English 101 Syllabus

Course Title: Composition I Instructor: Laura Apfelbeck Office: Founders 2148

Semester: Fall 2002 Home Phone: 683-8926 Office Hours: MWF 10-11, or by

Credits: 3, Sections: 01, 02, 03 e-mail: lapfelbe@uwc.edu appointment

Course Number: English 101 Office Phone: 683-4736 Cats’ Names: Milo & Simone

Welcome to English 101. This semester, you have an opportunity to hone skills you will use often and come to depend on throughout your college career and beyond: reading and writing. Because good communication is a crucial part of so many jobs, a person who can write effectively and read thoroughly possesses skills applicable to many careers.

With a master’s degree in English and fifteen years of experience teaching writing, I can draw from a wide range of experiences to help you. I have worked with writers from elementary school to adult, native speakers and non-native speakers, accelerated learners and remedial students. My goal is to help you see improvement in your reading and writing skills this semester and to empower you with strategies you can use to continue your progress after this course ends.

Course Description: English 101 is a writing course that focuses on the basic techniques of composition, on the composing process with attention to drafts and revisions, and on coherence and organization of student essays.

Course Objectives:

1. The ability to write coherent, well-developed sentences, paragraphs, and essays, with particular emphasis upon creating appropriate and effective topic sentences and thesis statements.

2. The ability to generate an essay from the original prewriting through stages of revision to the finished product.

3. The ability to follow canons of appropriate diction and of grammatical and mechanical conventions.

4. The ability to read critically, especially to analyze and evaluate essays in terms of their authors’ writing techniques.

Textbooks & Supplies:

Maxwell, Rhoda J. Writing Our Lives. Boston: Allyn, 1999

Hacker, Diane. A Pocket Style Manual. 3^rd ed. Boston: Bedford, 1997.

Arlov, Pamela. Wordsmith: A Guide to College Writing. New Jersey: Prentice, 2000.

A collegiate dictionary and thesaurus

A notebook and 2 folders.

Grading Formula:

Essay #1 Description, “A Favorite Place” 150 points

Essay #2 Narration, “A Childhood Memory” 150 points

Essay #3 Persuasion, “A Letter to ___” 150 points

Essay #4 Cause & Effect, “Birth Order” 150 points

Essay #5 Definition, “Defining Myself” 150 points

Final Project 50 points

Journal 100 points

Quizzes & Participation 100 points

TOTAL 1000 points

Grading Scale:

975-1000 = A+ 875-899 = B+ 775-799 = C+ 675-699 = D+

926-974 = A 826-874 = B 726-774 = C 626-674 = D

900-925 = A- 800-825 = B- 700-725 = C- 600-625 = D-

A score of 599 or lower will earn a grade of F.

Reading Assignments: Complete all reading assignments in advance of the day they will be discussed. You will need to have read the works in order to discuss them, of course. You may have a reading quiz, as well.

After reading the assignment, follow the instructions in “Writing Reading Responses,” pages 19-32 of the Maxwell text, to create your journal entries.

Writing Activities: In the Maxwell text, you will see Writing Activities, Personal Responses, Writer’s Craft, Content Focus, and Guiding Questions. These writings are somewhat less formal than the Writing Assignments. Usually, these will be drafted only, not taken through the entire writing process. As noted on the Course Schedule, the Personal Responses, some Writing Activities, and some Content Questions will be assigned as journal entries. See “Journals” below. The other activities and questions may sometimes be done in class and sometimes assigned for you to complete with your writing group. Please ask me if you are unsure.

Writing Assignments: Writing Assignments #1-5 are the most formal level of writing. These papers will follow the full writing process from prewriting through final draft. Prewriting is often begun in your journal. You may also create additional prewriting in the form of lists, webs, outlines, etc. For all papers, submit prewriting (other than journal), rough drafts, revised draft, editing work, and final draft. Because Course Objective #2 indicates that students must demonstrate ability to create an essay using the full writing process, final drafts alone are unacceptable. Each paper should be 2-3 pages. Final copies should be typed in 12 point Times New Roman, double spaced with standard one-inch margins. Put your name, my name, English 101, assignment, and date in the upper right. Center and capitalize your title. Keep your last name and page number in the upper right of each page. Staple pages of each draft together. Please don’t paperclip—the clips invariably come off. Put all materials in a folder.

Save all your revisions and returned work for the entire semester in a portfolio. Throw nothing away—it may be useful later. Never hand me your only copy of anything. Keep an extra copy of all written work, and back up files on your computer. No unexcused late work will be accepted.

The university’s writing lab is available to all students and provides one-to-one help with all stages of the writing process. I encourage all students to try our university’s writing lab or the online writing tutors. If you have difficulty earning a “C” or better on your first paper, I will require you to meet regularly with a writing lab tutor.

Sharing Papers: On the days drafts are due, please bring enough copies for the members of your writing group. Sharing your work and reading the drafts of others are the best ways to improve your critical reading skills, which is one of the course objectives.

Attendance: You are expected to attend every class period, to arrive on time and to leave at the scheduled end time. Emergencies do arise, however, and you will have two emergency days—days to stay home due to illness or exhaustion. However, deadlines are still deadlines. If you happen to fall ill on a day an assignment is due, get the assignment to me on time or, if that is impossible, bring a note from your physician to excuse the absence. (Remember, e-mail and fax machines are notorious for errors. If you e-mail or fax an assignment, it is your responsibility to call me and verify that the work has arrived.) Assignments submitted late will receive zero points and cannot be revised. If you are tardy or leave early more than twice, this will count as an absence.

Revision Policy: After I evaluate your paper, you may revise once more. A revision should include corrections of any editing oversights, but that is just a band-aid approach. Beyond this, I expect to see major surgery on your paper. Revision is an opportunity to overhaul the content, improve the organization, and tighten the focus. Meet with me, use the writing lab, get help from classmates. You must hand in the old version with the revision. Grades may go up or down. The new grade will replace the old grade. This revision option is available only to students who meet attendance requirements and submit their complete writing process (see “Attendance” and “Writing Assignments” above).

Journals: Before class, you will need to write a page or so based on the Personal Responses, Content Questions, or Writing Activities in the Maxwell text. See the Course Schedule for specific daily assignments. An example of a Personal Response is provided on page 77 of the Maxwell text. Please type your journal entries and print a copy to bring to class to help you contribute to class discussion. You may want to revise or add to your journal after class discussion. Check the spelling and re-read for logic, but you need not complete the entire writing process with the journal entries. One single-spaced page is the minimum. Keep your journal separate from class notes and other work. Journals will be collected twice during the semester. See Course Schedule for due dates. Journaling and responding to readings is a form of prewriting. The main purpose is to get your ideas on paper so you can use them in class discussion and in your drafts.

Conferences: You will have opportunities to confer with me in class during writing workshop time, during scheduled conferences, or by appointment. Feel free to contact me at my office, at home, or by e-mail. I’ll do my best to get back to you promptly. I am not on campus every day, so a home phone call will get the fastest results.

Writing Groups: All students will be grouped for purposes of discussing reading assignments, working on study questions together, reviewing papers, and evaluation. An enormously important part of the writing process is learning to revise, edit, and improve your own writing. Other writers are an invaluable resource to you as you agonize over word choices, organization, and the horrors of the comma splice. You will need to find a way to meet with your group at least one hour per week. You may decide to work on a paper or on discussion questions, but each Friday you will need to submit a written report of what your group did or, if you held a discussion, you could submit a cassette recording of your meeting. My personal recommendation? Meet in person and bring food. Coated with enough chocolate, any task becomes palatable.

Grammar, Punctuation, and Usage: You are expected to follow the dictates of correct grammar, punctuation, and usage for all final drafts. (Journal entries are a bit less formal.) As indicated in the Course Objective #3, you are expected to demonstrate your ability to follow standard punctuation, spelling, word choice, usage, grammar, and mechanics. In addition to class activities, I will help you pinpoint areas for improvement individually through my comments on your papers. Use these suggestions to improve your writing. Use the Hacker text to review.

Writing Help:

(1) You can bring questions to me.

(2) You can talk to your writing group.

(3) The English Department has a Writing Laboratory available for one-to-one help from a student tutor during the scheduled hours. The lab is located in 2121 Founders Hall.

(4) The UW-System offers an online writing lab through UW-Waukesha

at http://waukesha.uwc.edu/academics/owl After you complete a brief introductory survey and e-mail your writing, a tutor will usually respond within 24 hours.

Reading Quizzes: When a reading assignment is given, you are expected to know and understand the material well enough to discuss it. You may wish to discuss readings ahead of time with your writing group, with a tutor, or with a classmate. On occasion, I may give quizzes on the assigned readings.

Participation: All students are expected to offer EXUBERANT participation both in class discussions and in the writing groups. (Participation is included in the grading.)

Final Exam: There is no final exam. You will be asked to complete a final portfolio showcasing your accomplishments, but that project will be due on the last day of regular classes.

Tentative Course Schedule

Maxwell = Writing Our Lives by Rhoda J. Maxwell

Hacker = A Pocket Style Manual by Diane Hacker

Arlov = Wordsmith: A Guide to College Writing by Pamela Arlov

J = Journal Entry

The following reading and writing assignments make up the core of the class work. Additional readings and activities will be assigned in class, as needed to ensure comprehension. Complete assigned readings, questions, and journal entries before class. For example, read Maxwell’s “Writing as a Process,” p.1-12, and complete Journal Entry #1 before class on Sept. 6^th. (See the syllabus for details about the journals.)

	Monday	Wednesday	Friday
Sept. 2/4/6	No classes	Introduction, Writing Sample, Syllabus, Writing & Response Groups, Discuss Essay #1	Maxwell “Writing as a Process” p 1-12. J1 = Writing Activity on p 8
Sept. 9/11/13	Maxwell “Writing as a Process” p 13-17; J2 = Writing Activity p. 14 & 15. Bring photos (or sketches) of your favorite places.	Do Arlov Ch 9 “Showing & Telling” p 126-137. Prewrite, Draft, & Revise Maxwell Writing Assignment #1: Descriptive Writing p 17. Bring enough copies of draft for group members.	In class, we’ll have a Writing Workshop on editing techniques. Bring your revised Favorite Place description.
Sept 16/18/20	Writing Assignment #1 is due. Read Arlov “Narration” p 139-147.	Read Maxwell Ch 2 “Reading-Writing Connections” p. 19-23. J3 = Personal Response to “My Mother Pieced Quilts”	Read Maxwell “Advertising” p 24-27. J4 = Personal Response on p 27.
Sept. 23/25/27	Read Maxwell to end of Ch 2, p. 28-32. Writing Assignment on p. 31 to be drafted alone & then revised collaboratively w/group members.	Paraphrase & Summary of Gettysburg Address is due. Submit one per group. Maxwell p. 33-36. J5 = Writing Activity: An Early Memory on p. 36.	Read Maxwell, p. 36-41. J6 = Personal Resp. on p. 37 and 2 Writing Activities on p 40.
Sept. 30, Oct. 2/4	Read Maxwell, “Freedom to Breathe” p. 40-43. J7 = Writing Activity: Refining Descriptive Writing p. 42.	Read Maxwell, Intro & “Turkeys” p 43-46. J8 = Personal Response p 46	Prewrite, Draft, & Revise Maxwell Writing Assignment #2: A Childhood Memory, p 46-48.
Oct. 7/9/11	Bring revised draft of Childhood Memory for in-class writing workshop.	Writing Assignment #2 is due. Read Arlov “Argument” p 189 & 206-212	Read Maxwell Ch 9 “Relationships with Family Members” p 168-172. J9 = Personal Responses p 170 & 172, Writing Activity p 172
Oct. 14/16/18	Read Maxwell “Climbing the Daymarker” p 172-175 and “Icicle” p 176. J10 = Personal Response p 175 & 176, Writing Activity p 177	Read Maxwell p 177-180. Prewrite, Draft, & Revise Maxwell Writing Assignment #3: Persuasion Letter. 1^st 10 Journal Entries Due	Bring revised draft of Persuasive Letter for in-class writing workshop.
Oct. 21/23/25	Writing Assignment #3 is due. Read Arlov “Cause & Effect” p 198-204	Individual Conferences, Writing Goals	Individual Conferences, Writing Goals
Oct. 28/30, Nov.1*	Individual Conferences, Writing Goals	Individual Conferences, Writing Goals	Individual Conferences, Writing Goals
Nov. 4/6/8	Read Maxwell Ch 10 “Family Perspectives” p 181-196. J11 = Content Questions p 196-198	Read Maxwell “Places Everyone” p 198-207 and Cause & Effect Pattern” p 207-208	Read /Maxwell “Writing Assignment” through “Student Example” p 208-222. J12 = Evaluation of the student paper.
Nov. 11/13/15**	Meet w/group members. Plan thesis, topic sentences, general organization. Assign parts. Decide upon outside sources to include.	Prewrite, Draft, & Revise your part of Maxwell Writing Assignment # 4: Collaborative Cause-Effect Paper. Meet w/group members to put together.	Bring draft of one coherent paper that is the result of your group effort. Make enough copies to share with another group during revising workshop.
Nov. 18/20/22**	Bring revised paper, already edited by all group members. We will edit again in class.	Writing Assignment #4 is due. Read Arlov Ch 10 “Definition” p 160-167.	Read Maxwell Ch 12 “Defining Oneself” p 246-250. J13 = 3 Writing Activities, p 246, 247, & 249
Nov. 25/27/29	Read Maxwell “The Language of Clothes” p 250-258. J14 = Response Questions p 258	Read Maxwell “Dreams,” “Dreams Deferred,” and “Making a Fist” p 258-261. J15 = Response Questions p 260-261	Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 2/4/6	Read Maxwell “On Being a Cripple” p 261-274. J16 = Response Questions p. 274 Journals 11-16 are due.	Read Maxwell “Writing Assignment: Defining Yourself” p 274. Prewrite, Draft, & Revise this and bring best draft to class.	Bring revised draft of “Defining Yourself” for in-class writing workshop.
Dec. 9/11/13	Writing Assignment #5 is due. Discuss Final Project	Bring draft of your final project for workshop.	Final Project is Due.

*Midterm grades will be available.

**The last day to drop, change, or withdraw from classes is November 14^th. If your grade is below a solid C, you may want to consider this option.