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:
- Compose varied sentence structures
with correct punctuation.
- Apply prewriting techniques for
generating subject matter and effectively narrow or limit subject matter
and ideas.
- Narrow topics for paragraphs and
write topic sentences.
- Write effective sentences, paragraphs,
and essays using appropriate diction and correct usage.
- Write, organize, and develop paragraphs
using description, exemplification, narration, process, comparison and
/contrast, classification, definition.
- Write essays that are free of grammatical
error, which would interfere with communication.
- Incorporate transitional words,
phrases, and paragraphs that show the relationship between various sentences
in a paragraph and between paragraphs in an essay.
- Identify and write clear thesis
statements and topic sentences and develop clear methods of supporting
them.
- Identify and write clear thesis
statements and topic sentences and develop clear methods of supporting
them.
- Demonstrate skills in evaluating,
editing, and revising writing.
- 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.
- Read, discuss, and analyze essays
for use as models in writing.
- Demonstrate fresh thinking about
the subjects used in writing.
- 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.
- Consult a dictionary and apply definitions
to reading assignments for improved vocabulary and reading skills.
TOPICAL OUTLINE OF UNITS:
Reviewing The Basics
- Identify parts of speech (nouns,
verb, etc.) and correctly place them within sentences.
- Identify subjects and verbs and
use correct agreement and tense.
- Know and identify punctuation. Correctly
incorporate punctuation in sentences: period, comma, semicolon, dash,
colon, exclamation point, question mark, quotation marks.
- Use a dictionary or handbook for
spelling, capitalization, and other spelling and grammatical problems.
- Identify and revise grammatical
errors, as well as revise and rewrite problems in sentence and paragraph
logic, clarity, and completeness
Writing Paragraphs
- Generate subject matter for writing
paragraphs using prewriting techniques.
- Write topic sentences that develop
one idea/topic.
- Know and incorporate transitional
words and phrases within a paragraph.
- 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.
- Arrange rhetorical methods of development
in a basic essay form.
- Construct relevant details, examples,
and illustrations to support a thesis statement or opinion.
- Choose from a number of rhetorical
modes the best possible means of writing about a subject.
- Provide significance to a subject/topic
that indicates clear, logical, or insightful thought.
- Identify techniques and to write
various kinds of introductions and conclusions appropriate to the subject
of an essay.
- 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:
- Narration
- Description
- Example/Illustration
- Process Analysis
- Comparison/Contrast/Analogy
- Division/Classification
- Cause and Effect
- 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.
