English 110A: Studies in Critical Thinking and Writing
http://english110A.blogspot.com
Semester: Fall 2008
Instructor: Christin Taylor
Reference #: 1893
Class Time: Thursday 6:00 – 8:50PM
email: ctaylor@apu.edu
Facebook: the_tin@hotmail.com
Monday, August 25, 2008
Schedule
WEEK 1: 28-Aug
INTRO TO CLASS
SYLLABUS
QUIZ A: SYLLABUS
ASSIGNMENT #1
READ “ENGLISH,” BY MARJORIE AGOSIN (205)
DISCUSSION OF TEXT
SMALL GROUP WORK ON PARAPHRASING THE POEM
WEEK 2: 4-Sep
ASSIGNMENT 1 DUE
ESSAY STRUCTURE: GENERAL REVIEW
FRAGMENTS: DISCUSSION AND EXERCISE
TRANSITIONS: DISCUSSION AND EXERCISE
READ “MOTHER TONGUE,” BY AMY TAN (243)
WEEK 3: 11-Sep
QUIZ B ON “MOTHER TONGUE”
CLASS DISCUSSION OF TEXT
ASSIGNMENT #2
INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH: DISCUSSION
THESIS STATEMENT: DISCUSSION AND EXERCISE
WORKSHOP: DEVELOPING THE THESIS STATEMENT
WEEK 4: 18-Sep
ROUGH DRAFT: DUE
WRITING WORKSHOP
CHOOSING EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT YOUR THESIS
TOPIC SENTENCE: DISCUSSION AND EXERCISE
BODY PARAGRAPH DEVELOPMENT: DISCUSSION AND EXERCISE
WEEK 5: 25-Sep
ASSIGNMENT 2 DUE
SENTENCE TYPES: POTENTIAL PROBLEMS – RUN-ONS (COMMA SPLICES AND FUSED SENTENCES)
SENTENCE TYPES: DISCUSSION AND EXERCISE
WHY THE STATIC “TO BE” VERB SHOULD BE ELIMINATED: DISCUSSION AND EXERCISE
ASSIGNMENT #3
READ "HE FIGHTS TERROR WITH BOOKS" BY KEVIN FEDARKO
READ "AFGHANISTAN: A WAR THAT'S STILL NOT WON" BY ARYN BAKER AND KAJAKI OLYA
WEEK 6: 2-Oct
QUIZ C ON FEDARKO AND BAKER ARTICLES
DISCUSSION OF THE TEXTS
THE THESIS STATEMENT: REVIEW AND EXERCISE
TO INFER AND TO IMPLY: DISCUSSION AND EXERCISE
SMALL GROUP WORK ON THESIS DEVELOPMENT
WEEK 7: 9-Oct
ROUGH DRAFT: DUE
WRITING WORKSHOP
SMALL GROUP DEVELOPMENT OF POTENTIAL EVIDENCE
COMMA SPLICE AND FUSED SENTENCE REVIEW
DISCUSSION ON USING QUOTATIONS: USING THE MLA FORMAT TO CITE YOUR SOURCES
QUIZ D: COMMA SPLICES AND FUSED SENTENCES
WEEK 8: 16-Oct
ASSIGNMENT #3 DUE
ASSIGNMENT #4 (IN-CLASS ESSAY)
READ BIZARRO, BY DAN PIRARO (366) AND “IF THIS CAR COULD TALK” (368)
DISCUSSION OF TEXTS
CLASS DEBATES
STRATEGIES FOR IN-CLASS WRITING
WEEK 9: 23-Oct TORREY CONFERENCE
FRIDAY OF 9TH WEEK
LAST DAY TO DROP CLASSES
WEEK 10: 30-Oct
IN-CLASS WRITING OF ASSIGNMENT #4
ASSIGNMENT #5
BRAINSTORMING RESEARCH QUESTION
READ “WHY A GLOBAL LANGUAGE?” BY DAVID CRYSTAL (504)
WEEK 11: 6-Nov
MID-TERM GRADES
QUIZ E: ON WHY A GLOBAL LANGUAGE?
RESEARCH QUESTION: DUE
DISCUSSION OF TEXT
SMALL GROUP DEVELOPMENT OF QUESTION
SMALL GROUP DEVELOPMENT OF POTENTIAL EVIDENCE
CONDUCTING RESEARCH
WEEK 12: 13-Nov NO CLASS
WEEK 13: 20-Nov
FIVE SOURCES: DUE
STUDENT SKETCH
DEVELOPING THE DRAFT/ORGANIZING THE DRAFT
MOVING FROM SKETCH TO DRAFT
USING MLA IN RESEARCH PAPERS: EXERCISE
27-Nov THANKSGIVING BREAK
WEEK 14: 4-Dec
ROUGH DRAFT: DUE
WORKSHOP ON ROUGH DRAFT
REVIEW OF USING MLA IN RESEARCH PAPERS
"SHITTY FIRST DRAFTS" BY ANNE LAMOTT
WEEK 15: 11-Dec
ASSIGNMENT #5 DUE
FINAL TOPIC DISCUSSION
LITERATURE FOR THE EYES: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE WRITING
REVIEW
WEEK 16: 18-Dec
FINALS
REF #: 1893 DAY: Thursday, December 18th TIME: 7:00 – 9:00pm
INTRO TO CLASS
SYLLABUS
QUIZ A: SYLLABUS
ASSIGNMENT #1
READ “ENGLISH,” BY MARJORIE AGOSIN (205)
DISCUSSION OF TEXT
SMALL GROUP WORK ON PARAPHRASING THE POEM
WEEK 2: 4-Sep
ASSIGNMENT 1 DUE
ESSAY STRUCTURE: GENERAL REVIEW
FRAGMENTS: DISCUSSION AND EXERCISE
TRANSITIONS: DISCUSSION AND EXERCISE
READ “MOTHER TONGUE,” BY AMY TAN (243)
WEEK 3: 11-Sep
QUIZ B ON “MOTHER TONGUE”
CLASS DISCUSSION OF TEXT
ASSIGNMENT #2
INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH: DISCUSSION
THESIS STATEMENT: DISCUSSION AND EXERCISE
WORKSHOP: DEVELOPING THE THESIS STATEMENT
WEEK 4: 18-Sep
ROUGH DRAFT: DUE
WRITING WORKSHOP
CHOOSING EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT YOUR THESIS
TOPIC SENTENCE: DISCUSSION AND EXERCISE
BODY PARAGRAPH DEVELOPMENT: DISCUSSION AND EXERCISE
WEEK 5: 25-Sep
ASSIGNMENT 2 DUE
SENTENCE TYPES: POTENTIAL PROBLEMS – RUN-ONS (COMMA SPLICES AND FUSED SENTENCES)
SENTENCE TYPES: DISCUSSION AND EXERCISE
WHY THE STATIC “TO BE” VERB SHOULD BE ELIMINATED: DISCUSSION AND EXERCISE
ASSIGNMENT #3
READ "HE FIGHTS TERROR WITH BOOKS" BY KEVIN FEDARKO
READ "AFGHANISTAN: A WAR THAT'S STILL NOT WON" BY ARYN BAKER AND KAJAKI OLYA
WEEK 6: 2-Oct
QUIZ C ON FEDARKO AND BAKER ARTICLES
DISCUSSION OF THE TEXTS
THE THESIS STATEMENT: REVIEW AND EXERCISE
TO INFER AND TO IMPLY: DISCUSSION AND EXERCISE
SMALL GROUP WORK ON THESIS DEVELOPMENT
WEEK 7: 9-Oct
ROUGH DRAFT: DUE
WRITING WORKSHOP
SMALL GROUP DEVELOPMENT OF POTENTIAL EVIDENCE
COMMA SPLICE AND FUSED SENTENCE REVIEW
DISCUSSION ON USING QUOTATIONS: USING THE MLA FORMAT TO CITE YOUR SOURCES
QUIZ D: COMMA SPLICES AND FUSED SENTENCES
WEEK 8: 16-Oct
ASSIGNMENT #3 DUE
ASSIGNMENT #4 (IN-CLASS ESSAY)
READ BIZARRO, BY DAN PIRARO (366) AND “IF THIS CAR COULD TALK” (368)
DISCUSSION OF TEXTS
CLASS DEBATES
STRATEGIES FOR IN-CLASS WRITING
WEEK 9: 23-Oct TORREY CONFERENCE
FRIDAY OF 9TH WEEK
LAST DAY TO DROP CLASSES
WEEK 10: 30-Oct
IN-CLASS WRITING OF ASSIGNMENT #4
ASSIGNMENT #5
BRAINSTORMING RESEARCH QUESTION
READ “WHY A GLOBAL LANGUAGE?” BY DAVID CRYSTAL (504)
WEEK 11: 6-Nov
MID-TERM GRADES
QUIZ E: ON WHY A GLOBAL LANGUAGE?
RESEARCH QUESTION: DUE
DISCUSSION OF TEXT
SMALL GROUP DEVELOPMENT OF QUESTION
SMALL GROUP DEVELOPMENT OF POTENTIAL EVIDENCE
CONDUCTING RESEARCH
WEEK 12: 13-Nov NO CLASS
WEEK 13: 20-Nov
FIVE SOURCES: DUE
STUDENT SKETCH
DEVELOPING THE DRAFT/ORGANIZING THE DRAFT
MOVING FROM SKETCH TO DRAFT
USING MLA IN RESEARCH PAPERS: EXERCISE
27-Nov THANKSGIVING BREAK
WEEK 14: 4-Dec
ROUGH DRAFT: DUE
WORKSHOP ON ROUGH DRAFT
REVIEW OF USING MLA IN RESEARCH PAPERS
"SHITTY FIRST DRAFTS" BY ANNE LAMOTT
WEEK 15: 11-Dec
ASSIGNMENT #5 DUE
FINAL TOPIC DISCUSSION
LITERATURE FOR THE EYES: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE WRITING
REVIEW
WEEK 16: 18-Dec
FINALS
REF #: 1893 DAY: Thursday, December 18th TIME: 7:00 – 9:00pm
Grades
Assign 1 DUE 9/4/08:
A paraphrase of Marjorie Agosin’s poem “English” = 100 points
Assign 2 DUE 9/25/08:
An analysis of Amy Tan's essay “Mother Tongue” = 100pts
Assign 3 DUE 10/16/08:
A comparative analysis of two texts = 100pts
Assign 4 in-class writing on 10/30/08:
An analysis of visual texts = 100pts
Assign 5 Question DUE 11/6/08 = 25pts
Assign 5 Sources DUE 11/20/08 = 35pts
Assign 5 Rough Draft DUE 12/4/08 = 40pts
Assign 5 Final DUE 12/11/08:
Research Paper = 100pts
Quizzes 10pts x 5 = 50pts
Final exam (in-class essay) = 100pts
Total possible points = 750pts
THE FINAL GRADE WILL BE CALCULATED ACCORDING TO THIS BREAKDOWN:
675-750: A
600 -674: B
525-599: C
450-524: D
000-449: F
Remember that the Final Exam is at a different time from the daily class schedule, so be prepared to adjust your schedule when the time comes.
Final Exam Schedule: Thursday, December 18th @ 7:00 – 9:00pm
A paraphrase of Marjorie Agosin’s poem “English” = 100 points
Assign 2 DUE 9/25/08:
An analysis of Amy Tan's essay “Mother Tongue” = 100pts
Assign 3 DUE 10/16/08:
A comparative analysis of two texts = 100pts
Assign 4 in-class writing on 10/30/08:
An analysis of visual texts = 100pts
Assign 5 Question DUE 11/6/08 = 25pts
Assign 5 Sources DUE 11/20/08 = 35pts
Assign 5 Rough Draft DUE 12/4/08 = 40pts
Assign 5 Final DUE 12/11/08:
Research Paper = 100pts
Quizzes 10pts x 5 = 50pts
Final exam (in-class essay) = 100pts
Total possible points = 750pts
THE FINAL GRADE WILL BE CALCULATED ACCORDING TO THIS BREAKDOWN:
675-750: A
600 -674: B
525-599: C
450-524: D
000-449: F
Remember that the Final Exam is at a different time from the daily class schedule, so be prepared to adjust your schedule when the time comes.
Final Exam Schedule: Thursday, December 18th @ 7:00 – 9:00pm
GUIDELINES FOR ALL ESSAYS: Checklist
____ print your essays with a 12-point font in either Time New Roman or Courier on only one side of white paper.
____ don’t use a cover sheet, paper or plastic cover, or binder, please
____ in the upper-left corner of the first page, type your first and last names, the instructor’s name, the title of the course, and the date, on four parallel horizontal lines
____ double-space your essay with standard margins (1” all the way around)
____ don’t leave any extra spaces between paragraphs
____ use a single staple in the upper-left corner
____ on the remaining pages, type your last name and the page number (only the number with no comma) in the upper-right corner.
____ center your title (this should be an original title unique to your paper) in upper-and-lower case double-spaced above the first paragraph; no all-caps, no underlining, no larger font or wacky characters for the title.
____ when you quote from a text, put the words quoted in quotation marks; then put the author’s name and the page number (no comma) in parentheses at the end of your sentence (before the period).
____ attach evidence of work done with the tutors or at the WRAC, if applicable
____ don’t use a cover sheet, paper or plastic cover, or binder, please
____ in the upper-left corner of the first page, type your first and last names, the instructor’s name, the title of the course, and the date, on four parallel horizontal lines
____ double-space your essay with standard margins (1” all the way around)
____ don’t leave any extra spaces between paragraphs
____ use a single staple in the upper-left corner
____ on the remaining pages, type your last name and the page number (only the number with no comma) in the upper-right corner.
____ center your title (this should be an original title unique to your paper) in upper-and-lower case double-spaced above the first paragraph; no all-caps, no underlining, no larger font or wacky characters for the title.
____ when you quote from a text, put the words quoted in quotation marks; then put the author’s name and the page number (no comma) in parentheses at the end of your sentence (before the period).
____ attach evidence of work done with the tutors or at the WRAC, if applicable
Policies
Please read each of the following requirements carefully. Your success in the class depends on our compliance with these terms.
Course Objectives: This course is designed to help you become a successful critical thinker and writer, equipped for the rigors of academic discourse. You will achieve these goals by cultivating active reading skills, developing effective writing habits, and learning to understand and use the many rhetorical techniques available to writers. A broader goal of the course is to prepare you to effectively communicate with those outside of the academy. By the end of the semester, you should be able to
• Read texts critically, noting how a text’s style, structure, and context contribute to its meanings and implications.
• Write well organized, clearly written argumentative essays that are supported by strong evidence and clear explanation, and which employ a rhetoric and tone appropriate to the broader academic audience.
• Research—and integrate—credible and relevant sources that support the thesis of your research project.
• Apply effective drafting and revision techniques to your essays, including improved proofreading skills.
• Format your papers according to Modern Language Association (MLA) guidelines.
Required Text:
What’s Language Got to Do with It?, by Keith Walters and Michael Brody
A Writer’s Reference; Sixth Edition, by Diana Hacker
Attendance Policy:
Attendance will be taken at each class meeting. Regular attendance is expected and necessary for success in a skills-based class like English 110A. Make a commitment now to attend class regularly and on time. If you miss six (6) classes you may be dropped from the class. Every two 15-minute tardies will equal one absence. Students who choose to drop must do so officially with Admissions and Records. The last date to drop is Friday, October 24th. Please talk to me if you run into any serious problems that may affect your attendance.
Late Paper Policy:
Papers are due on the due date. Because emergencies happen, you may turn in ONE essay up to one week past the due date without penalty. But any late papers after that will receive a 10% reduction in the grade. Any papers more than a week late will not be graded.
Rewrite Policy:
You may rewrite one essay. The rewrite will be due one week after you receive your grade for the paper. In order to receive credit you must highlight in bold lettering the changes you make in your new draft AND attach the original graded draft to the new draft.
Extra Credit Policy:
There will be opportunities for extra credit: volunteers for the rough draft workshops will receive 5 extra credit points (only once for each volunteer); you may also receive up to 5 extra credit points doing certain assignments at the Writing Center (Rm 213 of Sutherland Hall). You may only receive a total of 10 extra credit points for the semester.
Paper Submission and Typing Policy:
Essays and assignments prepared outside of the class must be neatly typed according to MLA standards (see below for basic guidelines). The essays must also be proofread and edited.
In addition to the final draft of the paper you are turning in, please attach a copy of your rough draft, your first draft of the paper, when the rough draft has been assigned. Without a copy of your rough draft, 10 points will automatically be deducted from the final grade of the paper.
Please keep a copy of all your work and all of your graded work for the semester in case any questions arise. This offers a safety net for both me and you.
Special Accommodations:
If you have an officially recognized disability and need special accommodations, please alert me to any such disability. I will work with you and the Office of Student Disability Services so that you have an equal opportunity to perform in this class.
Course Objectives: This course is designed to help you become a successful critical thinker and writer, equipped for the rigors of academic discourse. You will achieve these goals by cultivating active reading skills, developing effective writing habits, and learning to understand and use the many rhetorical techniques available to writers. A broader goal of the course is to prepare you to effectively communicate with those outside of the academy. By the end of the semester, you should be able to
• Read texts critically, noting how a text’s style, structure, and context contribute to its meanings and implications.
• Write well organized, clearly written argumentative essays that are supported by strong evidence and clear explanation, and which employ a rhetoric and tone appropriate to the broader academic audience.
• Research—and integrate—credible and relevant sources that support the thesis of your research project.
• Apply effective drafting and revision techniques to your essays, including improved proofreading skills.
• Format your papers according to Modern Language Association (MLA) guidelines.
Required Text:
What’s Language Got to Do with It?, by Keith Walters and Michael Brody
A Writer’s Reference; Sixth Edition, by Diana Hacker
Attendance Policy:
Attendance will be taken at each class meeting. Regular attendance is expected and necessary for success in a skills-based class like English 110A. Make a commitment now to attend class regularly and on time. If you miss six (6) classes you may be dropped from the class. Every two 15-minute tardies will equal one absence. Students who choose to drop must do so officially with Admissions and Records. The last date to drop is Friday, October 24th. Please talk to me if you run into any serious problems that may affect your attendance.
Late Paper Policy:
Papers are due on the due date. Because emergencies happen, you may turn in ONE essay up to one week past the due date without penalty. But any late papers after that will receive a 10% reduction in the grade. Any papers more than a week late will not be graded.
Rewrite Policy:
You may rewrite one essay. The rewrite will be due one week after you receive your grade for the paper. In order to receive credit you must highlight in bold lettering the changes you make in your new draft AND attach the original graded draft to the new draft.
Extra Credit Policy:
There will be opportunities for extra credit: volunteers for the rough draft workshops will receive 5 extra credit points (only once for each volunteer); you may also receive up to 5 extra credit points doing certain assignments at the Writing Center (Rm 213 of Sutherland Hall). You may only receive a total of 10 extra credit points for the semester.
Paper Submission and Typing Policy:
Essays and assignments prepared outside of the class must be neatly typed according to MLA standards (see below for basic guidelines). The essays must also be proofread and edited.
In addition to the final draft of the paper you are turning in, please attach a copy of your rough draft, your first draft of the paper, when the rough draft has been assigned. Without a copy of your rough draft, 10 points will automatically be deducted from the final grade of the paper.
Please keep a copy of all your work and all of your graded work for the semester in case any questions arise. This offers a safety net for both me and you.
Special Accommodations:
If you have an officially recognized disability and need special accommodations, please alert me to any such disability. I will work with you and the Office of Student Disability Services so that you have an equal opportunity to perform in this class.
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