Jeremy T.
Mumford
Division:
Humanities
Department:
English/
Developmental
Contact Info:
Phone: (209) 384-6178
mumford.j@mccd.edu
Current* and Previously Taught Courses:
English 80
English 81*
English 84
English A
English 1A*
English 41*
English 1B*
Useful Student Links (includes online sites, class PowerPoint presentations, etc.)
Useful Teacher Links (includes online sites, links to journals, teaching websites)
Clubs:
Phi Theta Kappa
Students for Social
Justice
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English 1A*
Schedule Number 1242
TTh 12:30p-2:00p
L-4
Spring 2004
3 units
*This English 1A class is
thematically linked to the following English 41
classes, acceptance being contingent upon sufficient space and eligibility:
|
Schedule number 1263 MW 11:00a-12:00p IT-4A
|
Schedule number 1274 MW 1:00p-2:00p ART-5
|
Course Introduction
English 1A is a workshop
class in college essay writing and reading. This class will help sharpen
your conceptual, analytical, and interpretive skills as you learn processes
and strategies that will help you to improve your ability to critically read
and write English. As you become more proficient readers and writers, you
will also learn rhetorical skills like the ability to develop and support a
main idea, claim, or set of assertions for an audience using both your own
experiences and the words and ideas of other writers. You will also practice
developing your ideas with evidence, and revising and editing to strengthen
your writing and clarify your style.
You will do so as we look at our communities and the
issues that pertain to them. For example, in the first essay you will look
at your personal sense of being American, and in the second and third essays
you will examine official and unofficial stories pertaining to the discovery
of America, first peoples, current events, political and social issues. For
the final research project, you will apply your developing research skills
and ever widening sense of community to a local community organization of
your choice, under my guidance. Be advised that the content of this course
deals with a wide assortment of potentially controversial and somewhat
radical political and social issues. I expect you to approach these issues
critically and with an open mind. If you do not wish to be in this type of
class, please consider taking another section of the class.
We will read many types of writing and learn how to
discuss and use the issues and ideas we find in these writings for different
ends. As you do so, you will develop an understanding that writing is for
reading and reading leads to writing. Also,
see the Power Point presentation Semester
Overview.
Course Description
English 1A is a course that stresses critical readings, scholarly compositions, and research applications. You will write exploratory and argumentative essays—including one annotated research paper—based on class reading and discussions. You will be expected to understand basic English skills upon entering the course and will be expected to acquire more sophisticated reading and composition skills throughout the semester. You will apply matters and measures of critical thinking skills to your assignments.
Required Texts and Materials
I begin My Life All Over: The Hmong and the American Immigrant Experience by Lillian
Faderman with Ghia Xiong, Beacon Press, Boston 1998, ISBN: 0-8070-7235-4.
Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W.
Loewen, Touchstone, NY 1995, ISBN: 0-684-81886-8.
Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam, Simon and Schuster, New York 2000, ISBN: 0- 7432-0304-6
Email account and internet access
A
pocket folder for submitting essays
A binder to keep all class writing and handouts.
Copies of your essays and reading responses as needed for small group and whole class workshops.
Printouts and copies of book excerpts and articles, online and newspaper, as required.
Course Policies
Attendance and Preparedness
Every absence will lower your attendance grade by one grade level.
After four absences, your overall course grade may drop by half a
grade for every absence. Thus, excessive absences will result in failure of
the course. Two instances of tardiness equal an absence. If you are more
than twenty minutes late, you will be counted as absent.
Participation: Class and Groups
Collaboration and small group work along with discussions will be a primary
activity in our class. It is imperative that each person participates.
Answering a cell phone in class will be equivalent to a tardy, then an
absence. TURN THEM OFF!
Class work:
Class work will include a variety of exploratory writings done in class in
response to texts we have read, each other’s writing, and various prompts,
which I will assign. Often times the writing we do in class will be the
foundation for longer writing assignments you will complete outside of
class. Save all of the writing we do in and out of class for the whole
semester.
Group work:
Group work will consist of small group discussions that lead to whole class
discussions in which your participation or lack thereof will be noted.
You are expected to participate to the best of your abilities. A
successful participant in this class will generate questions, identify
problems, infer, elaborate on texts using personal experience, and will make
predictions about the overall class meaning.
Class and Home Work, Evaluation, and Quizzes
Homework: Homework will consist of reading our class texts. Other assignments will include critical analyses of assigned readings and email responses to group members.
Evaluation: I will review most homework at the beginning of each class giving five points for strong, focused, and engaged work, four points for focused and engaged work, three points for work that is focused on the assignment and meets the minimum page requirements, two points for work that is underdeveloped and unfocused, and one or zero points for work that has been minimally attempted.
Quizzes: Quizzes will be given regularly with approximately one per week. The quizzes will ask you to respond in writing to a question pertaining to the given weeks course focus or reading. I will score your quizzes using a ten point scale where 10-9 points is an A, 8-7 points is a B, 6-5 points is a C, 4 points is a D, and 3 and below is an F.
Conferences
I will schedule conferences with you at least once during the semester. Your attendance is mandatory. Because research shows that individual conferences often produce the greatest amount of learning, I encourage you to make even more time to meet with me during my office hours.
Essays and/or Assignments
The writing assignments will ask you to provide effective analysis of and argumentation based on material covered in class. Assignments will also require you to strategically present evidence and recognize both sound logic/reasoning and identify fallacious reasoning. When you turn an essay in, it will need to have all the appropriate supporting documents including all rough drafts (drafts in this sense means versions of the essay with significant changes in each version), partner’s and group’s revision and editing responses, paragraph outlining, rhetorical strategies, and all supporting, in-class writing. There will be four (4) formal essays 1,250 words or four to five (4-5) pages in length. Lastly, there will be one annotated research project 2,500 words or eight to ten (8-10) pages in length for which the fourth essay will provide the foundation. All drafts will need to be typed, double spaced, and formatted with 1 inch margins and a 12-point font (Times New Roman). Essays not turned in with this format will not be read; I will hand them back to you without responding. I will return your essays within 5-7days after you hand them in. You may resubmit one revised writing assignment along with the previously graded copy for a better grade within two weeks of my handing back the graded original. You must resubmit your essay along with all supporting documents, previous drafts, AND a letter of revision addressing the specific changes you have made. I will also accept one late essay within two weeks of the date due as long as all previous drafts have been seen by me.
Course Grading
Your final grade will be based on the following:
Attendance and preparedness (12.5%) 125 points
Group and class participation (5%) 50
points
Homework and quizzes (25%) 250
points
Final essays 1,2, 3, and 4 (40%) 400 points
Final Research Project (15%) 150 points
Comprehensive Final Exam (2.5%) 25 points
____________________________________________________
Total points possible (100%) 1000 points
The grading scale is as follows:
A: 1000-900 of total points possible
B: 899-800
C: 799-700
D: 699-600
F: 599 and below
Plagiarism Policy
Cheating is the actual or attempted practice of fraudulent or deceptive acts for the purpose of improving one's grade or obtaining course credit; such acts also include assisting another student to do so. Typically, such acts occur in relation to examinations. However, it is the intent of this definition that the term 'cheating' not be limited to examination situations only, but that it include any and all actions by a student that are intended to gain an unearned academic advantage by fraudulent or deceptive means. Plagiarism is a specific form of cheating which consists of the misuse of the published and/or unpublished works of others by misrepresenting the material (i.e., their intellectual property) so used as one's own work. If I suspect you of plagiarism, I will give you an oral and written examination on the material to be evaluated by the English Department chair and myself. Penalties for cheating and plagiarism range from a D or F on a particular assignment, through an F for the course, to expulsion from the college.
Classroom Behavior
The classroom is a special environment in which students and faculty come together to promote learning and growth. It is essential to this learning environment that respect for the rights of others seeking to learn, respect for the professionalism of the instructor, and the general goals of academic freedom are maintained. Differences of viewpoint or concerns should be expressed in terms which are supportive of the learning process, creating an environment in which students and faculty may learn to reason with clarity and compassion, to share of themselves without losing their identities, and to develop and understanding of the community in which they live. Student conduct which disrupts the learning process shall not be tolerated and may lead to disciplinary action and/or removal from class.
Entry Level Skills/Course Outcomes
Entry Level Skills/What You Should Already Know
Upon entering the course, you should be able to:
A. Make best use of the facilities and offerings of Merced College and have acquainted yourself with study techniques and skills necessary for success in college
B. Make the appropriate connection between reading, critical thinking, and writing
C. Write at the English 1A entrance level by:
1. making a claim/thesis
2. supporting a claim with relevant examples and details
3. developing support with appropriate methods such as:
a. narrative
b. comparison/contrast
c. illustrations/examples/cause/effect
d. argument
4. organize a multi-paragraph essay (of approximately 100 words) with appropriate structure
D. understand thoroughly sound grammatical principles
E. have an understanding of writing resource tools, such as thesaurus, handbook of writing skills, and dictionary.
Before or during the course you should have acquired or be acquiring the skills from English 41, College-level Reading.
Expected Outcomes and Course Goals
Upon successful completion of the course, you will learn to write clear and logical prose and to read college-level texts closely and effectively. Specific areas in composition include:
A. Organization
B. Strong paragraphing
C. Effective language and style
D. Tight and logical claims and premises with adequate elaboration and support
E. Research skills
F. Revision
Specific areas in reading include:
A. Identifying main ideas and supporting ideas
B. Studying historical and theoretical backgrounds of published material
C. Analyzing rhetorical modes or techniques
D. Recognizing voice, tone, and point of view
E. Building critical vocabulary
F. Formulating critical evaluation
Current Course Plan and Reading Schedule
Week 1 1/19 Syllabus and Introductions
T 12:30-1:15 Introductions
1:20-1:50 Syllabus review; group project and presentation
Th 12:30-1:15 Journal writing; share in groups
1:20-1:50 Class discussion; begin reading
Read: I Begin My Life All Over pages xiii-90 for week 2
Week 2 1/26 Topics, Main Ideas/Thesis Statements, and Purpose
T 12:30-1:15 Quiz; written dialogs (Rhetorical journal #1)
1:20-2:00 Share in groups; class discussion
Th 12:30-1:10 Outlining of pages 1-90; group project
1:20-2:00 Group presentations
Read: pages 90-184 for week 3, etc.
Week 3 2/2 I Begin…
T 12:30-1:15 Quiz; email based discussion
1:20-2:00 Class discussion; reflection and reading
Th 12:30-1:15 Reviewing main ideas and purpose; prompt for essay #1; journal
1:20-2:00 Group and class discussion; begin writing
Read: Tues 185-209 and Thurs 210-end
Week 4 2/9 Essay #1: Being American
T 12:30-1:15 Quiz; journal/question survey
1:20-2:00 Revising for purpose and clarity of main idea; find examples in I Begin…
Th 12:30-1:15 Whole class workshop
1:20-2:00 Peer response/evaluation
Week 5 2/16 Supporting Evidence/Paragraph Development and Organization
T 12:30-1:15 Written dialogs (Rhetorical journal #2 and 3)
1:20-2:00 Share in groups; class discussion
Th 12:30-1:15 Rhetorical analysis of pages 1-74; group project
1:20-2:00 Group presentations
Reading: Lies My Teacher Told Me pages 1-74
Week 6 2/23 Official and Unofficial Stories Part 1
T 12:30-1:15 Quiz; email based discussion
1:20-2:00 Class discussion; reflection
Th 12:30-1:15 Reviewing supporting evidence/paragraph development and organization;
prompt for essay #2;
journal
1:20-2:00 Group and class discussion;
begin writing
Reading: Tues pages 75-97 and Thurs pages 98-136
Week 7 3/1 Essay #2: Christopher Columbus/ First Peoples
T 12:30-1:15 Quiz; journal/question survey
1:20-2:00 Revising for supporting evidence/paragraph development and organization; find examples from pages 75-97
Th 12:30-1:15 Whole Class Workshop
1:20-2:00 Peer response/evaluation
Week 8 3/8 Use of Sources and Documentation
T 12:30-1:15 Written dialogs (Rhetorical journal #4 and 5)
1:20-2:00 Share in groups; class discussion
Th 12:30-1:15 Rhetorical analysis of pages 98-136; group project
1:20-2:00 Group presentations
Reading: pages 200-254
Week 9 3/15 Official and Unofficial Stories Part 2
T 12:30-1:15 Quiz; email based discussion
2:20-2:00 Class discussion; reflection
Th 12:30-1:15 Reviewing use of sources and documentation in pages 200-253; prompt for essay #3; journal
1:20-2:00 Group and class discussion; begin writing
Reading: Tues pages 254-270 and Thurs 271-317
Week 10 3/22 Essay #3: Current Issues and Applied Research
T 12:30-1:15 Quiz; journal/question survey
1:20-2:00 Revising for use of sources and documentation; find examples from pages 254-270
Th 12:30-1:15 Whole class workshop
1:20-2:00 Peer response/evaluation
Week 11 3/29 Attention to Audience and Sentence Structure/Style
T 12:30-1:15 Written dialogs (Rhetorical journal #6 and 7)
1:20-2:00 Share in groups; class discussion
Th 12:30-1:15 Rhetorical analysis of pages 271-317; group project
1:20-2:00 Group presentations
Reading: Bowling Alone pages 15-92
Week 12 4/5 Essay #4: Comparing Texts
T 12:30-1:15 Quiz; journal/question survey
1:20-2:00 Revising for attention to audience and sentence structure/style; find examples from pages 116-215
Th 12:30-1:15 Peer response/evaluation
1:20-2:00 Whole class workshop
Reading: pages 93-284
Week of 4/12 SPRING BREAK
Week 13 4/19 Essay #5 Part 1: Researching Community Organizations’ Texts and Contexts
T 12:30-1:15 Review prompt for essay #5; in class reading 15-28
1:20-1:45 Journal writing; class discussion; end of class reflection
Th 12:30-12:55 Whole class internet search for community organization documents
1:00-2:00 Library visitation; gather sources for essay 5 part 1
Reading: read one chapter (2-6, 9)
Week 14 4/26 Evaluating Source Material
T 12:30-1:15 Quiz; review of techniques for evaluating source material
1:20-2:00 Evaluate community documents/sources for essay 5 part 1
Th 12:30-1:15 Whole class workshop of essay 5 part 1
1:20-2:00 In class writing
Reading: chapter 15
Week 15 5/3 Essay #5 part 2: Community Organization
T 12:30-1:15 Quiz; email based discussion
1:20-2:00 Class discussion; reflection
Th 12:30-1:15 Whole class workshop
1:20-2:00 Peer response/evaluation
Reading: chapter 16 and 22
Week 16 5/10
T 12:30-1:15 Whole class workshop
1:20-2:00 Peer response/evaluation
Th 12:30-1:15 Final research project due
1:20-2:00 Class evaluation
Week 17 5/17 Class Review
Week 18 5/24 FINAL EXAM
Tuesday, May 25, 12-1:50 pm
Instructor's Disclaimer
I reserve the right to make changes and additions to this syllabus as I see fit through the semester. You, the student, are responsible for any and all changes to the syllabus, should they occur.
Updated 4/08/04 by Jeremy Mumford