Jim
Neal?001
Division
of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department
of English/Foreign Languages/Journalism
Missouri
Western State College
Syllabus
Course: Composition and Reading I (ENG 104-12),
spring 2005, in JGM 108 from 12:30 until 1:50 p.m. TTH for three credit hours at
Missouri Western State College
Instructor: Jim Neal I have no office hours, but you may meet
with me before or after class.
Office
and Phone: SSC 222T; 271-4239; my e-mail address is
Neal13@kc.rr.com
Text: The Bedford Guide
by Kennedy, Kennedy, Muth, and Holladay (7th
ed.)
I would also suggest that you check out my English I notes at
nealz.tripod.com
ENG
104 Goals/Objectives and Means
Objectives:
http://www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj/eng104.asp#Objectives
See
http://www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj/eng104.asp and
http://www2.mwsc.edu/eflj/eng104.html#Institutional
Before
any grade appeal will be processed for a student in ENG 100, 104, or 108, the
complete portfolio of writings will have to be submitted to the Department
Review Committee.
Grading
Formula: All students are required to submit all
work within the assigned specifications and on time and to come to class
prepared. Attitude, effort, and
attendance are a must. Students
must complete all assigned papers to pass the course. The students? grade will be based upon
the scores received on the assigned papers, the final exam, and bonus and
penalty points. The following
grading scale will be used in this class:
0 - 59% = F, 60 - 69% = D, 70 - 79% = C, 80 - 89% = B, and 90 -100%=
A.
The papers will be graded holistically
and receive a letter grade of A for excellent, B for above average, C for
average, D for below average, and F for unsatisfactory. This grade will then be translated into
a percentile reflecting the grading scale in the previous paragraph. The percentile grade will be
recorded. The criteria I will use
to arrive at this grade are unity, support, coherence, sentence skills, and
following directions. Students must
avoid these serious errors, any single instance of which has the potential of
lowering a grade one letter:
ruptures in paragraph unity, choppiness, sentence fragments, fused
sentences, verb ruptures (time and number unity), pronoun ruptures (in unity,
ambiguous antecedent, use of improper case), misplaced modifiers, comma splices,
faulty or mixed constructions, and rambling sentences (more than two independent
clauses joined by a repeated conjunction).
Students should also avoid these minor errors: spelling, typing, or capitalization
errors; abbreviations; use of low or improper diction, such as "you," ?just,?
?get,? ?got,? or "a lot"; omitted or repeated words; use of the adjective rather
than the adverbial case, or vise versa, such as "secondly," "more importantly,"
or "hopefully"; ending sentences with prepositions; split infinitives;
parentheses; use of double prepositions or double negatives; faulty parallelism
or faulty coordination; one-sentence paragraphs; ending a list with a
non-specific term or etc.; or punctuation errors. I do not grade on style; opinion; or
topic, unless it falls outside the perimeters of the assignment. Assigned papers will be considered late
at the end of the class period on which they are due regardless of things like
computer problems. Late papers will
be penalized ten percentage points for each class session they are late, though
I will not accept papers that are more than three weeks late, meaning the
student will not pass the course.
Penalty points may not be made up.
Failing papers may be rewritten once, though the revised grade will not
exceed 70%; however, if the paper is very good except for one problem area, I
might, at my discretion, allow a student to correct it and split the difference.
Rewrites of papers 1-4 must be accompanied by the graded copy and submitted to
the instructor within three weeks of the paper's original due date; rewrites of
papers 5 and 6 are due by the end of the final exam. Students who simply omit a
problem indicated on a graded paper will still be charged for the error on the
rewrite. Rewrites that are not
rewritten will be recorded as 20%.
I claim at least a week to grade papers.
At the conclusion of the term, I will figure a percentage, which will
break down as follows: papers 90%
(papers 5 and 6 count as two papers each) and the final exam 5%. To this average I will add up to five
percentage points for perfect attendance, consistent and constructive class
participation, effort, and courtesy.
I will subtract up to five percentage points from the averages of those
students who have come to class ill-prepared or displayed rude or inconsiderate
behavior such as talking other than when called upon, eating, drinking, smoking,
eye rolling, desk diving, yawning or sighing loudly and blatantly, winking,
blinking, nodding, sitting with feet propped up on chairs or desks, note
passing, or sleeping. Tobacco
chewing is not allowed. Students who engage in any of these activities will
receive two verbal warnings before being required to move to seating assigned by
the instructor and/or meet with the dean.
Rudeness toward the instructor or fellow students will not be
tolerated. These points will be
awarded or deducted entirely at the instructor's personal discretion. Cell phones and electronic devices must
be turned off, and children are not allowed in the
classroom.
Objectionable
material: This class may contain frank and open
discussions of gender, sexuality, race, and ethnicity. There is a possibility that religion,
politics, drugs, and alcohol may pop up as well. The class discussions may include words
that some consider profane.
Occasionally, the instructor might, at his personal discretion,
crossdress and/or interject humor as an attempt to enliven the discussion and
render the experience more palatable.
Attendance: Students are required to attend all
classes. Students who miss four consecutive classes
or a total of eight classes before April 1 will fail the course, regardless of the reason for the
absences. Students whose total
absences in the course exceed 7 absences after April 1 will have their final
grade averages lowered five percentage points per absence in excess of
seven. Students who are
experiencing difficulty with attendance should check with me as soon as
possible. Students entering class
late or leaving class early will be considered tardy, and three tardies will
count as an absence. Students
missing more than twenty-five minutes of class will be considered absent. Students absent for any reason will bear
the responsibility for obtaining lecture notes from fellow students. All absences are deemed excused, but
that means that the work missed may be made up. An excused absence does not exempt the
student from doing the work or from the absence penalty. Students who sleep or appear to sleep or
engage in activities other than those being conducted by the instructor during
class will be considered absent.
Academic
Honesty: Since honesty in the classroom is
required, cheating, plagiarism, or knowingly furnishing false information to the
college constitutes a violation. I
will not accept papers which are substantially similar to those of other
students or the sample papers. I
will accept only original work.
Portfolios: Students must maintain a portfolio of
graded papers to verify assignments completed or dispute a grade. This must be turned in one week before
the final exam, and it will be returned on the day of the final. Course grades will not be issued until
the portfolio is handed in.
Students
with
Disabilities: Any student in this course who has a
disability that prevents the fullest expression of abilities should contact me
as soon as possible so that we can discuss class
requirements.
Specifications
for Papers in ENG 104
I don?t want folders, outlines, or title pages. All papers must be word-processed,
laser-printed, and stapled in the upper left-hand corner. There must be a one-inch margin on all
four sides of the page. Click off
the ?widow and orphan control? to make a consistent one-inch margin at the
bottom of the page. All papers must
be double-spaced. All papers must
have the student's name, the assignment number, and the current date in the
upper left-hand corner. All pages must have a header which contains the
student?s last name and the page number in the upper right-hand corner, one-half
inch from the top of the page. All
papers must have a title, which must be centered from left to right. The first and last words in the title
must be capitalized, as must all the major words. Articles ("a," "an," and "the"),
coordinating conjunctions ("and," "or," "nor," "for," "so," "yet," and "but"),
and prepositions may be presented in low case unless they are the first or last
word. One may play it safe and
simply capitalize the first letter of all the words, but the title must not be
presented in all capital letters.
The title must not be underlined unless it contains a title; placed
within quotes unless it is a quote or contains a quote; or followed by
punctuation unless it is a question or an exclamation. All paragraphs must be indented one-half
inch. One space between words and following a period is the current MLA style,
but two spaces following a period are acceptable. Left justify your papers. Do not right justify. Use a 12-point Bookman or a 14-point Times New
Roman font. All papers must contain a minimum of 600
words. The word count pertains to
the text and excludes documentation, name, date, assignment number, and
title. Short papers will be
penalized one percentage point per word.
Penalty points may not be made up. No paper may contain more than 150
words of quotes. Do not fight your
topics. Strive for a smooth, even
flow by avoiding a series of simple declarative statements. Replace forms of the verbs "to be" and
"to have" with more colorful, active verbs whenever possible. Do not abbreviate. Any paper which has a proof summary in
the conclusion will be penalized a letter grade. Please remember that this is not a
creative writing class, nor are we involved in a search for truth. Think of these assignments as drills
designed to develop a specific skill area.
The
Papers
These
are subject to change!
All papers may be made up or
contain fictional information. I
never assume that what students write actually happened or reflects their
personal opinions. The students may
be as creative or frivolous as they wish, as long as they satisfy all aspects of
the assignment. Feel free to add
Richard Simmons, Elvis's ghost, and/or flying saucers. These papers can be
fun.
All papers will evolve through the following steps: a group discussion of the assigned
readings and the assignment itself, peer tutorials, and grading by the
instructor. These are the sources
of help: the learning center, the
computer center, the textbook, fellow students, and family and friends. Still, you are the one who receives the
grade, and therefore you are responsible for your paper. Not all advice is good
advice.
Also, I will be happy to assist students on their papers through, but not after,
the peer tutorial class period. There is plenty of time to ask questions in
class and plenty of time between when the paper is assigned and when it?s
due. Also, you may ask specific
questions about outlines or drafts of your papers, though I WON?T PROOFREAD them.
Paper
#1: "Writing from Observation" is an exercise in the use
of sensory imagery, specifics, and detail, which is not only the mark of a good
writer but also of intelligence.
You may use time order, but do not tell a story?it will not fulfill the
assignment. Avoid verb shifts,
dangling participles, and the word "you."
Punctuate your coordinate adjectives correctly. I would recommend present tense. Pretend you are a camera which can hear,
taste, touch, and smell as well as see.
Show?do not tell. Introductions and conclusions are
optional. Check with me on each use
of "lie" and "lay" and "sit" and "set."
Periods and commas always precede
the closed quote. Avoid
choppiness by combining sentences, varying sentence structure, and adding more
information to your sentences.
Watch out for "further" and "farther" and use the superlative
correctly.
Paper
#2: "Writing from Recall" is a description
of a dramatic moment in your life.
I want an abundance of sensory imagery, specifics, and detail, just as in
paper #1. Use time order and watch
for verb shifts. I would recommend
past tense. If you wish, you may
jump right into the action, but if there is information the reader needs to know
to appreciate the significance of the event, then that information should be
presented in one or more introductory paragraphs. The incident itself must occupy at least
two-thirds of the paper. Do not
jump around in the action. Focus on
at least one but no more than three significant moments and describe in detail
your sensory impressions and
feelings. Again, do not merely tell me what happened, show me. When you have described the incident in
sufficient detail, then present in a concluding paragraph or two how you feel
about the event as you look back on it now. How did it change you? What insights did you gain? How does this memory make you
feel?
Paper
#3: "Analyzing" can be approached in one of
two ways. In the first, you explain
a process. Use present tense,
because you are describing a process in general rather than a specific
incident. Do not tell a story?it
will not fulfill the assignment.
You may give background information in an introductory paragraph if you
wish, or you may simply state your thesis and begin explaining your
process. Remember that your title
cannot serve as your thesis. It is
conceivable that your paper could be one long paragraph if your steps cannot be
developed. Your process must
contain at least one time-significant step. You may not use recipes, the word "you,"
or the imperative case (the "you understood" subject). Five points will be deducted for each
use of "you" or the imperative case.
Instead of using "you," say "I" or describe the group of people you are
talking about, such as "carpenters" or
"bricklayers." You may
invent a fictitious person to be the vehicle for your thesis, or you may use
"one." When you have finished your
text, use the search function to make certain you have not used "you," "will,"
or ", then." Watch out for pronoun ruptures and the "then" comma splice! The second approach is one in which you
simply break something down into its component parts and describe them. In this approach, you must have a
two-sentence introduction, the first of which announces the thing you are
analyzing, and the second of which announces the subdivisions you will be
describing (there must be at least three).
Each subdivision must be presented and developed in a separate paragraph
in the order the subdivisions were listed in the introduction, with transitional
expressions and topic sentences.
Conclude with a two-sentence paragraph, the first sentence of which must
contain a transitional expression and a re-affirmation of the thesis, and the
second sentence of which must be an editorial comment. A letter grade will be deducted from
papers containing a proof summary in the conclusion. If you chose to review a movie, book, or
short story, do not retell the plot.
The next three papers must be documented in accordance with current MLA
style as specified on pages 632-39 and 640 to the top of 655 in The
Bedford Guide. These
papers must contain a minimum of four parenthetical cites from a minimum of
two works cited entries. Of these,
one must be a book-length entry other than a reference work or computer-accessed
source, and the other must be a periodical entry other than a computer-accessed
source. Your own words must make up
at least three-fourths of the text.
Introduce all quotes and paraphrases and identify your sources. Some of you will be tempted to respond
to these assignments by turning in papers written for another class, perhaps
written by someone else. This
temptation must be resisted! Don't
do it! It will not work!
Paper
#4:
"Writing from Reading." You
must base this exercise on one of the essays from The Bedford
Guide. The paper must
contain three sections. In the
first, tell me what your read. Part
one must be two sentences. In the
second section, without retelling the story, if there is one, describe what you
read in terms of the author's use of words, such as exact names; lively verbs;
vividly descriptive adjectives and adverbs; and/or images which stimulate the
reader's sense of sight, touch, taste, hearing, and/or smell, giving specific
examples. Or you may go through the essay and
agree or disagree with the author's points. If in section two you discussed the
author's use of words, in section three you may agree or disagree with what the
author said, or you may give your
thoughts on the topic in general, beyond
the context of the essay. If in
section two you agreed or disagreed with the author's points, in section three
you must give your opinions on the topic beyond the context of what you
read. If and when you are
giving your thoughts on the topic in general, do not refer to the essay. Section two must make up at least
one-third of the paper. This is
neither a report nor a review.
Papers number five and six are, in effect, take-home comprehensive final
exams and will therefore count as two papers each. Papers number five and six must deal
with issues of regional, national, or international consequence. All papers in this course must cover
different topics. Papers five and
six may contain a prefatory section that will create interest, dispel a negative
prejudice, tell a story, educate the reader, or establish the writer's
credibility. This section is
optional, but if it is included, it is considered a part of the regular text and
therefore will follow the title.
Paper
#5: "Causes or Effects" will be presented in the
"standard format," which must include a two-sentence introduction, a minimum of
three proof points, and a conclusion, each of which will be presented in a
separate paragraph. The first
sentence in the introduction must be the thesis. It must clearly show a cause and effect
relationship, and it must be followed by a proof summary. Your thesis must be, in effect, "There
are many reasons why ___________."
Your proof summary must be, in effect, "Three of these reasons are
________, __________, and ________."
Or your thesis may be, in effect, "There have been many consequences of
_________." Your proof summary
would be, in effect, "Three of these consequences are ________, ________, and
__________." Your thesis cannot be
an opinion; in other words, you cannot say "this, this, and this are the reasons
I feel this way." Your proof
paragraphs must be introduced by transitional expressions and presented in the
order in which they were summarized.
Watch your paragraph unity!
Your conclusion must be two sentences, the first of which must contain a
clear transitional expression and a reaffirmation of the thesis, and the second
of which must be an editorial comment.
The conclusion must not contain a proof summary.
Paper
#6: "Proposing a Solution" must be presented
in the same format as paper #5. The
thesis must be either "We should do this" or "We should not do this." If the thesis is the former, then the
proof points may explain why we
should do this or how we should go
about doing this, but you may not combine whys with hows, and your paper must
not be a process paper. If the
thesis is "We should not do this," then the proof points can only explain why
you feel as you do.
Course
Outline for ENG 104
This
is subject to change!
All readings are assigned as of the beginning of the course. Students will be responsible for
assigned readings any time after the class period when the readings are
assigned. A finished draft, one
which could theoretically be handed in, is due on the day of the peer
tutorial.
|
Weeks 1-4: "The
Honeymoon": Everyone likes
everyone else; school is new, fun, and interesting. Everyone should try
it. We?re lucky to be
here. | ||||
Week1 |
1/18 |
We
become acquainted, handouts distributed and
explained | ||
|
20 |
basic writing concepts reviewed | |||
|
2 |
25 |
basic
writing concepts reviewed | ||
|
27 |
paper
#1 assigned, read pp.
65-69 | |||
|
3 |
2/1 |
assignment
reviewed, readings
covered | ||
|
3 |
assignment
reviewed, readings
covered | |||
|
4 |
8 |
peer
tutorials | ||
|
10 |
paper
#1 due, paper #2 assigned, read pp.
48-53 | |||
|
5 |
15 |
assignment
reviewed, readings
covered | ||
|
17 |
assignment
reviewed, readings
covered | |||
|
Week
6: "The Days of Rage": You?ve
just received your first paper back.
You hate me. You say
bad things to and about me.
You glare at me and mutter in class. I don?t seem to realize that
you may not be as fascinated by this boring, stupid subject as I am. I don?t realize that you have
other classes and other interests and that you have to work to pay your
bills. You fabricate a Voodoo fetish doll in my likeness and stick pins
into it while burning a black candle and chanting a litany of all the
terrible things you hope will happen to me, most of which already
have. | ||||
|
6 |
2/22 |
peer
tutorials, read pp.
391-423 | ||
|
24 |
paper
#2 due, paper #3 assigned | |||
|
Weeks
7 and 8: "The Doldrums": You lapse into a mute apathy. You no longer hate me, and we?re
minimally friends again, though not as we were during "The Honeymoon." | ||||
|
7 |
3/1 |
assignment reviewed, readings covered | ||
|
3 |
last day rewrites for paper #1 are accepted | |||
|
8 |
8 |
peer
tutorials, read pp.
427-450 | ||
|
10 |
paper
#3 due, paper #4 assigned | |||
|
Weeks
9-12: "The Black Hole": You
hate school. You?re sick and
tired of the teachers, the assignments, going to class, studying?the whole
thing. Your relationships and
health are suffering. You?ve
lost your sense of humor.
You?re behind on your bills, and your car needs work, but you can?t
afford to have it fixed. The
attendance policy is catching up with some of your fellow students, and
they are dropping like flies.
Some of your classmates have appealed my grading criteria and attendance policies
but have lost, and now they?re considering hiring a lawyer. You would rather fail?let?s be
honest, you?d rather die?than have to write another paper or sit through
another boring lecture. That
job at McDonalds doesn?t sound so bad any more, and in some moments it is
downright appealing. All is
darkness. No end is in
sight. You?ve gone into the
?ultraglide? mode. The clutch
is in, and you?re coasting.
This will basically continue until the end of the term. | ||||
|
9 |
3/22 |
assignment
reviewed, readings
covered | ||
|
24 |
documentation
lecture, last day rewrites for paper #2 will be
accepted | |||
|
10 |
29 |
peer
tutorials, read pp. 453-76 | ||
|
31 |
paper
#4 due, paper #5 assigned | |||
|
4/1
(no
class) |
This is the last day
to withdraw without academic assessment. If you are failing the course, I
would advise you to withdraw | |||
|
11 |
4/5 |
assignment
reviewed, readings
covered | ||
|
7 |
last
day rewrites for paper #3 will be accepted | |||
|
12 |
12 |
peer
tutorials, paper #6 assigned | ||
|
14 |
paper
#5 due | |||
|
Weeks
13-16: "There?s Light at the End of the Tunnel!!": All those people who were
complaining are gone. Summer
vacation is just around the corner!
Finals are only a couple weeks away, and I?ll be done! Can I make it? Are you kidding me? Are bears Buddhists? Heck yes I can make it! | ||||
|
13 |
19 |
assignment
reviewed, readings covered | ||
|
21 |
peer
tutorials, last day rewrites for paper #4 will be
accepted | |||
|
14
|
Reminder: students who do not complete all
assigned papers will not pass the course | |||
|
26 |
paper
#6 due | |||
|
28 |
review
for final exam, portfolios due | |||
Final
Week: Give thanks! Rejoice! Praise your God, Allah, Jehovah,
Buddha, Confucius, Baal, Tophet,
Emanuel Kant, and/or whom/whatever.
It?s over! It?s Over!! IT?S OVER!!!!!
Final
Exam: Thursday, May 5, 11:30 a.m.
to 1:20 p.m.