Greetings!
And congratulations. You have successfully found the class blog. :)
Below you will find a copy of the syllabus that was distributed in class today, along with a copy of Unacceptable Errors.
English 20, College Composition II
Sacramento State University, Fall 2014
Section 3, MWF, 9-9:50 am, Douglass
Hall 214
Section 6, MWF, 10-10:50 am,
Calaveras 135
Section 8, MWF, 11-11:50 am, Douglass
Hall 214
Instructor: Catherine Fraga
Email: sacto1954@gmail.com (BEST way to reach me)
Office Hours: in Calaveras 149 --
MW, 12:15 pm-1:15 pm, or by appointment
www.English20Fall2014Fraga.blogspot.com
COURSE DESCRIPTION (FROM CSUS CATALOG): ADVANCED WRITING THAT BUILDS UPON THE CRITICAL THINKING,
READING, AND WRITING PROCESSES INTRODUCED IN ENGL 1A AND ENGL 2. EMPHASIZES
RHETORICAL AWARENESS BY EXPLORING READING AND WRITING WITHIN DIVERSE ACADEMIC
CONTEXTS WITH A FOCUS ON THE SITUATIONAL NATURE OF THE STANDARDS, VALUES,
HABITS, CONVENTIONS, AND PRODUCTS OF COMPOSITION. STUDENTS WILL RESEARCH AND
ANALYZE DIFFERENT DISCIPLINARY GENRES, PURPOSES, AND AUDIENCES WITH THE GOALS
OF UNDERSTANDING HOW TO APPROPRIATELY SHAPE THEIR WRITING FOR DIFFERENT READERS
AND DEMONSTRATING THIS UNDERSTANDING THROUGH VARIOUS WRITTEN PRODUCTS. NOTE:
WRITING REQUIREMENT: A MINIMUM OF 5,000 WORDS. PREREQUISITE: COMPLETION OF ENGL
1A AND ENGL 2 OR EQUIVALENT WITH A C- OR BETTER; SOPHOMORE STANDING (MUST HAVE
COMPLETED 30 UNITS PRIOR TO REGISTRATION). UNITS: 3.0.
Required Texts:
1. Rules of Thumb: A Guide for Writers (9th edition)
by Jay Silverman et. al.
2. Sacramento State
Student Writing Handbook, 1st edition
Available at no cost online at:
http://www.csus.edu/wac/WAC/Students/CSUS_Writing_Handbook.pdf
(Also available in a hard copy at
FedEx/Kinkos on J Street—cost is about twelve dollars.)
3. Breaking Bad,
Season 1 (DVD) – seven episodes total.
You have several avenues to access
your viewing of Season 1. Among
those choices are:
1. purchase the first season through iTunes to view online
2. purchase the season through Amazon to view online
3. view episodes on youtube, although I advise that you do not
because students have reported that some scenes are deleted
4. if you are a Netflix subscriber, it is available streaming on
line
5. purchase the season, used, at a local store such as Dimple
Records on Arden Way
6. a copy of season one is on reserve in the CSUS library
Required Materials:
• stapler
• lined notebook paper, standard
size 8 ½” x 11,”clean edge (not torn
from notebook)
• access to a computer and printer (very important!)
AND....Two blue (or green) books--no size requirement.
AND....Two blue (or green) books--no size requirement.
Classroom Policies:
1. Attendance is very important in this class. Classroom
discussions prepare students for all writing assignments, and your fellow
students and I need your input in order to make this class more complete and
enjoyable. I do not take attendance, and absences don’t “technically” count
towards the grade you earn. However, ultimately, if you miss class, you may
miss a pop quiz, group work, a Writing Response, class discussion about
readings or about an essay assignment, etc. -- which really does end up impacting your earned grade
because this work CAN NOT BE MADE UP.
2. About being tardy for class: It
seems that over the last few years, tardiness has REALLY escalated and become
problematic in my classes. I am not sure why, but I do know that most of my
colleagues deduct a percentage of the earned grade for tardiness. It is really
annoying and disruptive, both to me and to the rest of the class, when students
enter the class late—we only meet for 50
minutes three times a week, and I begin class immediately. In the “real world”, there is even less tolerance for
lateness. Plan ahead. I realize things can happen beyond your control, but looking for parking is not a good excuse. If
I see that tardiness is becoming excessive, I will ask you to drop the class. PLEASE NOTE—I begin class exactly on time. If you arrive late and I have already distributed a quiz or writing
response assignment, you will not be allowed to complete the assignment
and will receive a zero.
3. YOU MUST TYPE AND DOUBLE SPACE ALL OUT OF CLASS ASSIGNMENTS. Work
must be in 12 pt. font, Times New Roman, black ink, MLA format. Guidelines for
MLA format can be found in your text, Rules
of Thumb.
4. In all fairness to other
students, I do not accept late work. If you are ill, please arrange for another
student to turn it in for you. Period.
5. Only out of class essay assignments can be submitted late, but there is
a stiff penalty. After the due date, a late essay loses 10 points for every
day it’s late, including weekends. NOT
submitting an out of class essay is NOT an option. The English dept.
requires that you write an approximate number of words in this course. The out
of class essays provide a large part of the word count requirement. YOU MUST WRITE AND SUBMIT ALL THREE
OUT OF CLASS ESSAY ASSIGNMENTS OR YOU WILL NOT PASS THE CLASS.
6. You’re responsible for finding
out what you missed if you are absent. I will provide you with a class roster with
student contact information for your convenience. Checking blog entries can
also be helpful, but realize that I am not going to record for you everything
that occurred during class. Students often believe that as long as they do not
miss a day when a quiz or Writing Response occurs, they will easily pass the
course. However, common sense tells you that when you miss ANY class session,
you are missing important instruction.
7. My policy on EXTRA CREDIT is…I do not believe
in extra credit. In short, “real” life outside the university does not operate
on the extra credit option. You earn the grade you receive. It really is a
fairness issue.
8. ABOUT REVISIONS: you have the option to revise out of class essays 1 and 2. However,
in order to take advantage of this revision opportunity, you must submit a rough draft by the rough draft due date on the
syllabus. In other words, rough drafts ARE
optional, but not if you wish to
have the option to revise. (Definition of a Rough Draft: a completed draft of your essay. It
must clearly have a beginning, middle and end. Of course, it will be rough,
with possible editing errors and development issues, but it must clearly
demonstrate that you have conducted most if not all of your research). Once
you receive your graded essay back, there is no due date for the revision.
However, all revisions must be submitted by the 13th week. (see
syllabus) No exceptions. AFTER YOU SUBMIT THE FIRST REVISION AND RECEIVE IT
BACK, YOU MAY CONTINUE REVISING UNTIL YOU ARE SATISFIED WITH YOUR SCORE. Please note: you will not have time to
revise out of class essay 3. However, you MAY submit a rough draft if you wish.
9. A note on classroom etiquette:
If you feel you cannot survive each
class session without the use of your cell phone, iPod, laptop computer, iPad,
etc. please do not enroll in this class. Simply, it is the highest degree of
rudeness and disrespect. If I see you busy texting, etc. I will not hesitate to
ask you to leave until you finish your crucial business. I plan to give you my
full attention and I expect the same from all my students.
EXCEPTION: you MAY access your
laptop IF it is during an open note quiz or Writing Response -- and the
material is available on line. HOWEVER, please realize that you are responsible
for reading the material before attending class. There will not be enough time
to read the assignment AND complete a quiz or a writing response.
10. ABOUT
PLAGIARISM: From the CSUS Policy Handbook:
“As stipulated in the California
Code of Regulations, Section 41301, cheating or plagiarism in connection with
an academic program at a campus may warrant expulsion, suspension, probation or
a lesser sanction. Administrative action involving academic dishonesty at
Sacramento State is the responsibility of the Student Conduct Officer in the
Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. Any administrative action
taken by the Student Conduct Officer must be in accordance with the procedures
set forth in Executive Order No. 970, Student Conduct Procedures for the
California State University.”
Familiarize yourself with this
website—everything you need to know about what constitutes plagiarism and the
repercussions.
11. STUDENT ACCOMODATIONS AVAILABLE: Become informed about accommodations
for test taking and other learning disabilities on this campus. The
following excerpt is from
Testing
Services
Testing for Students with
Disabilities
Students registered with Services
to Students with Disabilities, (SSWD), are able to take exams in an environment
free from distractions, with tools usually not available in the classroom. Some
of the testing accommodations available to students are; readers and scribes,
computer assisted and computer adaptive software, and wheelchair accessible and
adjustable tables. Group room testing times are 12:30 PM on Monday, and 8:30 AM
and 12:30 PM Tuesdays - Thursdays. Students arriving after 8:45 AM or 12:45 PM
will not be admitted to the testing room. Testing Accommodation Instruction
forms are to be completed by faculty and
submitted with the exam. Exams should not be faxed or e-mailed.”
12. HOW YOUR GRADE IS EARNED:
Attached to this course outline is
your Grade Worksheet. At no time
during the semester should you be puzzled about your grade. Please keep ALL returned & graded work
until the very end of the semester.
NOTE: quizzes are NOT always scheduled.
Come to class prepared with the assigned reading assignments completed on the
day they are due to be read.
Refer to pages 3 and 4 in the Handbook to fully understand how your
writing will be evaluated.
14. ABOUT THIS COURSE…
I have designed a very different
and I hope interesting and provocative set of themes for discussion and
critical thinking/writing for the semester. The core of the course from which
these themes/ideas will spring is the first season of the television series, Breaking Bad.
On your own, you will view all
seven episodes of Season 1 as well as read a wealth of material connected
either directly or indirectly to some of its themes.
This series poses so many
intriguing questions about morals, family values/responsibilities, conformity,
gun laws, the line between good and evil, the war on drugs, greed, health care
and so much more. We will study the rhetorical devices required to write
successfully.
In short, we will examine and
expand on several issues connected with the overall term of “breaking
bad”—straying from the path of morality, of legality, of conformity towards
something deemed unacceptable by the majority of society. In fact, the origin
of the term is American Southwest, a slang phrase meaning to challenge
conventions, to defy authority, to skirt the edges of the law.
I do not utilize SacCT. This class
has a blog and it is vital that you check it on a regular basis, even on
weekends, for important information, including reading assignments and other
information pertinent to the course. Please bookmark it on your computer for
easy, quick access.
www.English20Fall2014Fraga.blogspot.com
Class Schedule:
(Please note: This schedule is subject to change at a moment’s
notice. Please bring this schedule, your textbook and appropriate handouts to
every class session. ALSO…not every quiz, group discussion, lecture, or activity
is listed on this class schedule. Simply, that would be impossible. The pace of
the class is not always predictable…if you attend class, follow the course
outline and read the blog, you will stay current.)
Week One Sept. 1-5
Labor Day holiday—no class (Monday)
Introduction to the Course (course
theme explained) (Wed.)
Course Outline Distributed
(handout) (Wed.)
Unacceptable Errors (handout) (Wed.)
Assign: Character Study Journal
(Fri.)
Discuss Television Viewing vs. Film
Viewing (Fri.)
Quiz on Contents of Course Syllabus
(Friday)
Week Two Sept. 8-12
Watch first episode of Season 1, Breaking Bad (Mon.)
Complete Reading Packet 1 (Wed.)
In Class Writing Response #1 (Wed.)
Discuss conformity/non-conformity
(Friday)
Week Three Sept. 15-19
Assign: Out of class essay #1
(Monday)
Read pages 63-100 in Rules of Thumb (Monday)
Complete Reading Packet 2 (Wed.)
Skim first 27 pages and read pages
28 thru 46 in Handbook (Friday)
Week Four Sept. 22-26
Complete Reading Packet #3 (Monday)
In class Writing Response #2
(Monday)
Watch second episode of Breaking Bad (Wed.)
Group Work #1 (Friday)
Rough Draft due for Out of Class
Essay #1 (optional) (Fri.) (your
rough draft must be e-mailed to me as a Word document by Friday at 5 pm. I will
make comments and e-mail it back to you by the following Monday)
Week Five Sept. 29-October 3
Watch third episode of Breaking Bad (Monday)
Read Packet #4 (Wednesday)
(no class sessions will be held this week. Be sure you complete the above assignments for Monday and Wednesday by next week.)
Week Six October 6-10
Out of class essay #1 due (Monday) IF YOU SUBMITTED A ROUGH DRAFT, REMEMBER TO PRINT IT OUT AND ATTACH IT TO THE BACK OF YOUR FINAL DRAFT.
Out of class essay #1 due (Monday) IF YOU SUBMITTED A ROUGH DRAFT, REMEMBER TO PRINT IT OUT AND ATTACH IT TO THE BACK OF YOUR FINAL DRAFT.
Watch episode 4 of Breaking Bad (Monday)
Read Packet #5 (Wednesday)
In class Writing Response #3 (Wednesday)
In class Writing Response #3 (Wednesday)
Week Seven October 13-17
In class essay #1—please remember
to bring a green (or blue) book to class today (Monday) (You may use either
size green or blue book—it makes no difference to me.)
In depth review of grammar &
sentence structure #1 (Wednesday)
Watch 5th episode of Breaking Bad (Friday)
Week Eight October 20-24
Assign out of class essay #2 (Monday)
Assign out of class essay #2 (Monday)
How does rhetoric impact your
academic, career and personal life? (Mon.)
In class Writing Response #4
(Wednesday)
Read Packet #6 (Wednesday)
Read Part 4 on Style in Rules of Thumb—pgs. 169-187 (Fri.)
Week Nine October 27-31
How to Read Critically--lecture
(Wednesday & Friday)
Week Ten November 3-7
Group Work #1 (Monday)
Packet #7 has been deleted. There is no reading assignment for Packet #7.
Group Work #1 (Monday)
Packet #7 has been deleted. There is no reading assignment for Packet #7.
Discuss Procedures and Details for Taking the WPJ exam (Friday)
Week Eleven November 10-14
Out of class essay #2 due today (Monday)
In class essay #2—practice WPJ--remember blue or green book (Monday)
Out of class essay #2 due today (Monday)
Watch 6th episode of Breaking Bad (Monday)
Read Packet #8 (Wednesday)
Group Exercise #2 (Wednesday)
Group Exercise #2 (Wednesday)
Arrive in class having read one of the four sections in Part III of the Handbook: Writing Across the Curriculum at Sacramento State. Select the section that “fits” your major field of study. If you have not yet declared a major, select the one that BEST fits what you THINK your major will be. (Your choices are: Natural Sciences and Math; Social Sciences; Arts and Humanities; or Business and Professional Communications.) (Friday)
Week Twelve November 17-21
Watch 7th (and final) episode of Breaking Bad (Monday)
Out of class essay #3 assigned today (Wednesday)
Read Packet #9 (Friday)
Group Work #3 (Friday)
Week Thirteen November 24-28
Thanksgiving Recess, no class ALL THIS WEEK.
HAVE AN ENJOYABLE AND SAFE HOLIDAY WEEK.
Week Fourteen December 1-5
Read Packet #10 (Monday)
In class writing response #5 (Monday)
Out of class essay #3 due today (Wednesday)
Second in depth review of grammar and sentence structure (Wed)
Class Evaluation (Friday)
Week Fifteen December 8-12
LAST WEEK OF CLASSES
Video surprise (Monday)
Grade Worksheet Match-up (Wednesday)
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 10TH, IS OUR LAST CLASS DAY.
ALL REVISIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY WEDNESDAY, DEC. 10TH.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 10TH, IS OUR LAST CLASS DAY.
ALL REVISIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY WEDNESDAY, DEC. 10TH.
Week Sixteen December 15-19
Finals Week
There is no final given for this class.
Name:______________________________
English 20,
Fall 2014
POINTS
EARNED--Your Grade Worksheet
1700 points possible
QUIZ ON COURSE SYLLABUS—
______(50 points)
OUT OF CLASS ESSAYS—600 pts.
Essay 1 (200
points)_____ Essay 2 (200 points)_____
Essay 3 (200
points) _____
IN-CLASS ESSAYS—400 pts.
Essay 1 (200
points) ______
Essay 2 (200
points) ______
IN-CLASS WRITING RESPONSES—250 pts.
#1 (50 points)_____
#2 (50
points)_____
#3 (50)
points)_____
#4 (50)
points)_____
#5 (50 points)
______
IN-CLASS GROUP WORK (150 pts.)
Each session is
worth 50 pts.
Group Work 1
_____ Group Work 2 _____ Group Work 3 _____
QUIZZES (these quizzes may not always be
“announced” and they cannot be made up. 50 pts ea.) (250 pts. total)
Quiz 1_____
Quiz 2_____ Quiz 3_____
Quiz 4_____
Quiz 5_____
How to assess your grade earned:
Divide the
points you earn by 1700 to find the percentage. Then see chart below.
100-94=A Example:
940 pts. earned=55.2%=D
93-90=A- Example:
1100 pts. earned=64.7%=C
89-84=B+ Example:
1359 pts. earned=79.9%=B
83-80=B Example:
1458 pts. earned=85.7=B+
79-74=B-
73-70=C+
69-64=C
63-60=C-
59-54=D
53-0=F
UNACCEPTABLE
ERRORS
In English 20, students should already be very proficient in word usage. We do not have time for grammar
lessons. (I will, however, provide
short ‘mini’ lessons when I feel they are warranted.) The following errors that are commonly made on student
papers are considered unacceptable.
For out of class essays each unacceptable error
takes ten points off your final earned grade. You may correct unacceptable errors and
receive the points back if you choose to revise. (Exceptions: In class essays
that have unacceptable errors CAN
always be corrected to earn back the points lost. Quizzes and Writing Responses
will not be evaluated for unacceptable errors.)
1. there – place Put
it over there.
2. their – possessive pronoun That
is their car.
3. they’re – contraction of they
are They’re
going with us.
4. your – possessive pronoun Your
dinner is ready.
5. you’re – contraction of you are You’re
not ready.
6.
it’s – contraction of it is It’s
a sunny day.
7. its – possessive pronoun The
dog wagged its tail.
8. a lot – always two words I
liked it a lot.
9. to – a preposition or part of an
infinitive I
like to proofread my essays carefully.
10.
too – an intensifier, or also That
is too much. I will go too.
11.
two – a number Give
me two folders.
12. In today’s society
or In society today This
phrase is grossly overused and very cliché. Instead use “Today” or “In America”
or “Now” etc
13. right(s)/write(s)/rite(s) rights are a set of beliefs or values
in which a person feels entitled: His rights were read to him before he
was arrested for stalking Dave Matthews. Writes
is a verb indicating action taken with a pen, pencil or computers to convey
a message: Michelle writes love letters to Dave Matthews in her sleep. Rites are a series of steps or events
which lead an individual from one phase in life to the next, or a series of
traditions that should be followed: The initiate began his rite of
passage ceremony at the age of thirteen.
14. definitely/defiantly This
error USUALLY occurs when a writer relies solely on spell-check. You really
must learn to become the final editor of your work. Definitely is an adverb and it means without a doubt. Mary will definitely
miss the Dave Matthews Band concert. Defiantly
means to show defiance. She was in a defiant mood. It is an adjective.
Or it could be used as an adverb. She was defiantly rude and sullen
towards the professor.
15. On your Works Cited page: you
MUST center and type at the top the heading just as it is here: Works Cited.
NOT ALL CAPS, NOT BOLDED, NOT UNDERLINED, NOT MISSPELLED, NOT IN A DIFFERENT
SIZED FONT, ETC.
16. woman/women woman
is used when you are referring to ONE female lady.
women
is the
plural of woman, meaning MORE THAN ONE lady
There are many women
at the nail salon, but only one woman is shopping at the market next
door.
(see back)
An accumulation of the following
errors will affect your grade, but not 10 points off for EACH error. My evaluation of your work depends on
how serious the error is, and how often you make it. Some do not slow up the reader as much as others.
- Misuse of the word
“you”. You must actually mean
the reader when you use the word “you”.
- Avoid use of
contractions in formal expository writing. (can’t, shouldn’t, didn’t,
etc.)
- Agreement of subject
and verb. Both must be either
singular or plural.
- Fragmented sentences,
comma splices and run-ons. Be
sure to proofread your papers carefully before turning them in.
You
will not pass English 20 if you cannot write an intelligent sentence in correct
English.
