English 350: Advanced Composition

1 Syllabus English 350.16: Advanced Composition Spring 2006, MW 8:30-9:45 pm, LCH A219 Professor: Dr. Molly Youngkin Office: LaCorte Hall (LCH) B-342 Office Hours: MW 2:30-3:30 pm, 7:00-8:00 pm, and by appt.

Mailbox: English Department Office, LCH E-315 E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 243-3941 (my office) 243-3322 (English dept)

Course Description and Objectives: This is an advanced writing course, which assumes you have completed English 110 and 111 and are ready to demonstrate graduation-level writing skills. It has two main objectives: to help you achieve and maintain a level of writing proficiency appropriate to a CSU graduate and to help you certify that proficiency by passing the campus-wide Coop Exam. In order to achieve these goals, we will focus on: • • • •

Reading critically, using a book that focuses on cultural myths about American life Writing critically, especially using argument-based, analytical strategies Brainstorming and drafting, in order to fully develop analytical arguments Editing and revising, in order to refine these arguments at the sentence level

Required Course Materials: Colombo, Gary, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle, eds. Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004. Fowler, H. Ramsey, and Jane E. Aaron, eds. The Little, Brown Handbook. Custom Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2005. Grade Breakdown: Comp Coop Exam Mock Exam Out-of-Class Essay #1 Out-of-Class Essay #2 Out-of-Class Essay #3 Out-of-Class Essay #4 Participation

25% 15% 10% 10% 10% 15% 15%

Course Requirements: 1. Comp Coop Exam: This is a two-day exam, taken in class in the fourteenth week of the semester. Your essay will be scored by two other English instructors (not me), and the university requires that these scores count for 25% of your final grade in this class. The first day of the exam, I will provide a short prompt, and you will have 45 minutes to brainstorm and draft an analytical essay in response to this prompt. On the second day of the exam, you will have another 45 minutes to revise this essay. There is no “required” length for this essay but aim for at least 750 words. No make-up exams. In preparation for this exam, we will do a mock exam. See more details below.

2 2. Mock Exam: You will complete a mock exam, which will mirror the Comp Coop Exam. For the mock exam, I will give you a topic similar to the Comp Coop question, and you will have two 45minute sessions to write the exam. As with the Comp Coop, the first session will focus on brainstorming and drafting, and the second session will focus on revising the essay. There is no “required” length for these essays but aim for at least 750 words. No make-up exams. 3. Out-of-Class Essays: You will write 4 out-of-class essays this semester, in which you analyze the ideas presented in Rereading America and our class discussions. These essays should be 3-4 pages, with 1-inch margins and 12 pt. type. You are required to turn in a rough draft of each essay, as well as a final draft. You must submit a rough draft on time in order to get credit for the final draft! If you do not turn in a rough draft, you will receive a zero for that essay. On the day you turn in your rough draft, you will be using this draft in a peer response workshop, in which you and a classmate discuss plans for revision. Both drafts must be typed and in MLA format. You may receive outside help on your essay but only from appropriate resources. I will not be reading and commenting on rough drafts, but you may discuss your ideas and sections of your papers with me during office hours. You also may work with a tutor at the English Department Tutoring Center or our university tutoring center (CLASS), and you may work with other classmates on your essays, but only in the format I model for you in class. It is not appropriate to get outside help from family members, friends, co-workers, or other people outside the university. You may discuss ideas for the essays with these people, but you should not ask them to help you compose your essays or edit your work. If you seek inappropriate help while writing the essays, you risk failing the essay and possibly the course. If you are unclear about what constitutes appropriate help, ask me! 4. Participation: Your participation grade in this class will be determined by a number of factors: participation in class discussions, informal writing assignments, work done in revising workshops, and other classroom activities. Participation constitutes 15% of your final grade, so regular attendance is important. If you miss a class, you are responsible for finding someone else in the class to catch you up; in other words, I will not repeat material for you, but I will discuss what happened in class, if it is evident that you’ve made an effort to find out what happened from another student first. I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences, except in very unusual circumstances. Any excused absences are granted at my discretion, not yours. You have five “free” absences; use them wisely, and don’t waste them on tardies, which count as 1/2 absences! Also, realize that there are some days you cannot miss if you want to pass this class. You cannot miss the days on which we do the mock exams or the Comp Coop, and I strongly encourage you to attend every single class. Around mid-term, I will give you a progress report about your participation, which will look like this: ____________________________________________________________________________ Mid-term Progress Report--Participation Grade English 350 Student ________________________________

3 To this point, your participation earns the grade of ______. If your participation continues at the same level for the rest of the semester, you will earn the grade of _____. Criteria for grading participation: A= Regular attendance and frequent participation in class discussions, workshops and other classroom activities. B= Regular attendance and occasional participation in class discussions, workshops, and other classroom activities. C= Regular attendance and rare or no participation in class discussions, workshops, and other classroom activities. D= Irregular attendance and rare or no participation in class discussions, workshops, and other classroom activities. F= Extremely irregular attendance and rare or no active participation in class discussions, workshops, and other classroom activities. Regular attendance= missing no more than 5 classes during the semester Irregular attendance= missing 6-8 classes during the semester Extremely irregular attendance= missing more than 8 classes during the semester ______________________________________________________________________________ Grading Scale and Criterion: The grading scale is based on the 4.0 system approved by CSUDH. I will assign GPA values for all assignments, and I will use the final grade sheet attached to this syllabus to figure final grades. My grading criterion is this: for all major writing assignments (the mock exams and the out-of-class essays), I am looking for what I call “academic writing,” writing that expresses a complex argument with specific examples as evidence and does so in an engaging, sophisticated manner. See pages A-10 and A-11 at the back of Little, Brown for the grading criteria used for the Comp Coop and the mock exams. See attached handout for the grading criteria used for the out-of-class essays. Late Assignments: Rough drafts will not be accepted late. Final drafts will be accepted late, but expect deductions. Typically, I deduct 10 points per 24 hours; for example, a paper that earns 90 points and is a day late will drop to an 80. No papers will be accepted via email, and no double submissions (same paper submitted for another class) allowed. Electronic Equipment and Visitors in the Classroom: No cell phones, pagers, CD players, tape recorders, or other electronic equipment in the classroom. If you want to bring a guest to class, you must get my approval first. Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else’s ideas or words as your own. It is a serious academic offense and may result in a failing grade for the assignment, a failing grade for the course, and/or university disciplinary action. For more details about the university’s policy on this issue, see A-7 in

4 Little, Brown. If you are unsure about how to integrate outside sources without plagiarizing, come talk to me. I’ll be glad to help you avoid plagiarism! Drop policy: The University requires a “serious and compelling reason” for drops after the third week of the semester. I (and the department chair) determine whether the reason is serious and compelling, and poor performance in the course does not count. If you need to drop the course after the third week, be prepared to provide an appropriate reason and the documentation to support this reason. Resources for Students: English Department Tutoring Center: This tutoring center is for students in composition courses only, so you should take advantage of it. To make an appointment, call the English department office (2433322), say that you are in Dr. Youngkin’s English 350, and ask to make an appointment with a tutor. You may make one 30-minute appointment per week. You also can “walk in” with no appointment, but only if a tutor happens to be available. CLASS Tutoring Center: This tutoring center has tutors for all different classes at CSUDH. It is located in SCC-11-311 and 325. To make an appointment, call 243-3827 and ask to work with a tutor who specializes in writing. Disabled Student Services: Persons with disabilities are welcome in this classroom. If you have a disability and need specific accommodations, please register with Disabled Student Services and then talk to me. DSS is located on the first floor of Welch Hall, and the phone number is 243-3660.

Class Schedule The dates and activities listed below are subject to change. You are responsible for noting any changes. Bring both texts, Little, Brown and Rereading America, to class every day, even if there is no reading assigned for the day. We often will use these texts, especially Little, Brown, for in-class activities. Week 1: M, 1/23:

Introduction to the Course

W, 1/25:

Readings about Writing and Reading Critically Read Little, Brown pp. A-17, A-18, and A-25, all of which are in the very back of the book. Also, read the end of Chapter 1 and all of Chapter 2, pp. 15-46. After you have finished the reading, write a 1-2 page response (handwritten is ok for informal assignments), in which you answer the following questions: What information in this book are you already familiar with, and what is new to you? What is your past

5 experience with writing classes? What was the theory about writing in these classes, and how is it similar to or different from the theory presented in Little, Brown? In class: Discuss writing process and prepare for Unit 1 Week 2: M, 1/30:

Readings for Unit 1: Myth of the Model Family Read America pp. 17-20, look at the pictures on 22-24, 26-30 (Soto), and 32-47 (Coontz) In class: Discuss readings and hand out prompt for Essay #1

W, 2/1:

No reading, but write a 1-2 page response to the paper prompt, using the technique of freewriting, discussed in Little, Brown pp. 23-24. In class: Work on thesis statements and organizational structures for Essay #1

Week 3: M, 2/6:

Rough draft Essay #1 due In class: Peer Response

W, 2/8:

No class--open office hours to discuss essays

Week 4: M, 2/13:

Final draft Essay #1 due In class: Prepare for Unit 2

W, 2/15:

Readings for Unit 2: Myth of Education and Empowerment Read America pp. 135-40, 142-51 (Mann) In class: Discuss readings

Week 5: M, 2/20:

NO CLASS--PRESIDENTS’ DAY

W, 2/22:

More readings for Unit 2 Read America pp. 173-80 (Gatto), 194-209 (Anyon) In class: Discuss reading and hand out prompt for Essay #2

6 Week 6: M, 2/27:

No reading, but write a 1-2 page response to the paper prompt, using freewriting or one of the other techniques discussed in Little, Brown pp. 23-27. Also, after you have finished your freewrite, come up with a tentative thesis statement and organizational structure. In class: Do exercise about quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing

W, 3/1:

Rough draft of Essay #2 due In class: Peer Response

Week 7: M, 3/6:


W, 3/8:

Final Draft Essay #2 due In class: Prepare for Unit 3

Week 8: M, 3/13:

Readings for Unit 3: Myth of Individual Opportunity Read America pp. 297-302 (Alger), 303-309 (Dalton), 310-16 (Rather) In class: Discuss readings and hand out prompt for Essay #3

W, 3/15:

No reading, but decide whom you would like to write about for Essay #3 and begin gathering sources about this person. Bring at least 3 sources to class, which you will assess for reliability.

Week 9: M, 3/20:

No reading, but write a 1-2 page response to the paper prompt, using freewriting or one of the other techniques discussed in Little, Brown pp. 23-27. Also, do additional research about your person if needed and all your sources to class. In class: Work on thesis statements and organizational structures for Essay #3

W, 3/22:

Rough draft Essay #3 due In class: Peer Response (w/special highlighting exercise)

M, 3/27 and W, 3/29: NO CLASS--SPRING BREAK

7 Week 10: M, 4/3:


W, 4/5:

Final draft Essay #3 due In class: Prepare for Mock Exam

Week 11: M, 4/10:

Mock Exam--Writing Session

W, 4/12:

Mock Exam--Revising Session

Week 12: M, 4/17:

Readings for Unit 4: Myths of Gender Read America pp. 412-16, 424-31 (Devor) In class: Discuss readings

W, 4/19:

More readings for Unit 4 Read America pp. 477-87 (Messner), 455-74 (Kilbourne) In class: Discuss readings and hand out prompt for Essay #4

Week 13: M, 4/24:

No reading, but write a 1-2 page response to the paper prompt, using freewriting or one of the other techniques discussed in Little, Brown pp. 23-27. In class: Work on thesis statements and organizational structures for Essay #4

W, 4/26:

Rough draft Essay #4 due In class: Peer Response

Week 14: M, 5/1:

Comp Coop Exam--Session #1

W, 5/3:

Comp Coop Exam--Session #2

Week 15:

8 M, 5/8:

No class--open office hours to discuss Essay #4

W, 5/10:

Final draft Essay #4 due In class: Course Evaluations and get Comp Coop Exam back

Molly Youngkin Grade Calculation Sheet English 350

Student __________________________________

Letter Grade or Raw Score

GPA Value

Percentage Weight

Total

Out-of-Class Essay #1

________

=

________

x

__.10_____

= ________


________

=

________

x

__.10_____

= ________


________

=

________

x

__.10_____

= ________


________

=

________

x

__.15_____

= ________

Mock Exam

________

=

________

x

__.15_____

= ________

Comp Coop Exam

________

=

________

x

__.25_____

= ________

Participation

________

=

________

x

__.15_____

= ________

Final GPA Value ________

Final Letter Grade

________

9 Raw Score/GPA Value Correlation (for Mock Exams and Comp Coop) 24=4.0 23=3.8 22=3.6 21=3.4 20=3.2 19=3.0 18=2.8 17=2.6 16=2.4 15=2.2 14=2.0

13=1.8 12=1.6 11=1.4 10=1.2 9=1.0 8=0.8 7=0.6 6=0.4 5=0.2 4=0.0 3=0.0

2=0.0 1=0.0 0=0.0

Letter Grade/GPA Value Correlation (for Out-of-Class Essays) A+=4.3 A=4.0 A-=3.7 B+=3.3 B=3.0 B-=2.7 C+=2.3 C=2.0 C-=1.7 D+=1.3 D=1.0 D-=0.7 F=0.0 Final Grade Scale 3.85-4.0 3.50-3.84 3.15-3.49 2.85-3.14 2.50-2.84 2.15-2.49

A AB+ B BC+

1.85-2.14 1.50-1.84 1.15-1.49 1.00-1.14 0.00-0.99

C CD+ D F

Directions 1) Fill in the letter grade or raw score for each assignment 2) Use the “Raw Score/GPA Value” and the “Letter Grade/GPA Value” conversions to enter the “GPA Value” for each assignment

10 3) Multiply the “GPA Value” by the “Percentage Weight” to get the “Total” for each assignment 4) Add all the amounts in the “Total” column to get the “Final GPA Value” 5) Use the “Final Grade Scale” to calculate your “Final Letter Grade.”

Molly Youngkin Grading Criteria English 350 Below are the grading criteria for the Out-of-Class Essays. In this set of criteria, when I refer to the paper’s thesis, I am referring to the main statement of your argument, which I expect to see early in the essay. When I refer to the argument, I mean the way in which the thesis is developed in the rest of the essay, through clear statements about where the argument is going at key points in the essay. Finally, when I refer to supporting evidence, I mean the specific examples from the text you are using to flesh out your argument. A= All material required for the assignment is present. The paper’s thesis goes way beyond the obvious, and the argument presents a precise, informed, incisive, and satisfying critical investigation of the topic. The implications of the thesis are fully developed through the use of supporting evidence. The ideas within the essay are well-organized, and the language used in the essay is appropriate to the audience. The essay is written in MLA format, with in-text citations and a Works Cited page. B= All material required for the assignment is present. The paper’s thesis goes beyond the obvious, and the argument presents a clear and accurate investigation of the topic. There is some strong supporting evidence for the thesis, but the ideas may not be fleshed out as fully as they might be, or some readings may not be as precise as they could be. The ideas within the essay are wellorganized, and the language used in the essay is appropriate to the audience. The essay is written in MLA format, with in-text citations and a Works Cited page.

11 C= All material required for the assignment is present. The essay has a thesis and details to support that thesis. The argument is adequate, but does not fully explore the implications of the topic or does not present a critical viewpoint that goes very far beyond the obvious. The supporting evidence for the argument may be adequate but not as fully developed as it could be and less convincing than it could be. The ideas within the essay are appropriately organized, and the language used in the essay is appropriate to the audience. The essay is written in MLA format, with in-text citations and a Works Cited page. D= Material required for the assignment may be missing. The essay has a weak thesis, and details to support the thesis are not developed adequately. The thesis does not go beyond the obvious or is more descriptive than analytical. Supporting evidence for the thesis may be missing or is so far off-base to be unconvincing. The ideas within the essay are not well-organized, and the language used in the essay may not be appropriate to the audience. The essay may lack items related to MLA format. F= Material required for the assignment may be missing. The essay has a very weak thesis or no thesis, and details to support the thesis are not developed adequately or are missing. The thesis does not go beyond the obvious or is more descriptive than analytical. Supporting evidence for the thesis may be missing or is so far off-base to be unconvincing. The ideas within the essay are not wellorganized, and the language used in the essay may not be appropriate to the audience. The essay may lack items related to MLA format.