Marni L. Magda
English 050
Office: Social Science 200F
Office Hours:
Office Phone: 432-5594
Requirements
Textbooks
Bridging the Gap by Brenda Smith
White Fang by Jack London
Attendance and participation is mandatory. (Absence=-50)
Assignments:
Attendance 200
Textbook 400
Novel Exam 150
Mc Neil Lehrer 50
First Years Last 50
Heroes Adventure 50
Seeds of Greatness 50
3 Internet Ex. 50
Vocabulary 150
Midterm 50
Final Exam 300
A=90%
B=80%
C=70%
Textbook:
You are responsible for doing all of the exercises and filling in all the blanks in the content parts of each chapter in the textbook. Begin the textbook immediately and finish at least one chapter each week. I will reinforce important concepts and may skip around in my lectures about the textbook. Do not wait for me. Complete one chapter of the textbook each week. At the end of each chapter you will find three subject area selections with vocabulary and comprehension checks. You are responsible only for the first of those three unless otherwise directed by me in class. At the end of each selection internet sites are suggested under ‘Search the Net.’ Select, find, critique and summarize three of those sites for 50 points. Complete the ‘Reader’s Journal’ at the end of each chapter.
Syllabus
WEEK 1Read Chapter 1 in Bridging the Gap; Begin 10 vocabulary words per week -- 150 due fifteenth week; Vocabulary in context – the leap of faith in a guess; Lectures concepts: Return to Kindergarten; Previewing, Test Phobia, Study Habits, Brain exercise, Concentration. Jack London a bridge for visualizing to remember.
WEEK 2Read Chapter 2 in Bridging the Gap; Take Standardized Reading Test, and Visualization tests; Begin White Fang –Lectures: Self-Analysis and Five Finger Novel Check; Emotional Intelligence – Daniel Goleman; First Grade Takes a Test; Integrating Knowledge.
WEEK 3Read Chapter 3 in Bridging the Gap. Lectures: Vocabulary building; The Three Study Strategies: Previewing Integrating Knowledge and Recall; Main idea patterns; How experts lift main ideas; Summarizing – Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero’s Adventure” The Power of Myth Series.
WEEK 4Read Chapter 4 in Bridging the Gap; Lectures: Memory techniques for Recall; Midterm for Three Study Strategies;
WEEK 5Chapter 5 Bridging the Gap; Annotating; Cornell Method; Outlining; Mapping; Denis Waitley – “Seeds of Greatness”
WEEK 6Read Chapter 11 in Bridging the Gap; Note taking Systems -- The Modified Cornell with Understanding Key Questions; Dennis Waitley's The Ten Seeds of Greatness; Map, notes with questions for 50 points; Self-Assessment of Note taking Skills.
WEEK 7Read chapter 10 in Bridging the Gap; Lecture: Inference; Connotation and denotation – the heart of critical thinking; Movie: How to Improve Your Reading Speed
WEEK 8Read chapter 6 in Bridging the Gap. Lectures: How to Improve Your Reading Speed; Trusting the multifiring brain – two systems revisited; Final on White Fang.
WEEK 9Read chapter 7 in Bridging the Gap; Lectures: Bloom's Brain, Inference, and Alan Alda's "Dig into the World;"
WEEK 10Read chapter 8 in Bridging the Gap; Lectures: Point of View and Bias; Values Assessment. Recognizing assumptions. The First Years Last Forever; Sierra Club “Stopping Urban Sprawl.”
WEEK 11Read chapter 9 in Bridging the Gap; Lectures: Theories on the Human Mind -- Hart, Gazzanaga, Damazio, Bogen, - Critical Thinking and You. Read in class textbook, p. 200 "Critical and Creative Thinking." Bias vs Tolerance; Show slides of Bali and Indonesia. Intro Hesse Siddhartha. John Knowles A Separate Peace.
WEEK 12Read chapter 12 in Bridging the Gap; Logical fallacies; Sifting for gold; creative thinking;
WEEK 13Practice Speed on machines, two systems. Turn in Bridging the Gap for evaluation – Paper clip or staple unread Selections.
WEEK 15Turn in 150 vocabulary words including a front-page list of all 150 words and a synonym or short definition. Discover for yourself that you know what will be on our final exam. Review study skills.
WEEK 16Final exam and course evaluation – May the Force Be with You
Syll50
English 050
Magda
Survey
This is not a test. This survey will help me access the goals of this course for this semester.
1. Why are you taking this class?
2.What is your educational goal?
3.Are you working while attending school?
4.What are special interests for you in free time?
5. How do you feel about reading?
6.Have you read a novel from cover to cover?
7.Favorite novel
8.Last novel read
9.Favorite films