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Course Outline
Texts and Materials:
(1) Abcarian and Klotz ed. Literature: The Human
Experience Shorter 9th edition, (2) A College Writing Handbook, (3) A
College-level dictionary; (4)Three-ring binder; (5) Loose-leaf sheets; (6)
Stapler.
Course
Description
English Composition
II is a three-credit, general education course that continues the emphasis of
Composition I on expository/analytic writing, with a greater focus on
critical thinking and writing in response to the class readings of short
stories, poetry, and drama. Students will learn to evaluate and respond to
the ideas that they encounter in literature. The course aims to develop
students’ writing skills, essential for the production of persuasive,
well-supported essays. A research paper is required for this course. The
course prerequisite is WRT-101: Composition I.
In this course we
will continue working with many of the concepts you were introduced to in
Composition I. The emphasis will be on sharpening writing and reading skills.
We will be working through the entire writing process, from getting our first
thoughts on paper to producing a finished, edited manuscript. What makes this
course different from Composition I is the material we will use as writing
inspiration; here we will be reading fictional work exclusively. Your papers
and other assignments will require you to think critically about these works.
Class participation is required.
Student
Learning Goals:
As a result of meeting
the requirements in this course, you will be able to:
- Use critical
readings skills to understand and evaluate literary texts; to summarize
works of literature and to explain how literary elements interact to
convey meaning.
- Write academic
and personal responses to works of literature using appropriate literary
terminology.
- Continue
developing a process by which you write.
- Argue the
validity of your interpretation of a work of literature.
- Use quotations and
paraphrases from primary and secondary sources your writing and document
them following MLA style.
- Revise your
essay to achieve unity and coherence.
- Edit and
proofread your writing for clarity and correctness.
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
should be typed; two will be written in class.
You will also be doing a good deal of shorter
writing, some in class, some at home. This will
include revised compositions of 500 words, analyses of readings, short
summaries, critiques, et al. 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 7
to 10 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 this in stages: possible topics, a thesis statement, an
outline, a list of sources, the final paper. Because
we will spend a lot of time on the research paper, it will make up a pretty
big chunk of your final grade.
To earn
credit on a paper, you must complete the following:
a. Write your name and the
assignment number in the upper left-hand corner of the first page.
b. Write the analytic
essay in complete and grammatically correct sentences and paragraphs.
c. Compose the essay
on your word processor.
d. Submit an essay of
appropriate length.
e. Submit an essay
that does not engage in plagiarism.
f. Name the essay document, include
your last name plus the assignment number (i.e. "Essay 1"). Don't
forget to write your own title and to use title format for it (one standard font, no underline, or bold, etc.).
g. Format a Works Cited page according to MLA
Style.
h. Submit the essay to http://www.turnitin.com.
Class number 1962952 and password PLS SEE ME.
Tips
for Writing Essays http://writingguide.geneseo.edu/?pg=topics/organization.html
Tips for Writing Exam Essays http://writingguide.geneseo.edu/?pg=topics/essayexams.html
Tips for Formatting Works Cited in MLA Style http://www.bergen.edu/owl/resources.html
Class
Activities
You will be required
to:
- Read, interpret,
and analyze numerous short stories, poems, and plays and discuss these
in class.
- Participate in
class discussions.
- Learn and apply
various literary terms to texts assigned by your professor.
- Be on time for
class and seldom absent.
- Participate in
conferences with the professor as requested.
- Complete all
assignments in a timely manner.
- Undertake
tutoring at the tutoring center and/or additional assignments as
assigned by the professor.
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. Both the revised essays
and the library research paper are to be submitted to turnitin.com, an anti-plagiarism Web-based
service.
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
How will the written work be evaluated? Four
main areas are the keys to success in the essays: a clear statement of a main
idea that satisfies the particular assignment; organization into a clear
beginning, middle, and end; development and support of the main idea; last,
but not least, grammar, spelling and punctuation. I will explain the
requirements of the shorter assignment when I assign them.
You will be working in pairs and small
groups with others in the class. 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 and getting feedback at each stage of the
process.
I will hold individual conferences to
listen to your concerns and give you individual guidance on issues related to
critical thinking and writing.
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.
Because many of the assignments will be done as part of class exercises,
absences will certainly affect your final grade. You cannot pass
the course with six absencies. Doctor’s notes are
required for every absence. If you are ill, and/or will miss class the
day an essay is due, ask a friend or family member to drop it off in my
mailbox in Room A-333. Please let me know if you are ill or have a family
emergency ASAP.
GRADING POLICIES
Your final
grade for this course will be based on
the number of points you accumulate
this semester. You can earn 100 performance points in this course. If you
accumulate 90-100 performance points, your final course grade will be
"A;" 85-89 points = "B+;" 80-84 points = "B;"
75-79 points = "C+;" 70-74 points = "C;" 60-69 points =
"D;" and 0-59 points = "F." You will accumulate points by
meeting the course requirements.
PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism
is using someone else's words or ideas in such a way that a reader cannot
distinguish them from your own work. As such, it is a form of cheating. If
you have questions about plagiarism, please ask me about it before your paper
is due; after a paper is handed in it's too late to claim ignorance. The penalty
for plagiarism is an automatic F for the essay without a chance to rewrite
it, in addition to whatever penalty the College sees fit to impose, including
expulsion from school. Plagiarism is increasingly a
problem, especially in online courses. As a result, all faculty at Bergen
Community College have
access to a Web site (http://www.turnitin.com)
that can determine, usually within 24 hours, whether a paper has been
plagiarized.
EXTRA
CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS
From
time to time, I will assign an extra credit activity (up to four in the
course of one semester) to be completed by the students who wish to prove
their excellence and motivation. I would like to make it clear that extra
credit activities are not a replacement for a missing essay, lack of
participation in class discussion or an exam, and so forth. :)
Disclaimer: Submitting all the
papers does not automatically guarantee that you will pass the course. You
must be able to demonstrate an ability to write clear, well-organized and
relatively error free compositions without anyone's assistance. Please
don't hesitate to talk to me before, during or after class, or during my
office hours. You may e-mail me at any time.
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Composition 201
Syllabus SPRING 2008
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Prose Fiction
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Week I –January 21
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Introduction
to the course.
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Week II – January 28
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Toni Bambara, "The Lesson" p. 116
Shirley Jackson, "The Lottery" p. 328
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Week III – February 4
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Raymond
Carver, "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" p. 733
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Week IV – February 11
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First Essay Due Jan 13; Alice Walker, "Everyday Use" p. 599
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First Essay Due at TURNITIN.COM on FEBRUARY 13,
midnight
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Week V – February 18
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Flannery O'Connor "Good Country People" p. 100
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Poetry
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Week VI – February 25 Wed, February
27 – Class meet sin the BCC Theater
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First In-class Essay; William Blake, "The Lamb" (xerox) "The Tyger"
p. 126 Class meets in the Ciccone Theatre
on Wednesday, February 27,
at 11:00 a.m. Vissi Dance Theatre presents: “Amazing Grace,” the
celebration of the Journey of America from slavery to the Civil Rights
Movement.
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Week VII – March 3
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Elizabeth
Bishop, "One Art" p. 824; Dylan Thomas, "Do Not Go Gentle
Into That Good Night" p. 1075 Journals 1 due.
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Week VIII – March 10
March 12 – Class meets in C-313
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Robert
Frost, "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" p. 1070;
"Birches" p.141, "After Apple Picking" p. 1068; March 12, 11AM – Class meets in C-313 for Women’s
History Month SLAM
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Week IX – March 17
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Matthew
Arnold "Dover
Beach" p. 819
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Week X – March 24
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Christopher
Marlowe, "The Passionate Shepherd. . ." p. 800; Sir Walter Ralegh, The Nymph's Reply. . ." p. 801; Andrew
Marvel, "To His Coy Mistress" p. 815
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Week XI – March 31
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William
Shakespeare, Sonnets 18 p.811; 130 p. 812; 29 p. 811; 73 p. 1056
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Second Essay Due at TURNITIN.COM April 6, midnight
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Drama
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Week XII – April 7
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Second Essay Due April 6; Sophocles, Antigone
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Week XIII – April 14
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Sophocles,
Antigone, cont.
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Week XIV – April 21
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TBA
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Week XV – April 28
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Research Paper Due; Journals 2 due;
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Week XVI – May 5
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Second In-class Essay; Conferences
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Last day of class May 12.
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