Writing 80: Sentence to paragraph
Fall 2011 Syllabus – Sept. 26
Sections: WR080 Credits: 4 Instructor: Joe VanZutphen
Room: IT 23 E-mail: jvanz@juno.com
Class meeting times: 10 - 11:50 a.m. T-TH Instructor phone: 360.606.1303
Office hours: by appointment
Course Description:
This class will help you develop college-level reading and writing skills. During this quarter, we will focus on basic written communication skills, language mechanics, grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and paragraph development. Considerable attention is given to process, topic sentence, supporting details, and correctness. This course also helps students develop analytical skills so they can become critical thinkers, readers, and writers.
Requisites:
Placement is based on the college writing and reading placement (CPT) test scores. Students must place in or above RD090 on the CPT in order to take WR080. Concurrent enrollment in RD090 is strongly encouraged.
Required Texts
Steps for Writers, Vol. 2, by Phillip Eggers
Other Required Materials: Access to a computer and Internet, flash drive for saving work, and a notebook.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the students will be able to:
1. Interpret text
2. Demonstrate increased vocabulary
3. Identify functions of words, especially transition expressions, in sentences
4. Recognize and use an appropriate variety of sentence structures including simple, compound, and complex
5. Use the writing process to generate ideas and write a draft
6. Organize paragraphs so they include a recognizable topic sentence, relevant support for the topic sentence, and a concluding sentence
7. Edit to correct mechanical, grammar, and sentence structure errors
Course Requirements:
In this class, you’ll write four summaries and one essay. You will research, draft, and revise each, polishing each one until it is a successful piece of college-level writing. These writing assignments will be based on challenging, college-level readings, some of which you may be asked to find yourself using the library databases.
In addition to the writing assignments listed above, you will do quite a bit of in-class writing (freewrites, brainstorming, note-taking, drafting, etc.) in your Class Notebook. The Notebook is an essential part of learning that will be graded only on compliance (whether you did the work) rather than on quality of work. Be sure to bring it to class every day; having all your notes in one place will help you, and you may be asked to use it at any time.
Exams: You will also have two in-class exams. During those exams, I may collect and grade your Class Notebook.
Grading
Assignment | Points of Final Grade |
Summaries (4) | 100 (25 each) |
Essay | 50 |
Exam 1 | 20 |
Exam 2 | 20 |
Class Notebook | 30 |
Homework | 50 |
Attendance/participation | 30 |
Total | 300 |
Late Work Policy:
Late work is worth half points up to one week; thereafter the grade is zero.
All papers must be typed, double-spaced, and in the required class format. Papers are due at the start of class, and an assignment that is turned in after is considered late. If you must miss class, email your work before class. Please understand also that I will always grade assignments which have been turned in on time before I will grade a late assignment; therefore, if you turn in work late, it will not be graded as promptly, and you may need to remind me. Finally, keep in mind that no assignment may be turned in for any reason after the last regular class day of the quarter.
Class Policies
Attendance: Please come to class and be on time. Missing class destroys your ability to do work successfully, is distracting to others, and is a huge waste of tuition. In addition, missing class may cause you to miss points. Assignments are due at the beginning of class. Late assignments will receive ½ credit for one week late and zero thereafter. Missed tests cannot be made up except in case of emergency, and students earn credit for peer response workshops only if they participate in the workshops during class time. In short, you need to be here regularly if you want to do well.
You are responsible for finding out what work you missed. Therefore, have a peer or two you can contact to find out what you missed.
Your assignments are due whether or not you are in class. If you are sick, for example, you must email or deliver your work to me before the start of class.
During Week One, in accordance with English department policy, I will drop any student who misses a class during the first two class meetings and does not get in touch with me.
Class Courtesy: Having a safe and civil atmosphere for learning depends on all of us. When we speak with one another, especially when disagreeing, it is vital that we do so with mutual respect. Students who are disruptive or abusive towards others will be asked to leave. Also, any “side conversations” will not be tolerated and those students will be asked to leave. On a related note, it is both disruptive and rude to leave your cell phone or beeper on in the classroom. Please turn them off when you come to class. If you subscribe to the flash alert system, you may leave your phone on vibrate.
Plagiarism: Students who copy the words or ideas of any other writer without acknowledging the original author of those words or ideas are engaging in plagiarism. Plagiarism is grounds for failing this course. One of the goals of this course is to understand how to use information effectively and ethically in your writing. Once those concepts have been introduced, any instances of plagiarism will result in severe grade penalties for the student.
Equal Opportunity: It is the policy of MHCC to provide equal educational opportunity and employment opportunities to provide service benefits to all students and employees without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable state or federal law.
Affirmative Action: Inquiries regarding application of these and other regulations should be directed to either the college affirmative action office (503) 491-7200 or TDD 491-7202; the office of Civil Rights, Department of Education, Seattle, WA; or to the Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Department of Labor, Seattle, WA.
ADA Accommodations:
If you have emergency medical information that should be shared, or if you require assistance in case the building should be evacuated, please make an appointment to see me as soon as possible during the office hours indicated in this syllabus.
Any student with a disability who may require some consideration or assistance in order to fully participate in this class should call (503) 491-6923 or TDD(503) 491-7670.
Tentative Schedule (Note: this schedule is designed to be filled in with your notes based on announcements made in class). Also, there are live updates (additions as we move through the quarter).
Date | Independent Activities (take notes here!) | Class Activities | What’s Due? |
Week 1 | Buy textbook and spiral for Notebook, get syllabus, | Introduction to the course; discussion of syllabus; discussion of active reading and summaries; introduction to writing process. Summary 1 assigned. Writing Notebook assigned. | Diagnostic Writing |
Week 2 | Introduction to sentence grammar, structure, punctuation; discussion of readings . Summary 2 assigned | ||
Week 3 | Sentence grammar, paragraphing techniques continued; discussion of revision strategies. Summary 3 assigned | ||
Week 4 | Discussion of cohesion, sentence grammar ; paragraphing techniques; discussion of readings. Summary 4 assigned. | ||
Week 5 | Essay structure discussed. Readings discussed. Introductory paragraph assigned. In-class exam 1. | ||
Week 6 | Discussion of common punctuation, continued; discussion of readings for essay 3. Body paragraphs assigned | ||
Week 7 | More essay discussion including readings, editing, and sentence structure. Concluding paragraph assigned | ||
Week 8 | Essay assigned. Discussion of subject-verb agreement; discussion of pronoun-antecedent agreement; discussion of readings | ||
Week 9 | In-class revision of essay. Grammar: pronouns, punctuation | ||
Week 10 | Discussion of pronoun case, continued; Discussion of revision strategies. | ||
Week 11 | In-class Exam #2 |
Please note: This syllabus is subject to change; any changes will be announced in class so that you can make edits. Also, many assignments like readings, specific grammar exercises, and in-class writing exercises do not appear on this schedule, as their scheduling depends on how quickly or slowly the class proceeds. Please attend class and talk with me regularly so that you will not be surprised by changes.
SCHEDULED STUDENT OFF-DAYS: Oct. 14 (faculty work day), Nov. 11 (Veteran’s Day), Nov. 23 (faculty work day), Nov. 24, 25 (Thanksgiving Holiday)
The following information is supplied by the college and is required to be on all syllabi:
In emergencies, students should do the following:
- Inclement weather or emergency information
Go to www.mhcc.edu or call 503-491-6422 as your first means of getting information. The college does send notices to radio and television stations, but the college’s web site and switchboard are the official platforms for the most accurate information.
- Emergency: In the event of an emergency dial “33” from any campus phone.
3. Security Escort
Public safety officers are available to escort you through our “Safe Walk” program. Please call “7310” from any Gresham campus phone. The public safety information office (at the southwest corner of the library wing near the flagpoles) is open M
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