Course Syllabus

SAC LogoEnglish Syllabus and Semester Schedule

 

Meet Your Instructor:  Jayne Munoz

Email:  Munoz_jayne@sac.edu

 Office hours:  To be arranged

Course Description

English 101 is a course in composition and language studies. The goals of this class are to achieve competence and fluency with the use of the English language and to develop a voice as a writer and as a literary critic. To realize these objectives, we will study the structure of the English language; we will examine how accomplished writers craft their work; and we will keep dialectical journals. This is a rigorous writing and reading comprehension course. As we progress through the semester students are encouraged to remember the words of Samuel Johnson: “What is written without effort is read without pleasure.”

Course Materials

Readers: The Bedford Reader. X.J. Kennedy, Dorothy Kennedy, and Jane E. Aaron 9th

               Edition                                                    

Others:   Consider This Senora, by Harriet Doerr

               Composition notebook

Course Requirement

Regular attendance is expected. Participation in class activities such as small group discussions and contributions to oral discussions is essential; therefore, students may be dropped after three absences. Students will write three short essays (2-3 pages), one long research paper (7-10 pages), and several in-class timed writings. In addition, students will take one midterm and one final essay exam.

Grading

All papers must be typewritten, double-spaced and follow MLA guidelines. Journal entries may be typed or hand written in a composition notebook. Entries folded and inserted or taped to notebook pages will not be accepted.    

Journals, quizzes                                                                                 100 points                                                 

Expository and argumentative essays                                                 100 points

Documented research paper                                                               100 points

Mid-term Exam                                                                                    100 points

Final Exam                                                                                           100 points

Policy on Late Work and Late Arrivals

In order to participate fully in this course, a student must be prepared. All assignments are due at the beginning of class. Assignments submitted after that will be counted as late and will be marked down a full grade for each day they are late. Quizzes and writing time missed due to absences and/or late arrivals may not be made up. Essays and other work will not be accepted if the student has failed to attend class regularly during the work for that assignment. Late arrivals disrupt the class, so please be prompt. Leave late assignments in my mailbox, and ask the staff to stamp the time of your work. Turn off cell phones before you enter class.

 

Email etiquette: I respond to student emails by 5:00p.m. on the day I receive them; however, I will respond to weekend emails on the following Monday.

 

DSPS Statement: If you have a disability that interferes with your learning and would like to request an academic accommodation, notify the instructor as soon as possible. To make arrangements for the accommodation, contact the Disabled Students’ Office at (714) 564-6264 (TTY 564-6284) for a referral to the appropriate DSPS department.


Course Learning Objectives: 

The five general purposes of this course include teaching:

  1. Rhetorical and logical principles related to development of significant

       Expository content in intelligently organized essays, paragraphs, and sentences;

  1. Critical reading;
  2. Acceptable diction and sentence mechanics;
  3. The writing process with a focus on prewriting and revision strategies;
  4. Use of library’s research tools and the technique of the documented paper.


Student Learning Objectives:

English 101

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Communication Skills             

  1. Reading and Writing
  2. Use the writing process with a focus on prewriting, planning, drafting, and revision strategies, which lead to a final product that is organized, formatted correctly, and substantive in content with correct grammar and mechanics.
  3. Summarize and paraphrase effectively.
  4. Demonstrate knowledge and competency of various rhetorical and logical principles related to development of significant expository content in intelligently organized essays, paragraphs, and sentences.
  5. Read critically for literal comprehension and interpretive and evaluative analyses.  Students will learn to recognize text structures.
  6. Listening and Speaking
  7. Utilize interactive listening strategies for note-taking and appropriate questioning.
  8. Determine purpose and goals for listening.
  9. Use speaking as a tool for idea generation and utilize prior knowledge through small group and large group discussion.
  10. Summarize and paraphrase effectively.


Thinking and Reasoning             

  1. Creative Thinking
  2. Use narrative and descriptive skills in composing paragraphs and essays, including incorporating metaphors, similes, images, and other appropriate poetic devices.
  3. Generate ideas using prewriting strategies.
  4. Critical Thinking
  5. Write expository/argumentative paragraphs and essays that are supported by evidence and logically organized using deductive and inductive reasoning.
  6. Synthesize information to produce a research paper incorporating research, using documentation and MLA format.


Information Management            

  1. Evaluate primary and secondary sources, including Internet sources.
  2. Use library’s on-line catalogue and resources.
  3. Distinguish between professional journals and magazines and other periodicals.
  4. Demonstrate awareness of breadth of sources.
  5. Use sources ethically.


Diversity             

  1. Cultural—Read, understand, and demonstrate an appreciation of literary and expository works from diverse historical and cultural backgrounds.
  2. Social—Read, understand, and demonstrate an appreciation of literary and expository works from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

 

Civic Responsibility            

  1. Ethical
  2. Discuss moral dilemmas that are present in the readings.
  3. Examine both historical and contemporary social issues that present the readings.

 

                                             Course Schedule

The following is a working schedule subject to revision. Review after each class meeting and make revisions as we move through each month.

August 27-31

Day One: Introduction to class

                 Diagnostic writing

Day Two: Lecture: A Writer’s Voice and The Dialectical Journal

                 In class writing: Dialectical journal

September 3-7

Day One Lecture: Rhetoric and Grammar

               Homework: The Bedford Reader, Chapters 1 and 2, Journal #1: log ten

               dialectic responses.

Day Two: Small group work

Homework: Consider This Senora, 1-44. Journal #2: log ten

                 dialectical responses.

 

September 10-14

Day One: Lecture: Narration essay

Homework: Bedford Reader, Chapter 4: “Narration.” Journal #3: Write 10

                 dialectical responses for two of the short stories in this chapter. (20 total).

                 In class reading and writing

Homework: Essay #1: Narration paper. Bring two copies to class on

                 Peer edit Narration Essay

                 Homework: Revise Narration essay.

September 17-21

Day One: Final draft of Essay #1 (Narration Essay) due. Remember, you must

                 submit all drafts and the peer-edit to receive credit for this assignment.

                 Homework: Read Consider This Senora, 45-92. Journal #4: log ten

                 dialectical entries.

Day Two: Class Survey

                 Lecture: Sentence variety

Homework: Read Consider This Senora, 93-142. Journal 5: log 10 dialectical

               entries

 

September 24-28

Day One: Lecture: Description Essay. Be sure to bring your Bedford Reader to class.              

Day Two: Reading quiz

               Homework: Journals #6 and #7: Find two articles for your research paper and

              log 10 dialectical entries for each source.   Your sources must be reliable:

               scholarly criticism or analysis, not summaries, reviews, or “analysis” from sites  

               such as e-Notes, SparkNotes, Wikipedia, 123HelpMe, or Gradesaver.com),

                

October 1-5

Day One: In class writing. You will find the prompt on Canvas.

                 Homework: Read Consider This, Senora, 143-194. Journal #8: Log ten

                 dialectical entries.

Day Two: Library visit

                

October 8-12

Day One: Descriptive Essay due; bring two copies for peer editing.

                 Homework: Revise essay.  Also, read Chapter 7, "Comparison and Contrast" in the Bedford Reader.  Read pages 224-238, and then read 2or 3 examples essays is this chapter.

Day Two: Final Draft of Essay #2 due

                 Midterm review

                 Homework: Finish reading Consider This. Senora. Journal #9: Log ten

                 dialectical responses.

 

October 15-19

Day One: Midterm Exam. You will need a Bluebook, a dictionary, and a pen.

Day Two: Lecture: The Research Paper: MLA: Documentation, citations, format

                 Homework: Journal #10: Find another source for your research paper and log

               10 dialectical entries.

 

October 22-26

Day One: Lecture: Argument and Persuasion (Bring Bedford reader to class)

Day Two: Small group work

October 29-November 2

Day One: Lecture: Summarize, Paraphrase, or Quote

                Homework: Read The Bedford Reader, Chapter 13.

Day Two: Essay #3 will be written in class on this day.

                 Homework: Work on Essay #3; the first draft is due November 4th.

November 5-9

Day One: Peer edit Essay #3

Day Two: Essay #3 due.

 

November 12-16

Day One: Writing a Thesis proposal

Day Two: Thesis proposal due.

Homework: Continue exploring your research topic

 

November 19-23

Day One: Class discussion and in-class writing.

Day Two: Thanksgiving Holiday

 

November 26-30

Day One: Note cards due

                 Lecture: The Detailed Outline

Day Two: Group activity

                 Homework: Detailed outline

 

December 3-7

Day One: Individual conferences with instructor; bring typed outline

Day Two: Individual conferences with instructor

 

December 10-14

Day One: Research papers due; bring two copies.

                 Review for final exam

Day Two: Final Exam; bring two 8 ½ x 10” Bluebooks

Course Summary:

Course Summary
Date Details Due