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English 1B - Reading, Writing, & ResearchText
J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, 50th Anniversary Edition
Materials
• Blue or black ink pens for in-class writing
• Journal: one composition book with lined paper
• One large (8½ x 11”) Bluebook for Final Essay Exam
Course Description
Primary reading for this section of English 1B is focused on a single mid-20th century novel, J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Although the book was conceived and composed as a single work, because of the publisher’s economic constraints in post-war England, the novel came out in three installments: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. Now that those constraints are no longer an issue, we are able to read the work in its entirety, in a single volume, as Tolkien meant it to be read. Secondary reading for this course includes both assigned web sites and individual research initiated by the student in response to the research paper assignment.
The writing for this course will focus on the skills of analysis, comparison, and research, culminating in a comprehensive in-class essay exam. We will engage in both exploratory writing (timed responses reflecting upon our reading) in our Journals and polished expository writing (longer, more complete, and style-conscious papers) submitted to an on-line class site. Thus, we will practice a significant amount of in-class, low-tech pen-on-paper writing and a fair amount of out-of-class, high-tech, computer-generated writing, since both skills work different muscles and both are essential to prepare you for the reading, writing, and research tasks that await you in your academic and business pursuits.
Assignments
- Analysis Paper—A 750 word essay whose primary mode of development is analysis: showing how a literary work functions through one of its elements. 75 points possible.
- Comparison Paper—A 1,000 word essay whose primary mode of development identifies similarities and/or differences between two works—in our case, a novel and a movie. 100 points possible.
- Research Paper—A 1,500 word essay that incorporates secondary sources into a smooth, logical, and original discussion of a full-length literary work. 150 points possible.
- Final Essay Exam—A cumulative in-class essay written extemporaneously into a bluebook during our scheduled two-hour final exam period. 100 points possible.
- Journal—Includes all in-class and out-of-class exploratory writings, class notes, small research projects, etc. 100 points possible.
- Quizzes—Occasional “pop” quizzes on reading and lecture materials. 25 points possible. There are no make ups for missed quizzes.
- Participation—I’ll keep track of your attendance and participation in our little learning community; your regular, mature, positive contributions to our class atmosphere will not go unnoticed. 100 points possible.
- Extra Credit--There will be one brief extra credit opportunity near the end of the quarter. 10 points possible. One per customer.
Grades
A+ 624-650 C+ 447-487
A 597-623 C 407-446
A- 569-596 D+ 380-406
B+ 542-568 D 353-379
B 515-541 D- 326-352
B- 488-514 F 0 – 325
Policies, Etc.
Classroom Behavior Expectations: Please set your cell phones on “silent” while you are in class. For obvious educational reasons (not to mention common courtesy) you may not play games, listen to music, or text message during our class session. If you receive an emergency call during class, please walk outside to take the call. Also, let there be no private conversations during our class sessions: the time for socializing is between classes and on your free time. I expect you to bring your personal copy of The Lord of the Rings and your Journal and a blue or black ink pen to every class session. I also expect you to be a fully engaged, active participant in this class while you are enrolled in it. Your credibility as a college student, not to mention your grade, will drop if you violate these expectations.
Participation: This is huge with me. I really expect you to be reading and thinking actively, critically, and creatively. This is not a class in which you can cruise along in neutral gear for long. I will call on you regularly and keep track of your responses. When you’re in class, be prepared, focused, on task. I will note your progress in my handy little roll book, writing a plus next to your name for brilliance, creativity, intelligence. I’ll put a checkmark if you’re doing good and participating in a positive manner. But beware, I will jot down the evil minus next to your name if you’re unprepared, unfocused, or downright contrary. I can even resort to a zero if I call on you and (gasp!) you’re not there—physically or mentally. If you have more than one minus or zero at the end of the quarter, I will ding your grade. You can’t learn if you’re not present. Hint: don’t take this class if you don’t want to learn. Metaphorical hint: if you don’t want to swim, stay away from the pool! As part of your participation in this class, you will read aloud from your Journal on a regular basis. When called upon to read, speak loudly and clearly, reading word-for-word what you have written in your Journal. Don’t paraphrase, don’t apologize, don’t justify—just read it. Done correctly, you will learn more from this activity than almost any other single activity we do in this class.
Web Access: You must have regular access to the internet to be successful in this class. Among other things, I use this web site as a portal to supplemental course readings that are required of you. Also, you must have a regular, working email account. Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with this web site. In fact, you may want to Bookmark it –at least for the next 12 weeks.
Paper Business: Paper topics will be announced and described on this web site two weeks prior to the due date. Check this web site regularly for details and new postings. Because of so much advance notice, late papers will not be accepted. There are no rewrites for poorly-written papers; do it right the first time.
Turnitin.com: You will submit your out-of-class papers for this class to our Turnitin.com account. Another Bookmark? Visit the site ASAP and click on the gray "Training" bar to watch the three introductory "Student Training Videos." They explain why the site exists and how to use it. You can also download a pdf entitled "Student Quickstart Guide." Some people prefer to print this out and use it as a guide when first logging onto the site. Scroll down to the "Plagiarism.org" link for a definition of plagiarism, tips for preventing it, and guidelines and suggestions for proper citation methods, etc. I will hold you responsible for the infomation found there. Among other things, Turnitin.com will search the web for language matches with your paper once you upload it, issuing an "originality report" to me, which tells the percentage of language your paper shares with other similar writings. Whether intentional or accidental, if your originality report on any given paper that you submit to this class climbs above 70%, you will receive an 'F' on that assignment. The purpose of this class is to help you with your writing. If you present somebody else's writing as your own, you will defeat that purpose, and you will fail.
Individual Help: I am available during my office hour to answer questions and to provide individual tutorial help. But if you have a time conflict with my office hour, there are two other options:
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