English 101 Syllabus

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

Semester: Fall 2004 Home Phone: 683-8926 Office Hours: MWF 10 -12, or by

Credits: 3 e-mail: lapfelbe@uwc.edu appointment

Course Number: English 101 Office Phone: 683-4736 Cats’ Names: Lou & 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 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: The UW-Colleges describes English 101 as 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. The objectives that follow have been established by the English Department of the University of Wisconsin Colleges.

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 or 4^th 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 (approximate):

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

Essay #2 Definition, “Defining Yourself” 150 points

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

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

Final Project 100 points

Journal 100 points

Quizzes & Participation 200 points

TOTAL 1000 points

Grading Scale (based on the percentage of total points available):

97-100% = A+ 88-89% = B+ 78-79% = C+ 68-69% = D+

93-97% = A 83-87% = B 73-77% = C 63-67% = D

90-92% = A- 80-82% = B- 70-72% = C- 60-62% = D-

A score of 59% or lower will earn a grade of F.

Reading Assignments: Complete all reading assignments in advance of the day they will be discussed. Read carefully and take notes to maximize your understanding. You will need to have read the works in order to discuss them in class or with your study group, 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 first drafts, works not taken through the entire writing process. However, they will help you prepare for the essays we write. As noted on the Course Schedule, the Personal Responses, some Writing Activities, and some Content Questions are 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 #1-4 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 drafts, editing work, and a 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. Papers are due at the beginning of the class period noted on the Course Schedule. 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 help you schedule regular meetings with a writing lab tutor.

Sharing Papers: On the days drafts are due, please bring enough copies for the members of your writing group. (These drafts may be printed on scrap paper.) Sharing your own work and analyzing the drafts of others are some of the best ways to improve your critical reading skills, which is related to Course Objective #4.

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. 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, and seek help from classmates as you revise. You must hand in the old version with the revision. Usually, students improve at least slightly, but grades may go up or down. If you’re nervous about your revision, meet with me in advance because 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 there is no need to 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 the 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, and reviewing papers. 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 outside of class 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 Arlov and Hacker texts 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://www.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: You will be asked to complete a final portfolio showcasing your accomplishments, and that project will be due during final exam week; however, you may opt to turn the project in early.

Tentative Course Schedule for English 101

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. 8^th. (See the syllabus for details about the journals.)

	Monday	Wednesday	Friday
Sept. 3	No classes	No classes	Introduction, Syllabus, Writing & Response Groups, Discuss Essay #1
Sept. 6/8/10	Labor Day, No classes	Maxwell “Writing as a Process” p 1-12. J1 = Writing Activity on p 8	Maxwell “Writing as a Process” p 13-17; J2 = Writing Activity p. 14 & 15. Bring photos (or sketches) of your favorite places.
Sept 13/15/17	Do Arlov Ch 8 “Showing & Telling” p 127-139. J3=Choose #3 or 4 under “Topics for Descriptive Writing” p. 139-40	Prewrite, Draft, & Self-Revise Maxwell Writing Assignment #1: Descriptive Writing p 17. Bring your TYPED paper to class.	Apply the “Limiting” technique. Self-revise, improve & clarify. Bring enough typed copies of your new draft for group members to revise in class. Writing Goals Due
Sept. 20/22/24	Revise again & edit your own paper. In class, Writing Workshop on peer editing techniques. Bring your descriptive essay.	Writing Assignment #1 is due. Introduction to Definition Essays in class today.	Read Arlov Ch 9 “Definition” p 163-73 including “Topics for Writing,” #2.
Sept. 27/29, Oct. 1	Read Maxwell Ch 12 “Defining Oneself” p 246-50. J4 = 3 Writing Activities, p 246, 247, 249	Read Maxwell “The Language of Clothes” p. 250-58. J5 = Response Questions p. 258	Read Maxwell “Dreams,” “Dreams Deferred,”& “Making a Fist” p 258-61. J6 = Response Ques. p 260-61
Oct. 4/6/8	Read Maxwell “On Being a Cripple” p 261-74. J7 = Response Questions p. 274 1^st 7 Journal Entries Due	Read Maxwell “Writing Assignment: Defining Yourself” p 274. Prewrite, Draft, & Revise this, bring a typed draft to class.	Bring revised draft of “Defining Yourself” for in-class editing workshop.
Oct. 11/13/15	Writing Assignment #2: “Defining Yourself” is due today. Read Arlov “Argument” & do exercies p 212-19, but NOT “Topics for Writing”	Read Maxwell Ch 11 “Relationships with Family Members” p 168-72. J8 = Personal Responses p 170 & 172, Writing Activity p 172 & Answer questions; Choose letter topic	Read Maxwell “Icicle” p 176. J9 = Personal Response & Content Focus p 176, Writing Activity p 177. Answer questions. (In class, intro to online library databases.)
Oct. 18/22/22	Use library online research tools to find at least three articles related to the topic of your persuasive letter.	Read Arlov, “Paraphrasing and Summarizing” p 231-41. J10=Summarize each of your articles, paraphrase 2 ideas from the articles, and create an MLA style citation for each source.	Continue work on paraphrasing, summarizing, citing sources and using borrowed information to create an effective argument in your persuasive letter.
Oct. 25/27/29	Individual Conferences, Writing Goals J11=Describe your strengths and weaknesses as a writer.	Individual Conferences, Writing Goals J12= Summarize what you’ve done so far to meet your goals. Set new goals for the rest of the semester.	Individual Conferences, Writing Goals
Nov. 1/3/5*	Individual Conferences, Writing Goals	Read Maxwell p 177-80. Prewrite, Draft, and Self-Revise Maxwell’s Assignment #3: Persuasion Letter. Bring copies for group to class for revising.	Bring peer-revised draft of Persuasive Letter for in-class editing workshop.
Nov. 8/10/12**	Writing Assignment #3 is due Read Arlov “Cause & Effect” p 205-12 including “Topics for Practicing” #2, 3, OR 4	Read Maxwell Ch 10 “Family Perspectives” p 181-96. J13 = Content Questions p 196-98	Read Maxwell “Places Everyone” p 198-207 and Cause & Effect Pattern” p 207-08
Nov. 15/17/19	Read Maxwell “Writing Assignment” through “Student Example” p. 208-22. As J14 write a one-page evaluation of the student example. Journals 8-14 are due.	Meet w/group members. Plan thesis, topic sentences, general organization. Assign parts. Decide upon outside sources to include.	Create a sentence outline of your paper. Paraphrase and Summarize key ideas from Maxwell text and personal research for use in your group paper.
Nov. 22/24/26	Based on the group’s outline, Prewrite, Draft, & Revise your part of Writing Assignment # 4: Collaborative Cause-Effect Paper. Meet w/group to put together.	Meet with group to put the paper together into one coherent whole. Include textbook AND outside sources, paraphrases AND quotations. Correctly cite sources in MLA style.	Thanksgiving Break
Nov. 29, Dec. 1/3	Bring typed draft of one coherent paper that is the result of your group effort. Make enough copies to share with another group during revising workshop.	Bring revised paper, already edited by all group members. We will edit again in class.	Writing Assignment #4 is due. Discuss Final Project (Metacognition Handout in class)
Dec. 6/8/10	Read Metacognition Handout & answer questions.	Re-read the essays you’ve written thus far in class. Review instructor comments. Take notes about improvement, change, etc. to create a persuasive, comparision & contrast, or cause & effect essay about your writing.	Work on drafting the final project. Meet with writing group and instructor as needed. Create your own revising and editing guides, based on your knowledge of yourself as a writer.
Dec. 13/15	Bring the typed rough draft of your final project for in-class workshop	Last day of classes Bring your revised typed draft for in-class workshop	Final Exam Week begins Final Project is Due. Bring it to the business office by noon.

*Midterm grades will be available.