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College Composition I Parkway South High School Fall 2016 Course Syllabus Teacher:
Libby (Elizabeth) Reed 3144155752 5th and 8th Blocks Planning Time Room 2410
[email protected]
Website: T his class is called College Composition on Google Classroom. The code to join is 6qym74a. I will send you an invitation this week, and you will need to check this web site daily. In addition, you should check your school Gmail account DAILY. Text Information: Back to the Lake: A Reader for Writers. Ed. Thomas Cooley. New York: Norton, 2012. Recommended Prerequisite: C ompletion of English 3 with a C or better. Course Description: For students who demonstrate that they are capable of collegelevel writing, the goal of this class is to prepare them for the demands of collegelevel writing by helping them improve the sophistication of their writing; sharpen their critical reading, writing, and thinking skills; and increase their fluency in the different styles of academic writing. For other students, this class will provide them with skills that will ensure them success in a collegelevel English Composition course by helping them master rules of grammar and usage, improve sentence fluency, master different organizational patterns for academic essays, and incorporate secondary sources in their writing. Students who receive a grade of B or higher in College Prep Composition I will be able to take College Prep Composition II the second semester as an ACC or ACP credit through Saint Louis University or University of MissouriSt. Louis. In terms of craft, students will learn and apply the characteristics of good writing by analyzing and evaluating the essays we read in class and their peers’ essays. This class will also challenge students to formulate original positions in their essays that are supported by appropriate evidence and examples. Minilessons will provide students with knowledge and practice of important usage and grammar concepts to help improve style and writing fluency.
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Essential Questions: ● How is writing a means of discovery? ● How does a writer incorporate his/her own voice in writing? ● How does the relationship between form and meaning influence a text? ● How do writers strategically manipulate words, sentences, content, and evidence to make writing memorable and persuasive for readers? Methods : In this class, we will work together as writers and readers in a writing workshop. Activities will include discussions of the reading materials, inclass writings, peer evaluations, cooperative learning, and studentteacher conferencing. Be prepared to share your work with others in this class. Your classmates and I will read your work, so don’t write about topics that are too personal to share. Course Objectives: 1) Move effectively through the stages of the writing process, with careful attention to inquiry and reflection, drafting, revising, editing, and review. 2) Apply effective strategies and techniques in student’s own writing. 3) Write various types of essays: descriptive, narrative, expository, investigative, and evaluative. 4) Produce compositions that introduce a central idea and develop it with appropriate, specific evidence, cogent explanations, and clear transitions. 5) Analyze and evaluate the writing of other students to give positive and constructive comments for improving classmates’ writing. 6) Demonstrate understanding and mastery of standard written English as well as stylistic maturity in students’ own writings. Materials : 1. A 2 inch 3ring binder 2. 4 binder section dividers labeled as the following: WRITER’S HANDBOOK, READINGS, NOTES, GRADED WORK 3. Looseleaf notebook paper or a spiral notebook 4. Highlighters 5. Pens 6. USB flashdrive and a Parkway Gmail Account * Final drafts of a major assignment will be turned in with all prewriting, drafting, and revising work that contributed to the final draft. Calendar for Significant Course Content and Learning Activities*: Weeks 13: Introduction to Collegelevel Reading and Writing Growth Measure PreAssessment Reading and writing journal activities Reading quiz over “How to Say Nothing in 500 Words” Several short essays to develop Voice/Style
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Weeks 46:
The Observation Essay Reading and writing journal activities Major descriptive/observation essay—Beautiful or Ugly Essay
Weeks 79:
The Narrative Essay Reading and writing journal activities Minor inclass writings Narrative Essay: Influential Person
Weeks 1015: Expository/Explaining Concepts Essay Reading and writing journal activities Major Concept Paper based on personal experience, observation, and 34 researched, credible sources Presentation of Explaining Concept Essay Weeks 1618: I ntroduction to Argumentative Writing Reading and writing journal activities Skill practice: Using experience as evidence Revised PreAssessment Growth Measure Essay Method for Determining Final Grade of Course 1. Based on a point system: three terms accumulate points toward semester grade. 2. In general, term grades are determined by the following: a. 70% major papers, inclass planned and impromptu essays b. 30% small group activities, daily assignments, quizzes 3. Semester grades are determined by your accumulating points for the terms. Essay Revisions Students may revise 3 of the 4 major essays throughout the semester. O nly those essays earning a 93 or below may be revised. Essays must be revised within 2 weeks of being returned. L ate essays cannot be revised. Essays that are turned in incomplete cannot be revised but will be graded on their merit. ● A oneonone conference with me is required before revision. ● Revisions must be significant. Minor changes in grammar or syntax will not receive more credit. ● Revisions turned in with only minor changes will not be graded. ● Revision Reflection Sheet and original graded essay must be turned in with a revision. Attendance and Late Work Policy Students are expected to attend every class meeting. If they have an excused absence or field trip, students are expected to do the following: check the course website for homework or
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announcements, check with a classmate for further details, and come see me at their first opportunity, either during the following Academic Lab or before school the next day they attend. All essays should be turned in on time as a hard copy during class, with all drafts attached. Essays or homework assignments due on the day of an excused absence should be emailed to me before 3 p.m. on the day of the absence. O therwise, they will be considered late. 10 percent of the total points possible will be deducted for each CLASS day late. Unexcused absences will not be tolerated; not only will a student's citizenship grade be lowered, any work due that day will be accepted for a maximum of half credit. Citizenship Grades Citizenship grades will be determined based on attendance, tardies, and late work as well as general classroom behavior. O=no unexcused absences, tardies, or late work; above average to excellent inclass participation and behavior. S=no unexcused absences, 13 tardies, or 1 late assignment; average to above average inclass participation and behavior. I=13 unexcused absences, 47 tardies, or 23 late assignments; average inclass behavior. U=4 or more unexcused absences, 8 or more tardies, 4 or more late assignments. Grading Scale A=93100% B+=8789% C+=7779% D+=67%69% A=9092% B=8386% C=7376% D=6366% B=8082% C=7072% D=6062% F=59% and below I do not round grades automatically. Rounding of grades is a rare event and subject to my discretion based on a variety of factors, such as student work ethic, student talent, and the like. Turnin Policies: All essays must be in three formats before it is considered IN and ON TIME: ● Printed ● Saved in Google Classroom ● Uploaded to Turnitin.com Class ID: 12990765 C lass Password: R eedCollComp Handwritten work must be neatly done on clean notebook paper. All work needs the following heading in the top left corner: Your name Joe Student My name Mrs. Reed Class Name College Comp 1 Block 2 Date Due Aug. 10, 2016 Technology Policy Phones should remain OUT OF SIGHT unless I instruct otherwise. First Offense: Warning
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Second Offense: I WILL CONFISCATE YOUR PHONE until the end of the day. Third Offense or more: I WILL CONFISCATE YOUR PHONE and send it to your administrator. Document Storage: C omplete all documents in Google Docs/Google Classroom. Emails: E mails to me should be written in proper English with a proper salutation and closing. Emails should originate from your Parkway Gmail Account. I will not guarantee response to emails that are severely grammatically incorrect or sent from a private account. Plagiarism and Academic Integrity Students are expected to do their own, original work on every assignment, including smaller inclass assignments and larger, more formal assignments. Turning in the same essay for multiple classes or reusing an old essay is also plagiarism unless significant changes are made to the essay. Plagiarism is a serious offense that will be dealt with in the following manner: Students who plagiarize will be expected to meet with the teacher, his or her administrator, and his or her parents for a discussion. The student will be required to redo the assignment on a new topic for a maximum of half credit. Further incidents of plagiarism will be dealt with more harshly. All essays must be submitted to Turnitin.com. E ssays that are not turned in to Turnitin.com will not be graded. College Credit This class is available for college credit first semester at Saint Louis University (English 1500). The credit transfers to very few schools—St. Louis Community College accepts it, but some state universities do not. Please check with your intended school before enrolling in the first semester of credit.
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