Instructor: Susan Flatt

Office: IAC 244 Phone: 384-6222 Mailbox #10

Office hours: TTh 9:30-11 or by arrangement

flatt.s@mccd.edu

"Writing isn’t magic, but then magic isn’t magic either. Magicians know their craft, and writers must also know their craft." -Donald Murray

English 1A introduces you to reading and writing at the University level. You will become expository writers, as well as powerful readers. Expository writing explains, or exposes; this means that you will skillfully examine an issue and then express your personal perspective by means of clear writing (i.e. acceptable grammar and punctuation, useful research, and relevant logic). A good expository writer is able to teach someone a new perspective on an idea by means of a written document. By the end of this class you will have written in several expository modes, including personal narrative, analysis, persuasion and research.

You will become skilled at analyzing the explanations and arguments of other writers. This means that you will further learn how to enjoy and critique their arguments and assumptions. After you increase your reading and writing skills in this class, you will not only be able to write a good argument, but you will more easily understand the arguments of other people.

Students will learn to write clear and logical prose and to read college-level texts closely and effectively. By the end of this course (in regards to composition), students will be able to

By the end of this course (in regards to reading), students will be able to

A. identify and evaluate main ideas and supporting ideas (7)

Required Texts: Anderson, Chris & Lex Runciman. Open Questions

Kingston, Maxine Hong. Woman Warrior

Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference, 5^th ed.

Twain, Mark Pudd’nhead Wilson

Wells, Rebecca. Glass Castle

It is very important that you have the assigned reading and assignments completed before the class meeting. I will often ask for in and out-of-class written responses to these readings which will count for a portion of our grade. Along with the required texts, I will occasionally supply additional handouts. I reserve the right to administer unannounced quizzes on assigned readings (usually during the first five minutes of class). Reading is an important component to this course.

Grades for this course will be determined based on five factors:

In order to do well in this class you have to participate. You are allowed two absences which CANNOT fall on a workshop day. For every class period you miss after two, your final grade will be penalized by 5 points for each absence. If you miss one workshop day, your paper grade will drop one grade point (A to B).

I reserve the right to drop you from this class after four absences.

If you miss class, it is your responsibility to contact other students to get the homework assignments and class notes. "I missed our last class session" will not excuse you from a quiz on reading assigned while you were gone. Be responsible.

Your grade will be determined by total points earned in the class. If you keep track, you should know what your grade is in the class at all times.

Plagiarism is literary theft and will not be tolerated. It is your responsibility to understand what plagiarism is and what the consequences are for plagiarizing. A plagiarized paper in this class equals an F. If you are unclear on Merced College’s stand on plagiarism, make sure you ask.

Workshop writing requires teamwork. We are all in this together to help improve our writing. The more you open yourself up to share ideas and opinions both verbally and in writing, the more successful this course will be.

KEEP EVERYTHING! At the end of the semester you will be required to pick and choose from a variety of your work. This will be a part of your portfolio grade. DO NOT THROW ANY WORK AWAY!

Name ________________________________ Date ____________________________

Directions: Please give a prose evaluation (several sentences) of your class and community participation during the most recent period of this course. Use the guidelines below to help you analyze your performance and arrive at a letter grade. Note that grades of B & D (and + or -) fall somewhere between the levels as defined. A letter grade with no explanation will be returned to you for more work as will a prose evaluation lacking a letter grade. (Failure to turn in this evaluation on time will force me to do an independent evaluation of your in-class participation).

Your grade and evaluation (please use the criteria above to help characterize your effort and commitment; use the other side of this sheet as needed):

I am a strong believer in the kinds of thinking and intellectual engagement that can happen when students are repeatedly asked to write informally. I view informal writing as a fundamental part of the college experience, a way of being mentally present with the subject matter. You are required to complete 25 informal writes throughout the semester. Turn these in as you complete them; I will only accept one a class period. I will check each informal write with a plus, check plus, check, check minus, or minus. Keep all informal writes in a folder. Your informal writes are worth 50 points and will be graded on the following criteria.

Commitment. Regular, frequent entries—averaging five or more per week. Entries are animated, lively, interested and interesting, asking questions and exploring possible answers. Many of the entries are directly related to the reading assignments or writing assignments, but others are the result of the writer’s own initiative. Entries frequently discuss and explore the writer’s own reading and composing processes. Many entries are longer than a page to allow for extended thought.

Ambition. Entries regularly explore intellectual questions that engage the writer, but for which the writer may have no ready answers, and regularly use course readings to think about these questions. Entries show a willingness to speculate and make connections between this course and other courses, between the writer’s life and the course readings, and between course readings themselves. Entries regularly recognize and explore the writer’s strengths and weaknesses and clearly show the writer developing the habit of inquiry to get as much from the journal as possible.

Engagement. Entries show the writer regularly rereading earlier entries in order to rethink and reengage questions and comments. Over time, the journal shows the writer evolving a set of questions, issues, or passions that are unique, and specific journal entries identify and explore these issues.

Commitment. Regular but less frequent entries, perhaps three or more on average per week. Most entries directly related to assignments. Some entries lively and spirited, some tired and flat. Some entries focus on writer’s reading and composing processes. Some entries focus on writer’s reading and composing processes. Some entries lengthy and complicated but often sketchy or brief and undeveloped.

Ambition. Sometimes entries raise questions or speculate, but most discuss conclusions instead of reaching for them. A few entries discuss writer’s strengths and weaknesses. A few entries try for connections outside the course. Overall, entries seem the result of coercion rather than genuine interest.

Engagement. Occasionally, entries show the writer has reread earlier entries or returned to earlier questions, but overall, the journal gives only an intermittent sense of growth in involvement or understanding.

Commitment. Entries irregular, with noticeable gaps in time. Or entries bunch up, with perhaps two in a week and none for several weeks. Most entries brief, hurried, fragmentary.

Ambition. Entries tend to be cursory, showing little genuine interest. Little effort to speculate beyond obvious conclusions. Almost no attempt to identify the writer’s strengths and weaknesses. Little attempt to connect to other courses.

Engagement. Little or no evidence that writer has reread earlier entries. Almost no sense of growth or deepening understanding. Little sense that writer has reflected on much beyond immediate entry.

The following are generic journal-entry prompt suggestions. Remember, too, that prompts for informal writing follow each reading. Don’t feel restricted to these suggestions; you’re welcome to use your own.