PRINCE GEORGE’S COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ENGLISH 101/121
TUESDAY/THURSDAY
Spring 2006
Instructor: Professor Ryna May
Office hours:
LCC: Tues
Office location: Marlboro
Hall 3095 and Laurel Center 204
Office phone: 301.322.0601
Email address: rmay@pgcc.edu
Mailbox location:
On the Web: http://academic.pg.cc.md.us/~rmay/
Course Description
EGL 101/121 is university-parallel freshman
English. This course will cover the
fundamentals of effective prose writing, including required essays and a
research paper. Prerequisite: Placement
test,
Course Objectives
1) Upon successful completion of the
course, students should be able to:
2) In addition, students will demonstrate
their ability to conduct basic research:
Required Texts and Materials (Available
at the PGCC and HCC Bookstores)
and Images
That Call for Response. 4th Edition.
Martin’s, 2004
Required Coursework
Five essays (including one
research paper), informal writing, a research assignment, homework and in-class
contributions determine the extent to which the student has mastered the course
objectives. The final course grade
breaks down as follows:
Essay I 10%
Essay II 15%
Essay III 15%
Essay IV(In-Class) 15%
Research Exer. 10%
Essay V (Research) 20%
In-Class Grade 15%
Course Grade 100%
College Level Expectations
In general, college students
can anticipate spending at least 2 hours out of class on coursework for every hour
spent in class. So the typical
commitment for a 3 credit hour class is 6 hours of your own time outside of the
classroom. In order to perform to
college level expectations, you should expect to devote a minimum of 6 hours per week to the work required for this course.
Essays (formal written
work)
This course uses a modified
portfolio style grading system which requires multiple drafts before final
submission of formal essays. Essays will
be scored according to statewide standards.
A copy of these criteria will be made available to students. Students submit their typed essay drafts at
the beginning of class on the due dates indicated on the syllabus. Detailed assignment sheets will be
distributed and discussed extensively in class, and draft workshops held to
help students through the writing process.
Each formal essay will receive comments and a grade indication. Students are encouraged to revise their work
and resubmit new versions of the first 3 essays with the last graded copy
attached. Students must also attach a
memo to the teacher describing the revision they have done (see revision
policy). Revised essays must be turned in within a week after they are returned.
Turnitin.com
As a deterrent to plagiarism,
I require that students submit a digital copy of the final draft of each essay
to Turnitin.com. (Directions for how to
register will be given in class.) Students
need to print the submission receipt and attach it to the hardcopy of the essay
before coming to class. Essays will not be accepted without the
Turnitin.com receipt.
Assignment Format and
Documentation Requirements
All essays should be in MLA
format unless otherwise specified. MLA
format will be taught in class and can be referenced in The
Assignment Deadlines
Essays are due in class on
the assigned dates (see the syllabus).
Papers must be handed in to me in person or given to appropriate staff
in the Department office (LCC 205). A
late paper will be accepted for one week after the due date, but it will drop
one letter grade. In-class contribution
activities, including essay drafts, are due in class on the dates indicated on
the syllabus and cannot be turned in late for any reason. I do not give extensions for assignments.
In-class Contributions
The quality of work, both
written and verbal, and the degree of preparation you bring to each class
session, such as reading responses, comments, and workshop drafts, affects the
quality of the classroom experience for all of its members. Because the work
you produce is designed to enhance collaborative learning in the classroom,
these written materials cannot be "made up" or turned in outside of
class: you must be present, on time,
and prepared in order to receive
credit for your contributions.
Contribution credits are earned by bringing required materials such as
drafts, assignments, and journal entries, and by participating significantly in
discussions, group work, and workshops.
Attendance and Courtesy
Students are expected to
attend all classes and to be on time.
Since in-class contributions are 15% of the final course grade, those
students who do not miss more than two classes a semester, who arrive promptly
and remain for the entire class session, have the best opportunities to earn
the highest grades in participation. There are no “excused” absences in the course,
and any
student who for any reason misses more than 5 of the class sessions or who does
not turn in all five essays cannot pass the course. Students who are more than 10 minutes late
for a class session will be marked absent.
Students who disrupt class to an unreasonable degree with late arrivals,
leaving and returning to the classroom, leaving early, or other non-productive
activities like sleeping, or socializing, even after discussions with or
reminders from the instructor, will be considered to be “absent” for a session.
Also, please be sure to turn off all beepers and cell phones when in class, or,
in emergencies, to set alerts to “silent” or “vibrate” mode. Students are not permitted to eat during class.
Disruptive
Behavior
Behavior that is incompatible with a learning environment will not
be tolerated. This includes arriving
late for class, disruptive talking, interruptions of class activities,
rudeness, eating in class, leaving class early, or other behavior not suitable
in a college class setting. Disruptive
behavior can result in a student being removed from the class or dismissed from
the college. The
Methods
The format for this writing
class is primarily workshop rather than lecture. Through oral and written
responses, and guided by your instructor, you and your classmates will help
each other define writing topics, generate ideas and prepare drafts for other
academic readers. You will write first drafts to discover what you want to say
and second drafts to determine the structure of your arguments; you will
receive peer responses on this second draft, and then write a third draft to
revise for clarity and grace. For the
semester, this course is designed around the theme of social issues, using film
and related readings to generate topics for discussion, writing, and research.
Cancelled Classes.
If essays are due on a day
that the college is closed, the new due date is the next class session. In the event that the instructor has to
cancel a class unexpectedly, a notice will be posted on the classroom door
and/or an email will be sent to all students with instructions regarding the
schedule.
DELAYED COLLEGE OPENINGS
When
the college announces a delayed opening, all classes with at least 45 minutes
of class time remaining at the time of the opening will be held. For example, in the event of a
Student Responsibility
Students are responsible for
maintaining copies of all of their written work, on disk and on paper.
All drafts and essays must be saved and compiled in a course
folder. In the event of lost work or
missed classes, students are still expected to produce copies of assignments,
and/or gain access to notes, announcements and session material.
Extra Help
PGCC Students who
need extra help with any aspect of the writing process (grammar, invention,
drafting, etc) are encouraged to visit the
Disability Support Services
PGCC 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 their instructors at the beginning of the
semester and provide a copy of their Student/Faculty Accommodation Form.
Academic Honesty
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.
A common violation of the
academic honest policy is plagiarism.
Plagiarism is the improper use, or failure to attribute, another
person's writing or ideas. It can be as subtle as the inadvertent neglect to
include quotes or references when citing another source or as blatant as
knowingly copying an entire paper verbatim and claiming it as your own work.
Students who are caught plagiarizing will be subject
to disciplinary measures according to the college policy. When you are
caught, you will receive a failing grade of zero for the assignment and the incident
will be reported to the Office of the President for Student Services. Subsequent incidents may result in your
dismissal from the college.
Here are some general guidelines as to
what constitutes plagiarism:
Important Dates
Spring 2006
Please note dates
specific to your school!
All
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January 28 |
Spring 06 classes begin at LCC |
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February 20 |
President's Day, LCC OPEN |
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February 15 |
Last day to apply for May Graduation for PGCC
students |
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March 15 |
Last day to apply for May Graduation for HCC
students |
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April 07 |
Last day to withdraw from 15 week classes for HCC
students |
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April 22 |
Last Day to withdraw from 15 week classes for PGCC
students |
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April 10- 16 |
Spring Break, LCC CLOSED |
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May 08 - 15 |
Final Exam Week at LCC |
Last day to apply for spring graduation Wednesday,
February 15
Presidents’ Day – College closed - No classes Monday, February 20
Last day to change from "audit" to Friday, March 3
"credit" or "credit" to "audit"
Spring Break – College closed - No classes Mon.-Sun., April 10-16
Last day to withdraw from full-semester classes Friday, April 21
Final exam period/last week of classes Tues.-Mon.,
May 9-15
Commencement,
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Change to Audit |
February 17 |
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Withdraw from Class |
February 18 - April 7 |
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Final Exams |
May 13 - May 19 |
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Last Day to
Petition to Graduate |
March 15 |
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REFUND PERIOD: |
|
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100% tuition
and fees |
February 3 |
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75% (no course
fees) |
February 4
- February 10 |
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50% (no course
fees) |
February 11 -
February 17 |
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Commencement |
May 19 |
NOTE: The
instructor reserves the right to adjust the order and times indicated on this
syllabus to suit the needs of the class; however, notification of such
adjustments will be made in advance of the appropriate date.
Calendar of
Assignments for English 101/121
You are expected to read
and respond to the assignments before the class they are listed below so that
you are prepared to question, discuss, and write in class. Some limited
assignment and reading changes may be made in response to class progress and
interest. The abbreviations "
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Date |
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Week One |
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Tues. Jan. 31 |
Introduction to the course
and each other Diagnostic Essay |
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Thur. Feb. 2 |
MLA Basics/Exercise Turnitin.com registration Introduction to Read Read |
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Week Two |
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Tues. Feb. 7 |
Definition Essays Purpose and Audience Read Journal
(must be typed) Read Online Homework: Writing Exercises/Purpose and
Audience, Exercise 1-1 (Review pp. 10-13 of Bedford) |
|
Thur. Feb. 9 |
Finding Your Voice: Diction
in Academic Essays Process of Writing – Freewriting Begin Viewing SuperSize Me (Part I) Discussion of Schlosser’s
Essay Read Answer questions 1, 6, 7 pp. 791-792 (must be typed) |
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Week Three |
|
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Tues. Feb. 14 |
Elements of a Good Essay: Thesis Statements Introductions and
Conclusions Topic Sentences Building Paragraphs Distribute and Discuss
Essay 1 prompt View SuperSize Me (Part II) Online Homework: Writing Exercises/Introductions,
Exercise 2-2 Online Homework: Thesis, Exercise 2-1 (Review pp. 32-36 of Bedford) |
|
Thur. Feb. 16 |
Introduction
to Peer Workshops Model View
SuperSize Me (Part III) Online Homework: Writing Exercises/Topic Sentences,
Exercise 4-1 (Review pp. 72-77 of |
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Week Four |
|
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Tues. Feb. 21 |
Peer Workshop Transitions Parenthetical Citations Bring Typed Draft of Essay 1.1 Bring Disk Copy of Essay 1.1 Online Homework: Writing Exercises/Transitions,
Exercise 4-2 (Review pp. 95-98 of |
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Thur. Feb. 23 |
Peer
Workshop Bring Typed Draft of Essay 1.2 Bring Disk Copy of Essay 1.2 |
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Week Five |
|
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Tues. Feb. 28 |
Compare and Contrast Essays Begin viewing Bowling for Columbine (Part I) Essay 1.3 due with Turnitin.com receipt |
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Thur. March 2 |
Discuss Atwood’s Essay Distribute and Discuss
Essay 2 prompt Continue viewing Bowling for Columbine (Part II) Read Answer questions 2, 3, and 6 pp. 568-569 (must be
typed) |
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Week Six |
|
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Tues. March 7 |
Peer Workshop MLA Works Cited Workshop Introduction to the Library
Database Bring Typed Draft of Essay 2.1 Bring Disk Copy of Essay 2.1 |
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Thur. March 9 |
Finding Appropriate Sources Library Assignment – in class Peer Workshop Bring Typed Draft of Essay 2.2 Bring Disk Copy of Essay 2.2 |
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Week Seven |
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Tues. March 14 |
Persuasive Essays Begin viewing The Laramie Project (Part I) Essay 2.3 due with Turnitin.com receipt |
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Thur. March 16 |
View in class The Laramie Project (Part II) Distribute and Discuss
Essay 3 prompt Discuss Sullivan Essay Read Answer questions 1 and 2 p. 389 (must be typed) |
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Week Eight |
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Tues. March 21 |
Debate
Prep and Database Search Peer Workshop Bring Typed Draft of Essay 3.1 Bring Disk Copy of Essay 3.1 |
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Thur. March 23 |
Bring Preliminary Debate Prep Debate
Prep and Database Search |
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Week Nine |
|
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Tues. March 28 |
In-Class Debate Debate Prep (Typed) |
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Thur. March 30 |
Begin Viewing Finding Forrester (Part I) Peer Workshop Bring Typed Draft of Essay 3.2 Bring Disk Copy of Essay 3.2 |
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Week Ten |
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Tues. April 4 |
View Finding Forrester (Part II) Discuss Hurston’s
Essay Read Answer Question 3 p. 418 (must be typed) |
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Thur. April 6 |
View Finding Forrester (Part III) Distribute and discuss
in-class essay prompt Essay 3.3 Due with Turnitin.com receipt |
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Week Eleven |
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Tues. April 11 |
College
Closed: Spring Break (No Classes) |
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Thur. April 13 |
College
Closed: Spring Break (No Classes) |
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Week Twelve |
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Tues. April 18 |
Essay 4: In-Class Essay
(Must be completed from |
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Thur. April 20 |
Constructing a formal
Argument in MLA Style Distribute and discuss
research essay prompt How to construct an
Annotated Bibliography Give out Bibliography
Assignment Sheet Exercise: Citations Begin Viewing Crash (Part I) |
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Week Thirteen |
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Tues. April 25 |
Research Workshop View Crash (Part II) Read Answer questions 1 and 3 pp. 498-499 (must be typed) |
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Thur. April 27 |
View Crash (Part III) Annotated Bibliography Peer
Workshop Bibliography Draft Due |
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Week Fourteen |
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Tues. May 2 |
Peer Workshop Research Workshop Bring Typed Draft of Essay 5.1 Bring Disk Copy of Essay 5.1 |
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Thur. May 4 |
Peer Workshop Annotated Bibliography Due Bring Typed Draft of Essay 5.2 Bring Disk Copy of Essay 5.2 |
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Week Fifteen |
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Tues. May 9 |
No Class: Exam Week |
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Thur. May 11 |
No Class: Exam Week Research Essay 5.3 due with Turnitin.com receipt to
Room 205 by |