Fundamentals of Composition, English 450

section #9046 taught by Dr. Cathy Decker

Text Books

John Langan's English Skills with Readings,4th ed.

Peter Elbow's Writing with Power

A good dictionary that is at least one and one-half inch thick and gives the pronunciation for every word entry

Contact Information for Cathy

Call 909-941-2412 and talk or leave a message 24 hours a day

Go to Language Arts Building 7C during Cathy's office hours (or make an appointment to meet at Cathy's office at another time)

Monday 1:30 to 3:30 and 9:00-9:30 p.m.

Tuesday and Thursday 10:15-11:15

Wednesday 3:45-4:15

Leave a note in Cathy's mailbox in room LA-10

E-mail Cathy at Cathy@citrus.ucr.edu

Grade Scale

F	D-	D	D+	C	C+	B-	B	B+	A-	A	A+
0-54	55-62	63-67	68-73	74-77	78-80	81-83	84-86	87-89	90-92	93-95	96-99

Tentative Schedule

p.=page; pp.=pages; ES=English Skills;WP=Writing with Power

1/8	Introduction to the class Discussion of how, where, and with who to do homework Discussion/Lecture/Workshop on Paragraph Writing
1/15	Holiday!
1/22	Have read ES, pp. 2-26 and completed the exercises on those pages, including the paragraph on your best or worst job, the two freewrites, the journal entry, etc. Don't forget to write answers to the questions in the questioning exercise. Have read WP, "Introduction: A Map of the Book"; Parts I.1 , I.2, I.3; and Part IV.20 "Sharing" Activity and Homework Sign-off Discussion of Class to date and next week's schedule
1/29	Have read and done all activities, ES, pp. 27-49 Have read WP, Part I.4 Peer grading of ES, pp. 47-49 Discussion of Composition Process: Outlines vs. Freewrites Introduction to Argument and work on Argument exercises, ES, pp. 208-211 Outlining Arguments Exercise, ES, p. 212 and Homework Sign-off Discussion/Workshop on Quiz, Formal Argument Paper, and Our Mental Health
2/5	Jan. office visit must be done before this class or bring evidence of Jan. writing center visits to class Have read and done all activities, ES, pp. 208-211, including your four outlines on the list on p. 212 Have read WP, Part I.5, I.6, and Part III.13, III.16 Have writing four brief reaction journals to the four parts of WP read (make each journal about 125 words). Peer discussion of outlines Quiz 1 on ES, "Important Factors in Writing" and Homework Sign-off Peer Grading of Quiz and discussion of Homework
2/12	Have draft of Formal Argument Paper with writing center stamp OR Cathy's comments from an office visit Have read WP, all of Part V Have read handout "Let's Get Specific" Have read ES and done all exercises on pp. 50-69; do activity pp. 68-69 on separate paper to be collected/Collection of Homework Sheet 1 Peer Grading of Homework/Homework Sign-off Exercises on Specific Details Feedback Workshop and Discussion of Class Progress and Our Mental Health
2/19	Holiday!
2/26	Formal Argument Due along with other material required on assignment sheet Have read WP, Part II.10 Have read and completed all exercises, ES, pp. 70-82, 87-94, and 97-104; Type your answers to pp. 81-2 on separate paper and be prepared to turn them in along with a writing center stamp on your draft of this exercise pp. 81-2 OR Cathy's comments on the draft form Quiz 2 on Identifying Adequate Supporting Evidence and ES,"The First and Second Steps in Writing" and Homework Sign-off Peer Grading of pp. 79-80 and Quiz 2 Lecture/Workshop on ES, "The Third and Fourth Steps in Writing" and "Four Bases for Evaluating Writing" Homework Sheet 2
3/5	Feb. office visit must be done before this class or bring evidence of Feb. writing center visits to class Have read and completed all exercises, ES, pp. 105-130 Have read WP, Part II.9 Have skimmed entire Part II of ES, pp. 131-216 and be prepared to sign-up for an oral report/service learning activity on a method of development Quiz 3 on ES, "The Third and Fourth Steps in Writing" and "Providing Transitions" Homework Sign-off Peer Grading of Quiz and some homework Introduction/Workshop on ES, "Mechanics," pp. 347-364 Review for Test 1
	Spring Break Week
3/19	Test 1 on all of WP and ES covered by 3/5 Have read and completed all exercises in ES, pp. 347-364; Do Review Test 2 p. 361 on separate paper, typed (this will be collected) Have read and completed in ES, "Method of Development" Readings and Exercises (see Homework Sheet 2 for detailed list and page numbers) "Jeopardy" on Methods of Development
3/26	Due, typed on separate paper, Writing Assignment 1, ES, pp. 142-3; Writing Assignment 1, ES, pp. 172-3; and Writing Assignment 1, ES, pp. 179-180. Turn in at least two writing-center stamped drafts for any two of these assignments Collection of Homework Sheet 2 Discussion of Test 1 and Service Learning Activity Oral Reports
4/2	Mar. office visit must be done before this class or bring evidence of Mar. writing center visits to class Have read all of Parts I-V of WP, except Part II.11 on poetry writing Reading Journal on WP of about 300 words due Due, typed on separate paper, Writing Assignment 1, ES, pp. 188-190; Writing Assignment 1, ES, pp. 195-7; and Writing Assignment 1, pp. 204-5. Turn in at least one draft with a writing center stamp for any one of these assignments. Quiz 4 on Methods of Development Peer Grading of Quiz 4 Self-Assessment and Our Grades Discussion
4/9	Have read and completed all the exercises in ES, pp. 397-442; have exercises on pages 398, 407, 415, and Review Test 2, ES, p. 428, done on separate paper for collection Workshop on Word Use/Peer Grading Collection of Homework Sheet 3
4/16	Have read and complete all the exercises in ES, pp. 443-446 and 218-231; do Review Test 2, p. 446 on separate paper to be collected Have skimmed ES, pp. 232-238 Have skimmed or reread WP, Part II.9 Journal entry and report on Service Learning Due (see assignment sheet) Quiz 5 on Dictionary Use, Commonly Confused Words, and Effective Word Choice Homework Sign-off Peer Grading of pp. 228-9 Introduction to the Essay
4/23	Have read ES, pp. 365-396 and have done and graded all of the introductory projects; have completed all of the exercises, ES, pp. 366-390; Due, typed Review Test 2, p. 373, and Review Test 2, p. 381 Bring draft of essay to class with writing center stamp Sharing/Feedback Session and Punctuation Workshop/Homework Sign-off Test Review Collection of Homework Sheet 4
4/30	Have completed all exercises, ES, pp. 390-6; do Review Test 3, p. 391 on separate paper for collection Have skimmed ES, pp. 247-346 and done and graded all introductory projects so you are prepared to sign up for a grammar oral report Have completed ES, pp. 247-286; Do Review Test 1, p. 268, the corrections of Review Test 2 (p. 269), Review Test 4, p. 271, and Review Test 4, p. 286, on separate paper to be collected Have entire WP read, except Part II.11 on Poetry Journal entry on WP, Part VI due Test 2 on all work covered by 4/23 and Homework Sign-off Essay Workshop
5/7	Apr. office visit must be done before this class or bring evidence of Apr. writing center visits to class Have completed all exercises in ES, pp. 287-314 Essay Project Due Discussion of Test Oral Reports Quiz 6 on Subjects and Verbs, Fragments, Run-ons, Verbs, Subject-Verb Agreement, and Consistent Verb Tense/Homework Sign-off
5/14	Last day of office hours Last day to turn in evidence of May writing center visits Last class day, so the last day to turn in anything! Oral Reports Have completed all exercises in ES, pp. 315-346; Do Review Test 1, p. 345 on separate paper to be collected Quiz 7 on Adjectives, Adverbs, and Pronouns/Homework Sign-off Peer Grading of Quiz Exam Prep Collection of Homework Sheet 5

Grade Formula

formal argument project 5%

essay project 5%

service learning project 5%

six writing assignments 18%

two drafts 2%

seven journals 5%

two tests 10%

average of all quizzes 5%

two oral reports 4%

five office visits, 1 per month 5%

fifteen writing center visits 5%

final exam 5%

237 textbook activities, review tests, etc. 26% (10 activities=about 1%)

Policies

The class will deal with adult content and mature issues.
Late work will earn 1/2 the grade earned and may be turned in up to May 14th.
Quizzes, Tests, Oral Reports, Monthly Office Visits, and the Final must be done on/by the required day; there is no late credit for these. The final is at the official time listed in the Spring 2001 schedule.
The fifteen writing center visits must be done in a timely manner. At least two visits must be made in each month. The other five visits are to be done when you think it is most appropriate. At your monthly visit with me, show me your writing center stamps OR print outs of hours worked there. The fifteen visits or hours in the writing center are to be spent doing the textbook activities, the writing that requires evidence of consultation on the draft (see schedule above or homework sheets), and any other writing work on which you feel you could benefit from tutoring,
All official Chaffey policies concerning student behavior, discrimination, cheating, etc. will be enforced. Students who violate these policies will be asked to leave the class, dropped, or subject to a formal charge via the appropriate college procedure.
The Language Arts building food and drink policy will be enforced. Only water is permitted in the classroom. Students may leave other drinks and food outside the classroom on a chair or the concrete. Students are welcome to go stand in the doorway during class to drink or eat if it is not disturbing a student presentation, etc.
Students should feel free to take care of their health at any time. You may leave for the bathroom, to take medicine, to get tissues, to go home due to illness, during any class at any time. Please, however, attempt to leave at a minimally disruptive time unless your medical condition is extreme (you will vomit or have a seizure in a few seconds, etc.).
I try to avoid calling you or questioning you about your absences or grades, assuming you are a mature, responsible adult. This does not mean that I am not aware of your problem, nor does it mean I will grant you any exception to class policies or homework requirements. I never drop students, so if you stop coming to class or miss enough homework that you will fail the class, you must drop yourself.
I will take a long time--between one to three weeks--with grading your work.
If you don't pick up your work before you drop or by October 1, 2001, I will throw it out.
All the of the textbook activities can be done with the help of others in a group or with a tutor. This doesn't mean copying (cf. rule 5 above), but it does mean collaboration is OK. Unfinished or wildly wrong exercises will not count although they can be shown to me in my office for 1/2 credit.
I will do my best to avoid offensive language, particularly profanity and obscenity. You are likewise expected to do the same.
Pagers, cell phones, beeping watches, and the sound on electronic devices like dictionaries should be turned off during class.
Try to stay rational and be aware when you are pushing yourself into irrationality due to stress, poor health, etc. If there is a problem, use one of the contact methods given above to get a hold of me. We can probably work something out to solve your problem. TIP: sometimes it is best not to go to class and deal with the results later, such as when you are unable to suppress laughter, inappropriate comments, sleeping, tears, rage, or insults.
Breathe! Smile! Think of the long-term goals of your life! In ten years, will this matter?