English 101 Mwf

“What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.” –Samuel Johnson "All there is to writing is having ideas. To learn to write is to learn to have ideas."-Robert Frost “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” –Jack London

English 101 “One New World”: Writing about Globalization Fall 2008 Instructor: James Borton Class Schedule: Fall II English 101 MW (section 851) Time: 5:15- 7:45 Room 145 Instructor: James Borton Office: Arts & Letters Bldg. Room 106 Tel. 803- 938-3849 mobile: 203 216-7583 Email: [email protected]; [email protected] Office Hours:MW 4:00-5:15 ____________________________________________________________________ Required Texts (all available at the USCB College Bookstore) G. H. Muller, The New World Reader (Houghton Mifflin) Eds. John Langan & Janet M. Goldstein English Brushup Fourth Edition Webster’s /Oxford Dictionary You will also need to have a “portfolio” folder/notebook. (1) Standard Composition Journal. Helpful online links: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ Excellent source for overall English Composition. http://wordsworth2.net/writing/academicpapers.htm Guidelines for academic papers. Note: As a courtesy to your instructor and to your classmates, please turn off all cell phones upon entering the classroom. Student Learning Outcomes: By the end of the semester, all students will demonstrate an ability to:     • Develop a piece of writing from informal free writing to final polished draft;     • Address different rhetorical situations;     • Effectively use a variety of research strategies, including but not limited to,        texts, web resources, interviews, and observations;     • Formulate a controlling idea and/or research question for a paper;     • Focus and develop papers through relevant evidence, examples, illustrations,        research, and reasoning;     • Construct organizational plans for your papers and use appropriate sources; 

   • Write in appropriate style and voice for different audiences and rhetorical         situations;     • Master MLA guidelines for academic research papers;  Course Objectives: * Encourge a positive attitude toward reading and writing. * Introduce the writing process. * Focus on the development of ideas and details using appropriate paragraphing * Improve grammar and mechanics. * Help students’literal, figurative, critical and informational skills. * Demonstrate an ability to revise and edit. * Revise writing for "the big picture": ideas, purpose, development, and structure. * Work as a community of writers--reading critically and responding constructively to one another’s drafts and participating in group activities and discussion. Techniques of Student Learning This course focuses on the development of sophisticated composition skills, particularly as they are employed in the creation of logical written arguments. Good, solid writing grows naturally out of devotion to three types of honest work: understanding and employing the rules of the English language; understanding and employing the various techniques of logical thinking and writing; and practicing the craft of written composition regularly. With the preceding ideas in mind, this course will make use of the following specific methods of learning:  careful reading and consideration of the ideas and terms presented in the New World Reader text;  thoughtful exploration of information sources to increase your knowledge of the issues you select to write about;  regular creation of a variety of assigned writings for submission;  regular communication with your instructor and peers to clarify concepts and obtain feedback;  student-led group discussion of the ideas presented in the assigned essays;  instructor-led group discussion of the terms and concepts of composition; and  peer critiques on drafts of all essays. Course Description: English 101 introduces students to the basic rhetorical skills needed to write effectively at USC Sumter and beyond. In this particular version of this course we will undertake a critical engagement with writings on globalization, the rapidly advancing integration of the world’s economic, cultural, transportation, and communication systems. Our discussion and in-class work will be focused on writing with clarity and

effectiveness about these issues. This semester we’re going to be spending our time together helping you develop and hone your reading, writing, and research skills. The course is therefore organized around a sequence of assignments that will enable you to develop your abilities through extensive writing, revision, and discussion of ideas. We’ll be taking an in-depth look at all aspects of the writing process—generating questions and ideas, organizing and focusing those ideas, drafting, revising, and editing—so that you can become more aware of the choices available to writers and the effects those choices have on the reader. Along the way, we will also be building your vocabulary and honing your grammar skills. Class sessions will be conducted in a student-centered forum with frequent peer essay workshops in preparation for a final portfolio. Note: Preparation requires thoughtfully reading the texts, writing down key  points and/or questions, and being willing to share your thoughts and reactions during  class discussion.  Discussions become difficult and quite boring when all members of  the class have not read the assigned texts.  Respect yourself as a necessary member of  this   academic   community,   as   well   as   your   fellow   classmates,   by   being   prepared  everyday.  Please note that many in-class writing exercises assume (and depend upon)  your having read the assigned material.   Review your syllabus frequently, and plan  your workload accordingly. 

Course Format and Requirements: First and foremost, this course is going to require a LOT of participation on your part.  Discussion is the main format of this class, so it is absolutely imperative that students  come to class prepared to share their opinions and insights on the assigned readings and  on their own and each other’s drafts­in­progress. This is not a lecture class.  3 Multiple­draft essays: 50% 

Students will write 3 multiple­draft essays, each of approximately 4 pages (double – spaced) in length or 600­700 words.  For one of these essays, students will be required to  incorporate outside research material.  Detailed assignment sheets and criteria for success  will be distributed for each essay approximately 2­3 weeks in advance of the final draft  due date.     Final Portfolio: 10%

One of our main goals this semester is for you to put together a successful portfolio of 

your writing.  Your final portfolio, handed in during the last week of class, will consist of  revised versions of the three multiple­draft essays you will write during the course of the  semester.  Representing your very best work, the grade you earn for your portfolio  constitutes the largest portion of your grade for the course.  Here are some guidelines for  the final portfolio: • • • •

•

All writing included in the portfolio must be produced as part of English 101  coursework during the semester in which the student is being evaluated. All of the assigned essays must have been completed and turned in over the  course of the semester before a student’s final portfolio can be considered. All portfolios must contain three fully revised essays. All draft material for essays must be handed in to me during the semester; no  essay can be included unless I have seen it in draft form and approved it for  inclusion in the portfolio. All writing must be computer­generated.

In­class essays: 10%*

Students will be asked to several short in­class essays.  With the exception of the first, the  prompts for each of these essays will always relate to one or more of our assigned  readings. * These will be revised and computer generated.  Quizzes and peer­review work: 10% Bibliography assignment: 10% Handout distributed. Final Exam: 10%

The final exam will consist of two parts: a vocabulary test based on words from our  semester’s assigned readings, and a key terms identification based on the material read in  the NWR. This will require writing several paragraphs. Students will also be asked to read and comment on each other’s drafts­in­progress.  Completed peer review forms will be handed in with final drafts. All students will be  offered extra credit if they contribute to the student newspaper, The Ant Hill.  Attendance Policy:

Since this is an accelerated course, any student who misses more than three scheduled  class meetings will result in the loss of one complete letter grade. If you are ever unsure  about how many classes that you have missed, please see me. If and/or when you need to 

miss class, you are responsible for contacting me to see what you have missed and to also  speak with one of your classmates. A Word About Plagiarism:

The University Catalog is very explicit in its description and prohibition of plagiarism.  In  part, the policy reads: “Plagiarism is the failure to acknowledge indebtedness.  It is always  assumed that the written work offered for evaluation and credit is the student’s own unless  otherwise acknowledged.  Such acknowledgment should occur whenever one quotes  another person’s actual works, whenever one appropriates another person’s ideas,  opinions, or theories, even if they are paraphrased, and whenever one borrows facts,  statistics, or other illustrative materials unless the information is common knowledge.”  Students are expected to acquaint themselves with the policy on plagiarism and to avoid  committing it at all costs.  Students risk failing the course if they commit plagiarism. Essay Format: I require that you type or print from a word processor all out-of-class essays, double-spaced, with 1” margins. Your essay must have a title, and if you borrow words or ideas from another source, you must include correct in-text documentation and a bibliography or works cited list. Please staple your papers together in the upper left-hand corner. No covers, please. Please use Times New Roman 12 point font.

Class Schedule 1st Week Monday 10/20 Introduction to the course: Globalization & the End of Babel Syllabus & introductions: Discussion of an images from New World Reader. Tools for the development of critical reading and thinking. Diagnostic exam/writing. Wed. 10/22 Entering the Global Conversation: What are “they” saying? Are We Listening? Read: NWR pp. 1-16, “Introduction: Entering the Conversation” Thomas Friedman, “Prologue: the Super-Story” New World Reader (hereafter: NWR) 161–168. Read pp. 6-14 English Brushup. Discussion of thesis statement. Narrative writing exercise. Read pp. 112- 116 in NWR. Be prepared for in-class writing. Think about a clear thesis statement in response to question no. 6 on page. 116. Also, read pp. 20-23 in NWR. * Use this website http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/. Literary luminary leaders handouts. Appoint discussion leaders. Write a 2 page doublespaced reflection essay due Mon. 10/27 from question 6 on p. 116 in NWR. 2nd week Mon. 10/27 Read pp. 31- 37 “The Way to Rainy Mountain” by N. Scott Momaday. English Brushup more about verbs pp. 32-36. Discuss narrative and descriptive qualities of the essay. Use of figurative language and details. Select discussion leaders for next week’s assignments. Handouts on thesis statements and language.

Discuss Renns writing model. Assign discussion leaders. Personal essay due. (students please make two copies). Break class into three groups. Wed. 10/29 Globalization Read “The Noble Feat of Nike” by Johan Norberg in NWR pp. 173-180. Be ready for quiz/discussion.Read English Brushup pp. 32-36. Active vs. Passive Voice handout. Read in English Brushup pp. 73-78. Understanding transitions in writing. You Tube video “Shift Happens.”Assign discussion leaders for next week. Handout on George Orwell’s essay, “Shooting an Elephant.” 3rd week Mon. 11/3 The Clash of Civilizations- Colonialism Read: NWR Introduction to Ch. 7 in NWR and George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant pp.263-272. In-class writing assignment. In English Brushup read pp. 155-160 on “word choices.” Go over Orwell handout exercises. Assign discussion leaders. Wed. 11/5 Meeting at Anderson Library for research/bibliography assignment. Read in NWR pp. 504- 511. In addition, read in the NWR Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” pp.77-83. Discussion leaders. Exercise to repair phrase/sentence fragments.

4th week Mon. 11/10 Global English: Language & Cultural Continuity Read NWR Richard Rodriguez “Go North, Young Man” p. 65-74 Be prepared for class discussion groups. Handout Op-ed “ Common language essential for a truly United States” by Kathleen Parker. Orwell analysis essay due. . Wed. 11/12 The Digital Revolution: Are We Connected and Connecting? English Brushup pp. 41-46. Read Thomas Friedman’s “Webbed, Wired, and Worried” in  NWR pp. 364­366 and James Gleick’s “Big Brother Is Us” pp. 356-363. English Brushup pp. 155-160. MySpace/Facebook discussion. Go to http://www.pewinternet.org//PPF/r/247/report_display.asp Vocab. Exam. Be prepared to discuss several issues of privacy and national security, technology and reading & writing ability. Class divided into groups. 5th weekMon. 11/ 17The Global Environment Read: NWR Introduction “The Fate of the Earth” to Ch. 10 in NWR pp. 389- 391.And Rachel Carson’s “The Obligation to Endure.” pp. 391- 397. Read in English Brushup pp. 73-78 Avoid run-on sentences. Exercises/ Quiz. Be prepared to write summary of Carson’s essay. Assign discussion leaders. Wed. 11/19 Global Environment cont. View parts of Al Gore’s Film An Inconvenient Truth. Be able to identify major point. Read in NWR Bill McKibben’s “Driving Global Warming” pp. 401- 405. Reader prompts for next essay #3 distributed. Assign discussion leaders. 6th week Global Environment Cont.

Mon. 11/24 An Inconvenient Truth cont. Read Annie Dillard’s “In the Jungle” in NWR  and Jane Goodall’s Digging up the Roots” pp. 405­ 415,  Exercises from English Brushup  pp. 166­171. Vocabulary. Wed. 11 /26  Global Relationships  Read in NWR “Life on the Assembly Line” pp. 150- 159. Creative brainstorming sessionmapping out ideas. Begin to think about a job or a time specific event in your own life when you were exploited. Be able and wiling to share with class. Writing strong & unified paragraphs. Handout on Muslim women and their struggle for basic rights. Handout “What Liberation.” Assign discussion leaders. #3 essay due. 7th week. Mon.12/1 Global Relationships Cont. Read in NWR “Arranged Marriages Get a Little Reshuffling” on pp. 119-123 and “The Storyeller’s Daughter” on pp. 431436. Anticipate brief in-class writing exercises. Youtube images of Muslim women. Handout Peter Singer essay “.Ethics for One World.” Go to http://confines.mty.itesm.mx/articulos1/SingerPING.pdfAssign discussion leaders. Wed. 12//3 Bring in all essays/portfolio/writing exercises for class review. Bibliography due. This includes a one-page summary of at least one magazine article. Be prepared to discuss Peter Singer’s essay and to write a summary page. 8th week Mon. 12/8 Final Exam. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Some final notes: Because of the group workshops that we will do on a regular basis in class, it is crucial that all work be completed when it is due. All substantive drafting, revision and writing and even journaling for the course must be saved and submitted in your portfolio. Among smaller informal assignments, students will complete three formal essays for this course, and substantially revise at least two of them. On all drafts of the longer essays, you can expect to receive substantial replies from me about every aspect of your writing: critical thinking, quality of the ideas, creativity, organization, and style. I am available for help with your writing at any stage in the process. Enjoy.