Syllabus Engl 1301 Composition I – Fall 2018
Office: Room 502 E
Telephone: (940) 668-7731 ext. 4306 E-Mail Address: lcoolen@nctc.edu
Office Hours:
MW 9:30-11, 2-4 T 2-4 R 2-3 and by appointment
Office hours are also posted in My NCTC, and by my office door.
Composition I Syllabus
Prerequisite: Satisfactory placement test score or satisfactory grade in Engl 0305 (Current NCTC
Catalog)
Required texts:
Lusk, Jayson. Unnaturally Delicious. St. Martin’s P., 2016.
Palmquist, Mike. Joining the Conversation: A Guide for Writers at North Central Texas College. 3rd
ed. MacMillan Learning, 2017.
Recommended text:
Lunsford, Andrea A. The Everyday Writer with Exercises. 6th ed. (2016 MLA Update). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2016. Print.
Supplementary Texts and Materials:
Readings from literary genres including poetry, fiction, newspaper and journal articles to
complement chapters in Unnaturally Delicious
Resources in LaunchPad
A recent standard college dictionary
A recent thesaurus
Catalog description of the course:
“Composition I is a course designed for intensive study of and practice in writing processes, from invention and researching to drafting, revising, and editing, both individually and collaboratively.”
In Composition I, we emphasize “effective rhetorical choices, including audience, purpose, arrangement, and style.” We focus the assignments in the course on writing academic essays because that genre serves “as a vehicle for learning, communicating, and critical analysis.”
Learning Outcomes and Core Competencies: According to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board ACGM, you should, when you conclude this course, be able to
- Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes.
- Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution.
- Write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose.
- Read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts.
- Use edited American English in academic essays.
In addition, the writing assignments are designed to develop competency in communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and personal responsibility.
Week One
Unit 1 Introduction to the Course:
Syllabus, texts, prerequisite completion verification form, course contract, class folder, and student card. Discuss the syllabus in detail.
Diagnostic Essay: Introducing my classmate (Follow directions on handout.)
Weeks Two and Three (Labor Day, September 3—Holiday: College Closed)
Revise returned diagnostic essays
Unit 2 Laying a Foundation for the Writing Process
Focus: Scarcity of food: Hunger and Malnutrition
Activity: Find an article from a major publication on current hunger and malnutrition in the United States. Bring the article to class and be prepared to reflect on it in class. You will need standard paper and pens.
Locate a copy of the short story “Barn Burning” (1939) by William Faulkner as well as Chapter I of The Grapes of Wrath (1938) by John Steinbeck. You will be able to locate a copy on the Internet or borrow a copy from a library. Each of these narratives provides a vivid account of food deprivation in America during the Great Depression.
Read “Barn Burning” and Grapes of Wrath Ch. 1 for class discussion.
View videos in class: “Barn Burning” and “The Great Depression.”
Question: Will science and technology’s “Serving up Super Foods” be able to “Save the World” from the kind of food and health deprivations viewed in “Barn Burning” and The Grapes of Wrath or will we experience another era of food shortage and Great Depression?
UNIT 3: Joining a Conversation
Week Three
Read and take notes: Joining the Conversation (JC)
Ch. 1 “Understanding Yourself as a Writer” pp. 4-35
“Preface for North Central Texas College”
“NCTC’s First-Year Composition Curriculum: An Overview” pp. xiii-xv
“Inquiry-Based Writing: What is Environmental Sustainability and How Does It Affect Our Planet and Conservation Efforts?” pp. xv-xvi
“Introduction to ENGL 1301” pp. xxiii-xxv
Unnaturally Delicious (UD) Ch. 1 “Overcoming Nature”
Week Four
JC Ch. 3 “Reading to Write” pp. 54-79
UD Ch. 2 “The Price of Happy Hens”
JC Ch. 4 “Working with Sources” pp. 80-96
UD Ch. 4 “Synthetic Biology: Brewing More Than Beer”
Week Five
JC “Finding and Listening in on Conversations” Ch. 2 pp. 36-53
UD Ch. 8 “Sustainable Farming”
UD Ch. 9 “Waste Not, Want Not”
Unit 4 Collaborative Project (Core Competencies: Critical Thinking and Teamwork)
A handout of instructions will be provided. Get help through your instructor of or a tutor.
Week Six
JC Ch. 5 “Working Together” pp. 97-111
UD Ch. 11 “The Case for Food and Agricultural Innovation”
Week Seven
Working together on Collaborative Project
Collaborative Project Due
Unit 5 Argument Overview (i.e., synthesis, “they say”)
LO 2 Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution.
LO 3 Write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose.
LO 5 Use edited American English in academic essays.
Week Eight: Writing the Argument Overview
A handout of instructions will be provided. Get help through your instructor or a tutor.
JC Ch. 10 “Understanding and Supporting Your Thesis Statement” pp. 187-94
Week Nine: Writing the Argument Overview (continued)
JC Ch. 9 “Avoiding Plagiarism” pp. 173-84
Week Ten: Completing the Argument Overview
Paper due at end of week
Unit 6 Argument Evaluation (i.e. position, (“I say”)
LO 2 Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution.
LO 3 Write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose.
LO 4 Read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts.
LO 5 Use edited American English in academic essays.
Core Competencies: Communication and Critical Thinking
A handout of instructions will be provided. Get help through your instructor or a tutor.
Week Eleven: Argument Evaluation (Last day to withdraw from classes with a “W” Nov. 8)
JC Ch. 6 “Beginning Your Search/Library Orientation” pp. 115-32
Week Twelve: Argument Evaluation (continued)
JC Ch. 7 “Locating Sources” pp. 133-56
JC Ch. 13 “Using Sources Effectively” pp. 246-69
Week Thirteen: Argument Evaluation (continued) (Thanksgiving Holiday Nov. 21-24)
JC Ch. 15 “Using MLA Style” pp. 285-308
UD Ch. 11 “The Case for Food and Agricultural Innovation”
Revision Opportunity with Reflection (LO 1 Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes)
Week Fourteen: Argument Evaluation (continued)
JC Ch. 14 “Revising and Editing” pp. 270-82
Paper due
Week Fifteen: Final Exam--Semester Reflection and Revision
LO 1 Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes
Core Competencies: Communication and Personal Responsibility
A handout of instructions will be provided.
Final Exam Week December 8-13
You must come to class at the scheduled final exam date to confirm your semester grade.
Portfolio: You should keep all your assigned writing activities in a portfolio during the semester. The portfolio is a record of your writing progress during the semester and will qualify as part of your “extra credit” points for the final grade.
Commencement Ceremonies: December 14
Makeup Work: Makeup work is rarely accepted. In case of an emergency, immediately contact the instructor to ask about making up the work. I must be notified no later than the due date. Any work submitted later than the original due date will receive a lower grade. No daily assignments or quizzes will be accepted late.
Attendance: Class attendance is required. Realizing that circumstances may prevent attendance, I allow students to miss up to two weeks. However, students who miss classes risk making lower grades than those students who do not. Since NCTC has an attendance policy, students who miss more than the allotted classes will risk being dropped from the class in addition to making a low grade in the class.
Classroom Etiquette: You should always be considerate of your professor and classmates. Do not do anything to disrupt the class including using discourteous language, coming late to class or leaving early, talking out of turn, using crude or abusive language. Do not wear earbuds or have immediate access to electronic devices during class. Students who are crude or rude may be asked to leave a class or to drop it.
Grading System: Graded assignments include 4 essays. The diagnostic essay will be marked but not graded. You may earn up to 100 points (10%) “extra credit” by keeping up with your portfolio, taking the quizzes, doing the homework, and attending class on time. Points for attendance are given infrequently. You may not earn “extra credit” points for work turned in late.
Grade Distribution:
4 Essays 90% (Essays 1: 20%, Essays 2-3: 30% each,
Essay 4: 20%)
Earned Points: “Extra Credit” (100) 10% (P ortfolio, quizzes, homework, class attendance)
A 90-100, B 80-89, C 70-79, D 60-69, F grades below 60
Learning Outcomes: Students who successfully complete English 1301 will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes.
- Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution.
- Write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose.
- Read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts.
- Use edited American English in academic essays.
Core Competencies
- Critical Thinking Skills (CT) - creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information
- Communication Skills (COM) - effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication
- Teamwork (TW) - ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
- Personal Responsibility (PR) - ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making
Help on assignments: You may make an appointment to see me, see me during office hours, call me, or send me a message through Canvas. My office hours are posted on the syllabus, in Canvas, and next to my office door Room 502 E. You should also take advantage of tutors on campus (Library Lyceum)
or online.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is cheating. It is academic theft. Students who plagiarize may receive a grade of F on essays or research projects, or they may receive an F for the semester grade. (See the attached NCTC English Department Statement on Plagiarism in First-Year Composition. Note that plagiarism may even result in suspension from the college.
Cheating: Cheating in any form, including collusion, is unacceptable and may result in an F in the course.
Syllabus Revisions: The professor reserves the right to make changes in the syllabus. All dates are approximate and may be subject to change. Assignments are clarified during class sessions. Do not contact me about assignments when you miss class. Make sure that you have at least two student contacts who can inform you what is due if you have to miss class.
See the Department Syllabus posted on Canvas for further information or clarification about the course.
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Disability Services (OSD)
The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students who have a documented disability. On the Corinth Campus, call 940-498-6207. On the Gainesville Campus, go to room 110 or call 940-668-4209. Students on the Bowie, Graham, Flower Mound, and online campuses should call 940-668-4209.
North Central Texas College is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, ADA Amendments Act of 2009, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112). http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/SupportServices/Disabilityservices.aspx
Counseling and Testing
Counseling and Testing staff offer a variety of services to current and prospective students, such as College 101, placement testing, academic advising and course registration, transfer assistance, and College Success seminars (Time Management, Study Skills, Test Anxiety, Choosing a Major, Learning Style Strategies, Career Exploration), and much more. http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/CounselingTesting.aspx
Student Success offers academic coaching, tutoring, including a Writing Center, a Math Lab, free 24/7 online tutoring through Grade Results and assist new students acclimate to college by providing computer lab services for prospective students. First generation students can also participate in TRIO which offers specialized support services.
http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/SupportServices.aspx
Financial Aid offers financial resources for students that qualify, visit the financial aid offices for more information. http://www.nctc.edu/FInancialAidHome.aspx