CONTACT INFORMATION:

Office: Engleman Hall D229

Office Hours:            Mondays 4:40-5:40PM

Fridays 11:05AM - 12:05PM

Telephone: (203) 392-6828 (the DRC)        

Email: bensonkaren@yahoo.com

 

 
Spring 2004

English 101 - Composition II

Instructor: K. Benson

Section 12: 12:10 ­1:00PM MWF

Room: EN C102

 

Course Overview:

Composition II extends and develops skills introduced in preparatory composition classes, such as ENG 100. Students are invited, in Composition II, to refine their ability to successfully engage in academic discourse. The examination of intellectually demanding non-fiction texts will help students further their critical thinking, active reading, and essay writing skills to promote success in future academic studies. The course is intended to encourage students to practice increasingly sophisticated modes of self-initiated questioning, scholarly research, detailed evaluation, and critical synthesis needed for advanced academic endeavors. Students will engage in ongoing, committed, and collaborative academic explorations throughout the semester, culminating in thoroughly researched, as well as carefully crafted, revised, and edited, academic research papers.

 

Course Texts:

Behrens, Laurence, and Leonard J. Rosen, eds. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 8th ed. New York: Longman, 2003.

Lunsford, Andrea. The St. Martin's Handbook. 5th Ed. Boston: Bedford, 2003.

 

Course Materials:

ü     a notebook or loose-leaf paper to be kept as a response journal

ü     a three ring binder and paper for in class notes/handouts

ü     a collegiate dictionary and a thesaurus

ü     access to email and the internet

ü     a twin-pocket folder for research project materials

 

Course Grading:

In-class and homework writing assignments, participation/attendance    15%

Response Journals (approximately 250wds each)                                10%

            Essay #1 (4pages) (Draft and Revision)                                            10%

Essay #2 (5-6 pages) (Outline, Draft, Revision, and Reflection)           10%

            Essay #3 (5-6pages) (Outline, Draft, Revision, and Reflection)            15%

            *Essay #4/Research Project (approximately 8-10 pages)                      40%

* Components of the Research Project Portfolio:    Research Question; Thesis and Proposal; 2-3page

Annotated Bibliography; Outline; Abstract; Drafts I, II,

and Final Revision III; Critical Reflection, Works Cited and Works Consulted

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Please refer to the attached English 101 ³Statement of Goals and Objectives² handout for a detailed discussion of the course objectives. In brief, students will.

Ø     Extend reading skills through multiple readings, rhetorical analysis, and thorough analytical/argumentative written responses that ask students to synthesize perspectives connected to a given theme

Ø     Further their ability to create and maintain a clear focal argument

Ø     Extend reflective thinking and writing skills, writing for a variety of purposes/audiences

Ø     Practice research based writing, not to report facts, but to join their voice/perspective to a conversation about a specific topic

Ø     Learn that error is a valuable part of growth as a writer!

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Please refer to the attached English 101 ³Statement of Goals and Objectives² handout for a detailed discussion of the course requirements. In brief, students will.

Ø     Read non-fiction texts contextualized with additional scholarly readings.

Ø     Write 25-30 pages of research-based argumentative writing (assignments must be revised at least once and are a minimum of 5-6 pages long).

Ø     Analyze texts and explore connections through a variety of shorter writing assignments.

Ø     Extend their grammatical knowledge to further their ability to communicate persuasively, clearly, and confidently.

Ø     Regularly participate in student-centered activities, such as small-group work, conferences, and discussion of student ideas

 

COURSE CONVERSATIONS:

 

Participation: This course requires a high level of participation. Listening and responding to both the texts and others in class will help you to develop an awareness of the diverse perspectives that surround many of the course topics. The depth of knowledge that this awareness promotes will prove vital as you develop, draft, and revise ideas for your essays, and as you move on to more advanced academic study. Asking questions, offering insights, and indicating when and why you disagree with a point of view will help you to explore your position on the different issues that we discuss. Finally, to frame classroom discussions, I would ask that you always remember to express opinions with respect for one another, the course material, and the classroom environment.

 

Workshops/peer revision: Throughout the course, you will be asked to recognize the role that social influences play upon written texts. Through workshops and peer revision, you will encounter opportunities to become more reflective about written texts, the writing process and, in particular, the process of revision. You will be asked to offer constructive feedback during peer revision workshops, a process which will challenge you to extend your understanding of different topics and perspectives, to apply active reading skills, and to demonstrate knowledge of the academic conventions we discuss in class. The work that you do during peer revision and workshops will also help you to read and revise your own work through a more effective academic lens.

 

conferences: In much the same manner as the workshops, the more individualized instructor feedback and exchange of ideas during individual and group conferences will encourage you to think critically about the work that you are doing for this course. You should always bring specific questions and/or concerns about current assignments for discussion during individual conferences.

 

COURSE WORK:

 

Writing and Process: Ongoing research, writing, reading, and revision are essential components of this course. Course requirements will encourage you to recognize the importance of research and writing process, as well as final polished formal essays. The writing process for essays will include the completion of rough invention notes (brainstorming, etc.), bibliographies, outlines, drafts, critical reflections, and final revisions. Students will also participate in small group drafting and revision workshops throughout the semester to receive peer feedback in addition to instructor comments.

What is a Critical Reflection? A critical reflection is a short written analysis students will often need to hand in to the instructor with their final essay revisions. A reflection should discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the essay at hand and of your writing process for the essay, and it should pose additional questions about the topic for further research. The reflection will help me respond effectively to your concerns about essays/writing process, and is meant to encourage you to think carefully about what is working and what needs work in your writing/process work.

 

Homework Checks: Homework will be assigned during class and checked/collected regularly. I mark homework out of 2 based on its completion and correctness. Therefore, students can receive a 0, 1, or 2 depending on the level of effort shown for the specific assignment. I am happy to meet with you to work through any difficulties you might have with homework, so talk to me if you do not understand an assignment.

 

Reading/Writing Journals: Through thoughtful and critical writing journals, your can explore your responses to assigned readings and assignments. Journals should serve as a record and exploration of questions, challenges, possible topics for future research, and interconnections that you encounter as you move through the readings for the course. These responses should be brought to class, as they will often serve as opening material for class discussions. Student journals will be collected and graded periodically during the semester, and any student who does not have a journal response ready when called upon will receive 1/2 day's absence counted against his or her total attendance for the course. When a journal has been assigned, it must be completed by the following class meeting.

 

Research Portfolio: To display the process work and final polished research product connected to the major research assignment for this course, students will build a portfolio of written work connected to the research project that demonstrates their personal growth and achievements as writers throughout the course. Do not throw any course work away! In addition to the components listed on the syllabus, prewriting notes, rough outlines, additional rough drafts, journals, and research notes can all be included in the final portfolio. More detailed information about final portfolios will be discussed as the class progresses.

 

Grammar and Mechanics: To develop a confident control of writing and standard written English, students will complete grammar and mechanics exercises from The St. Martin¹s Handbook, handouts, and additional online sources as needed throughout the course.

 

GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION:

 

Attendance: Regular attendance and active participation are crucial to achieve success in English 101. According to the English department's policies on attendance:

For a class that meets three times a week, students are allowed three unexcused absences . . . Students are responsible for assigned work. Students who accumulate nine absences (Excused and/or Unexcused) will fail the course.

In addition to this policy, students who arrive to class more than 10 minutes late will receive 1/2 day's absence counted toward their total number of absences. For the third unexcused absence, a student¹s final mark will drop by 3% up to a maximum of 9% (9 absences). Students who miss class for reasons related to illness or family emergency must see me with proper documentation in order to make up missed class work; however, the absence will still count towards the total accumulated for the semester.

 

Late Essays/Assignments: Class work/essays needs to be submitted to me in person in class or via another class member to be considered on time. Please make an appointment with me before an assignment is due to discuss alternate arrangements if you will be unable to hand in an assignment on time due to extenuating circumstances. If you will be absent from class on the day an assignment is due, the work must be in my mailbox in EN D265 by 1:00pm to be considered on time. Late homework will be penalized by 1 mark (out of 2) and homework checks cannot be made up. Essays that are not handed in by 1:00pm on the due date will be considered late and will be penalized one-half grade level (+/-) for each day late. Late work (strongly discouraged and most unwelcome) may be submitted to me in person in office hours or placed in my mailbox in EN D265. No work will be accepted more than one week after the due date without permission from the professor.

 

Grading Policy: Assignments will be graded to encourage careful revision and improvement as students develop their skills.

Drafts/Copies: Initial draft work is so crucial to essay writing that a revised essay will not be marked and will receive a grade of zero if its drafts have not been submitted. If you do not submit the required copies of an essay draft in class on the date they are due, the essay¹s final grade will be dropped by one half-grade level (+/-). Students who come to draft workshops without the required number of draft copies will be asked to leave class to make the copies and will receive 1/2 day¹s absence. If, on the other hand, you come to class prepared all semester and hand in all required drafts and copies on time, you will receive a 2% overall bonus at the end of the semester!

 

Academic Honesty: Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty are unacceptable and will result in failure for of this course. University penalties for plagiarism range from failure to expulsion from the university. Please take careful note of the section on ³Academic Honesty² in the Student Handbook and make sure to thoroughly cite all references within your essays.

 

E-mail and Other Things: Make sure you have at least two different people to contact about homework in case you miss a class. Always contact me via phone or e-mail in advance if you know you have to miss a class or if you need help with reading or an assignment! Use the e-mail listed on the syllabus (not the Southern e-mail account) to contact me. I do not accept essays/assignments handed in via e-mail except in cases of documented emergency (see policies on late essays/assignments above).

 

On-Campus Resources:

The Campus Writing Center offers free individual tutoring in writing to students enrolled in courses at the University.

It is located in the Wintergreen building. All students in the course are strongly urged to book appointments for additional feedback as they brainstorm, draft, and revise their essays.

The Disability Resource Center on supports students with documented disabilities. The University intends that all

students who can make essential use of course or program opportunities shall be assisted to do so, notwithstanding any disabilities that a student may have. Please notify me as soon as possible if you have any disability related concerns about this course or if you will require any accommodations to complete the course.

 

WEATHER: In case of inclement weather, call Southern¹s line (392-SNOW) to check if classes will be held:. Note that

often this line will not have updated information until the morning of the class.

Tentative Course Outline

Please Note: This outline is subject to change.

Additional readings and assignments will be assigned and handed out in class.

Reading and assignments listed for a given day are to be completed for that class period.

Unless otherwise noted, readings listed are from Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum.

* SM denotes assigned reading from The St. Martin¹s Handbook

Week 1

M

01/26

Establishing Connections and Frameworks

Introductions and Course Overview

Journal #1 Topic: Reflect upon your writing history, your goals and expectations for ENG 101, and any concerns or questions you have about the course.

 

W

01/28

Topic: Exploring histories and writing process

Reading: ³A Note to the Student² xxxiii

 

F

01/30

Topic: ³Summary, Paraphrase, and Quotation²

Reading: Ch. 1

 

 

 

 

Week 2

M

02/02

Phase I: Cyberspace and Identity: The E-Mail Revolution

Topic: Thinking Critically and Working with Texts: ³Critical Reading and Critique²

Reading: ³We¹ve Got Mail ­ Always² p. 229 and Ch. 2

 

W

02/04

Topic: Critique

Reading: Ch. 2 (continued) and ³Going Postal² p. 235

DUE: Summary of ³We¹ve Got Mail ­ Always²

 

F

02/06

Reading: ³A Shared Sadness² p. 249 and ³Virtual Love² 254

Writing: Journal #2 ­ Community and the Internet

 

 

 

 

Week 3

M

02/09

Reading: ³Cyberspace and Identity² p. 271 and ³Faking It: The Virtual Lawyer² p. 285

Writing: Journal #3 ­ Identity and the Internet

 

W

02/11

Topic: Peer Revision Workshop and Synthesis

Reading: Sample student essay handout and Ch. 4 - p. 94-100

 

F

02/13

No Class - Holiday

 

 

 

 

Week 4

M

02/16

No Class - Holiday

 

W

02/18

Workshop: Peer Revision of Essay #1

DUE: Draft of Essay #1 (3 copies)

 

F

02/20

Workshop: Essay #1 Revision (continued)

Reading: Ch. 5 ­ ³The Argument Synthesis² p. 125-132 and ³Developing and Organizing Support² p.156-162; and Ch. 3 (in-class)

 

 

 

 

Week 5

M

02/23

Phase II: Obedience to Authority

Reading: ³Opinions and Social Pressure² p. 309 and Ch. 6 ­ ³Avoiding Plagiarism² and ³Citing Sources² (MLA) p. 198-213

DUE: Revision, Reflection Notes, and Peer Revision Forms for Essay #1

 

W

02/25

Reading: ³The Perils of Obedience² p. 316, ³Review of Stanley Milgram¹s Experiments on Obedience² p. 329

 

F

02/27

Reading: ³Obedience² p. 335

Writing: Journal #4 ­ Observing obedience

 

 

 

 

 

Week 6

M

03/01

Reading: ³The Stanford Prison Experiment² p. 347 and Ch. 6 ­ ³The Research Question² p. 166-168

DUE: Research Question

 

W

03/03

Reading: ³Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem² p. 360

 

F

03/05

Reading: ³The Organization Kid² p. 365

Writing: Journal #5 ­ Socialization, education, and obedience

 

 

 

 

Week 7

M

03/08

Workshop: Peer Revision of Essay #2

DUE: Draft of Essay #2 (3 copies) & Hand-in Journals #1-#5

 

W

03/10

Phase III: Folktales - Fairy Tales and Wonder Tales

Reading: ³Universality of the Folktale² p. 523

 

F

03/12

Reading: Ch. 11 ­ ³Nine Variants of `Cinderella¹² p. 527-567

DUE: Research Proposal and Working Thesis

 

 

 

 

Week 8

M

03/15

Topic: Cinderella, library research and the annotated bibliography

Reading: Ch. 11 ­ ³Nine Variants of `Cinderella¹² p. 527-567 (continued) and Ch. 6 ­ ³Research² p. 163-192, SM ­ 14i (p. 312-317)

DUE: Outline, Revision, Critical Reflection, and Peer Revision Forms for Essay #2

 

W

03/17

No Class ­ Individual Conferences

 

F

03/19

No Class ­ Individual Conferences

Last day to withdraw from a class.

 

 

 

 

Week 9

M

03/22

Spring Break

 

W

03/24

 

F

03/26

 

 

 

 

Week 10

M

03/29

Topic: Cinderella, evaluating sources, and taking notes

Reading: ³`Cinderella¹: A Story of Sibling Rivalry and Oedipal Conflicts² p. 567 and Ch. 6 ­ ³Research² p. 163-192 (continued), SM Ch. 16

Writing: Journal #6 ­ Popular fairytales

 

W

03/31

Reading: ³`Cinderella¹ and the Loss of Father-Love² p. 575

Writing: Journal #7 - Reading response

 

F

04/02

Reading: ³Cinderella¹s Stepsisters² p. 590

DUE: Research Annotated Bibliography

 

 

 

 

Week 11

M

04/05

Workshop: Peer Revision of Essay #3

DUE: Draft of Essay #3 (3 copies)

 

W

04/07

Reading: Ch. 6 ­ ³Research² p. 192 - 213

Writing: Journal #8 ­ Research planning, drafting, and reflections

 

F

04/09

No Class - Holiday

 

 

 

 

Week 12

M

04/12

Phase IV: The Research Portfolio

Topic: Research thesis and drafting work

DUE: Outline, Revision, Critical Reflection, and Peer Revision Forms for Essay #3

 

W

04/14

Topic: Focus/Unity

Reading: SM: Ch. 5 ³Paragraphs²

 

F

04/16

Workshop: Peer Revision of Research Essay #4

DUE: Essay #4 ­ Major Research Essay Draft I & Outline (3 copies)

 

 

 

 

 

Week 13

M

04/19

Workshop: Peer and Self-Revision of Research Essay #4 (continued)

 

W

04/21

Topic: Coherence/Transitions

Reading: SM: Ch. 5 ³Paragraphs² p. 113 (continued)

 

F

04/23

Topic: Support/Development

Reading: SM: Ch. 5 ³Paragraphs² p. 113 (continued)

Workshop: Self-revision and individual instructor feedback.

DUE: Essay #4 ­ Research Essay Draft II

 

 

 

 

Week 14

M

04/26

Workshop: Building Common Ground and Writing a Research Abstract

 

 

W

04/28

Topic: Plagiarism and MLA Style

Reading: Ch. 6 ­ ³Avoiding Plagiarism² and ³Citing Sources² (MLA) p. 198-213; SM - Ch. 18 and Ch. 20

Writing: Journal #9 ­ What is plagiarism?

DUE: Hand-In Journals #6-#9

 

F

04/30

No Class ­ Individual Conferences

 

 

 

 

Week 15

M

05/03

No Class ­ Individual Conferences

 

W

04/05

No Class ­ Individual Conferences

 

F

04/07

Workshop: Research Portfolios: Peer/Self-Revision ­ Bring a clean copy of your draft to class for oral and/or written feedback from peers.

 

 

 

 

Week 16

M

05/10

DUE: Final Research Portfolio

 

W

05/12

Topic: Critical Reflection and Writing

Course Evaluations.

 

F

05/14

No Class -- Reading Day

 

 

 

 

Week 17

M

05/17

Final Exam Period ­ Final Research Portfolio Return

12:45am - 2:45pm