Office: 443 LHH Phone:
248-1072
e-mail: [email protected] Office Hours:
Homepage: http://home.mesastate.edu/~jbarak/
Syllabus subject to change.
Course
Goals General Education Goals Course Methods/Description
Texts and
other Expenses Requirements Schedule
1) To develop a writing habit.
2) To practice several skills and techniques that are helpful in various stages
of the writing process: pre-writing, drafting, revising, and editing. 3) To
develop the ability to respond analytically and critically to the writing of
others -- both peers and professionals. 4) To learn to accept and to respond in
writing and through re-writing to others' comments about your work. 5) To
practice the following critical thinking strategies: a) Identifying and differentiating questions,
problems and arguments, b) Evaluating the appropriateness of various methods of
reasoning and verification, c) Identifying and assessing stated and unstated
assumptions, d) Critically comparing different points of view, e) Formulating
questions and problems, f) Constructing and developing cogent arguments, g)
Discussing alternative points of view, h) Evaluating the quality of evidence
and reasoning.
General Education Goals: English 111 will satisfy the English requirement for
all baccalaureate and associate degree programs at Mesa State College. English
111 is a CCHE Statewide Transfer Course and will satisfy the English
requirement in AA or AS Core Transfer Curricula. Please see your advisor to
determine whether this course is appropriate for your degree program.
Two GE Objectives that are
addressed by this course:
1.
Students will be
expected to think critically and recognize issues across a broad spectrum of
subjects.
2.
Students will be
able to communicate effectively in English.
The course is designed as a
writing/reading workshop. We will spend our days in class writing, reading our
writing out loud, and discussing that writing. We will also read and discuss
the work of several published writers. In order to be a successful member of
this class, you must be prepared to write daily in and out of class, to read
your work out loud to small groups of your classmates and to the class as a
whole, to comment thoughtfully on the writing of others out loud and in
writing, and to accept and respond to others' comments about your own work.
Participation in all of these activities is required from all members of the
course. If you opt not to participate in the writing, sharing, or responding,
you will fail the class.
Writing is a craft we can
learn. It is also a means of exploring ourselves, our relationships with others
and with our world. Writing is a mind-expanding, exciting, risky business.
Let's all take up the challenge of living a writer's life this semester. It
will be worth the effort!
Critical Thinking, Thoughtful Writing, John Chaffee
Eats Shoots and Leaves, Lynn Truss
Online Interactive Eats
Shoots and Leaves Site
Perdue
Interactive Grammar/Punctuation Site
Five Portfolios: Each portfolio will contain 10 activities and
1 essay. The activities to be included are
the following: 1) Reflection on audience (250 words), 2) Brainstorming activity
(2 pages), 3) List of titles and discussion of choice (40 titles) 4)
Introductions and conclusions and discussion of choice (3 or 4 each) 5)
Double-entry outline, 6) Process reflection (250 words), 7) Reflection on voice/tone (250 words), 8) Proof of spell/grammar check, 9)
Reflection on visit to writing center (250 words), 10) Reflection on in-class
workshop (250 words). Click here for
explanations.
Each portfolio is worth 16% of
your grade. All together, the portfolios
comprise 80% of your grade for the course.
The exercises comprise half of the grade for the portfolio, the essay
the other half. However, portfolios that
dont contain all 10 exercises will receive an F. Essays turned in without
completed portfolios will not be accepted.
Quizzes: Reading quizzes over the chapters from Chaffee. The quizzes will consist of matching,
multiple choice, fill in the blank and short answer questions. They are worth
15% of your grade for the semester.
Reports on Grammar:
Each group will present two short summaries of a section of the Truss text. 5% of
your final grade.
Extra Credit Points: Extra credit points can be earned by
completing the grammar exercises on the Perdue
Interactive Punctuation/Grammar web site found on my home page.
Attendance and Participation: Being here is,
obviously, crucial for participation in the discussions. We cant learn from you and you cant learn
from us if youre not here. So show up
and speak up. You have three free absences. Your final grade will drop one letter grade
(A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, etc.) for each class you miss after the first
three. This means that if you have a B
for the class at the end of the semester, but youve missed 6 classes, your
grade will drop to a C. If youve missed
8 classes, it will drop to a D, and so on.
Other Policies and Procedures: Refer
to the Student
Handbook for college policies on Academic
Honesty. If you require any kind of
assistance for special needs, please see me and well make arrangements to suit
your situation.
Jan 17 Introduction
Jan 19 Chapter 1
Jan 21 Chapter 2
Jan 24 Chapter 3, 57-84
Jan 26 Chapter 4, 91-116
Jan 28 Chapter 5, 125-142
Jan 31 Chapter 6, 153-202
Feb 02 Chapter 8, 243-290,
294-298
Feb 04 Topics/Audience
Feb 07 Free
Writing/Brainstorming
Feb 09 Titles/ Introduction
and Conclusions
Feb 11 Outlines
Feb 14 Process/Voice
Feb 16 Draft Due/Feedback
Feb 18 Portfolio #1 Due
Feb 21 Winter Break
Feb 23 Chapter 9
Feb 25 Topics/Audience
Group #3, p. 1-17 ESL-Group #1
Feb 28 Free Writing/Brainstorming
Group #4, p. 17-34 ESL-Group #2
Mar 02 Titles Group
#5/Introductions and Conclusions Group #6
Mar 04 Outlines Group #2,
p. 34-51 ESL-Group #3
Mar 07 Process/Voice Group
#1, p. 51-68 ESL-Group #4
Mar 09 Draft Due Feedback
Mar 11 Portfolio #2 Due
Mar 14 Spring Break
Mar 16 Spring Break
Mar 18 Spring Break
Mar 21 Chapter 10
Mar 23 Topics/Audience
Group #5, p. 68-85 ESL-Group #5
Mar 25 Free
Writing/Brainstorming Group #6
Mar 28 Titles Group #1, p.
85-102 ESL-Group 6
Mar 30 Introductions and
Conclusions Group #2
Apr 01 Outlines Group #3,
p. 102-119 ESL-Group #1
Apr 04 Process/Voice Group
#4, p. 119-136 ESL-Group #2
Apr 06 Draft Due/Feedback
Apr 08 Portfolio #3 Due
Apr 11 Chapter 11
Apr 13 Topics/Audience
Group #1, p. 136-153 ESL-Group #3
Apr 15 Brainstorming/Free
Writing Group #2
Apr 18 Titles Group #3, p.
153-170 ESL-Group #4
Apr 20 Introductions and
Conclusions Group #4
Apr 22 Outlines Group #5,
p. 170-187 ESL-Group #5
Apr 25 Process/Voice Group
#6, p. 187-204 ESL-Group #6
Apr 27 Draft Due/Feedback
Apr 29 Portfolio #4 Due
May 02 Chapter 13
May 04 Conferences
May 06 Conferences
May 11 Portfolio #5 Due,
8:00