Angelina College
Liberal Arts
Dual Credit English 1301 Composition I
General Syllabus
I. BASIC COURSE INFORMATION:
A. Course Description:
Three hours credit. Intensive study of and practice in writing processes, from invention and researching to drafting, revising, and editing, both individually and collaboratively.
Emphasis on effective rhetorical choices, including audience, purpose,
arrangement, and style. Focus on writing the academic essay as a
vehicle for learning, communicating and critical analysis.
B. Intended Audience: Students who have satisfied TSI writing requirements
and other requirements imposed by Woden ISD for this course..
C. Instructor:
Name: Susan Farrell
Office Location: Room 102, Woden High School
Office Hours: Daily --7:30-7:55 and 3:30--4:00
8:55--9:40 and 1:50--3:30 (only by permission from assigned teacher)
Phone: (936) 564-7903
E-mail Address: or
II. INTENDED STUDENT OUTCOMES:
A. Core Objectives Required for this Course
1. Critical Thinking: to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and
analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information
2. Communication: to include effective development, interpretation and
expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication
3. Teamwork: to include the ability to consider different points of view and to
work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
4. Personal Responsibility: to include the ability to connect choices,
actions and consequences to ethical decision-making
B. Course Learning Outcomes:
• Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing
processes
• Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution
• Write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose
• Read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts
• Use Edited American English in academic essays
III. ASSESSMENT MEASURES
A. Assessments for the Core Objectives
1. Critical Thinking: Students will read expository prose critically to
distinguish between perception and inference, surface and implied meanings, fact and opinion. Students will formulate and develop arguments and critical theories about issues, argumentative prose, and literary interpretations. A rubric will be used to assess critical thinking skills as demonstrated through embedded questions on standardized exams.
2.Communication: Students will write modal essays and other written
compositions. Students will prepare visual aids to use in oral
presentations to accompany the compositions being prepared. A
rubric will be used to assess the effective development, interpretation and expression of written, oral, and visual communication as demonstrated through embedded questions on
standardized exams.
3.Teamwork: Students will engage in teamwork exercises to assess
each member’s ability to consider different viewpoints and work towards a common goal. These exercises may include a mixture of peer editing in groups, group research projects, and group oral presentations of findings. A rubric will be used to assess teamwork as demonstrated through embedded questions on standardized exams.
4. Personal Responsibility: Students will be required to demonstrate
their ability to connect choices and actions, engage in ethical decision-making, and understand its consequences. A rubric will be used to assess personal responsibility as demonstrated through embedded questions on standardized exams.
B. Assessments for Course Learning Outcomes
1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative
writing processes by composing a variety of essays.
2. Students will show the development of ideas with proper support and
attribution by preparing essays using appropriate MLA documentation.
3. Students will demonstrate the ability to write in a style appropriate to
audience and purpose by composing essays with a variety of purposes directed
to different types of audiences.
4. Students will demonstrate the ability to read, reflect, and respond
critically to a variety otexts by composing essays that directly address the ideas
discussed and issues raised in text read in class.
5. Students will show the ability to use Edited American English in
academic essay by composing a variety of essay employing EAE.
IV. INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES:
Methodologies that may be utilized in presenting course content include in class or online lecture notes, paper and pencil or online grammar exercises or research exercises, in person or email conferences for student writings in progress, audio-visual presentations for view in class or outside of class, online discussions (synchronous or asynchronous), student presentations to groups or to instructor only, and guest participants.
V. COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND POLICIES:
A. Required Textbooks and Recommended Readings, Materials and
Equipment
The Norton Field Guide to Writing by Richard Bullock, Maurine Goggin Daly, and Francine Weinberg
The Writer's Workbench computer program is provided for the student in
the English classroom (Rm. 102)
Students need pens for note taking and a folder for maintaining handouts.
Students will be required to listen and take notes on class lectures and
discussions.
B. Course Policies – This course conforms to the policies of Angelina
College as stated in the Angelina College Handbook.
1. Academic Assistance – If you have a disability (as cited in Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990) that may affect your participation in this class, you should see Karen Bowser, Room 208 of the Student Center. At a post-secondary institution, you must self-identify as a person with a disability; Ms. Bowser will assist you with the necessary information to do so. To report any complaints of discrimination related to disability, you should contact Dr. Patricia McKenzie, Administration Building, Room 105 or 936-633-5201.
2. Attendance – Attendance is required as per Angelina College Policy and will
be recorded every day. Any student with three (3) consecutive absences of four (4) cumulative absences may be dropped from the class. Records will be turned in to the academic dean at the end of the semester. Do not assume that non-attendance in class will always result in an instructor drop. You must officially drop a class or risk receiving an F. This is official Angelina College Policy.
3. Additional Policies Established by the Instructor
Read all the assigned material and complete all assigned exercises and
writing assignments BEFORE class begins. Be prepared for discussion, preview and/or highlight passages of interest, form questions for class discussions, and participate in class discussions. Learn to think critically and take advantage of the opportunity to express your ideas and opinions as the semester unfolds.
Students must remain in the classroom upon completion of exams. Students will not be allowed to leave the classroom after a quiz or an exam has been distributed.
Missed work from a single absence either personal or student activity must be completed by the next day after the student’s return to class. Longer assignments will be due by the end of the week of the student’s return if the absence is for more than one day. All these decisions will be made by the instructor upon the student’s return based on the situation. Missed quizzes cannot be made up.
Refer to the Woden Student Code of Conduct for basic rules that determine behavior or dress and to the classroom rules posted on the bulletin board. Because this is a college class, an additional measure of mature behavior will be expected in classroom etiquette, discussion, and attention to quality work.
If you have questions during lectures, feel free to ask for clarifications as we go. If you have questions that apply only to your situation, come talk with me during the listed times on this syllabus. If an assignment is unclear, do not wait until the day of or the day before it is due to ask for help. By the same token, do not wait until the end of the semester to become suddenly concerned about your grade. Deal with problems as they arise.
**Remember that this course is also your English IV
credit for high school, and you must maintain a C
average to receive that credit for graduation.
Plagiarism--All work must be your own with proper documentation of
outside sources. The penalties for plagiarism are severe ranging
from failure of the submitted paper to failure for the entire
course.
Conduct--Classroom behavior should not be an issue. Each student
should conduct themselves in a way that will allow all students to profit from the instruction, presentations, and class work necessary for this class. This course is a college-level course and appropriate behavior is expected.
VI. COURSE OUTLINE
This assignment schedule is subject to change. You may expect to do the following activities as the semester progresses. However, unforeseen conflicts may cause some variations in the actual time frame for completing each week’s assignments.
August 22-23
Resumé/Scholarship Letter Updates
Pathways to Scholarship Pattern
Resumé--pp. 222-223 as reference
August 24-26
Introduction to class/Syllabus
Review Handbook HB4--HB11
Types of Sentences--Simple, Compound, Complex, Compound-Complex
Punctuation for each type of sentence
Coordination and Subordination
August 29 -Sept. 2
Reading--Hand-out #1 “Uncle Willie” for in-class analysis
Review textbook pp. 387-395--Narrating
Sept 5--Labor Day
Sept. 6-9
Assign personal narrative essay.
Purpose, audience, and genre
Review MLA format-- see pp. 524-532
Continue narrative essay/writing conferences
Due Sept. 12 at the beginning of class
Sept 12-16
Narrative Essay due
Commas and Semicolons, pp.HB61-HB68
Participles, gerunds, and infinitives--Text p. HB17--HB18
Sept 19-23
Reading Assignment #2 for in-class analysis
Discuss purpose and organization of descriptive writing--Textbook pp. 367-375
Assign Descriptive Essay
Due Sept.21 at the beginning of class
Sept. 26-30
Reading--Handouts for #3 “Two Ways of Seeing a River” and “Of Weirdos and Eccentrics” for
in-class analysis
Oct. 3-7
Assign compare/contrast essay
Writing conferences and peer groups
Due Oct.12 at the beginning of class
Oct. 10-14
Review pp. HB39--HB59 Proper use of Language-
Oct 17-21
Reading #4 for in class analysis
Mid Semester Exam
Oct 24-28
Organization, purpose of definition--Textbook pp. 318-322
Reading #5 for in-class analysis and discussion
Oct.31-Nov. 4
Organization, purpose, audience for cause/effect essay
Assign cause/effect essay
Due Nov. 15
Nov. 7-11
Read pp. 485-532 and bookmark them for further reference
Signal Phrases pp. 471-
Acknowledging Sources, Avoiding Plagiarism 471-474
Nov.14-18
Reading #6 for in class analysis “ Black Friday: Consumerism Minus Civilization”
Key features of Arguments pp 135-137
Discussion of Logos, Ethos, and Pathos
Assign Argumentative Essay (requires research and documentation)
Nov. 21-Nov 25--Thanksgiving Holidays
Nov 28-Dec 2
Continue argument essay
Dec 5-9
Complete argument essay
Due Dec. 7
Dec 12-16
Final TBA