Summer Term 2005
Instructor: Dr. Mary Nielsen
Phone: 272-4407 or 1-800-829-4436
Email: mnielsen@em.daltonstate.edu
Web page: www.daltonstate.edu/faculty/mnielsen/
Office: 224 LIA
Office Hours: Monday: 10:30-11:30 a.m., 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 9:30-11:45 a.m., 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 9:30-10:30, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Thursday: 9:30-noon, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Friday:
10:30-11:30 a.m., 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Writing Lab
Hours: Monday: 10:30-11:20 a.m.
Tuesday: 11:45-12:45 p.m.
Midterm: June
27, 2005
Required Materials
Wordsmith:
A Guide to College Writing,
2nd Edition, by Pamela Arlov
(Prentice-Hall)
Freshman
theme folder.
Freshman theme paper.
Blue or black ink pens.
Course Description
Prerequisite: English 0098, unless exempt.
Prerequisite: Reading 0098, unless exempt.
The emphasis in 1101 is
placed primarily on planning, outlining, writing, and revising essays. Stress is placed upon exposition, analysis,
and argumentation; emphasis is also given to grammar, sentence structure,
organization, and diction. This course
also includes introductory use of a variety of research skills. Students who discover the need for more
intensive grammatical preparation or for more writing experiences before
completing English 1101 successfully are allowed and encouraged, with the
advice of their instructors, to drop 1101 and pick up English 0098 by the end
of the fourth week of the semester, earlier in the summer semester.
Course Objectives
English 1101 is a composition
course designed to enable the student to outline, write, correct, and revise
essays based on a variety of organizational patterns with emphasis on
exposition, analysis, and argumentation, using specific details and
examples.
I. The outline and essays will include the following:
A. Title
B. Thesis Sentence
C. Introductory or organizational paragraph
D. Three or more supporting paragraphs with topic sentences that are
proved through the use of specific examples and details
E. Evidence of transitions
F. A concluding or summarizing paragraph
II. In the essays, the student will demonstrate a mastery of conventional
English as
measured by the standards listed
under the heading Grading Criteria for English
1101
Essays.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students completing English
1101 toward any transfer degree should be able to
1.
produce
a critical essay that demonstrates a grasp of thesis and the ordered, logical
support of a thesis;
2. recognize and use accepted patterns of
grammar, mechanics, and syntax in writing edited American English (EAE);
1. write a timed, single-draft essay that
meets Division criteria for coherence, organization, development, and
mechanical correctness;
2. demonstrate knowledge of the various
rhetorical styles by writing essays that meet appropriate standards and are
understandable, meaningful to the reader, and void of slang and solecisms;
3. organize and communicate knowledge and
ideas in a logical and purposeful way;
4. demonstrate an understanding of sentence
structure, paragraph structure, and essay structure in their writings;
5. demonstrate an awareness of effective
writing through close analysis of various models and application of this
awareness to their own writings;
6. apply different strategies to adjust
their writing skills to a given writing assignment;
7. conduct rudimentary research from the Internet
and learn to search the World Wide Web.
Assessment
Goals
4. Demonstrate
knowledge of the various rhetorical styles by writing essays that meet
appropriate standards and are understandable, meaningful to the reader, and
void of slang and solecisms.
5. Organize
and communicate knowledge and ideas in a logical and purposeful way.
6. Demonstrate
an understanding of sentence structure, paragraph structure, and essay
structure in their writings.
Class
Activities
The student will participate in such
learning activities as the following:
1. Planning,
writing, and revising a minimum of seven essays (at least three of which must
be written in class as practice RTP essays) of specified types with
outlines--at least 500 words for each essay;
2. Doing
various readings and exercises, taking quizzes and tests to help learn grammar
points needed to eliminate grammatical errors in writing;
3. Writing
various paragraphs and paragraph exercises, possibly including
freewriting
exercises;
4. Discussing,
prior to revising, errors in essays;
5. Discussing
various social/political/economic issues as relevant to paper topics, as well
as researching such topics;
6. Taking
a practice RTP reading exam.
Evaluation
1. Seven
essays (at least three of which are Regents’-type in-class essays) count as
70% of the final course grade.
2. Homework,
quizzes, practice Regents’
participation, and other assignments as
specified by the instructor count at 10%
of the final course grade.
3.
The final exam (an in-class Regents’-type essay) counts as 20% of the
final course
grade.
4.
Final grades in English 1101 will be
A (90-100%)
B
(80-89%)
C (70-79%)
D
(60-69%) Student MUST repeat the course.
F (Below
60) Student MUST repeat the course.
5.
To receive credit for the course, each student must have all graded
tests and
papers (originals and revisions) placed in a
permanent folder, which becomes the
property of the Division and will be retained
for one term by the instructor and
then shredded.
Students may photocopy any of their essays and anything in their
folders, but the originals will not be
returned.
Attendance
Policy
Students are expected to attend every
class. Each student is allowed a maximum
of four absences without penalty. Tardies and early departures count as one-third of an
absence. Two points will be deducted
from the final course grade for each absence beyond three. (Note: Students who register late or who do not show up for the first class or two will have their
allowable absences reduced by the number of days they have already missed.)
All essays that earn less than a B must
be revised. Four points will be deducted
from the essay grade if the essay is not revised and turned in by the revision
due date. In addition to correcting
errors, revision includes refining and improving your detail and word choice. All
revisions must be typed double spaced
using 12 point type. The
original paper must be stapled to the back of the revised copy. All revisions are due no later than one
week after the original graded paper is returned--even if you are absent the day papers are returned.
Students may earn additional points through revision provided that the revised
papers are turned in on time;
however, the last three essays cannot be
revised for extra points. The grade for each revised essay will be
averaged with the original grade.
Late
Work
It is the
student’s responsibility to complete the assigned course work on time. Ten points will be deducted for each day (not class period) the work is
late. If you are absent, please contact
me by phone or email to find out if there is an assignment so that you can
submit it on time.
Make-up Policy
In general, work must be made up within
two days of the student’s return to class.
Work not made up will be assigned a zero.
Students may earn extra credit (which can
be used to drop up to two low
scores on a quiz or a homework assignment—excluding
essay assignments) by doing extra practice in the Writing Lab (315 LIA). This practice would include writing practice
essays in the Writing Lab, practicing with Writing Lab worksheets, and/or using
grammar software available in the Writing Lab.
Students can earn 25 points each week for any 8 weeks of the term by
working with practice materials and/or software in the Writing Lab for 25 minutes each week. A maximum of 25 points may be earned each
week. Once 200 points are earned, I will
drop the lowest scores from the homework/test category; if 100 points are
earned, I will drop the one lowest grade from the homework/test category. Remember to sign your name legibly in the
Writing Lab log book
1. All students are expected to conduct
themselves in a manner conducive to a positive learning environment. Class disturbances will not be accepted or
tolerated. Cell phones and beepers must
be turned off before entering the classroom.
2. Students are expected to read all work
that is assigned prior to coming to class.
3. Students are expected to spend a minimum
of 6 hours each week studying, reviewing, practicing, and reading
course-related materials.
4.
Students
are expected to bring their textbooks to every class.
5.
Any
paper that contains plagiarism (intentional or unintentional) will be assigned
a 0.
Drop/Withdrawal
Statement
“The last day to drop this class without
penalty is June 27, 2005. You will be assigned a grade of W. After this date, withdrawal without penalty
is permitted only in cases of extreme hardship as determined by the Vice
President for Academic Affairs; otherwise a grade of WF will be
issued. Students who wish to drop this
class or withdraw from all classes should go to the Enrollment Services Office
in Westcott Hall to complete the necessary form. Students who fail to complete the official
drop/withdrawal procedure will receive the grade of F. Withdrawal from class is a student=s
responsibility. Before dropping any class, the College strongly
advises that students meet with their academic advisor and their
instructor to discuss the impact of a withdrawal on their graduation
plans. The College also strongly
advises students who are receiving any type of financial aid to visit the
Financial Aid office in pope
(Revised
5-11-05)
Students with
disabilities are invited to contact the Academic and Career Enhancement (ACE)
Mary Andrews
Lower Level,
Workforce
Development Statement
“If a student
receiving aid administered by the DSC Workforce Development Department drops
this class or completely withdraws from the College, the Add/Drop/Withdrawal
form must be taken to the Workforce Development Office first. The office is located in the
Grading
Criteria for English 1101 Essays
Characteristics
of a Passing Essay
A passing essay meets only the basic
grading criteria and those in a minimal way.
1. The
essay has a thesis sentence with a central idea related directly to the
assigned
topic and presented with sufficient clarity
that the reader is aware of the writer’s purpose.
2. Subtopics
or supporting points are developed from the thesis sentence.
3. The
organization of the essay’s paragraphs is clear enough for the reader to
perceive the writer’s plan.
4. The
paragraphs coherently present some evidence of concrete examples and
specific details to develop substantially the
thesis’s subtopics or supporting points
and the essay is at least 500 words long.
5. A
variety of concrete examples and specific details of acceptable quality support
generalizations.
6. The
writer uses ordinary, everyday words accurately and idiomatically and
generally avoids both monotony created by a series
of choppy, simple sentences and the incoherence caused by long, tangled
sentences.
7. The
essay has an adequate variety of clear, coherent, complex sentences.
8. The
writer maintains a consistent voice and appropriate tone for the context of the
essay’s topic and for the writer’s purpose.
9. Although
the essay may contain two Type I errors and a few Type II or Type III
errors, they are not of sufficient severity or
frequency to obscure the writer’s intended meaning.
Characteristics
of a Failing Essay
A failing essay has any one of the following
problems to an extraordinary degree, or it has several to a limited degree.
1. The essay lacks a thesis sentence with a
central idea.
2. The essay does not relate directly to the
assigned topic.
3. The essay’s paragraphs lack a clear
organizational plan.
4. The essay does not develop its supporting
points or subtopics or develops them in
a repetitious, redundant, incoherent, or
illogical way. There is a lack of
concrete examples and specific details for support of generalizations.
5. The essay contains at least three Type I
errors, an automatic failure.
6. The essay contains numerous Type II or Type
III errors.
7. Ordinary, everyday words are used
inaccurately and unidiomatically.
8. The essay contains a limited vocabulary so
that the words chosen often do not serve the writer’s purpose.
9. Sentence structure is frequently rudimentary,
monotonous, or tangled.
10. The essay lacks a consistent voice and an
appropriate tone.
11. The essay is so brief that rater cannot make an
accurate judgment of the writer=s
ability.
12. The essay fails to meet the 500-word requirement.
REGENTS’ TESTING PROGRAM SCORES AND
GRADING CONSIDERATIONS:
The following material, as well as an Overview,
Sample Tests, a complete list of RTP topics, and other informational materials,
may be found at the RTP Website through the DSC homepage (Click on Programs of
Study, then Schedule, then Humanities, then RTP) or from http://www.gsu.edu/rtp.
4 : The
"4" essay has a clear central idea that relates directly to the
assigned topic. The essay has a clear organizational plan. The major points are
developed logically and are supported with concrete, specific evidence or
details that arouse the reader's interest. The essay reveals the writer's
ability to select effective, appropriate words and phrases; to write varied,
sentences; to make careful use of effective transitional devices; and to
maintain a consistent, appropriate tone. The essay is essentially free of
mechanical errors, it contains no serious grammatical errors, and the ideas are
expressed freshly and vividly.
3 :
The "3" essay has a clear central idea that relates directly
to the topic. It contains
most of the qualities of good writing itemized
above. The essay generally differs from a "4" in that it shows
definite competence but lacks distinction. The examples and details are
pertinent but may not be vivid or sharply observed; the word choice is
generally accurate but seldom--if ever--really felicitous. The writer adopts an
appropriate, consistent point of view.
The essay may contain a few errors in grammar and mechanics.
2 :
The "2" essay meets only the basic criteria and those in a
minimal way. The essay has a central idea related directly to the assigned
topic and is presented with sufficient clarity that the reader is aware of the
writer's purpose. The organization is clear enough for the reader to perceive
the writer's plan. The paragraphs coherently present some evidence or details to
substantiate the points. The writer uses ordinary, everyday words accurately
and generally avoids both the monotony created by series of choppy, simple
sentences and the incoherence caused by long, tangled sentences. Although the
essay may contain a few serious grammatical errors and several mechanical
errors, they are not of sufficient severity or frequency to obscure the sense
of what the writer is saying.
1 :
The "1" essay has any one of the following problems to an
degree, or it has several to a limited degree: it lacks a central idea; it
lacks a clear organizational plan; it does not develop its points or develops
them in a repetitious, incoherent, or illogical way; it does not relate
directly to the assigned topic; it contains several serious grammatical errors;
it contains numerous mechanical errors; ordinary, everyday words are used
inaccurately and unidiomatically; it contains a
limited vocabulary so that the words chosen frequently do not serve the
writer's purpose; syntax is frequently rudimentary or tangled; or the essay is
so brief that the rater cannot make an accurate judgment of the writer's
ability.