Long Beach City College - Fall 2004

English 1:  Reading and Composition

Section 70707

 

           

Instructor:  Dr. Karen Rose           Class room:  P105

          Office:  P103                                         Class time:  MW 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

          Phone:  562-938-4099                           Course web site:  www.skidandkaren.com

          E-mail:  krose@lbcc.edu                                 

Office hours:  Mondays and Wednesdays 11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. and by appt.

                                               

 

Course Prerequisite

You are ready to take English 1 if you have been placed in it after taking the English assessment test, OR you have successfully completed English 105 or ESL 34 with a grade of “C” or better.

 

Course Description

English 1 is a three-unit course designed to satisfy LBCC’s general writing requirement and serve as the primary transfer-level composition course for the college.  This class will strengthen your ability to read, discuss, and write about college-level essays.  Simply put, we will focus on the analytical reading and writing skills necessary for academic success. 

 

Textbooks

·         Kirszner, Laurie and Stephen Mandell.  The Blair Reader.  5th Edition.

·         Aaron, Jane E.  The Little, Brown Handbook.  Brief Version.  2nd Edition.

·         Rodríguez, Luis J.  Always Running:  La Vida Loca:  Gang Days in L.A. 

 

Requirements

·         Five essays – Two essays will be written in class, and three essays (3-4 typed pages) will be completed out of class.  The topics will be closely related to the reading assignments.

·         One research paper – We will work on the research paper throughout the semester.  During weeks 16 & 17 each member of the class will give a brief oral report to share what he/she has learned. 

·         Revision portfolio and cover letter – At the end of the semester you will select two of your previous essays and revise them.  This will give you the opportunity to demonstrate the writing skills you have developed throughout the course.  Because you will be required to include the original essays (with my comments), it is essential that you save all graded essays. 

·         Miscellaneous short writing assignments -- Periodically, I will ask you to complete short, informal writing assignments (both in and out of class).  While these papers will not be graded, failing to complete them will adversely affect your grade.

·         Group and class discussions - Your participation in group activities and class discussions is very important.  Not only will participating help you develop your oral communication skills, it will help make our class more interesting and enjoyable.  Please don’t be shy.  To help those of you who have difficulties speaking up in class, each member of the class will be required to sign up to be the discussion leader for one of the reading assignments.  Guidelines as to what is expected of discussion leaders will be discussed in class. 

·         Final exam – You will have 2 1/2 hours to write an in-class essay issued by the English Department.  You must pass this exam to pass English 1. 

 

Attendance

I will take attendance at the beginning of class everyday.  I expect you to arrive on time, bring your textbook to class, and be prepared to participate in class discussions and activities.  Your failure to fulfill these expectations will adversely affect your grade.  Please make note of the following rules:

·         If you miss five class meetings, I will drop you from the class.

·         If you arrive after attendance is taken, you are tardy.  Three tardies count as one absence.

·         In-class work missed during an absence cannot be made up. 

 

Late work

Fifteen points will be deducted for each day your essay is late (including weekends).  In-class work cannot be made up.  When an assignment is due, it must be handed in at the beginning of the class. 

 

Grading

Your final grade for the course will be determined as follows:

Essays 1-5              500 points

Research Paper        200 points

Revision Portfolio      100 points

Participation            75 points

Attendance             25 points (less 5 points per absence)

Final Exam               100 points - You must pass the final exam to pass English 1.

                             __________

TOTAL                    1000 points

 

Grading Scale

A = 1000 – 900 points

B = 899 – 800 points

C = 799 – 700 points

D = 699 – 600 points

F = 599 or less points

 

Classroom conduct

Treat your classmates as you would want them to treat you!  When somebody is talking, pay attention and listen to what he or she has to say, even if you disagree with what is being said.  You have the right to speak up and present your viewpoint, but personal insults are not acceptable.  Treating one another (and me) with respect will make our class more fun.  And finally, please make sure that all cell phones are turned off during class. 

 

Plagiarism

The use of another’s ideas or words as if they were one’s own is plagiarism.  Be aware that LBCC regulations require that all instances of plagiarism be reported to the Dean of Students for disciplinary action.  Please be careful to cite other people’s words and ideas that you incorporate – by way of quotation, paraphrase, and summary – into your essays.  We will discuss the MLA citation style in class.

 

Resources

Take advantage of the resources available to help you develop your writing skills and succeed in this class:

 

·         Me -- I am dedicated to helping each of you achieve your academic goals.  If you feel that you need extra assistance, please come to my office hours.  I will be happy to help you. 

 

·         Writing and Reading Center -- The WRC is located at L149 on the LAC campus and GG129 on the PCC campus.  You can receive FREE walk-in writing assistance from an English instructor or tutor.  If you would like more specialized individual instruction, you can enroll in a half-unit course.  There are eleven courses to choose from.  For more information, please ask me, call the Writing and Reading Center at 938-4520, or visit the web site:  http://engl.lbcc.cc.ca.us/

 

·         Computer Labs -- The English Department Computer Lab is located in P111 and is available to all students currently enrolled in an English course.  The Open Access Computer Lab is located in the south wing of the 2nd floor of the Library Building (L208).  It is free to use the computers (PC and Mac) for word processing or to access the Internet.  Printing costs 10¢ per page.  For more  information, call 562-938-4852, or visit the web site:  http://clas.lbcc.cc.ca.us/openaccess1.html

 

·         Our class web site -- On our web site you will find the syllabus, assignments, and links to many web sites that I think you will find helpful.  Please visit http://www.skidandkaren.com.  Click on “Karen’s English Students”

 

 

 

Course Schedule and Assignments

Note:  this schedule is subject to change.  If we need to spend more time

on any of the topics listed below, we will make adjustments.

 

 

 

Mondays

Wednesdays

 

Week One
Aug. 16 & 18


Course overview
Interviews and introductions


Sign up to be a discussion leader

 

Read “The Writing Situation” (LB 2-17)

 

Read “Thesis and Organization” (LB 18-27)

 


Week Two

Aug. 23 & 25
 


1 page autobiography due

 

Read “Paragraphs” (LB 51-66)

 

Read Gary Soto, “One Last Time” (BR 13-20)

 

Read Alice Walker, “Beauty” (BR 38-44)

 


Discuss Essay #1 assignment

 

Read “Analyzing an essay” (LB 49-50)

 

Read Raymond Carver, “My Father’s Life” (BR 45-52)


Week Three
Aug. 30 &

Sept. 1

 

Read Maxine Hong Kingston, “No Name Woman” (BR 27-37)

Read Sherman Alexie, “The Unauthorized Autobiography of Me” (BR 53-62)

 


Read Harlan Coben, “The Key to My Father” (BR 63-67)

 

Read “Introductory and concluding paragraphs” (LB 67-71)

 


Week Four
Sept. 6 & 8


Labor Day
No classes!


Read “Checklist for whole-essay revision” (LB 32)

 

Peer edit day for Essay #1

 


Week Five
Sept. 13 & 15


Essay #1 Due

 

Discuss research paper assignment

Read “Research Strategy” (LB 406-415) and “Finding Sources” (LB 415-436)

 

Read “Working with Sources,” (BR 437-458) “Avoiding Plagiarism and Documenting Sources,” (BR 459-468) and “Writing the Paper” (BR 468-471)

 

Read “MLA Documentation and Format” (LB 471-481 and 509-517)

 

How to include effective quotations:

Quotation marks (LB 369-372)

Ellipses marks (LB 377-379)
Brackets (LB 379-380)

 

 


Library Orientation

 

 

 


Week Six
Sept. 20 & 22


Read Judy Brady, “Why I Want a Wife” (BR 412-3)

 

Read Glenn Sacks, “Stay-at-home Dads” (BR 414-416)

 


Read Barbara Whitehead, “The Girls of Gen X” (BR 445-452)

 

Read Arlie Hochschild, “The Second Shift” (BR 554-559)

 


Week Seven
Sept. 27 & 29


Read Christina Sommers, “The War Against Boys” (BR 453-457)

 

Read Warren Farrell, “Man Bashing” (BR 458-464)

 

Pre-writing exercises in class

 


Essay #2 in class

 


Week Eight
Oct. 4 & 6


Research Paper Topic Due

 

Read Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken” (BR 666-7)

 

Read Linda Pastan, “Ethics” (BR 668)

 

 

Discuss Essay #3 assignment

 

Read Henry David Thoreau, “Civil Disobedience” (BR 680-698)


Week Nine
Oct. 11 & 13


Read Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (BR 699-714)

 

Read Ursula Le Guin, “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” (BR 761-766)

 


Peer edit day for Essay #3


Week Ten
Oct. 18 & 20


Essay #3 due

 

Bowling for Columbine



Bowling for Columbine




Week Eleven
Oct. 25 & 27


Read Marie Winn, “Television:  the Plug-In Drug” (BR 270-278)

 

Read George Gerbner, “Global Media Mayhem” (BR 319-324)

 


Read Richard Rhodes, “Hollow Claims About Fantasy Violence” (BR 324-327)

 

Read John Leo, “When Life Imitates Video” (BR 327-330)

 


Week Twelve
Nov. 1 & 3


No class meeting
Individual Conferences
Bring your research paper (in progress) to your conference.

 


Essay #4 in class

 


Week Thirteen
Nov. 8 & 10

 

No class meeting
Individual Conferences

Bring your research paper (in progress) to your conference.


No class meeting
Individual Conferences
Bring your research paper (in progress) to your conference.


Week Fourteen
Nov. 15 & 17

 

Read the following:
Luis Rodriguez, Always Running


Read the following:
Luis Rodriguez, Always Running


Week Fifteen
Nov. 22 & 24


Read the following:
Luis Rodriguez, Always Running


Read the following:
Luis Rodriguez, Always Running


Week Sixteen
Nov. 29 &

Dec. 1


Essay #5 Due
Discussion of revision portfolio and the process of revision


Oral Reports


Week Seventeen
Dec. 6 & 8


Oral Reports


Research Paper Due
Final Exam Prep


 
Finals Week


Final Exam
Thursday, December 9

1:20 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.