Moorpark Introduction to College Writing
Spring 2009 Syllabus
We Are America
While our nation's demographic makeup has been shifting, technological advances have been changing the way we view the world. Students have only to push a few buttons to make contact with their virtual neighbors in other countries. They can delve into thousands of libraries and data bases without leaving their chairs. Information about our global village comes fast and cheap; the challenge is reacting to it. Which events are important? Which speakers are trustworthy? How can we judge their motives, their biases, and the accuracy of their reports? What critical and rhetorical skills of our own will help us first to interpret what we read and then to respond appropriately as citizens and neighbors?
--Carol Verburg Making Contact
Course Description and Format
English M02 is designed primarily to develop your writing skills so that you can meet the demands of English 1A and other lower division college courses which require extensive writing. This course offers an intensive study of reading/writing skills, focusing on the types of reading and writing that you will do in college. This course will:
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Emphasize the basics of the writing process and build upon the skills you have already developed.
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Improve your ability to organize information and ideas through reading, writing, and discussion.
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Help you to produce writing which demonstrates appropriate grammar, sentence structure, and usage, reflecting the mature thinking of a college student.
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Help you to understand the impact of language use in a multi-cultural society and to recognize the effects of biased language on readers and writers.
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Introduce you to online learning communities: discussions and practice in
online "netiquette," the use of email, discussion lists and research data bases.
This course focuses on all aspects of the writing process: pre-writing, drafting, revising. Much of class time will
be spent discussing, writing, and working in small groups. Students are encouraged to use the
resources of the new library and writing center. Students are also strongly encouraged to take Moorpark's various
keyboarding classes and other computer application classes.
Course Requirements
- Four in-class, timed essays (20%):
- Timed Writing (SAMPLE)
- Timed Writing (RESPONSES TO TEXTS)
- Timed Writing (REFLECTION)
- Three revised papers (30%):
- Annotated Bibliography (5%): A list of
resources for the concept paper.
- Journal (40%): Summaries and Responses for EACH article from We Are
America. The work for each S&R is started in the composition notebook
and completed as typed paragraphs following MLA format, turned in after
class discussions.
Credit as follows:
25%:
- Complete S/R within one week of class discussion -- 2 points.
- Complete S/R withing two weeks of class discussion -- 1 point.
- Complete S/R more than two weeks after class discussion -- 1/2 point.
- ALL S/R's are subject to 1-2 point range scale for quality.
15%: In the composition notebook, unless otherwise assigned.
- a short summary of each chapter of Ender's Shadow.
- homework assignments
- in-class assignments
- Unannounced pop quizes and / or short writes (5%):
Required Texts and Materials
-
Joy, Anna. We Are America: A Thematic Reader and Guide to
Writing. 5th ed. Thomson, 2005.
- Card, Orson Scott. Ender's Shadow. New York: Tor,
1999.
- Silverman, Hughes and Weinbroer. Rules of Thumb. 7th
ed. Boston:
McGraw Hill.
- College level pocket dictionary.
Required Materials:
- Composition Notebook (journal)
- Pocket Folders (one for each revised paper)
- Memory device (drafts will require word processing)
Recommended materials:
- colored hi-liters
- post-it notes or small colored tabs
Last revised Jan 09