|
Instructor: |
Professor Noelle Brada-Williams |
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Office
Location: |
FO 110 |
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Telephone: |
(408) (924- 4439) |
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Email: |
Noelle.Brada-Williams@sjsu.edu |
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Office
Hours: |
Tuesday and Thursday 3:00-4:30 PM (plus additional times by appointment) |
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Class
Days/Time/ Location: |
Section 76: T & Th 1:30 -2:45 PM, Sweeney Hall 413 Section 82: T & Th 10:30 - 11:45 AM, BBC 120 |
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Webpage |
http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/awilliams/index.html |
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Prerequisites: |
Passage of EPT/English remediation completed |
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GE
Category: |
Written Communication A2 |
Course Description
English 1A is the first course in SJSU’s two-semester lower-division composition sequence; it provides an introduction to baccalaureate-level composition, with attention to the “personal voice” and personal experience, on the one hand, and the more formal attitudes and demands of writing at the university (expository and argumentative essays), on the other. Students will develop college-level reading abilities, rhetorical sophistication, and writing styles that give form and coherence to complex ideas and feelings.
Prerequisites: Placement by the English
Proficiency Test (EPT), or passage of an approved substitute course for the EPT.
Course Goals and Student
Learning Objectives
Students shall achieve the ability to write complete essays that demonstrate college-level proficiency in all of the following:
SLO 1: Students shall write complete essays that demonstrate the ability to perform effectively the essential steps in the writing process (prewriting, organizing, composing, revising, and editing).
SLO 2: Students shall write complete essays that demonstrate the ability to express (explain, analyze, develop, and criticize) ideas effectively.
SLO 3: Students shall write complete essays that demonstrate the ability to use correct grammar (syntax, mechanics, and citation of sources) at a college level of sophistication.
SLO 4: Students shall write complete essays that demonstrate the ability to write for different audiences.
Online
Course Guidelines
You are responsible
for reading the 1A course guidelines online at http://www.sjsu.edu/english/comp/policy/index.html
Computer labs for student use
are available in the Academic Success Center located on the 1st floor
of Clark Hall and on the 2nd floor of the Student Union. Additional
computer labs may be available in your department/college. Computers are also
available in the Martin Luther King Library.
A wide variety of
audio-visual equipment is available for student checkout from Media Services
located in IRC 112. These items include digital and VHS camcorders, VHS and
Beta video players, 16 mm, slide, overhead, DVD, CD, and audiotape players,
sound systems, wireless microphones, projection screens and monitors.
The SJSU Writing Center is
located in Room 126 in Clark Hall. It is staffed by professional instructors
and upper-division or graduate-level writing specialists from each of the seven
SJSU colleges. Their writing specialists have met a rigorous GPA requirement,
and they are well trained to assist all students at all levels within all
disciplines to become better writers. The Writing Center website is
located at http://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter/about/staff/.
Grading: A-F. This class must be passed with a C or better to
move on to CORE GE Area A2 and to satisfy the prerequisite for English 1B. A
passing grade in the course signifies that the student is a capable
college-level writer and reader of English.
The
following statement has been adopted by the Department of English for inclusion
in all syllabi:
In
English Department Courses, instructors will comment on and grade the quality
of student writing as well as the quality of ideas being conveyed. All student
writing should be distinguished by correct grammar and punctuation, appropriate
diction and syntax, and well-organized paragraphs.
The Department of English reaffirms its commitment to
the differential grading scale as defined in the SJSU Catalog ("The
Grading System"). Grades issued
must represent a full range of student performance: A = excellent; B = above
average; C = average; D = below average; F = failure.
In
written assignments for English 1A, this scale is based on the following
criteria:
A [90-92=A-, 93-96=A, 97-100=A+] = Excellent: The "A" essay is articulate and well developed with fluid transitions and a clear and persuasive use of examples, evidence, or research materials. An "A" essay contains a fresh insight which teaches the reader something new about the subject matter.
B [80-82=B-, 83-86=B, 87-89=B+] = Above average: The "B" essay demonstrates a good understanding of its subject, a clear and persuasive use of examples or evidence, a certain level of ease of expression, and solid organization. However, it usually lacks the level of originality and creativity that characterizes the insight found in an "A" essay.
C [70-72=C-, 73-76=C, 77-79=C+] = Average: The "C" essay makes a good attempt at all the assignment's requirements. It has a reasonable understanding of its subject matter but its ideas are frequently simplistic or over-generalized. The writing style is also more bland and repetitive than the style shown by "A" and "B" essays and it often contains flaws in grammar, punctuation, spelling and/or word choice. It may also use examples or evidence out of context.
D [60-62=D-, 63-66=D, 67-69=D+] = Below average: The "D" essay is poorly organized and generally unclear. It has inappropriate or inadequate examples, is noticeably superficial or simplistic, and/or contains some serious mechanical and grammatical problems. A "D" essay may also reveal some misunderstanding of the assignment requirements.
F = Failure: An "F" essay has not addressed the requirements of the assignment and is unacceptable work in terms of both form and content.
Assignments
|
Diagnostic in-class essay |
1.25 hours (@500 words)
[SLO 1,2,3,4] |
0% of the final course grade |
|
Assignment One: 500-word “This I believe” (personal voice) essay, a cover letter, and resume
|
3 components of about 1000
words total [SLO 1,2, with a particular
emphasis on 3 & 4] |
5%, |
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Paper Two: Argument with
support on the purposes and practices of education |
4-5 page analysis (1200-1500
words) [SLO 1,2,3,4] |
10% |
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Paper Three: Comparative
essay on issues related to economics and social class (must use two sources). |
4-5 page analysis
(1200-1500 words) [SLO 1,2,3,4] |
10% |
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Paper Four: Analysis/Argumentation
on issues of law and government (must use multiple sources). |
5-7 pages (1500-2100 words)
[SLO 1,2,3,4] |
15% |
|
Paper Five, Revision: “A
major revision is defined as a significant rethinking or reworking of an
assignment rather than correcting small grammatical or structural mistakes.” |
Major revision of a
previous essay. (@1500 or 5 pages minimum) [Particular emphasis on SLO 1, 2,
& 3] |
5% |
|
In Class Exam 1 |
1.25 hours (@500 words)
[SLO 1,2,3,4] |
5%, |
|
In Class Exam 2 |
1.25 hours (@500 words)
[SLO 1,2,3,4] |
5%, |
|
In Class Exam 3 |
1.25 hours (@500 words)
[SLO 1,2,3,4] |
5% |
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Final Exam (Dec. 8) |
1.5 hours [SLO 1,2,3,4] |
20%, |
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Class Participation |
30 class meetings with in-class activities such as informal writing, presentations, discussions,
and reading quizzes [SLO 1,2,3,4]
|
10% |
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Informal writing assignments (up to 20) [indicated by IW in the course schedule] |
Brief writing tasks
assigned as homework. Expect to bring
something written to class almost every day.
These will include a wide range of assignments such as reading notes,
outlines, introductory paragraphs, brief proposals, 1-page essays, etc. [SLO
1,2,3,4] |
10% |
|
Total |
|
100% |
Final drafts of formal written assignments 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 must be put on turnitin.com in order to receive a grade. Your course ID for English 1A 1:30, Section 76 is 5383464 and your password is Sweeney413. Your course ID for English 1A 10:30, Section 82 is 5383459 and your password is BBC120. Late penalties will be based on whether or not a paper “hard” copy has been turned in on time in class. If neither the paper nor turnitin.com version is turned in at the beginning of class on the day it is due, 10% of the possible points will be taken off the top of any grade the essay earns. If more than a week has passed after a due date, the paper will not be accepted. The only way to avoid such penalties is to contact the professor in writing before the due date to explain your particular situation and to request a possible extension of one or two days, depending on your situation. The professor will make the final decision on whetehr or not an extension is granted.
You are required to be courteous and
professional to both classmates and the professor. Most people take this as a requirement in
their daily lives and this statement shouldnot
need to be reiterated here. However, people sometimes forget that the classroom
is a professional setting and rules that govern a business meeting apply here. For example, devices such as cell phones need
to be turned off, and coming to class late is
unacceptable. If an emergency arises
that requires your absence from class, please contact the professor. Simply prioritizing your education behind
other time commitments does not constitute such an emergency. Participating in class discussions and
listening to and taking notes on class lectures are absolutely necessary for
the successful completion of this course. Protocol for written work requires
that all quotations must be enclosed in quotation marks or, when more than
three lines, put in an indented block. Full citation of the original author and
source must also be included. For all
papers, review The Everyday Writer for
help with quote integration, formatting, and proper citation. Also see the University
policy on “Academic Integrity” below for help defining and avoiding plagiarism
of all kinds.
Students
should know that the University’s Academic
Integrity Policy is availabe at
http://www.sa.sjsu.edu/download/judicial_affairs/Academic_Integrity_Policy_S07-2.pdf.
Your own commitment to learning, as
evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University and the University’s
integrity policy, require you to be honest in all your academic course work.
Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of Student
Conduct and Ethical Development. The website for Student Conduct and
Ethical Development is available at
http://www.sa.sjsu.edu/judicial_affairs/index.html.
Instances of academic dishonesty will not be
tolerated. Cheating on exams or plagiarism (presenting the work of another as
your own, or the use of another person’s ideas without giving proper credit)
will result in a failing grade and sanctions by the University. For this class,
all assignments are to be completed by the individual student unless otherwise
specified. If you would like to include in your assignment any material you
have submitted, or plan to submit for another class, please note that SJSU’s
Academic Policy F06-1 requires approval of instructors.
Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures
about adds/drops, academic renewal, etc. Current policies, including information on add/drops, are avilable at http://info.sjsu.edu/static/catalog/policies.html. Further information on adding and dropping classes can be found at http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/narr/catalog/rec-1470.html, http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/narr/catalog/rec-1484.html http://www.sjsu.edu/aars/policies/latedrops/ Students should be aware of the current deadlines and
penalties for adding and dropping classes. Note that September 11 is the last date to drop without a “W.” The instructor of this course will not
automatically drop you if you do not show up. Dropping a course is
your responsibility.
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the DRC (Disability Resource Center) to establish a record of their disability.
Contact Toby Matoush via email: Toby.Matoush@sjsu.edu or
phone: (408) 808-2096 if you have library research questions that have not been
answered in class.
Michael Austin. Reading
the World: Ideas that Matter. 2nd
Ed. New York: Norton, 2010
(ISBN: 978-0-393-93349-9) [RW in syllabus]
Andrea Lundsford. The Everyday Writer. Bedford/St.
Martin’s 2009.
(ISBN-10:
0-312-66486)
A paper notebook that you can write in everyday,
plus various blue/yellow books for in-class essays and the final.
For class assignments, access The Oxford English Dictionary, the most comprehensive dictionary in
English, online via our library with your student ID: https://login.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/login?qurl=http%3a%2f%2flibaccess.sjlibrary.org%2flogin%3furl%3dhttp%3a%2f%2fwww.oed.com
All books can be purchased at Spartan
Books and Roberts Bookstore as well as via internet sellers which I
recommend accessing through http://www.sjsu.edu/english/donations/.
Be sure that anything you buy has these ISBN’s to ensure that you are
purchasing the correct text. You are
responsible for regularly checking the email address that is listed with your MySJSU
account. If you change this address, you
must contact the instructor immediately with your new address.
Required Online Readings and Resources:
"This I Believe Essays:
Albert Einstein, "An Ideal of Service to Our Fellow Man"
Errol Morris, “There is Such a Thing as Truth”
Elvia Bautista, “Remembering All the Boys”
Anthony Fauci, “A Goal of Service to Humankind”
Purposes
and Practices of Education:
At http://www.ucop.edu/acadinit/mastplan/mp.htm, read
California
Master Plan for Higher Education - Major Features - 2009 (pdf) and
the “Student Fees” section of A Master Plan
for Higher Education in California: 1960-1975 (172-175 of the original
text, @ 189 of pdf)
Scott Jaschik’s review
of “Academically Adrift” at http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/01/18/study_finds_large_numbers_of_college_students_don_t_learn_much
Other:
“My Life in the FSM:
Memories of a Freshman,” by Margot Adler in The
Free Speech Movement: Reflections on Berkeley in the 1960’s, available
electronically from our library at http://discover.sjlibrary.org/iii/encore_sjsu/record/C__Rb2864545
California Voter Information
Guide, November 2012 General Election:
http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/
Barack Obama delivering his 2008
speech “A More Perfect
Union”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrp-v2tHaDo
The Oxford English Dictionary, online via our library with your student ID: https://login.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/login?qurl=http%3a%2f%2flibaccess.sjlibrary.org%2flogin%3furl%3dhttp%3a%2f%2fwww.oed.com
Wednesday August 22 First
Day of Instruction – Classes Begin
Monday September 3 Labor Day - Campus Closed (L)
Tuesday September 4 Last Day to Drop Courses Without Permanent Record
Tuesday September 11 Last Day to Add Courses & Register Late (A)
Wednesday September 19 Enrollment Census Date (CD)
Monday November 12 Veteran’s Day Observed - Campus Closed (V)
Wednesday November 21 Classes
that start at 5:00 PM or later will not meet.
Thursday November 22 Thanksgiving Holiday - Campus Closed (T)
Friday November 23 Rescheduled Holiday - Campus Closed (RH)
Monday December 10 Last Day of Instruction - Last Day of Classes
This schedule is subject to
change with a week’s notice given in class and via the email listed in your
MySJSU account. Expect, for example,
readings in The Everyday Writer to
be assigned in addition to what is listed below. Topics for informal writings (IW) due after the 3rd week will be decided on and announced
as student needs and skill sets become apparent.
|
Week |
Date |
Topics,
Readings, Assignments, Deadlines |
|
1 |
August 23 |
Introduction to the course. |
|
2 |
August 28 |
DIAGNOSTIC IN-CLASS ESSAY—bring bluebook (SLO 1,2,3,4). Read The Everyday Writer chapter 11,
“Critical Reading” (105-112) and chapter 64 (552-561). Draft
a resume and cover letter using advice from chapter 64 (informal writing #1). |
|
|
August 30 |
Read these 4 essays available online: Albert Einstein, “An Ideal of Service to Our Fellow
Man” http://thisibelieve.org/essay/16465/ Errol Morris, “There is Such a Thing as Truth” http://thisibelieve.org/essay/28/ Elvia Bautista, “Remembering All the Boys” http://thisibelieve.org/essay/21255/ Anthony Fauci, “A Goal of Service to Humankind” http://thisibelieve.org/essay/15/ Plus The Everyday Writer chapter 12, “Analyzing Arguments” (113-125). Your written notes on the 4 essays are
due in class (informal writing #2). |
|
3 |
September 4 |
Drafts of all 3 components of Assignment One are
due today. Read The
Everyday Writer chapter 1, “The Top Twenty: A Quick Guide to
Troubleshooting Your Writing” (3-11), plus
chapter 13 “Constructing Arguments” (126-146).
Peer editing session in class (peer editing impacts your assignment grade). |
|
|
September 6 |
3-part Assignment One due: A 500-word
“This I believe” essay, a cover letter, and a resume. Go to http://www.ucop.edu/acadinit/mastplan/mp.htm
and read California
Master Plan for Higher Education - Major Features - 2009 (pdf) and the
“Student Fees” section of A Master Plan
for Higher Education in California: 1960-1975 (172-175 of the original
text, @ 189 of pdf) and Scott Jaschik’s review of “Academically Adrift” at
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/01/18/study_finds_large_numbers_of_college_students_don_t_learn_much
|
|
4 |
September 11 |
Read Hsün Tzu: “Encouraging
Learning” (circa 250 BCE), Seneca: “On Liberal and Vocational Studies” (ca.
55 CE) and Al Ghazali: “Manners to Be Observed by Teachers and Students”
(1096), pages 8-31in RW. IW #3 due. |
|
|
September 13 |
Read Mary Wollstonecraft: “National Education” (1791), Frederick Douglass: “Learning to Read and Write” (1845) and John Henry Newman: “Knowledge
Its Own End” (1852), pages 35-61 in RW. IW #4 due. |
|
5 |
September 18 |
In-class exam 1.
Bring a blue book. Read
“My Life in the FSM: Memories of a Freshman,” by Margot Adler in The Free Speech Movement: Reflections on
Berkeley in the 1960’s available electronically from our library at http://discover.sjlibrary.org/iii/encore_sjsu/record/C__Rb2864545
and Paulo Freire: “The Banking Concept of Education” (1970, revised 1993), pages
62-67 in RW. IW #5 due. |
|
|
September 20 |
Read Richard Feynman: “O
Americano, Outra Vez” (1985) and Kisautaq Leona Okakok: “Education: A
Lifelong Process” (1989), pages 68-82 in RW.
IW #6 due. |
|
6 |
September 25 |
Assignment 2 due for Peer editing. Reading
in The Everyday
Writer, TBA. |
|
|
September 27 |
Final version
of essay 2 due.
Read Mo Tzu: “Against Music” (circa
425 BCE) and New Testament: Luke, Chapter 16 (circa 90 CE), pages 305-319 in RW.
|
|
7 |
October 2 |
Read William Hogarth: Gin Lane (1751) and Thomas Malthus: from Essay
on the Principle of Population (1798), pages 320-331 in RW. IW #7 due. |
|
|
October 4 |
Read Mohandas K. Gandhi: “Economic and Moral Progress” (1916), Dorothea
Lange: “Migrant Mother” (1936), and Octavio Paz: “The Day of the Dead” (1961),
pages 332-351 in RW. IW #8 due. |
|
8 |
October 9 |
Read Lucy Lameck: “Africans Are Not Poor” (1965) and Muhammad Yunus:
“The Stool Makers of Jobra Village” (1999), pages 352-356 and 369-380 in RW. IW #9 due. |
|
|
October 11 |
Read Garrett Hardin: “Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against Helping the
Poor” (1974), pages 357-368 in in RW. IW #10 due. |
|
9 |
October 16 |
Assignment 3 due for peer editing. Reading
in The Everyday Writer, TBA.
|
|
|
October 18 |
Final
version of essay 3 due. Read The
Papyrus of Ani (1240 BCE), Lao Tzu: from the Tao te Ching (400 BCE), and Abu
Nasr al-Farabi: “On the Perfect State” (circa 900), pages 151-174 in RW. |
|
10 |
October 23 |
Read Lin Tse-hsü: “A Letter to Queen Victoria” (1839), Leni
Riefenstahl: Triumph of the Will (1935), and Martin Luther King Jr.:
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” (1963), pages 193-218 in RW. IW #11
due. |
|
|
October 25 |
In-class
exam 2. Christine de Pizan: from The
Treasure of the City of Ladies (1405), and Niccoló Machiavelli: from The
Prince (1513), pages 175-192 in RW. IW #12 due. |
|
11 |
October 30 |
Read about one of the California
State Initiatives in the Voter
Information Pamphlet and write a
summary (IW #13) that you will bring to class and present.(Available
online, the specific ballot measure will be assigned to you ahead of time).
|
|
|
November 1 |
Read Aung San Suu Kyi: “In Quest of Democracy” (1990), Desmond Tutu:
“Nuremberg or National Amnesia: A Third Way” (1997), and Barack Obama: “A More Perfect
Union” (2008) at pages 219-249 in RW plus watch the last being delivered
at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrp-v2tHaDo. IW #14
due. |
|
12 |
November 6 |
Assignment 4 due for peer editing. Read Aspasia: “Pericles’ Funeral Oration” (circa 387
BCE) and Plato: from Gorgias (380 BCE), pages 467-488 in RW. |
|
|
November 8 |
Final
version of essay 4 due. Read Aristotle: excerpt from Rhetoric
(350 BCE), and Gertrude Buck: “The Present State of Rhetorical Theory”
(1900), and Norman Rockwell: Freedom of
Speech (1943), pages 489-505 in RW. |
|
13 |
November 13 |
Read Chinua Achebe: “Language and the Destiny of Man” (1972), Ad for
Chinese Population Policy (1980), and N. Scott Momaday, “The Power and Beauty
of Language” (1987), pages 506-526 in RW. IW #15 due. |
|
|
November 15 |
Read Gloria Anzaldua: “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” (1987), and Toni
Morrison, “Nobel Lecture” (1993), pages 527-546 in RW. |
|
14 |
November 20 |
Read Sun Tzu: from The Art of War
(400-320 BCE), Mo Tzu: “Against Offensive Warfare” (circa 425 BCE), and St. Thomas Aquinas: from Summa Theologica
(1265-74), pages 250-264 in RW. IW #16 due. |
|
|
November 22 |
Thanksgiving
Holiday—no class meeting |
|
15 |
November 27 |
Read Kenzaburo Oe: “The Unsurrendered People” (1965) and Jean Bethke Elshtain: “What Is a Just War?” (2003),
pages 288-304 in RW. IW #17 due. |
|
|
November 29 |
In-class exam 3.
Bring a bluebook. Reading in The Everyday Writer, TBA.
IW #18 due.
|
|
16 |
December 4 |
Read Rachel Carson: “The Obligation to Endure” (1962), and David
Suzuki: “The Sacred Balance” (1997), pages 419-434 in RW. IW #19 due. |
|
|
December 6 |
Assignment 5, revision due. Reading in The Everyday Writer, TBA. IW #20 in class.
|
|
1A Final Exam |
December 8th, Saturday, 8:00 AM
|
Location TBA. Bring a yellow written communication
examination booklet and an assortment of pens. A paper dictionary is also allowed. |