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English 200 - Fundamentals of WritingTextbooks
1. Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez
2. The American Heritage Dictionary, 4th edition
Materials
• Blue or black ink pens for in-class writing
• Journal: composition book with heavy lined paper
• One large examination Greenbook (8 ½ x 11”)
Course Description
This is a course dedicated to developing literacy skills in English: reading, thinking, and writing. Even though the main focus of our work is on writing, we will do a fair amount of reading in this class, applying some critical and creative thinking along the way. In fact, most of the writing we do will be in response to our reading and thinking. You can expect to read aloud often in this class: we will each take turns reading aloud from our textbook and the dictionary, and also from our own writing that we do in our Journals. Some of our work will be done out of class, but most of our work will be done in class.
On a regular basis we will:
• read silently at home and aloud in class from Francisco Jimenez’ autobiography, Breaking Through;
• discuss his book and the themes he develops;
• write summaries of the stories in Breaking Through and use the book and our American Heritage Dictionaries to develop our vocabulary;
• write our own autobiographies into our Journals;
• visit several works of on-campus public art in order to describe, interpret, and evaluate these works, sharing our results with the class;
• review the fundamentals of English grammar and usage, including the parts of speech, sentence basics, paragraphing skills and, finally, essay writing;
• take tests to assess our progress in the course;
• develop confidence and competence in our use of the English language.
As you can see from the activities listed above, we’ll be pretty busy this quarter. Essentially, the course is divided into three units of study. At the end of each unit, we will take a test. Also, as we go through the quarter, you will do a lot of writing into your Journal. The Journal is both your textbook and your workbook; your work for this class will be recorded almost entirely into your Journal. Whatever you do, don’t lose it. It’s your responsibility to keep it current and with you at all times in our class. If you lose your Journal, you will not pass this class because it is one of the chief tools of assessment for this course. I will also keep close track of your attendance and participation. When I call on you to participate in class (which will happen often), I will note your level of participation into my class roster. To top it all off, at the end of the quarter, you will write a cumulative in-class essay during our final exam session.
Grading
This class has no letter grades; it is a Pass/No Pass class. At the end of the quarter, I will collect your Journal, read it carefully, and decide if your writing demonstrates that you are ready for the next level English class. I will also evaluate your test scores, attendance & participation, and your final essay exam. If all of these items are completed satisfactorily, you will receive a Pass. But if you have not completed all the work and/or if your work is unsatisfactory, you will receive a No Pass. De Anza College allows you to take this class twice if you need to, so don’t worry if you don’t pass it the first time. Many people need to repeat this class in order to be successful.
Co-Requisite
If you are signed up for this class, you must also take English 201. Ideally, you should be enrolled in both at the same time. English 201 is a small group experience, one hour per week, designed to give you further practice with words, sentences, and paragraphs. It is a separate class, with its own lessons and requirements, but the two classes are designed to work together to build your writing skills and prepare you for the next level English class. You must pass both English 200 and 201 in order to move on to the next level writing course.
Policies
No Electronic Devices: While you are in this class, you must give it your full attention. This means absolutely no cell phones or other electronic devices, including iPods. Turn them off and pack them away. If I see you texting or otherwise using a phone or other electronic device in class, you will receive a zero on my roll sheet.
Attendance/Participation: I will call on you often to read aloud in class, participate in discussions, and write on the board. I will record your participation level on my roll sheet. I do not “call roll” after the second week of class; instead, I keep track of your work by noting your participation level on my roll sheet: for excellence and creativity, you will receive a plus; if you are doing good and satisfactory work, a check; but if you respond in an immature manner or show little effort, you will receive a minus; and if I call on you and you’re not in class, or if you choose not to participate, you will receive a zero. If, by the end of the quarter, you have more than four zeros on my roll sheet—for whatever reason—I consider that unsatisfactory participation. Be on time, be alert, participate actively.
Reading Schedule
Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez
For each chapter in the book, you must write a summary into your Journal. Label each summary with the title of the chapter. Start each summary on a fresh page. Also, for each chapter, you will record three vocabulary words. These summaries and vocabulary exercises are important homework activities. I will call on you regularly in class to read them aloud.
- Jan 7: Forced Out; Home Alone
- Jan 14: Stepping Out; Together Again; Back to the Fields
- Jan 21: Saint Christopher Medal; Summer Skirmishes
- Jan 28: Becoming a Saint; If the Shoe Fits; A Promotion
- Feb 4: A Typing Machine; Making Connections
- Feb 11: Broken Heart; Behind the Wheel; Turning a Page
- Feb 18: Los Santitos; Choosing Sides
- Feb 25: Junior Scandals; Running for Office
- Mar 4: A New Life; A Test of Faith
- Mar 11: A Fumble; A Breakthrough
- Mar 18: Graduation Day; Still Moving
Final Exams
• Section 01 – 10:00am-12:20pm, TR: Final Exam on Thursday, March 25, 9:15-11:15am.
• Section 04 – 1:30-3:40pm, TR: Final Exam on Wednesday, March 24, 1:45-3:45pm.
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