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English 28, Summer 2013 Intermediate Reading and Composition Los Angeles Southwest College
Instructor: Jessica Drawbond Office Hours: Mondays-Thursdays: 12:15-1:00 pm & by appointment in SSEC 121-C Email: msdrawbond@gmail.com Phone: 323.241.5370 Section 0917 Monday-Thursday Class: 10:15 am 12:15 pm in SSEC 102 SI (optional): 12:30-2:00 pm in SSEC 110 Lab: 2:00-2:45 pm in SSEC 116 Class Website: Etudes.org

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 in SSEC 116A, and the English Writing Center in SSEC 116, 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. Other supplies: Highlighters: yellow, blue, and pink Notebook/binder Paper Flash drive Pens/pencils

Evaluation: Writing Portfolio: Essay 1: Group Essay 2: Essay 3: Essay 4 Final Exam: Writing Lab Attendance/ Assignments: Participation/ Group Work 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: Sunday, June 16th *Last day to drop with a W: Wednesday, July 10th English Writing Center (Lab)Worth 15% of Your Grade: All English 28 students must complete 18 lab hours in the English Writing Center in addition to classroom assignments. The English Writing Center is located in SSEC 116. 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. During the summer, you must attend lab during the time that has been scheduled for our class.

The Lab Hours for Our Class Are: Monday-Thursday: 2:00-2:45 pm

Supplemental Instruction: We will have a tutor, Joannes, 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 Supplemental Instruction sessions to review what we have covered in class and provide extra grammar and writing help.

Supplemental Instruction: Monday-Thursday 12:30-2:00 pm in SSEC 110

These sessions are not required, but they are highly recommended!

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: I know that sometimes things happen that are beyond your control, so this session you are allowed two get out of jail free cards:

CUT THESE OUT AND GIVE THEM TO ME WHEN YOU USE THEM. YOU ARE ALLOWED ONE OF EACH (I will be keeping track).

This is good for ONE excused missed homework that wont be counted against you.

Name: _________________________________

This is good for ONE late assignment (excluding Essay 4) that wont be counted against you.

Name: _________________________________

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.

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 for two hours every class, you are allowed two (2) absences, NO MATTER WHAT THE REASON. If you exceed two absences, you can be dropped from the class. If you exceed the two-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. 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, June 10th: Introduction and In-Class Exercise Review Syllabus Class Mission Statement/Contract In-Class Exercise LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm Tuesday, June 11th: Organizing a Composition Syllabus quiz! Make sure you read the syllabus very carefully! In Class: Organizing a Composition In Class: Moving from a Single Paragraph to a Multiple Paragraph Essay LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm Wednesday, June 12th: The Writing Process and Thesis Statements Read the comic in the front of Seeing & Writing 4 (1. Your Assignment t0 8. Final Draft) Read Confrontational Guilt by Rishonda Forby (Say the Word [STW] 190). Be prepared to answer the following questions: What is Forbys thesis/main point? To Be Turned In (Handwritten or typed): Either write a paragraph (150+ words) or draw a comic/picture that describes your current writing process. In class: team-building activity! LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm Thursday, June 13th: 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 96) To Be Turned In: Bring in an advertisement from a magazine or newspaper or that you find online. LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm

UNIT 2: EXPLORING GENDER WEEK 2: Monday, June 17th: 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 175) LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm Tuesday, June 18th: Grammar Review and 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 LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm Wednesday, June 19th: Projecting Gender ***Final Revised Draft of Essay 1 Due: Worth 10% of Your Grade Read An Abusive Love by Brynelle Blanton (STW 178). 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? LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm Thursday, June 20th: 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? LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm UNIT 3: EXAMINING DIFFERENCE AND CONFRONTING CLASS WEEK 3: Monday, June 24th: Projecting Gender Read What a Wonderful World by Adam D. Stevenson (STW 172) Read We are Androgynous by Marvella Parmer (STW 187) 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. LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm

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Tuesday, June 25th: Grammar Review and Peer Review ***Your Portion of Rough Draft Essay 2 Due: 3 COPIES Peer Review Workshop for Essay 2 and Grammar Review LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm Wednesday, June 26th: Introduction to Examining Difference ***Final Revised Draft of Essay 2 Due: Worth 10% of Your Grade Read Examining Difference Introduction on pages 391-396 in Seeing & Writing 4 In class: Essay 2 group presentations! LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm Thursday, June 27th: Confronting Class Look carefully at the Portfolio: How Class Works questions, charts, and graphs on pages 540-547 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. RESEARCH PAPER MILESTONE: Come prepared with the topic you want to write about! LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm WEEK 4: Monday, July 1st: Preparation for Essay 3 Read last semesters final exam article (I will give this to you) To Be Turned In (Typed or Handwritten): Write a 100-150 word summary about the article in which you tell, in your own words, what the article is about. LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm Tuesday, July 2nd: In-Class Essay 3 ***Essay 3 Due: In-class based on last semesters final exam: Worth 10% of Your Grade Be prepared to write an in-class essay responding to the articles we discussed in class last week LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm Wednesday, July 3rd: Grammar Review Thursday, July 4th: HOLIDAY!!! NO CLASS!!! UNIT 4: TAKING A STAND WEEK 5: Monday, July 8th: Working with Sources Read Occupy Los Angeles: The Eviction by James Butler (STW 127) RESEARCH PAPER MILESTONE: Bring in (typed) a 150+ word summary, in your own words, of the information you reviewed online. Answer the following question: has your researched helped you form an opinion about the topic? Also, include a list of the websites that you visited in your research. LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm

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Tuesday, July 9th: Taking a Stand and Works Cited Pages Read Taking a Stand Introduction on pages 581-583 in Seeing & Writing 4 Read Serfs of the Turf on pages 621-623 in Seeing & Writing 4. In class: we will look at a sample research paper RESEARCH PAPER MILESTONE: To Be Turned In (Handwritten): Finding Sources Handout LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm Wednesday, July 10th: Research Paper Format RESEARCH PAPER MILESTONE: To Be Turned In: MLA Citation worksheet (handwritten) AND Extra Credit!!! Works Cited page based on this worksheet (typed in correct MLA format). You will find sources for the topic of your Essay 4: Research Paper. In class: we will read the research paper handout The Failure of Abstinence Only Programs and discuss. LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm Thursday, July 11th: 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. LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm WEEK 6: Monday, July 15th: 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. LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm Tuesday, July 16th: 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. LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm Wednesday, July 17th: Essay 4 Research Paper In class: continue to discuss Essay 4: Research Paper and have conferences LAB: 2:00-2:45 pm Thursday, July 18th: FINAL CLASS MEETING

Due:
Essay 4: Research Paper Final Draft (along with rough draft and prewriting) Writing Portfolio (all of your essays, journals, and homework assignments from the entire semester put together in a folder) Lab Checklist (the sheet lab staff sign when you complete assignments)