Missouri Western State College,
Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department of English, Foreign
Languages, and Journalism
Section 09
MWF10:00-10:50 a.m., JGM 120
Writer’s Workshop: Monday or Wednesday 11:00 a.m., SSC 214
Student Assistant: David Collins
Section 17
MWF 1:00-1:50 p.m., JGM 120
Writer’s Workshop: Monday or Wednesday 12:00 p.m., SSC 214
Student Assistant: Aaron Babbitt
Section 19
MWF 2:00-2:50 p.m., JGM 105
Writer’s Workshop: Monday or Wednesday
3:00 p.m., JGM 120
Student Assistant: Ashlie Hammond
Instructor:
Heather H. Mecham
Office: SSC
222 T
Office
Phone: 271-4239
Office Hours:
MWF 11-12; Friday 3-4 and by appointment
Mailbox: SSC
222
E-mail:
mecham@missouriwestern.edu
Required
Texts and Course Materials:
(texts
available in campus bookstore or passport bookstore)
Introduction
to College Writing
– ENG 100,
McGraw-Hill, 2005.
English
100 Writer’s Workshops. Fall 2004 ed.
Journal- A
cardboard folder with pockets and brads, stocked with at least 30 sheets of notebook paper (bring to every class
meeting)
Course
Overview
Your writing
ability can directly impact the perception that others hold of your
intelligence. A clear, concise writing
style with few or no errors can bring you success in school and the workplace
and respect from friends and family. In this course, you will accomplish the
following university mandated goals:
Reading Goals:
At the
completion of ENG 100 students should be able to
·
Read
actively for greater understanding;
·
Use
reading to improve their writing by drawing ideas and information from written
material;
·
Use
texts to understand their own and others’ experiences;
·
Read
writing assignments effectively as a guide to creating better papers;
·
Recognize
good writing by actively reading good prose.
Writing Goals:
At the
completion of ENG 100 students should be able to
·
Move
easily from writing for self-expression to writing for readers;
·
Write at
greater length more easily, more quickly, and more usefully;
·
Structure
their writing to fit the assignment, purpose, and audience;
·
Develop
their ideas and concepts with specific details, examples, and explanations;
·
Craft
more effective and polished sentences and paragraphs;
·
Use
effective planning, invention, revision, and editing to complete successful
writing tasks.
General Studies Goals:
In ENG 100
students should improve their ability to
·
Think
critically and reason analytically;
·
Write
and speak clearly and effectively;
·
Gain a
greater awareness of the present through an understanding of other cultures and
times;
·
Understand
and appreciate moral values and ethical choices;
·
Understand
and enjoy aesthetic experiences and share in related creative activities.
Course
Policies
Class
Disturbance:
Please turn
off or mute all electronic devices (cell phones, pagers, etc.) upon entering
the classroom. If I see your phone out
during class, I will count you absent.
Attendance
Policy:
This class
has a very strict attendance policy in Writer’s Workshops as well as in class. If you miss seven class periods or four
Writer’s Workshops, you will receive an F in the class. Ordinarily,
there are no exceptions and no “makeups” for this attendance requirement. If you know of any circumstances likely to
make this policy difficult for you this semester, you should consult with your
advisor and me to review your options.
This is a
discussion and workshop-oriented course. Your attendance
at every class session is crucial to your development as a writer. I will pass around an attendance sheet every
day. It is your responsibility to sign
it before the end of class if you arrive late.
You may not make up in-class points for a missed class unless you let me
know BEFORE class. If you are unable to
contact me in advance, get in touch with me as soon as possible. I reserve the right to reduce your course
grade for excessive unexcused absences (even if you have fewer than seven total
absences).
Late
Work:
You must
turn in every paper to receive a passing grade for this course. All
assignments and papers must be ready at the beginning of the class period on
the day they are due. Late assignments
will not be accepted. Late papers
will be accepted up to one week after the due date with a ½ letter grade
deduction for each day that they are late. Contact me if extenuating circumstances require you to miss a
paper deadline.
Writer’s
Workshop:
Throughout
the course of the semester, you will attend the once-a-week, small group
Writer’s Workshops (listed as “labs” in the class schedule). Some of your Writer’s Workshop materials may
be used in class, and some of your class papers will be critiqued and proofread
in Writer’s Workshops. You must ensure
that you have the right materials in the right place. NOTE: I will
consider you Writer's Workshop participation (as reported by your student
assistant) as part of your course grade.
Peer
Review:
On
peer-review days, I will check for complete typed drafts. If your draft is not substantially complete,
or if you miss class without previous authorization, I will lower your grade on
that paper by half a letter—even if the final copy is on time.
Journal
& Portfolio:
Keep all
returned papers, freewrites, and reading responses in your folder. We will be using these at the end of the
course.
Civility
and Cooperation:
Missouri
Western requires all students to help us maintain good conditions for teaching
and learning. All students will treat
their classmates, teachers, and student assistants with civility and respect,
both inside and outside the classroom. Students
who violate this policy may, among other penalties, be counted absent and asked
to leave. You should review your
Missouri Western student handbook for further information.
Student
Disability:
Any student in this course who has a
disability that prevents the fullest expressions of abilities should contact
Missouri Western's special needs coordinator for possible certification of
special needs and expert recommendations for assistance. You should also contact your teacher
personally as soon as possible so that the two of you can discuss class
requirements.
Course
Requirements and Grading
Your grade
will be determined on the basis of your progress as a writer, the writings you
submit, and your class participation over the course of the semester. There will be 850 points available in this
course. The points will be distributed
as follows:
In-Class Essay 25 During first class
Paper One 100 Due
9/20
Paper Two 100 Due
10/11
Paper Three 100 Due
11/8
Paper Four 100 Due
12/1
Prewriting
and Drafts 125
25
points/paper (papers 1-4); 25 points portfolio revision prep
Portfolio Revision 50 Due
12/8
Final Exam 50 During
final exam period
Journal 75
Freewrites
and Reading Responses during class periods
Assignments 50
Group
work and exercises as assigned
Writer’s Workshop 25
Peer Review 50
10
points/paper (papers 1-4); 10 points portfolio revision prep
_____________________________________________
Total 850
Final letters
grades will be based on your total number of points and will most likely be
distributed as follows (remember that a C is the lowest passing grade in this
course):
765-850
A
680-764 B
595-679 C
510-594 D
509
and below F
Academic
Honesty Policy:
If I find evidence of cheating or
plagiarism, you have the burden of showing that the paper has in fact been
written by you. You should keep
thorough evidence of your writing processes for all papers so that you can meet
this burden of proof. You will receive
a grade of F for any paper that shows sufficient evidence of cheating and/or
plagiarism. Stronger evidence proving
flagrant cheating and/or plagiarism may lead to even stronger penalties. Please note carefully the statement on
plagiarism on the departmental website, found at
http://www2.mwsc.edu/eflj/plagiarism.html .
Course
Calendar
This calendar
is tentative. I will distribute written
revisions if I feel I need to adapt instruction and materials to your
needs. Reading assignments (denoted
in italics) are to be done BEFORE that day’s class. Always bring a text to class the day we discuss it. Items due are denoted in bold and will be
considered late if not presented at the beginning of the indicated class
period.
KEY: Readings—first half of text; Guide—second
half of text (separated by an orange page)
Mon. 8/30 Introductions; In-Class Essay
Wed. 9/1 Writing Process; Discussion; Assign
Paper One
Readings
“Rite of Passage” 43-48; Guide 1-9
Fri. 9/3 Prewriting
and Invention
Guide
23-34 & 38-44
Mon. 9/6 No Class- Labor Day
Wed. 9/8 Workshop; Discussion
Readings
“Mother Tongue” 72-77
Prewriting—Ideas
Fri. 9/10 In-Class Essay Returned; Trouble Spots
Guide
116-120
Mon. 9/13 Workshop
Draft
One
Wed. 9/15 Workshop; Peer Review
Guide
85-88
Draft
Two
Fri. 9/17 Workshop
Draft
Three
Mon. 9/20 Paper One Due/Assign Paper Two/Unit
Review
Final
Draft
UNIT TWO: Explanation & Meaning
Wed. 9/22 Writing a Thesis; Discussion
Readings
“One Writer’s Beginnings” 123-127; Guide 35-37
Fri. 9/24 Paragraph Construction; Discussion
Readings
“Casa” 50-54
Mon. 9/27 Workshop; Organization
Guide
89-92
Prewriting—Thesis
and Ideas
Wed. 9/29 Workshop; Supporting your thesis
Guide
56-62
Prewriting--Outline
Fri. 10/1 Workshop; Paper One Returned
Draft
One
Mon. 10/4 Workshop; Commas
Guide
144-147
Draft
Two
Wed. 10/6 Workshop; Apostrophes
Guide
151-153
Draft Three
Fri. 10/8 NO CLASS-HOMECOMING!
Mon. 10/11 Paper Two Due; Assign Paper Three;
Unit Review
Final
Draft
Unit Three: Writing about Reading
Wed. 10/13 Discussion
Readings
“On Becoming a Chicano” 65-70; “Back to Basics” 105-108
Fri. 10/10 Discussion
Readings
“Graduation Day” 1-10
Mon. 10/18 Writing about Reading
Handouts
Wed. 10/20 Paper Two Returned; Using Sources
Guide
171-178
Fri. 10/22 Avoiding Plagiarism; Using
Quotations
Guide
148-150
Mon. 10/25 Introductions
Guide
52-55
Wed. 10/27 Workshop; Conclusions
Guide
63-66
Prewriting—Thesis
& Ideas
Fri. 10/29 Workshop
Prewriting--Outline
Mon. 11/1 Workshop
Draft
One
Wed. 11/3 Workshop; Spelling
Guide
157-163
Draft
Two
Fri. 11/5 Workshop; Verbs
Guide
135-139
Draft
Three
Mon. 11/8 Paper Three Due/Assign Paper
Four/Unit Review
Final
Draft
Unit Four: Thinking About Writing
Wed. 11/10 Discussion
Readings
“A Way of Writing” 187-189
Fri. 11/12 Discussion
Readings
“Watcher at the Gates” 179-181
Mon. 11/15 Workshop
Prewriting—Thesis
& Ideas
Wed. 11/17 Workshop; Transitions
Prewriting—Outline
Fri. 11/19 Workshop; Paper Three Returned
Draft
One
Mon. 11/22 Workshop; Word Choice
Guide
67-70
Draft
Two
Wed. 11/24 Happy Turkey Day—No Class!
Fri. 11/26 Happy Turkey Day—No Class!
Mon. 11/29 Workshop; Sentence Variety
Guide
107-111
Draft
Three
Wed. 12/1 Paper Four Due; Taking Essay Exams;
Unit Review
Guide
187-189
Final
Draft
Fri. 12/3 Portfolio Conferences/Portfolio
Revision Workshop
Portfolio
Mon. 12/6 Portfolio Conferences/Portfolio
Revision Workshop
Portfolio
Revision
Wed. 12/8 Portfolio Conferences/Portfolio
Revision Workshop
Portfolio
Revision
Fri. 12/10 Portfolio Revision Due; Course
Evaluations; Prepare for Final
Final
Revision
FINAL EXAMS
room assignment to be announced
Section 9 (MWF 10:00)—Mon. 12/13 8:30
a.m. -10:20 a.m.
Section 17 (MWF 1:00)—Mon. 12/13 11:30
a.m. -1:20 p.m.
Section 19 (MWF 2:00)—Wed. 12/15 2:00
p.m. -3:50 p.m.