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English 28
Intermediate Reading and Composition
Instructor: Karen Amano-Tompkins Spring 2016
Sections 0203 – TTh 9:35-11:00 am Location: NEA 101
Office hours: M, T, W, & Th 9:00-9:30 am, MW 11:00 am-12:30 pm, Th 6:20-6:50 pm in NEA 254
Office phone: (310) 233-4219
Email: OR (Email is the best way to communicate with me outside of class!)
English 28 is the final preparatory course in composition and critical reading. Emphasis is placed on a review of grammar, mechanics, and paragraph writing. Student will write essays with various rhetorical patterns and will be introduced to research techniques. It is designed to assist the student in making the transition to English 101.
Prerequisite: Completion of English 21 or 73 with a grade of CR or an appropriate placement test score.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete English 28 will be able to
1. Apply critical reading skills to recognize thesis, audience, purpose and evidence in advanced pre-collegiate texts;
2. Demonstrate awareness of the writing process and an ability to critique one’s own work and the work of others with basic to intermediate skill;
3. Write a response to various modes of pre-collegiate level reading with logically constructed, well-supported, and edited essays that exhibit a critical analysis of those readings;
4. Produce sentences that are relatively free from grammatical errors, which display standard American English and an academic style;
5. Employ parenthetical citations, secondary source documentation, and MLA conventions at a basic skill level.
Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities, whether physical, learning, or psychological, who believe that they may need accommodations in this class, are encouraged to contact the staff at Special Programs & Services as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely manner. Their phone number is 310-233-4620, and they are located in Cafeteria 108.
Required texts: (available at the campus bookstore)
The Compact Reader: Short Essays by Method and Theme (10th Edition) by Jane E. Aaron
– ISBN 978-1-4576-3297-6
Rules for Writers (seventh edition) by Diana Hacker – ISBN 0-312-64736-0
Ten Little Indians by Sherman Alexie – ISBN 0-8021-4117-0
You will need all of the above books to pass this class!
Bring your books, a notebook (or notebook paper), and a pen to every class meeting. You will also need to purchase two blue books for the midterm and the final exams.
Students who succeed in English 28 usually choose to **Read carefully!**
· Make a serious commitment to succeeding in this class.
· Come to class on time and prepared.
· Get the required texts as soon as possible.
· Do all the assignments, including readings, and keep up with the class schedule.
· Participate in class discussions and activities.
· Refrain from using their cell phones during class.
· Let me know immediately if they experience a problem with the class or if other areas of their lives seriously interfere with their ability to do their class work.
· Seek out all legitimate help with their course work, if you need it, including the Writing Lab, tutoring, campus librarians, your textbook, and me.
· Maintain academic integrity by doing their own work. They do not plagiarize; they do not cheat. (See box on plagiarism below.)
· Treat classmates and instructor with respect and consideration.
· Recognize that real learning is difficult – it involves making mistakes and taking risks.
If you are not willing to make these choices, you are not likely to pass this class!
I will be happy to meet with you to discuss your work in this course. I encourage you to visit me during office hours, but if that is not convenient for you, we can make an appointment to meet at another time.
All students are expected to abide by the Standards of Student Conduct detailed in the Course Catalog.
Plagiarism can mean copying, word for word, all or part of something someone else has written and turning it in with your name on it. Plagiarism also includes using your own words to express someone else’s ideas without crediting the source of those ideas and reusing your own papers written for another class.
Plagiarism is a very serious form of academic misconduct. It’s both lying and stealing, and it’s a waste of time for students and teachers. College and departmental policy on plagiarism will be strictly enforced: Any student caught plagiarizing will automatically receive a zero for that assignment, with no possibility of making it up, and may be subject to up to a formal reprimand and/or suspension.
Cite your sources! Please retain all notes and drafts of your papers until grading for the course is completed.
Email: All email communications from the college (including those from your instructors) will be directed to your LACCD student email account, so you are strongly urged to check it regularly.
Course site: http://mstompkinsblog.wordpress.com/
A reference Web site for this course is available at the URL above. The site primarily contains information that we cover in class, such as due dates and requirements for specific assignments. Occasionally, I will post links to online readings or other resources that may be useful to the class. Downloadable handouts will be available on the Downloadable Documents page, so if you miss or lose a class handout, you’ll be able to find it here.
Attendance/Tardiness
Attendance in class is mandatory. This is the college policy. If a student is absent for more than the hours that a class meets per week, or if there is irregular attendance or a pattern of absences, the instructor has sufficient cause to drop a student from the class. For example, if a course meets 3 hours a week, then a student is allowed a maximum of 3 absences. Students who enter the class after the official starting time will be marked absent for that particular day.
If a student is absent the first and/or second class meeting of the first week of the semester, then the student will be dropped from the class. If you are absent three classes in a row, I will assume you intend to drop the class.
Electronic Communication Devices Policy
According to Communications Division policy, electronic communication devices must remain off during class time. Exceptions may be considered by faculty consultation (i.e. family emergency). A first offense may result in the student being suspended from the class for one meeting. Repeated offenses may result in up to a 2-day suspension from the class pending a conference with the Vice President of Student Services.
Grading: Your final grade in this class will be computed as follows.
Essays (3) 45% 450 points (150 points each)
Outlines, drafts, etc. 10% 100
Midterm Exam 11% 110 A = 90% 900-1000 points
Reading Analysis Presentations 6% 60 (30 points each) B = 80% 800-899
Homework & in-class work 14% 140 C = 70% 700-799
Quizzes (3) 3% 30 (10 points each) D = 60% 600-699
Final Exam 7% 70 F = 50% 0-599
Participation 4% _40 points
Total 100% 1000 points
In order to receive a passing grade of a C or better in the class, students must turn in all three essays AND earn an average grade percentage of 70% or higher on the three essays.
No late assignments will be accepted, unless an extension has been arranged with the instructor in advance. Papers may not be submitted by email except by special permission, and when permitted, it is the student’s responsibility to make sure that the paper is received and readable.
Revising: You may revise one or both of the first two essays and resubmit your work for re-grading. Your grade may be raised a maximum of 10 percentage points. However, to improve your grade, you will need to do more than correct grammatical errors and reword or reorder a few phrases. Revision means a new vision; it means looking at your work with fresh eyes and reconsidering the content, focus, and organization of your essay. It may involve rethinking, as well as rewriting. Revised essays are due within one week of receiving your original essay back and must be accompanied by your original graded essay and a cover letter explaining what changes you made and why. Late essays may not be resubmitted for regarding. Please do not revise and resubmit essays that receive a score of 90% or higher.
Los Angeles Harbor College Mission Statement
Los Angeles Harbor College promotes access and student success through associate and transfer degrees, certificates, economic and workforce development, and basic skills instruction. Our educationalprograms and support services meet the needs of diverse communities as measured by campus institutional learning outcomes.
Grade Tracker for English 28
Homework – weeks 1-2 / (3 x 4)+(5 x 2) points = 22
Quiz 1 / 10
Outline 1 / 10
Draft 1 / 10
Homework – weeks 3-4 / (2 x 4)+(10 x 2) points = 28
Essay 1 / 150
Quiz 2 / 10
Reading Analysis Presentation 1 / 30
Prewriting for in-class essay / 10
Homework – weeks 5-7 / (3 x 4)+(12 x 2) points = 36
Midterm exam - grammar / 50
Midterm exam – in-class essay / 60
Evidence list 2 / 10
Outline 2 / 10
Quiz 3 / 10
Homework – weeks 9-10 / (3 x 4)+(5 x 2) points = 24
Draft 2 / 10
Essay 2 / 150
Homework – weeks 11-12 / (1 x 4)+(4 x 2) points = 12
Reading Analysis Presentation 2 / 30
Evidence List for Essay 3 / 10
Works Cited page for Essay 3 / 10
Outline 3 / 10
Draft 3 / 10
Homework – weeks 13-15 / (5 x 4)+(2 x 2) points = 24
Essay 3 / 150
Participation / 40
Final exam / 70
TOTAL / 1000
To calculate your grade at any point in the term, divide your total points earned by the total points possible.
A = 90-100% B = 80-89% C = 70-79%
D = 60-69% F = 0-59%
Schedule of Topics and Assignments (subject to change)
CR = The Compact Reader – R4W = Rules for Writers
***IMPORTANT: For exercises from Rules for Writers, turn in answers to numbered questions only. Answers to lettered questions can be found in the back of the book. *** / Quizzes, exams, and major assignments
Week 1
Tues. 2/9 / Introduction / Diagnostic writing
Thurs. 2/11 / Reading Critically / Read CR – Chapter 1: Reading, pp. 3-14
TO BE ANNOUNCED
Written homework: One paragraph summary + thesis
/ Diagnostic grammar testWeek 2
Tues. 2/16 / Essay Structure / Read CR – Chapter 2: Developing an Essay, pp. 16-30
“Sixteen” by Charlie Spence, pp. 349-53
Written homework: CR - Meaning questions 1-3, pp. 353
R4W: Parts of speech, pp. 368-80
Written homework: R4W - Exercises 46-1, pp. 368-9; Ex. 46-2, p. 371; & Ex. 46-3, pp. 373-4
***IMPORTANT: For exercises from Rules for Writers, turn in answers to numbered questions only. Answers to lettered questions can be found in the back of the book. ***Thurs. 2/18 / Read CR – Chapter 3: Revising, pp. 31-41
“I Was an Anchor Baby” by Marie Myung-Ok Lee, pp. 368-71
Written homework: CR - Meaning questions 1-3, pp. 371
R4W: Sentence fragments, pp. 180-8Written homework: R4W - Exercises 19-1, p. 187 & Ex. 19-2, pp. 187-8
*** Last day to drop class with no “W” & with no fee owed is Feb. 19 (in person) and Feb. 22 (online)
Week 3
Tues. 2/23 / Writing Process / Read CR – Chapter 6: Description, pp. 91-6
“Desert Dance” by Marta K. Taylor, pp. 98-100
R4W: Run-on sentences, pp. 188-93
Written homework: R4W - Ex. 20-1, pp. 193-4 & Ex. 20-2, pp. 194-5 / Outline of Essay 1
Thurs. 2/25 / Description / Read Ten Little Indians: “Do Not Go Gentle,” pp. 96-101
Written homework: Reading questions (handout)
R4W: Subordinate word groups, pp. 389-98
Written homework: Ex. 48-1, p. 391; Ex. 48-2, p. 394; & Ex. 48-3, pp. 397-8 / Quiz 1 on essay structure, writing process, and thesis statements
Week 4
Tues. 3/1 / Editing / Read CR – Editing, pp. 42-57
R4W: Subject-verb agreement, pp. 196-205 & Sentence Types, pp. 398-400
Written homework: Ex. 21-1, p. 206; 21-2, pp. 206-7; & Ex. 49-1, p. 400 / Draft of Essay 1
Thurs. 3/3 / Ten Little Indians: “The Search Engine,” pp. 1-27 (Part 1)
Written homework: Reading questions (handout)
R4W: Pronoun-antecedent agreement, pp. 207-16
Written homework: Ex. 22-1, pp. 211-2 & 23-1, p. 216 /
(Reading Analysis Presentation 1)
Week 5Tues. 3/8 / Literary Analysis / R4W: Comma, sections 32a-d, pp. 292-7
Written homework: Ex. 32-1, p. 294, Ex. 32-2, pp. 294-5; & Ex. 32-3, p. 297 /
Essay 1 due
Thurs. 3/10 / Ten Little Indians: “The Search Engine,” pp. 28-53 (Part 2)Written homework: Reading questions (handout)
R4W: Comma, sections 32-e-j, pp. 302-7
Unnecessary commas, pp. 308-13
Written homework: Ex. 32-5, pp. 302; Ex. 32-6, p. 307; & Ex. 33-1, p. 313 / (Reading Analysis Presentation 1)
Week 6 /
Tues. 3/15 / Literary Analysis / Read Ten Little Indians: “Flight Patterns,” pp. 102-23
Written homework: Reading questions (handout)
R4W: Semicolon, pp. 314-7; Colon, pp. 319-20
Written homework: Ex. 34-1, pp. 317-8; Ex. 34-2, p. 318; & Ex. 35-1, pp. 320-1 /