 due      Bring two typed copies to class

 

November 21 2nd draft of essay #3 due   

 

December 3  1st draft of essay #4 due      Bring two typed copies to class

 

December 10            2nd draft of essay #4 due

 

December 14            Final exam 1:00-3:00 p.m.