English
073
Winter 2004
Instructor:
E-mail: cmckee@bcc.ctc.edu Office Location: D 207 I
Phone: 425 564-4038
Textbook and Materials:
A Sense of Wonder by Bill Preston
The Writer’s Options by Max Morenberg and Jeff Sommers
A paperback English-English dictionary
A binder with 8-1/2x11-inch paper (for in-class writing)
An 8-1/2x11-inch
plastic envelope (for dra
Course Description: This course is designed to improve your reading,
writing, and critical thinking skills so that you can be successful in
college-level classes. You will practice using the skills of brainstorming,
organizing, composing, revising and editing in all of your written assignments.
You may work alone, in groups, or in pairs depending on the activity. All of
your written work will be related to something that you read. You will have four
readings a week. In groups, you will discuss the readings in your textbook and
other articles. Then you will respond in writing. Short responses will be
written in class and longer responses will be written at home. The readings in
your textbook are varied, so you will have an opportunity to read poetry, short
stories, essays, and plays. You will also spend one hour a week in the reading
lab working on your reading skills. You will have lots of practice exercises to
help you with sentence construction and grammar.
Course Outcomes: By the end of the quarter, you will be able to…
·
Answer literal
and inferential questions about a reading.
·
Identify main
ideas and details of a reading.
·
Use context
clues to determine the meaning of vocabulary.
·
Distinguish
facts from opinions.
·
Identify the
pattern of development of a reading.
·
Use all stages
of the writing process: brainstorming, organizing, writing, revising, and
editing.
·
Write
paragraphs that have a clear topic sentence and are developed with appropriate
and specific details.
·
Summarize
readings accurately in your own words
Attendance: You are expected to attend all classes and arrive on
time. If you are more than 10 minutes late or leave more than 10 minutes early,
you will be counted as absent for that class. If you are absent more than 10
times, you will not pass the class. You can’t learn if you are not there. I
understand, however, that sometimes absences are unavoidable. If you miss a
class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed. You can call or
e-mail me, or you can call a classmate. I suggest that you get at least two
phone numbers from your classmates in case you can’t reach me.
Evaluation:
This course is Pass/Fail. Your work will receive comments, but not grades. You
will pass if your work is satisfactory and turned in on time. (No late work
will be accepted. If you miss a due date because of illness, you are expected
to have it with you when you return to class.) This is an
opportunity to focus on learning and not on grades. At the end of the quarter,
you will be given a writing test that will determine if you are ready for
092/093. Please note that it is possible to pass the class and not be
recommended for 092/093. If necessary, you may repeat 073 to gain the skills
required for 092/093.
English 080: The
You must also sign up for 1-2 credits in the Reading Lab and complete a
minimum of 22 hours outside of class. Time spent in the Reading Lab during
class does not count toward the 22 hours, so please set aside time each week to
visit the lab on your own.
Disabilities: If you require accommodation based on a documented
disability, have emergency medical information to share, or need special
arrangements in case of emergency evacuation, please inform me as soon as
possible and make an appointment with the Director of Disability Support
Services by calling 425-564-2498 or going in person to the DSS office in B132.
Course Expectations:
·
Check BCC
Student Procedures and Expectations at www.bcc.ctc.edu/ArtsHum/studentinfo.asp
·
Writing done at
home must be word processed. If you don’t have a computer at home, you can use
one of the labs: N250 or the Writing Lab when it’s available.
·
Do your own
work. Don’t let someone write your paper for you. Everyone has their own
“voice” when they write just as they do when they speak. I will know if it’s
not your work. Copying someone else’s words or ideas is called plagiarism
and is considered dishonest. I will discuss how to avoid this problem in class,
and you can go to the Writing Lab’s website for more information.
·
Do all of your
homework so that you are prepared for class. Many of the activities in class
will require working with others. If you are not prepared, you will not be able
to participate.
·
Manage your
time wisely so that you have enough time to do quality work that’s on time!
Don’t spread yourself too thin.
·
Please turn off
all beepers, cell phones, and headphones.
·
Please don’t
bring food into the classroom.
·
Please tell me
if you are having trouble understanding what we are doing in class.
Communication is very important. If you tell me early, I can help you. Please
feel free to drop in during my office hours: M-F
·
Come to class
with the expectation that you can and will learn!!!! A good attitude is
essential to success.
Schedule
of Assignments:
Writing assignments are in A Sense of
Wonder.
Reading Assignments are
in The Writer’s Options
Date
Focus Unit/Lesson
Jan. 5-9
Writing: The Writing Process 1
Jan. 12-16
Writing: Paragraph Development handouts
Jan.20-23
Writing: Paragraph Development 13
(no class 1/19)
Jan.26-30
Writing: Coordination and Subordination 8
Feb. 2-6
Writing: Coherence
10
Feb. 9-13
Writing: Sentence Variety
2
Feb. 17-20
Writing: Rewriting Using Details 14
(no class 2/16)
Feb. 23-27
Writing: Summary Writing handout
March 1-5
Writing: Essay Writing handout
March 8-12
Writing: Essay Writing
handout
March 15-19 Conferences/final exam