MISSOURI WESTERN STATE COLLEGE

School of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism

Dr. Elizabeth Sawin      Fall  2003

 

ENGLISH 112: HONORS COMPOSITION

 

Professor:                 Dr. Elizabeth Sawin                Office:    SSC 215

Phone:                    271-4272                 Office hrs: 1:00 – 2:00 MWF; 3:00 – 4:00 MW

Email:                      sawin@missouriwestern.edu

Section 03/82                Time: 2:00-2:50 MWF                 Classroom:  JGM 106

 

COURSE OBECTIVES:

Honors composition classes will be addressing the Objectives and Means for ENG 104 and for ENG 108 in this accelerated course. Upon successful completion of ENG 112, students fulfill the college's General Studies composition requirement. Students will complete five writing assignments in Honors Composition.

At least one of these assignments will be a research paper involving library and on-line research. Final drafts of papers will be word processed. Students will keep complete portfolios of all writing done in the course. Before any grade appeal will be processed for a student in ENG 100, 104, 108, or 112, the complete portfolio of writings will have to be submitted to the Departmental Review Committee.

 

SKILL AREAS

I. Communicating
To develop students’ effective use of the English language and quantitative and other symbolic systems essential to their success in school and in the world. Students should be able to read and listen critically and to write and speak with thoughtfulness, clarity, coherence, and persuasiveness.

A. Analyze and evaluate their own and others’ speaking and writing.

B. Conceive of writing as a recursive process that involves many strategies, including generating material, evaluating sources when used, drafting, revising, and editing.

C. Make formal written and oral presentations employing correct diction, syntax, usage, grammar, and mechanics.

D. Focus on a purpose (e.g., explaining, problem solving, argument) and vary approaches to writing and speaking based on that purpose.

E. Respond to the needs of different audiences and choose words for appropriateness and effect.

 

II. Higher-Order Thinking
To develop students’ ability to distinguish among opinions, facts, and inferences; to identify underlying or implicit assumptions; to make informed judgments; and to solve problems by applying evaluative standards.

A. Recognize the problematic elements of presentations of information and argument.

B. Formulate questions for clarifying issues and solving problems.

C. Use linguistic, mathematical or other symbolic approaches to describe problems, identify alternative solutions, and make reasoned choices among those solutions.

D. Analyze and synthesize information from a variety of relevant sources and use the results to address complex situations and problems.

E. Defend conclusions using relevant evidence and reasoned argument.

F. Reflect on and evaluate their critical-thinking processes.

 

III. Managing Information
To develop students’ abilities to locate, organize, store, retrieve, evaluate, synthesize, and annotate information from print, electronic, and other sources in preparation for solving problems and making informed decisions.

 

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation

Thoreau, Henry David. Walden.

Spatt, Brenda. Writing From Sources

 

REQUIRED ASSIGNMENTS:

 

Paper based on Fast Food Nation.                100 points

Paper based on Walden.                                100 points

Open Topic Research Paper.     100 points

Midterm and Final Exam.                     100 points

400 points

 

     A                           B                              C                              D

100-90%                  89-80%                    79-70%                    69-60%

N.B. I reserve the right to make changes in the nature of the work we if need be. 

The percentages for the final grade assignment will, however, stay the same.

 

ACADEMIC HONESTY:

You are expected to do your own reading and writing in this course.  Any student who submits someone else's work as his or her own will receive no credit (0 points) for that assignment.   A second infraction will earn an "F" in the course. Taking ideas from articles published on the web without citation or copying work from other students are NOT acceptable behaviors.

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY:

Films, in-class writings, student-led discussions and video showings can’t be “made-up.” Once these activities occur they are permanently lost to you. Likewise, your contributions are lost to us when you are not here.  THREE absences are average for a semester-long course that meets on MWF.

 

DISABLED STUDENT POLICY:

If you have a recognized disability that requires special consideration, please make an appointment to see me during the first week of classes so that we can discuss privately how I might help you succeed.

 

REQUIRED FORMATTING for out-of-class copy:     

Identify yourself in the upper, right-hand corner:

Name

English 112

Nature of the Assignment 

Date

Use regular white paper.                    

Leave one-inch margins on all sides.

Center the title.                                      

Number each page (bottom right)

Single-space within paragraphs.          

Double-space between paragraphs.

Use 12-point TIMES NEW ROMAN

 

 

FALL SEMESTER   2003

 

August 25  Introduction to Course

27  Writing from Sources                   3-24         Reading for Understanding

29  Writing from Sources  25-37      Logic and Argumentation

 

Sept. 1 Holiday

3   Writing from Sources   38-64      Writing a Summary

5   Writing from Sources  65-92      Presenting Sources to Others

 

Sept. 8  Writing from Sources  93-116   Paraphrasing

10  Writing from Sources       121-139   The Single-Source Essay

12  Writing from Sources       140-167   Developing an Essay Based on a Source                          

 

Sept. 15  Fast Food Nation: First Assignment is Given

17

19                                           

 

Sept. 22

24

26                                           

 

29

Oct. 1

3                                             

 

Oct. 6

8

10                                           

 

Oct. 13 Holiday

15

17                                           

 

Oct. 20

22 Mid Term Grades due

24                                           

 

Oct. 27

29

31 Last Day to withdraw from classes

 

Nov. 3

5

7                                             

 

Nov. 10

12

14                                           

 

Nov. 17

19

21                                           

 

Nov. 24

Thanksgiving Vacation November 26-30

 

Dec. 1

3

5                                             

 

 

Dec. 8 Last Day                    Final Exams Dec. 9-15