Butler Community College	English Department
Humanities/Fine Arts Department	Spring 1998

 

English Composition I with Review
Course Outline

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
EG100. English Composition I with Review. 5 hours credit. Prerequisite: A score at a predetermined level on the ACT or ASSET exam, or instructor consent. This course requires a review and practice of basic grammar, writing, and reading skills needed for a college level writing course, and the study of rhetorical structures as applied to effective writing and communication. Regular writing assignments are an integral part of the course.

Placement:
After taking the ASSET test, any student receiving a combined scale score between 70 and 80 on the "Writing Skills" and "Reading Skills" tests (or a score between 15 and 18 on the ACT) will be advised to enroll in English Composition I with Review.

Writing Sample:
Students will be asked to write one or two paragraphs on the first day of class to provide the instructor with an indication of the student's writing ability and to insure correct placement in the course. If a student' writing sample meets the criteria of organization, development, flow of expression, thought, and mechanics that might indicate the ability to complete a three hour section of English Composition I, the instructor may recommend the he/she enroll that course. On the other hand, students who cannot read and write at a level necessary to complete a Composition I with Review course may be advised to enroll in supplemental reading or writing courses in the Academic Achievement Center, to take only courses offered through the Academic Achievement Center, and/or to obtain a tutor.

TEXTBOOK:
Fowler, H. Ramsey, Jane E. Aaron, and Jo Koster Tarvers. The Little Brown Handbook. 7th ed. New York: Harper Collins Publishers Inc., 1998

Miller, George. Prentice Hall Reader. 5th ed. New Jersey: PrenticeHall, 1998.

A dictionary of Standard English usage is required for this class. An inexpensive, hard bound dictionary may be purchased through the bookstores in El Dorado or Andover. You may purchase your dictionary elsewhere, or you may use one you currently have, if it is a recent, college level edition.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The primary objective of English Composition I with Review is to provide learning and writing experiences that will allow students to improve their knowledge, skills, and understanding of writing and reading.

At the completion of this course, the student will demonstrate the following writing and reading skills:

1. Compose varied sentence structures with correct punctuation.
2. Apply prewriting techniques for generating subject matter and effectively narrow or limit subject matter and ideas.
3. Narrow topics for paragraphs and write topic sentences.
4. Write effective sentences, paragraphs, and essays using appropriate diction and correct usage.
5. Write, organize, and develop paragraphs using description, exemplification, narration, process, comparison and /contrast, classification, definition.
6. Write essays that are free of grammatical error, which would interfere with communication.
7. Incorporate transitional words, phrases, and paragraphs that show the relationship between various sentences in a paragraph and between paragraphs in an essay.
8. Identify and write clear thesis statements and topic sentences and develop clear methods of supporting them.
9. Identify and write clear thesis statements and topic sentences and develop clear methods of supporting them.
10. Demonstrate skills in evaluating, editing, and revising writing.
11. Identify and organize various methods of development in writing and essay, such as description, narration, comparison/contrast/analogy, process analysis, division/classification, cause and effect, and definition.
12. Read, discuss, and analyze essays for use as models in writing.
13. Demonstrate fresh thinking about the subjects used in writing.
14. Use a dictionary to improve reading comprehension and writing skills, as well as to revise and to edit writing, to improve word choice and accuracy of expression, and to correct spelling errors.
15. Consult a dictionary and apply definitions to reading assignments for improved vocabulary and reading skills.

TOPICAL OUTLINE OF UNITS:
Reviewing The Basics

1. Identify parts of speech (nouns, verb, etc.) and correctly place them within sentences.
2. Identify subjects and verbs and use correct agreement and tense.
3. Know and identify punctuation. Correctly incorporate punctuation in sentences: period, comma, semicolon, dash, colon, exclamation point, question mark, quotation marks.

4. Use a dictionary or handbook for spelling, capitalization, and other spelling and grammatical problems.

5. Identify and revise grammatical errors, as well as revise and rewrite problems in sentence and paragraph logic, clarity, and completeness

Writing Paragraphs

1. Generate subject matter for writing paragraphs using prewriting techniques.
2. Write topic sentences that develop one idea/topic.
3. Know and incorporate transitional words and phrases within a paragraph.
4. Write paragraphs using description, exemplification, narration, process, comparison and/contrast, classification, and definition as means of thinking about and organizing a paragraph.

Writing Expressive and Significant Compositions/Essays.

1. Arrange rhetorical methods of development in a basic essay form.
2. Construct relevant details, examples, and illustrations to support a thesis statement or opinion.
3. Choose from a number of rhetorical modes the best possible means of writing about a subject.
4. Provide significance to a subject/topic that indicates clear, logical, or insightful thought.
5. Identify techniques and to write various kinds of introductions and conclusions appropriate to the subject of an essay.
6. Analyze the need for purpose and audience in writing.

WRITING REQUIREMENTS FOR COURSE:
At the completion of English Composition I, the student will have written five or six (5 or 6) of the following eight essays:

EXPOSITORY WRITING:
The student will demonstrate the following rhetorical modes in writing assignments, both as paragraphs or essays:

1. Narration
2. Description
3. Example/Illustration
4. Process Analysis
5. Comparison/Contrast/Analogy
6. Division/Classification
7. Cause and Effect
8. Definition

OPTIONAL WRITING*
Proposal (Problem/Solution)

Evaluation/Analysis of Media 11. Informative/Investigative Essay**

TOTAL
* Any one of these writing assignments may be substituted for one of the essays listed previously, or they may be assigned as additional writing assignments.

** Any of these writing assignments may be used to introduce students to library use and research.

Length of essays will vary from instructor to instructor and will depend on the nature of the writing assignment; however, a minimum of five hundred (500) words is considered an average length for fulfilling the essay writing requirements.

Grading Criteria:
An A or B paragraph or essay (superior, above average)

• Content: Significant topic sentence supported with concrete, relevant detail
• Organization: A logical plan or writing that progresses by ordered stages; appropriate and effective transitions
• Style: Sentences constructed in a clear, and accurate manner
• Mechanics: Clarity and effectiveness of expression promoted by consistent use of standard grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

A (C) paragraph or essay

• Content: Central idea apparent, supported with concrete detail.
• Organization: Plan apparent and logical although less consistently fulfilled than and A or B paragraph or essay; some development and transitions needed.
• Style: Sentence construction lacks variety.
• Mechanics: Sentences need to be clear and free from excessive grammatical errors.

A (D) or (F) paragraph or essay

• Content: Topic sentence lacking; unclear, or unsupported with concrete and relevant detail.
• Organization: Plan not apparent; undeveloped or weakly developed; transitions lacking.
• Style: Sentences fused, incomplete.
• Mechanics: Communication obscured by frequent deviations from standard grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Semester Grade: If a student receives a failing semester grade, he/she will be advised to repeat EG---(English Composition I with Review) or to enroll in EG060 (Fundamentals of English.)

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION:
Methods of class instruction may include lecture; class discussion; daily exercises; tests, including quizzes and chapter or unit tests; handouts, audio-visual aids; study guides; panel discussions; reports; writing assignments, both in and out of class; and individual conferences. All instructors may use these methods individually or in combination. The Academic Achievement Center (AAC) tutors are available for those students having difficulty in a particular area to seek additional assistance in course work.

Telecourses: Independent study of audio/video materials augmented by text and study guide; collaboration and participation with class members and faculty via available means. Faculty role is facilitator of learning experiences.

METHODS OF EVALUATION:
Methods of evaluation may include the following: tests, both essay and objective; daily work; written compositions; class participation; portfolios and other suitable methods the instructor may find valuable and necessary for determining a student's academic performance.

Miscellaneous:

Students with impaired sensory, manual or speaking skills are encouraged and have the responsibility to contact their instructor, in a timely fashion, regarding reasonable accommodation needs.