COURSE SYLLABUS: ENGLISH 101
Summer 2004 Instructor: Clay Cooper
M-TR
R204 Tel (425) 564-4185
Email: ccooper@bcc.ctc.edu
Office Hours: by appt. only
Required
Textbooks: Short Takes, Penfield
The Little, Brown Compact Handbook, 5th edition
Accompanying Exercise Booklet
Course Description
Welcome to English 101. This college-level composition course is designed to help you become a more skilled and confident writer. Working closely with the texts, we will approach writing as a process, and attempt to make writing essays less intimidating by breaking down this process into elements. These individual elements will be topics for classroom discussions and in-class exercises. The elements (or steps) are as follows:
--Critical reading
--Understanding the assignment
--Prewriting and the stimulation of ideas
--Organization of ideas into a thesis or main point
--Outlining
--Drafting (includes sentence and paragraph construction)
--Revising
--Proofreading
We will also use these elements of writing to build your writing assignments as we move through the course. For instance, one week we may be working on freewriting or thesis development, the next week you will receive feedback on your drafts, and the following week the final papers will be due.
There will be a short mid-term exam and a final exam, although both will resemble quizzes more by their length. We will cover some basic grammar and style topics in preparation for those quizzes. You are also responsible for any vocabulary words assigned in class. You will write three short essays for the class. By short I mean 3-5 pages. We will talk about each essay in class and I will issue a handout outlining the requirements of each assignment in detail. We will also write extensively in class, and you will have writing assignments to take home on a weekly basis.
My expectations are that you will learn a lot from participating in this class. You will learn to write with precision and power in a number of styles, each one fitted to the specific requirements of various college writing assignments that you may encounter in the future. We will read fiction and non-fiction covering a vast array of interesting topics. You will become sensitive to social, political, and cultural context; in other words, you will read between the lines to find subject material for your essays.
No matter what your career goals may be, you can enhance them by becoming a more effective writer. Writing is a tool that can create opportunities and enrich your life experience. It can also be rewarding and fun. I look forward to working with you all this quarter and sharing my passion for the written word.
GRADING
Attendance (see below for grading guidelines) 10%
Quizzes 10%
Participation 10%
Written responses or “thinking papers” and in-class writing 20%
Three essays 50%
0-2--A 2---B 3--C 4-5—D 6+F and you fail the class
GROUND RULES
Out of respect for everyone in the classroom, I ask that you follow these ground rules.
1. Turn off pagers and cell-phones
2. Do not talk or whisper while I am talking, or when another student is talking
3. Be constructive in your comments and respect the opinions of your classmates.
DISABILITIES:
If you have a disability that affects you as a student in
this class, you are encouraged to let me know.
It’s also a good idea to contact the
Syllabus, Essay Assignments, and other important information can be found at the “Course Materials” website. The URL for this site is bcc.ctc.edu/ArtsHum/studentinfo.asp. Click on Course Materials. Click on Summer Quarter. Click on English. Scroll down until you get to our section, 1171. Click on my name. If you do not have a printer, you can print forms from the site at the Writing Lab (see below).
All papers and outlines for this class should be typed or word-processed. Please make yourself familiar with the various computer labs on campus (D221, NWCET) if you are not already. Limited instruction is available in the Writing Lab.
A Final Note: I am here to serve as your guide and then ultimately to evaluate your work. I am interested in helping you do as well as you want in this class. My schedule permitting, I’ll assist you in any way I can. If you’re having difficulty, speak to me about it, and I’ll see what I can do to help. If life interferes with school, as it has a habit of doing, let me know. I am not judgmental, and if you show me that you’re concerned with doing good work in this class, I’ll do what I can to help you around the obstacles. Communication is the key here. Keep me informed of your circumstances, and you should do fine. Talk to me after things fall apart, and there’s nothing I can do. You are the one who will determine your grade for this class, not me.