Madisonville Community College
Syllabus
Fall 2010
COURSE: English 102-7501; Writing II; CLASS NUMBER: 37448
Credit Hours: 3; Class Time: Monday & Wednesday: 8:00 a. m.—9:15 a. m.
ROOM: JHG 305; Instructor: Greg Hagan; Office: 112 LRC
Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday: 9:30 a. m.--11:30 a. m.
& Friday: 9:00 a. m.—10:00 a. m
Phone: 821-2250; 824-8606 (Office); 821-1643 (Home)
EMAIL:
PrEREquisites: ENG 101 or equivalent.
Course Description: Emphasizes argumentative writing. Provides further instruction in drafting and systematically revising essays that express ideas in Standard English. Includes continued instruction in reading critically, thinking logically, responding to texts, addressing specific audiences, and researching and documenting credible academic sources. NOTE: Credit not available by special examination. Pre-requisite: ENG 101.
Required Texts:
(1) Behrens, Laurence and Leonard J. Rosen. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 11th Ed. New York: Longman, 2010. Print.
(2) Quitman Troya, Lynn and Douglas Hesse. Quick Access: Reference for Writers. 6th Ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print.
(3) Freedman, Russell. Children of the Great Depression. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2005. Print.
REQUIRED SUPPLIES:
Loose leaf notebook paper, index cards, blue or black ink pen, one folder, data storage (, jump drive, cd or floppy) and a dictionary, for example, Webster's New World Dictionary.
COURSE GOALS: Writing II is the second of two courses designed to fulfill the General Education Requirement for English. The objectives for the course are: (1) to develop a student's ability to read critically and write responsively beyond the level of competency achieved in Writing I; and, (2) to enable the student to conduct a thorough document and library search with this result in mind: to incorporate the ideas of others in an academic paper that has been carefully researched and documented. To this end, the course will revolve around these specific goals:
1. Students will incorporate the text of others in their own writing as well as manage standard documentation (MLA). This involves learning how to best use source material.
2. Students will approach writing and library research as processes and will engage in pre-writing, drafting, and revision strategies to improve the quality of their papers.
3. Students will write a variety of documents and in so doing will hopefully grasp the value of non-fiction prose to an open society.
4. Students will examine and employ the standard modes of thought typical in written communication.
5. Students will write persuasive and expository essays.
6. Students will examine the characteristics of written prose that makes one piece of writing better than another.
7. Students will isolate and appropriately limit topics for writing and thoughtfully and clearly develop these topics through feedback and revision.
8. Students will develop and deploy a "thesis" in their writings.
9. Students will organize both paragraph and essay to create an organic whole.
10. Students will respond to the writings of others (professionals and peers) and provide insightful and analytical commentaries.
11. Students will critically read documents and will practice critical thinking skills.
GENERAL EDUCATION COMPETENCIES:
All courses that fulfill General Education Requirements are required to contain these five competencies:
I. Communicate Effectively
A. Read and listen with comprehension.
Students will answer quiz questions and/or tests over assigned readings.
Students will accurately summarize selected course readings.
Students will accurately paraphrase portions of course readings.
Students will demonstrate this competency by successfully utilizing Active Reading Strategies.
Students will perform any of a variety of tasks (quizzes, one-minute papers, pair-share, etc.) regarding oral presentations, lectures, audio-visual materials, etc.
Students will critique articles or sources of various sorts that address issues
concerning The Great Depression.
Students will summarize readings that address issues concerning The Great
Depression.
Students will write and/or orally deliver personal reactions based on topics considered in the course, i. e., The Great Depression.
Students will make an orally delivered presentation regarding their research and research paper writing.
B. Speak and write clearly using Standard English.
Students will use Standard Written English as defined by the English “Departmental Grammar and Punctuation Policy” when constructing course paper projects.
Students will write a documented research paper dealing with an issue
surrounding The Great Depression.
Students will write a synthesis essay that involves synthetic use of sources and requires higher order critical thinking skills.
Students will write a research paper that involves synthetic and/or argumentative (evaluative) higher order critical thinking skills.
Students will compose a synthesis focused on Great Depression issues.
Students will orally present ideas concerning Great Depression issues.
Students will make an orally delivered presentation regarding their research and research paper writing.
Students will include refutation strategies in their argumentative research papers.
Students will write clearly in a scholarly style that involves minimal redundancy and padding.
Students will construct the research paper with introductory and concluding sections.
C. Interact cooperatively with others.
Students will demonstrate this ability to interact by active participation in small group activities designated by the instructor and by actively contributing to group goals.
Students will attend class and contribute to class discussion, answer questions, offer comments, and generally assist with a positive classroom culture.
D. Demonstrate information processing through basic computer skills.
Students will submit correctly constructed manuscript-formatted writings (i.e., word processed prose).
Students will create computer files of their works and send them via email
attachment.
Students may participate in web-based communication forums (blogs, chats, asynchronous messaging, etc.).
Students will use information databases to locate source materials important for supporting assertions in their writing.
II. Think Critically
A. Make connections in learning across the disciplines and draw logical conclusions.
Students will write a research paper that involves synthetic and/or argumentative (evaluative) higher order critical thinking skills.
Students will read materials that show incorrect and correct examples of source use and will correctly choose to avoid plagiarism.
Students will examine source quality and discern reliable from unreliable sources.
Students will include refutation strategies in their argumentative research papers.
B. Demonstrate problem solving through interpreting, analyzing, summarizing, and/or integrating a variety of materials.
Students will create thesis-driven essays that assert insights or positions chosen from a field of possible assertions.
Students will write a synthesis essay that involves synthetic use of sources and requires higher order critical thinking skills.
Students will write a research paper that involves synthetic and/or argumentative evaluative) higher order critical thinking skills.
Students will summarize, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate assigned readings.
Students will examine demonstrations of summary, critique, synthesis, and research and incorporate such in their own writing. .
Students will examine source quality and discern reliable from unreliable sources.
Students will include refutation strategies in their argumentative research papers.
III. Learn Independently
A. Use appropriate search strategies and resources to find, evaluate, and use information.
Students will examine source quality and discern reliable from unreliable sources.
Students will properly document sources within their writing and in Works Cited listings.
B. Make choices based upon awareness of ethics and differing perspectives/ideas.
Students will include refutation strategies in their argumentative research papers.
C. Apply learning in academic situations.
Students will correctly document sources used in their papers especially for the
research paper project.
Students will avoid plagiarism in their writings.
Students will read materials that show incorrect and correct examples of source use and will identify correct examples.
Students will construct the research paper with introductory and concluding sections.
Students will correctly construct full documentation in a Works Cited listing.
Students will evaluate reading materials and show that they can discern between incorrect and correct examples of source use and thus will avoid
plagiarism.
Students will read materials that show incorrect and correct examples of source use and will correctly choose to avoid plagiarism.
D. Think creatively to develop new ideas, processes, or products.
Students will write and/or orally deliver personal reactions based on topics considered in the course.
Students will make an orally delivered presentation regarding their research and research paper writing.
IV. Examine Relationships in Diverse and Complex Environments
A. Recognize the relationship of the individual to human heritage and
culture.
Students will read selections on issues concerning The Great Depression from a
global perspective.
Students will address Great Depression topics in their writings.
Students will write a research paper dealing with an issue surrounding The Great
Depression.
Students will summarize readings that address The Great Depression.
Students will compose a synthesis focused on an issue surrounding The Great
Depression.
Students will orally present ideas on issues concerning The Great Depression.
Students will make an orally delivered presentation regarding their research and research paper writing.
B. Develop an awareness of self as an individual member of a multicultural global community.
Students will read selections on issues concerning The Great Depression from a
global perspective.
Students will address Great Depression topics in their writings. Students will write a research paper dealing Great Depression topics.
Students will summarize readings that address Great Depression topics.
Students will compose a synthesis focused on Great Depression issues.
Students will orally present ideas on issues concerning The Great Depression.
Students will make an orally delivered presentation regarding their research and research paper writing.
English 102 Course Specific Competencies and Learning Outcomes:
Competency #1: Research topics to support an effective argument.
1. Students will select a topic within the constraints of the assignment.
2. Students will demonstrate their ability to research topics by writing two or more essays that synthesize source material.
3. Students will research multiple sides of an issue.
4. Students will take a position on a debatable topic.
5. Students will clearly state an argumentative thesis in the final paper.
6. Students will demonstrate the use of valid evidence by supporting claims with facts and examples from credible academic sources.
7. Students will counterargue the opposition’s position.
8. Students will demonstrate the use of sound reasoning by identifying logical fallacies in their writing and in the writings of others.
Competency #2: Write with a fluent, versatile prose style.
1. Students will demonstrate proficiency in Standard English by writing essays with a minimum of errors in grammar, usage, punctuation and spelling.
2. Students will write essays using correct diction for appropriate, college level discourse: avoiding slang, triteness, colloquialisms, homonyms, confused words, and vague word choice.
3. Students will use a consistent point of view appropriate to the purpose of the assignments, most commonly, third person objective point of view, avoiding inappropriate second person.
Competency #3: Critically analyze an assigned text.
1. Students will carefully read and annotate texts prior to writing assignments.
2. Students will demonstrate comprehension of author’s purpose, main idea and organization by writing accurate, objective summaries and paraphrases.
3. Students will select quotations that accurately reflect the author’s purpose.
4. Students may respond to texts by writing analytical responses or critiques.
Competency #4: Document sources in formal academic writing.
1. Students will demonstrate appropriate source documentation by using the MLA format.
2. Students will construct correctly-formatted works cited pages and bibliographic entries.
3. Students will incorporate quotations correctly into their papers in support of their thesis statements.
4. Students will differentiate between indirect and direct sources and demonstrate their ability to document them correctly in their essays.
Specific Policies:
1. Plagiarism:
Plagiarism that is intentional usually involves passing off large blocks of other folks' writing as your own. This is due to the writer's insecurity in stating his or her own thoughts, or is due to a dishonest laziness. Some misguided souls will even try to submit papers that were entirely written by someone else. Plain and simple, this is cheating. Students who willfully plagiarize in English 102 will fail the course. However, unintentional plagiarism is a case of gross misunderstanding of the use of others' thoughts or words. These situations occur in fragmentary, isolated, and infrequent portions of written work. Part of the instructor's job (especially in English 102) is to help you avoid this sort of serious error. However, even in cases of unintentional plagiarism, depending upon the extent, you may still fail the assignment
2. Attendance:
Regular attendance is required of the English 102 student. I will not look the other way when you are absent; I will record all absences. You may have three (3) absences without penalty. A subsequent absence will cost you a letter grade (10%) for the course. Each additional absence costs another letter grade (10%). When your absences reach the critical mass of eight, I strongly suggest that you drop the class. At this point, you will fail the course. In addition, please notify me if you will be absent.
I also take a dim view of tardiness. When you walk into the classroom late, you disrupt the class. Repeated tardiness is disrespectful to your fellow students as well as the instructor. I reserve the right to treat three episodes of tardiness as the equivalent of an absence.
I also understand that there may be times when you must leave class early. However, please do not become a repeat offender. I also reserve the right to consider three early departures as an absence.
3. Peer Review:
Frequently, you will have the chance to read over or hear your fellow classmates' work. The purpose of this exercise is to provide the writer with as much feedback as possible between draft and revision of the essay. In so doing, you not only get a sense of your own power as a reader and writer, but you can learn a lot from what you each do well. Please keep this in mind: Peer review is 10% of the grade, perhaps an easy 10%. This is a full letter grade. To earn credit for peer review, you must have a suitable piece of writing for peer review, as well as participate in the review of others’ writings. I will not read drafts that have not been through the peer review process. Nor will I read drafts that have not been typed.
4. Grading Criteria:
Each project requires slightly different emphases. Your success will depend on how well you achieve the form that each project requires. The expectation will be clarified as each is assigned. In addition, you will be expected to write according to the dictates of standard written English.