ENG 108
College Writing and Research
Department
of English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism
College
of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Instructor: Kathy Miller
Fall
2008
TTh
9:30-10:50 Sec 05., Spratt Hall 109
Office
Phone: 816-271-4318
Office
Hours: by appointment
Email:
kmiller@missouriwestern.edu;
Required
Texts:
Rereading
Course
Description:
To provide practice with writing effective papers using field and
document research.
COMPLETE
DEPARTMENTAL COURSE OBJECTIVES AND MEANS:
Please
see: http://www.mwsc.edu/~engdept/eng.html#course
About the course: English 108:
College Writing and Research will help you learn to use sources in academic
papers. You will learn to identify and evaluate arguments in texts, and to use
the texts of other authors to support your own
observations and claims. We will consider the following questions:
Course
Goals:
By the end of the semester you should be able to:
• Effectively construct and defend a written argument.
• Conduct appropriate field research and library research.
• Accurately summarize, quote, and draw inferences from oral and
written material.
• Synthesize personal perspectives with outside sources.
• Adequately document sources using appropriate formal citation
methodology.
• Complete necessary revision, editing, and proofreading of papers.
Methods
of Instruction:
Methods of instruction include textbooks, lectures, class discussions,
group work, presentations, informal writing assignments and formal writing
assignments. Students will be expected to
participate in peer revision groups and in-class writing exercises.
Journals/Reading
Logs: You will write (informal)
journal entries/responses to most of your assigned readings. Please refer to your assignment schedule for
journal entries. These entries will be
your explanations of and reactions to the readings. Each journal entry will consist of both
summary and response/analysis and be, on average, one full page per article. Entries can be hand-written or word-processed
and must be clearly labeled. The
collection dates be at midterm and final.
Journal entries will be graded on content and will be part of your grade
for the course.
Peer
Revision Groups: Prior to
submitting your formal writing assignments, you will be required to participate
in peer revision groups in which you will bring in word-processed copies of
your rough draft to share with your group and receive feedback from your group
in order to help you strengthen and revise your own written work. This is a required activity and will be part
of your grade for the paper and the course.
(Note: During these sessions I
will also evaluate drafts).
Policies:
Attendance
and Class Preparation/Participation: In order
to improve student learning and to achieve compliance with federal financial
aid policies, Western has a mandatory attendance policy for all 100-level
courses. A student will be given an
excused absence when acting as an official representative of the university,
provided the student gives prior written verification from the faculty/staff
supervisor of the event. A student will
also be given an excused absence if he or she can provide documentation and
prove that the absence was unavoidable.
Please feel free to speak to me about any extenuating
circumstances. All other absences will
be deemed unexcused. The maximum number
of unexcused absences allowed before the midterm report, October 16, for this
class is three. Thus, when you have four you will be reported to the Registrar’s Office, who will automatically,
withdraw you from this class. The
Financial Aid Office will reduce financial aid as appropriate. More than three absences will affect your
final grade.
Students are expected to attend every scheduled class meeting and
arrive on time. Arriving to class late
is disruptive. As a result, chronic
lateness will likely affect your final grade.
Students are also expected to come prepared to every class meeting and
participate in class discussion for this is the only way we can all share
ideas, ask questions and learn.
Assigned readings must be completed before the class meeting when the
material will be discussed.
All writing assignments are due at the beginning of the class period on
the due date. Each student is allowed
one late paper (and only one late paper) and this must be discussed with the
instructor. No other late papers will be accepted. If you are not in class
on the due date you are still responsible for submitting your assignment on
time. Late journals and in-class writing
assignments will not be accepted.
Please note that you must complete all writing assignments in order to
pass this course. All drafts and final
papers for this course must be word-processed.
It is important to save all work on disks, cds,
or other electronic storage devices; keep back-ups of all papers. Email all writing assignments to yourself;
excuses of lost papers will not be accepted.
Use the following when submitting papers:
Formatting:
Revision: All
formal, graded writing assignments can be revised and resubmitted for a “new”
grade. You will have two weeks from the
date the paper is returned in class to revise and resubmit each paper. However, you cannot revise other work. If you miss the two-week deadline, you forfeit
the right to revise that specific paper.
It is required that your original, graded essay accompanies your revised
essay, along with the grade sheet and any peer revisions. Revision is important because each paper
covers important skills that you will need to know for the next paper.
Grading
Policy: Your grade will be determined
on the writings you submit, attendance, journals/reading logs and a final
exam. Please note that smaller
assignments and class preparation/participation are very important and do
affect your grade. The components of
your grade in the course are:
Daily
Formal Writings: 40%
Attendance & Participation: 20%
Final Exam: 20%
Grading: As the semester progresses, I will consider more elements of
papers as I grade them. By the end of the semester, a passing paper will:
Papers with four spelling
errors will lose one letter grade. I will count typos as spelling errors.
Papers turned in late, without an acceptable excuse, will lose one letter grade
for each business day they are late.
Students
with Disabilities: Anyone
who has a disability that prevents the fullest expression of his or her potential
to succeed in this course must notify me as soon as possible so that we can
discuss class requirements and accommodations. You must also contact Michael
Ritter, Special Needs Coordinator, and submit all necessary documentation to
his office.
Academic
Honesty Policy: Academic
honesty is required in all academic endeavors.
Violations of academic honesty include any instance of plagiarism,
cheating, seeking credit for another’s work, falsifying documents or academic
records or any other fraudulent classroom activity. Cheating and plagiarism are not
acceptable. You will receive a grade of
F (0 points) for any paper/assignment/exam that shows evidence of cheating
and/or plagiarism. You have the burden
of proving that a paper/assignment/exam showing evidence of cheating and/or
plagiarism has been in fact written by you.
You should keep thorough evidence of your writing processes for all
papers so that you can meet this burden of proof. If you plagiarize a paper, you forfeit the
right to revise that paper; if you cheat on an exam, you will not be allowed to
retake the exam. Violations of academic
honesty will be reported to the Provost or the designated representative on the
Academic Honesty Violation Report Forms.
Please see the 2006-07 Student Handbook and Calendar on page 21 for
specific activities identified as violations of this policy and the student due
process procedure. This handbook is also
available online at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/handbook/index.pdf.
Common departmental requirements are listed online
at <http://www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj/eng108.asp>.
Miscellaneous: Civility and Cooperation: Missouri Western requires all students to
help us maintain good conditions for teaching and learning. All students will treat their classmates and
teachers 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.
Format for Journal/Reading Logs:
Date. Include the title and author of the
article. Entries should be one to two
pages in order to establish a summary of content of reading, reaction to
content, and show depth of thinking. Pull ideas together, weigh, consider, and
then write your thoughts. The purpose of
the reading log is to serve:
English 108 Assignments
August 26
Class introduction to Rereading America p. 2-15
Discussion of critical thinking and cultural myths
August 28 Myth of the Model Family
Read Visual Images p 15.
Collect 5 images of the American Family you find interesting. These may be from a magazine, the Internet, your own family, ads, etc. Bring to class on Sept 2. Be prepared to discuss why you find these images compelling.
Sept 2
Discuss Images collected by students.
Read Harmony at Home p. 18-20
Fast Facts: page 18. Respond to one of these facts.
Visual Portfolio: Reading Images of American Families p. 81-85. Write out the answers to questions 1-6.
Sept. 4
“Looking for Work” p. 26
“Aunt Ida Pieces a Quilt” p 48
Respond in Reading Log to these
Choose one of the following essays to read. Do questions 1-4 and one extending question to turn in:
“What We Really Miss About the 1950s” p. 31
“From Changing American Families” p. 61
“It Takes a Family. . . “ p. 88
“What is Marriage?” p. 98
Again just choose one essay; be ready to discuss in class.
Sept 9
Find 2 articles to bring to class to discuss/debate/summarize/share and/or to use in your paper on the state of the contemporary American family.
MLA Research workshop
Discussion of paper number one.
Using personal
experience, in class readings and discussions, and one outside source, you will
do a 3 page paper on one aspect of the American family. Please see handout for the actual assignment.
Sept 11
Work on rough draft of your paper in class with teacher assistance
Sept. 16
Rough draft due
In class work on paper/peer editing. Be sure to use in text references so I can check proper format.
Sept 18
PAPER #1 DUE
Respond to one of the Fast Facts p. 114
Read p. 115-120
Reader’s Workshop
Sept 23 Myth of Education and Empowerment
Make sure as you read the assignments you are responding to them in your reader’s log.
“Idiot Nation” p. 132
“
“Learning to Read” p. 210
“Still Separate, Still Not Equal” p. 239
Sept 25
“The Lesson” p. 270
“Fast Facts” p. 372
“From Seven Floors Up” p. 332
Read and respond to all in reading log
Sept 30
“
For this article I would like for you to choose 3 of the visual ads and address those in your reading log as well as the reading. Which ones do you find more offensive? Which ones confuse you?
“From Fly Girls to Bitches to Hos” 443 Answer question 6 on page 449 in log
SKIM “Framing Class: Vicarious Living . . . “ p. 334
Oct 2
“True Women and Real Men” p.372-375
“Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social. . . “p. 383
“Manliness of Men” p. 450
Discussion of paper number two-options- Education/Empowerment, Gender/Class
Oct 7
Library Research Day
Oct. 9
Rough Draft/Peer Edit
Oct. 14
MIDTERM
Paper # 2 due
Oct 16
“Killer Culture” p. 646
Turn in Reading logs
to be checked
Influence of Media and American Culture
“Under the Sign of Mickey Mouse” 824
“The War on Terrorism” 794
“Visual Portfolio” 806-814 Respond to questions in Reading Log
October 21
Video on media
October 23
Introduction of Paper #3
Media’s influence on American Culture or
Library Research Day
October 28
In class writing/editing/discussion; more library time
October 30
Rough Draft due/Peer edit
November 4
Paper # 3 due
Stories from handouts
Visual Portfolio- Look over pictures 556-560
November 6
Myths of the Melting Pot
“Discharging a Debt” 492
“Causes of Prejudice” p. 504
“The Crossing” p. 574
“Child of
November 11
Read p. 614-619 Address one of the Before Reading journal topics in your reading log
“Overture: Lily Pads” p. 620 Be prepared with a quiz on the story
November 13
“The Christian Paradox” p. 665
“The Bridge Builder” p. 676
Visual Portfolio p.687-692
November 18
Discuss topics for Paper #4
Topic: Religion, race, melting pot, etc
In class writing
November 20
In class writing/editing of final paper
December 2
More editing of final paper which will be due the day of finals in this class
December 4
Final paper editing.