Revised Outline Due: 03-01-10
Rough Draft Due: 03-03-10
Final Draft Due: 03-10-10
Essay Assignment #1 – Expository Essay
Expository essays are all about the “How”. In class, and in our conferences, you have had a chance to discuss something that interests you, as well as take some time to examine these things closely. But now I want you to describe the method behind some of the things you love. Choose one of the following essay prompts and write a well-developed, cohesive essay about something that interests you.
Essays must be:
- Double spaced
- Typed in 12-pt Times New Roman font
- At least 3 full pages long.
- and Follow MLA guidelines
1) From cooking shows with Julia Childs to Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe, the best explanations of how something gets done have personality, in addition to the information. Believe it or not there is something you are an expert on! Tell me about something you like to do. Describe in detail the process you go through to do this activity. The "what", "how", and the "why". If it has numbers/weights/values be sure to include them. If it requires special tools, make sure you let me know what they are and why they are important for this job. Does it require help? Does it require special materials? Or a special location? What are the specifics? This may require that you think about the process in an entirely new way (you may even need to do a little research). Make this explanation personal, but stay focused on the topic. Remember I don’t know as much about this topic as you do. You might also include why you like to do this activity or why you do this activity at all (Does it make you money? Is it a means to an end?). Let me know the details, but concentrate on the procedure. Explain it to me. I want to learn something.
2) Almost everyone has a dream for his/her own life. Sometimes these goals are dreamlike and vague (like being rich), but sometimes the goals are very specific and concrete (like visiting Notre Dame Cathedral). This prompt is for those of you who have a very specific goal in their life. Tell me about your goal and how you are going to reach it. If you want to have a job like someone, what do you have to do to become like this person? If you want to go somewhere on a trip, what do you have to do to get there? If it’s a personal goal, what do you have to change to reach it? What do you have to learn? What about this attracts you to this goal? It doesn’t have to be a job, but it cannot be simply graduating college (although college can be a milestone on your road to this goal). It can be anything from a trip you want to take to a future career. It can be an exercise routine that you need to maintain to get into the military or just a skill you want to acquire. Plan it out and tell me about the process you would need to take to get there.
Syllabus
Instructor: Bruce Swanlund Email: Bswanlund@fullerton.edu
Phone: (657) 278-5679 Office: LH-535
Office Hours: Thursday 4:00 - 5:00 and by appointment
Location: UH 337 Class: MW 2:30 - 3:45
Section: 42 Schedule #: 11991
Name: ______________ Name: ______________
Number: ____________ Number: ____________
Email: ____________________ Email: ____________________
Required Texts:
Virtually all of the readings are available at: htthe website you are currently looking at or will be provided through emails or handouts.
Suggested Text:
Hacker, Diane. A Writer’s Reference. 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006
Although this text is not required, a writing handbook is strongly recommended as it will be useful to you in this class as well as other courses throughout your college career. You will find it useful for writing a paper (research or other suggestions), proper citation and documentation, and grammar rules.
This text is available at The Little Professor bookstore.
Required Materials:
Access to the Internet and Microsoft Word is essential for this class
Blue or Black pens for in-class assignments
Two Blue Books
College Ruled 8 ½ x 11 paper for in-class assignments
Course Description:
Prerequisite: English 099, a satisfactory score on the English Placement Test, or exemption from the EPT. This is an introductory course in the fundamentals of expository prose, with an emphasis on grammatical and basic rhetorical concepts and practices necessary for successful college writing.
Objective:
Texts exist everywhere; it is our goal to learn how to access and analyze them, as well as demonstrate those skills through a professional use of the English language.
Ideally, in addition to learning how to organize, compose, and revise a college essay, students will learn how to read, write, speak, and think more critically.
By its very nature, writing involves both individual and collaborative activity. Even when a piece of writing has only one author, that author employs a language system that is shared by others and draws upon ideas and values that are not his or hers alone. Indeed, one of the most important parts of becoming a writer within the academic community is learning how to balance the obligations of individuality and collaboration.
This means, as a college writer, you are expected to use writing to develop and assert your own ideas and beliefs – to think for yourself. But at the same time you are expected to engage with the thinking of others, to place your own writing within the context of academic discourse by using and criticizing arguments from that discourse.
Course Guidelines:
Journals:
On specified days, each student is required to write a one page (double-spaced) journal in response to the readings to demonstrate engagement with the texts. These journals should consist of an analysis of the text and/or offer a comparison to the student’s own life. They should not merely summarize the readings. Journals are designed to get you thinking about the text before you come to class, so that you will have something to say (i.e. a comment, a question, or even an insight) and to generate material for class discussion. These journals must be typed and handed in at the beginning of the next class meeting.
Quizzes:
There will be 3 planned quizzes this semester; however, I will occasionally give pop quizzes to encourage reading and to mercilessly instill fear in the hearts of my students.
Attendance:
College is designed to prepare students for the real world, and just like in a job attendance is mandatory. Do not be absent. I understand that sometimes absences are unavoidable, however do not exceed 3 absences or your grade will suffer. Also, try to reserve these given absences for emergencies. Additionally, students need to arrive to class on time, as tardiness can be disruptive; the policy is 3 late entrances count as an absence. Do not be late. If you are late, it is your responsibility to notify me that you were late at the end of class, otherwise there is the chance you will be marked as absent.
Participation:
Participation is a major part of the class. In addition to participating by doing the journals and essays, I expect you to engage with the class and the texts we read. This means thinking about the material before coming to class, offering comments relative to the class discussion, and asking questions. ASK QUESTIONS! Participation is a major part of this class!!
Note: comments that are not relevant to class and other disruptions may negatively affect your participation grade.
Electronic Devices:
Please turn off cell phones when you are in class and stow them away. No cell phone use at all during class, including texting. You also may not use mp3 players, electronic dictionaries, or laptops in this classroom. If you are caught using distracting devices you will be marked absent for the day, as clearly you are not present mentally.
Late Work:
A late paper is not acceptable. All work is due on its due date, not afterwards. Please consider due dates your obligation.
Extra Credit:
To encourage revision, as revision is always a major part of any writing assignment, there are no extra credit assignments for this class; however, students may earn extra points on their out of class essays. After an out of class essay is turned in, a student will get the essay back with my comments. The student should thoroughly revise the essay to reclaim up to 15 points that were lost. Such revisions can be aided by talking to me or visiting the Writing Center. In order to earn back the lost points, the student must submit the revised draft, as well as the first draft with my comments on it. Insufficient revision work will not be eligible for additional points. (For example: I do not want to see “revised” essays that are identical, except that one comma has been moved.)
Approximate Grading Scale:
Percentage
Grade
94% - 100% = A, 90% - 93% = A-, 87% - 89% = B+, 83% - 86% = B, 80% - 82% = B-, 77% - 79% = C+,
73% - 76% = C, 70% - 72% = C-, 67% - 69% = D+, 63% - 66% = D, 60% -62%= D-, 59% - Below = F
Writing Center:
All students are required to make at least one visit to the Writing Center to work on an assignment or portion of an assignment with a tutor. Multiple perspectives are essential for good writing, so make use of the free professional tutors the campus offers! The Writing Center is located on the first floor of the Pollak Library, on the main CSUF campus. The phone number is (657) 278-3650. All students are encouraged to use the center more than the one required visit. Students who are experiencing difficulty either getting started or revising should visit the Writing Center, as it will make these processes easier – believe it!
Academic Dishonesty:
Academic dishonesty is essentially the misrepresentation of any information. Plagiarism is one of the most common and severest forms of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism is the unacknowledged and inappropriate use of the ideas or wording of another writer. Because plagiarism corrupts values in which the university community is fundamentally committed – the pursuit of knowledge and intellectual honesty – plagiarism is considered a grave violation of academic integrity and the sanctions against it are correspondingly severe. Plagiarism can be characterized as "academic theft."
Plagiarism is:
* The submission of material authored by another person but represented as the student’s own work, whether that material is paraphrased or copied in verbatim or near-verbatim form.
* The submission of material subjected to editorial revision by another person that results in substantive changes in content or major alteration of writing style and
* Improper acknowledgment of sources in essays, papers, or presentations.
Avoiding Plagiarism:
Because of the serious nature of plagiarism, you should ensure that any writing you submit represents your own assertions and abilities, and incorporates other texts in an open and honest manner. The best way to avoid plagiarism is to be careful to document your sources, even when you are making use of data or ideas rather than an actual quotation. In academic assignments, writing is assumed to be the original words and thoughts of the student unless told otherwise (i.e., material from other sources is clearly and properly cited).
Special Needs:
Please let me know the first week of class if you have a disability or special need that might require specific arrangements for you to be successful in the class. CSUF requires students with disabilities to document their disabilities with Disabled Student Services. They are located on the first floor of University Hall in UH-101. You can also visit their webpage at: http://www.fullerton.edu/disabledservices/ or call (657) 278-3117 or TDD: (657) 278-2786.
First Assignment:
It seems you have read the whole syllabus -- good. Now you may do the real first assignment. Find my office, the writing center, and our class website.
Phone: (657) 278-5679 Office: LH-535
Office Hours: Thursday 4:00 - 5:00 and by appointment
Location: UH 337 Class: MW 2:30 - 3:45
Section: 42 Schedule #: 11991
Name: ______________ Name: ______________
Number: ____________ Number: ____________
Email: ____________________ Email: ____________________
Required Texts:
Virtually all of the readings are available at: htthe website you are currently looking at or will be provided through emails or handouts.
Suggested Text:
Hacker, Diane. A Writer’s Reference. 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006
Although this text is not required, a writing handbook is strongly recommended as it will be useful to you in this class as well as other courses throughout your college career. You will find it useful for writing a paper (research or other suggestions), proper citation and documentation, and grammar rules.
This text is available at The Little Professor bookstore.
Required Materials:
Access to the Internet and Microsoft Word is essential for this class
Blue or Black pens for in-class assignments
Two Blue Books
College Ruled 8 ½ x 11 paper for in-class assignments
Course Description:
Prerequisite: English 099, a satisfactory score on the English Placement Test, or exemption from the EPT. This is an introductory course in the fundamentals of expository prose, with an emphasis on grammatical and basic rhetorical concepts and practices necessary for successful college writing.
Objective:
Texts exist everywhere; it is our goal to learn how to access and analyze them, as well as demonstrate those skills through a professional use of the English language.
Ideally, in addition to learning how to organize, compose, and revise a college essay, students will learn how to read, write, speak, and think more critically.
By its very nature, writing involves both individual and collaborative activity. Even when a piece of writing has only one author, that author employs a language system that is shared by others and draws upon ideas and values that are not his or hers alone. Indeed, one of the most important parts of becoming a writer within the academic community is learning how to balance the obligations of individuality and collaboration.
This means, as a college writer, you are expected to use writing to develop and assert your own ideas and beliefs – to think for yourself. But at the same time you are expected to engage with the thinking of others, to place your own writing within the context of academic discourse by using and criticizing arguments from that discourse.
Course Guidelines:
Journals:
On specified days, each student is required to write a one page (double-spaced) journal in response to the readings to demonstrate engagement with the texts. These journals should consist of an analysis of the text and/or offer a comparison to the student’s own life. They should not merely summarize the readings. Journals are designed to get you thinking about the text before you come to class, so that you will have something to say (i.e. a comment, a question, or even an insight) and to generate material for class discussion. These journals must be typed and handed in at the beginning of the next class meeting.
Quizzes:
There will be 3 planned quizzes this semester; however, I will occasionally give pop quizzes to encourage reading and to mercilessly instill fear in the hearts of my students.
Attendance:
College is designed to prepare students for the real world, and just like in a job attendance is mandatory. Do not be absent. I understand that sometimes absences are unavoidable, however do not exceed 3 absences or your grade will suffer. Also, try to reserve these given absences for emergencies. Additionally, students need to arrive to class on time, as tardiness can be disruptive; the policy is 3 late entrances count as an absence. Do not be late. If you are late, it is your responsibility to notify me that you were late at the end of class, otherwise there is the chance you will be marked as absent.
Participation:
Participation is a major part of the class. In addition to participating by doing the journals and essays, I expect you to engage with the class and the texts we read. This means thinking about the material before coming to class, offering comments relative to the class discussion, and asking questions. ASK QUESTIONS! Participation is a major part of this class!!
Note: comments that are not relevant to class and other disruptions may negatively affect your participation grade.
Electronic Devices:
Please turn off cell phones when you are in class and stow them away. No cell phone use at all during class, including texting. You also may not use mp3 players, electronic dictionaries, or laptops in this classroom. If you are caught using distracting devices you will be marked absent for the day, as clearly you are not present mentally.
Late Work:
A late paper is not acceptable. All work is due on its due date, not afterwards. Please consider due dates your obligation.
Extra Credit:
To encourage revision, as revision is always a major part of any writing assignment, there are no extra credit assignments for this class; however, students may earn extra points on their out of class essays. After an out of class essay is turned in, a student will get the essay back with my comments. The student should thoroughly revise the essay to reclaim up to 15 points that were lost. Such revisions can be aided by talking to me or visiting the Writing Center. In order to earn back the lost points, the student must submit the revised draft, as well as the first draft with my comments on it. Insufficient revision work will not be eligible for additional points. (For example: I do not want to see “revised” essays that are identical, except that one comma has been moved.)
Approximate Grading Scale:
Percentage
Grade
94% - 100% = A, 90% - 93% = A-, 87% - 89% = B+, 83% - 86% = B, 80% - 82% = B-, 77% - 79% = C+,
73% - 76% = C, 70% - 72% = C-, 67% - 69% = D+, 63% - 66% = D, 60% -62%= D-, 59% - Below = F
Writing Center:
All students are required to make at least one visit to the Writing Center to work on an assignment or portion of an assignment with a tutor. Multiple perspectives are essential for good writing, so make use of the free professional tutors the campus offers! The Writing Center is located on the first floor of the Pollak Library, on the main CSUF campus. The phone number is (657) 278-3650. All students are encouraged to use the center more than the one required visit. Students who are experiencing difficulty either getting started or revising should visit the Writing Center, as it will make these processes easier – believe it!
Academic Dishonesty:
Academic dishonesty is essentially the misrepresentation of any information. Plagiarism is one of the most common and severest forms of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism is the unacknowledged and inappropriate use of the ideas or wording of another writer. Because plagiarism corrupts values in which the university community is fundamentally committed – the pursuit of knowledge and intellectual honesty – plagiarism is considered a grave violation of academic integrity and the sanctions against it are correspondingly severe. Plagiarism can be characterized as "academic theft."
Plagiarism is:
* The submission of material authored by another person but represented as the student’s own work, whether that material is paraphrased or copied in verbatim or near-verbatim form.
* The submission of material subjected to editorial revision by another person that results in substantive changes in content or major alteration of writing style and
* Improper acknowledgment of sources in essays, papers, or presentations.
Avoiding Plagiarism:
Because of the serious nature of plagiarism, you should ensure that any writing you submit represents your own assertions and abilities, and incorporates other texts in an open and honest manner. The best way to avoid plagiarism is to be careful to document your sources, even when you are making use of data or ideas rather than an actual quotation. In academic assignments, writing is assumed to be the original words and thoughts of the student unless told otherwise (i.e., material from other sources is clearly and properly cited).
Special Needs:
Please let me know the first week of class if you have a disability or special need that might require specific arrangements for you to be successful in the class. CSUF requires students with disabilities to document their disabilities with Disabled Student Services. They are located on the first floor of University Hall in UH-101. You can also visit their webpage at: http://www.fullerton.edu/disabledservices/ or call (657) 278-3117 or TDD: (657) 278-2786.
First Assignment:
It seems you have read the whole syllabus -- good. Now you may do the real first assignment. Find my office, the writing center, and our class website.
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