Unit 1 – Narrative
WEEK ONE – 9/14 and 9/16
Monday Syllabus and Introduction
Wednesday Intro to Literacy Narrative
- Read Anne Lamott “Shitty First Drafts” Journal 1 Questions 1 – 3
WEEK TWO – 9/21 and 9/23
Monday The Conversation and “They Say”
- Read Introduction to They Say, I Say
- Read Chapter 1 (“They Say”: Starting with What Others Are Saying)
- Malcolm X, “Learning to Read” JOURNAL 2 Summary/Response
Wednesday No Class
WEEK THREE – 9/28 and 9/30
Monday Narrative Structure
- Chapter 2 (“Her Point Is”: The Art of Summarizing)
- Read NICHOLAS CARR, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” [p. 424] JOURNAL 3 Summary/Response 250 words
Wednesday Narrative Peer Review
- DUE Rough Draft of Literacy Narrative
WEEK FOUR – 10/5 and 10/7
Monday Revising and Responding
- Read Chapter 4 (“Yes / No / Okay, But”: Three Ways to Respond)
Wednesday Ideology and Responding
- Watch Jonathan Haidt, “Can a Divided America Heal?” Journal 4 Summary/ Response
- Final Draft Essay 1 DUE
Unit 2 – Literary Analysis
WEEK FIVE – 10/12 and 10/14
Monday Intro to Literary Analysis
- Chapter 3 (“As He Himself Puts It”: The Art of Quoting)
- Sandra Cisneros, “Eleven” (6) JOURNAL 5 Summary/Response
Wednesday Cisneros and Woman Hollering Creek
- Sandra Cisneros, “Woman Hollering Creek” (43)
WEEK SIX – 10/19 and 10/21
Monday Scene Analysis and “Never Marry a Mexican”
- Chapter 12 (“I Take Your Point”: Entering Class Discussions)
- Read SANDRA CISNEROS “Never Marry a Mexican” (68) JOURNAL 6 Summary/Response
Wednesday Proposal and Analysis
- Read SANDRA CISNEROS “There was a Man, There was a Woman” (133)
WEEK SEVEN – 10/26 and 10/28
Monday Class Cancelled
- Chapter 5 (“And Yet”: Distinguishing What You Say from What They Say)
- Journal 7
- Rough Draft 2 Due
Wednesday Chips and Salsa and Peer Review
Unit 3 – Report
WEEK EIGHT – 11/2 and 11/4
Monday Intro to Report
- Read Chapter 7 (“So What? Who Cares?”: Saying Why It Matters)
- Peer Review 2 Due
- Read LEV GROSSMAN, “From Scroll to Screen” JOURNAL 8 Summary/Response
Wednesday Intro to Report
- Final Draft 2 Due
WEEK NINE – 11/9 and 11/11
Monday Intro to Research
- Chapter 8 (“As a Result”: Connecting the Parts)
- Watch Jane McGonigal, “Gaming Can Make a Better World” JOURNAL 9
Wednesday VETERANS DAY No Class
WEEK TEN – 11/16 and 11/18
Monday Report Peer Review
- Chapter 9 (“You Mean I Can Say It That Way?”: Academic Writing Doesn’t Always Mean Setting Aside Your Own Voice)
- Rough Draft 3 Due
Wednesday Research Questions
- Read Gerald Graff, “Hidden Intellectualism” [p. 369] JOURNAL 10
- Peer Review 3 Due
WEEK ELEVEN – 11/23 and 11/25
Monday No School Thanksgiving Break
- Final Draft 3 Due
Wednesday No School. Happy Thanksgiving.
Unit 4 – Argument
WEEK TWELVE – 11/30 and 12/2
Monday Intro to Rhetoric
- Chapter 6 (“Skeptics May Object”: Planting a Naysayer in Your Text)
- Read or Watch MICHELLE OBAMA, “Bowie State University Commencement Speech” Video Link JOURNAL 11
Wednesday Arguments and Logos
WEEK THIRTEEN – 12/7 and 12/9
Monday
- Read Chapter 10 (“But Don’t Get Me Wrong”: The Art of Metacommentary)
- Watch Ken Robinson, “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” Journal 12
Wednesday Argument Peer Review
- Rough Draft 4 DUE
WEEK FOURTEEN – 12/14 and 12/16
Monday Final Exam Review
- Final Draft Due
Wednesday Final Exam
English 101: Freshmen Composition
Crafton Hills College – Fall 2020
Instructor: Sefferino Ramos Class Time: 1:00 – 5:50 pm M/W Classroom: Zoom Section: 42 |
Email: sramos@craftonhills.edu Voicemail/Text: (909) 453-2953 Office Hours: After class and by apt. Website: ProfessorRamos.blog |
Course Description
Welcome to English 101! Over the next Thirteen weeks we will study how to write different types of college essays. By studying and writing different types of compositions, you will learn how to compose your own effective and purposeful texts. We will study argumentation, learn to research, and practice the process of writing. We will study how good writing is dependent on the situation, reader, and purpose it is created for. What you say, how you say it, and who you are saying it to, are important to keep in mind as you write.
We will explore many concepts about writing: literacy, discourse, rhetoric, writing process, the conversation, and critical reading, writing, and thinking, to name a few. This is one of the few writing classes you will take, the more you apply yourself here, the better you will be able to communicate effectively in college and beyond. Come to class with an open mind and ready to work and you will learn a ton about writing.
This class is a work in progress. We will be reading and writing and utilize the class website to post the final drafts. Everything you write in this class will be published online. Do not worry; this will be the highlight of the course. We will build a community of writers to learn from each other and produce knowledge for others to learn as well.
Course Objectives
Upon satisfactory completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Identify the topic thesis, details, transitions, and organizational patterns within essays, two to three-page articles, and textbook chapters
- Vary reading speeds and methods according to the type of material and purpose for reading
- Read, discuss, and write an accurate summary of a passage from a text
- Identify, correct, and apply rules of grammar through analysis of their own writing
- Identify the structural and major rhetorical patterns in expository prose readings
- Generate ideas about which to write, using a variety of heuristic methods
- Write an essay consisting of introduction, body, conclusion, with a clear statement of thesis
- Write an essay of three or more pages without gross problems with unity, clarity, development, organization, or coherence
- Organize paragraphs into a logical sequence, developing the central idea of the essay to a logical conclusion
- Use sentences of varying structure and type in order to emphasize meaning, relationship, and importance of ideas
- Find books, articles, periodicals, and newspapers related to particular subjects
- Integrating the ideas of others through paraphrase, summary, and quotation into papers
- Revise, proofread, and edit essays so they exhibit no gross errors in English grammar, usage, or punctuation
- Begin analyzing and evaluating a piece of writing for its rhetorical and technical merit, with consideration of the principles of unity, coherence, tone, persona, purpose, methods, and the effects on a target audience
- Write an in-class essay of at least 350 words that is unified, coherent, and relatively free from distracting sentence-writing errors
- Assess credibility of sources and incorporate sources into a paper and document those sources according to MLA or APA style
Student Learning Outcomes
- Write effective essays.
- Demonstrate critical reading skills.
- Demonstrate effective problem-solving skills.
Required Text
- Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst. They Say I Say with Readings, 4th edition. ISBN: 9780393631685
- Cisneros, Sandra. Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories. ISBN: 9780679738565
- Additional Readings on Class Website
Assessment and Grading
Specific instructions and rubrics will be provided to you for your work on the major projects. As we go through the course, we will clarify the assignments and make sure we agree on what good work looks like.
Crafton Hills does not use a + or – grading scale, only A, B, C, D, and F. The class uses a 1095-point grading scale. Points required for an A= 985, B= 876, and C=766. Anything less than 766 points is considered a failing grade. Essays 1 – 4 are mandatory for everyone. It becomes very difficult to pass the class if you are missing an essay. You can earn up to 60 points extra credit.
Assignment | Points Possible | My Points | Assignment | Points Possible | My Points |
Journals | 10 x 12 = 120 | Final | 100 | ||
Rough Drafts | 4 x 20 = 80 | ||||
Peer Review | 4 x 25 = 100 | Tutoring | 20 | ||
Essay 1 | 150 | ||||
Essay 2 | 150 | ||||
Essay 3 | 150 | ||||
Essay 4 | 150 | TOTAL | |||
Course Policies
Syllabus Revision: I may need to change or revise the syllabus during the semester. Students will receive ample notice of revisions.
Classroom Code of Conduct: We will be discussing controversial and/or adult oriented content in this course. You are all adults and are expected to conduct yourself accordingly in class and in all interactions with other students. Racist, sexist, bigoted, and hurtful language will not be tolerated and could get you removed from the course and/or reported to disciplinary authorities. While I am here to lecture and help facilitate discussion, it is up to you to participate in the class and keep up with the readings. I will be available through email and after class, so please see me if you need anything pertaining to our class.
Attendance: Your attendance is required. We will be working together regularly in groups and to workshop assignments. For this to work, you must be present and ready to participate. If you do miss a class, it is your responsibility to turn in required assignments on time and to find out from your classmates what you missed. Reading and writing assignments are due at the beginning of class. To get the points for the day, you need to be present and on task.
Arriving late, leaving early, or other inappropriate behavior disrupts your learning and that of your classmates and will be considered an absence.
Personal Writing: We will be doing personal writing in this class as we explore ourselves and each other. Do not write anything that you are not comfortable sharing with this class and outside of this class. The writing that we do here is for everyone in the class. If you have any questions about whether something is suitable, please discuss it with me or your class mates.
Plagiarism: Knowingly submitting the work of others as your own is considered plagiarism. Proper MLA citation is required for all sources used in the course. If you have any questions or need help with citations, please see me. If you plagiarize, the least that will happen is you fail this course.
Electronic Devices: Electronic devices are not permitted during class time, unless specifically cleared by me. Please silence or turn off your electronics and phones. If you require special accommodation, please see the contact the Disabled Student Services office at (909) 389-3325. There is no texting, social media, or email during class.
Late Work and Make-up Work: All assignments are due at the start of class on the designated dates. It is your responsibility to have assignments submitted on time. In-class assignments and essays cannot be made up. Please contact me directly if you have any questions or need special accommodations. Make-up work will only be accepted in case of emergency or a case by case basis. Do not wait until the next class session to ask about make-up work. Contact me before it is late.
Revision: If you are not happy with a grade you receive on an assignment, you may revise the essay with the original attached and a one-page reflection on the revision process, within one week of receiving the grade.
ADA Compliance: If you are unable to participate fully in this class due to a disability that qualifies under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you should contact the Disabled Student Services office at (909) 389-3325.
Disclaimer: The best way to grow as a writer is to study other writers’ work, so I may use your writing as a model/sample in our class or for future classes. This is a great way for you to contribute to the growth and learning of your peers here at Crafton Hills College and beyond. Do not be embarrassed, we are all here learning from each other.
Course Schedule
- The following is the schedule of assignments for this class. The schedule of readings and assignments is subject to change based upon the needs of the class.
- All readings and assignments are listed on the day they are due. Please come to class with all readings and assignments complete.