ENGLISH 096 (Basic Writing) – Spring 2002

 

Instructor – Jayasri Hart

Office: E&T A618    Hours: MW 8:00-9:00am and by appointment

E-mail: jhart2@calstatela.edu            Voicemail: 323-343-4145

Mailbox: English Department (E&T A636/637)

 

 

ATTENDANCE

 

You must attend the first two class meetings of the quarter.  If you miss either meeting, you will be dropped, and the space will be given to another student trying to add.  For the rest of the quarter, you are allowed only 4 unexcused absences.  So, please let me know if you have to miss a class.  In addition, a 20-30 minute conference with me will be required in week 8 or 9.

 

COURSE PREREQUISITE

 

You can take English 96 if your EPT score is 139 - 145, or if you received a CR grade in English 095. 

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

 

In this 10-week course, you will prepare for English 101 by reading and responding to assigned texts.  In the process, you will develop your reasoning abilities, strengthen your personal writing style, and learn how to use source material.  Since this is a WebCT course, you will also develop your skills in website navigation, bulletin-board posting, e-mail, and MS Word.

 

BOOKS & SUPPLIES

 

REQUIRED:   

The Ghostway by Tony Hillerman

8.5"x11" paper for essays, journals etc. and a binder to organize and save all your work

For use in our Computer Lab, two 3.5" diskettes, IBM/PC-formatted & labeled with your name and ENGL096

Portfolio materials (More about this in Week 9)

 

RECOMMENDED:

Oxford Desk Dictionary & Thesaurus, American Edition (paperback ISBN 0-425-18068-9)

 

I will supply copies of all other reading and grammar material.  All course material can be downloaded and printed from our class website

 

COURSEWORK

 

Reading & Comprehension:  You will read The Ghostway and write summaries, four chapters at a time. You will also read and summarize three short essays, and complete freewriting tasks based on them.

 

Essays:  You will complete the first drafts (at least 750 words) of 4 personal essays (including your midterm) in and outside class.  Then you will select and revise 2 of them until they are fully developed.  For Peer Review, you will give feedback on the work of at least two classmates while your work will receive feedback from two others.  All drafts of those 2 revised essays and your unrevised fifth essay will go into your portfolio for grading.  

 

Reading Journals:  At the WebCT site, you will find information and questions on the Ghostway chapters.  You will write answers to those questions and post them on the website's Journal (Discussions) section for your classmates to read and respond to.  Your Midterm and Final will be based on these reading journals.

 

Grammar:  I will show you how to make the best use of your dictionary.  Beyond that, grammar instruction will be customized to your needs.

 

GRADES

 

Your portfolio will be graded by me and at least one other instructor.  We score on a scale of 1 to 6:

 

            6 = Very good level of writing

            5 = Good level of writing

            4 = CR (Credit, ready for English 101)

            3 = NC (No Credit, not ready for English 101)

            2 = Incomplete portfolio

            1 = Portfolio not submitted, or incomplete coursework     

            U= No portfolio and very little coursework or insufficient attendance

 

 We will grade your portfolio on the following:

 

i)                    How well did your essays fit the essay topics?

ii)                   How well did you understand the texts?

iii)                 How clear is your thesis?  Do your points support it?

iv)                 How well did you explain your points?  Did you use good details of your own and from the text?

v)                  How well did you organize your details into paragraphs?

vi)                 Are you aware of who your reader is, and what your reader needs to know?

vii)               How well do you communicate in written English?

viii)              How much improvement did you show in your revisions?

 

WORK SCHEDULE

 

Unless otherwise announced, we will meet in the Computer Lab KHB-3007.  You will log on to the WebCT site (http://curriculum.calstatela.edu:8900), create your own MyWebCT, and add this class (Arts & Letters, Engl096jh).  For your essays, you will use MS-Word 2000.  Any work that you do not finish in class, you should complete at home as soon as you can.

 

Wk.01

04/01

CESAR CHAVEZ MEMORIAL HOLIDAY

04/03

Class: Syllabus, diagnostic essay, drops
Home: Get books & supplies, read Ghostway Ch. 1-4

Wk.02

04/08

Class: Introduction to the website

Discuss summarizing Ghostway chapters
Home:
Ghostway summary Chapts. 1-4

Read “Batting Clean-up And Striking Out”

 

04/10

Class: Discuss general/specific, summarizing essays.   Summarize Dave Barry's essay
Home:
General/specific exercise

Freewriting tasks on Barry’s essay

Wk.03
04/15

Class: Reading Journal #1
Home: Ghostway summary Chapts. 5-8

04/17

Class:  Discuss ESSAY 1 and essay structure
Home:
Prepare for Essay 1

Wk.04

04/22

Class:  ESSAY 1 (Draft 1)
Home:
 Ghostway summary Chapts. 9-12

Read & summarize “Dead End Kids”

04/24

Class: Discuss Manges’ essay

Freewriting tasks on Manges’ essay using e-mail
Home: Replies to e-mail, brainstorming on ESSAY 2

 

Wk.05

04/29

Class:  Reading Journal #2

Discuss ESSAY 2

Direct/Indirect speech exercise

Home: Read & summarize “The Truth About Lying”

05/01

Class: Discuss Viorst’s essay; freewriting tasks on Viorst’s essay

Home: ESSAY 2 (Draft 1)

Brainstorming on ESSAY 3

Wk.06

05/06

Class:Reading Journal #3

Discuss ESSAY 3 and sentence structure

Home: Ghostway summary of Chapts. 13-16

05/08

Class: Reading Journal #4

Home: ESSAY 3 (Draft 1)

Review Ghostway Chapts. 1-16 and Journals 1-4

Wk.07

05/13

 

Class: Discuss outlining and midterm topics

Home: Complete all incomplete essays, summaries, and assignments; outline for ESSAY 4

05/15

Class:  ESSAY 4 Midterm (Draft 1)

Home: The Ghostway summary of Chapts. 17-20

 

Wk.08

05/20

Class: Revision - 1st portfolio essay, begin Draft 2

Conferences

Home: Ghostway summary of Chapts. 21-24

Draft 2 of 1st portfolio essay

 

05/22

Class: Reading Journal #5; peer review of 1st portfolio essay (Draft 2); Citing Sources - Part 1

Conferences

Home: Ghostway summary of Chapts. 25-27

Draft 2 of 2nd portfolio essay

 

05/27

MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY

 

Wk.09
05/29

Class: Reading Journal #6; peer review of 2nd portfolio essay (Draft 2); Citing Sources - Part 2

Conferences

Home: Complete Peer Reviews, Citing Sources exercises; draft 3 or plug-ins for reviewed essay(s)

 

06/03

Class: Discuss portfolio format, Reading Journal #7

Conferences

Home: Complete portfolios, Reading Journal #7

Wk.10
06/05

Class: Portfolios due; review Final Topics, proofreading checklist 

Home: Prepare for Essay 5

6/10

Class: Essay 5