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English 28, Spring 2013 Intermediate Reading and Composition Los Angeles Southwest College
Instructor: Jessica Drawbond Office Hours: Mondays: 1:00 pm 2:00 pm Tuesdays: 11:00 am 12:30 pm Wednesdays: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm & by appointment in SSEC 121-C Email: msdrawbond@gmail.com Phone: 323.241.5370 Section: 0940 Monday and Wednesday 9:35 am 11:00 am Room: TEC 380 Class Website: english28atlasc.blogspot.com

Introduction: Welcome to English 28! By enrolling in this course, we have committed to creating an environment to improve reading and writing skills. Ask many questions in class about writing throughout the semester. Additionally, plan to visit your instructors during office hours, the Student Success Center located in SSEC 110 and 110-A, the Reading Center (SSEC 116A), and the English Writing Center SSEC116, and like or follow LASC on Facebook or Twitter to learn about all the resources and opportunities available in our learning community. If anyone needs special accommodations to ensure success in this course, visit the Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) located in the Student Services Building. English 28 is an inquiry-based writing course. We will use writing to investigate issues that influence our lives, and in so doing, develop habits of mind that are important not only for writer but for active participants in our community. These habits include: assessing audience expectations, reading critically, engaging with diverse ideas, developing control over rhetorical styles, and developing and reflecting about our writing processes. In short, we will investigate not only how writing may be used to communicate ideas but also how we can use writing and reading to create and express our own ideas. Prerequisite: English 21 with a passing grade, or appropriate placement recommendation based on assessment results and other multiple measures. Course Description: English 28 satisfies part of the requirement for the AA degree and also prepares the student for English 101 by increasing his/her capability to work on an academic level. In this class, we will plan, revise, and edit compositions of increasing sophistication and complexity. All writing is based on readings that challenge our thinking and provide an intellectual background for writing assignments.

The course also advances skills in paragraph structure, sentence variety, thesis development, organization, coherence, and language conventions as well as prepares them for English 101. 18 lab hours are also required. The focus of the class is compositions and essays (up to 500 words), including the research paper. Student Learning Outcomes: As a result of this learning experience, a student can: 1. Understand and participate in diverse discourse communities within the academic or broader social setting. 2. Write 300-500 word compositions and essays for academic or workplace purposes. 3. Recognize and apply rules for edited sentences, grammar, and word choice, and begin to incorporate stylistic techniques into his/her own writing. I also hope that taking this class will inspire you to think about how you communicate with others and encourage you to continue to develop your writing, not only academically, but for pleasure as well.

Textbooks:

LASCs Say the Word Volume 5

McQuade, Donald and Christine McQuade. Seeing & Writing 4. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. The Students of Los Angeles Southwest College. Say The Word: An Anthology of LASC Student Writing, Volume 5. This book is only available in the LASC bookstore.

Evaluation: Writing Portfolio: Essay 1: Essay 2: Essay 3: Essay 4 Final Exam: Writing Lab Attendance/ Assignments: Participation: 150 100 100 100 150 150 150 100

Grading Scale: 900-1000 points= A 800-899 points= B 700-799 points= C 600-699 points=D 0-599 points= F

Note: To receive a passing grade in this course, students must turn in all coursework and pass the final exam. In other words, students grade in this class is dependent on successful performance in all areas of the class (participation, attendance, lab work, writing, and reading), not just one area. All components must be successfully completed to receive a passing grade. *Last day to drop without a W: Monday, February 18, 2013 *Last day to drop with a W: Sunday, May 5, 2013

AN IMPORTANT NOTE:

I know that sometimes things happen that are beyond your control, so this semester you are allowed: ONE excused missed homework assignment ONE absence that will not be counted against you

Supplemental Instruction: We will have a tutor who will sit in on our classes. She will be available to help in class and also will be available for tutoring in the English Writing Center (EWC). She will also hold weekly Supplemental Instruction sessions to review what we have covered in class and provide extra grammar and writing help. We will decide when these Supplemental Instruction sessions will be held as a class. These sessions are not required, but they are highly recommended!

Assignments: Assignment Writing Portfolio Description Your Writing Portfolio will consist of your daily homework assignments based on readings from Seeing & Reading 4, in-class writing assignments, and various writing assignments to be completed at home. I will check that you complete your daily assignments and collect and grade many of these assignments. Whats Expected of You! Complete all assignments as listed on the syllabus. Also, you will want to keep all of your inclass and at-home writing assignments in one place to turn in together at the end of the semester. Reading assignments should be completed prior to the due date on the syllabus. Being prepared for class and earning full credit for participation includes keeping up with the reading assignments and coming to class prepared to discuss them. You must turn in all rough drafts, peer reviews, and prewriting, with your final draft on top. Your final draft should be thoroughly proofread. Peer Review: We will be peer reviewing rough drafts for all take-home essays. In order to be eligible to be turned in for credit with the final version of the essay, the rough draft must be present in class on the day that it is due, and the author must participate in peer review. Failure to attend class or failure to thoroughly complete the peer review will result in the reduction of your essay grade by 10%. Revisions: Essays 1 and 2 may be revised and resubmitted for re-evaluation. Revisions must be turned in within two weeks of the original assignment due date Do your best to prepare for this in-class essay by participating in other in-class writing assignments and by reading the article(s) your essay will be based on carefully.

Reading You will have reading assignments to Assignments complete from Seeing & Writing 4 and Say the Word.

Essays

You will turn in 4 essays over the semester. The first two essays will be 400-500 words. These essays will be written at home and should be typed on a computer and in correct MLA format. Writing on a word processor improves writing skills. Because writing is a process of prewriting, organizing, composing, revising, and editing, traditional methods of typing or handwriting assignments are often timeconsuming and ineffective. Certainly, they discourage revision. Computers, on the other hand, make revision and the writing process more manageable at every stage. There are computer labs in several locations on campus, including in the Student Success Center in the BSS building and in the TEC Building.

Essay 3

Essay 3 will be an in-class essay to help prepare you for the final exam. It should be at least 250 words, and you will receive the prompt the morning that you write the essay.

Essay 4

Your final essay will be a 750-1000 word persuasive paper that incorporates outside research and MLA-style in-text citations and a Works Cited list. You must turn in this paper on time to pass the class with a C or better. Failure to turn in this paper will result in an F in the course.

You must turn in this paper on time to pass the class with a C or better. Failure to turn in this paper will result in an F in the course. I will do everything I can to help prepare you for Essay 4. You can also receive help from the tutors in the English Writing Center, from our Supplemental Instruction Leader, and from the librarians in LASCs Library. Prepare for this exam by attending class throughout the semester and attending the lab. The lab will have two weeks of assignments designed to help prepare you for the final exam. The English Writing Center will also have workshops to help you prepare for the final.

Final Exam

The final exam is a common final given to all English 28 students. The topic is chosen by English faculty. If you do not take the final, you will not pass the class. The final is designed to test what you have learned throughout the semester, so the final is worth a large portion of your final grade.

English Writing Center (Lab): The English Writing Center (SSEC 116) is located in the Social Sciences and English Complex (SSEC) in Room 116. The EWC is where English 21 and English 28 students fulfill the required lab component of these courses. We provide a friendly, comfortable atmosphere for these students to use online lab assignments to improve their reading and writing skills. We also help promote English Department events and publications. Our goal is to be a support system and encouraging environment for basic skills English students. English Writing Center Hours: Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday: 9:30 am 2:00 pm Thursday: 9:30 am 7:30 pm Saturday: 9:30 am 1:00 pm Failure to complete lab work may result in failure to pass the course. These assignments are designed to help strengthen your writing skills and reinforce what we discuss in class. Participation/Attendance: Your participation grade will be based on attendance and your participation in class discussions. Attendance is very important, and it is the students responsibility to drop the class if he or she will no longer be attending. It is not the instructors responsibility to drop students who do not attend. Because this class meets twice a week, you are allowed three (3) absences, the LACCD limit. If you exceed three absences, you will be dropped from the class. If you exceed the three-absence limit after the final drop deadline, the maximum grade you can receive in the class is a D.

Grading Criteria: Your essays will be graded on your ability to: Turn in all drafts, peer editing, and prewriting with your final draft (again, final draft should be on top). Use correct MLA format: your essays should be typed in 12-point Times New Roman font and have 1 inch margins all around. Write to the prompt. Your essay should respond directly and specifically to all aspects of the writing prompt. Clearly state your main point/thesis. Provide an effective introduction that grabs the readers attention and indicates your approach and a conclusion that both ties together your ideas and shows a different perspective on the main idea. Organize your ideas into paragraphs with clear topic sentences. Your ideas should be presented in an order that is logical and flows well. Support and develop your main point. You want to be able to provide ample facts, details, and examples to support your main point in the body of your essay. You always want to make sure to relate your support back to your main point. Often this support will come in the form of information from outside texts. You should strive to incorporate information from outside sources naturally and using correct MLA format for in-text citations. Construct clear, correct sentences that vary in length and structure and use correct grammar. Be sure to proofread your work several times to avoid making unnecessary errors. Careless errors make it seem as though you dont care about your work. Course Policies: Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. Attend each class and be on time. Students who regularly attend class on time do better in their studies. Students who fail to follow the attendance policy may be dropped from the class at the instructors discretion. Any student who arrives late to class risks being counted as absent; students leaving early must notify the instructor of their obligation at the beginning of the period. If there is a dispute over attendance, the attendance sheet will serve as proof of attendance. Partial Absences: Any student who arrives late or leaves early will receive an L on the roster. A student who leaves class early or goes in and out of class excessively will receive a P for partial attendance for that class meeting. Three tardies or partial attendances will count as 1 absence. No student has the right to disrupt the learning environment for other students. Late Papers: Late assignments will not be accepted without penalty unless you can provide proof of medical emergency. Late papers turned in one class late will be reduced a full letter grade. After one class meeting, late papers will no longer be accepted. Academic Integrity: Using another persons ideas or words without citing your source (plagiarism) is a serious academic offense (for example, checking the internet for a little information on a subject and then using that information as if it were something you thought of). Any student who presents anothers work as his or her own will fail this course and risk further action taken by L.A. Southwest College and the L.A. Community College District, including expulsion from the college. Classroom Conduct: It is expected that you will actively participate in class activities including both writing and class discussion. Sleeping, engaging in side conversations, doing other homework, playing with your cell phone, or other activities that are disruptive to the class will negatively affect the participation component of your grade, may result in you being asked to leave class (and thus

being marked absent), and may warrant a referral to the Dean for further action. Classroom Environment: Our classroom needs to be an optimal, positive environment for learning, so that you can focus on the course materials without disturbance; therefore, all cell phones, hands-free and other electronic devices must be turned off and put away before class. No texting, no phones on vibrate since this is audible, and, of course, no answering phones. If you have an emergency that requires you to be available by phone during class hours, please notify your instructor before class starts, and sit near the door with your phone on a silent setting. It is never okay to disrupt the learning environment. Resources: Student Success Center: LASC, like many other colleges, offers services and resources beyond the classroom and teachers to help students achieve academic goals. The SSC offers tutoring, a study lab, workshops, as well as a computer lab open 8am-8pm Monday through Thursday. English Writing Center Tutoring (SSEC 116): The English Writing Center also provides walk-in and by-appointment tutoring in writing for any student in any class, and offers numerous special workshops throughout the semester. For tutoring help, it is best to go into a tutoring session with specific problems in mind. Tutors do not edit but help revise. See hours of operation above. Grievances: Anyone who believes a college decision has adversely affected status, rights, and/or privilege as a student should consult the instructor for resolution, and, if needed, confer with the English Department Chair, Darren Cifarelli as a second level of authority if no resolution is found. Beyond that, the student can make an appointment with the Dean Stephanie Brasley if there is still no resolution. Dean Brasley may refer the grievance to the Dean of Student Services. Students with disabilities: Accommodations are provided to a student with a verified disability and are determined by the educational limitations the disability places on the student. Any one in need of assistance or accommodations should contact the instructor by the end of the first day of class. FYI- DSPS office (323) 241-5480. * * * *

Schedule:
Readings and assignments listed should be completed BEFORE THE CLASS MEETING, so we can discuss the readings in class. UNIT 1: THE WRITING PROCESS, CLOSE OBERVATION, AND PLACE WEEK 1: Monday, 2/4: Introduction and In-Class Exercise Review Syllabus In-Class Exercise Wednesday, 2/6: Organizing a Composition In Class: Organizing a Composition In Class: Moving from a Single Paragraph to a Multiple Paragraph Essay

WEEK 2: Monday, 2/11: The Writing Process Read the front page (1. Your Assignment t0 4. Drafting) of the comic in the front of Seeing & Writing 4 Read Drafting pages 12-13 of Seeing & Reading 4 Wednesday, 2/13: The Writing Process, Continued Read the back page (5. Feedback to 8. Final Draft) of the comic in the front of Seeing & Writing 4 Read Revising on page 14 of Seeing & Reading 4 Read Confrontational Guilt by Rishonda Forby (Say the Word [STW] 194). Be prepared to answer the following questions: What is Forbys thesis/main point? To Be Turned In (Handwritten): Either write a paragraph or draw a comic/picture that describes your current writing process. WEEK 3: Monday, 2/18: PRESIDENTS DAY HOLIDAY! NO CLASS! Wednesday, 2/20: Composition Tool kit and MLA Format Read pages 16-23 in Seeing & Writing 4 (you do not have to do any of the exercises) Read The Cig that Broke the Camels Back by Siya Green (STW 98) To Be Turned In: Bring in an advertisement from a magazine or newspaper or that you find online. WEEK 4: Monday, 2/25: Slowed Down Reading and Coming to Terms with Place Read page 71 Slowed Down Reading comic in Seeing & Writing 4 Read Coming to Terms with Place Introduction on pages 129-131 in Seeing & Writing 4 Read Away from the Noise by Adam D. Stevenson (STW 179) Wednesday, 2/27: Coming to Terms With Place and Grammar Review Read Homeplace by Scott Russell Sanders, pages 172-177 in Seeing & Writing 4 To Be Turned In (Typed): Based on your observations in class on Monday, write two paragraphs. Paragraph 1: Describe the quad area at LASC. Paragraph 2: Describe how this place makes you feel. Make sure you use correct MLA format (1 inch margins, correct heading, etc.). WEEK 5: Monday, 3/4: Peer Review ***3 TYPED Copies of Rough Draft of Essay 1 Due Peer Review Workshop for Essay 1 Comma and Semicolon Review in Class In-class conferences

Wednesday, 3/6: Capturing Memorable Moments ***Final Revised Draft of Essay 1 Due: Worth 10% of Your Grade Read the Introduction to Capturing Memorable Moments on pages 231-235 in Seeing & Writing 4 To Be Turned In: Bring in a photograph that is meaningful to you (I wont keep it!).

UNIT 2: EXPLORING GENDER WEEK 6: Monday, 3/11: Projecting Gender Read An Abusive Love by Brynelle Blanton (STW 182). Read the Introduction to Projecting Gender on pages 317-319 in Seeing & Writing 4 To Be Turned In (Typed): After reading Projecting Gender above, answer the following questions in 1-2 paragraphs in MLA format: On a day-to-day basis, how much do you think about your gender (male/female)? How much do you think your gender affects who you are? How do you think you would be different if you were the opposite gender? Wednesday, 3/13: Projecting Gender Read the comic Nature vs. Nurture on page 380 in Seeing & Writing 4 Read Why Boys Dont Play with Dolls on pages 381-383 in Seeing & Writing 4 To Be Turned In (Typed): Answer the following questions in 1-2 paragraphs in MLA format: How did toys contribute to your childhood understanding of gender difference? Did you understand that some toys were boy toys and some were girl toys? What were your favorite toys or play activities when you were growing up? WEEK 7: Monday, 3/18: Projecting Gender Read What a Wonderful World by Adam D. Stevenson (STW 176) Read We are Androgynous by Marvella Parmer (STW 191) To Be Turned In (Handwritten or typed): Answer the following questions in at least half a page: Adam D. Stevenson and Marvella Parmer are my former students, and they wrote the above essays for my class! They both agree that being androgynous is best, but they have different reasons for believing this. What reasons does Adam (male) give for believing being androgynous is best? What reasons does Marvella (female) give? Do you think that their genders may have affected their reasons for believing that being androgynous is best? Explain your answer. Wednesday, 3/20: Introduction to Examining Difference Read Examining Difference Introduction on pages 391-396 in Seeing & Writing 4 Read The Art of Genocide by Charles Gaylord (STW 89) To Be Turned In: Come prepared with the name of a song (and the artist who performs it) that you think is a good example of what Charles Gaylord calls black music To Be Turned In (Handwritten or Hand Drawn): Draw a picture/comic or write a paragraph answering the following question: What does America look like to you?

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UNIT 3: EXAMINING DIFFERENCE AND CONFRONTING CLASS WEEK 8: Monday, 3/25: Peer Review ***3 TYPED Copies of Rough Draft Essay 2 Due Peer Review Workshop for Essay 2 Grammar review In-class conferences Wednesday, 3/27: Library Information and Introduction to Research ***Final Revised Draft of Essay 2 Due: Worth 10% of Your Grade Read Choices by Nyisha Walker (STW 160) Library information and information about research SPRING BREAK APRIL 1-7!!! Enjoy your break! WEEK 9: Monday, 4/8: Examining Difference Read Cool Like Me on pages 415-420 in Seeing & Writing 4. NOTE: Some of this essay is difficult to follow, but do your best to figure out the authors main points. To Be Turned In (Typed): Answer the following questions (at least 3 sentences per question): 1) What do you find troubling or upsetting, if anything, about what Donnell Alexander says in this essay? 2) What do you agree with in this essay? Why? 3) Can you think of any evidence or examples to back up Alexanders claims? Wednesday, 4/10: Preparation for Essay 3 Read last semesters final exam articles (I will give these to you) To Be Turned In (Typed or Handwritten): Write a 150-word summary about each article in which you tell, in your own words, what each article is about. WEEK 10: Monday, 4/15: In-Class Essay ***Essay 3 Due: In-class essay based on last semesters final exam Be prepared to write an in-class essay responding to the articles we discussed in class last week Wednesday, 4/17: Confronting Class Look carefully at the Portfolio: How Class Works questions, charts, and graphs on pages 540547 in Seeing & Writing 4 To Be Turned In (Typed): Answer the following question in 1-2 paragraphs in MLA format: In America is it possible to start out poor, work hard, and become rich? Explain your answer using specific details from the information on pages 540-547 in Seeing & Writing 4 and examples of people you know or have heard about. In class: We will look at Occupy Los Angeles: The Eviction by James Butler (STW 131) and talk about the Occupy movement

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UNIT 4: TAKING A STAND WEEK 11: Monday, 4/22: Taking a Stand and Working with Sources To Be Turned In (Handwritten): Complete Finding Sources Handout Read Taking a Stand Introduction on pages 581-583 in Seeing & Writing 4 In Class: Read Handout of Sample Research Essay Wednesday, 4/24: Taking a Stand and Making a Persuasive Argument Read Serfs of the Turf on pages 621-623 in Seeing & Writing 4. To Be Turned In (Typed): Answer the following questions in 1-2 paragraphs in MLA format: In Serfs of the Turf, Michael Lewis argues that college athletes are like employees that arent getting paid and that they are being exploited by the colleges they play for. Is Lewiss argument convincing? Do you agree or disagree? Explain why. WEEK 12: Monday, 4/29: Research Paper Format and MLA Works Cited Pages Read the research paper handout The Failure of Abstinence Only Programs and be prepared to discuss this in class. Wednesday, 5/1: Taking a Stand and MLA In-Text Citations Read All Men are Created Equal (Unless Youre Gay) by Siya Green (STW 105). Be prepared to answer questions about this essay in class! To Be Turned In: MLA Citation worksheet (handwritten) AND Works Cited page based on this worksheet (typed). WEEK 13: Monday, 5/6: Final Exam Preparation, Part I Start to read and annotate Final Exam Reading I will check to see that you have done this for credit! In Class: Take notes on a separate sheet of paper about the final exam reading, and look up any words you are not familiar with. Also, brainstorm about what you think you might be asked (possible prompt questions) on the final. Wednesday, 5/8: Final Exam Preparation, Part II Continue to annotate (highlight/underline/make notes on) the final exam reading. I will check that you have done this! We will go over in-class essay exam strategies. WEEK 14: Monday, 5/13: Practice Final Exam We will complete a practice final exam in class.

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Wednesday, 5/15: Final Exam: Worth 15% of Your Grade Final Exam in Class based on the reading handed out in class. You MUST attend! Make sure you bring the reading the exam is based on, any notes you have taken about the reading, and a blue book. WEEK 15: Monday, 5/20: Essay 4 Preparation We will meet to discuss your final paper. Bring any prewriting or rough drafts and come prepared with specific questions. Wednesday, 5/22: Essay 4 Preparation We will meet to discuss your final paper. Bring any prewriting or rough drafts and come prepared with specific questions. FINALS WEEK Wednesday, 5/29: Meet from 10:15 am - 12:15 pm

Due:
Final Draft of Essay 4: Research Paper Writing Portfolio Lab Checklist