Fall 2017

English 103: Critical Thinking and Writing

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Instructor:   Professor Megan Ozima                              E-mail: ozima.english@gmail.com                                                                                                                                                  ***e-mail is the best way to reach me***   

Class Times/Locations: Mon/Wed #38479 12:30 pm to 2:35 pm in D-110

 Friday #38514 8:00 am to 12:15 in D-304

Catalog Description & Course Prerequisite

This course focuses on developing critical thinking, reading, and writing skills by studying established argumentative methods and models and applying them to contemporary issues. Emphasis will be on logical reasoning and analytical and argumentative skills necessary for critical writing.

Prerequisite

ENGL 101 with a minimum grade of C or ENGL 101H with a minimum grade of C

College Mission Statement

The mission of Santa Ana College is to be a leader and partner in meeting the intellectual, cultural, technological, and workforce development needs of our diverse community. Santa Ana College provides access to and equity in a dynamic learning environment that prepares students for transfer, careers and lifelong intellectual pursuits in a global community.

English Department 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 institution, and to foster lifelong learning and an appreciation of literature.

Course Objectives and Student Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Critically read, analyze, compare, and evaluate complex texts.

2. Demonstrate understanding of formal and informal fallacies in language and thought.

3. Identify a text's premises and assumptions in various social, historical, cultural, psychological, or aesthetic contexts.

4. Analyze and employ logical and structural methods such as inductive and deductive reasoning, cause and effect, and logos, ethos, and pathos.

5. Compose thesis-driven arguments to suit a variety of rhetorical situations, including interpretation, evaluation, and analysis, and support them with a variety of appropriate textual evidence and examples.

6. Find, analyze, interpret, and evaluate primary and secondary sources, incorporating them into written essays using appropriate documentation format without plagiarism.

7. Use style, diction, and tone appropriate to the academic community and the purpose of the specific writing task; proofread and edit essays for presentation so they exhibit no disruptive errors in English grammar, usage, or punctuation.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will read and discuss critically in order to identify premises, syllogisms, deduction and induction; to evaluate evidence, examples, and arguments for soundness; to assess authoritative testimony; to draw inferences from statistics; and to recognize rhetorical devices.

Students will synthesize information to produce academic argumentative and persuasive essays and a documented research paper by using resources ethically and MLA format, reflecting collegiate level writing standards and using proper MLA format.

Course Materials 

Required Texts:

Fine, Cordelia. Testosterone Rex: Myths of Sex, Science, and Society. Norton & Comp, 2017.

Hari, Johann. Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs. Bloomsbury, 2015.

Stiglitz, Joseph. The Price of Inequality: How Today's Divided Society Endangers Our Future. Norton & Comp,

2013.

• Access to the class’s Canvas site and a printer from which to print class materials
• Binder clips (for essay turn-in)

Course Requirements

• Formal writing assignments (see essay arc below): Formal writing assignments will vary in argumentative structure and style. A detailed assignment will be provided with each essay that will explain requirements. Each paper will need to be in proper MLA format (citation and manuscript), and each paper will vary in length to ensure that appropriate development is considered for the research scope and argument structure. Each student is required to turn-in all formal writing assignments as these will be revised to create an extended research paper (essay five). Also, essay five will require a presentation so that students are able to develop the presentation skills necessary in academia and the work force. To this end, each student will need to choose one topic to research over the course of the semester that follows under the course theme of social and economic inequality. Further, each essay assignment will require a final packet and upload to Turnitin on Canvas. Please plan for the extra time it will take before coming to class. No late papers will be accepted unless with the use of “golden extension ticket.”
• Final In-Class Writing Assignment: You will complete an in-class writing assignment for your final exam in this class that includes outside research. This will take place the last week of the semester.
• Quizzes. Writing Exercises, and Research Journals: Over the course of the semester there will be four quizzes in which you will need to answer questions pertaining to our reading, skills addressed in the course (such as fallacy identification, appropriate citation methods, quoting, summary skills, and more!), and critical thinking application questions. Writing exercises will be completed outside of class and need to address the assignment requirements. Remember to use appropriate MLA format (citation and manuscript) when completing your writing exercises. The research journals help you develop skills necessary for a research paper. You will be doing smaller research activities and homework as the semester progresses, and I will provide more details when necessary.
• Group Wiki Project (GWP): The group wiki are meant to help build source material and help you generate practice towards evaluating and presenting source material. You will be presenting on a source your group will find and decide upon together. The group will be responsible for the presentation as well as using the source to generate class discussion. You will be required to complete only one wiki presentation this semester.
• Peer Review: You need to come class prepared for peer review on workshop days. Round one peer review n draft of the essay needs to be at least three pages, and round two drafts need to meet necessary length requirements for the specific assignment being reviewed. Also, you will need to bring in three copies for your peer review group.
• Participation (see attached rubric): You should come to class prepared for all in-class discussions and activities. When we have activities in class that require you to bring drafts or other materials, you must bring those materials to class.  If you come to class unprepared (for example, if you have not done the reading), you may be asked not to participate in the activities we are completing in class that day as it is not fair for you to benefit from the hard work that the other members of the class have put forth. Additionally, refer to the attached participation rubric for detailed information about calculating participation points. For class attendance, missing class means you cannot participate and you lose credit towards that 10%.
• Course Attendance: When you miss our class, you will miss out on important activities and information that will help you develop as a writer, and we will miss the unique and important perspective that your participation brings to this class; therefore, to be successful, you must come to class.  If you have six or more missed instructional hours, I may drop you from the course based on the college’s instructor drop option; however, if you choose to stop attending class, please complete the drop on your own to ensure the accuracy of your transcripts. If you accumulate more than six hours worth of absences for the semester either before or after the final drop date, your final grade will drop one letter score. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to contact another student to find out what you missed. Use the following sections to gather contact information from two students in class.

Name:_______________________________ Name:________________________________

 

Email:_______________________________ Email:________________________________

 

Phone:_______________________________ Phone:________________________________

Punctuality is also a must, and in this class, three tardies will equal one absence.  You are considered tardy if you are more than five minutes late to class.  If you arrive to class more than twenty minutes late or leave class more than twenty minutes early, you will be marked absent, but please still come to class as you may miss out on important information and activities.  If you arrive to class less than twenty minutes late, you must see me at the end of class to have your absence changed to a tardy and get any information you may have missed at the beginning of class. 

Grades

Final grades are based on the completion of course work with a focus on meeting student and course learning outcomes. Grades are based on a 100% weighted  scale, so you will need to convert your final point score into a percentage of what you earned for the assignment’s weighted percentage scale. The weighted scale breakdown is as follows:

Essays [75%]

Essay 1 [10%]

Essay 2 [10%]

Essay 3 [10%]

Essay 4 [10%]

Essay 5 with presentation [E5: 20%; Presentation: 5%]

Final [10%]

Group Wikis, Quizzes, Writing Exercises, and Research Journals [15%]

Participation [10%]

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Total [100%]

Late Assignment Policy

No late work will be accepted. Assignments are due in class and online on the assigned due date. Remember that essays are submitted online and via hardcopy, so if you don’t turn in a hardcopy because you are late to class or are absent, the essay is considered late and will not be graded. If you must miss class for an acceptable reason, then you must first clear it with me, and turn the assignment in before the due date.  If you are unable to attend class on the assigned due date (example: illness), you must send your assignment with another student or put the assignment in my mailbox before class. I will not accept any late assignments for credit.

Behavior Expectations

This will be an open classroom in which ideas are respectfully welcomed, explored, and examined.  Every student will be expected to contribute to class discussions in a way that shows respect to others.  Students will show courtesy to both the instructor and their peers by quieting all cell phones, quietly and actively listening to others while they are speaking, not sleeping in class, entering and exiting class quietly, avoiding computer and cell phone use that is not directly related to the course, and not text messaging during class. If you check your phone for anything other than class work, you will be deducted 25 points for each offense—no warning provided. You may be asked to leave class if your behavior is disruptive to your instructor and/or classmates.  Remember that these policies also apply to all interactions on the blogs as well.  Please see the “Student Code of Conduct” for more information.

In keeping with a respectful environment, recording unless with permission is not allowed. When researching and learning argumentation, each student needs to be able to express their own thoughts and opinions, and these are not moments to be shared outside of class. The campus policy concerning this topic is as follows: other than Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) directed auxiliary aids and academic accommodations, the use of any electronic listening or recording device in any classroom is prohibited without the explicit prior consent of the instructor (CA Ed Code Sec. 78907).  It is also a crime to record any private communication, such as a classroom lecture, without the consent of all parties to the conversation (Cal. Penal Code § 632). Violation of such rules may result in disciplinary action.

Add/Drop Policy

Remember the school’s add/drop policy.  If you are permitted to add the class, you must register on-line using the Add Permit Code (APC) or in person at the Admissions and Records office before September 10th.  If you choose not to complete this course, it is your responsibility to drop officially; however, if you do not attend six or more instructional hours over the course of the semester, I may drop you from the roster.  Failure to withdraw from a course you are no longer attending will result in the grade of “F.” If you are absent during the first week of class, I may drop you to accommodate petitioners.  The last day to drop without a “W” grade is September 10th.  The last day to drop with a “W” grade is November 19th.  Please see the “Adding Classes” and Dropping Classes” policies for more information.

Academic Dishonesty

Santa Ana College, like other academic institutions, frowns upon plagiarism and rightfully so. Plagiarism is the act of using someone else’s writing or ideas without giving them credit. There is no reason to do this! In an academic environment, it is customary to paraphrase or quote from sources, but we have to give the sources credit for their contribution--think of this as the ultimate sign of respect! If I find someone plagiarizing, I will report this act and give the assignment a zero. For more information concerning plagiarism, visit the college catalog as these are the standards you are held responsible for meeting.

ADA (Accommodations for a Student with a Disability)

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.

An Important Note about E-mail and Blackboard

We will be using Canvas for this class extensively.  You can access this site using the following link: https://rsccd.instructure.com/login/canvas. Your username and password are the same as your Web Advisor account.  For this class, I will be posting all assignments on our Canvas site.  For each assignment, you must visit the site and print out the needed materials.  I will not have copies in class.

Any announcements that I make on Canvas will be e-mailed to your SAC student account.  You can either check your student e-mail frequently, or you can forward your student account to an e-mail account you use more often.  Also remember that e-mail is the best way to reach me when you have any questions or concerns.  You can usually expect to hear back from me within 48 hours. Any emails sent over the weekend (starting Friday at 2:00 pm) I will attend to on Monday afternoon. If you would like to ask questions about a writing assignment, please remember to ask specific questions.  Do not simply attach your assignment to an e-mail and ask for feedback, but feel free to e-mail paragraphs or sentences and ask specific questions about those particular parts of your assignment or to ask general questions about your writing or the course. If you would like more extensive feedback on your writing, please schedule an appointment to meet with me. When you send me an e-mail, please be sure to write “English 103” in the subject line and identify yourself in the email or I may inadvertently delete your e-mail.

An Important Note about Course Expectations

English 103 is a transfer-level writing course. This provides an excellent opportunity for you to strengthen and develop your writing and reading skills, so please remember that this is a four-unit course, which means that you should plan to devote eight hours per week to working on this course outside of class according to the Carnegie Rule. This information is not meant to scare you out of the course, but it is meant to prepare you for the semester ahead and to get you in the mind frame that is required for success in this course.

COURSE PARTICIPATION CRITERIA

The Student who earns an “A"

-shows initiative to participate in class; initiates and maintains positive interaction with other students and with the instructor

-listens to and follows directions and maintains focus on all class work with no deviation from tasks at hand (ie. does not participate in idle chatting)

-shows leadership in group activities

-asks and answers questions that contribute to class discussion and the learning environment

-is fully prepared for class which includes completing all daily homework

-never uses phone to text message or computers for other activities during class time

-attends class every day (0-1 absence)*

The Student who earns a “B"

-shows willingness to participate; cooperates fully in group activities, although he/she may not be the leader

-often follows directions and maintains focus on class work with a small amount of deviation from tasks at hand (ie. occasionally participates in idle chatting)

-often asks and answers questions that contribute to class discussion and the learning environment

-is mostly prepared for class which includes completing most of the daily homework

-Rarely uses phone to text message or computers for other activities during class time (once or twice)

-attends class every day (2 or less absences)* 

The Student who earns a “C" infrequently

-participates more passively than actively

-infrequently follows directions and maintains focus on class work and frequently deviates from tasks at hand (ie. frequently participates in idle chatting)

-infrequently asks and answers some questions that contribute to class discussion and the learning environment

-is often not well-prepared for class and infrequently completes daily homework

-sometimes seems disinterested

-Sometimes uses phone to text message or computers for other activities during class time (three or four times)

-attends class regularly (3 or less absences)*

The Student who earns a “D" sporadically

-participates grudgingly

-sporadically follows directions and maintains focus on class work and mostly deviates from tasks at hand (ie. mostly participates with idle chatting)

-does not cooperate in group activities

-unwilling to answer or ask questions that contribute to class discussion and the learning environment

-sporadically prepares for class and completes daily homework

-is often disinterested

-frequently arrives late and often misses class

-Frequently uses phone to text message or computers for other activities during class time (five or six times)

-attends class less than regularly (4 to 5 absences)* 

The Student who earns an “F" minimally

-refuses to participate in class and group activities

-rarely follows directions and maintains focus on class work and deviates from tasks at hand (ie. participates with idle chatting)

-minimally prepares for class and rarely does daily homework

-rarely asks and answers questions that contribute to class discussion and the learning environment

-is disruptive to the extent that he/she prevents others from learning

-is almost always late and often misses class

-Mostly uses phone to text message or computers for other activities during class time (seven or more)

-attends class less than regularly (6 absences)*

*Please note that participation is not meant to be attendance points; however, missing class equals a loss in participation points as you cannot earn points when you are not present.