ENG 101(01) Composition I

Fall 2002

Katherine Holman – Library 115 – 735-4321

Email addresses:  kholman@uwc.edu

 

Office Hours:  MWF 10:00-11:00; MW 1:00-2:00; TR 11:00-12:00  (Other times are available by appointment.)

 

Class Meeting Time and Place:  MWF  9:00-9:50  Library 102

 

Required Texts:  Kirszner, Laurie G., and Stephen R. Mandell.  Patterns for College Writing: A Rhetorical Reader and Guide, 8th ed.  Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001; Harris, Muriel.  Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage, 5th ed.  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003; a college level dictionary of your choice

 

Supplementary Materials Currently on Library Reserve:  William Zinsser’s On Writing Well   (You will be notified in class as other materials are placed on reserve.)

 

Other Resources:  The University provides for you—free—the services of an on-campus English tutor to assist you with particular writing problems.  The tutor’s hours will be posted early in the semester on both the English Department bulletin board (located near my office) and at other locations on campus.  In addition, you can submit drafts of your essays to the UW Colleges Online Writing Lab for evaluation by a trained student tutor.  The email address is <http://waukesha.uwc.edu/academics/owl/>.  Other useful Internet resources are the following:  <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/writers> (an excellent site with abundant resources); and <http://ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/>  (another fine site, managed by Professor Charles Darling of Capital Community College in Hartford, CT).  See also the list of online resources located inside the back cover of your primary text, Patterns for College Writing.

 

Course Description:  “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.  Prerequisite: a grade of C or better in Basics of Composition or exemption through a sufficiently high placement test score” (UWC Catalog 57).   Students will be expected to complete “writing assignments, totaling at least 4000 words, based primarily upon readily accessible information, such as personal observation or essays included in a reader” (UWC English Dept. Course Guidelines for ENG 101).

 

Course Rationale:  English 101 is a course designed to prepare you for the more rigorous academic writing you will be expected to do in English 102, the core writing requirement for the Associate of Arts and Science Degree.  By learning to write well about what is familiar or readily accessible to you, you will be able to write well about new ideas and information you will learn as you continue a life of learning.   Writing can be fun as I hope you will discover in English 101.  I look forward to studying and learning with you this semester.

English Department Objectives:  Students in English 101 will achieve the following:

  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 pre-writing through stages of revision to the finished products.
  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.

 

AAS Degree Proficiencies:  After successfully completing the course, you will be able to analyze, synthesize, evaluate and interpret information and ideas; integrate knowledge and experience to arrive at creative solutions; read and listen with comprehension and critical perception; and write clearly, precisely, and in a well organized manner.  In addition, you will be able to articulate accurately the strengths and weaknesses of your own work; and through frequent small-group activities, you will be able to work collaboratively as part of a team.

 

Course Procedures:  You should expect to do lots of writing in this course; after all, it is a composition course!  The English Department requires that students write a minimum of 4000 words during the semester, but I expect that you will actually write far more than that minimum and that you will discover that writing can give you pleasure.  In many of our class sessions, you will be able to share your writing with your colleagues.  Sometimes you will be sharing your responses to assigned readings; sometimes you will be sharing drafts of your own essays.  Often, the class will be divided into smaller discussion groups since it’s usually easier for most of us to share our ideas with four or five people than with a roomful of them.  To fulfill your responsibility to the group, however, you need to be sure to come to class prepared.  Do the assigned reading and writing, and I’m confident you’ll profit from these small-group discussions.

 

Course Policies:  You are expected to attend all class sessions unless illness or emergency prohibits your attendance.  If you must miss class, you should check with a classmate to determine what you missed and to secure any handouts that might have been distributed.  In in-class writing, including quizzes, occurred during a day you were absent, you must make up that work within one week to receive credit for the assignment.  You are also expected to submit all assignments on time.  I understand that life sometimes punches us with unexpected blows, and because of that, I will allow you to submit one assignment late, but only one.  After that, points will be deducted for assignments submitted past the due date; and, in any case, I reserve the right to refuse to accept work submitted more than one week late without documentation of serious illness or emergency.  You should also read carefully and adhere to the policies contained in the University of Wisconsin Colleges catalog and the Handbook for Students.  (Copies of the catalog and handbook are available in the Office of Student Services.)

 

 

Grading:  Your grade will be determined by your performance of in-class activities such as small-group discussions, peer editing, brief writing assignments, quizzes, etc. (25%) and by the quality of a writing portfolio you assemble during the semester (75%).  We’ll discuss together what kind of portfolio might be most useful for you, but my suggestions are that the portfolio will contain your course journal, the five formal essays you will write during the semester, at least three revised essays, selected process papers, and a final self-assessment essay. 

Grading Scale

 

A   93-100     B   83-86     C   73-76     D   63-66

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

                                 B+  87-89      C+ 77-79     D+ 67-69     F    59 or below

     *Note:  A grade of I or R is also possible in ENG 101; see me or the UW Colleges catalog for details.

 

I’m looking forward to working with you this semester and encourage you to stop by my office whenever you encounter a problem or even if you just want to talk about your writing with me.  I encourage you also to share with me at any time suggestions you might have for improving the class as we work together to become better writers.

 

Tentative Class Schedule

 

*Note:  Assignments noted as PCW refer to Patterns for College Writers; assignments noted as PH refer to

the Prentice Hall Reference Guide.  For stylistic guidelines for your written assignments, see in PH the sample MLA-Style Research Paper.

 

 9/4     Introductions to the course, the texts, and each other; preliminary discussion of

           Essay 1: Narration

           Complete index cards and give them to me not later than next class period.

 

 9/6     Read PCW 1-14: “Introduction: Reading to Write” and PH  The Writing Process,

           Introduction and sections 1 and 2

           Review the syllabi for the other courses you are taking this semester and make a

           list of the kinds of writing you are expected to do in each of these courses.

 

 9/9     Read PCW 57-87: “Narration” (Wu and Cisneros).

           Journal 1: Your choice of PCW Writing Workshop #2 on p. 82 or #3 on p. 87

 

 9/11   Read PCW 88-93 (Angelou) and PCW 15-35: “Invention”; read PH The Writing

           Process, section 3.

           Journal 2: Your choice of PCW Writing Workshop #1 or #2 on p. 93

 

 9/13   Read PCW 94-98 (Smith-Yackel), PCW 37-47: “Arrangement,” and PH The

           Writing Process, section 5.

           Journal 3: Your choice of PCW Writing Workshop #1 or #3 on p. 98

 

 9/16   Read PCW 49-65: “Drafting and Revising” and scan the PH Glossary of Usage.

           Journal 4: Your choice of one of the “firsts” suggested in PCW #5 on p. 117

 

 9/18     Essay 1 (Narration) draft due for peer-editing workshop  (Bring to class two

             copies of a typed draft, one for your peer editor and one for me.  A copy

             machine is available in the library.)

 

 9/20     Scan PH Part 2, sections 6, 8, and 13.

             Begin revision of Essay 1.

 

 9/23     ESSAY 1 DUE: NARRATION

             Read PCW 119-32: “Description.”

             Introduction of the next essay assignment

 

 9/25     SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:  UW-MARINETTE FALL

             CONVOCATION  (See me about an optional extra-credit assignment for

             those of you who attend the convocation.) 

             Read the essays for August, September, and October in Aldo Leopold’s

             A Sand County Almanac; scan PH Part 2, sections 9, 11, and 12.

 

 9/27     Read PCW 133-37 (Cohen) and PCW 142-47 (Gordon).

             Journal 5: Your choice of PCW Writing Workshop #1, #2, or #3 on p. 137 or #1

             on p. 147

 

9/30      Read PCW 148-53 (Momaday).

             Scan PH Part 6: Style and Word Choice

             Journal 6: Your choice of PCW Writing Workshop #1, #2, or #3 on pp. 152-53

 

10/2      Essay 2 (Description) draft due for peer-editing workshop  (two copies)

 

10/4      GUMP (Grammar, Usage, Mechanics, and Punctuation) Workshop

              Review your class writing thus far; consult QA about the “GUMP stuff” you

              find troubling; and bring to class any questions you have.

 

10/7      GUMP Workshop, continued

             Begin your revision of Essay 2.

 

10/9     ESSAY 2 DUE: DESCRIPTION

            Introduction of the next essay assignment: Process

            Read the suggested assignments on PCW 263.  Make a list of 3 or 4 topics that

            you might want to explore in a process essay.

 

10/11   Read PCW 217-27: “Process” and PCW 228-37 (Malcolm X and Trudeau).

            Journal 7: Your choice of PCW Writing Workshop #1 on p. 232 or #1 or #2 on

            p. 237

 

10/14   Read PCW 243-54 (Brown and Mitford).

            Journal 8: PCW Writing Workshop #2 on p.247 or #2 or #3 on p. 25

10/16   Revision workshop for First Revised Essay

 

10/18    FIRST REVISED ESSAY DUE (further revision of Essay 1 or Essay 2)

             Read PCW 255-62 (Jackson).

 

10/21    Drafting workshop

             Bring to class your invention notes for Essay 3: Process

 

10/23    GUMP Workshop (Review PH for answers to problems you may still be having

              with the “GUMP stuff”; make a list of the writing errors most troubling for you.)

 

10/25    Essay 3 (Process) draft due for peer review

 

10/28    Mid-term course assessment

             Planning for your end-of-the-semester portfolio

             Begin your revision of Essay 3 (Process)

 

10/30    ESSAY 3 DUE: PROCESS

             Introduction of Essay 4: A Collaboratively Written Cause and Effect Essay

             Formation of groups and selection of topics for Essay 4

        

11/1      Essay groups will meet during class to draft interview questions.

             Journal 9: Interview questions for Essay 4

 

11/4      Read PCW 265-78: “Cause and Effect” and PCW 283-93 (Winn).

             Journal 10: Your choice of PCW Writing Workshop #1, #2, or #3 on pp.

             292-93

             Essay groups will meet during class to draft survey questions.

 

11/6      Read PCW 294-303 (Graham and Hasselstrom).

             Journals 1-10 resubmitted for preliminary portfolio evaluation

             Journal 11: Your choice of PCW Writing Workshop #2 or #3 on p. 303.

 

11/8      Journal 12: Survey questions

             Essay groups will use class time to copy and distribute surveys.

 

11/11    Important Announcement:  November 12 is the last day to drop a course

             with a grade of “W.”

             Read PCW 304-14 (Trillin).

             Journal 13: PCW Writing Workshop #2

 

11/13    Drafting Workshop

 

11/15    Essay 4 (Cause and Effect) draft due for peer review

 

11/18    Revision Workshop

 

11/20    ESSAY 4 DUE: CAUSE AND EFFECT

             Read PCW 321-39: “Comparison and Contrast” and begin thinking about a

             topic for Essay 5: Comparison and Contrast (See #4, #5, #7, #8, #9, and #10

             on p. 376.

 

11/22    Read PCW 340-44 (Catton).

             Journal 14: PCW Writing Workshop #1 on p. 344

 

11/25    Read PCW 345-56 (Fadiman and Standage)

             Journal 15: PCW Writing Workshop #1, #2, or #3 on p. 350 or #1, #2, or #3 on

             pp. 355-56

 

11/27    Read PCW 357-61 (Mukherjee).

             Journal 16: PCW Writing Workshop #2 or #3 on p. 361

 

11/29    THANKSGIVING BREAK

 

12/2      Read PCW 362-73 (Daly and Tannen).

             Journal 17: PCW Journal Entry on p. 366 or Writing Workshop #2 or #3 on

             p. 373

 

12/4     Draft of Essay 5 (Comparison and Contrast) due for peer review

 

12/6     Read PCW 379-98: “Classification and Division” (Zinsser)

            Journal 18: PCW Journal Entry on p. 398

 

12/9     Read PCW 405-12 (Tan).

            Journal 19: PCW Journal Entry on p. 411

            Student Evaluation of Instruction

 

12/11   ESSAY 5 DUE: COMPARISON AND CONTRAST

            Read PCW 455-65: “Definition.”

 

12/13   Read PCW 470-73 (Burciaga).

            Journal 20: PCW Journal Entry on p. 473

 

Your “final exam” is the submission of your portfolio, which is due not later than the end of the scheduled examination period for the class.  The examination time for ENG 101(01) is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, December 18, from 8:00-10:00 a.m.  If there are changes in the exam schedule, you will be notified by the Office of Student Services.  Note, also, that I always post on my office window a copy of the “final” final exam schedule.