English 132-01

COURSE SYLLABUS

(Composition II)

Fall 2003 SEMESTER

Meeting Days/Times:

MWF 7:08-8:00AM

Classroom:

L-125 (computer-based)

Instructor:

Pete Kearly

Instructor’s Office:

A-208 (see attached map)

Instructor’s Office Hours

M-F: 1-3PM & By Appt..

Instructor’s Phone:

(313) 317-6682

Instructor’s E-mail:

pkearly@hfcc.net

Philosophy:

I do not believe that anyone is a "bad" writer. Each individual brings to writing her or his own abilities to think and to express. English 132 should facilitate such already learned abilities, nurture them and make possible their adaptation to the conventions of academic and professional language. Think of me, the instructor, as a coach, showing various moves that you can adopt to help you play the game of writing effectively. As with all games, to win means practice, practice, practice and teamwork.

Required Materials:

2 Blank 3.5-inch Floppy Disks, Pre-formatted for IBM

1 two-pocket folder to store handouts

1 manila folder to submit assignments at the end of the semester

Required Text:

Dunbar-Odom, Donna Working with Ideas: Reading, Writing, and Researching

Experience. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2001.

Recommended Texts:

Hacker, Diana. A Pocket Style Manual. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2000.

Dean, Damon. FrontPage 2000 for Dummies: Quick Reference. New York: Hungry

Minds, Inc. 2000.

Course Description:

This is the second course of a two-semester sequence in college-level composition and reading. Students will read, analyze, critique, reference, and document source material toward the construction of a research paper that demonstrates more advanced reading, writing, and critical thinking skills than in English 131.

Pre-Requirements:

Successful completion of ENG 131 with a grade of C- or better, or placement.

Measurable Objectives:

1. Show ability to address diverse audiences who may have opposing views.

2. Present controlling ideas in clear thesis statements.

3. Create thoughtful and thematic introductions, bodies, and conclusions.

4. Create clear topic sentences that are supported logically by observations, personal anecdote, details, examples, reasons, facts and data.

5. Demonstrate critical thinking skills such as the ability to quote, interpret, analyze, criticize, compare, argue, define, classify, summarize, and synthesize a diversity of readings and other concrete source material.

6. Write compositions that are relatively free of mechanical errors such as run-on sentences, fragments, subject-verb and pronoun agreement errors.

7. Reference and document sources accurately.

8. Show some independent thinking that goes beyond the obvious.

9. Demonstrate the ability to revise confusing or incomplete reasoning.

10. Demonstrate the ability to learn to correct mechanical and stylistic mistakes.

11. Understand basic Web page editing using Microsoft FrontPage.

12. Post a web page on the Internet.

Student Responsibilities:

1. You are required to attend all class meetings. If you cannot attend a class due to extenuating circumstances, you must notify me well in advance by telephone (313) 317-6682 or by email (pkearly@hfcc.net). Please see Attendance below.

2. I will not grade any late assignments. In order to earn the opportunity to receive feedback from me as well as the opportunity to revise the assignment for a better grade, you must submit assignments on time.

3. Each student is expected to act professionally and be respectful of others, which means cell phones and pagers should be turned off (unless you receive permission from me to do otherwise).

4. Any dishonesty with homework or assignments will result in a grade of zero. The most egregious act of dishonesty is plagiarism. Plagiarism is the act of submitting work that is not the result of your own labor and thought, including quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing the work of others without citation, submitting work that has been written by or provided by a friend, family member, or anyone other than you. Remember, DO NOT copy or steal information! If I suspect plagiarism, I will require you to redo your assignment, or give you a failing grade (no exceptions).

5. You must record your own grades on assignments on the Grade Sheet attached to this syllabus. If you need another grade sheet, request one from me. Portfolios without a grade sheet will receive an automatic “incomplete.” You must learn to keep track of your own progress. The Portfolio should be neat and well-organized as a sign of professionalism.

Assignments:

· You must write one 6 to 8 page research paper (the entire document must follow MLA format and be typed in 12-point Times font, double spaced, with 1-inch top, bottom, left, and right margins, and no cover page.)

· You must complete ten critical summary assignments, six of which must be on readings from the textbook, Working with Ideas, and four of which will be on sources you will use in your research paper. Each critical summary will have four parts: 1) MLA citation, 2) Interpretation of Facts, 3) Interpretation of Bias, and 4) Application to real life.

· You must answer the ten questions on the Discussion Board on the UCompass website for this course (http://henryford.ucompass.com).

· You must complete an outline for your research paper that will help you to locate library resources and to write notes for your research paper.

· You must create a web page on which you will post your research paper to the Internet.

· You must save all work on an IBM preformatted floppy disk and on a back-up disk.

Revisions:

I allow no more than two revisions of all assignments until Thursday, December 4^th, absolutely no exceptions. To help you with revision, I will write detailed corrections and suggested changes on your papers. Do not simply make changes in commas and periods; you must make significant changes in agreement with the revision instructions I write on your papers for me to re-grade your work. Remember that the basic philosophy for this course is learning from mistakes, not just copying my editorial corrections. To earn credit for your changes, you must write what corrections you made and show that you understand why those corrections were needed on a separate sheet of paper attached to the back of your revised paper.

To earn the privilege to be able to revise your work for a better grade you must observe the following rules of conduct:

1) respect the authority and professional expertise of the instructor, especially with respect to grading (i.e., do not argue grades or treat grades as more important than the substance of the course),

2) respect the educational process by prioritizing learning and understanding the skills and ideas being taught so that the grade is a true reflection of not only your performance on class work but also of your growth as an educated individual,

3) treat attendance and deadlines for class the same as one would expect attendance and deadlines to be viewed for a professional job (i.e., do not “dump” work on the instructor the last minute and expect the work to be graded),

4) speak to and respond to the instructor and fellow students with the same respect and courtesy that you expect to receive from them,

5) understand that responsibilities outside of this class, including personal problems or a demanding school schedule with several other hard classes, does not serve as adequate excuse from meeting this course’s requirements (i.e., expect no special treatment or special favors).

Reading Groups:

To assist with writing your summaries, I will assign Reading Groups. Each group will have at least three members. Each member will be required to answer at least two questions from the textbook on the assigned reading. Members will share their answers in class prior to writing the summary of the reading. I expect each member to share the work equally and not to put too much burden on any one member, nor to take credit for work that is not one’s own.

Name Phone Number e-mail

Attendance Policy:

Attendance is taken daily. Consistent and punctual class attendance is necessary to successfully complete this course. Do not arrive late or leave the class early. Remember that the instructor indicates the time to leave. The instructor will notify students if the class will be cancelled for any reason.

A student will be asked to drop the course if she or he receives six or more unexcused absences (each unexcused absence subtracts 20 points from the 200 possible for the Attendance grade).

Additional Resources:

Students may meet with a writing tutor in the Learning Lab in the Learning Resources Center or with the instructor in his

office to work on assignments as a way to receive points against absences. Any conference with the instructor will earn 20 points against unexcused absences. Students will receive 20 attendance points for meeting with a tutor in the Learning Lab if proof is provided.

Determination of Final Grade

The grade you receive on your report card is calculated by your point total divided by the total possible points for each individual student. Point totals may vary between students, depending on effort. Nonetheless, percentages align with the following grades: 98-100% (A+), 92-97.9% (A), 90-91.9% (A-), 88-89.9% (B+), 82-87.9% (B), 80-81.9% (B-), 78-79.9% (C+), 72-77.9% (C), 70-71.9% (C-), 68-69.9% (D+), 62-67.9% (D), 60-61.9% (D-), 0-59% (E). You will receive a grade sheet to help keep track of your own progress. YOU MUST COMPLETE THE GRADE SHEET. Failure to complete the Grade Sheet means that I will not grade your portfolio.

Portfolio Assignment Earned Points Possible Points

1 Grade sheet Required Required

2 Critical Summary Assignments 350 400

3 Research Paper Outline 80 100

4 Research Paper 180 200

5 UCompass Discussion Questions 100 100 (-10 for each missing answer)

6 Website 90 100 (-10 for each missing element)

(Not in Folder) Attendance 180 200 (-20 for each unexcused absence)

Total Points Earned 980 1100 Total Possible Points

Final Grade 980 ÷ 1100=89%=”B+”

· Grading: For each assignment and essay, points are taken off for specific skills you need to learn. See the “Guide for Revision” handout for a list of these skills and the corresponding point values.

· Arguing grades will not be tolerated. If you feel your grade is not appropriate and that you have legitimate grounds for appealing for a grade change, you may meet with the Associate Dean of English to discuss your case.

Important Dates: Class Begins August 29

Labor Day—College Closed September 1

Last day for 100% refund by 12:30PM September 4

Last day for no-record drop September 8

Last day for 50% refund September 11

Research Paper Outline Due! November 10

Last day to drop classes in Registrar’s Office November 14

Research Paper Due! November 24

Thanksgiving Holiday—College Closed November 27-November 30

Last Day for Revisions! December 1

Web page Due! December 8

Final Portfolio Due! December 12

Pick Up Portfolio and find out final grade December 15

Date Day Class Work

Aug 29 Fri Introduction, discussion of syllabus, and completion of personal survey. Introduction to UCompass website (http://henryford.ucompass.com). Homework: purchase class supplies: textbook, 2 floppy disks preformatted for IBM, folder.

Sep 1 Mon No Class! Labor Day.

Sep 3 Wed Review and practice quoting and citing sources using MLA Citation guidelines.

Sep 5 Fri Critical Summary #1 Due

Sep 8 Mon Discuss educational barriers. Begin Critical Summary #2 on Barbara Ehrenreich’s “The

Professions as Class Fortress” in Working with Ideas, pages 239-242.

Sep 10 Wed Discuss how to use a source to support an idea or observation.

Sep 12 Fri Critical Summary #2 Due

Sep 15 Mon Begin Critical Summary #3 on Barbara Mellix’s “From Outside, In” in Working with Ideas,

pages 266-275.

Sep 17 Wed Discuss Logical Fallacies.

Sep 19 Fri Critical Summary #3 Due

Sep 22 Mon Begin Critical Summary #4 on Karen Armstrong’s “Introduction to Muhammad:

A Biography of the Prophet” in Working with Ideas, pages 335-341.

Sep 24 Wed Discuss Critical Terms.

Sep 26 Fri Critical Summary #4 Due

Sep 29 Mon Begin Critical Summary #5 on Kate Rounds’s “Why Men Fear Women’s Teams”

in Working with Ideas, pages 445-451.

Oct 1 Wed Discuss and practice Identifying Key Issues (e.g., Religious Difference, Class, Race, Gender,

Self Concept)

Oct 3 Fri Critical Summary #5 Due

Oct 6 Mon Begin Critical Summary #6 on Jeffrey Berman’s “Hunger Artists” in Working with

Ideas, pages 489-518.

Oct 8 Wed Discuss sample visual sources from magazines on gender and self-image.

Oct 10 Fri Critical Summary #6 Due

Oct 13 Mon Begin Critical Summary #7 on Sam Keen’s “The Rite of War and the Warrior Psyche” in

Working with Ideas, pages 533-544.

Oct 15 Wed Discuss and write on how gender defines personality traits.

Oct 17 Fri Critical Summary #7 Due Homework: Find at least three sources for your research paper.

(All sources must be approved by the instructor).

Oct 20 Mon Begin Critical Summary #8 on one media source (e.g., magazine advertisement, television

commercial, television program, movie, statistical graph or table) for your research paper.

Oct 22 Wed Discuss using visual media in the research paper.

Oct 24 Fri Critical Summary #8 Due

Oct 27 Mon Begin Critical Summary #9 on one historical source.

Oct 29 Wed Discuss and practice methods for analyzing historical writing.

Oct 31 Fri Critical Summary #9 Due

Nov 3 Mon Begin Critical Summary #10 on one argumentative source.

Nov 5 Wed Examine Literary Terms to discuss how authors manipulate language to tell readers

how to think.

Nov 7 Fri Critical Summary #10 Due

Nov 10 Mon Review Outline Requirements. Begin Outline for the Research Paper.

Nov 12 Wed Review methods for writing introduction, thesis, and topic statements.

Nov 14 Fri Outline Due!

Nov 17 Mon Review methods for making successful thesis and topic statements.

Nov 19 Wed Review methods for supporting topic sentences with different kinds of evidence.

Nov 21 Fri Review methods for writing convincing conclusions.

Nov 24 Mon Research Paper Due!

Nov 26 Wed Blackboard Questions Due.

Nov 28 Fri No class! Thanksgiving Day Break.

Dec 1 Mon Last Day for Revisions!

Dec 3 Wed Begin web page assignment.

Dec 5 Fri Work on web page.

Dec 8 Mon Web page assignment due.

Dec 10 Wed Complete Evaluations of Teacher.

Dec 12 Fri Portfolios Due! Complete the grade sheet; if the grade sheet is not complete,

I will not accept the Portfolio.

Dec 15 Mon Pick up Portfolio in class.