PRINCE GEORGE'S COMMUNITY
COLLEGE
EGL 102 – Composition II: Writing about Literature
Spring
2006
Instructor: Dr. Paul Madachy, English
Dept
Phone: (301) 322-0836
department
phone number: (301) 322-0561
Email:
madachps@pgcc.edu
I
will respond to all email within 48 hours.
Please do not expect an immediate response to any email, particularly
emails sent late at night or just before class.
Literature:
Any
good grammar/documentation handbook, such as The Bedford Handbook, 6th
ed., by Diana Hacker
Upon completion of this
course the student will be able to:
1) Write analytical essays
about literary texts by
·
Formulating restricted, unified and precise thesis statements
·
Organizing essay content into introduction, body, and conclusion
paragraphs
·
Composing restricted, unified and precise topic sentences for
paragraphs
·
Writing unified and coherent paragraphs that are well-developed with
supporting materials drawn from the literary text
·
Applying grammar and usage rules correctly
·
Choosing appropriate diction
·
Writing clear, precise sentences
2) Apply literary terms (for
example, theme, imagery, rhythm, figurative language, tone, character, plot) in
the genre of poetry, fiction, and drama
3) Write research-based essays
using secondary sources to
·
Demonstrate their understanding of plagiarism
·
Synthesize several different sources into an essay to support its
thesis
·
Quote, summarize, and paraphrase responsibly within that paper
·
Document sources according to the MLA format
Attendance is required.
You are responsible for what
goes on in class, whether you are present or not, so, if you are absent, seek
out another student for an explanation of what was covered that day. Moreover, since the class involves group
activities throughout the semester, missing class can directly affect your
grade. This course operates in part as a
workshop, where writing and peer reviewing activities take place in class. In addition, there is a heavy emphasis on
class participation.
You may have two
unexcused absences without official penalty.
For each unexcused absence after that, your class participation grade
will drop ½ a letter grade. Attendance
is considered when deciding borderline grades.
Arriving late to class is
also a problem, as it results in missed information on your part (I often make
announcements about homework and syllabus changes in the first five minutes of
class) and a distraction to everyone else in the classroom. Two late arrivals will count as an unexcused
absence. You are considered late if you
arrive after I have taken roll (at the beginning of class). If you arrive late, it is your responsibility
to make sure that I mark you on the attendance roll.
If
you miss a class, you are responsible for finding out what you
missed—talk to a classmate to get any notes or announcements.
If
essays are due on a day that the college is closed, the new due date is the
next class session. Check the PGCC
website (www.pgcc.edu) for school closing information. In the event that the instructor has to
cancel a class unexpectedly, a notice will be posted on the classroom door with
instructions regarding the schedule.
Late papers will be marked
down one letter grade for each day they are late. If you have a valid reason for your lateness
(which does not include printing problems, for example—make sure you do not
wait until the last minute to print out your paper because something not only
can go wrong but often does), please talk to me as soon as possible. I will not accept papers that are more than
one week late without a very good
reason. Papers are due at the beginning of class on
the day they are listed on the syllabus.
All
essays must be completed in order to pass the course.
If you are unable to attend
class on the day that an assignment is due, you may email me the assignment any
time before that class to receive credit for turning it in on time. You must also bring a hard copy of the
assignment to the next class.
Revising: each student may revise one paper that
receives a grade of D or lower (if the paper was not handed in late), not
including the poetry paper. If you wish
to revise a paper, you must meet with me to discuss your plan of revision, and
resubmit it to me one week from the date of that meeting. Rewrites will be graded and then averaged
with the original grade to produce the final grade for that document.
Academic Integrity
(Plagiarism)
Don’t
do it. Plagiarism is illegal, unethical,
and dishonest. It is taking someone
else’s language or ideas and using them as your own. Plagiarism puts both of us in an extremely
difficult situation. If you have any
questions about your work or how to cite the work of others, feel free to come talk to me.
The
college is an institution of higher learning that holds academic integrity as
its highest principle. In the pursuit of
knowledge, the college community expects that all students, faculty, and staff
will share responsibility for adhering to the values of honesty and
unquestionable integrity. To support a
community committed to academic achievement and scholarship, the Code of
Academic Integrity advances the principle of honest representation in the work
that is produced by students seeking to engage fully in the learning
process. The complete text of the Code
of Academic Integrity is in the 2004-2005 Student Handbook (pages 41-43) and
posted on the college's website.
Plagiarized
papers will receive a zero for that assignment, and may be referred to the
Office of the Vice President for Student Services for disciplinary action.
Format for Assignments
All external assignments
(excluding homework assignments) must be typed or produced on a word
processor. Word processing is preferable
because it makes the mechanics of revision--rearranging, adding and
deleting--much easier.
**NOTE**: I strongly recommend that you make a back-up
copy of every paper you write. Computer
and disk problems occur all the time, so don’t run the
risk of losing all of your hard work.
Double-space
your text and use a plain font, between 10 and 12 point. Leave one inch margins top, bottom, left and
right on each page of text; "justify"--that is, line up--your text on
the left margin only. Place the
following information in the upper left-hand corner of the first page:
Your Name
Course
and Section #
Date
My
Name
Center the title (all papers
must have a title) on the page. Start
your text on the following page (repeat the title on the first page of text). Be sure to include page numbers on all pages
of text after the first.
Since this course focuses on
writing as a process, I would like to see all of the work that leads to the
final paper. So when you turn in your
final draft, place it in a folder
with pockets, and include all
efforts that led to the final (prewriting, peer response evaluation, rough
drafts). That way we can keep track of
your progress on the specific writing features you need to work on.
Requirements
External
Assignments. Your main work in the course consists of
three papers written outside of class.
Think of them as representing the best thinking and writing you can
produce. You will also be expected to
complete various homework assignments throughout the course of the semester.
Exams. There are three in-class exams in this
course, one for each unit (drama, fiction, poetry) of literature we will be
examining. Each exam will consist of
three sections: vocabulary, short
answer, and an extended essay.
In-class
Writing. You may be asked to follow some of the
exercises described in your textbook and to write a variety of short memos,
responses to readings, answers to questions, the questions themselves, quizzes,
paper plans, and critiques of other students' writing. You will also be responsible for a formal,
graded in-class essay.
Draft
Workshops. In order to provide greater opportunities for
feedback on papers, we will hold peer response sessions, where students
exchange rough drafts for discussion.
These peer response sessions are extremely important for this
class. They are a chance for you to
obtain constructive comments on your papers before you have to turn them in for
a grade. On days when we will be
working on these essays in class, you must bring a clean, typed, completed copy
of your rough draft.
Grading
The percentages of
contribution to your final grade are as follows:
Drama/Poetry Papers 200 (100 points each)
Fiction Paper (Research) 200
Drama/Fiction/Poetry Exams 300 (100
points each)
Peer Reviews 100
Class Participation 100_________________
900 total
points
Class participation includes
quizzes, homework and taking an active role in the class. Since an appropriate level of active and intelligent
participation is taken as a given, failure to participate at a basic level,
including by virtue of excessive absences, can reduce
your grade.
Disability
Support Services (
Students
requesting academic accommodations are required to contact the Disability
Support Services Office (M-1042) or call (301) 322-0838 (voice) or (301)
322-0122 (TTY) to establish eligibility for services and accommodations. Students with documented disabilities should
discuss the matter privately with me at the beginning of the semester and
provide a copy of their Student/Faculty Accommodation Form.
The
Students
may bring in snack foods only (i.e. chips/candy from a vending machine) and
drinks as long as they maintain a clean classroom—no meals, please—and are not
a distraction. Upon the first spill or
trash left behind, food will be prohibited.
No
food is permitted in any computer labs on campus.
When
you feel the need for more guidance with your writing, you can see me during my
office hours, schedule an appointment with me, or use PGCC’s
available resources:
·
Bladen Hall, Room
100; 301-322-0090
<www.pgcc.edu/pgweb/pgdocs/student_services/student_assessment_services.htm)> (Check
the web site for hours and policies and procedures.)
·
Tutoring and
Bladen Hall,
Room 107
(Stop by or call 301-322-0748 to
make an appointment.)
If
you have the feeling that something is missing from your studies, the
The
·
Student Development Services: 301-322-0886
<www.pgcc.edu/pgweb/pgdocs/student_services/index-sds.htm>
Student
Development Services has various programs that provide students with mentoring,
advising and individual counseling. Call
or check the website for more information.
·
Library (Accokeek Hall); <www.pgcc.edu/library>
General information: 301-322-0105
Circulation services:
301-322-0475
Reference
services: 301-322-0476
The Learning Resources Division provides a
range of library and media services.
Refer to the web site for hours and more
information about the services.
·
Campus Bookstore <www.pgcc.edu/pgweb/pgdocs/bookstore.html>
All
cell phones and pagers must be turned off before class begins.
By remaining in this class, you agree to adhere to the
policies outlined above.
EGL
102 – Composition II: Writing about
Literature (Course Schedule)
(This schedule subject to
change upon notification)
Jan. 24 Tu Introductions,
Course Policies
Due:
26 Th Drama unit begins
Due:
31 Tu Plot
Due:
Feb. 2 Th Character (1051-1062)
Due: Death
of a Salesman Act II and requiem (1211-1249)
7 Tu Writing about drama: Death of a Salesman
In-class
essay
Due:
9 Th Fences Act I
Due:
14 Tu Theme
Due: 1315-1320,
Fences Act II (1390-1411)
16 Th Draft Workshop
Due: Typed, complete draft of drama
essay
21 Tu Review for Drama Exam
Due: Drama Paper
23 Th Drama Exam
28 Tu Fiction unit begins
Plot/Structure
Due:
Mar. 2 Th Character
Theme
Due:
7 Tu Point of View
Due:
9 Th Setting
Due:
14 Tu Writing the Research Paper about literature
Evaluating
sources
Due:
16 Th Style/Tone/Language
Due:
21 Tu Writing about Fiction: “A Clean, Well-lighted Place”
Due:
23 Th Symbolism
Due:
28 Tu Draft Workshop
Due: Typed, complete draft of fiction
essay
30 Th Review for Fiction Exam
Apr. 4 Tu Fiction Exam
6 Th Poetry unit begins
Speaker/Voice
Due:
“The
Man He Killed” (612), “Negro” (604)
10-16
No Class—Spring Break
18 Tu Writing about Poetry
Due: Fiction Paper
20 Th Word choice (Diction), Tone, Form
Due:
“When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” (639),
“For
the Student Strikers” (651)
April
21st is the last day to withdraw from 15-week classes
25 Tu Imagery, Figurative language, Theme
“I,
Too” (801), “
27 Th Review for Poetry Exam
Draft
Workshop
Due: Typed, complete draft of poetry
essay
May 2 Tu Poetry
Exam
4 Th Course
Review
Due: Poetry Paper