English 101 / Sections 3, 5, and 9
Prof. Scott Peeples
Spring 2004 22 B Glebe St. Rm. 201
peepless@cofc.edu
http://www.cofc.edu/~peeples/
Office Hours MWF 2-3, TR 9-10 and by appointment
The main goal of this course is to help you become a more effective writer of argumentative, thesis-driven essays. Working toward that goal, you will write short, informal responses in class as well as more carefully developed essays. We will also read and discuss articles dealing with issues in higher education and, toward the end of the term, works of fiction. Most of your writing for this course will be related to those readings.
REQUIREMENTS
1. Attendance and participation
are requirements of this course. After a student misses four classes (including
those in which I meet with groups) over the course of the semester, I will deduct
two points from his or her final grade for each additional absence. For example,
if you miss six classes and your average at the end of the course is an 82,
it would change to a 78. I do not monitor or record "excused" or "unexcused"
absences, but I do appreciate your letting me know why you missed class.
2. You will write six graded essays, from about 500 to 1000 words in length,
over the course of the semester. I will give you clear assignments and grading
criteria for each essay. You will write essays 3 and 6 in class. Additionally,
you will write an ungraded (but required) diagnostic essay on the second day
of class, and a first draft of essay 5 in class.
3. You will also write short responses in class almost every day we meet. The main purposes of these short writing exercises are to give you more practice writing without the pressure of a substantial grade, and to generate ideas for discussion or for your essays. If you demonstrate a reasonable effort, I will give you 2 pts. For writing that shows little effort, I will give you 1 pt. For no effort, no points.
4. You will keep a portfolio of your work: a simple two-pocket folder works best. Keep all of your graded work on one side of the folder, including daily in-class writing, and all work-in-progress on the other side. You will turn the entire folder in each time you submit an essay.
GRADES
Criteria for graded writing: I look primarily for content (evidence of original thinking, claims supported by textual evidence and logic), then effective organization of sentences into paragraphs and paragraphs into a coherent essay. Next I am concerned with the clarity of your sentences and your ability to vary sentence structures, and on the mechanical correctness of your writing.
Here are the point values for the work you will do in this course:
Essay 1 40 pts.
Essay 2 50 pts.
Essay 3 (in class) 40 pts.
Essay 4 70 pts.
Essay 5 70 pts.
Essay 6 (final exam) 60 pts.
Daily in-class writing approx. 50 pts.
Total approx. 380 pts.
I will assign number grades to your
essays.
On a 100-pt. scale, A = 90-100, B+ = 86-89, B = 80-85, C+ = 76-79, C = 70-75,
D = 65-69, and an F = 64 or lower.
Papers are due at the beginning of class on the due date. Papers must be turned in directly to me, whether in class or in my office-do not put papers in my mail box or leave them in my office when I am not there. I will penalize late papers one letter grade for each class period they are late. I will not accept any work after the last day of class.
Improving: If you want to improve your grades, talk to me about how you can write better exams and essays in the future: that's what I'm here for. However, I will not allow you to retake an exam or do an additional assignment for extra credit.
TEXTS and MATERIALS
Cooper and Patton, Writing Logically,
Thinking Critically (Pearson / Longman)
Durst, ed., You Are Here: Readings on Higher Education for College Writers (Prentice
Hall)
Aaron, The Little, Brown Essential Handbook for Writers, 4th ed. (Pearson /
Longman)
O'Brien, The Things They Carried (Broadway)
Christian, ed., "Everyday Use": Alice Walker (Rutgers UP)
A college dictionary
A two-pocket folder
SCHEDULE (subject to change)
1/14 Introduction.
1/16 Read Writing Logically, Thinking Critically, 1-12. In-class essay .
1/21 Read WLTC, 53-61, and You Are Here, 1-10.
1/23 Read You Are Here, 12-29.
1/26 Read You Are Here, 30-56.
1/28 Read WLTC, 62-86.
1/30 I meet with groups 1 and 2; groups 3 and 4 use the extra hour to work on Essay 1.
2/2 I meet with groups 3 and 4; groups 1 and 2 use the extra hour to work on Essay 1.
2/4 Essay 1 is due. Bring WLTC to class.
2/6 Read You Are Here, 101-129.
2/9 Read You Are Here, 162-173, 329-34.
2/11 Read WLTC, Chapter 5.
2/13 In-class work on Essay 2.
2/16 Prof. was out sick. See changes to schedule below.
2/18 In-class work on Essay 2.
2/20 I meet with groups 3 and 4; groups 1 and 2 use the extra hour to work on Essay 2.
2/23 I meet with groups 1 and 2; groups 3 and 4 use the extra hour to work on Essay 2.
2/25 Essay 2 is due. Read You Are Here, 195-226.
2/27 Read You Are Here, 227-41.
3/1 Read You Are Here, 242-60.
3/3 Write Essay 3 in class.
3/5 Assignment to be announced.
SPRING BREAK
3/15 Read You Are Here, 263-84.
3/17 Read You Are Here, 285-310.
3/19 Read You Are Here, 311-20, 336-42.
3/22 Read WLTC, Chapter 9.
3/24 Read WLTC, 171-90.
3/26 Read WLTC, 190-208.
Bring The Little, Brown Essential Handbook for Writers to class.
3/29 I meet with groups 1 and 2; groups 3 and 4 use the extra hour to work on Essay 4.
3/31 I meet with groups 3 and 4; groups 1 and 2 use the extra hour to work on Essay 4.
4/1 I meet with groups 1 and 2; groups 3 and 4 use the extra hour to work on Essay 4.
4/5 I meet with groups 3 and 4; groups 1 and 2 use the extra hour to work on Essay 4.
4/7 Essay 4 due. Bring The Things They Carried to class.
4/9 Read through p. 85 of The Things They Carried.
4/12 Read through p. 161 of The
Things They Carried. I meet with groups 3 and 4;
groups 1 and 2 use the extra hour to read (and complete a handout on) the book.
4/14 Finish The Things They Carried.
I meet with groups 1 and 2;
groups 3 and 4 use the extra hour to read (and complete a handout on) the book.
4/16 Write Essay 5 (on The Things They Carried) in class.
4/19 Assignment TBA.
4/21 Assignment TBA.
4/23 Revised Essay 5 due.
4/26 Read "Everyday Use" (23-35).
4/28 In the "Everyday Use"
book, read 51-54,
bottom of 94 ("In the second cycle . . .") -104, and 149-65.
Exam Schedule: Section 3 May 7,
8-11 am.
Section 5 May 8, 8-11 am.
Section 9 May 7, noon-3 pm.