Course Syllabus

English 1A: College Composition

Section 4086

Fall 2017

Instructor: Lauren Nahas

Email: lnahas@contracosta.edu

Office Hours: Monday 3:00-4:00 via Canvas Conference, or by appointment.

Course Description

This course focuses on composition that develops from examining and comparing writers’ ideas and techniques in classic and contemporary non-fiction from varied cultural perspectives.  Through discussion, essay writing and research, the course will further develop the techniques taught in English 142B.    Not repeatable.  LR, DG, CSU, UC

Pre-Requisites

“C” or better in English 142B or ESL 195, passing COMPASS score.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will communicate effectively in writing.  Students will be able to write a persuasive research paper that includes all the required elements.

Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to . . .

Demonstrate critical thinking skills in response to non-fiction readings:

1. Understand, analyze and interpret expository texts, with an emphasis on argumentation
2. Recognize authors’ theses, stated an implied, and examine techniques of presenting
3. Distinguish between claims, stated or implied, and evidence
4. Examine forms of support, including comparison/contrast, definition, illustration, cause/effect
5. Identify and explain the effectiveness of audience, purpose, and tone in expository writing
6. Draw and justify inferences about a text, the intention of the author, or the effect of the work based on its historical, moral, cultural, social, psychological or aesthetic context
7. Connect authors’ ideas to a broader context, including other writers’ ideas
8. Demonstrate understanding of cultural diversity

Demonstrate composition skills, producing sustained essays of at least 750 words each:

1. Employ strategies of prewriting (idea generation, e.g., freewriting, clustering, brainstorming, and outlining) and revision (e.g., drafting, peer response)
2. Include a clear thesis
3. Organize ideas logically and effectively
4. Establish a clear purpose and tone; show awareness of audience
5. Employ features of argumentation, including varied forms of support, e.g., comparison/contrast, definition, illustration, cause/effect
6. Show coherence and unity
7. Use effective language, including precise diction and varied sentences
8. Show grammatical correctness
9. Research and synthesize ideas from a variety of sources
10. Use MLA style to document sources (quotations and paraphrasing) with in-text citations and a Works Cited page

Required Textbooks and Materials

Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates (available at the CCC bookstore)

They Say, I Say by Gerald Graff and Cathy Kirkenstein

Reliable and consistent internet access

Webcamera (helpful, but not required)

Adobe Acrobat Reader (downloadable for free)

Important Dates

Last day to drop with a refund — 8/25

Last day to drop without a "W" — 9/4

Labor Day Holiday — 9/4

Native American Holiday — 9/22

Veteran's Day Holiday — 11/10

Last day to drop with a "W" — 11/17

Thanksgiving Holiday — 11/23-24

Methods of Evaluation

• 4 Essays (all out of class)
• 1 Summary
• Multiple weekly whole-class discussions
• Small-group discussions and activities
• Writing process activities
• Quizzes
• Short-answer assignments

Grading Policy

This course uses a contract grading system.  

You are guaranteed a B if you:

1.  Miss no more than 4 discussions (discussions are roughly the equivalent of attending class);

2.  meet due dates and minimum standards for all major writing assignments; the minimum standards are defined as:

• Unity and Organization: The thesis is apparent and generally controls the direction and development of the essay.  For the most part, paragraphs are unified.  The essay has a logical progression of ideas.
• Ideas and Support: The essay shows a basic understanding of the sources.  The essay develops its supporting points with adequate evidence and analysis.  The essay addresses the essay topic and meets the required length.
• Style and Mechanics: The essay may contain some errors that distract the reader but to not impede understanding.
• Documentation and Use of Sources: The essay displays awareness of MLA documentation and citations, though there may be a few errors.

3.  participate in all activities;

4.  complete all writing process assignments (e.g. outlines, brainstorming discussions, etc);

5.  give thoughtful peer feedback during peer review (e.g., post your drafts on time, commenting on drafts, responding thoughtfully to peer review-related discussions, answering peer questions, etc);

6.  make substantive revisions when the assignment is to revise—extending or changing the thinking or organization—not just editing or touching up.

Thus you earn the grade of B entirely on the basis of what you do—on your conscientious effort and participation. The grade of B does not derive from my judgment about the quality of your writing. Grades higher than B, however, do rest on my judgment of writing quality. To earn higher grades you must produce writing that I judge to be exceptionally high quality.  The minimum standards and rubric for each essay will explain the specific expectations for each essay.

About grades lower than B

I hope no one will aim for these grades. The quickest way to C, D, or F is to miss discussions and not turn in assignments. This much is non-negotiable: You are not eligible even for a passing grade of C- unless you have participated in 15 of the 17 weeks of class (not including finals week) and completed 85% of the assignments. And you can't just turn in all the late work at the end. If you are missing assignments and behind in work, please stay in touch with me about your chances of passing the course.

Instructor Communication

I will be responding to multiple methods of communication (email, Canvas messages, and Question and Answer discussion posts) Monday-Thursday.  You can expect a response from me within at least 24 hours.  

Discussions

The discussions in a online class serve the exact same function that they do in face-to-face classes—they are there to help you work through the course's content, and bounce ideas off of other students.  Therefore, I will not alwasy be responding to each individual student's posts.  I always monitor the discussions, and depending on the content of the discussion, I may or may not respond to each post.  

Attendance and Participation

Behavior

Plagiarism

We will cover plagiarism in the course, so you will learn how to avoid it and to document your research sources properly.

But basically, plagiarism is taking the writing (the actual phrases and sentences) or ideas of another author and presenting them as if they were your own.  So, cutting and pasting ANY text (that is not placed in quotations marks) into your essays is considered cheating, or plagiarism.  The bottom line is that if I find plagiarized writing in any of your assignments, I will report it to the college, and I will give you an F for that assignment.

Contra Costa College's policy on plagiarism can be found in the Student Code of Conduct, which is in the College Catalog on the college website: www.contracosta.edu

Helpful Resources

Tutoring (ENGL102)

Students enrolled in English 142B are strongly encouraged to sign up for English 102, section number 1426. Students must be enrolled in English 102 in order to receive instructor assistance in the College Skills Center.  Only students enrolled in English 102 will be able to work with an instructor in drafting, writing and revising essays.

ENGL102 is a variable unit class, and students can register for as many as 3.0 units.  I recommend that students enroll for between 0.2 and 1.0 unit.  If you register for 0.2 units (which costs about $10), you are only required to complete a minimum of 5.5 hours in the College Skills Center (although you can use the Center as much as you like).  The instructor support and other resources provided in English 102 could make the difference between a student passing or not passing his/her English course.  For more information go to the Skills Center website: http://www.contracosta.edu/lor/onlinetutor/Shared%20Documents/default.aspx.

DSPS Statement (approved by the ASC 11/19/01)

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, requires Contra Costa College to make all programs accessible to qualified individuals with learning, physical, or psychological disabilities.  Students who would like to receive accommodations for their learning, physical, or psychological disabilities should contact the Disabled Students Programs & Services (DSPS) office (SSC-109) and schedule an appointment. Phone: (510) 235-7800 ext. 7220

Counseling: Student Services Center, Room 108 (SSC-108), (510) 215-3934 or (510) 215-3936

www.contracosta.edu/home/student-services/counseling

Library: www.contracosta.edu/library

CCC Newspaper: cccadvocate.com

Speech Lab in AA 113C (contact Sherry Diestler at sdiestler@contracosta.edu or at x4330.