Cypress College

English 100

Fall 2014

 

Instructor: Jason Witt                                       

Email:  jwitt@cypresscollege.edu

 

Required Text:

Goshgarian, Gary. The Contemporary Reader 11th Ed.

Hacker, Diana, and Nancy Sommers. A Writer’s Reference Guide

Palahniuk, Chuck. Fight Club

4-5 Large Blue Books

Stapler

 

Course Description:

This course stresses the principles and practice of written communication, with an emphasis on reading and writing expository essays and on research skills.

Prerequisites: Acceptable score on placement test or ENGL 060 C with a grade of "C" or better, ENGL 095 C with a grade of "C" or better or ESL 186 C with a grade of "C" or better
Transferability: UC Credit Limitation/CSU

English 100/100H – College Writing/Honors College Writing

 

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of English 100, students will be able to:

• Generate ideas about which to write

• Formulate a thesis statement that clearly expresses the central idea of his/her essay

• Construct paragraphs that develop and support a main idea

• Structure information into an organized and well-structured format so that the central idea of the essay is developed to a logical format

• Vary sentence structure and types effectively in order to indicate the meaning, relationship, and importance of the ideas

• Vary word choice and sentences for different audiences and purposes

• Present ideas related to, but clearly distinguished from, the ideas of others, which includes the ability to use MLA style documentation, research techniques, and academic resource materials, and to avoid plagiarism

• Revise and restructure where ideas are poorly organized and where evidence is lacking; correct the draft for errors in capitalization, spelling, punctuation, usage, and grammar; and proofread for errors and omissions of both form and substance

• Organize and develop essays within a given time limit in class in response to essay test questions

• Identify the main and subordinate ideas in a written work and to summarize the ideas in his or her own words

• Draw reasonable conclusions from information found in various sources, whether written, spoken, tabular, or graphic, and to defend those conclusions rationally

 

 

SLO

1)On any given essay, students will be able to formulate a thesis that clearly expresses the central idea of the essay, construct paragraphs that develop and support a main idea, and organize paragraphs into a logical sequence so that the central idea is developed to a logical conclusion.

2)In a research paper, students will be able to present ideas clearly distinguished from the ideas of others, demonstrating the ability to use research techniques and MLA documentation.

3)In a given writing task, students will be able to vary sentence structure and types, construct sentences with precise and appropriate words, and vary word choice and sentences for different purposes.

 

Course Requirements:

Class Participation. Students are expected to contribute to the classroom in several ways—in class activities, small peer groups, and two-way conferences to name a few. The majority of students’ participation grade will come from their contribution during class discussions covering the readings in The Contemporary Reader. Students are expected to voice their opinions on the subject matter during each class. Students that do not contribute to these activities will lose points towards their overall grade.

 

Attendance. Since English 100 is a writing course, demanding an extreme amount of effort, attendance is mandatory to pass this class. Students who accumulate three absences over the course of the semester must make an appointment to see me. A fourth absence may result in being dropped from the course. The actual dropping of the course is the students’ responsibility. In addition, students arriving to class more than ten minutes late will be marked absent, no exceptions.

 

Writing Projects.  To pass the course, you will be required to complete the two in-class essays and the three writing projects.

 

All projects must be typed in 12pt. Times Roman Font and double-spaced with one-inch margins. They must also adhere to MLA format.

• All essays must be submitted in a packet, which will include in this order: a cover letter, final draft, rough draft, prewriting, and peer responses. What I am looking for is student’s own reflection on their work. Take time to analyze your paper and write a critical response. Be specific, pinpointing precise areas in the paper, such as paragraph overviews down to specific sentences. Indicate strengths, weaknesses, problem areas, and questions. I am not looking for commentary on the actual Writing Project assignment. This letter must be typed. The letter of reflection is worth 15 points of the essay grade.

• Peer response allows students to receive valuable feedback from classmates before a project is due. This has proven to be successful if the activity is taken seriously. In order to make this activity successful, students are expected to have a complete rough draft (two copies) on the day of peer response and are also expected to put their utmost effort into the response sheets handed out during the activity. To encourage this, students who do not attend peer response or who do not put satisfactory effort into this activity will lose 10 points off their essay grade.

• No late papers will be accepted without prior approval. No exceptions.

• Both Writing Projects #1 and #2 will have a minimum 4 ½-5 page requirement and Writing Project #3 will have a minimum 8-10 page requirement. Both In-class essays will have a minimum 4-5 page requirement, dependent upon averaged sized writing. These page requirements should fulfill the page requirements for the course.

• Students will read their papers for the class at least once during the semester

 

In-Class Essays. Over the course of the semester, students will write two in-class essays. Students will have an entire class period for these writings. In-class essays help to show students’ current writing level and help teach valuable timed drafting and revision skills.

 

Journals.  Journal writing is informal writing that allows students to record their observations and reflections based on the readings, and also to explore their own opinions about the given topic. Students will be given approximately ten to fifteen minutes at the beginning of class to respond to an assigned question dealing with the readings on the day of reading discussion. Responses should show critical analysis and in depth consideration to receive full credit. These journals will be written in a large blue book, found at the student store with the testing materials.

 

Book Group. Students will choose their own texts and will be assigned group members to participate in book group activities. These activities will commence once a month.

 

Learning Resource Center. Individualized tutoring is available in the Learning Resource Center (not the English Success Center).  The English Department expects students to complete two Directed Learning Activities (DLAs) and/or workshops in the English Success Center. 

 

Disabled Students Program and Services (DSP&S).  A student who feels he or she may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact Disabled Students Program and Services at (714) 484-7104 or visit DSP&S on the first floor of the Complex, Room 100.  For students who have already been determined eligible for DSP&S services, please provide the instructor with a proper form from DSP&S in a timely manner, at the beginning of the semester and at least one week prior to the verified and identified need.

 

Sexual Harassment / Discrimination Policy - Students who believe they have been subjected to unlawful discrimination, including sexual harassment, or who seek information regarding the District's Unlawful Discrimination Policy, should contact the Office of The District Director of Human Resources at (714) 808-4818.

 

Classroom Etiquette.  In order for students to experience this class unhampered by others:

• cell phones MUST be turned off during class

• no food or drinks are allowed with the exception of a water bottle

• do not leave class early and keep getting up during class to a minimum

• do not begin to pack up early

 

How to Succeed in Class

• Personal Responsibility—Know that you are responsible for your own success and education. This attitude is key and forms the basis for the following list.

• Take Notes—The most effective way to stay engaged in class is to take notes during lectures and discussions. Write down key ideas and supporting information. Then be sure to utilize this information. Do not stick it in a folder somewhere to get lost.

• Ask Questions—When you are unclear about any piece of information, ask a question that will help to clarify the information for you.

• Keep Up With Reading And Homework—Only by reading assigned text by the time the material is due can you fully participate in class discussion.

• Come To Class—Students who skip class rarely do well.

• Set Up a Study Schedule—Time management is the most important concept to the zealous student. Budget enough time for reading and studying as well as recreational activities.

• Find Study Partners—Students who operate within a group often find themselves doing better through collaborative learning.

• Read Comments on Returned Work Carefully—I write extensively on student papers. My comments usually point to specific points throughout the margins in a paper and globally at the end of a paper. Both are equally important and should be understood for learning to effectively take place. If you are confused about any comments, please come ask me.

 

Grading.

Writing Project 1                                                                      100 points

Writing Project 2                                                                      150 points

Writing Project 3                                                                      150 points

In-class Essay #1                                                                       50 points

In-class Essay #2                                                                     100 points

Journals                                                                                  100 points

Class Participation                                                                    100 points

 

750-675=A                  674-600=B                  599-525=C                  524-450=D

 

Final Exam: Dec 11

 

Academic Dishonesty. Academic dishonesty consists of plagiarism and cheating, which includes receiving outside help in the writing of assignments, turning in work that is not the student’s own, or failure to cite any outside sources used. Deliberate academic dishonesty will result in a zero for the assignment and a referral to the Dean. Keep in mind that the burden of proof for academic dishonesty is the student’s and not the instructor’s. For further information, please consult your Cypress College Catalog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Essay Format

 

Jane Doe

                                                                                                                                                           

Prof. Jason Witt

                       

English 100

 

23 January 2013

 

Title

 

            All out of class essays must be typed in 12pt. Font as shown here and double-spaced.  The heading on the upper left hand corner should be double spaced with your name, my name, the class, and the date.  On the right side, you should have your last name and page number on every page.  After the heading, double space and type in the title of your essay.  Every essay you write in this class should have a title.  After the title, double space again and begin typing your essay making sure that you indent five spaces at the beginning of every paragraph.

            When you begin a new paragraph, do not leave a huge gap of space between paragraphs.  Simply double space as shown here. In addition, all essays should be written in either first or third person.  Do not write in second person at any time.  In other words, do not use the “you” pronoun anywhere in your essay.  You are not writing your essay to me, but rather to a general audience.

 

Tentative Course Outline

 

Week 1

Aug 26             Introduction to Course and Syllabus, Diagnostic

 

Aug 28             Learn Names

                        Overview on writing and prewriting

                        Assign Writing Project #1 and Pre-Writing

HW     Read:   Snows of Kilimanjaro

 

Week 2

Sep 2               Discuss Reading and Paragraph Structure

                        HW     Read:   Kamenetz (147), Grossman (157)

 

Sep 4               Discuss Reading and Introductions-Thesis Statements

                        HW     Read:   Jayson (166), Atwood (174)

                       

Week 3

Sep 9               Discuss reading and Conclusions

 

Sep 11             Outlining Writing Project #1

 

Week 4

Sep 16             Revision and Editing

 

Sep 18             Rough Draft of Writing Project #1 Due for Response

                        Book Group

 

Week 5

Sep 23             Project #1 Due to me

                        Assign Writing Project #2

                        Library Orientation

                        HW     Read:   Farrell (393), Viewpoints (427-431)

 

Sep 25             Discuss Reading

                        HW     Read:   Solot (402), Coontz (405), Prager (410)