English 101 M
English Composition
3 semester hours
Instructor: Dr. Marrs
Office:
Office Hours: MWF 10:00 – 11:00
TTh 2:30
- 3:30
Email: marrs@mc.edu
Text
Axelrod, Rise B. and Charles R.
Cooper. The
Catalog Description
The study of the elements of composition through writing and analysis of expository prose with emphasis on short essays.
Rationale: The purpose of English 101/Freshman Composition is to enable you to become a better writer and, consequently, a better thinker. The course consists of discussions/lectures about writing, readings from the text (both explanatory and exemplary), in-class writing exercises, conferences with the instructor, and the composition of five essays of 3-5 pages in length. Emphasis will be placed on writing as a process. To this end, instruction will focus on the importance of invention or pre-writing (finding something to say) and revision (finding the best way to say it) as well as the final product (the essay you turn in). The course will begin and end with a diagnostic essay, the purpose of which will be to aid in the evaluation of your progress as a writer. The essays or papers are sequenced to move from reflective to informative to argumentative, or if you prefer, from less to more difficult.
Attendance: Your attendance is especially important in this class and your grade will suffer with more than a couple of absences! That is not a threat; it is an observation. See pp. 54 of the General Bulletin for details and for the appeals process; in this course, 8 absences result in an automatic “F” grade. Appeals of absences may be directed according to the guidelines in General Bulletin: “If a student misses more than the number of class periods specified in university policy and believes that there are reasonable explanations for the absenses [sic], he/she may appeal the absences to the dean of the school in which the course is being taught. Students may obtain a Student Absence Appeal Form from the office of the appropriate dean” (p. 54).
Academic Integrity Statement: “
honest. Dishonesty, such as
cheating or plagiarism or furnishing false information, including forgery,
alteration or misuse of College documents, records or identification, will be
regarded as a serious offense subject to severe penalty, including, but not
limited to, loss of credit and possible dismissal” (MC General Bulletin,
p. 57).
Objectives
Students shall
1. learn to write effectively for various audiences
2. learn to write with clarity, conciseness and in standard edited English
3. learn to think critically
4. develop interpersonal skills that facilitate group work
5. understand the ethical dimensions of writing
6. appreciate their own cultures and cultures of others
Assignments and Assessment
4 - 5 papers 80%
Final 20%
All graded papers must be typed (12-font Times New Roman). Please double-space.
Grading Scale
90-100 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
60-69 D
Below 60 F
Papers will be graded on the basis of content, organization, development of ideas, and mechanics.
Late Papers Policy
Papers
are due on-time. Late papers will have
five points deducted from the total grade for each class period it is late.
Schedule of Classes
Week 1 Diagnostic
Essay 1;
Aug. 24 Diagnostic essay
Week 2
Aug. 29 Introduction to the course; syllabus; plagiarism
Aug. 31 Audience and tone; organizing a paper; Ch.3; Ch.15
Picking a paper topic.
.
Week 3 Peer
Editing workshop (Remembering People); First Paper Due; Chs. 3&4
Sept. 5 No Class.
Sept 7 Read the essays by Amy Wu and Jan Gray in Chapter 3.
Using anecdotes to describe.
Week 4
Sept. 12 Peer Editing Workshop—bring two typed finished drafts of your paper to class.
Transitions
Sept.
14 Paper #1 due
Discuss sample essays in Chapter 4
Week 5
Sept.19 Your community. Observation. “I Spy” activity.
Sept.21 Share “I Spy.”
Come up with possible paper topics.
Draft a short description of your topic
Week 6 Drafting, revision, conferencing, and peer editing
Sept.
26 Read from
“The Last Stop.” Interviews, p.190-195.
Sept. 28 Describing, defining, organizing
Peer editing workshop
Week 7 Paper
2 (Profile) due;
Oct. 3 Defining—types of definition
Oct. 5 Paper #2 due
Work on Definition Paper
Week 8 Defining:
Drafting, revising, conferencing. Paper
#3 (Defining) due; Chapter
19
(Comparison and Contrast)
Oct.
10 No
Class
Oct. 12 Revise Paper #3
Week 9 Chapter
19 (Arguing)—Speeches and Argument; The Run-On Sentence
Oct. 17 Paper #3 due. Methods to strengthen your arguments
Oct. 19 Counterarguments; Class debate.
Week 10 Handouts
Oct.
24
Oct.
26
Week 11
Oct.
31 King. Two speeches; summary and
paraphrase
Nov. 2 Evaluation techniques; comparison and contrast
Week 12 Ch.12
(Cuing the Reader); drafting, revision, and peer editing
Nov. 7 Paper topic
Nov. 9 Peer editing
Week 13 Paper
4 (Comparison/Contrast) due; Ch.9 (Causes)
Position
Paper/Speech; Ch.7 (Proposing a Solution).
Nov. 14 Paper 4 due
Nov.
16 Discuss
Week 14 Ch.21
(Library and Internet Research); Ch.22 (Using and Acknowledging Sources)
Nov. 21 Evaluating sources; interviews
Nov. 23 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS
Week 15 Paper 5 (Solution) due; drafting,
revision, and peer editing.
Nov. 28 Work on Paper 5
Nov. 30 Peer editing.
Week 16 Grammar
Review
Dec. 5 Paper #5 due. Ch.23
Dec. 7 Last Day of Class
Final Exam:
Grammar Exam
Student Information Sheet
(Turn this sheet in to your instructor)
NAME HOMETOWN;
EMAIL ADDRESS: MAJOR:
Describe yourself in two sentences:
What is your favorite movie/book/song/actor?
Where will you be in 2024?
MY INSTRUCTOR HAS EXPLAINED TO MY FULL UNDERSTANDING THE MEANING OF PLAGIARISM AND THE ACADEMIC CONSEQUENCES OF COMMITTING PLAGIARISM. SHE HAS ALSO DISCUSSED METHODS OF ATTRIBUTION AND DOCUMENTATION TO AVOID PLAGIARISM.
__________________________________________________
Signature