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Course Outline
Required
Texts
and Materials
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James
McBride Miracle at St. Anna
$12.60
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Chinua
Achebe Things Fall Apart
$9.95
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Franz Kafka
The Metamorphosis  $5.95
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MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
Papers Sixth Edition
Recommended |
BORROW BOOKS FROM LOCAL LIBRARIES OR BUY VIA
Z-SHOPS ON THE WEB FOR A BETTER PRICE.
Also: college-level
dictionary; three-ring binder; loose-leaf sheets; stapler.
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Course Description
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WRT-101
English Composition I 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. 3 lec., 3 credits Prerequisite: EBS-017, EBS-024, ALP-063,
or by placement exam.
›General Education Course
In this course we will examine the entire
writing process, from getting first thoughts on paper to producing a
finished, edited manuscript. We'll work on paragraphs and
full-length essays. We will also focus on different types of essays,
from descriptive to formal research paper. Most of the assignments will
come from the readings. In addition to helping you develop
your writing ability, the course will also sharpen your skills as a
critical reader and thinker. We will analyze written works for content and
style, observing how writers use language to make their points.
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Course
Work
Four essays of about 500 words
will make up the major portion of the writing assignments. Two will be
written at home and must be typed; two will be written in class. You will
also be doing a good deal of shorter writing in class and at home. This
will include revised compositions of 500 words, analyses of readings, short summaries, critiques, and other
assignments. I will be asking you to keep a reading
journal to record your thoughts about what we read.
The longest
paper you will write will be a 5-7 page research paper. We will spend a
good deal of time discussing exactly how this will be done. It must be
typed and will include secondary sources cited in correct MLA format. You
will give me the research paper in stages: a list of possible topics, a thesis
statement, an outline, a list of sources, and the final paper. To help you
complete the assignment we will attend a library orientation session early
in the semester. We will begin discussing the paper in the first few weeks
of the course. Active participation in class activities is required.
Resources
There
will be a Library orientation session for you to get acquainted with the
available library
resources. Tutoring and Writing Labs are available before and after
class. (See a
list of the available resources on Composition
and Literature Web site.
)
One weekly session is scheduled in a computer lab. The instructor may post additional assignments on her Web site (see
above), and she may also request that selected essays should be
submitted via turnitin.com, an
anti-plagiarism Web-based service. For information on academic dishonesty,
go to BCC Catalog p. 32, under "Academic Conduct."
All BCC students enrolled
in credit courses are entitled to a WebAdvisor account. With
WebAdvisor, you may register online or check your schedule. Soon you
will be able to use WebAdvisor to find out what courses you still need to
take. To find out more about WebAdvisor or to sign up online, visit http://go.bergen.edu.
While there, please make sure you give us your preferred e-mail
address.
Evaluation
Four main
areas are the keys to success in the essays:
1) a clear statement of a main idea that satisfies the particular assignment;
2) organization into a clear beginning, middle, and end;
3) development and
support of the main idea; last, but not least,
4) grammar, spelling and
punctuation.
I will explain the requirements of the shorter assignments
when I assign them. Much of what you do in class will be
collaborative. That is, you will be working in pairs and small groups with
others in the class. There are several good reasons for this approach.
First, you can learn a lot from your colleagues in class; each of you
brings a different perspective to reading and writing. Second, in order to
be an effective writer, you need to be comfortable sharing your writing
with others, getting feedback at each stage of the process.
I will frequently hold individual
conferences to listen to your concerns and give you individual guidance on
issues related to critical thinking and writing.
Essay Grading
A
This essay is clear, well-organized, revised, edited, and
stylistically effective.
B+ This essay needs
improvement in one of the above areas.
B This essay
needs improvement in more than one area.
C+ This essay needs more
revision or editing.
C This essay
needs substantial revision or editing.
D This essay is
deficient in many areas and needs to be completely revised.
F This
essay is deficient in critical categories.
Attendance
You are expected to attend
class regularly and on time. If you are not able to attend for some
reason, please try to contact me in advance, if possible. You are responsible for material covered in class whether you are here
or not. You may e-mail me or a classmate to find out what you have to make
up. Because many of the assignments will be done as part of class
exercises, absences will certainly affect your final grade.
You will be able to make up the missing
work in such justifiable situations as bereavement, illness and
accidents. If you know you will miss class the day an
essay is due, ask a friend or a family member to drop it off in my mailbox
in Room A-333. You are obliged to wait for 20 mins for the instructor to
arrive.
Your final grade will be
determined by:
Essays 50%
Shorter Writing
20%
Class Participation
5%
Research Paper Assignments 25%
Schedule
Week
I -- September 4
Week II –
September 8-11Read The
Metamorphosis;
Composition
One due Sept 11
Week III – September 15-18
Week IV
– September 22-25
Essay One due
Sept 25
Week V – September 29 -October
3
Week VI –
October 6-9 Composition
Two due Oct 9
Week VII – October
13-16 Read Miracle at St
Anna
Week VIII –
October 20-23 Reading
journals I due Oct 20.
In-class Essay One Oct 23
Week IX
– October 27-30 Research
paper topic to be approved by Oct 30
Week X –
November 3-6
Library
orientation TBA
Week XI – November
10-13
Read Things Fall Apart
Week XII –
November 17-20
Essay Two due
Nov 20
Week XIII
– November 24 First draft of research paper with Works Cited due Nov 24.
(Nov. 27 is Thanksgiving)
Week XIV –
December 1-4 Final draft of
research paper due Dec 4
Week XV –
December 8-11
Reading
journals II due Dec 11
Week XVI –
December 15-18 Our last day of class is December 18. In-class Essay Two on Dec
15 and Conferences on Dec. 18.
Final
Thoughts about the Course
Please do not
hesitate to e-mail me if you have any problems at any time. At the end of the course I'll be asking
for an evaluation from you, but please let me know how things are going
throughout the semester.
~
Updated
August 26, 2003
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