Success 

 

Santa Ana College’s Mission Statement

Santa Ana College inspires, transforms, and empowers a diverse community of learners.

ENGLISH O61: Introduction to Composition                       Fall 2018    

Instructor:      Isaac Lomeli

Section #:       54109

Days / Time:  Saturday 8:00 A.M.-12:15 P.M.

Location:        I-207

Email:            Lomeli_Isaac@sac.edu

Office Hours: by appointment          

 

English Department’s Mission Statement

The Santa Ana College English Department provides numerous opportunities for our students to develop and improve the reading, critical thinking, and writing skills required to succeed at their chosen careers, to meet the rigors of the writing demands at four-year transfer institutions, and to foster lifelong learning and an appreciation of literature.

 

Required Texts

The Little Red Writing Book (Delux Edition) by Brandon Royal

Jesse by Gary Soto

 

Course Objectives

The goal of English 061 is to introduce you to the expectations and conventions of college writing through the experiences and practices of drafting and revising formal essays, writing, completing several reading assignments, and receiving responses from the instructor and peers.  The goals of this course are that you learn how to develop strategies for writing the formal essay by generating, revising, editing, and proofreading your essays, use writing as a way to find ideas, learn to respond to and critique the writing of others, as well as your own, and use a variety of strategies and technological options to address the needs of different audiences. 

 

 Course Requirements

Four Essays.……………………………………………………………           10 points each

Group Presentation……………………………………………………            10 points each

Participation/Attendance ………….…………………………….….…           15 points

Reading and Writing Journal ………………………………………….          15 points

I-Search ……………………………...……………………………….              10 points

In-Class Final ………………………………………………………                 10 points

 

Final Grades: 100%-90%: A; 89%-80%: B; 79%-70%: C; 69%-60%: D; 59%-0%: F.

You must submit the four essays, the group presentation and take the final in order to be eligible to pass the class.  All papers are due on the dates indicated on the syllabus.

All written assignments completed out of class must conform to the MLA style guidelines discussed in class. Late writing assignments and homework will not be accepted.

Assignments

Essay 1 – Definition Essay: 300-500 words, six paragraphs.

Essay 2 – Compare/Contrast Essay: 500-700 words, six paragraphs.

Essay 3 – Cause & Effect Essay: 600-800 words, at least six paragraphs.

Essay 4 – Argumentative Essay: 700-1000 words, at least 8-10 paragraphs.

Final Research Paper – I-Search: 1000-1200 words.

Group Presentation: must include a visual aid, an in-class activity, and a 5-question quiz.

Reading Logs: these will be writings based on the readings.  These writings will act as “reading logs”.  For The Little Red Writing Book you can use any writing format you choose (essay, Cornell Notes, outline) and there is no word count.  When writing your reflections on Jesse consider Jesse’s experiences to your experiences; how do you relate to Jesse, how are you different from him?  You will turn in your reading log once for each book.  The due date will be a surprise. 

 

General Rubric for All Writing Assignments

Clarity: Your reader needs to be able to understand the ideas you are expressing.  Your thoughts and ideas must be clear enough for your reader to get your point.  You may be clever; yet avoid being vague.  Leave enough clues for your reader to follow your points and support throughout your paper.

Coherence: Some grammatical errors such as punctuation and spelling usually do not take away from getting your point across (and they are easy to fix); however, avoid making careless errors or using sentences that need to be read over and over again to make sense out of what you are saying.  Avoid common sentence skill errors such as fragments and run-ons.  Self-editing and Peer Editing are helpful tools to avoid coherence issues in your writing.

Conciseness:  Wording is important.  Use vocabulary you are comfortable with and that convey exactly what you mean.  Don’t try to sound too fancy; less is always more.  Also, stick to your point.  Avoid tangents and over explanations.

Creativity:  This is probably the most important: do not bore your reader!  Feel free to use your own form of creative expression to express your critical thinking skills.

(All four criteria are equally weighted in the grading process.)

 

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a serious offense. A plagiarized paper automatically fails and could result in an F for the course. 

What is plagiarism? Plagiarism is a direct violation of intellectual and academic honesty. Although it exists in many forms, all plagiarism refers to the same act: representing somebody else's words or ideas as one's own. The most extreme forms of plagiarism are the use of material authored by another person or obtained from a commercial source, or the use of passages copied word for word without acknowledgment.

Paraphrasing an author's idea or quoting even limited portions of his or her text without proper citation is also an act of plagiarism. Even putting someone else's ideas into one's own words without acknowledgment may be plagiarism. In none of its forms can plagiarism be tolerated in an academic community. It may constitute grounds for a failing grade, probation, suspension, or expulsion.

 

Class Attendance and Participation

Class attendance and participation have a bearing on your grade. Because much of what you write will depend on class discussion and workshops, you will find it difficult to make up for a missed class. Make sure that you have the name and phone number of at least one other member of class whom you can contact if you need to miss. You will be dropped if you miss four class sessions, but it is your responsibility to complete drop procedures if you cannot continue with the class. If you are not attending this class and have not dropped it by the final drop date, you will receive a grade commensurate with your work.

Please be on time and do not leave class early; these things disturb your fellow classmates. Students who are late to class and/or leave class before class is over will have five points deducted for each occurrence. Two super tardies and/or leaving early two times (ten or more minutes) will be equal to one absence. Also, please turn off pagers and phones while in class. Anyone caught talking on a cell phone, text messaging, or tweeting during class will be asked to leave the classroom for the remainder of the class, and that will count as one absence.

 

Canvas

Information about this class can also be found on Canvas. Information about how to access Canvas will be discussed on the first day of class. For the purposes of this class, Canvas will be used as a posting site for a brief synopsis of each class and any homework that was assigned. Also, other relevant information (the syllabus, paragraph and essay assignment sheets, homework handouts, etc.) will be posted on Canvas. Therefore, if you have to miss a class, you can check out Canvas, find out what we did in class, and see the homework that was assigned. If you lose a copy of the syllabus or other documents that were handed out in class, you can go to Canvas and print out what you are missing.

If you are unable to access Santa Ana College’s Canvas site, please contact the Distance Education Office at (714) 564-6725. Currently, Santa Ana College does not have technical support on the weekends, holidays, or evenings; as a result, please be patient as the situation will be rectified as soon as possible.

 

Disabled Student Programs & Services Statement

Your success in this course is important to me. Santa Ana College and I are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all individuals with disabilities. If you have a disability that may have some impact on your ability to do well in this course, I encourage you to speak with me as soon as possible. Also, please contact Disabled Student Programs & Services so that we can all collaborate on your classroom accommodations in a timely manner. DSP&S is located in VL-203, and their phone number is 714-564-6264. TTY: 714-564-6384. Video Phones: 714-660-3075 or 657-235-2999. The DSP&S office requires documentation of your disability in order to receive reasonable accommodations. If you do not have documentation, they will work with you to acquire it. I look forward to supporting you to meet your learning goals.

 

Rewrites and Extra Credit 

There are no rewrites in this class, and there is no extra credit in this class.

 

The Learning Center

The Learning Center is located in D-307 and offers assistance with Communication Studies, English, EMLS, Modern Languages, and Reading classes. Therefore, you will be able to go the Learning Center to get assistance with your English homework and writing assignments. There is computer-assisted instruction, directed learning activities (DLAs) language acquisition practice, and one-on-one conferencing available for all students. You will be required to complete three DLAs in the Learning Center this semester.

 

Strong Recommendations

Writing courses are difficult and time-consuming. For each assignment, you will need to do a certain amount of reading and reviewing of appropriate sections in the text, go through a lengthy (and often painful) process of drafting and revising, edit for final mechanical problems, and then prepare a final draft. Be realistic about what you can handle this semester, and figure out right now how you will schedule the regular study and writing time you will need. Figure at least 8-12 hours per week outside of class.

Most importantly, study all my comments on papers returned to you, and refer to all appropriate sections of the textbook for further explanation of specific problems. You will probably have many problems in your first papers; what is important is that you study them and work towards developing more effective skills as the semester progresses.

 

Course Outline

Note: Supplemental outlines may be assigned on a daily basis and will include readings from the textbook and from handouts. All assignments are due on the following class meeting.

 

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. - Winston Churchill

 

 

Week 1: 9/1 - Introduction Paragraph (the hypothesis).

Lecture:  What is your life’s blueprint?

-Reading assignment: The Little Red Writing Book, Part 1, p. 13-38

-Reading log: Highlight each of the principles in your own words (you may write in any format: essay, outline, Cornell notes).

-Essay 1 draft

 

Week 2: 9/8 - Thesis Statement/Paragraph

Lecture:  Poetry

DUE: Essay 1 draft

-Reading assignment: The Little Red Writing Book, Part 2, p. 41-72

-Reading log: Highlight each of the principles in your own words.

 

Week 3: 9/15 - Supporting Paragraphs/Rule of Three

Lecture:  What is the goal of education?

DUE: Essay 1final draft

-Reading assignment: The Little Red Writing Book, Part 2, p. 73-97

-Reading log: Highlight each of the principles in your own words.

-Essay 2 draft

 

Week 4: 9/22 - Conclusion Paragraph

Lecture:  Civility

DUE: Essay 2 draft

-Reading assignment: The Little Red Writing Book, Part 3, p. 101-113

-Reading log: Highlight each of the principles in your own words.

 

Week 5: 9/29 - Writing With Voice

Lecture:  Integrity [rewrite a song/poem in your own voice]

DUE: Essay 2 final draft

-Reading assignment: The Little Red Writing Book, Part 4, p. 129-176

-Reading log: Highlight the rules that interest you.

 

 

Week 6: 10/6 - The Writing Process

Lecture:  Vigilance

DUE 2.5  (by Oct. 7th, midnight).

-Reading assignment: The Little Red Writing Book, Part 4, p. 177-194

-Reading log: Highlight terms that you feel you need to know. 

- Essay 3 draft

 

Week 7: 10/13 - Writing the Research Paper (MLA Format)

Lecture:  Inspiration

DUE: Essay 3 draft

-Reading assignment: The Little Red Writing Book, Part 4, p. 195-221

-Reading log: Highlight terms and ideas that you feel you need to know. 

-Essay 3 final draft

-Essay 4 draft

 

Week 8: 10/20 - Working With Quotes/Paraphrasing (MLA Citation)

Presentations—The Little Red Writing Book

DUE: Essay 3 final draft

DUE:  Essay 4 draft

-Reading assignment: Jesse, by Gary Soto, Chapter 1 & 2

-Reading log: 1. Write about your high school experience and how it prepared you (or didn’t prepare you) for life after it; 2. Write about what your family thinks about your education.   

 

Week 9: 10/27 - Works Cited (MLA Format)

Lecture:  Compassion

DUE: Essay 4

-Reading assignment: Jesse, by Gary Soto, Chapter 3 & 4

-Reading log: 1. Write about your experience thus far with work, college and relationships; 2. Write about the characters in your life right now; try and paint a picture of them with words.

-Final Research Paper topic

 

Week 10: 11/3 – Conferencing

DUE: Final Research Paper topic

-Reading assignment: Jesse, by Gary Soto, Chapter 5 & 6

-Reading log: 1. Write about an intimate relationship you want/wanted to have with someone, comparing to a relationship you have/had; 2. Write about a current event/Social Justice issue that is important to you and/or your friends at the moment.

-Final Research Paper outline

 

Week 11: 11/10 – Conferencing

DUE: Final Research Paper outline

-Reading assignment: Jesse, by Gary Soto, Chapter 7 & 8

-Reading log: 1. Write about your conflicts/struggles you have with your family; 2. Write about your faith: how does it help you; do your struggle with it?

-Final Research Paper draft

 

Week 12: 11/17 - Conferencing

DUE: Final Research Paper draft

-Reading assignment: Jesse, by Gary Soto, Chapter 9 & 10

-Reading log: 1. Write about a road trip you’ve taken; 2. Write about a you made or incident that has happened to you that has changed your life in a small way (or, a big way, if you’d like).     

-Reading assignment: Jesse, by Gary Soto, Chapter 11-13

-Reading log: 1. Write about your worst date; or, your worst 1^st impression; 2. Write about a place you visited for the first time; or, about an activity you did for the first time; 3. Write about a meal you’ve eaten with family and/or friends that is sentimental. 

 

Week 13: 11/24 – NO CLASS!

 

Week 14: 12/1 - Conferencing

-Reading assignment: Jesse, by Gary Soto, Chapter 14 & 15

-Reading log: 1. Write about how important your culture is/is not to you; 2. Write about a time you made your parent(s) proud; or, a time you disappointed them.  

 

Week 15: 12/8 – Conferencing

DUE: Final Research Paper

-Reading assignment: Jesse, by Gary Soto, Chapter 16-19

-Reading log:  1. Write about where you feel your life is and where you want it to be; 2. Write about what song plays in your head when you take a look at your life.

 

Week 16: 12/15

Finals Week

 

General Rubric for All Writing Assignments

 

Clarity: Your reader needs to be able to understand the ideas you are expressing.  Your thoughts and ideas must be clear enough for your reader to get your point.  You may be clever; yet avoid being vague.  Leave enough clues for your reader to follow your points and support throughout your paper.

 

Coherence: Some grammatical errors such as punctuation and spelling usually do not take away from getting your point across (and they are easy to fix); however, avoid making careless errors or using sentences that need to be read over and over again to make sense out of what you are saying.  Avoid common sentence skill errors such as fragments and run-ons.  Self-editing and Peer Editing are helpful tools to avoid coherence issues in your writing.

 

Conciseness:  Wording is important.  Use vocabulary you are comfortable with and that convey exactly what you mean.  Don’t try to sound too fancy; less is always more.  Also, stick to your point.  Avoid tangents and over explanations.

 

Creativity:  This is probably the most important: do not bore your reader!  Feel free to use your own form of creative expression to express your critical thinking skills.