FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
FALL 2004
ENC 1101 – English Composition
Instructor: Dr. Norman Brammer
Office: Building DM Room
458B Telephone:
(305) 348-2874
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 11:00-12:30 pm
E-Mail
Address: brammern@fiu.edu
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The improvement of reading and writing skills through the acquisition and
demonstration of a wide variety of organizational patterns in writing, including
description, definition, comparison/contrast, cause/effect, process and
argumentation. In addition, the research techniques and citation format needed
to produce a documented short research paper will be covered. Students will
write at least 6000 words when drafts of essays, final versions of essays and
the research notes are considered.
REQUIRED TEXT:
Nadell, Judith, McMeniman, Linda and John Langan.
The Longman Writer: Rhetoric,
Reader, Handbook. 5th
Edition. New York: Longman, 2003.
Jen, Gish. Typical American. New York:
Plume, 1992.
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
The skills covered in this course are taught sequentially, and therefore require
uninterrupted attendance. Students may miss no more than four class sessions
without penalty. Absence from more than six sessions will result in an “F”
grade (failure due to excessive absences). Students must be punctual and if
late for class more than 15 minutes will be considered absent for that class.
To simply stop attending does not constitute a formal withdrawal, and you may
receive an “F” as your final grade. Students who wish to withdraw from the
course must do so formally through the Registrar’s Office.
There shall be no penalty for a student who is absent
from class because of a religious holy day in his/her own faith, the student’s
serious illness, death in the immediate family, or attendance at statutory
governmental responsibilities. However, for these absences to be considered”
no-penalty” absences, the student must meet the following responsibilities:
- Prior notification
and/or documentation must be provided to the professor when a student is going
to be absent from class to observe a religious holy day(s) or attend to
statutory governmental responsibilities.
- Written documentation
for “serious illness” on the part of the student or “death in his or her
immediate family” must be provided to the professor upon the student’s return
to class.
- Be responsible for the
material covered during the absence and make up work or tests by the second
class after return to school.
COURSE ORGANIZATION
The theme for the class will be responding to the
question, “What is the American Dream?” In an attempt to respond to this
question students will examine a number of historical and contemporary views of
this concept. This will demand research and students will learn research and
research documentation skills with the goal of writing about their findings in
essays. Students will be required to read both non-fiction essays on the
“American Dream” as well as a novel, Typical American by Gish
Jen. These writings will supply the students with background material for
their essays.
ESSAYS - Each rhetorical organizational
pattern will be introduced through the analysis of a professional writing
sample. In the next class session the principles of that organizational pattern
will be examined. In the third class session students will tackle the pattern
by writing their own essay. In the fourth session the essay will be subject to
peer review and students will be expected to revise accordingly. In each half of
the course students will select one essay from the ones they have written for
submission to the instructor for a grade. The first essay will have a point
value of 20 points due October 14th while the second will be worth 30
points and will be due November 30th.
Essays will be graded on
the support of the thesis and conformity to the organizational (rhetorical)
patterns studied as well as the use of standard grammar and spelling. All work
must be typed double-spaced using a 12-point font with black ink and 1 inch
margins all around (Times New Roman is suggested). Do not put a cover
page on your work; instead include the following in the upper left hand corner:
your full name,
ENC 1101 and section number
on the second line, professor’s name on the next line and finally on the fourth
line the date. On subsequent pages include your last name and the page number
flush right in the upper right-hand corner of each page. Indent the beginning
of each paragraph and do not skip spaces between paragraphs. Pages should be
stapled together in the left-hand corner. Do all of this before class! Papers
not in accord with this format will be returned ungraded. E-mailed or faxed
papers will not be accepted. Essays will not be accepted after
the due date and returned without a grade. Essays should be 5-6 pages in
length and in addition include a Works Cited page.
EXAMS – There will be two short answer
exams on aspects of the writing process and the rhetorical patterns. The
midterm for 30 points toward the final grade will be on October 19th.
The final exam will be on December 9th and count for 20 points.
A proposed weekly
schedule is addend to the syllabus.
GRADING SCALE:
GRADE CALCULATION:
90–100 points =
A 1st Essay
20 points
87-89 points =
A- 2nd Essay 30
points
84-86 points =
B+ Midterm Exam 30
points
80-83 points =
B Final Exam 20 points
77-79 points =
B- Total 100 points
74-76 points = C+
70-73 points =
C
Below 70 = F
PLAGIARISM – Plagiarism is not giving credit to the
originator of work quoted or paraphrased in your work. Work that is plagiarized
in whole or part will receive zero points and students may fail the course.
SYLLABUS CHANGES
- The above syllabus is tentative and maybe changed at the instructor’s
discretion due to students’ skill development needs and the amount of time
needed to meet the course goals. Students will be notified of any changes in
writing.
REVISED WEEKLY
SCHEDULE
Week 1
Aug. 31
·
Introductions and Syllabus Review
·
In-class Writing Sample
Sept. 2 NO CLASS DUE TO HURRICANE FRANCES
Week 2
Sept. 7
·
Introduce Gish Jen, author of Typical American
·
Read Typical American for 15 minutes to determine the
number of pages read per hour to develop reading plan for the novel to be
completed by Nov.23.
·
Assignment - Read Chapter 1, “Becoming a Strong Reader.”
Sept. 9
·
Close Reading Review
·
Assignment - Read “Flavio’s Home” by Gordon Parks, pp.184-188
and do
Questions for Close Reading # 1-3, p. 189.
Week 3
Sept. 14 DESCRIPTION
·
Discuss the structure of the Parks’ article
·
Techniques for using the Internet for research
·
Assignment – Research a place or monument in the US that
embodies the “American Dream.”
Sept. 16
·
Discuss Description as a Pattern of Development
·
Assignment – Read Chapter 11 up to p. 162.
Week 4
Sept. 21
·
In-class – write descriptive essay on a place or monument in
the US that embodies the “American Dream”
·
Assignment – Input essay into the computer, save it, and bring
in 4 copies.
Sept. 23
·
Peer review
·
Assignment – Revise according to peers’ comments.
Week 5
Sept. 28 COMPARISON/CONTRAST
·
Read Joseph Suina’s “And Then I Went to School,” pp. 370-374
·
Assignment – Do Questions About the Writer’s Craft #1-4, p.
374.
Sept. 30
·
Discuss answers to homework questions
·
Discuss comparison/contrast patterns
·
Assignment – Read pp. 344-352
Week 6
Oct. 5
·
Interview techniques and use as support
Oct. 7
·
Develop interview questions
·
Assignment – Conduct interviews on the dreams and aspirations
of two adult immigrants of approximately the same age.
Week 7
Oct. 12
·
In-class – write comparison/contrast essay
·
Assignment – Type and save essay. Bring 4 copies to class.
Oct. 14
·
Peer review of comparison/contrast essay
·
Assignment – Revise based on peer comments.
Week 8
Oct. 19
FIRST ESSAY DUE (20 POINTS)
MIDTERM EXAM (30 POINTS)
Oct. 21
LIBRARY SESSION (Room GL 245)
Week 9
Oct. 26 CAUSE/EFFECT
·
Read Carl Novack’s student essay, “American Food,” pp. 389-392
Oct. 28
·
Discuss Cause/Effect as a Pattern of Development
·
Discuss Commentary on Novack’s essay
·
Assignment – Research material to bring to class for an essay
on either the causes or the effects of the “American Dream.”
Week 10
Nov. 2
·
In-class – write a cause or effect essay on the “American
Dream”
·
Assignment – Type essay and bring in 4 copies.
Nov. 4
·
Peer review of cause/effect essay
·
Assignment – Revise essay based on peer comments.
Week 11
Nov. 9 ARGUMENT
·
Read Yuh Ji-Yeon’s “Let’s Tell the Story of All America’s
Cultures,” p. 499-501 and do Close Reading questions
·
Assignment – Do Questions About the Writer’s Craft.
Nov. 11 HOLIDAY
Week 12
Nov. 16
·
Discuss Persuasive Writing
·
Assignment – Research the history of the idea of the “American
Dream”
Nov. 18
·
In-class – write an argumentative essay that shows either that
the “American Dream” is still the same today or different
·
Assignment – Type the essay and bring in 4 copies.
Week 13
Nov. 23
·
Peer Review
·
Assignment – Revise the essay based on peer review.
Nov. 25 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
Week 14
Nov. 30 FINAL
ESSAY DUE
·
Discuss Literary Analysis
Dec. 2
·
Apply analysis technique to Typical American
Week 15
Dec. 7
·
Review
Dec. 9
FINAL EXAM
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