EWRT 1B SYLLABUSJULIE SARTWELL
Contact Info.
Knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other.
-Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Prerequisite: English 1A
EWRT 1B—READING, WRITING, AND RESEARCHING:
EWRT 1B is an intensive and advanced reading and writing course that focuses on how to critically analyze and appreciate literature. Building on the critical thinking, reading, and writing skills you have established in your English courses thus far, we will explore literature—short stories, poems, and the novel—from a diverse group of authors. While analyzing our readings and composing essays, we will focus on different themes, i.e. “Rituals and Traditions.” In addition to active participation in classroom discussion, keeping up with the reading and writing assignments, and presenting on the 5th essay, you will be required to complete FIVE essays as outlined below. Though this course requires a great deal of work, I've done my best to choose interesting and helpful materials, so I expect a lot from you.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
This course is designed to enhance your capacity to understand, appreciate, and analyze literature. We will work together (in small groups, pairs, or as a whole class) so that you learn to evaluate literature using critical theories and concepts and what you know to gain a deeper understanding. Thus, you’ll develop both intellectual and emotional responses to our readings. Often times we learn about ourselves, history, gender, and much more at the same time! We will continue to practice writing as a process by reading actively, prewriting, discussing ideas/concepts, creating outlines, idea drafts, and rough drafts, participating in peer response groups, and working on sentence structure—so you can create assignments that are well constructed, focused, developed and analyzed.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
1) gods go begging, Alfredo Vea
2) Short Fiction Classic and Contemporary, Charles Bohner
3) EWRT 1B Workbook, available at the De Anza Copy Center, past the Seminar building
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Papers: You will write five essays in this class, including the first essay assignment, which is less involved. Each will be four to six pages in length, double-spaced, with one inch margins, and in 12 point Times font. You will need to turn these papers in on time, and you’ll also need to complete the rough drafts as assigned. Thus, for each unit, we will have discussion days, on which we will discuss readings and homework assignments, and a peer response day, on which you will bring 1 copy + the original rough draft, which should be at least 2 1/2 pages typed. You must complete ALL of the essays, revisions included, in order to pass this course.
LATE ESSAYS:
Late papers will be marked down a 1/2 grade for each class period that it’s late. If you are turning a paper in late, you'll need to inform me of this, and we'll set up an appropriate due date. An essay with excessive proofreading errors will be returned ungraded for your correction and counted as a late paper, unless you return it to me the same day I give it back to you.
REVISION:
Some students will need to revise certain essays; however, students do not have the option to revise the midterm or the final. If you plan to revise an essay, you must make an appointment with me so we can talk about your revision plans. We will also set up a reasonable due date for the revision. When you turn in your revision, please give me your original draft along with it. I will NOT accept a revision if these stipulations are not met. (We learn from revision or re-envisioning.)
READINGS:
Each class discussion will be on the readings assigned for that day. Read the material actively, (We’ll learn or re-learn how to do this.), answer the questions or a variation on this (on “Writing about Literature” handout), study it before the class for which it is assigned, bring the text(s) to class, and come prepared to discuss these ideas.
RESEARCH PAPERS:
Our fifth essay will be a research paper in which you are required to complete outside research and learn the MLA format. We will visit the library and talk further on this soon.
ATTENDANCE AND TARDINESS:
Since all the work we do in this class is directly related to the development of your essays, your brains, and your overall well being, faithful attendance in this class is strongly advised. If you acquire more than three absences, your grade will go down a 1/2 grade, and it will continue to go down a 1/2 grade with each subsequent absence. If an emergency arises and you can't make it to class, please contact someone from the class to get any materials and/or homework, and let me know by leaving me a message. If you miss a class, you are still expected to turn in the homework for the class you missed and for the next class--no exceptions. Be on time to class. Latecomers will not only disrupt class, but miss valuable material. If you are habituall late or absent from class, you will be asked to drop.
JOURNALS & HOMEWORK:
During the quarter, you will be asked to complete informal prewriting activities—class notes, freewrites, clustering, brainstorming, reading logs (summaries of and reactions to texts that will help you explore ideas and develop and organize your essays). They will not be graded for perfect grammar or neatness. I will grade this work with a check plus, check, check minus, or zero (3, 2, 1, 0 points), based on their thoroughness. For each essay, I will let you know what you need to turn in. It all must be stapled to the final draft, however!
PLAGIARISM AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
We will be working on the correct way to document sources, and I’ll expect that any time you use writing or ideas that are not your own in an essay, you will cite your source. Using others’ words or ideas or whole without acknowledgement is plagiarism and will certainly result in a failing essay and possibly failing the course. It’s fine to seek help with your essays from the Writing and Reading Center (WRC in SC3), but it is not acceptable to have anyone else correct your errors for you. You cannot rewrite an essay that’s been plagiarized, and repeated plagiarism will result in failing the course.
GRADING:
Essay #1: 30 points
Essay #2: 100 points
Essay #3: 150 points
Midterm (#4): 100 points
Final (#5), the research paper: 200 points
Presentations, homework, participation: 50 points
CELL PHONES AND OTHER TECHNOLOGICAL DEVICES:
Please turn off and put away cell phones and other technological
devices once class begins. You will be given ONE warning if such items
are being used in class. If a cell phone goes off in class or you are
using such items, it will equal one absence. If the behavior continues,
you will be asked to leave the class, which will result in another
absence, and if the behavior continues, you will be asked to take the
class another quarter.
FINAL NOTES:
• Always make a copy of your essay before you hand it in.
• Save all essays and homework until the end of the quarter.
• See me when you have questions or concerns.
•The Writing and Reading Center (WRC)--ATC 308
NOTE: If you do not turn the first essay in on time, ________________ , you will be dropped from the class.
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