PELLISSIPPI STATE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE 
MASTER SYLLABUS 

ENGLISH COMPOSITION I 
 ENGL 1010

Class Hours: 3.0

 

Credit Hours: 3.0

 

Laboratory Hours: 0.0

 

Revised: Fall 08

 

Catalog Course Description:

 

 

 

Study and practice of expository and persuasive writing.  Topics include critical reading and writing of essays, with emphasis on research, writing process, and effective formatting.

Entry Level Standards:

 

 

 

 The student is expected to be able to conceive ideas about a topic and to organize and develop them in coherent paragraphs and compositions that are free of patterns of major grammatical error.  He or she should be able to vary writing style for different readers and purposes and to improve his or her own writing by restructuring and re-writing.  The student should be able to employ basic research techniques in gathering and reporting information.

Prerequisite:

 

 

 

 Satisfactory test scores or satisfactory completion of DSPW 0800 or 0870 and DSPR 0800

Textbook(s) and Other Course Materials:

 

 

Kennedy, Mary Lynch and  William J. Kennedy.  Writing in the Disciplines.  6th ed.  Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008.    

Harris, Muriel. Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage. 7th  ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008.  

Common Academic Experience text: Satrapi, Marjane.  Persepolis:The Story of a Childhood.  New York:  Pearson, 2004.

I. Week/Unit/Topic Basis:

 

 

 This is a suggested plan of assignments for the semester.  Instructors should choose readings, prepare writing assignments, and provide their own schedule and weighting of assignments.  Instructors should choose where to incorporate material from the Common Academic Experience text. All chapter references are to Kennedy, Kennedy, and Smith except where otherwise indicated.

 

Week 

Topic

 

1

Writing Sample

Ch. 1 Preparing to Write:  Active Reading

Reading Selections from Madden and Kennedy, as appropriate

 

2-3

Ch. 2 Writing an Essay in Response to a Source

MLA Documentation, Harris Ch. 58

Reading Selections from Madden and Kennedy, as appropriate

Assignment 1: Response Essay

 

4-5

Ch. 3 Composing Essays Drawing from Two or More Sources

Reading Selections from Madden and Kennedy, as appropriate

Assignment 2: Comparison/Contrast Essay 

 

6-8

Library Instruction, Harris Ch. 5, & ERC

Ch. 3, continued

Reading Selections from Madden and Kennedy, as appropriate

Assignment 3: Synthesis Essay

 

9-11

Ch. 4 Essays of Argument, Analysis, and Evaluation

Reading Selections from Madden and Kennedy, as appropriate

Assignment 4: Argument essay

 

12-13

Ch. 4, continued                                  

Reading Selections from Madden and Kennedy, as appropriate

Assignment 5:  Analysis/Evaluation

 

14

Final Essay

Revisions; completion and submission of folders        

 

 

15

Final Exam Period

II. Course Objectives*:

 

 

 

A.

Produce good writing by means of a process.  I.2, 3, 4 

 

B.

Write clearly, logically, and concisely and according to specified format.   I.2, 3, 4, 5

 

C.

Write to accomplish the writer's goals and provide for the reader's needs.   I.1, 2, 3, 5, 7

 

D.

Select appropriate rhetorical patterns to inform, to explain, and to persuade.  I.3

 

E.

Demonstrate familiarity with primary and secondary research.  I.6, 7; VII.3, 4, 5, 6

 

F.

Transfer principles learned in ENGL 1010 for effective writing across the curriculum.  I.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

*Roman numerals after course objectives reference TBR's general education goals.

III. Instructional Processes*: 

 

 

Students will:

 

 

 

 

1.

Collaborate in teams for peer review of drafts to analyze audience and message, to develop and organize ideas, and to evaluate drafts as to effectiveness and clarity. Communication Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy 

 

2.

Read assigned essays and participate in class discussion.  Communication Outcome, Humanities and/or Fine Arts Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

 

3.

Write analytical, expository, argumentative essays using word processing software. Communication Outcome, Technological Literacy Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

 

4.

Develop research skills using library sources and the Internet to find information pertinent to essay topics.  Communication Outcome, Technological Literacy Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

 

5.

Internalize the work ethic by regularly attending class, being punctual, being dependable, cooperating with the teacher and other classmates, contributing to class discussion and projects, and acting in a professional manner while in class.  Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

 

6.

Adapt material from the Common Academic Experience text into class discussion and written assignments. Communication Outcome, Humanities and/or Fine Arts Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

*Strategies and outcomes listed after instructional processes reference TBR’s goals for strengthening general education knowledge and skills, connecting coursework to experiences beyond the classroom, and encouraging students to take active and responsible roles in the educational process.

IV. Expectations for Student Performance*: 

 

 

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

 

1.

Use a process approach to writing.  A, B, C, D

 

2.

Analyze audience.  C

 

3.

Use appropriate level of diction.  C

 

4.

Develop and organize ideas and information about an essay topic.  A, B, C, D

 

5.

Develop a thesis statement for an essay.  C

 

6.

Follow recognized patterns to write essays.

 

7.

Write correspondence that is easily understood.  C

 

8.

Locate source materials.  E

 

9.

Use primary and secondary research in essays. E

 

10.

Document to avoid plagiarism.  E

 

11.

Proofread and edit all writing carefully.  B

*Letters after performance expectations reference the course objectives listed above.

V. Evaluation:

 

 

 

A. Testing Procedures:

 

Five or six major writing assignments will constitute a minimum of 70 percent of the final grade and will be weighted at the discretion of the instructor.  Assignments will be written in class as appropriate.  Other writings, such as responses, essay questions, letters/memos, exercises, and quizzes, as well as peer reviews, homework assignments, and corrections may constitute 30 percent of the final grade. Suggested point weightings are listed below:

                                Response Essay                                                                   10%

                                Comparison/Contrast Essay                                              15%

                                Synthesis Essay                                                                  15%

                                Argument Essay                                                                  15%

                                Analysis/Evaluation Essay                                                10%

                                Final Essay                                                                              5%

                                        Other assignments                                                       30%

                                (including letters/memos, exercises, quizzes,                                 

                                oral presentations, peer reviews, journals, corrections)                                                                                                                                                                100%

 

B. Laboratory Expectations:

 

 None

 

C. Field Work:

 

 None

 

D. Other Evaluation Methods:

 

Within the limits outlined above, the instructor is free to set individual performance standards in rewarding for revisions, folder submission, absenteeism, required typing, etc.  Each instructor will adhere to the College attendance policy and the policy on academic dishonesty as described below.

 

E. Grading Scale:

 

 Instructors will assign grades based on agreed upon departmental standards.

VI. Policies:

 

 

 

A. Attendance Policy:

 

Attendance, promptness, and participation are essential to success in college courses. The general attendance policy of the College states that students must be present for at least 75 percent of scheduled class meetings in order to receive credit for the course; thus, students who miss 25 percent of class meetings will fail the course. Therefore, any student who must miss an excessive number of classes for any reason is advised to withdraw from the College under the "Mitigating Circumstances" provision as described in the PSTCC Catalog & Handbook. 

 

B. Academic Dishonesty:

 

Any student found engaging in an act of academic dishonesty will be promptly dismissed from the course with a grade of F.  According to the PSTCC Catalog & Handbook. Prohibited activities include but are not limited to the following practices:

·  Cheating, including but not limited to unauthorized assistance from material, people, or devices when taking a test, quiz, or examination; writing papers or reports; solving problems; or completing academic assignments

·  Plagiarism, including but not limited to paraphrasing, summarizing, or directly quoting published or unpublished work of another person, including online or computerized services, without proper documentation of the original source

·  Purchasing or otherwise obtaining prewritten essays, research papers, or materials prepared by another person or agency that sells term papers or other academic materials to be presented as one’s own work

·  Taking an exam for another student

·  Providing others with information and/or answers regarding exams, quizzes, homework or other classroom assignments unless explicitly authorized by the instructor

·  Any of the above occurring within the Web or distance-learning environment.

 

C. Accommodations for disabilities:

 

If you need accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please inform the instructor immediately. Please see the instructor privately after class or in his/her office. Students must present a current accommodation plan from a staff member in Services for Students with Disabilities (SSWD) in order to receive accommodations in this course. Services for Students with Disabilities may be contacted by going to Goins 127 or 131 or by phone: 694-6751(Voice/TTY) or 539-7153.

 

D. Other Policies:

 

Correction and Return of Essay Assignments:
Essays will be marked with symbols from the Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage and with instructor comments.  Students are required to make all corrections according to instructor's directions before the grade on an essay is final.  Essays, revisions, and corrections will be kept in a folder throughout the semester and collected by the instructor at the end of the semester.  The English Department does not return student folders.  Students who wish to retain copies of essays should make photocopies.