Ms. Strawder-Bubala
Fall Term 2002
Writing 121 --
English Composition: Exposition and Introduction to Argument
Course Credits: 3
Course Description: This is the fundamental course for all writing students. It emphasizes defining and developing a significant topic and using principles of clear thinking to support an assertive thesis. Students should understand their subject matter, audience, purpose, and point of view, and demonstrate that understanding through the organization and development of their essays. Students should analyze and evaluate other writers’ work to sharpen their critical abilities as readers and writers.
Course Objectives:
Rhetorical Choices
Successful students will be able to do the following :
· Identify audience and purpose.
· Generate and explore ideas.
· Shape a thesis (implicit or explicit).
· Adopt a point of view.
· Choose strategies of development that are appropriate for purpose and audience; for example, narration, description, comparison/contrast, definition, process, classification, cause/effect.
Organization, Development, and Emphasis
Successful students will be able to do the following:
· Organize ideas coherently and logically in sentences, paragraphs, and essays.
· Compose effective introductions, transitions, and conclusions.
· Develop support using specific details, examples, illustrations, reasons, and other kinds of evidence.
· Emphasize and subordinate ideas appropriately.
Style
Successful students will be able to do the following:
· Use specific and concrete language.
· Avoid wordiness.
· Avoid cliches, jargon, loaded words, and inflated language.
· Express ideas in a tone appropriate to the audience.
Revision and editing
Successful students will be able to do the following:
· Revise content and form, with emphasis on rethinking, restructuring, adding, deleting, and substituting.
· Edit according to the conventions of Standard Written English.
1. Thinking Critically
2. Writing from Experience
3. Purpose and Audience
4. Exploring, Planning, and Drafting
5. Recognizing and Using Argument
6. Revising and Editing
7. Research Essays
REQUIRED TEXTS:
· The Lively Art of Writing by Lucile Vaughan Payne
· The Essay Connection by Lynn Z. Bloom
· The St. Martin’s Handbook by Andrea Lunsford and Robert Connors
· Advanced Composition: A Book … by John E. Warriner
· Steps to Writing Well by Jean Wyrick
Class Expectations
Specific Notes: Do not wear your hat in this classroom. Take your hat off BEFORE you come into class. This applies to males and females. Do not bring your food or drink into this classroom. Do not chew gum in this classroom. Treat the room with respect. Keep your feet off of the furniture. Do not write on the desks. Obviously, all school rules apply in this classroom. Failure to follow these rules will result in disciplinary action.
Required Material:
(There is a supply box with an eraser, stapler, etc., on the table in the back of the room. You may use these supplies as needed. If it’s not in the box, you can assume I don’t have it. Please do not ask me to borrow supplies off of my desk.)
Attendance Policy:
If you are absent it is your responsibility to get your assignments from the assignment board. Also, you will be expected to come to class prepared, even after an absence. Remember to follow any reading/work schedules. Please note: I will not remind you to do these things. You must be responsible for your make-up work. Students will not be allowed to make up work “after-the-fact.” It is sometimes impossible to make up certain in-class assignments, in which case I will work with you on an alternative assignment.
School Policy – Eight unexcused one-half day absences in any four-week period during which the school is in session shall be considered irregular attendance and will result in the student being referred to Lane ESD truancy officer (ORS 339.065).
IMPORTANT -- If you are absent, you must bring an admit slip to class on the day you return to school. Students must obtain these slips from the attendance office. If you come to class without a slip, you will be asked to report to the attendance office. You will be marked tardy to class.
SEE THE STUDENT HANDBOOK FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ON ABSENCES.
Tardy Policy:
If you are late to class, you are to enter quietly, hand me your pass, and take your seat. This is an excused tardy. If you do not have a pass, it is an unexcused tardy. On your third unexcused tardy, and on EVERY tardy after that, you will be assigned a detention. If the problem persists, you will be given a referral to the dean’s office.
School Policy – Students may be suspended from school on the seventh tardy. Students may be in jeopardy of losing credit when they are tardy eight or more times to any one class.
IMPORTANT – You will be marked tardy to
class if you are not sitting in your seat when I start talking. Being more than
10 minutes late to class (without a pass) counts as an unexcused absence.
SEE THE STUDENT HANDBOOK FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ON TARDIES.
Grading Policy:
All work has a point value. Points accrue throughout the semester. You will receive at least one progress report each nine weeks. You will have a CUMULATIVE FINAL EXAM at the end of the semester. (Do not throw anything away.) Semester grades are the final grades that are posted to your transcript.
The grading scale is 100-93% A, 92-90% A-, 89-88% B+, 87-83% B, 82-80% B-, 79-78% C+, 77-73% C, 72-70% C-, 69-68% D+, 67-63% D, 62-60% D-, 59%-BELOW F. On your grade reports, I will mark pluses and minuses for the high and low-end grades. This is for your information only. The school grading policy does not allow for adjustment to GPA points for high or low-grades. Lane Community College, however, does adjust GPA points for high or low-end grades. You will decide at the end of the semester if you want your grade recorded on an LCC transcript. NOTE: You may not earn LCC credit for a D (or obviously F) grade. You must earn a 70% or higher in the class to earn LCC credit.
NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED. WORK MUST BE TURNED
IN DURING CLASS ON THE DAY IT IS DUE, UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED. ANY WORK THAT
WILL BE TURNED IN MUST BE WRITTEN NEATLY WITH A PEN.
REPEAT – NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED. IF YOU RUN
INTO A PROBLEM, COME UP WITH A PLAN TO FIX IT. THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM (OTHER
THAN JUST NOT DOING AN ASSIGNMENT) IS OFTEN A COMPUTER-RELATED MISHAP. SHOULD
THIS OCCUR, WRITE YOUR PAPER NEATLY IN PEN (BE SURE TO DOUBLE SPACE).
You have a schedule of readings for this class. USE IT! On the other hand, be ready for adjustments as they are necessary throughout the semester.
All students will start the semester with 100 participation points. You might make it through the semester with all of your points, or you may lose points for any of the following reasons:
· Being unprepared for class.
· Not participating in a classroom activity.
· Not answering a question when called on.
· THIS LIST IS NOT EXHAUSTIVE.
(You may raise your hand to ask a question, but I will call on students most of the time so that every student gets to speak on a regular basis. You must be prepared EVERY DAY IN CLASS.)
Another Note on Grades: All assignments will be assigned a point value. Sometimes, I will specify what you must do and to what level of competence you must do it to receive the points. Other times, I will give more general outlines and guidelines. Also, you might occasionally have a ‘completion’ assignment. For such an assignment you would receive all, partial, or no credit for completing the basic requirement of the task. If you receive back a paper with a numerical score indicating the points earned, you may wonder at the randomness of assigning points for work. Think again. If you figure the percentage earned on the assignment, you can translate the points to a letter grade earned. Basically, an A is for EXCELLENT WORK, a B is for GOOD work, a C is for AVERAGE WORK, a D is for BELOW AVERAGE WORK, and an F if for FAILING WORK.
Academic Integrity:
You may not “cheat” on any work for this class.
Cheating includes, but is not limited to, copying work to be graded from
another student and plagiarizing work. (You may copy class notes from
another student if you are absent from class.) Both parties will receive 0 points for ANY work on which cheating was involved. Also, both students will receive referrals to the dean’s office.
The following definitions of plagiarism are taken from The Handbook of Current English. You commit plagiarism if you:
Tutoring:
If you feel you need individualized assistance with assignments, test preparation, etc., you may ask me for one-on-one help before or after school. Also, the school provides free English tutoring on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school. Report to the library.
General Comments:
As a young person, you are faced with many challenges and decisions. One of those decisions you must make is the value you put on your education. Is it a priority to you? I hope you will answer, “YES.” Please study hard this semester and make yourself proud. Your education, and all the possibility that comes with it, is one of the few things in this world that no one can take away from you. For some of you, this is the beginning of your college career. Make it a good one.
PARENT/GUARDIAN
SIGNATURE:
Parents, Please read
the course outline/syllabus for your student’s class.
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STUDENT SIGNATURE:
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DATE: