Bergen Community College

Division of English

Composition and Literature Department

Course Syllabus

WRT101: Composition I

Ellen Rosner Feig

L230

201 301 1243 or cell

efeig@bergen.edu

Syllabus

Course Description

English Composition I is a three-credit, general education course that gives students the opportunity for extensive practice in critical reading and thinking, and in writing expository prose. This course emphasizes the writing process and concentrates on the organization and development of ideas in written form. Correct language usage, research skills, and document presentation are covered. Particular attention is given to writing techniques that will enable the student to communicate successfully in various tasks. The prerequisite in this course is EBS-017, EBS 024, ALP-063, or by placement exam.

Student Learning Objectives

As a result of meeting the requirements in this course, you will be able to:

1.     Employ a variety of approaches to analyze and interpret texts.  (PLG 1) (Gen Ed Goal 1 a)

2.     Respond to texts, in discussion and writing assignments, demonstrating an understanding of rhetorical strategies employed in the texts. (PLG 2) (Gen Ed Goal 1a, b; 6 a, b)

3.      Incorporate the fundamentals of academic essay writing such as gathering ideas, developing and clearly stating theses, organizing, drafting, revising, and editing.  (PLG 3) (Gen Ed Goal 1 c, d)     

4.      Compose essays in several rhetorical modes, such as description, comparison/contrast, and argument.   (PLG 3) (Gen Ed Goal 1c, d)

5.     Move from personal responses to formal academic essays, including appropriate, properly formatted evidence from outside sources. (PLG 4, 5) (Gen Ed Goal 1 c)    

6.     Accurately incorporate the ideas of others using summary, paraphrase, and direct quotation. (PLG 4, 5) (Gen Ed Goal 1 c; 6 b)

7.     Incorporate the academic requirements, tools, and techniques of research through the resources of contemporary information science.  (PLG 6) (Gen Ed Goal 4 a, b, c, d)

8.      Employ current MLA style for text presentation, in-text citations, and Works Cited pages for essays and research papers.  (PLG 5, 6) (Gen Ed Goal 4 a, b, c, d)

9.      Write an argumentative research paper accurately incorporating material from outside sources. (PLG 4, 5, 6) (Gen Ed Goal 1 a, b, c, d; 4 a, b, c, d; 6 a, b)

Course Requirements

You will be required to do the following:

1. Write at least four multi-paragraph assignments of at least 500 words.

(Meets student learning objectives 1-5)

2. Write at least one in-class essay.

     (Meets student learning objectives 2-5)

3. Complete other writing exercises such as summaries, journals, reading responses, reading comprehension questions, quizzes on reading assignments, letters, resumes, etc.

      (Meets student learning objectives 1-6)

4. Read, interpret, and analyze a variety of texts.

      (Meets student learning objectives 1, 2)

5. Conduct independent research and write a 5-7-page research paper, using MLA style.

      (Meets student learning objectives 6-9)

6. Submit papers that adhere to MLA manuscript requirements and which demonstrate effective proofreading and editing.

      (Meets student learning objectives 1-9)

7. Participate in class discussions and other in-class (individual or group) activities necessary to produce quality expository prose.

      (Meets student learning objectives 2-7)

REQUIREMENTS:

Weekly Writing Assignments:    

a.         Reflective Journal

Your journal must:

• Respond to any reflection questions in each module
• Can address anything that’s covered in this class over the course of this unit: the readings, the discussions, the other activities, or maybe even current events that you feel are related to what we’re reading and studying.
• Each journal entry must be dated in the top right corner of the page.
• Each journal entry must be at least 250 words.
• Each journal entry must include your reactions to the readings done that week. You need to tell me how the reading makes you feel and why you feel that way.
• Each journal entry must be comprehendible. What I mean by this is I won’t be grading your grammar when I read your journals, but I do need to be able to understand what you’re saying. You may add photos or videos, if appropriate.

GRADING SCALE: 

A 90-100%

B+ 85-89%

B 80-84%

C+ 75-79%

C 70-74%

D 64-69%

F Below 60%

CONDUCT

Active participation is a requirement in this class.  My classroom is a forum for the free exchange of ideas. Therefore, students are encouraged to challenge one another’s ideas. What’s more, you shouldn’t be afraid to disagree with me, your instructor. That said, if you have problems with how I’m running my class, you are welcome to discuss said issue with me.  However, this may not be done during class time. Such problems are to be addressed after class or during my office hours.

NETIQUETTE POLICY

“Netiquette” or “network etiquette” defines appropriate communication in the online environment. The online environment includes any communication that occurs via technology such as email, discussion boards, chat rooms, websites, blogs, wikis text messages and instant messaging.

The Community Colleges encourage students, faculty and staff to use common courtesy and respect in all forms of communication to promote effective and positive interactions.

Netiquette Policies:

1.  Avoid offensive language of any kind. Offensive or derogatory language in an email, discussion board or other form of communication technology intended to harass others in a sexual, racial or other prejudicial manner violates civil rights laws.

2.  Avoid threatening language or repeated harmful attacks on other students or faculty.  It is against the law.

3.  Avoid “outing” which is where someone posts personal information about another student or faculty in an online environment, without his or her permission.

4.  Avoid “flaming” which is the expression of extreme emotion or opinion in an email or online discussion board communication. Misinterpretation of an email followed by an impulsive email response increases the probability your recipient will also respond emotionally making the situation worse. "Act in haste, repent at your leisure."

Emotionally charged email can be printed out, forwarded to many people instantly and may acquire a level of importance that was never intended.

5.  Do not forward an email message, file attachment or photo without the author's permission. Asking for permission demonstrates your integrity in personal and business communications.

6.  If you are concerned that someone is harassing, demeaning, or abusive, please follow the policy procedures outlined in the course syllabus.

7.  The use of bold fonts and the color red often convey a tone of anger to your reader.

Try to use dark colors in communications, lighter colors do not photocopy well and may not appear on printed documents if the color ink cartridge is old. People often cannot see the colors red or light green with color blindness.

8.  Use a clear email or discussion board posting subject line that relates directly to your message. Consider it to be the headline of a news article. Use an inverted pyramid form of writing with the most important statements in the first paragraph. Follow up with supporting details. Keep paragraphs short for easy reading. Use blank lines between paragraphs. State your recommendations for resolving a problem. Be clear, concise and considerate.

9.  Avoid acronyms or abbreviations unless the entire class is familiar with them.

10. When communicating online or in an email, avoid instant messaging shorthand such as “u” for you. Communicate intelligently.

11. Use spell check and take time to proof read your communication.

Electronic communication may be the only impression someone has of you.

12. Be cautious - email and online course postings stand on their own merit, often without context, and may be instantly forwarded to many people. It is impossible to rescind a written communication when it becomes available for all to see.

13. Be considerate of mistakes. If you decide to inform someone of a mistake or correct factual information, be polite and inform them by private email rather than group email of discussion board posting.

For more information:

Www.library.yale.edu/training/netiquette/

Www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY STATEMENT

The principles of academic integrity encompass simple standards of honesty and truth. Each member of the College community has a responsibility to uphold the standards of the community and to take action when others violate them. Faculty members have an obligation to educate students about the standards of academic integrity and to report violations of these standards to the Office of Student Development and Campus Life. Students are responsible for knowing what the standards are and for adhering to them. Students also should bring any violations of which they are aware to the attention of their instructors. Any breach of academic integrity is a serious offense that may result in disciplinary consequences. Plagiarism is a violation of the integrity of the academic community. Representing someone else's work as one's own is a serious academic offense and may result in failure, suspension, or dismissal.

NOTE THAT ALL READINGS AND ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION IS ON MOODLE

Reflective Journals – at least 250 words

Essays – at least 500 words

Week One

Reading:                    “Guarding Sing Sing”

Media:                        Sing Sing Prison Documentary

Assignment:             Reflective Journal

Week Two

Reading:                    “Schizophrenic. Killer. My Cousin”

Assignment:             Brainstorm, List and Cluster

                                    Reflective Journal

Week Three

Reading:                    “The High is Always the Pain”

Media:                        PSA on Gambling and Drug Abuse

Assignment:             Topic Questions

                                    Logos, Ethos and Pathos

Week Four

Reading:                    “The Promise”

Media:                        Springsteen Born to Run

Assignment:             Reflective Journal

                                    Brainstorm, List, Cluster and Question

Week Five

Reading:                    “Is James Franco for Real?”

Media:                        James Franco on LIVE

Assignment:             Claims, Evidence and Warrants

Week Six

Reading:                    “Video Games: The Addiction”

Media:                        Escaping Video Game Addiction

Assignment:             Expository Essay

Week Seven

Reading:                    “Surviving High School”

Media:                        High School Bullying PSA

Assignment:             Process Essay

Week Eight

Reading:                    “The Ballad of Colton Harris-Moore:

Media:                        Children in Prison: Hard Life Documentary

Assignment:             Reflective Journal

Week Nine

Reading:                    “A Solitary Jailhouse Lawyer Argues His Way out of Solitary”

Media:                        Sentencing 13 and 14 Year Old Children to Die in Prison

Assignment:             Argumentative Essay

Week Ten

Reading:                    “How Panicked Parents Skipping Shots Endanger Us All”

Assignment:             Research Topic Question

                                    Debate

Week Eleven

Reading:                    “The Alternates”

Assignment:             Annotated Bibliography

                                    Reflective Journal

Week Twelve

Reading:                    “The War on Cameras”

Media:                        Five Things You Should Know Before Video Taping the Police

Assignment:             Introduction and Conclusion

                                    Reflective Journal

Week Thirteen

Reading:                    Death of a Ballplayer

Media:                        Top 50 Baseball Plays

Assignment:             Annotated Bibliography

                                    Reflective Journal

Weeks Fourteen and Fifteen

FINAL PAPER