English 101A: Reading and Written Composition

Sample Syllabus

What Is English 101A?
English 101A is a introductory composition course designed to strengthen your reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. In this class you will read a selection of non-fiction readings and write essays about the issues raised by those readings. The course will also introduce you to research and documentation skills. To enroll in English 101A, you must have earned an appropriate score on the assessment exam or a grade of C or better in English 151B.

Course Goals
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
    -articulate how writing can be an instrument of social and political change;
    -apply college-level reading and critical thinking skills to a variety of reading assignments, and be able to     explain and support your ideas about course readings (in writing and in class discussions);
    -understand the steps in the writing process and use those steps to construct clear, well-developed,
    thesis-driven essays (including a formal research paper with MLA documentation);
    -find relevant research on an assigned topic and evaluate the credibility of that research; and
    -feel a greater sense of confidence about your writing abilities.

Course Materials
1. Various handouts that I will distribute in class
2. The Thomson Reader by Robert P. Yagelski, ISBN: 1-4130-0998-0 (CD not necessary)
3. American Heritage Dictionary or other college-level dictionary
4. A USB flash drive for saving your work
5. A print card (can be purchased in Hyman Hall)

How You’ll Be Graded
1. Attendance, Punctuality, and Participation (15 points)
Attendance
The filmmaker Woody Allen once said that “eighty percent of success is showing up.” Good attendance will boost your chances of success in this course, and poor attendance is a guarantee of failure. I will not nag or browbeat you about absences or late arrivals, but I do keep track of your attendance. If you are absent 4 or more times during the semester, or if you are habitually late to class, you will earn an automatic F in the course. Absences due to sports or other campus activities are counted the same as other absences.

Punctuality
It may be helpful for you to know that lateness is my pet peeve. When I am lecturing, I lose my train of thought every time someone comes in late. If you must come late to a class, please come in quietly and take a seat by the door. After class let me know that you were late so that you are not marked absent.

Participation
I believe learning is a collaborative activity. I want to hear your ideas in the classroom!
Some strategies for earning an above-average participation grade:
- Arrive to class on time with all of your materials handy
- Come to class having completed readings and other assignments to the best of your abilities
- Offer your ideas during in-class discussions and participate in group work
- Take notes in class
- Seek outside help if suggested by the instructor
- Demonstrate an overall positive attitude toward learning

2. Two in-class writing assignments and the final exam (30 points each)
You must pass two out of three of the in-class writing assignments (C- or better) in order to receive a passing grade in the course.

3. Summary (15 points)

4. Take-home essay (25 points)
 
5. Research exercises and formal research paper (25% of overall course grade)

6. Group presentation (10 points)

7. Reading quizzes (2–10 points each)

How Grades Are Computed
At the end of the semester, I will determine your final grade by adding up the number of points you earned and dividing that number by the number of total points possible. The following scale shows you how this final number is converted into a letter grade. Plus and minus grades are not given at Ohlone College.
A: 90–100
B: 80–89
C: 70–79
D: 60–69
F: below 60

Guidelines for Written Assignments
All assignments must be typed and double-spaced unless I indicate otherwise. Please use a standard 12 point font such as Times New Roman, and put your name, the class and section number, and the date in the upper right-hand corner. Always keep an extra copy of the work you do for this class. Occasionally papers get lost, and I cannot give you a grade if you do not have an extra copy of your work.

“Make-Up” Work and Late Work
In-class assignments, quizzes, and the final exam cannot be made up. You are given one “coupon” that entitles you to a late assignment with no grade penalty. Additional late assignments will not be accepted. No assignment that is turned in more than one week late will be accepted. Please note that if you are absent on the day an assignment is given, you are still responsible for completing the assignment on time.  See the section on “Early Work” below.

Early Work
If you must be absent on the day an assignment is due, you may turn in your assignment early to my email at jhurley@ohlone.edu or to my mailbox, which is located on the 2nd floor of Building One. Please do not leave assignments under the door to my office.

Policy on Cheating and Plagiarism
Cheating and plagiarism are extremely serious offenses. Any instance of cheating or plagiarism, intentional or unintentional, will result in your immediate dismissal from the course. There are no second chances or “make-ups” for these offenses, so it is essential that you understand at the beginning of the course how cheating and plagiarism are defined.

Tentative Course Schedule 
Readings are should be completed by the date under which they are listed.

Week 1: Introduction to the course                         
Readings: Course syllabus
Writing: In-class writing sample
     
Week 2: Identity
Readings:
TR, Chapter 1: Understanding the Contexts of Writing (pp. 3-15)
TR, “Who Invented White People?” by Gregory Jay (pp. 96-102)
TR, “Black Like I Thought I Was” by Erin Aubry Kaplan (pp. 105-108)
TR, “Crossing the Border Without Losing Your Past” by Oscar Cesares (pp. 110-112)
TR, “American Dreamer” by Bharati Mukherjee (pp. 114-119)
Writing: Write a brief summary (about one long paragraph, typed and double spaced) for each of the four articles above (Jay, Kaplan, Cesares, and Mukherjee). You should have four summaries total.
       
Week 3: Identity
Readings: TR, Chapter 3: Understanding the Contexts of Writing (pp. 32-44)
Writing: Turn in revised summary of “Who Invented White People?” for a grade AND rough draft of take-home essay due

Week 4: Love
Readings:   
TR, Chapter 2: Understanding Media as Contexts for Writing (pp. 16-31)
TR, “Attila the Honey I’m Home” by Kristin Van Ogtrop (pp. 225-233)
TR, “The Power of Marriage” by David Brooks (pp. 260-262)
TR, “Why I Want a Wife” by Judy Syfers Brady (pp. 274-277)   
Be ready for a quiz on the readings
Writing: Final draft of take-home essay due
Research: Bring in three full-page color magazine advertisements that depict engagement/ marriage
       
Week 5: Love
Readings:   
Excerpt from The Art of Loving by Eric Fromm (handout)
TR, “Sweet Chariot” by Mark Doty (pp. 239-242)
TR, “Love Sick” by Richard Selzer (pp. 235-237)
TR, “On Building a Community of Love” by bell hooks (pp. 244-252)

Week 6: In-class writing #1
Please bring your textbook, your USB drive, and a print card to class.
   
Week 7: Introduction to the research paper
Readings:   
TR, Chapter 4: Engaging in Research and Inquiry (pp. 45-59)
TR, “Thoughts in the Presence of Fear” by Wendell Berry (pp. 423-427)
TR, “Bill of Rights Pared Down to a Manageable Six” by The Onion (pp. 444-446)
TR, “American Splendor” by Chisun Lee (pp. 486-488)
Research: Research Exercise #1: Using Google or another search engine, find and print five articles on your research topic. On a separate sheet of paper, list the author and title of each article, and rate each article on a scale of 1-10 with respect to credibility. Write a paragraph for each article explaining your reasoning.

Week 8: In-class work on the research paper
Research: Research Exercise #2: Using at least three different Ohlone library databases, find at least ten articles related to your research paper topic. Research Exercise #3: Write a Works Cited list for the sources you found.

Week 9: Culture and Consumption
Readings:   
Excerpt from Walden by Henry David Thoreau (handout)
“High-Tech Genocide in Congo” by Censored 2007 (handout)
TR, “Disconnected Urbanism” by Paul Goldberger (pp.539-541)
TR, “The Sense of Place” by Wallace Stegner (pp. 544-549)
TR, “The March of the Monoculture” by Helena Norberg-Hodge (pp. 599-606)
TR, “The Ski Store and the Real Cost of Fun” by Donella Meadows (pp. 634-636)
Be ready for a quiz on the readings
Writing: Research Exercise #4: Bring in one full page of the body of your research paper (not the introduction) with correct use of in-text citations

Week 10: The Politics of Food
Readings:    
TR, “Growing Up Game” by Brenda Peterson (pp. 575-578)
TR, “A Good Farmer” by Barbara Kingsolver (pp. 580-586)
TR, “Should We All Be Vegetarians?” by Richard Corliss (pp. 588-596)
TR, “Fat and Politics: Suing Fast Food Companies” by Michael Stephens (pp. 608-611)
TR, “The Seeds of a Summer Revolt” by David Margolick (pp. 619-620)
TR, “When a Crop Becomes King” by Michael Pollan (pp. 630-632)
Writing: Bring in a four-page draft of your research paper for peer review.

Week 11: In-Class Writing #2
Please bring your textbook, your USB drive, and a print card to class.

Week 12: RESEARCH PAPER DUE   
Please submit your paper in a manila folder, in the following order, from front to back: 1) Final draft (including Works Cited list; 2) Rough draft; and 3) Xeroxes and/or print-outs of all of your sources, in the order in which they appear in the Works Cited list.

Week 13: Group presentations

Week 14: Group presentations

Week 15: Group presentations