Greetings!
Below you will find copies of the handouts from today:
1. The course outline
2. The grade worksheet
3. Unacceptable errors
And a couple of things that come to mind after class today:
1. If you read this AFTER you view episode one of Breaking Bad, no worries! However, keep in mind that your out of class essay 3 will be an in depth character analysis of ONE of the characters in this television series. I suggest that you consider taking notes while watching episodes, or at least record some of your observations and thoughts soon after viewing each episode. This is just for YOU. You will eventually select one of the characters to pay attention to a bit more closely than the others, but most students do not make a decision on which character that will be until the first few episodes are viewed.
2. On the handout, Unacceptable Errors, there is a section at the bottom that we did NOT discuss or go over in class, so be sure you read it. It discusses OTHER kinds of issues that impact the readability of your work. When these are found in your essay, I will not be deducting ten points for each one, but please understand that if these errors appear too often, they WILL impact readability and thus impact the evaluation of your writing.
3. If you wish to follow the blog privately and not follow it publicly, that is perfectly fine. My only concern is that you can easily locate the blog and stay current.
English 20
Summer 2011
July 12 – August 18; TWR 10:30-12:50 pm – Calaveras 135
Instructor: Catherine Fraga
Email: sacto1954@gmail.com
Office hours: (Calaveras 149) TWR, 945 am-1025 am OR BY APPT.
COURSE DESCRIPTION (FROM CSUS CATALOG): ADVANCED WRITING THAT BUILDS UPON THE CRITICAL THINKING, READING, AND WRITING PROCESSES INTRODUCED IN ENGL 1A AND ENGL 2. EMPHASIZES RHETORICAL AWARENESS BY EXPLORING READING AND WRITING WITHIN DIVERSE ACADEMIC CONTEXTS WITH A FOCUS ON THE SITUATIONAL NATURE OF THE STANDARDS, VALUES, HABITS, CONVENTIONS, AND PRODUCTS OF COMPOSITION. STUDENTS WILL RESEARCH AND ANALYZE DIFFERENT DISCIPLINARY GENRES, PURPOSES, AND AUDIENCES WITH THE GOALS OF UNDERSTANDING HOW TO APPROPRIATELY SHAPE THEIR WRITING FOR DIFFERENT READERS AND DEMONSTRATING THIS UNDERSTANDING THROUGH VARIOUS WRITTEN PRODUCTS. NOTE: WRITING REQUIREMENT: A MINIMUM OF 5,000 WORDS. PREREQUISITE: COMPLETION OF ENGL 1A AND ENGL 2 OR EQUIVALENT WITH A C- OR BETTER; SOPHOMORE STANDING (MUST HAVE COMPLETED 30 UNITS PRIOR TO REGISTRATION). UNITS: 3.0.
Required Texts & Materials:
• Two blue (or green) books.
• Lined notebook paper with a clean, straight edge.
• Stapler.
• Reliable access to a computer and a printer. Important information will be posted on the course blog:
English20Summer2011.blogspot.com. In addition, many of the readings will be items found on the Internet and will need to be printed and brought to class.
• Sacramento State Student Writing Handbook—available free on line at:
http://www.csus.edu/wac/WAC/Students/CSUS_Writing_Handbook.pdf
(Suggestion: you may want to bookmark the two web addresses above on your personal computer for quicker access.)
• We will be viewing six episodes of Breaking Bad in class. However, there is a copy of the entire Season 1 on reserve in the library on campus, in case you want to review an episode or you unfortunately miss class on a day we are viewing.
Recommended Text:
Any writing handbook that, at a minimum, offers information on MLA research documentation.
Newly updated MLA format is available free online at:
http://library.csus.edu/guides/rogenmoserd/general/mla.html
Classroom Policies:
1. Attendance is especially important during this accelerated summer school course, which meets a total of only 18 days. Classroom discussions prepare students for all writing assignments, and your fellow students and I need your input in order to make this class more complete and enjoyable.
2. YOU MUST TYPE AND DOUBLE SPACE ALL OUT OF CLASS WORK
3. In all fairness to other students, out of class assignments must be handed in on time. For out of class essays, for every day it is late, there will be 10 points deducted from your earned grade, even on weekends. You may not earn these points back in a revision. In-Class Journals cannot be made up; you must be present AND ON TIME in order to complete the Journal in class.
4. You’re responsible for finding out what you missed if you are absent. I will provide you with a class roster for your convenience. If you miss class, ALWAYS ASSUME YOU HAVE MISSED SOMETHING IMPORTANT.
5. My policy on EXTRA CREDIT is…I do not believe in extra credit. In short, “real” life outside the university does not operate on the extra credit option. You earn the grade you receive. It really is a fairness issue.
6. ABOUT REVISIONS: you have the option to revise one of your first two out of class essays. If you choose to revise, you must submit the revision with the original within one week of receiving the graded essay back. No exceptions. An essay with unacceptable errors might be an essay you choose to revise. Once you submit your revision, and receive it back with the revised score, you can continue to revise and re-submit as many times as you wish until you earn the grade you desire. ALL REVISIONS MUST BE HIGHLIGTED WHERE YOU HAVE MADE CHANGES AND/OR CORRECTIONS, ADDITIONS, ETC.
A note on classroom etiquette:
If you feel you cannot survive each class session without the use of your cell phone, iPod, iPad or laptop computer, please do not enroll in this class. (I own three of these devices, and value each of them, but I do not plan on using them during my classroom time with you. Simply, it is the highest degree of rudeness and disrespect.) If I see you busy texting, etc. I will not hesitate to ask you to leave. (IF THERE IS A COMPELLING REASON THAT YOU MUST KEEP YOUR PHONE ON VIBRATE FOR AN EMERGENCY PHONE CALL THAT MAY OCCUR DURING CLASS HOURS, PLEASE INFORM ME BEORE CLASS.) Again, we only meet for 18 days. I plan to give you my full attention for those 2 hours and 20 minutes and I expect the same from all my students. (Of course, if you have documented paperwork from the university indicating the need for a computer in the classroom, that is perfectly fine!)
HOW YOUR GRADE IS EARNED:
See attached grade roster. At no time should you wonder how you are “doing” in the course. The grade worksheet makes it very easy to keep track. Simply record your scores as you receive back your graded work. Do not discard any assignments that are graded and returned to you until the semester is over.
ABOUT THIS COURSE…
I have designed a very different and I hope interesting and provocative set of themes for discussion and critical thinking/writing for the semester. The core of the course from which these themes/ideas will spring is the first season of the television series, Breaking Bad. It recently won the TCA (Television Critics Association) Award for Outstanding Drama on Television. It has also been honored with a few Emmys as well. The series is heading into its fourth season.
You will view the first episode on your own (it is available on line through Amazon.com—free) and as a class we will view the remaining six episodes as well as read a wealth of material connected either directly or indirectly to some of its themes. This series poses so many intriguing questions about conformity, morals, family values/responsibilities, the line between good and evil, the war on drugs, greed, health care and so much more, including a comparison between current television vs. film viewing. In short, we will examine and expand on several issues connected with the overall term of “breaking bad”—straying from the path of morality, of legality, of conformity towards something deemed unacceptable by the majority of society. In fact, the origin of the term is American Southwest, a slang phrase meaning to challenge conventions, to defy authority, to skirt the edges of the law.
Here is an excerpt from a review of the series:
“It’s difficult to fathom a more dangerous and enthralling piece of television than Breaking Bad, the AMC drama that is quietly redefining the creative and content limits of primetime.”
--Ray Richmond, The Hollywood Reporter, March 4, 2009
Class Schedule:
(Please note: This schedule is subject to change at a moment’s notice. Please bring this schedule and required readings and appropriate handouts to every class session.)
Each time a reading assignment is given, you are expected to arrive to class having read the assignment. If it is an assignment from the Internet, please bring a hard copy to class on the day it is assigned to have been read.
NOT EVERY ACTIVITY IS LISTED ON THIS CLASS SCHEDULE. It is not unusual to have a quick quiz over reading material. There will be no prior announcement for these quizzes.
Tuesday, July 12
• Introduction to the Course
• Course Outline (handout)
• Unacceptable Errors (handout)
• Discussion: How to Critically Read and Evaluate an Essay (handout)
Wednesday, July 13
• Arrive to class today having watched episode 1 of Breaking Bad
• In-Class Journal #1
• Out of class essay #1 assigned
• In-class Group work #1
Thursday, July 14
• View episodes two and three of Breaking Bad, Season 1, in class
Tuesday, July 19
• Out of class essay #1 due today
• Out of class essay #2 assigned today
• Review of Sentence Mechanics
• Arrive to class having read Packet #1.
• Arrive to class having read pages 34-48 in the Handbook.
Wednesday, July 20
• View episodes four and five of Season 1, Breaking Bad
Thursday, July 21
• In Class Essay #1 (bring blue or green book to class)
• Arrive to class having read Packet #2.
Tuesday, July 26
• Out of Class Essay #2 due today
• In-Class Group Work #2 in
• Arrive to class having read pgs. 67-78 in the Handbook and Packet #3.
Wednesday, July 27
• In-class Journal #2
• View episode six of Breaking Bad, Season 1
• In-class Group Work #3
Thursday, July 28
• View episode seven (final episode) of Breaking Bad, Season 1
• Out of class assignment #3 assigned today
Tuesday, August 2
• Arrive to class having read Packet #4
• In-Class Group Work #4
Wednesday, August 3
• Rough draft due for Essay 3: Individual Conferences for half the class on Essay #3
Thursday, August 4
• Rough draft due for Essay 3: Individual Conferences for half the class on Essay #3
Tuesday, August 9
• Out of class essay #3 due today.
• Arrive to class having read Reading Packet #5
• Arrive in class having read one of the four sections in Part III of the Handbook: Writing Across the Curriculum at Sacramento State. Select the section that “fits” your major field of study. If you have not yet declared a major, select the one that BEST fits what you THINK your major will be. (Your choices are: Natural Sciences and Math; Social Sciences; Arts and Humanities; or Business and Professional Communications.)
Wednesday, August 10
• Arrive to class having read Reading Packet #6
Thursday, August 11
• In-class Journal #3
Tuesday, August 16
• In-class Journal #4
• Discuss the WPJ Writing Requirement in class
Wednesday, August 17
• In-class essay #2 (a mock WPJ)
Thursday, August 18
• Last day of class; grade roster check
************************************************************************
Name:______________________________Summer 2011, Prof. Fraga
POINTS EARNED Your English 20 Grade Worksheet--------1150 points possible
OUT OF CLASS ESSAYS—400 pts.
Essay 1 (200 points)_____ Essay 2 (200 points)_____Essay 3(200 points)
IN-CLASS ESSAYS—200 pts.
In class essay 1 (100 points)_____
In class essay 2 (100 points)_____
IN-CLASS JOURNALS—100 pts.
Journal 1 (25 points)_____
Journal 2 (25 points)_____
Journal 3 (25 points)_____
Journal 4 (25 points)_____
IN-CLASS GROUP WORK (200 pts.)
Each session is worth 50 pts.
Group Work 1 _____ Group Work 2 _____ Group Work 3 _____ Group Work 4 _____
QUIZZES (these five quizzes may not always be “announced” and they cannot be made up. (250 pts. total) Each quiz is worth 50 points. Please record each quiz and your score below.
Quiz 1_____ Quiz 2_____ Quiz 3_____ Quiz 4_____ Quiz 5_____
How to assess your grade earned: Divide the points you earn by 1150 to find the percentage.
Then see chart below.
100-95=A Example: 1000 pts. earned=86.9%=B+
94-90=A- Example: 1130 pts. earned=98.2%=A
89-85=B+ Example: 987 pts. earned=85.8%=B+
84-80=B
79-75=B-
74-70=C+
69-65=C
64-60=C-
59=D
58 and below=F
*****************************************************************************************************************************
UNACCEPTABLE ERRORS
In English 20, students should already be very proficient in word usage. We do not have time for grammar lessons. (I will, however, provide short ‘mini’ lessons when I feel they are warranted.) The following errors that are commonly made on student papers are considered unacceptable.
For out of class essays, each unacceptable error takes ten points off your final earned grade. You may correct unacceptable errors and receive the points back if you choose to revise. In class essays that have unacceptable errors CAN always be corrected to earn back the points lost.
1. there – place Put it over there.
2. their – possessive pronoun That is their car.
3. they’re – contraction of they are They’re going with us.
4. your – possessive pronoun Your dinner is ready.
5. you’re – contraction of you are You’re not ready.
6. it’s – contraction of it is It’s a sunny day.
7. its – possessive pronoun The dog wagged its tail.
8. a lot – always two words I liked it a lot.
9. to – a preposition or part of an
infinitive I like to proofread my essays carefully.
10. too – an intensifier, or also That is too much. I will go too.
11. two – a number Give me two folders.
12. In today’s society Instead use “Today” or “In America” or “Now” etc
13. right(s)/write(s)/rite(s) rights are a set of beliefs or values in which a person feels entitled: His rights were read to him before he was arrested for stalking Dave Matthews. Writes is a verb indicating action taken with a pen, pencil or computers to convey a message: Michelle writes love letters to Dave Matthews in her sleep. Rites are a series of steps or events which lead an individual from one phase in life to the next, or a series of traditions that should be followed: The initiate began his rite of passage ceremony at the age of thirteen.
14. definitely/defiantly This error USUALLY occurs when a writer relies solely on spell-check. You really must learn to become the final editor of your work. Definitely is an adverb and it means without a doubt. Mary will definitely miss the Dave Matthews Band concert. Defiantly means to show defiance. She was in a defiant mood. It is an adjective. Or it could be used as an adverb. She was defiantly rude and sullen towards the professor.
***********************************************************************
An accumulation of the following errors can affect your grade, but not one error, ten points down. The number depends on how serious the error is, and how often you make it. Some do not slow up the reader as much as others.
• Misuse of the word “you”. You must actually mean the reader when you use the word “you”.
• Avoid use of contractions in formal expository writing. (can’t, shouldn’t, didn’t, etc.)
• Agreement of subject and verb. Both must be either singular or plural.
• Fragmented sentences, comma splices and run-ons. Be sure to proofread your papers carefully before turning them in.
You will not pass English 20 if you cannot write an intelligent sentence in correct English.
No comments:
Post a Comment