University at
Sections E4 MWF
12-12:50
F3 MWF 1-1:50
O’Brian 109
Credit hours: 3 Prerequisite: Appropriate test score
Instructor: Ms. Jane Adam Office: 644 Clemens Mailbox: 3rd floor Clemens
Office hours: M W
Texts: (available at University Bookstore)
Abcarian and Klotz,.Literature: The Human Experience,
shorter 8th ed. REQUIRED
Hacker, A Writer’s Reference 5th
ed. RECOMMENDED
Also Required:
--Pocket folder
--Access to computer or word
processor--all essays must be typed
double spaced in 12 pt font
(see p. 371 in A
Writer’s Reference for format example)
Course Objectives: English 201 gives you the
opportunity to develop your critical
thinking, critical reading, and research skills. Using discussion and analysis of selected
literary texts as a starting point, you will learn what you need to write 5-10
page papers at the university level: you will work with the complex and
substantial ideas these texts introduce, do sufficient research to discover a
variety of sources that help you expand such ideas, and incorporate and
document information from these sources in your own writing. You will review
basic skills including organization, grammar, mechanics and usage as
needed and gain greater control over
them. You will grow in your ability to analyze, evaluate and appreciate others’
writing. You will have a chance to
develop your own distinctive writing voice in a variety of writing
assignments—to use your voice to contribute confidently to a larger
conversation on what the editors of your text call “the great themes of
humanity.”
The class will work toward these objectives through reading and discussion, informal in-class writing, and invention, drafting, and revising of formal essays and a research paper--with input at every stage from instructor and peers. To demonstrate your progress as a writer and to motivate yourself to think critically about your education, you will keep all your written work throughout the semester, and you will revise some of your essays for your final portfolio.
Essays
(three total, length ranging 2-5 pages, topic choices TBA)—primarily, these
will analyze assigned readings, but may also draw on class discussion, personal
reflection, and researched information.
For each one, you will write a draft and at least one revision.
Informal
Writings, Discussion Cards, and Grammar Exercises--to be done in or out of
class, individually , or in small groups as announced; completeness will count toward final grade.
You will also analyze and reflect on some of these in your final portfolios.
Group
Activities will include discussions and presentations from assigned
reading, plus draft workshops for formal essays. Participation will count toward final grade.
Assigned
Research Paper
(10 pages)—Topic choices will be related to our reading and class
discussion—specifics to be announced.
You will use MLA documentation and follow a research process, with
thesis statement, working bibliography, annotated bibliography, oral presentation (5 minutes), draft,
and first revision due earlier in the semester; final revision due at the end.
Coursework cont.
Final Portfolio--includes further revisions of your research paper and selected essays along
with a letter of reflection on your development as a writer. You must keep all
of your notes, drafts and revisions throughout the semester for possible
inclusion in this portfolio.
Library Skills Workbook—You must complete the workbook on UB Learns by Mon.
April 4—unless you can prove you have already completed it--in order to pass
this course. More details TBA.
Conferences: Each student will meet with the instructor at
least twice: at midterm and before final portfolio is due.
You will receive a letter grade on your essays, research paper, and
oral presentation. You will have a
chance to revise your essays and research paper for improved grades. You
must give an oral presentation and turn in all of the essays, the research
paper with all its components, and a final portfolio--along with a minimum
number of informal writings, discussion cards,
and in-class activities--in order to pass the course. Your coursework will then be weighted as
follows to determine your final grade:
35% -- Essays #1, #2 and #3 (two @10% each, one @15%)
35% -- Research Paper and components
10% -- Final Portfolio
10% --
Group Activities, in-class (informal) writing activities, discussion
cards, quizzes, etc.
10% --
Engagement (attitude, effort, class participation, cooperation)
Final Portfolios are due Monday, May 2, 2005. No late portfolios will be accepted.
Attendance--You
are allowed four absences without
penalty. For each additional absence up to eight,
your final grade may be lowered. However, if you are absent nine or more
times, you will fail the course automatically. Also,
if you use more than four absences by March 7, you will be asked to resign from
the course. Attendance will be taken
in every class, but be sure to keep
track of your own attendance also. You are still responsible for all material
covered and assignments due; fulfill this responsibility by contacting a
classmate to find out what you have missed.
Late or Missed Assignments—If you turn in a graded assignment up to one week (3
class periods) late, your grade will be lowered 1/3 letter grade (for example
B+ =B). After the first week, you will
lose one full letter grade for each class period the assignment is late
(B=C). If you do not bring a draft on
peer review workshop days, you will be counted absent. Emailed
papers will not be accepted.
Classroom Behavior—Inappropriate behavior, including tardiness,
talking out of turn, playing with phones or other devices, and doing work from
other classes, will not be tolerated
(see Engagement, above).
Plagiarism
is the unacknowledged use of someone else’s words, ideas, or information. One plagiarized essay will earn you an F for
that assignment. A second plagiarized
essay will earn you an F for the course.
Learning to use sources properly and effectively is a major component of
this course; if you are not yet sure exactly what constitutes plagiarism, you
will soon learn!
Incompletes--Only
those students who have fulfilled the attendance requirements for this course
and completed all but one of the written assignments are eligible for an
Incomplete grade.
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is an index card or half sheet of paper on which you have written a critical-thinking question or comment* inspired by at least one of the assigned readings (or perhaps by a comparison of two or more of them) for that day.
*Your question should be able to be answered differently from different perspectives, should be one that the class can explore, discuss, or debate fruitfully. You do not (should not) have to know the answer(s) to your question. It should not be a question that could be answered definitively by facts or research. Resist copying the questions that appear in the book at the and of some selections (though these are good examples). You can also make a comment or observation about something in or related to the reading or theme that puzzles or provokes you—and could provoke class discussion.
The cards will be collected at the beginning of class and we will use them to facilitate class discussion.
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LHP=Literature: The Human
Experience WR= A
Writer’s Reference
1/19 Introduction
1/21 Introduction cont. Letter of introduction due: write a 2-page typed double-spaced letter introducing yourself as a person, student, and writer. Include a quick description of your last English course and your strengths and weaknesses as a writer.
1/24 In-class activity: responding to literature
1/26 In LHP read Conformity and Rebellion 288-291, Dickinson 378, Levertov 393, Piercy 395, Kowit 400, Giovanni 403. Discuss in-class writing sample.
1/28 In-class writing sample. Discuss updated
schedule.
1/31 Read Tan 366-374, poems on handout. Begin Discussion Essay #1.
2/2 Read LeGuin 335-340, Ellison 341-350. Discussion Card for reading Due.
2/4 Continue discussion essay #1—topic choice workshop.
Read/skim Introduction, Reading Fiction & Poetry 3-17, Some Common Writing
Assignments 47-61.
2/7 Draft
of Essay #1 due for Peer Review.
2/9 Essay #1 due.
2/11 Read poems by Frost 822, Sarton 824-25, Hayden 826, Peacock 837-38.
Theme #2: Love & Hate. Discussion Card Due.
2/14 Begin Discussion Essay #2. Read in your handbook about the following topics
(pages given for Writer’s Reference): Searching a Database 300-302; Avoiding
Plagiarism 331-334; Sample MLA paper 368-377.
2/16 Read poems Millay 822, Bishop 824, Pope 836. Discussion card due.
2/18 Read poems Soto 841-42, Olds 835, Clifton 833-34. Essay by Fromm 951-954.
Discussion card due.
2/21 Read story by Carver 773-782. Shaw 768-772, Chopin 750-754.
Discussion card due.
2/23 Discussion Essay #2 cont. Topic choice & organization workshop.
2/25 Discussion/workshop Essay #2 cont. Review plagiarism, MLA style.
2/28 Draft of essay #2 due for Peer Review.
3/2 Essay #2 due.
¾ conferences
3/7 conferences
3/9 conferences
3/11 Discuss research topics, Essay #3 ( #1 or #2 revised, expanded with research).
3/14-3/18 Spring Break
3/21 Discuss research process. Reading TBA. Peer review Essay #3.
3/23 Library orientation (tentative).
3/25 Essay #3 due. Reading TBA.
3/28 Research topic proposal due.
3/30 Discuss oral presentation.
4/1 Working bibliography due.
4/4 Oral presentations
4/6 Oral presentations
4/8 Oral presentations
4/11 Draft of Research paper due for peer review. Annotated bibliography due.
4/13 TBA
4/15 TBA
4/18 Research paper revision 1 due.
4/20 revision workshop
4/22 revision/conferences
4/25 revision/conferences
4/27 revision/conferences
4/29 editing workshop
5/2 Final portfolio due.