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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "EN 105-2"
COURSE NAME: "English Composition"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2015
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Lewis Samuel Klausner
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MW 11:30 AM 12:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: Placement via JCU English Composition Placement Exam
OFFICE HOURS: By appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course concentrates on the development of effective paragraph writing in essays while introducing students to the various rhetorical modes. Elements covered include outlining, the introduction-body-conclusion structure, thesis statements, topic sentences, supporting arguments, and transition signals. Students will also become familiar with the fundamentals of MLA style, research and sourcing, as well as information literacy. To develop these skills, students will write in- and out-of-class essays. Critical reading is also integral to the course, and students will analyze peer writing as well as good expository models. Students must receive a grade of C or above in this course to be eligible to take EN 110. Individual students in EN 105 may be required to complete additional hours in the English Writing Center as part of their course requirements.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
We will read essays together, some of which will be taken from op-ed pages, from publications like the New York Times and the Manchester Guardian, among others. We will analyze the essays together, studying both the content of the essays and the writing techniques that the authors have used to convey their meanings both in terms of sense and persuasiveness. We will look at the essays in terms of the claims they make, the solutions they urge, the terms they rely upon, elaborate upon, define, or challenge. We will look at the way writers use modes such as illustration, definition, contrast, analogy, process, cause and effect, and the  presentation of data in order to communicate and persuade readers.

Since the course is largely about writing clear, coherent sentences and paragraphs, we will work on grammar and sentence sense during all the units of the course.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students will be ready to write academic papers and opinion articles in standard English that is grammatically correct, stylistically elegant, and persuasive. They will be able to do this in pieces that are as many as five paragraphs long.
TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
summary 1  10
summar 2 (with short resonse)  10
in class response to two articles  10
longer response essay  20
final paper 20
final exam  20
Class Participation 10

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Students are required to attend all classes with the texts for discussion in hand, and with writing assignments for that day in hand.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

Course Schedule:

Week 1: Sept. 1 and 3

Introduction to the course.

Essay: “Basic Human Pleasures: Sex, Food, and Giving.”

How to read thoroughly

Object Lessons: Finding the thesis, identifying and evaluating supporting evidence, strategies for beginning and ending.

Grammar: Use of commas

Week  2: Sept. 8 and 10

Essay: “The New Science of Happiness”

Object Lesson: Comparing two theories, illustration, summary and elimination of incidentals.

Grammar and style: Revising Sentences

Week 3: Sept. 15 and 17

Essay: “When Roommates Were Random.”

Object Lessons: Combining the personal with the impersonal, ancillary and expanded arguments, conclusions and recommendations.

Grammar and organization: How to organize a paragraph.

Week 4: Sept 22 and 24

Essay:” Falser Words Were Never Spoken”

Object Lesson: Good and bad use of quotations, comparison of sentences by means of syntax, placing the thesis

Technique: Organizing the 3-part essay.

Week 5: Sept. 29 and Oct.1

Essay: “Breeding the Nutrition Out of Our Food.”

Object Lesson: combining argument with historical survey.

Week 6: Oct. 6 and 8

Essay. “Hiding in Plain Sight”

Object Lesson: using description as argument

Week 7: Oct. 13 and 15

Essay: “Dumpster Diving”

Object Lesson: combining process and personal narrative, hidden thesis.

Week 8: Oct. 20 and 22

Essay: “Pope on a Rope Tow.”

Object Lessons: high and low diction, profile of a public figure from an unexpected angle,.

Week 9: Oct. 27 and 29

Essay:” Pope of a Rope Tow” (continued)

Object Lessons. Creative nonfiction, metaphorical thinking.

Week 10: Nov. 3 and 5

Essay: “Confronting Inequality”

Object Lesson: dealing with complex and abundant data.

Week 11: Nov. 10 and 12

Essay: “Confronting Inequality” (continued)

Essay: “The Stray Dogs of Moscow”

Object Lesson: a city seen from an unexpected angle, including scientific classification, holding two attitudes in mind without overtly judging.

 

Week 12: Nov. 17 and 19

Essay: “Stray Dogs of Moscow” (continued)

Week 13: Nov. 24 and 26

Class Research Project: Group research into a contemporary issue such as the ebola outbreak, ISIS, Ukraine crisis, etc.

Object lessons: using library resources to do research

Week 14: Dec. 1 and 3

Class Research Project continued.

Conclusions