English 120 Expository
Writing
Ms. Casandra
Murray
Phone:
212-772-5070 w Office: 1212
HW w Email: ms.murray120@gmail.com
Office Hours:
Thu 1-2pm and by appointment
The World
Wide Writing Web
In
English 120, we will focus on critical thinking, reading, and writing
skills. In this class I would like you
to consider your place in the world wide web of writing that exists around you. And by web, I don’t just mean the Internet,
although that is a space clearly overflowing with language. Consider how one person posts a tweet, another
responds, another retweets, and so on. On
and beyond the Internet people are constantly using language to connect with
one another. Imagine a spider
constructing a web to survive. Although
the stakes may not be as high, connecting words together to form a successful piece
of writing works in a similar way. On a larger scale, think of all the words
that you see around you on a day-to-day basis. Where and how does writing
appear and function in the world? In what places do you read and write? How
does writing connect people together?
How do different pieces of writing connect to each other? Writing cannot
exist apart from society; we shape language and language shapes us and our realities
in return. We live in an endless web of words,
and there are a variety of different approaches to mastering this web. My goal is to help you to find your own way and
your own voice in the writing web this semester.
Similarly,
reading and writing cannot exist without each other. Therefore, you will be required to read and
respond actively to a variety of essays written by professionals, other
students, and your classmates. Consider
how the different readings connect to each other and how you react to them, and
then respond in writing. Good writing
requires practice. I do not expect you
to automatically be a perfect writer; however, I do expect you to write your
way to becoming a stronger, more confident writer. We will work on building arguments, creating
strong thesis statements, and supporting them effectively. We will study the rhetorical writing methods
(narration, description, example, definition, compare/contrast, cause/effect,
process analysis, classification) in order to build a repository of ways to
express your thoughts and ideas. We will also cover the nuts and bolts of
writing – grammar and correct use of citation and documentation of sources when
incorporating research into your work.
English
120 is a foundation for most of your other college courses as well as for
communicating effectively beyond school.
Please take this course seriously and devote sufficient time to it. You should plan on spending about 5 hours per
week on your work outside of class.
Navigation Tools:
“The power to question is the basis of all
human progress.”~ Indira Gandhi
Never
be afraid to ask questions. Expository
writing will require you to view the world through a critical lens and the posing
of questions is key to this process.
This semester you will be challenged to focus your thinking in careful
and purposeful ways; to consider opinions that contradict your own; to ask
important questions of yourself and others; to respond to specific issues
thoughtfully and critically; and to express and support your ideas, questions,
and points of view clearly and confidently in both conversation and writing. It is these types of conversations that
challenge the status quo and in turn lead to changes in the world around us.
“Writing
comes more easily if you have something to say.” ~ Sholem Asch
I
cannot stress enough how important it is to find topics that you are interested
in or passionate about when you are writing.
Academic writing does require a certain sophistication of language, but
this should not be at the expense of your own voice. I encourage you to
bring your personality and interests into your writing; this will make the
process more engaging and meaningful for you and your readers.
“My pencils
outlast their erasers.” ~Vladimir Nabokov
Good
writing is revised writing. For each major paper, you are required to hand in a
rough draft and then a revision. You
will also be working with your classmates to give valuable feedback to each
other during the revision process.
Course Goals:
1. Write
essays and develop presentations that express a focused thesis, reflect clear
thinking, and signal orderly progression of thought with smooth and logical transitions.
2. Develop
analytic reading and research skills.
3. Make
effective use of instructor and peer critiques.
Revise and edit early drafts
in light of critiques. Proofread written work.
4. Write in
standard English prose, observing the conventions of grammar and
spelling.
Employ diction appropriate to the audience and free of jargon and
clichés.
5. Produce
papers that incorporate and integrate ideas from others and that use
substantiating evidence effectively. Identify all sources with proper attribution.
6. Create a
final research or scholarly paper that employs an acceptable format for
citation and documentation and that meets standard
academic and specific course
requirements.
Required Texts/Materials:
1.
You must have the proper edition of the following book (available at
Shakespeare and Co., located across the street at 939 Lexington Avenue, between
68th and 69th Street):
Back to the Lake Second Edition by Thomas Cooley
New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012
ISBN: 978-0393-13028-7
2.
A class folder for assignments, handouts, etc.
3. A notebook for class notes (please
discuss digital note-taking materials with me before use).
4.
A stapler for the essays you hand in.
Course Assignment Requirements:
Along
with regular reading and writing exercises, students are required to write:
1.)
One diagnostic essay (during the first week of class)
2.)
One in-class midterm essay
3.)
Three Short typed essays, with drafts
4.)
One annotated bibliography (in preparation for the documented research paper)
5.)
One 5-8 page documented research paper with a Works Cited page, with drafts
6.)
One oral presentation of your research findings.
7.)
One final essay exam
8.)
Students are also required to submit a final portfolio of their work this
semester.
Please keep all of your
work throughout the semester saved both digitally and as a hard copy. Do not throw anything away.
Grading Policy (all
percentages are approximate):
Oral Presentation 5%
Midterm Essay Exam 5%
Class Participation/Group
Work/Attendance 15%
Research Paper (20% + Annotated Bibliography 5%) 25%
Final Exam Pass/Fail
Final Portfolio Pass/Fail
Class
Policies:
Blog: The Course Blog, theworldwidewritingweb.blogspot.com,
will be a useful site of information and communication this semester. Please check it regularly during the semester.
Classroom Code: This course will involve various group
activities—including class discussions, writing workshops, and small group
work—that will require collaboration, critical analysis, and constructive
feedback. It is essential that all
students remain respectful and considerate of me and each other in order to build
a successful learning experience for all.
Attendance/Tardiness: You are allowed three absences. If you have more than three absences, your
final grade will be gradually reduced, unless you can provide a sufficient
excuse. Any student who is absent for
more than six classes will likely receive an “F” in the course. When absent, it is your responsibility to
find out what you missed, obtain the necessary information from me or another
student, and to send me any missed assignments. Additionally, if consistent
lateness is a problem, your final grade will be reduced. If you are more than fifteen minutes late to
class, it will count as an unexcused absence.
Food/Drinks: I understand that we all may need nourishment
to stay focused in class. Therefore, you
are allowed to bring snacks and covered drinks into the classroom, but please
be respectful of me and your fellow students.
If any disruptions occur as a result of crinkling bags, loud chewing,
etc., you will be asked to put your food away.
Electronic Devices: Cell phones, tape/MP3/CD players, etc. are
prohibited during class time. Do not
text in class!
Computers/laptops/iPads and other similar tablets may be permitted for
note taking or coursework only after discussing with me.
Email Etiquette: I check email every day. Please feel free to email me at any time for
questions about essays, small writing assignments, or readings. I do not normally accept emailed work, unless
there are extenuating circumstances (i.e. you are unable to attend class when
an essay is due). When you email, please
use proper English and sign your message with your name.
Turning in Work: I will not accept late homework or essay
submissions, unless there are extenuating circumstances. I also do not accept emailed homework unless
it is required because of your absence from class. All assignments and essays should be ready to
be handed in at the beginning of class on the day they are due. If extenuating
circumstances arise, please contact me as soon as possible.
Formatting Work: All essay assignments must be typed and
double-spaced in 12 pt. font with standard 1” margins, page numbers, and a
heading. Any work beyond a single page should be stapled. The heading should look as follows:
Your
name
English
120
Ms.
Murray
Type
of Assignment
Date
Plagiarism: Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. Plagiarism is defined as copying without
acknowledgment of the language or ideas of another writer. Obviously, having another person write or
dictate all or part of your composition is also forbidden. In addition, a writer should never copy or
take ideas from a printed passage, no matter how brief, without acknowledging
the source. This applies to even the
briefest of phrases if they are truly individual and distinctive. When in
doubt, cite!
Hunter College Academic
Integrity Statement: Hunter College regards acts
of academic dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism, cheating on examinations, obtaining
unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents) as
serious offenses against the values of intellectual honesty. The college
is committed to enforcing the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity and will pursue
cases of academic dishonesty according to the Hunter College Academic Integrity
Procedures.
Hunter College Academic
Accommodation Statement: In compliance with the
American Disability Act of 1990 (ADA) and with Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Hunter College is committed to ensuring educational
parity and accommodations for all students with documented disabilities and/or
medical conditions. It is recommended that all students with documented
disabilities (Emotional, Medical, Physical and/or Learning) consult the Office
of ACCESSability located in Room 1124 East to secure necessary academic
accommodations. For further information and assistance please call
(212-772-4857) /TTY (212-650-3230).
Additional Tips For How To
Be Successful In This Class:
1.
Come to class on time and prepared to
participate. Participation includes
having assignments completed, bringing needed materials, contributing to
discussions in a positive manner, and working on what is assigned during the
class period.
2.
Keep this syllabus and any changes made to it on
hand. Know when writing assignments are
due. Know when reading should be
completed.
3.
Check the Course Blog between each class.
4.
Practice, practice, practice. This course is designed to involve intensive
opportunities for reading and writing in order to help you improve your skills.
You should try to read and write, even if only for a half an hour, every day or
almost every day.
5.
Keep all of your work throughout the semester. Do not throw anything away.
6.
Ask questions.
It is your responsibility to find out what you need to know in order to
be successful in your academic endeavors, as well as in the other areas of your
life.
7.
Come to my office hours. Take advantage of the opportunity to work
with me individually on assignments and to ask questions that are specific to
your success in the course.
8.
Utilize
the Writing Center throughout the semester.
The Writing Center is located in Thomas Hunter, Room 416. More information can be found at: http://rwc.hunter.cuny.edu/.
9.
Visit
the library and its website, and ask the librarians for help at the reference
desk or online. The library’s website
is: http://library.hunter.cuny.edu/.
10. Have as much fun with the
reading and writing assignments as you can, thinking critically about them and
applying them to the world around you— past, present, and future.
These policies and suggestions
are created to ensure a successful semester.
If any problems should arise, you may contact me, or I may contact you,
to discuss them.
Course Schedule:
This
schedule is subject to change based on the flow of class discussions and
coursework. It is important to read
closely and carefully. Take notes on
your texts as you read, and be prepared to discuss the readings in class. Readings and assignments are due on the
day they are listed on the schedule.
*Important Note About Writing
Assignments:
Although you do not see them listed below, blog prompts will be assigned frequently
and posted as we progress through the semester. I expect each blog assignment to normally contain
about 300-800 words. Additionally, you will be required to comment on someone
else’s blog once per week. I will review
these blogs regularly and endeavor to comment on 5 per week. We will work together to build your blogs in
mid-September. Until then, your work
should be typed and printed.
Week 1 – Welcome to English
120
Wed, Aug 28 – Diagnostic
Essay
Thu, Aug 29 – Syllabus and
Introductions
Week 2 – Extended Vacation
No Classes
Week 3 – Good Writers are
Good Readers
Mon, Sep 9 – Getting
Started/Introductions – What is Expository Writing?
Read: Back to the Lake, Ch. 1 p. 1-11, “Textual Analyses” p. 38-41, and find
and read one article that covers a current issue in a magazine/newspaper online
or hard copy.
(Experiment with marking up the texts as you read. Underline important concepts and confusing
words/phrases, take notes to clarify or summarize in the margins, make notes of
your own ideas/opinions, etc.)
Reading
Response: (1)
Write a paragraph summarizing and analyzing Chapter 1, including Anna
Quindlen’s essay “How Reading Changed My Life”
(2) Write a 1-page textual analysis of the article
you chose, using the guidelines in the “Textual Analyses” reading (staple your article
to your response)
Wed, Sep 11 – Continue
Expository Writing Discussion
Read: Falguni A. Sheth “Where does the hate come
from?” – Salon.com
Thu, Sep 12 – Building
Blogs
Week 4 - Narration and Description
Mon,
Sep 16 – Narration
Read: Back to the Lake, Ch. 4 p.
62-81 and Lynda Barry “The Sanctuary of School” p. 84-89
Wed,
Sep 18 – Description
Read: Back
to the Lake, Ch. 5 p. 121-135, Zainab Salbi “Little House in the War Zone”
p. 142-145, Zora Neale Hurston “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” p. 155-162, and
Sandra Cisneros “My Name”
Thu,
Sep 19 – Continue Narration and Description Discussion
Week 5 – Writing Process
Mon,
Sep 23 – Personal
Narrative/Descriptive Essay
Read: Back
to the Lake Ch. 2 p. 12-36 and George Orwell “Shooting an Elephant” and
start planning your personal narrative essay
Wed,
Sep 25 – Continue Discussion of the Writing Process and Orwell
Read: The
Little Seagull Handbook
“Tips for Writing a Personal Narrative” and start drafting your own personal
narrative essay
Thu,
Sep 26 – Peer Review Workshop
Read: Back to the Lake Ch. 2 p. 36-47
First Draft of Short Essay 1 Due
Week 6 – Putting in Your Oar: Making Arguments
Mon,
Sep 30 – Writing as a Conversation and Thesis Statements
Read: Back
to the Lake Ch. 3 p. 48-61, David Zincenko “Don’t Blame the Eater,” and
Radley Balko “What You Eat is Your Business”
Final Draft Short Essay 1 Due (2.5-4
pages)
Wed,
Oct 2 – Argument and Thesis Statements
Read: Back to the Lake Chapter 12 p. 513-532, Aristotle Rhetoric
Cartoon
Thu,
Oct 3 – Peggy Orenstein “I Tweet, Therefore I Am” p. 644-648 and Steven Pinker
"Mind Over Mass Media" p. 640-643.
Week 7 – Argumentation and Sources
Mon,
Oct 7 – Argument Essay Examples
Read: Gerald Graff “Hidden Intellectualism”
Wed,
Oct 9 – Incorporating and Evaluating Sources
Read: Back to the Lake “Using Sources in Your Writing” p. 699-733
Thu,
Oct 10 – Student
essay “Depression in College Students” and Continue with Sources
Week 8 – Methods of Support: Example/Definition
Mon,
Oct 14 – No Class
Tue,
Oct 15 – Example
Read: Back
to the Lake, Ch. 6 p.
173-182, and Joanna Weiss “Happy Meals and Old Spice Guy” p. 207-210
Wed,
Oct 16 – Definition
Read: Back
to the Lake, Ch. 10 p.
374-399 and Mary Roach “How to Know If You’re Dead” p. 402-409.
Thu,
Oct 17 – First Draft of Short Essay Two Due - Workshop and Hand in
Week 9 – Methods of Support: Process Analysis/Classification
Mon,
Oct 21 – Process Analysis
Read: Back
to the Lake, Ch. 7 p. 223-239 and Robert Connors “How in the World Do You
Get a Skunk Out of a Bottle?” p. 256-260
Wed,
Oct 23 – Classification
Read: Back to the Lake, Ch. 9 p. 316-327
Stephanie Ericsson “The Ways We Lie” p. 336-344
Thu,
Oct 24 – Class Debate
Read:
The entire section in Back to the Lake on "Debating the Drinking
Age" p. 583-594. You may also want to do some online
research (using credible sources, of course) to prepare for class.
Week 10 – Methods of Support: Comparison and Contrast/Cause
and Effect
Mon,
Oct 28 – Comparison and Contrast
Read: Back
to the Lake, Ch. 8 p. 269-280,
Roger Cohen “The Meaning of Life” p.291-295, and “Two Ways to Belong in
America”
Final Draft Short Essay Two Due (3-4
pages)
Wed,
Oct 30 – Cause and Effect
Read:
Back to the Lake, Ch. 11 p. 451-465,
Henry Louis Gates Jr. “The Way to Reduce Black Poverty in America” p. 484-487,
and Dan Barry “Cancer’s Oddest Effect” p. 495-499
Thu,
Oct 31 – Wrap up Comparison and Contrast/Cause and Effect Discussions
Week 11 – Combining the Methods and Film Screening
Mon,
Nov 4 – Combining the Methods
Read: Back to the Lake Ch. 13 p.
649- 652 and Eric Schlosser “What We Eat” p. 667-674
Wed,
Nov 6 – Food, Inc.
Screening
First
Draft Short Essay Three Due
Thu,
Nov 7 – Continue Food, Inc.
Read:
Michael Pollan “Escape From the Western Diet” and Mary Maxfield “Food as Thought:
Resisting the Moralization of Eating”
Week 12 – Practice
Mon,
Nov 11 – Discussion/Review for
In-Class Essay
Wed,
Nov 13 – In-Class Essay
Thu,
Nov 14 – Library Visit One - 609 HE
Read: Complete
VOILA Test and Research
Paper Topic and Questions Due
Week 13 – Research
Mon,
Nov 18 – Library Visit Number Two – Discuss Research Paper and Individual Research
Read: The Little Seagull Handbook "Doing Research"
Final Draft Short Essay Three Due (3-4 pages)
Final Draft Short Essay Three Due (3-4 pages)
Wed,
Nov 20 – Discuss Annotated Bibliography and Read: Back to the Lake Barack
Obama “A More Perfect Union” p. 560-573
Thu,
Nov 21 – Thesis Workshop
Research Paper Working Thesis Due
Week 14 – Happy Thanksgiving
Mon,
Nov 25 – Gun Law Debate -
Readings TBD
Annotated Bibliography and Revised Thesis Statement Due
Annotated Bibliography and Revised Thesis Statement Due
Wed,
Nov 27 – No Class
Thu,
Nov 28 – Happy Thanksgiving
Week 15 – Drafting Research Paper
Mon,
Dec 2 – Workshop
Research Paper First Draft Due (3
pages)
Wed,
Dec 4 – Metacommentary Chapter
and Clips
Read: Metacommentary and “Kenyon Commencement Speech”
Thu,
Dec 5 – Continue Metacommentary Discussion
Research Paper Second Draft Due to be handed in (5 pages)
Week 16 – Oral Presentations/Review
Mon,
Dec 9 – Class Presentations
Wed,
Dec 11 – Class Presentations
Thu,
Dec 12 – Review/First Part of Final Exam
Week 17 – Final Exam
Mon,
Dec 16 – Second Part of Final Exam: Time TBA
Final
Portfolio, including Final Research Paper, Due
HAPPY
HOLIDAYS!
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