English 1A
College Composition
Ms. Ruth Rhodes
Course Description
English 1A is a course in expository and argumentative writing. It prepares you for upper level courses in which you undertake advanced reading and research and begin to make your own intellectual contributions to different fields of learning. English 1A further prepares you for a life of learning—giving you the skills you need to read, think, and communicate about ideas and concepts in systematic, integrated, and disciplined ways.
1A Outcomes: What Will I Learn to Do?
At the end of this course, your reading and critical thinking abilities should be at a level where you can:
- Recall and understand written information
- Apply ideas introduced in readings
- Analyze and synthesize concepts
- Make judgments about the value of different ideas
- Identify and explain tone, purpose, style, bias, and effectiveness of readings
At the end of this course, your writing and research abilities should be at a level where you can:
- Find accurate, up-to-date information using printed resources and the Internet
- Conduct basic field research
- Summarize, paraphrase, and quote using signal phrases and MLA documentation style
- Write essays that are mechanically and grammatically correct, unified, well-developed, coherent, and thoughtful
- Come up with arguable questions of significant intellectual interest—questions that you and others are curious about—conduct research, develop positions, and synthesize the information into research papers
Projects: What Assignments Will I Complete?
You will take notes and ask questions during lectures, complete in-class writing assignments, and participate in discussions and learning activities (including group work). You will do homework including reading and writing exercises, grammar activities, and research. You will complete four essay assignments totaling 6000 words. Three of the essays will involve documented research.
Assessment: How Will My Projects Be Graded?
Grades are weighted heavily on the essays and the research paper (75%). You must complete all the writing assignments to receive a grade for the course. You will also be evaluated on homework, quizzes, and participation (25%). Part of your participation grade will be awarded by members of your group.
Grades Available:
Textbooks
The following texts are required for the class:
- Axelrod, Rise and Charles Cooper. The St. Martin’s Guide to Writing, Seventh Edition. Boston, 2004.
- Lundsford, Andrea. The St. Martin’s Handbook, Fifth Edition. Boston, 2003.
You will also need a floppy disk and a 3-ring binder with lined paper.
Attendance Counts
There are no “excused absences.” You must decide for yourself whether or not you can afford to skip. Attendance is taken at the beginning; if you come in after attendance has been taken, you will get a late mark, which counts as ½ an absence. If you have six or more absences, you automatically fail. Additionally, if you aren’t present when I give a quiz or check homework, you get a zero for the assignment. Essays turned in late lose a letter grade each day they are late, including the first day if they are not turned in during class.
Code of Conduct
You are expected to be on time and prepared for class with all the books and materials you might need. You must participate fully in group work. Treat other members of the class with respect and tolerance and do all that you can to avoid disrupting learning. This means that if you must leave the room, do so quietly. Remember to turn off your cell phone before class begins. Save your snack for break time—don’t eat during class.
Cheating
If you are caught cheating (turning in work that is not your own, copying during a quiz, etc.), you will receive a zero for the assignment and will be subject to academic discipline. One common form of cheating is plagiarism, taking the words, phrases, or ideas of others and claiming them as your own. Copying information straight from websites and printed materials without quoting or citing is a serious academic crime. You will learn appropriate strategies for paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting in this course so that you can avoid this mistake. You will be required to submit your essays to Turnitin.com before papers are accepted for grading.
Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability and think you will need accommodation in this class, please come see me during office hours so that we can talk about it. Bring your support services / accommodations agreement form. If you don’t have one of these, please visit the DSP&S office.
Policies and procedures are subject to change