Saint Paul’s College: Department of Humanities & Behavioral Sciences
English 161-2
Class Time: TR 11-12:15 p.m.
Office: RH 137
Classroom: RH Reading Lab
Office Hours: TBA Please contact me at raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com to set up an appointment if necessary.
Office Phone: contact by email only Credit Hours:3
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com
Website: www.comprone.info
Writing Intensive Course: You will have a minimum of 4000 words of required writing and at least 50% of the final grade is derived from writing assignments.
Pre-requisite: Students who take this course must have passed the placement test with an appropriate score. Alternatively, students who have passed the developmental English course (062) may enroll in this course.
Endorsmement Competencies for Education Majors:
Knowledge of reading strategies and techniques used to enhance reading comprehensive skills.
Course Description: Students will learn how to incorporate sources effectively into their writing, and they will learn how to write clearly and persuasively in an academic context. Students also will be required to think critically about different topics.
Required/Recommended Textbooks:
The textbook below is required reading for this class.
Please click the link to the textbook:
OURVOICES
Other material for the class will be available on this website and on the blog.
Rationale for Course: The purpose of this course is to enhance students' literacy and writing skills.
Course Goals, Objectives, and Corresponding Program Outcomes:
1 Expose students to academic writing by having them read and analyze essays in class from the assigned textbook, Our Voices
2 Develop students' critical thinking skills by having them participate in class discussions
3 Develop students’ writing skills by having them engage in the process of revision through writing workshops and peer editing groups
4 Enable students to understand how to write in an academic context by integrating sources into their papers
We will incorporate the QEP writing rubric format designed for writing intensive courses:
Saint Paul’s College General Education Program
Core Program Course Rubric (CPRC)
Writing Rubric
5 (Skilled); 4 (Proficient); 3 (Average); 2 (Marginally Acceptable); 1 (Unacceptable)
Focus and Thesis (1-5)
Questions: Does the essay respond to the prompt in a focused way? Does the essay maintain a single focus throughout?
Goal: Identifiable thesis representing adequate understanding of the assigned topic. Thesis or focus is developed throughout essay.
Evidence (1-5)
Questions: Does the writer support assertions with evidence or examples? Is evidence cited according to required guidelines (such as MLA)? Are quotations integrated into the student’s own writing? Goal: Accurate evidence that is well documented, relevant, well integrated, and/or appropriate.
Organization (1-5)
Questions: Does the student divide paragraphs by idea? Does the student develop paragraphs beyond two sentences? Does the student distinguish between an introductory paragraph, a body paragraph, and a conclusion? Goal: Effective paragraphing with few overall organizational problems. Introduction and conclusion are effectively related to the whole.
Style and Mechanics (1-5)
Question: Is the essay written according to the conventions of Standard Written English? Some sentence-level errors are normal, but not multiple errors of multiple kinds. Goal: Effective and varied sentences; minimal errors in sentence construction; only occasional punctuation, spelling and/or capitalization errors.
Format:
Lecture, but class discussion will be required. Students will be asked to engage critically with the ideas that they read about in class.
Expectations for Student Behavior:
Please arrange for meeting with me during office hours. Students must behave appropriately by: 1) avoiding talking when the professor is speaking, 2) being punctual (students will lose points for tardiness and excessive absences), 3) ALWAYS bringing their textbooks to class, 4) actively participating in class, 5) not plagiarizing, 6) avoiding the use of foul language and abusive behavior, 8) being polite to other students, and 9) following the dress code and wearing appropriate attire, 10) send all revisions of your assignments with an email to raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com (you must CLEARLY label your assignment and the attachment when you send it to my email. Please use your own email account and clearly identify your name in your email message and in the title of your email message. Please send me Microsoft Word documents and DO NOT SEND PAPERS IN THE TEXT OF YOUR EMAIL. In your email message, put your name, the course you are taking, and the assignment that you are attaching. If you send an assignment to the wrong email, you are responsible for the missing assignment.
Disabilities:
Students with disabilities must refer to the Center for Academic Support Services. They must make an arrangement with me to complete assignments and course material. If supplemental instruction is necessary, they must contact me at raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com. Students with disabilities should attend class, and I will provide supplemental instruction to these students upon request. Students with disabilities must notify their instructors.
Class Format, Process, and Methods of Instruction:
Grading Strategy:
All grades are weighed equally.
You will have four exams throughout the semester in which you will have to write in class essays. Each essay should be at least four double spaced pages and should be written according to MLA format. You should also incorporate quotes into your papers.
Exam #1: 20%
Midterm Exam: 25%
Exam #3: 20%
Final Exam: 25%
Participation and Attendance: 10%
Total: 100%
Please note that attendance in this course is crucial. Blog posts also count towards class participation, and it is required that you post at least 10 comments on the blog. Please refrain from using inappropriate language on the blog. Also, please check your comments for spelling and punctuation.
Tentative List of Assigned Readings and Assignments:
In class assignments and blog posts:
Please note that to sign in to the blog, you must have a gmail account. You also can only use certain computers in the computer center in order to use Google Blogger. Please use Google Chrome as your web browser when you sign in, and if that does not work, try a different computer or ask a computer technician (Mr. Macklin) which computer works with Blogger.
Here is the link to my blog:http:www.drcomprone.blogspot.com
Online instruction in this class does not replace class participation.
List of Exams and Exam Material:
Exam #1: Write an essay on "African American Self-Reliance in Postracial America" (pages 10-20 in Our Voices ). Discuss whether you believe that America has become a post-racial society since the election of Barack Obama. Include quotes in your essay.
Midterm Exam: Discuss the issue of global warming and climate change. Address different viewpoints on the subject. Collect and evaluate research from different sources. Draw conclusions from the data and statistics you gather. Is the controversy about global warming exaggerated, or is the problem more serious than we imagine? Cite research from at least five sources.
Exam #3: Read "Tyler Perry: The Self-Appointed Savior of Black Womanhood." Discuss Tyler Perry's representations of black womanhood. What do you think about the representation of black women in recent films? Demonstrate a close reading of the essay.
Final Exam Read "Traversing Disparate Cultures in a Transnational World: A Bicultural/Hybrid Experience" (this essay begins on page 297 of Our Voices ). Most of us experience encounters with people from different cultures in our global society. How can the intermingling of different cultures create a new society? Can it also be a source of confusion? Integrate quotes from the essay into your final exam.
In Class Assignments: The blog will be important for your participation grade. Please post at least 10 times.
Recommended Internet Sites: www.comprone.info for updates on assignments, syllabi, poetry club submissions (extra credit)
Please turn in a copy of this syllabus to me with your signature and the date:
Student Name (Please print): ____________
Student signature: ____________________
Date: ______________________
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