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WRT-101-056 Composition I (3 credits)
Spring 2003
English Department Prof. Michael Bodek
Bergen Community College Office: Tec-208 Tel: 201- 493-3789
Office Hours: Mon. 8:00-9:00AM Tues. 1:30-2:30 Fri. 2:30-3:30 and by appointment
Email: mbodek@bergen.edu
Class meetings: Tues. 8:20-9:40 (S-260) Fri. 8:20-9:40 (S-260)
Texts:
1) Frazier, Charles. Cold Mountain
449 pages; Vintage Books; ISBN: 0375700757; August 19,1998.
2) Butler, Octavia E. Kindred
264 pages; Beacon Press; ISBN: 0807083054 August 1988.
3) Kirszner, Laurie G., and Stephen R. Mandell, ed. The Blair Handbook. Fourth Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ Prentice Hall, 2002.
Course Description: English Composition 1 gives
students the opportunity for extensive practice in expository writing. The course emphasizes the writing process, and concentrates on the organization and development of ideas in written work, and on student
responses to reading. Attention is devoted to correct language usage and on research and the basic techniques of MLA documentation. The primary emphasis of English Composition 1 is to improve writing
through critical thinking and reading.
Student Learning Goals: As a result of meeting the requirements in this course, you will be able to:
1. Read fiction and non-fiction texts and summarize them accurately.
2. Analyze passages from texts in writing and in class discussions.
3. Explain the relationships between two or more texts in writing and in class discussion.
4. Organize ideas using appropriate rhetorical strategies.
5. Develop and use a writing process to respond to a given assignment.
6. Write personal and academic essays using theses, appropriate
organization, and a variety of rhetorical strategies.
7. Use appropriate time management and organizational strategies for in-class writing.
8. Synthesize information from fiction and non-fiction texts
into your own writing.
9. Paraphrase and quote from primary sources in your writing.
10. Demonstrate proper use of MLA style.
11. Edit and proofread your writing for clarity and correctness.
12. Revise your essays to achieve effective unity and coherence.
Evaluation: Four main areas are crucial to success in your writing: clear statement of a main idea that satisfies the particular
assignment; organization into a clear beginning, middle and end, development and support of main ideas, and sentence skills.
Course Requirements: You will be required to do the following:
1. Write at least four multi-paragraph assignments of at least 500 words.
2. Write at least one in-class essay.
3. Use the writing
process to write at least two of the four required essays.
4. Complete other writing exercises such as summaries, journals, reading responses, reading comprehension questions, quizzes on reading assignments,
letters, resumes, etc.
5. Read, interpret, and analyze numerous writings concerning the two novels.
6. Conduct independent research and write a 4-6-page research paper, using MLA style.
7. Submit papers
that adhere to MLA manuscript requirements and which demonstrate effective proofreading and editing.
8. Participate in class discussions and other in-class (individual or group)
Grading: Your
final grade for English Composition I will be composed of averages of the following: Journals-20% Written Assignments-20% Tests-20% Library Research Project -20% Class Participation-20%
Attendance Policy -
Three absences of any type are excused. After three absences, your grade will be lowered one grade for each absence, resulting in course failure on the seventh absence. Whether you attend class or not, you are responsible for the material covered. Please be advised that I do not accept late assignments. If you are unable to attend
class on the day an assignment is due, you can email the assignment no later than the start of that class. If you anticipate missing classes contact me beforehand.
Readings in the Blair Handbook
Week One
3 About Writing
11 Reading Critically
427 The Right Word
Week Two
26 The Writing Process
50 Inventing and Discovering
Week Three
77 Reflecting
138 Interpreting
Week Four
332 Paragraphs
343 Openings and Conclusions
Week Five
357 Sentence Structure
374 Emphasis and Variety
Week Six
273 The Revising Process
317 The Editing Process
Weeks Seven-Fourteen
153-244 Researching
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