First Year Seminar: English Language for Liberal Arts

First Year Seminar: English Language for Liberal Arts

Pursuit of Self: Knowledge, Individual, and Society

Fall 2014

FYS 100 · ID: 2982 · 12 Credits · Gen Ed Required

Instructor: Deborah Dergousoff

Office: SOC 235

Consultation Hours: 13:00-15:00 MWF

Email (the best way to reach me):

Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10-10:50am & 11-11:50am

Room: 315

I.  Course Description

FYS 100 is a 12-credit course with two components: content /reading and writing for academic communication.

The content component of the First Year Seminar will examine how we as humans think about the self and its relationship to others, focusing on the development of ideas about the self and the individual’s relationship to family, government, and community. You will look at the self from many perspectives: social, cultural, political, biological, and experiential, thus helping them to comprehend how our concepts of the self are constructed and experienced. You will also consider how writers and artists translate their experiences into narrative. By analyzing genres such as the memoir and essay, you will think about what kinds of “selves” emerge in writing and art.

The fall semester will concentrate on two aspects of the self: “writing the self” and “rearing the self”. In the first, you will think about how people write about themselves and what readers expect from the genre of memoir/autobiography, as well as the changing conventions of autobiography, historically and culturally. In the second, you will explore the issue of self from the perspective of childhood and education.

The Writing for Academic Communication component of the First Year Seminar will help you learn active, dialogic thinking skills through the writing process. You will learn various models of academic discourse and common practices of academic writing, including structuring a piece of writing around a clear rhetorical purpose, providing support, summarizing, paraphrasing, quoting, and following established conventions for citing source material. You will also learn specific strategies for process-based writing through prewriting, drafting, peer review, revising your papers to improve their content, and editing your paper for grammatical and spelling errors. You will be able to use the skills gained in this course to participate successfully in academic writing tasks throughout your university career.

II.  Course Objectives

In this course, you will

·  read and annotate texts closely;

·  gain the ability to analyze a variety of texts, literature and film;

·  use the writing process to engage with the text and to develop sustained critical thought;

·  write well-constructed paragraphs that are coherent and are unified around a clear topic sentence;

·  learn how to structure an essay around a specific rhetorical purpose/thesis statement

·  learn all the stages of the writing process, including brainstorming, outlining, drafting essays, revising and editing. You will also learn how to give and receive feedback on written work through peer review;

·  write essays of various genres that in addition to the mastery of the discourse, demonstrate effective organization (e.g., general-to-specific introduction, an effective thesis statement indicating the writer’s position and the pattern of organization of the essay, multiple body paragraphs with topic sentences, and a conclusion) , sufficient argument development (e.g., body paragraphs provide clear and properly attributed evidence and examples supporting the thesis), coherence/unity within and between the paragraphs (each sentence or paragraph flows from the previous one and transitions are smooth and logical), clarity (the word choice and the sentence structure accurately and clearly reflect the writer’s intent), and use of academic vocabulary;

·  use outside sources effectively and ethically though summarizing, paraphrasing, quoting, and citing sources using the MLA documentation system in order to avoid plagiarism, as well as integrate evidence into paragraphs;

·  write using grammatically correct sentences, and identify and self-correct common grammatical and mechanical errors.

III.  Core Texts

a)  First Year Seminar: Content Course Reader

Orwell, George. “Shooting an Elephant.” From: Shooting an Elephant, and Other Essays. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1950. Print.

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. The Confessions of J. J. Rousseau (Book 1). McLean, VA: IndyPublish.com, 2002.

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wallpaper”. Boston, MA: Small & Maynard, 1899. Print.

--. "Why I Wrote The Yellow Wallpaper.” The Forerunner (October 1913). Print.

Aitmatov, Chinghiz. Jamilya. Trans. by A. Dmitrieva and G. Meenaghan. 1958. Print.

Hughes, Langston. South to Samarkand.” From I Wonder As I Wander: An Autobiographical Journey. New York: Hill and Wang, 1964. Print.

Dostoevsky, Fyodor . Notes from Underground. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications,

1992.

Plato, Republic (Book 3). Trans. by Benjamin Jowett. London: Vintage Classics,

1991. Print.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile (Book 1). Trans. by Barbara Foxley. New York: Dutton, 1974. Print.

Aldous Huxley, Brave New World (Ch. 1-2). New York: Perennial Classics, 1998. Print.

A selection of five poems

b)  First Year Seminar: Writing for Academic Communication Course Reader

Dollahite Nancy E., and Julie Haun. Sourcework: Academic Writing from Sources. Boston: Heinle Cengage Learning, 2006. Print.

Hogue, Ann. The Essential Of English: A Writer’s Handbook. White Plains: Pearson Education, 2003. Print.

Lane, Janet and Ellen Lange. Writing Clearly: An Editing Guide (Second Edition). Boston: Heinle and Heinle Publishers, 1999. Print.

Oshima, Alice, Ann Hogue and Lara Ravitcih. Longman Academic Writing Series, Level 4: Essays (Fifth Edition). White Plains: Pearson Education, 2014. Print.

Parks, A. Franklin, Levernier James A. and Hollowell, Ida Masters. Structuring Paragraphs and Essays (Fifth Edition). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001. Print.

IV.  Course Activities

Formal Writing Assignments

In addition to informal, exploratory writing activities such as text annotations, in-class and journal writings, reflection papers and such, over the course of the semester you will be expected to produce a minimum of fifteen (15) pages of formal essay writing divided into 2-3 page short assignments and 5-7 page long assignments. All the essays will be evaluated based on the criteria provided and discussed in class.

Assignment 1: Argumentative Essay

Assignment 2: Expository Essay

Assignment 3: Compare-and Contrast Essay

Assignment 4: Analytical Synthesis Essay

Each of the essays will be a result of process-based writing, which will include

·  1st draft, reviewed by peers

·  2nd draft, reviewed and commented on by the professor and discussed in a mandatory writing conference

·  Final draft

Peer-reviews are an important component of the writing process. As such, students are required to perform in-class peer reviews for all 4 Assignments. The peer reviews will count 5% towards points awarded for each paper. Students who miss classes during which peer reviews take place will not have an opportunity to make up these points

Lecture Series

In addition to scheduled class time, students are required to attend a series of lectures related to the readings. Attendance will be taken at each lecture and failure to attend will result in a reduced participation grade.

All lectures will take place on Thursdays at 17:00 at CH-1 as scheduled below (subject to change):

Rousseau (Joseph Hoffmann)--September 11th
Gilman (Debbie Dergousoff)--September 18th
Aitmatov (TBA)--September 25th
Hughes (Clyde Forsberg)--October 2nd
Dostoevsky (Natalya Khokholova)--October 16th
Emile (Michelle Hoffmann)--November 6th

Huxley (Michael Thicke) –December 4th

Student-led Symposium

Topic – Plato – November 20

Room and time: TBA

V.  Course Requirements and Grading

2

a.  Grading scale

2

A 94-100%

А- 90-93%

В+ 86-89%

B 80-85%

В- 77-79%

С+ 74-76%

C 68-73%

С- 64-67%

D+ 60-63%

D 54-59%

D- 50-53%

F < 50%

2

b.  Grade components

FYS is an intensive writing course, so writing constitutes 70% of the course grade, which includes in-class writing, drafts and polished final version of all the papers, short and long. Students who did not pass Orientation will have their FYS grade reduced by 10%.

10%: Attendance, preparation, participation [class, lecture series, symposium] and

diagnostic essay

20%: Evidence of reading: annotations and homework

5%: Poetry Analysis

10%: Paper #1: Argumentative Essay - Rousseau (2-3 pages)

·  15% - First draft

·  5% - Peer Review

·  30% - Revised draft

·  50% - Final draft

10%: Paper #2: Expository Essay – Hughes (2-3 pages)

·  10% - Research write-up

·  10% - First draft

·  5% - Peer Review

·  25% - Revised draft

·  50% - Final draft

20%: Paper #3: Compare and Contrast Essay – Dostoevsky & Aitmatov (5-7 pages)

·  5% - Exploratory write

·  15% - First draft [5% intro completion / 10% full draft completion]

·  5% - Peer Review

·  25% - Revised draft

·  50% - Final draft

25%: Paper #4: Analytical Synthesis Essay - TBA (5-7 pages)

·  10% - Exploratory write

·  15% - First draft

·  5% - Peer review

·  20% - Revised draft

·  50% - Final draft

c.  How to succeed in this course

Reading is one of the most important parts of FYS. Doing the reading carefully and thoughtfully is the first step to succeeding in this course. The work you put into reading determines how much you learn, how deeply you think, and how well you do on your papers. Doing the readings in English develops your English reading and writing skills, which is crucial to your future success at AUCA, and it prepares you for writing about the texts in English, which is very difficult to do if you have read the text in another language.

For all these reasons, your reading is worth 20% of your total course grade. I will keep track of your reading throughout the term, based on the following evidence:

·  your annotations in the text

·  short take-home assignments

·  vocabulary lists

·  in-class freewrites

·  in-class group activities

Read with a pen or pencil in hand, make notes in your reader, and come to class with questions and thoughts, ready to discuss them. Please bring your reader to class.

Participating in class earns you participation points each class. When awarding participation points, I will consider how well prepared you are to attend class. Good participation means listening and responding to your fellow students, not just talking a lot [talking to others or using a mobile device while the instructor or fellow students have the floor will be penalized]. Discussion should not simply be argumentative, rather your comments should show that you have read and thought about the reading and the discussion. The idea is not to reach agreement on points of view, but rather to examine a variety of points of view and interpretations. Participation points are a way for you to improve your grade by being diligent, enthusiastic, or just plain awesome. You can gain participation points by:

·  Showing up for class on time

·  Coming to class prepared [readings done/annotations completed]

·  Participating enthusiastically and constructively in class activities

·  Attending lecture series, films, and student-led symposium

Students are expected to keep up with weekly readings since in-class writing and discussions will be based on them. You will get the most from this class if you attend regularly and come prepared with questions and comments about the readings. Be ready to explain your ideas, and listen and respond to the ideas of others both orally and in writing.

To get full marks for attendance, you will need to attend all classes and arrive on time. If you miss a class due to illness, an emergency, or any other reason, discuss this with your professor within one week of the missed class. (If you do not contact the professor within one week of a missed class, the absence will not be excused.) Attendance at films, lectures, and symposiums is required.

The goal of the diagnostic paper is to assess the skills we need to work on in this class. Your task is to write a 1-2 page paper based on a question that will be given in class.

The four Assignment papers are based on the core readings. In these essays, you will be asked to make an argument, analyze and critique a passage, compare and contrast texts, and do an analytical synthesis of texts. To get a good grade on your papers, you will need to have a clear thesis statement and defend it with examples and evidence from the text. You will need to submit all the preliminary work required for each essay (exploratory writing and drafts), attend tutorials, and address the feedback that you receive from your peers and your instructor.

There is a Writing and Academic Resource Center at AUCA (Room 228), which provides peer tutorials in writing for free. Students can improve their writing skills by attending on a regular basis. The Center is not a resource for correcting student work, but rather, for advising on how to improve it – do not take your writing to the Resource Center and expect them to correct it for you!

Submit your work by the deadline. Because it is very important for you to stay on schedule with this course, late assignments will receive a penalty of 10% per day. Late drafts will not receive a tutorial.

VI.  Course Protocol

·  Always bring your reader and a notebook to class.

·  Turn off and put away your mobile in the classroom.

·  Avoid disrupting class by going in and out.

·  If you miss a class, you are responsible for finding out what instructions or assignments you missed and making up any work, as needed.

·  If you miss class due to illness or an emergency, you must contact your professor within one week of the missed class in order for the absence to be excused.

·  When emailing your instructors, write FYS100 in the subject (title) line and allow 24 hours for a reply. Replies may take longer on weekends.

·  Keep copies of all your graded work until the end of term.

VII.  Academic Honesty

AUCA’s Code of Conduct describes the rights and responsibilities of all students at AUCA. Students in FYS should pay particular attention to the section on plagiarism:

3. Plagiarism

A student must not adopt or reproduce ideas, words, or statements of another person without appropriate acknowledgment. A student must give credit to the originality of others and acknowledge an indebtedness whenever he or she does any of the following:

3.1. Quotes another person's actual words, either oral or written;

3.2. Paraphrases another person's words, either oral or written;