English
1301-SA01: Composition and Rhetoric
Summer Term
–May 26 – August 9, 20
Mondays,
6:00 – 10:10 p.m.,
Mrs.
Nelda Andrewartha, Instructor
Phone:
830-980-2404 email: nandrew@gvtc.com
Website: www.sa.wbu.edu/academics/classsyllabi
I. Catalog Description:
Principles of clear, correct, effective
expository writing, with illustrative readings and frequent essays and
conferences (p. 253).
II. Textbook:
Reinking, J. A.. & von der Osten, R. (2007). Strategies
for successful writing: A rhetoric, research guide, reader, and handbook (8th ed.).
III. Additional Resources for Instructor’s Use:
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American
Psychological Association (5th
ed).
Weaver, C. (Ed.).
(1998). Lessons to share on teaching grammar in context.
N. H.: Boynton Cook Publishers, Inc.
Zinsser, W. (1990). On
writing well: An informal guide to writing nonfiction (4th ed.).
IV. Course
Objectives:
To examine the principles of rhetoric,
research, and grammar.
To write for a variety of purposes, modes, and
audiences.
To read and analyze the works of professional
writers as models.
To employ the stages of the writing process to
produce polished essays.
To participate in self and peer assessments.
To understand and apply strategies for
revising and editing.
V. Course Outline:
Read and analyze model essays.
Develop rhetorical strategies for
planning and writing essays.
Write a variety of essays in
different modes.
Apply revising and editing strategies to
produce polished essays.
Refine language and grammatical
skills.
Extend and apply research and
documentation skills
VI Course
Requirements and Evaluation:
|
Categories |
Explanation |
Weight |
|
Attendance |
Attendance,
absences, and tardies affect this grade.
(See Addendum for WBU’s attendance policy.) |
5% |
|
Reading/Writing
Workshop - |
Includes
such activities as
|
20% |
|
Reading
Journal |
Includes
reader responses to model essays and prompts from instructor. |
10% |
|
Formal
Essays |
Three
essays will be taken through the writing process—including prewriting,
drafting, revising, editing, and self assessments: Essay One– 10% (3-5 pages) Essay Two – 15% (4-6 pages) Essay Three– 20% (5-7 pages, excluding
References) |
45% |
|
Exams |
Mid-semester
exam, 10% Semester
exam – 10 |
20% |
VII. Grading
Scale
WBU Grading Scale: A = 90 - 100% B = 80 - 89% C = 70 - 79% D = 60 - 69% F = Below 60%
VIII.
Essays will not be
accepted late.
In extenuating circumstances beyond your
control, email or call the instructor before
the class meets. If you are unable
to attend class the day a major paper is due, leave the paper in the front
office at WBU.
IX. Additional
Materials:
College Dictionary
and Thesaurus
Ample
writing materials and paper, including pens, pencils, and highlighters
Folder
or spiral for reading journal
8
½ X 11 envelope
X. Policies:
A.
Cell
phones and pagers must be silent during class time.
B.
Caps
and hats should be removed in the classroom.
B. Academic
Honesty: No
form of cheating will be tolerated. Plagiarism—copying
another’s words or ideas and presenting them as your own—is cheating, a serious academic offense that will
result, at the very least, in a zero on
the work in question. More serious
consequences, such as failure for the class, should be expected.
C. Laptop
computers may
be used in class to complete essays. Students
must provide their own paper (and printer if possible). Students may use the computers and printers
in the student lounge when they are available; but they must bring paper for
the printer. (Students may also use the computers in the computer lab between 9:00 –
5:00 if the lab is not being used for classes or testing.)
XI. Availability of Instructor:
Beginning June 2nd,
the instructor will be available from 5:30-6:00 and 9:45 to 10:10 in Room 104
to conference with students. Students
may also email the instructor at any time or call the instructor at home (830-980-2404).
XII. Guidelines for Format of In-Class Essays
·
Write legibly with pen, preferably blue
or black ink.
·
Use 8½ by 11 lined paper with smooth edges.
·
Write on alternate lines.
·
Place title of essay on the top of the
first page, centered from left to right
·
Indent the first line of all paragraphs.
·
Write on only one side of the paper
·
Write last name and page number in
upper right-hand corner on all pages (ex:
Andrewartha - 1).
·
Staple all pages together, including
prewriting.
Addendum
The University has
adopted an attendance policy that applies in all cases in all classes, as
follows:
Students enrolled at one of the University’s
external campuses should make every effort to attend all class meetings. All absences must be explained to the
satisfaction of the instructor, who will then decide whether the omitted work
may be made up. When a student reaches
that number of absences considered by the instructor to be excessive, the
instructor will so advise the student and file an Unsatisfactory Progress Report
with the campus dean. Any student who misses twenty-five percent
or more of the regularly scheduled class meetings may receive a grade of F for
that course. Additional attendance
policies for each course, as defined by the instructor in the course syllabus,
are considered a part of the university’s attendance policy. A student may petition the Academic Council
for exceptions to the above stated policies by filing a written request for an
appeal to the provost/academic vice president.
Comments
Please do not assume
that you can miss 25% of the class meetings
with no penalty at all. Very few
students can be absent that much and still pass the course. Almost inevitably, students who miss class
perform less well than they expect, and their grades are lower. It is not wise to choose to miss class early
in the semester, assuming that you can be present for all remaining
classes. In other words, plan to be
present for all classes; then if an emergency occurs, you don’t have to worry
about missing class.
Note that there is no
such thing as an excused absence from any class. If you are not
in class, you are absent. The reason
for your absence is not relevant. If you
are obviously ill, especially if your illness may be contagious, please stay
home until you have recovered. Anyone
who is ill 25% of the time probably needs to drop the course and rest to get
well.
The philosophy behind
this policy is
twofold: We believe that attendance in
class indicates that you are serious about getting a quality education, and
that such attendance greatly increases your chances to succeed. Furthermore, tuition covers only three-fourths of the cost of delivering a course to you. Since we have to find the other fourth from
the gifts and offerings of the Baptist people of
So
there will be no doubt, 3 weeks of a
course lasting 11 weeks is more than 25%, and attendance in a class means being
in class from the time it is called to order until it is dismissed
by the Instructor. Being tardy
means arriving after the class has been called to order. Leaving
at break time or arriving after the break means being absent for half the class. Two half-absences equal one week of
absence. Exactly 2.75 weeks is 25% of the course. Two absences and a tardy are 2.66 weeks—all
you can afford to miss!
IT IS UNIVERSITY
POLICY THAT NO OTHERWISE QUALIFIED DISABLED PERSON BE EXCLUDED FROM
PARTICIPATION IN, BE DENIED THE BENEFITS OF, OR BE SUBJECT TO DISCRIMINATION
UNDER ANY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM OR ACTIVITY IN THE UNIVERSITY. ANY STUDENT WHO NEEDS SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS TO
MEET THE COURSE REQUIREMENTS SHOULD INFORM THE INSTRUCTOR IMMEDIATELY UPON
ENTERING THE COURSE.
Tentative
Schedule for English 1301-SA01--May 26 – August 9, 2008
Note: The usual class agenda follows the format of a
reading/writing workshop—discussing model essays and background information,
writing an essay, or revising and editing one of the three polished
essays. Be prepared for reading quizzes
and exercises related to written language skills. Expect to be an active participant in class
discussions and all activities. Complete
reading assignments before class. You are also responsible for all reading
assignments, whether or not we discuss them in class. Check your email each day.
|
Week One May 26 |
Introduction,
Review of Syllabus Diagnostic
Grammar Quiz Read
these essays in class and discuss content and style of personal narratives: Essays: “The Perfect Picture,” p. 484 “Sound and Fury,” p. 486 “Momma’s Encounter,” p. 489 “The Scholarship Jacket,” p. 493 Chapter
5, p. 81- Narration In-class
essay (personal narrative) |
|
Week Two June 2 |
Email the Instructor
so she can establish Internet group. Background reading:
Chs. 1 and 2, pp.3-29; Essays “Binge Drinking, A Campus Killer,”
p.528 “Rambos of the Road,” p. 532 “Going for Broke,” p. 534 “The Company Man,” p. 539 In-class
essay (illustration) |
|
“Week Three June 9 |
Background reading:
thesis statements, pp 46-49; Handbook, pp. 697-783; Essays: “What Are Friends For,” p.542 “A Tale of Four Learner,” p. 548 “The Sweet Smell of Success Isn’t All That
Sweet,” p. 590 “The Blended Economy,” p. 593 Choose
either your personal narrative or illustration to revise for first polished
essay. Conference
with Instructor Discuss
Topic for Documented with Instructor |
|
Week Four June 16 |
Revised, polished
essay due. (Include prewriting,
drafts, clocking, self assessment in 8 ½ x 11 envelope) Background reading:
pp. 704-710 (Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement) Clocking
(final editing for errors) Essays: “Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts,”
p. 559 “Conversational Ballgames,” p. 562 “Barbie Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” p.
565 “Art Form for the Digital Age,” 572 In-class
essay (comparison) |
|
Week Five June 23 |
Background
reading: pp. 671-676 (Verb Tenses) Ch.
11 (Cause and Effect), pp. 168-171 Essays: “Old
Father Time Becomes a Terror,” p. 577 “Why We Keep Stuff, p. 581 “Why Marriages Fail,” p. 584 Mid-semester exam HW: Write a cause/effect essay and email to
Instructor no later than Sunday, June 29 |
|
Week Six June 30 |
Background reading:
pp. 663-665 (Complements) Prepare
Working Bibliography in class. Essays: “I
Have a Dream,” 626 “Social Bodies: Tightening the Bonds of
Beauty,” p. 650 Choose
either the comparison or cause/effect essay to revise and edit for second
polished essay (pp. 697-722) |
|
Week Seven July 7 |
Revised, polished
essay due.. (Include prewriting, all drafts, clocking, self assessment. in 8
½ x 11 envelope.) Clocking “Halt
and Show Your Papers,” p. 620 “Close the Borders to All Newcomers,” p.
635 “Give Us Your Best, Your Brightest,” p.
639 Background
reading: pp. 451 - 467, “APA Textual Citations Note
Taking, Thesis Statements Tentative
thesis and outline due by end of class. Continue
drafting persuasive, documented essay |
|
Week Eight July 14 |
Second polished
essay due. Background: In text citations, pp. 451-459 Essays: “Yes,
Don’t Impede Medical Progress,” p. 607 “Crossing Lines,” p. 610 “A Journalist’s View of Black
Economics,” p. 629 Continue
writing draft and conferencing with instructor. Email copy of draft
to instructor by 7/17 for her review and suggestions |
|
Week Nine July 21 |
Journals Due Bring
typed draft of persuasive essay for final editing and revising. (pp.
441-459; pp. 697-722) |
|
Week Ten July 28 |
Third polished
persuasive essay due (include prewriting, drafts, notes, self assessment,
etc. in an 8 ½ x 11 envelope) Clocking Oral
presentation of persuasive essay Review
for semester exam |
|
Week Eleven August 4 |
Semester exam |
COURSE
COMPETENCIES: Students will be able
to demonstrate minimum competency by earning scores of 60 percent or higher on
reading and language quizzes, reading journal, exams, and in-class and polished
essays. Focused analytic scoring will be
used to score polished essays: quality of content, organization, precise
vocabulary, and development of ideas; fluency and sentence structures; grammar,
usage, and mechanics.
PLEASE NOTE:
1.
This
schedule is not a contract and may be
revised at the instructor’s discretion as
appropriate for the needs of the class.
2.
The
expectation for homework is two to three hours for each hour spent in
class. In
other words, you should expect to spend
approximately eight hours or more in preparation for class. That may not be true for all weeks; sometimes
it could be less; others more.
3.
To allow flexibility, not all class activities are listed.
4.
Language
skills: The basic assumption is that
students will use standard English for all assignments. Polished essays should reflect careful review
and revisions to meet that standard.
5.
Language exercises will be developed to meet the needs of this class.
Reading
Journal Prompts
English
1301:SA01 Summer 2008
Instructions: Use a spiral notebook for your journal. Write a one-page response to each of the
prompts below. Do not summarize the essays;
instead, give a thoughtful reaction that
shows your understanding, opinions, and personal associations. Each thoughtful entry will be worth nine
points, for a total grade of 90. For a
grade of 100, write one additional entry responding to another essay of your
choice. The journal is to be in your own handwriting: write
legibly, using black or blue ink.
While this journal will not be graded for grammar and style, you should
make every effort to write clearly and effectively. I will
collect journals for a quick check on June 9th.
The journal is due no later than July 21; however, you may turn it in
sooner. For best results, write the
journal entry soon after you have read each essay.
Entry One:
In “Momma’s Encounters” (p 489), Maya said, “Whatever the contest was,
Momma won.” What is your reaction to her
statement and to the incident with the “powhitetrash”? You may, of course, include personal
associations.
Entry Two: “Going for Broke,” (p. 534) and “The Company
Man,” (p. 539) both deal with addictive behaviors. How do you react to these ideas? What can or should be done about such
problems?
Entry Three: After reading “A Tale of Four Learners” (p.
548), analyze your own learning style in detail. Which of the four learner styles best describe
you?
Entry Four: In the student essay, “Why Students Drop out
of College” (p. 178), Diann Fisher discusses several causes for failure in
college. Analyze your own college
experience: focus not only on problems but also on causes of success. If you are a new college student, discuss
what actions you plan to take to be a successful student.
Entry Five: After reading “ABCs of CPR” (p. 120), think
about some other action you consider important and write a clear description of
that process. Make each step clear so
that the reader could actually follow your directions.
Entry Six: After reading “Why We Keep Stuff” (p. 581) or “Why Marriages Fail” (p. 584), write
your reaction and analysis of that problem.
Entry Seven: In “The Sweet Smell of Success” (p. 590), “The Blended Economy” (p.
593), and “When Is It Rape?” (p. 598), the authors present their definitions of
success, the economy, and rape. React to
one of these essays, comparing your
understanding of the term with that of the author; or write your own extended
definition on a topic of your choice.
Entry Eight: In his “I Have a Dream” (p.626), Martin Luther King proclaimed his
vision for equality for his people and harmony among all races. Describe a dream that you have for a specific
group of people, an organization, or society.
Have fun with this one, but make your dream come alive on paper. (Can you use the same kind of forceful, clear
vocabulary that King used?)
Entry Nine: Respond to one of these essays: “Yes,
Don’t Impede Medical Progress” (p. 607), “The Misguided Zeal of the Privacy
Lobby” (p. 617), or “A Journalist’s View of Black Economics” (p. 629),
comparing your ideas with the writer’s philosophy.
Entry Ten: After reading “Halt and Show Your Papers?”
(p. 620), “Close the Borders to All New Comers (p. 635), and “Give Us Your
Best, Your Brightest” (p. 639), write your response to this complex issue of
immigration.