Dr. Hand
Dr.hand.famu.english@gmail.com
ENC 1101-086: Freshman Communicative Skills I
Fall 2010
Monday/Wednesday 5:15-6:30
SBI 217
Freshman Communicative Skills I will enable students to write clearly and concisely, improve critical thinking and expression, develop research strategies, and learn rhetorical modes including methods of persuasion and exposition. Students should refer to the syllabus included in the textbook for a further description of course objectives and expectations.
Required materials:
Clouse, Barbara Fine. Patterns for a Purpose, Fifth edition. NY: McGraw-Hill, 2009.
Aaron, Jane E. The Little, Brown Compact Handbook, Second Edition. NY: Pearson, 2010.
Lined paper for in-class writing, white paper, access to a computer and printer.
Requirements/percentage weighed:
1) Informal in-class writing and informal homework writing in which the student reflects on a topic or question or completes homework assignments described below: ~500 words/week, due in portfolio form at the end of the semester with regular checks throughout the semester. 10%
2) Thoughtful and courteous participation in class discussion, workshops, and group exercises. 10%
3) Five essays (modes described below, further details provided at the approach of each assignment), ~600-700 words each, due on the dates indicated below (see late penalty policies below). 60% total.
· Initial diagnostic essay—used to determine placement in Writing Center
· Essay 1: 10%
· Essay 2: 15%
· Essay 3: 20%
· Essay 4: 15%
4) Grammar/punctuation quizzes, announced ahead of time, on topics discussed and practiced in class. 10%
5) Final diagnostic essay written in class in response to a writing prompt. 10%
Students who fail to complete all of these requirements will not receive a passing grade.
Attendance policy: Attendance is mandatory. Students are permitted 4 excused absences. Each additional absence will incur a penalty of grade reduction by a partial letter (e.g., a student with 6 absences whose final grade came out to a B+ would instead receive a B-). Do NOT arrive to class late. Do NOT e-mail me after class asking me to tell you what we did that day. Do NOT give me lame excuses. If you have a genuine family emergency, serious illness, or other legitimate reason for missing class, provide documentation (in writing).
Lateness: Do NOT come in late. Every three tardies will equal one absence. Students who arrive more than 10 minutes after class has begun will be marked absent. Students who leave more than 10 minutes before class ends will be marked absent. You will not be excused to leave for social functions, including sorority or fraternity functions.
Communication: Our class syllabus, notifications, updates, assignment descriptions, and all other related materials will be posted on a blog. The address is:
The title of the blog is: Dr. Hand’s Fall 2010 ENC 1101 & 2300. Please save this url in your bookmarks or favorites so you can easily find it anytime you want to view our syllabus, assignment descriptions, etc. Check this blog before class each week. I will post notifications, for example, of class cancelation, there. You are responsible for staying informed and adhering to the schedule posted online.
If you need to contact me, please e-mail me at Dr.Hand.Famu.English@gmail.com (not case sensitive). I check my e-mail regularly and will respond as quickly as possible.
Participation: The participation portion of your grade is based on your participation in class discussion, your level of involvement in small group activities (workshops, exercises, and discussions), and your display of respect and enthusiasm in class. Just showing up for class each day will not earn you a high participation grade.
Refer to “Classroom Etiquette” below for activities and behaviors that will have a negative impact on your participation grade.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is grounds for suspension from the university as well as for failure in this course. It will not be tolerated. Any instance of plagiarism will be reported to the proper authorities. Plagiarism is included among the violations defined in the Academic Honor Code, section b), paragraph 2, as follows: "Regarding academic assignments, violations of the Academic Honor Code shall include representing another’s work or any part thereof, be it published or unpublished, as one’s own."
Classroom Etiquette: The classroom is a professional environment. Please conduct yourself as you would in a workplace. Treat me and your peers with respect. Be courteous and thoughtful when speaking in class.
Derogatory statements or inappropriate language, written or spoken, will not be tolerated.
Please note that the following activities will result in you receiving deductions in participation points, being asked to leave, and/or receiving an absence for the day:
- Texting. Cell phones should be put away during class.
- Using laptops. You may not use your laptop in this class unless you have
- Sleeping. People who sleep will be counted absent.
- Not bringing your book to class. If you don’t have your book you will not be able to participate in class readings, and you won’t be able to follow along in discussions of specific passages. That means you will receive a ZERO for participation for every day you don’t have your book.
- Talking. Don’t talk while someone else has the floor.
- Reading/studying for another class.
- Not paying attention. Come to class and be attentive.
Class Schedule
A completed version of the schedule will be available on our class blog and is subject to change during the semester. I will notify you of any changes via our class blog and in-class announcements.
Week 1, August 23/25: N/A
Week 2, August 30/September 1: Introduction to Class
Week 3:
Sept. 6/8: NO CLASS.
- Read Chapters 1-3 in Patterns for a Purpose
- Read the selection "Watcher at the Gates" on pp. 64-66 and respond to the Assignment questions at the top of 64.
- Begin the first draft of Essay 1, "On Writing"--narrative essay about your experiences writing. View detailed assignment description for specific ideas and requirements (available after 9/1).
Week 4: Essay 1, workshop, drafting, grammar
Sept. 13:
- Discuss approaches to draft workshops
- Workshop drafts. Bring 2 copies to workshop.
- Commas, semi-colons, colons, sentence fragments, dependent clauses
Sept. 15:
- Submit first draft (revised and expanded based on peer feedback)
- Grammar/mechanics quiz 1 (study Little, Brown Handbook pp. 300-323, 280-293)
o HOMEWORK: Review Patterns chapter 3 and read chapters 4 and 5
Week 5: Essay 1 continued, revision process (Patterns ch. 3), description and narration (chs. 4 and 5)
Sept. 20:
- Receive Essay 1 draft with my feedback
- Discuss editing and revision process (Patterns ch. 3)
- In-class writing exercises
- HOMEWORK: Revise Essay 1 based on my feedback, focus on revision process and improving description and narration based on discussion and class exercises
Sept. 22:
- Submit Essay 1 Final draft. Include all previous work, including drafts with peer and professor comments. Include a process memo describing what has changed from the beginning draft to the final draft and examining your writing process.
- HOMEWORK: Read Patterns chapters 4 and 5. Choose one selection from the end of chapter 4 or 5 (pp. 179-209) and respond to the questions at the end (“Reading Closely and Thinking Critically,” “Examining Structure and Strategy,” “Considering Language and Style”)
Week 6: Essay 2, responding to literary and visual texts, grammar/mechanics
Sept. 27:
- Submit reading selection responses.
- Go over Essay 2 guidelines.
- Exercises: responding to literary texts in class.
- HOMEWORK: From the choices indicated in the assignment guidelines, select the text you would like to respond to for Essay 2.
- Begin drafting Essay 2.
Sept. 29:
- Small group discussion. Share Essay 2 ideas, get peer feedback.
- In-class drafting, Essay 2.
- Grammar/mechanics: pronouns, apostrophes, quotation marks, dashes
- HOMEWORK: Write full first draft of Essay 2 to turn in Monday.
- Read LB Handbook pp. 325-343, 246-257
Week 7: Essay 2, grammar/mechanics, exemplification
October 4:
- Workshop essay 2 (bring 2 copies to class) Hand in workshopped drafts for professor feedback.
- Grammar/mechanics quiz.
- Exercises: responding to visual texts in class.
- HOMEWORK: Read Patterns ch. 6.
- Read assigned selection at the end of chapter six, respond to questions at the end (“Reading Closely and Thinking Critically,” “Examining Structure and Strategy,” “Considering Language and Style”) and be prepared to discuss and hand in responses in class.
Oct. 6:
- Discuss and hand-in homework assignment.
- Receive workshopped drafts of essay 2.
- Grammar/mechanics: verbs, voice, clarity and style
- HOMEWORK: Read LB Handbook Part 3 (“Clarity and Style”) and pp. 213-244.
- Revise Essay 2 based on feedback. Focus on revising for clarity and style.
Week 8: Finish Essay 2, begin Essay 3 (persuasion and research), grammar/mechanics
Oct. 11:
- Workshop second draft essay 2 (bring 2 hard copies to workshop).
- Writing exercises: revising, editing for clarity and concision
- HOMEWORK: Revise essay 2 based on peer feedback. Prepare final draft for next class.
Oct. 13:
- Submit Essay 2 Final draft. Include all previous work, including drafts with peer and professor comments. Include a process memo describing what has changed from the beginning draft to the final draft and examining your writing process.
- Discuss Essay 3 assignment: process analysis/comparison-contrast/cause-and-effect
- HOMEWORK: Read Patterns chapters 7, 8, and 9
- Begin brainstorming and gathering ideas for Essay 3 topic and approach—view “Additional Essay assignments” on pp. 327, 390-391, 449. Select a couple of different ideas/approaches that sound interesting.
Week 9: Essay 3, process analysis, comparison-contrast, cause-and-effect, grammar/mechanics
Oct. 18:
- Small group discussion—essay 3 ideas.
- Discuss readings, in-class writing—respond to assigned reading selections
- HOMEWORK: first draft of Essay 3
Oct. 20:
- Workshop essay 3 first draft (bring 2 hard copies to class).
- Discuss research strategies, effectively incorporating research into a paper.
- HOMEWORK: Read Patterns chapters 13 and 14.
- Begin research—create preliminary bibliography adhering to MLA style (refer to LB Handbook).
Week 10: Essay 3, research strategies, citation conventions
Oct. 25:
- Discuss research and MLA style.
- Hand in preliminary bibliography
- Citation/plagiarism quiz
- Small group discussions—paper topics and suggestions for research.
- HOMEWORK: compile research notes for Essay 3 using methods discussed in class.
- Revise Essay 3 based on peer feedback and incorporating research
Oct. 27:
- Submit Essay 3 draft, research notes for professor review
- In-class writing and workshopping, exercises
- HOMEWORK: Finish research. Compile final bibliography.
- Reading assigned selections in Patterns and respond to questions at the end of selection (“Reading Closely and Thinking Critically,” “Examining Structure and Strategy,” “Considering Language and Style”) and be prepared to discuss and hand in responses in class.
Week 11: Finish Essay 3, begin Essay 4, writing for a public audience
November 1:
- Receive Essay 3 with professor feedback.
- Submit homework.
- Final suggestions and exercises for editing and revising Essay 3
- HOMEWORK: Revise essay 3 based on professor feedback and class discussion on revision
Nov. 3:
- Submit Essay 3 Final draft. Include all previous work, including drafts with peer and professor comments, bibliography drafts, research notes. Include a process memo describing what has changed from the beginning draft to the final draft and examining your writing process.
- Discuss Essay 4, writing for a public audience. Review examples of public writing; in-class writing exercises.
- HOMEWORK: Locate an effective piece of public writing, such as an editorial or op-ed piece, a persuasive magazine article, or an informative newspaper article. Analyze the piece according to guidelines described in class.
- Read Patterns chapter 12 and LB Handbook part 2, section 14.
Week 12: Essay 4, argumentation and persuasion, public writing
Nov. 8:
- Discuss and hand in homework assignment.
- Discuss differences between argumentation and persuasion.
- In-class writing, brainstorming, small group discussions of Essay 4 topics
- HOMEWORK: Begin draft Essay 4—persuasive editorial. Begin research on your topic.
Nov. 10: NO CLASS—WORK ON ESSAY 4 DRAFTS AND RESEARCH.
Week 13: Essay 4, public and professional writing
Nov. 15:
- Workshop Essay 4 (bring in 2 hard copies to workshop and hand in).
- Grammar/mechanics/editing as needed.
- HOMEWORK: Respond to TWO of the reading selections at the end of Patterns chapter 12, on freedom of speech on college campuses. Compare and contrast the arguments in the two selections, and explain which one is more persuasive and why. If they are equally persuasive, describe what makes each essay effective.
Nov. 17:
- Hand in homework assignments.
- Receive essay 4 with professor feedback
- In-class writing, exercises, professional writing (view sample resumes and letters of application)
- Revise essay 4 based on professor and peer feedback
- Locate one job advertisement you wish to respond to
Week 14: Nov. 22 and 24—NO CLASS. Happy Thanksgiving!
- HOMEWORK: Finish essay 4. Prepare resume and letter of application for the advertised job you have selected.
Week 15: Essay 4, submitting public and professional writing
Nov. 29:
- Submit Essay 4 Final draft. Include all previous work, including drafts with peer and professor comments and research notes. Include a process memo describing what has changed from the beginning draft to the final draft and examining your writing process.
- Workshop resumes and application letters (bring 2 hard copies of each, along with a copy of the job ad you are responding to).
- Discuss effective strategies for submitting applications and editorials (getting published, getting a job interview).
December 1: FINAL IN-CLASS DIAGNOSTIC ESSAY
- Hand in final resume and job application letter.
Have a wonderful holiday break!
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