Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Barn Burning Writing Assignment

Writing Assignment on
William Faulkner's "Barn Burning"
Before attempting this writing assignment, be sure you have worked through the Study Guide for this story.
Option 1. Analyze in detail the conflict within Sarty. Conclude your analysis by explaining why you believe Sarty resolves it the way he does.
Option 2. Explain in detail how we are to understand Abner Snopes' motivation. Why is he so antagonistic to his landlords? What are we to understand as the principles he believes in for determining who deserves respect and who does not? Suppose someone were to try to persuade him that he should be grateful to the likes of Mr. Harris or Major de Spain for giving him a living. What do you imagine would be his reply? Important lines of inquiry to explore include:
What principles lie behind Abner's general attitude towards fences (cf. ¶3, ¶26) and other expressions of the "modern" regime of property (cf. ¶15, ¶26, ¶39, ¶108)?
What are Abner's notions about "blood" and "blood ties"? (Cf., e.g., ¶29, ¶84.)
What is the relevance, if any, of what we learn about Abner's feelings towards the element of fire? (Cf., e.g., ¶26.)
What are we to make of the various expressions of his determination, his hardness of will? (Cf., e.g., ¶20, ¶25, ¶41, ¶42, ¶46, ¶91)?
What, for Abner, are the fundamental conditions for the preservation of a man's personal dignity (self-respect, integrity)? What form of general social organization would such a conception of person honor be most harmoniously adapted to? How is that form of social organization inconsistent with the social order within which Abner finds himself, by historical accident, as it were?
Option 3. What are we to think of the legitimacy of the overall social order within which the story takes place? What, for example, is your assessment of the quality of justice administered in the two court sessions (in different small towns) that we witness in the course of the story? Are there other relevant factors to be taken into account? Explain.
Consult the Study Guide to this story before attempting this writing assignment.
Suggestions are welcome. Please send your comments to lyman@ksu.edu .

Barn Burning Study Guide 1020

Study Guide to
William Faulkner's "Barn Burning"
Allocate at least three readings to the story.
Arrange for your initial reading to be carried out at a single sitting. Your goal in this initial reading should be to familiarize yourself with the basic facts of the story. As you do this, you should be looking for answers to the following standard initial agenda of curiosity:
Who is the protagonist of the story?
What are the basic features of his situation or predicament?
As a part of this: what are the basic cultural norms the character takes for granted, or is asked by others to accept?
What are the important conflicts at work in the story?
Proceed on the assumption that there may be more than one, and that they will probably be related to each other. For example, what internal conflicts does the protagonist experience, and do these connect with conflicts between the protagonist and other characters?
Where would you locate the climax of the story?
Is there more than one way open for deciding this?
What is the point of view from which the story is conveyed?
Does the point of view shift in the course of the story?
What games does a given point of view open up for the writer to invite the reader to play? (That is, what problems of interpretation does the point of view make it possible to interest the reader in?) Does it look like the author is indeed offering to play this or that game?
Do not read further in this memo until you have completed your initial reading.
Many readers find that the point of view of the story and the narrator's language make it necessary for them to strain a bit to construct the basic facts of the story. Check to see if your picture of the skeleton facts of the story corresponds to the following. Add some details of your own to fill out these bare bones with important omitted facts.
Opening scene: a village general store somewhere in the American South (Mississippi?). A court is in session, presided over by a Justice of the Peace. Mr. Harris, a local landowner, has charged Abner Snopes, a share-cropping tenant, with arson - burning down his barn in retaliation for Harris' reactions to repeated incursions by Snopes' hog in Harris' crops.
The Snopes family camps out that night on the way to a new tenancy, in a county next door.
Description of the campfire. (What's important here?)
The father's admonition to the son. (What are the issues here?)
Arrival at the sharecropper's quarters at the new place.
Visit to the big house by Snopes (who has taken Sarty along):
Sarty's impression (What is the tone of the narrator's description of the house, as Sarty experiences it? What strikes you about what strikes him?)
Marring the rug
Back at the hut:
Major de Spain delivers the rug, demands it be cleaned.
Abner Snopes cleans the rug.
Snopes returns the rug, Sarty again being taken along on the errand.
Next morning (Wednesday) at the hut:
Major de Spain imposes a compensation.
Sarty's hopes. (What are these?)
Saturday, in town (a different one from scene 1), in another general store: court again:
Snopes charges that his landlord's imposition is unfair.
The J.P. reduces de Spain's exactions to $5 (10 bushels of corn beyond the share-cropping agreement already in force)
Later that afternoon, still in town:
Sarty's reaction
Fixing the wagon
Eating a meal (What is revealed about Abner Snopes here?)
Back home, sundown.
Snopes' conflict with his wife
Sarty escapes, warns de Spain, escapes from the bighouse. The barn burns as de Spain rides out. Sarty hears shots.
Midnight, atop a hill in the middle of a woods. (What are Sarty's thoughts?)
Dawn. (What are the important details?)
In your second reading, focus on Sarty. What is the story inviting us to notice about him? What should be our feelings about what he undergoes, what he does, what the impact of this will be upon him?
How would you describe the conflict he is experiencing?
What are the different values to which he seems to be committed? How are these values embodied?
What is it about his father that strikes him as admirable, worthy of respect?
Look carefully at the two court-session scenes. What is your reaction to the way the two judges act in the respective trials? What standards prompt the first judge's question to the plaintiff at the end of the trial? What standards prompt the plaintiff's decision? How do you feel about their commitment to these principles? How would you assess the judge's decision in the second trial?
How do you figure these events have registered with Sarty?
After Sarty runs away at the sound of the shots, is there any indication how Sarty will turn out? Will this now virtual orphan end up soundly on his psychological and ethical feet? Or will he be demoralized and destroyed by the trauma of what he has brought about? (Consider the conclusion of ¶28.)
Keep track in the margins of your text of the places where
the narration shifts into what we would understand as the language of his own thoughts
the narration renders his experience of something, but the language of the narrator deviates from the kind of vocabulary or syntax that we can regard as Sarty's own
the narration departs from Sarty's consciousness, in order
to tell us something about the past that Sarty does not know about
to tell us something about the future
to tell us something that Sarty would have thought or felt if he had known something that he does not know.
Do not read further in this memo until you have completed your second reading.
In your third reading, try something really difficult. See if you can find in the story a basis, indirectly conveyed, for understanding Abner Snopes in a sympathetic light.
This is difficult forseveral distinct reasons.
(1) This story is written almost exclusively from Sarty's point of view, even though (as you will have noticed in your second reading) the narrator indicates Sarty's experience from a conceptual vantage point that transcends Sarty's own conceptual repertoire, and even though the narrator occasionally acquaints us with facts that we are told Sarty has never heard of.
(2) We are clearly meant to sympathize with what Sarty is undergoing and with the decision he makes at the end, and this decision is not only counter to his father's will, but seems to result in the latter's death.
(3) The narrator paints Abner Snopes' appearance and impact upon his family in an apparently unsympathetic light.
(4) Snopes' motivation is left entirely unexplained, mysterious, unaccountable, bizarre - at least on the explicit plain. - hence (apparently) irrational, even mad.
Yet there are some features of Faulkner's portrait of Abner Snopes that warn us it would be a mistake to appreciate him only as a simple villain. Make it your business, in your third reading, to pay attention to details that indicate:
(1) that there are things about him that are impressive, even admirable.
Tick off in the margin details that might serve as grounds for such view..
(2) that his "world view" is radically different from that which has come to be the established one, and that his sense is what the proper basis for self respect is something that on its own terms makes sense.
Make an effort (you may not succeed, but make the effort!) to see how Snopes' picture of what should be is hard for us to appreciate because the picture that is established, which we ourselves participate in, and which contradicts it, is so pervasive, so dominant, that it is difficult for the rest of the characters and for us ourselves (who have all implicitly come to be a part of the consensus) even to imagine what it is, and how it hangs together, despite the fact that Snopes' is historically more traditional. The fact that the two are irreconcilable means that if one is realized, the other is negated, and this in turn means that partisans of each must regard each other as a profound threat. What we find so deeply threatening we are tempted to find ways to regard as simply unintelligible. Your task here is to resist that temptation. Try to discover how Snopes' picture might be at least intelligible - even if, in the end, you decide that you would reject it.
What are the sources of the raging resentment of the people for whom the prevailing circumstances force Snopes to work?
What does he evidently see as the principles that he is defending, from a position of severe disadvantage?
Do you have some idea, historically, of how the circumstances came about that he sees as antagonistic to these principles? Or is it a fact of nature, rather than of particular societies, that some people must work for others on terms for the most part dictated by these others?
Would it make a difference, in your view, whether these conditions of inequality were a fact of nature or a socially constructed artifact? (Note that this question is logically independent of the question of whether you think that they were or were not such an artifact.)
The key questions, then, concern Abner Snopes motivation. On the face of things, his behaviors are bizarre and unaccountable. But are they ultimately? (Remember: your task is not to find a way to endorse Snopes - only to understand what drives him.) What, then, are the factors (the complex of factors) that you detect behind:
his negligence concerning the hog that keeps getting into Mr. Harris' corn;
his burning of Harris' barn;
his marring de Spain's rug;
his "cleaning" it the way he does;
his suing de Spain;
his burning of de Spain's barn?
Here are some of the paragraphs you will want to take into special account: 25, 26, 28, 38, 45, 83.
There's a Writing Assignment on this story.
Suggestions are welcome. Please send your comments to lyman@ksu.edu .
Contents copyright © 1999 by Lyman A. Baker.
Permission is granted for non-commercial educational use; all other rights reserved.
This page last updated 09 November 2000.

Faulkner's "Barn Burning" Questions 1020

Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” Questions
Engl 1010
Hasting




1. Describe the buildings in the story, their presentation and importance.

2. What are the possessions of the Snopes family? How are they described and what significance do they have?

3. Locate and analyze passages in the story that emphasize the characters’ differences in wealth.

4. What crimes against property is Abner Snopes guilty of before the events of the story? During the time interval of the story? What punishments result?

5. Locate an explicit reference to the idea of “owning people.” Is the idea implied in other passages?

6. What are the story’s implications regarding the “American Dream” and ideal of the United States as the land of opportunity and justice?

Classification Essay 1010

CLASSIFICATION ESSAY
ENGLISH 1010
HASTING


In classification we analyze a subject by arranging it into groups or categories rather than separate parts. Here are some examples:

Apartments: kinds of apartments
High-rise
Garden
Tenements

Colleges:
Liberal arts
Community
Private


Biologists classify Vertebrates:
Mammals
Birds
Reptiles
Amphibians
Fish

Each class represents a major portion in your essay. Each needs to be defined and described, with as many examples as needed for clarity. Each must be carefully differentiated from the others when any possibility of confusion occurs.

Always use one principle of classification. Cars can be analyzed by engine size, manufacturer, price, body style, etc. Analyze only one of the many classifications that are available in order to avoid being inconsistent.

Acknowledge any complications. When classifying people or groups, remember that this is a necessary but artificial assignation, no one is a complete introvert, or complete a conservative, or a total liberal. You are classifying them in order to make some sort of point (hopefully!) not just to stereotype them. We never write a paper that does not have an argumentative purpose. Your point of view must be convincing and stated clearly in the thesis.






Examples of a classification thesis:
Good politicians in this country are vastly outnumbered by the bad and mediocre.
Every major religion in the United States has a similar concept of God.
The distinctions among normal drinkers, heavy drinkers, and alcoholics are dangerously vague.
Only one kind of television program makes any appeal to the viewer’s intelligence.

As the observant beachcomber moves from the tidal area to the upper beach to the sandy dunes, rich variations in marine life become apparent. (Obviously, this essay is going to be about different kinds of marine life)

Although most people focus on the dangers associated with the disposal of toxic waste in the land and ocean, incineration of toxic matter may pose an even more serious threat to human life. (this one is focused on methods of disposal)

Suggested topics:
television doctors, snobbishness, drug users, people at a concert or sporting event, methods of making excuses, cashiers in supermarkets, clothing, parents, love, hate, laziness, new programs or commentators, freshman English students, managers or coaches of athletic teams, ambition, summer jobs, pessimists, optimists, attitudes towards Christmas, attitudes toward money, attitudes toward sex

See pgs. 279-80 in Longman under classification for more potential topics


Parameters for the classification essay:

This essay is written in class on Wed. March 18

Essay must be at least 500 words

Must have a six to ten sentence Introduction paragraph

Thesis must appear as the last sentence in the introduction

Topic sentences must appear clearly as the FIRST sentence of each body paragraph.

Provide appropriate supporting details in each paragraph (Your essay must provide evidence of cohesion)

Must have a conclusion

Remember to double-space text

Use MLA style heading

Staple

Do not use contractions, ask rhetorical questions, or use the personal pronoun
“you”

Follow the rules on capitalizing your title

The Exemplification Essay DSPW 0800

THE EXEMPLIFICATION ESSAY
DSPW 0800
HASTING

An example is a single item drawn from a larger group to which it belongs. The exemplification essay will be filled with examples that will support your thesis. The following are specific examples drawn from a general topic:

Smog is one of the many possible examples of pollution.
Chicken pox is an example of a childhood disease.
The egg yolk on Bill’s tie is an example of his sloppy eating habits.
The bald eagle is an example of an endangered species that has been preserved.
The French Reign of Terror is an example that supports the idea that violent revolutions often begat a violent backlash.

Examples add interest. Specific examples take a humdrum generalization such as war is bad, and give it life by providing the rich detail that the reader needs in order to follow your argument.

Examples help to persuade. All of your examples should be relevant and persuasive. The main point of each example used should be one which supports your thesis. The examples you choose should encourage your reader to take your thesis seriously.

The number of examples needed is up to you and the topic you have chosen to write about. Three examples would be minimal, but would require a lot of development in order to make your argument sound.

It is very important to choose examples that are representative. The examples you choose should not be of some random, out-of-the-ordinary event that your reader will dismiss as an aberration and not representative of the problem of your topic.

It will be easy to get sidetracked when writing an example essay because you will want to explain what can be done about a problem or the causes for a problem and then you will have gone off track and away from your thesis.

Your first example should get you off with a bang! Choose your best example and use it first in the body of your essay. Your job as a writer is to stimulate interest, arouse curiosity, make the reader laugh and the sooner you do this the better. Once your reader is interested, curious, or laughing you have him or her hooked.

A few example topics:


Some teachers try to hard to identify with their students.
Junk food has many virtues.
Corruption is part of the American way of life.
Teenage marriages are likely to end unhappily.
People express their personalities through the clothes they wear.
The generation gap is a myth.
Children’s television programs display too much violence.
A student’s life is not a happy one.
Members of the clergy are complex human beings, not plaster saints.
You can tell a lot about people from their table manners.
Student government is a farce.
Apparent nonconformists are sometimes the worst conformists.
Everyone loves to gossip.
Many people never learn from their mistakes.
The effort to succeed is more satisfying than success itself.
Even at their best, most people are basically selfish.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Taking care of a pet can be a great educational experience for children.
Newspapers rarely bother to report good news

Parameters:

Must be at least 500 words

Form:

Must have a four to five sentence Introduction paragraph
Thesis must appear as the last sentence in the introduction
Topic sentences must appear clearly as the FIRST sentence of each body paragraph
Provide appropriate supporting details in each paragraph (Your essay must provide evidence of cohesion)
Must have a conclusion

Remember to:

Double-space text
Use an MLA style heading
Staple
Do not use contractions, ask rhetorical questions, or use the personal pronoun “you”
Follow the rules on capitalizing your title

The exemplification essay will be written out of class on a subject of your choice.

Due Dates:

DSPW 0800 101

Conferences will be on March 2, 3, 4
Conference sign up will be Friday Feb. 27
Final draft is due on
March 18

DSPW 0800 102

Conferences will be on March 3 and 5
Conference sign up will be Thursday February 26
Final draft is due on March 17

Bring two typed copies of your first draft to the conference. I will not look at essays which are not typed. Missing your conference will result in a 10 point deduction in the final essay grade.

Submit you first draft to Smarthinking. Include the tutor’s comments when you turn in the final draft. Not consulting with a Smarthinking tutor will result in a 10 point reduction in the essay grade

Monday, February 16, 2009

Soldier's Home

Ernest Hemingway's "Soldier's Home"Commentary by Karen Bernardo
As Hemingway’s "Soldier’s Home" opens, the protagonist, Harold Krebs, has just come back from World War I. All the other young men his age have settled back into small-town life and found a niche for themselves as contributing members of the community. But Harold, for some reason, cannot do this; instead, he plays pool, "practice[s] on his clarinet, stroll[s] down town, read[s], and [goes] to bed."
Harold’s experiences in Europe have changed him irrevocably, and this change is dramatically played out against the backdrop of a town where nothing has changed for years. His father parks his same car in the same place he did before the war; the girls walking down the street look like the same girls with whom Harold went to school. People want Harold to justify his existence by talking about the glories of the war, but the experience wasn’t glorious for him; he is acutely aware that he was "badly, sickeningly frightened all the time."
It is not until his mother confronts him about his future that he realizes that he cannot continue to live this lie. Over breakfast, his mother pressures him to get a job by arguing that "There are no idle hands in [God’s] Kingdom." Harold replies, "I’m not in His Kingdom" -- and he’s not. The world he discovered during World War I had no hand of God in it. His mother, in despair, asks whether he loves her, and Harold responds quite truthfully that he doesn’t. We know that this is because his entire worldview has been turned upside down by his traumatic experiences in the war, and the ability to genuinely love requires an emotional balance he does not have right now. But his mother does not understand this, because she cannot identify with his experiences.
Harold veers onto the edge of self-revelation with his straight-forward answers about the Kingdom of God and his lack of ability to love, but when his mother begins to cry he waffles. So he backs down, telling her that of course he loves her and he wants her to pray for him. But he realizes in that moment that there is no source of strength except that which can be forged from within himself, and he will never be able to become assimilated back into the community in which he was born. Harold Krebs, only just returned, knows he has to go away.
As is typical of Hemingway’s fictional heroes, Harold has lost his belief in those systems -- religion, tradition, "family values," and the like -- which protect most of us from the existential world. A person who believes in nothing requires tremendous courage just to keep on living, but for the Hemingway hero it is better than living a lie.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Literary Research Paper

English 1020/ Composition II
Literary Research Paper
Hasting

Literature available for research: Trifles, The Story of an Hour, Soldier’s Home, A Rose for Emily, Barn Burning, Good Country People, A Good Man is Hard to Find, Revelation, A & P, poetry must be chosen from the textbook.

Parameters for research:

1. Conduct research on a thesis developed from a play, short story or poem listed in the literature list above.
2. Attendance on library research days and approval dates are mandatory and missing will cause a deduction in your final research paper grade.
3. Anyone who plagiarizes this paper, wholly or in part, will fail the paper and the course.

Possible ideas for development: (Harbrace 704-724)

1. Detailed poetry explication. This requires a line by line explanation and interpretation of the poem(s) you have chosen.
2. Apply a critical theory to a piece of literature, examine three literary elements found in the literature, and apply all towards the question of theme.

For this assignment remember to review the material from our text as well as the handbook.
Format instructions for body text and other elements (Harbrace 632-647)
In-line citation suggestions (Harbrace 603-612)
Guidelines for works cited page (Harbrace 613-632)
Models for works cited page (Harbrace 650-651)

Required Paper Elements

Use standard MLA format for main body text of the paper; include name and page number in top right hand corner of the page (Harbrace 632-647)

Length: Paper must contain a 1000 word minimum quotes included (double-spaced, size-12 Times New Roman ) plus a Works Cited page. No title page

Must have at least 6-10 sentence Introductory (Harbrace 450-453) paragraph in which your argument is clearly presented.

Thesis statement with primary argument must appear in one sentence and as the last sentence of your introduction.. (Harbrace 426-436)

Body of the paper must include 3 main points of development
(Harbrace 426-436)

Topic sentences must appear clearly as the first sentence of each body paragraph. Plenty of supporting details in each paragraph (at least 3-10 sentences per paragraph).

Must have at least 4-6 sentence Conclusion paragraph (Harbrace 453-456) which draws the paper to a close by recapping the main points of your analysis.

Works cited (Harbrace 651)
Lists only works you cited in your paper; listed in alphabetical order and in proper MLA format

Language:

Avoid the first person use of “I.” The word “you” and its derivatives should not be used. Remember that literary essays are written in the present tense only.

Research Requirement List:

5 Sources of Information (Harbrace 546-583)
3 Traditional and/or ebooks
2 Journal articles (hardcopy or from a database)
No Internet sources will be accepted.
Sources should not take up more than 25% of your final essay.

All sources used in the literary research paper must be verified by copying the quotation, paraphrased section, or summarized area and turning them in with the paper on the due date.
The paper must contain a minimum of five quotes, paraphrases, or summaries.
(Harbrace 590-600)

Due Dates: Research Topic approval March 5, 2009
Research Thesis and Formal Outline March 24, 2009
Conferences April 7 and 9, 2009
Research Paper due April 21, 2009

MLA Parenthetical Documentation

MLA Bibliographic Entries

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Example Student Essay

Suzie Q. Student
Professor Teach
English 1010-001 Susie Q. Student
27 November 2008
Title of My Paper
This is my paper. I am going to receive an A on this paper because I formatted it correctly in MLA style. Also, since I listened to my instructor and followed directions, my essay complies with the guidelines on my assignment sheet.
My paper will receive a good grade because I closely followed the MLA guidelines I found in the Harbrace Handbook, just as my instructor told me to do. My margins are set at one inch, my lines are double spaced, and my font is Times New Roman 12. I also have a header with my last name and the page number.
Since I used other sources, I have documented the quotes and paraphrases correctly. I have avoided plagiarism by including in-text citations where I quoted or paraphrased information. My complete source entries are listed in the Works Cited page.

MLA Style Essays on Microsoft Word 2007

Margins

1 inch on all sides.

Word 2003 → File→ Page Setup → Margins → Top, Bottom, Left, & Right equals 1.00
Word 2007 → Already defaulted to 1 inch

Font

Most instructors prefer a font like Times New Roman in 12 point. Word 2003 is defaulted to that font, but Word 2007 is not.

Word 2003→defaulted to Times New Roman 12
Word 2007→home tab → font section → choose Times New Roman from the font menu → choose 12 from the font point menu


Line Spacing

MLA style papers should be double-spaced.

Word 2003 → Format → Paragraph → Indents and Spacing: Spacing: Line Spacing: Double
Or click the line spacing button on the tool bar and click 2.0

Word 2007 → Home Tab → Paragraph Section → Line spacing button → 2.0


Header

The header consists of your last name and the page number. It is important to use the insert page number function in order to number your pages properly. Example: Smith 1

Word 2003 →View →Header and Footer →Use the right align button on the toolbar → type last name and one space → from the header and footer tool bar click the insert page number button

Word 2007 → Insert Tab → Insert Page # → Top of Page → Plain 3 → Type last name and space before number
Highlight your last name and the page number → change the font to match the body of the paper

*Double click in the document portion of the page to start typing your paper.*


Heading

Your name
Instructor’s Name
Course Number
Date in the form of: Day Month Year (example: 8 September 2008)
Hanging Indent

The documents listed in the Works Cited Page need to be in a hanging indent format.

Word 2003 & 2007 → Select the citation entry → on the ruler move the bottom slide to ½ inch


Other Resources

Harbrace Handbook

http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite5.html

http://webster.commnet.edu/mla/index.shtml

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/

search Word MLA templates
Research Paper in MLA format
Works Cited List in MLA format


Citations

Author Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. City of Publication: Name of Publisher, Year of Publication.
Author Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Name of Journal. Volume Number. Issue Number (Date): Page Numbers.
Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Book. Title of Internet Site. Organization. Year of Publication. Date of Access. .
If the journal article exists in print as well, you need to provide the print information before the website information.

Author Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Journal Title. Volume. Issue (date): Page Numbers. Online Database. Publisher. Cleveland State Community College Library. Date of Access .

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Narrative Essay 1010

The Narrative Essay
English 1010
Hasting




Narration is the telling of a story. Your essay will most likely tell a story about what once really happened to you or to people you know. The essence of a narrative essay is a point and a story to back it up. Tell your own story in your own way.

The story must have a thesis, but the story itself is what gives life to the paper.
(Remember the thesis is the last sentence in your introduction paragraph.)

Write a story, not a sermon. Avoid preaching, lecturing, or moralizing, especially in your conclusion.

A good story needs a conflict.
Conflicts can occur between people, between people and their environments, and between a person and himself.

A good story needs a lot of details, specific ones that give the reader a rich picture of what is taking place.

A good story is real. No one is totally good or totally evil. Life is much more complex than that, and we all know it!

Check your handout that covered the College Essay.

*Use MLA style heading and page numbers

*500 words, typed, and double-spaced using size 12 font

*Introduction must be at least 6-10 sentences

*A thesis must be in the last sentence of the introduction paragraph

*Each body paragraph (3 is the minimum number) must begin with a topic sentence. Each topic sentence must directly support the thesis. And each topic sentence must be supported by all of the rest of the sentences in the paragraph.

*Your conclusion should restate the thesis using different words. Use your conclusion to remind your reader of the main points you made in the body of your essay.

Type on one side of your paper only.

No cover sheet.

Staple

No contractions, no use of the personal pronoun “you”

Your essay must contain a title.

Narrative Essay DSPW 0800

Writing a Narrative
DSPW 0800
Hasting


When you write a narrative essay, you are writing a story. Your story may be personal, historical, or even fictional (made up). Stories are almost always told in chronological order. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end. Narratives need a thesis as the last sentence of the introductory paragraph. The three body paragraphs should begin with a topic sentence (which introduces the topic of that paragraph). The conclusion of your narrative should summarize the main points of your story and/or restate your thesis using different words.

See page 175 in Writing First for examples of transitional words and phrases that will help your readers follow your story. For example: After, finally, now, meanwhile. These transitional words indicate that time is passing, so they are useful for keeping your narrative organized.

Read the narrative “Reflections” on pages 175-76 if you would like to see an example.
Handwrite or type a one-page narrative essay on the topic “your idea of a perfect day.” Follow the rules of writing found in the handout Requirements of the College Essay. The narrative is due on Tuesday, February 3. This essay is only a homework grade.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Using the Internet for Academic Research

Using the Internet for Academic Research
Hasting


You are likely to find some of the latest information on a topic on the internet simply because publishing on the web is so simple. Anyone can do it, and herein lies the problem. Sources appropriate for use in academic research are few and far between. Some of the best sources are college and university websites. Their internet addresses end in .edu. Another reliable source is the U.S. government whose websites all end in .gov. All others must be evaluated by you the researcher. That puts the responsibility for their accuracy and honesty on you.

Some ways to be a responsible researcher:
*How recently has the site been updated? If it’s been a long time, you can bet the information is not current and the publisher may be gone.

*Web sites are rarely refereed or reviewed, as are scholarly books and journals, so you will need to determine the website’s point of view and ferret out evidence of bias. It is not unheard of for a student to discover a site about literature that is being run by skinheads who believe in censorship of the very literature they are discussing. As a researcher, it is your responsibility to look at the website closely for indications that it is not what it seems.

*The lack of an author is a common problem on the internet. You must find out who the sponsor or producer of the site is. Is there a way to contact anyone associated with the site? Is the site address just someone’s name? An unidentified author is a bad sign because it means whoever he or she is they do not want to be identified with their site and neither do you!

*Who is the website’s audience? If it is academic, the site will be well organized, easy to navigate, contain working links to other reputable sites and be comprehensive in its coverage of a subject. These are all signs that this is a site that is an important project for someone in the academic community and that they take pride and responsibility in making it available to further the research of others.

*Googling a topic is a wonderful way to start your internet search, but it is only the beginning. Google and other search engines are going to give you massive numbers of sources, many will not be on point, some will be nothing more than someone else’s memo’s on the subject; in other words, most will be totally useless to your research.

*If, after going through a lengthy process, a site makes the grade, you can be sure that it will work to support the argument you are making in your research, rather than making you look foolish.

Examples of Thesis Statements for use in Literary Essays - 1020

Examples of Thesis Statements for use in Literary Essays
English 1020
Hasting


From the opening paragraph, John Steinbeck sets a tone of leaden resolve and introduces the protagonist amid a garden rich with sexual symbolism. (theme and mood)

It is Gilman’s intention to show that her main character’s spiral into insanity is, in fact, her willful defiance of that which would vanquish her true nature. (character and mood)

“The Story of an Hour” contains a rich mixture of situational and dramatic irony, which grow out of error, misunderstanding, incorrect expectations, and a certain degree of pride. (tone)

In A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams demonstrates how real desires can lead, like the streetcar itself, to a place we should never be and towards cruelties of character and circumstance.

In Doctor Faustus, Marlowe demonstrates that when a mortal tries to surpass his human limitations in hopes of attaining ultimate power for himself, he will be defeated. (theme)

Through her clever use of fiction, Woolf shrewdly removes herself from the position of authority, enhances audience identification with her narrator, and invites women to join her search for “the true nature of women and the true nature of fiction.”

In Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte illustrates that in order to overcome adverse conditions, one must possess a burning desire to succeed, the courage to defy societal norms and the endurance and ability to defend one’s convictions.

Auden uses the events in his ode to Spain to try to make sense of how and why a country as great and wonderful as Spain could tear itself apart in the name of diverse ideology.

The “Seafarer” poet uses the imagery in this poem to compare the perilous life of “landlubbers” (11) to that of his own and consequently explains his immense love for the sea.

The Thesis in the College Essay DSPW o8oo & 1010

The Thesis in the College Essay
Hasting

Writing is a form of persuasion.

Your job as a writer is to persuade your reader of the validity of a particular opinion or major point.

Choosing a Subject: Decide what you are most interested in, informed about, or what will go over best with your audience.

Narrowing down a subject: You will only have 500 words to inform, explain, and persuade your audience, so narrow your subject down to a topic that can be treated adequately in such a brief essay.

Thesis: the basic stand you take
the opinion you express
the point you make about your limited subject
the controlling idea

and it must be the last sentence of the first paragraph in your essay. This sentence is also known as your thesis statement. Your thesis requires that you commit yourself. You have something at stake. You are saying, “This is what I believe, and this is why I am right.”

Purpose: Your primary purpose is to persuade the reader that your thesis is valid.

The purpose of the body of the essay is to back up the thesis. The body of the essay consists of three paragraphs that follow the introductory paragraph. Your body paragraphs, individually and as a whole, must persuade your reader that your thesis makes sense.

The title of your essay is not the thesis.

A thesis is not an announcement of the subject of your essay. For example, “ I want to share some thoughts with you about our space program.”

A thesis is not a statement of absolute fact. We all know that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so this cannot be a thesis; it needs no support. It is just a simple statement of fact that no one would argue.

A thesis is only one sentence found at the end of your first essay paragraph. It is not the entire essay itself.

A thesis must be: restricted – narrow, bite-sized issues, not something that requires a lifetime to discuss intelligently.

A thesis must be unified: only one major idea about its subject can be expressed in a thesis. Now minor ideas can be discussed in the body, but must always work to support the main point of the essay – your thesis.

A good thesis must be specific: The opposite of specific is vague. Vague ideas normally come through as so familiar or dull or universally accepted that the reader sees no point in paying attention to them.

An extended specific thesis which includes the major points you will discuss in the body of the paper is fine.

The thesis as it appears in your introduction should clearly indicate what the subject is and your opinion about the subject (remember you are trying to persuade); however, it also should arouse curiosity in the mind of your reader or establish a tone of humor, anger, solemnity, etc.

Your conclusion: is the last paragraph of an essay. It can do several things such as, be a quick summary of your thesis and its main supporting points, or it can reemphasize the importance of your thesis (make sure to write the thesis in your conclusion using different words), or it can relate your thesis to people’s everyday lives, or it can make a prediction, or it can issue a call for action.

Never introduce a totally unrelated, new idea in your conclusion.

The Purpose of Writing 1010

The Purpose of Writing Hasting

The Rhetorical Situation – the context in which you are interpreting a reading or composing a piece of writing or a visual

writer

exigence PURPOSE

audience message


Exigence is the reason or problem that makes you, the writer, want to write.

When language can solve a situation, the solution is rhetorical.

The audience is the reader or readers who have the capacity to do something about a problem.

A clear understanding of your audience—its values, concerns, what it knows, helps you to write effectively.

Specialized – people who you know are interested in just one thing – if you are a part of this specialized audience you know what kinds of words to use to get them to sit up and notice your writing – a more generalized audience might not get it. They might thing you are being overly emotional, or not emotional enough in your presentation.

Diverse – this is an audience that has an interest in a subject, but some of them know a lot more than others about the subject. Some may even know more than you do. You have to keep them all interested and that can be a tall order. As a writer, you have to be aware of the level of understanding of each member of your audience and use words and details in your writing that all will appreciate.

Multiple – this is the one you will deal with most in college. First, there is a primary audience, however, you also are aware than a secondary audience may also read what you have written. As a writer, you have to gauge your words and your tone for both audiences. In college, your primary audience might be your English teacher, then you decide to reuse this essay as the basis for an essay you turn in for history or psychology. Now you’ve got two audiences, and each is looking for something different.
Context – the time, place, audience, writer, and the medium of delivery (newspaper, journal article, webpage) all impact how we write and what we say to our audience. Even cultural circumstances, social situations, religious beliefs, and politics will affect our writing. All writing is written in a context, and your readers will know to read it in that context too. Any time a writer writes and a reader reads they do

Writing Vocabulary - 1010 & 1020

Writing Vocabulary
English 1010
Hasting


Invention

Revision

Organization

Drafting

Edit

Rhetorical context

Audience

Purpose

Persona

Academic textual conventions

Academic community

Critical thinking

Primary sources

Secondary sources

Argumentation

Refute

Concede

Reliability

Documentation

Reflective

Friday, January 16, 2009

Requirements of the College Essay - DSPW 0800

Requirements of the College Essay
DSPW0800 – Developmental Writing
Hasting

Double-space typed and handwritten text

Write or type on front side of paper only

Write legibly. Use blue or black pen

Include page numbers in the top right hand of pages

Use MLA style heading

Do not use a folder of any kind, just staple

No cover sheet

Formal essays require that contractions not be used.

The personal pronoun “you” may not be used since the reader has no way of knowing who you is, and this is a formal essay anyway.

Okay is spelled “okay.” “Anyways” is not a word. Neither is “alot.”

All essays are 500 words

The first letter of each word of the title must be capitalized. Do not underline, italicize, or put quotation marks around your title.

The Writing Process

Use invention strategies (brainstorming, freewriting, clustering) to develop a topic that interests you.

Develop a tentative thesis for your essay. It should be one sentence and contain the subject of your essay and the argument you plan on making. The thesis will be the last sentence of your introductory paragraph.

The outline of your essay should contain all of the main points or arguments of your essay. A well-planned outline will make your essay easier to write because you have already thought out all the primary points you plan to make.

The first or rough draft of your essay should be typed. At this point, you have completed 20% of the work required before completing your essay.

80% of your essay writing time involves rewriting.

Ask yourself, does your essay make sense? Put it down, then come back to it a few hours or days later and see what needs to be changed. Let a friend who you know is good in English look it over for you. Read it out loud in order to discover words you have omitted.

Your essay must have a minimum of five paragraphs. The introduction must be at least 5-10 sentences. No paragraph should ever be less than three sentences. The three body paragraphs must support your thesis, and they are followed by your conclusion. The conclusion must restate the thesis using different words. This helps to remind the reader of what he or she has just read.

The topic sentence is the first sentence in each paragraph. You need to ask yourself if this sentence works to support the thesis in your introduction. It’s okay to change your thesis to make it match what you are writing. That’s called rewriting. Do your body paragraphs contain enough supporting details? More details make the essay “flow” which means you have a cohesive essay.

Writing is a recursive process. That means it’s not linear. You may have to go back time and time again to rewrite your thesis, or to change a major point in one of your body paragraphs, or to add an example or a story that you just thought of to help the reader understand a point you are making.

Requirements of the College Essay - English 1020

Requirements of the College Essay/Exam
English 1020 – Composition II
Hasting


1. Use invention strategies (brainstorming, freewriting, clustering) to develop a topic that interests you.

2. Develop a tentative thesis for your essay. It should be one sentence and contain the subject of your essay/exam and the argument you plan on making. The thesis will be the last sentence of your introductory paragraph.

3. The outline of your essay should contain all of the main points or arguments. A well-planned outline will make your essay easier to write because you have already thought out all the primary points you plan to make.

4. The first or rough draft of your essay should be typed. At this point, you have completed 20% of the work required before completing your essay.

5. 80% of your essay/exam writing time involves rewriting.

6. Ask yourself, does your essay make sense? Put it down, then come back to it a few hours or days later and see what needs to be changed. Let a friend who you know is good in English look it over for you. Read it out loud in order to discover words you have omitted.

7. Your essay must have a minimum of five paragraphs. The introduction must be at least 5-10 sentences. No paragraph should ever be less than three sentences. The three body paragraphs must support your thesis, and they are followed by your conclusion. The conclusion must restate the thesis using different words. This helps to remind the reader of what he or she has just read. (Obviously, this will be different for the research paper.)

8. The topic sentence is the first sentence in each paragraph. You need to ask yourself if this sentence works to support the thesis in your introduction. It’s okay to change your thesis to make it match what you are writing. That’s called rewriting. Do your body paragraphs contain enough supporting details? More details make the essay “flow” which means you have a cohesive essay.

9. Writing is a recursive process. That means it’s not linear. You may have to go back time and time again to rewrite your thesis, or to change a major point in one of your body paragraphs, or to add an example or a story that you just thought of to help the reader understand a point you are making.

10. Points to remember about each essay:

Double-space typed text; double-space handwritten text

Write or type on front side of paper only

Always use the present tense in literary essays

Write legibly

Use blue or black pen or pencil

Include page numbers in the top right hand of pages

Use MLA style heading

Do not use a folder of any kind, just staple

No cover sheet

Formal essays require that contractions not be used.

The personal pronouns “I,” “you,” “we,” and “us” may not be used since this is a formal essay.

Okay is spelled “okay.” “Anyways” is not a word. Neither is “alot.”

All essays (except the research paper) are 500 words

The first letter of each word of the title must be capitalized. Do not underline, italicize, or put quotation marks around your title.

Short story titles are put in quotation marks.

Play titles are italicized or underlined.

Poem titles are put in quotation marks.

Requirements of the College Essay - English 1010

Requirements of the College Essay
English 1010 – Composition I
Hasting


Double-space typed and handwritten text

Write or type on front side of paper only

Write legibly. Use only blue or black pen.

Include page numbers in the top right hand corner of each page

Use MLA style heading

Do not use a folder/notebook of any kind, just staple

No cover sheet

Formal essays require that contractions not be used.

The personal pronoun “you” may not be used since the reader has no way of knowing who you is and this is a formal essay anyway.

Okay is spelled “okay.” “Anyways” is not a word. Neither is “alot.”

All essays are 500 words


The first letter of each word of the title must be capitalized. Do not underline, italicize, or put quotation marks around your title.


The Writing Process

Use invention strategies (brainstorming, freewriting, clustering) to develop a topic that interests you. Harbrace 392-399

Develop a tentative thesis for your essay. It should be one sentence and contain the subject of your essay and the argument you plan on making. The thesis will be the last sentence of your introductory paragraph. Harbrace 399-403

The outline should contain all of the main points or arguments you will make in the body of your essay. A well-planned outline will make your essay easier to write. Harbrace 403-405

Getting down the first draft is only 20% of the work required to complete your essay. Harbrace 405-417

80% of your essay writing time involves rewriting. Harbrace 418-458

Ask yourself, does your essay make sense? Put it down, then come back to it a few hours or days later and see what needs to be changed. Let a friend who you know is good in English look it over for you. Read it aloud in order to discover words you have omitted.

Your essay must have a minimum of five paragraphs. The introduction must be at least 5-10 sentences. No paragraph should ever be less than three sentences. The three body paragraphs must support your thesis, and they are followed by your conclusion. The conclusion must restate the thesis using different words. This helps to remind the reader of what he or she has just read.

The topic sentence is the first sentence in each paragraph. You need to ask yourself if this sentence works to support the thesis in your introduction. It’s okay to change your thesis to make it match what you are writing. That’s called rewriting. Do your body paragraphs contain enough supporting details? More details means the essay “flows” which means you have a cohesive essay.

Writing is a recursive process. That means you may have to go back time and time again to rewrite your thesis, or to change a major point in one of your body paragraphs, or to add an example or a story that you just thought of to help the reader understand a point you are making.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Literary Terms - English 1020

http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/literature/bedlit/glossary_a.htm - Link to literary terms. Also can be found in the back of the Bedford lit. book.

Explanatory Websites for Glaspell's Trifles and Drama - English 1020

http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/bassr/heath/syllabuild/iguide/glaspell.html - Links to a critical discussion of Trifles.

http://itech.fgcu.edu/faculty/wohlpart/alra/glaspell.htm#Trifles - Links to a hypertext version of the play.

http://vccslitonline.cc.va.us/drama/theme.htm - Links to site which explains the vague concept known as "theme."

http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap8/glaspell.html - Links to Glaspell's bio.

What all four of these sites have in common is that they are reliable; someone at each of these colleges or universities ( note .edu) is responsible for the content. The sites are well-maintained and fairly easy to navigate.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

DSPW O800 Sec. 101 Course Schedule Spring 2009

DSPW 0800 Sec. 101 Course Schedule Spring 2009
(Subject to Change)

1/16 Introduction
1/19 MLK Holiday
1/26 Narration
2/9 Narrative essay in class 1
2/11 Exemplification
2/23 Conferences
2/25 Conferences
2/27 Conferences
3/2 Exemplification essay due 2; Process Analysis
3/9-3/14 Spring Break
3/23 Conferences
3/25 Conferences
3/26 Last day to withdraw from classes
3/27 Conferences
3/30 Process Analysis due 3; Description
4/10 Good Friday Holiday
5/1 Descriptive essay in class 4; Last day of class

Final Grades will be posted on Cougarnet. I am prohibited by law from discussing your grade over the phone or in an email.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Engl 1020 Course Schedule Spring 2009

Engl 1020 Course Schedule 2009

1/15 Introduction
1/19 MLK Holiday
1/20 *Trifles
2/3 Trifles in class essay 1
2/10 *The Story of an Hour
2/12 A Sorrowful Woman
2/17 *Soldier's Home
2/24 *A Rose for Emily
2/26 *Barn Burning
3/5 *Good Country People; Out of class essay 2 due
3/9-3/14 Spring Break
3/17 *A Good Man is Hard to Find
3/19 *Revelation
3/17 Letter to a Funeral Parlor; 55 Miles to the Gas Pump
3/24 *A & P
3/26 The Last Days of Mohammed Atta; Last day to withdraw from classes
3/31 Poetry; Out of class essay 3 due
4/10 Good Friday Holiday
4/21 Research Paper due 4
4/30 In class essay over poetry 5; Last day of class; All four graded essays must be returned.

* Indicates work may be used for research subject

Final Grades will be posted on Cougarnet. I am prohibited by federal law from discussing your grade over the phone or in an email.

Engl 1010 Course Schedule Spring 2009

English 1010 Course Schedule
(subject to change)

1/16 Introduction
1/19 MLK Holiday
1/26 Narration
2/6 Narrative essay in class 1
2/9 Exemplification
2/16 Conferences
2/18 Conferences
2/20 Conferences
2/23 Exemplification essay due 2; Division-Classification
3/9-3/14 Spring Break
3/16 Division-Classification essay in class 3
3/18 Process Analysis
3/23 Conferences
3/25 Conferences
3/26 Last day to withdraw from classes
3/27 Conferences
3/30 Process Analysis due 4; Argumentation
4/10 Good Friday Holiday
4/13 Conferences
4/15 Conferences
4/17 Conferences
4/20 Argumentative essay due 5: Description
4/29 Descriptive essay in class 6
5/1 Last day of class; All six major essays must be returned; Journal due

Your final grade may be accessed on Cougarnet. I am prohibited by federal law from discussing your grade over the phone or by email.

DSPW O800 Sec. 102 Course Schedule Spring 2009

DSPW 0800 Sec. 102 Course Schedule Spring 2009
(Subject to Change)
1/15 Introduction
1/19 MLK Holiday
1/27 Narration
2/10 Narrative essay in class 1
2/12 Exemplification
2/24 Conferences
2/26 Conferences
3/3 Exemplification essay due 2; Process Analysis
3/9-3/14 Spring Break
3/24 Conferences
3/26 Conferences; Last day to withdraw from classes
3/31 Process Analysis due 3; Description
4/10 Good Friday Holiday
4/30 Descriptive essay in class 4; Last day of class

Final Grades will be posted on Cougarnet. I am prohibited by federal law from discussing your grade over the phone or in an email.

Friday, January 2, 2009

English Composition II Syllabus ENGL 1020

CLEVELAND STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ENGL 1020 COMPOSITION II
Spring 2009

Jayne Hasting
Office: H-113D
Email: jhasting@clevelandstatecc.edu
Office Phone: 473-2305
Office Hours: MWF: 12:00-2:00; TR: 12:30-1:15
Website: http://collegewritingcscc.blogspot.com/ (Location of syllabi and handouts) Copies of the course syllabus and handouts can be made using college printers only if you do not own a home computer/printer.

Required:
The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature 8th ed.
Hodges’ Harbrace Handbook. 16th ed.
Recommended: College dictionary

This is a writing course in which the basic principles of good rhetoric will be studied within the context of the critical essay dealing with drama, fiction, and/or poetry (at least two genres must be covered). Minimal departmental requirements are outlined below:

The unit and nature of the writing is the critical essay with an introductory paragraph, at least three middle paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph, including the research paper with a minimum of four secondary sources in addition to the primary source; the research paper is to be a minimum length of 1,500 words.

The amount of writing is to be at least three thousand words with a minimum of five essays, including the research paper. Two essays must be written in class. The research paper must be of passing quality in order for the student to receive a passing grade in the course.
The student will be expected to write essays relatively free of serious errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

ASSESMENTS:

A. In English 1020, at least two of the three genres of fiction, poetry, and drama must be covered.

B. The documented library research paper is to be a critical/analytical essay dealing with a specific work or works of literature. It is to focus on the elements of literature that are presented in class (i.e. character, theme, irony, symbolism, figurative language, etc.).

C. The four major essays and the research paper must be returned to the instructor on the last day of the course.

D. It is essential that an instructor not give credit for English 1020 to any student who cannot write acceptably on a college level.

E. No children are to be permitted in the classroom or left unattended in the buildings or on the grounds.

Essays will be evaluated in terms of rhetoric and mechanics.

The rhetoric grade is the instructor’s judgment of the structure of the essay, development, unity, coherence, sentence structure, diction, effectiveness, etc.

The mechanics grade is determined by the evaluation of the student’s ability to effectively use mechanical elements (i.e. punctuation, verb / noun / pronouns usage, etc.). Below is a list of possible errors along with the grade weight of these errors.

10 Point errors 10 Point errors
- Sentence Fragment - Comma Splice
- Fused Sentence - Incorrect Pronoun Reference / Agreement
- Subject/ Verb Disagreement - Incorrect Case
- Incorrect Verb Form / Tense / Principal Parts - Incorrect Verb Form

2 Point errors (includes apostrophe)
- Misspellings
- Inappropriate Diction (e.g. wrong word)
- Omitted Words
- Other Mechanical Errors (e.g. modifiers)

Quizzes

Quizzes are given at the beginning of class and cannot be made up.

Homework

Missed work cannot be made up for any reason.

Late Work

Assignments are due at the beginning of the class period on the due date. Any assignment not turned in at that time will be considered late and will receive an automatic 10 point grade reduction.

Essays not formatted correctly will be immediately returned to the student for correction and will be considered late.

Please get any missed assignments from a classmate. This is not a web course, so do not call or email me for missed assignments.

Make-ups for In-Class essays: There will be no make-ups for in-class essays without a documented excuse (doctor's notice). In addition, it is the student's responsibility to arrange with the instructor for make-up work

Conferences: Out of class essays will be preceded by a conference. Conference attendance is required. Missing a conference will result in a 10-point deduction in your essay grade.



Grading Scale

Quizzes & Homework: =20%
Final Exam (cumulative) =10%
4 Essays (750 words each.) = 40%
Research paper (1500 words) = 30%

A= 90-100
B= 80-89
C= 70-79
D= 60-69
F= 59-0

Extra Credit: Attendance at all meetings of PAGES book club is worth 5 points on your final grade.


Attendence Policy:
More than 4 absences (excused or unexcused) will result in a 5 point reduction in your final grade. Regardless of whether or not students attend a given class meeting, they are entirely responsible for what takes place in class. (E.g. notes, assignments, in-class work, work due, etc.)

CLASS PARTICIPATION POLICY:

Vigorous participation in class discussions and the ability to answer questions correctly are requirements of this course. This means that you must have read the assigned literature before coming to class so that you can participate intelligently in the discussion. It is essential that you make me aware that you are in class and are engaged with the literature being studied.


PLAGIARISM POLICY:

Any of the five major essays found to be partially or wholly plagiarized will result in an F for that essay and an F in the course.

CLASS DISRUPTIONS:

I HAVE A VERY LOW TOLERANCE FOR CELL PHONES. TURN THEM OFF BEFORE WALKING INTO THE CLASSROOM. ANY STUDENT USING A CELL PHONE DURING AN IN-CLASS ESSAY OR QUIZ WILL BE ASSUMED TO BE CHEATING AND RECEIVE AN F FOR THAT ASSIGNMENT. All other electronic devices (including laptops) are prohibited.

Disability statement:

If because of a documented disability you require assistance or reasonable accommodations to complete assigned work (such as note taking, readers, testing, etc.) it is your responsibility to contact the Student Development Office located in U118 either by phone or in person. This should be done as early as possible in the term.

English Composition I Syllabus ENGL 1010

CLEVELAND STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
SPRING SEMESTER 2009
ENGLISH 1010

Jayne Hasting
Humanities 113D
Email: jhasting@clevelandstatecc.edu
Phone: 473-2305
Website: http://collegewritingcscc.blogspot.com/ (Location of syllabi and handouts) Only those students without a home computer/printer are permitted to use college facilities to make copies.
Office Hours: MWF: 12:oo-2:00; TR 12:30-12:45
Please speak to me after class if you need to meet at another time.

Required:
Hodges’ Harbrace Handbook 16th ed (available for use in the library only; student ID req.) 9-781413-020625
The Longman Reader 8th ed.(available for use in the library only; student ID req.) 0-321-48173-9
A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett by Himself (available for two day checkout; student id req.) 0-8032-6325-2

Recommended:
college dictionary

*English 1010 introduces students to the college essay, using six major rhetorical strategies, and focusing on argumentation, research, and critical reading skills.

*Students will understand the essay components, the thesis statement, and its development in an academic essay, how to revise and edit their own writing, how to argue a stance and avoid fallacies in logic, have a clear grasp of research and documentation methods, and be able to demonstrate the ability to think, read, and write critically.

Grades:
Students will write six essays totaling 3000 words. Three must be written in class and three out-of-class.

In order to pass the course, the three in-class essays must receive at a minimum a C average.

All six essays must be typed, using MLA style. Other assessments include class participation, group assignments, and quizzes which are given at the beginning of class and cannot be made up, and a journal. The journal will be collected at the end of the course; conferences will occur prior to the due date of each out-of-class essay. Attendance is mandatory. Missing your conference will result in a 10-point deduction in your final grade for that essay; essays turned in with formatting problems will be immediately returned to the student with a deduction of 10 points for being late.

A 90-100; B 80-89; C 70-79; D 60-69; F 59-

Essays 1-5 50%
Essay 6 15%
Homework, Classwork, Quizzes 20%
Journal 5%
Final Exam 10%

Extra Credit: Students who participate in all three PAGES group meetings will have 5 points added to their final grade.

Determination of Essay Grades:
*Rhetoric grade determined by the quality of the student’s essay content;
*Mechanics grade determined by the total points deducted from 100:
Fragments, fused sentences, and verb agreement errors – 5 points
Comma splices, verb forms, and pronoun reference errors – 5 points
Punctuation, spelling, omissions, diction, awkward phrasing, and others – 2 points

Attendance, Participation, Make-up Policy:
*Vigorous participation in class discussions is expected. This means you must read the assigned text before coming to class.

*Students who miss more than six class sessions for any reason will have 5 points deducted from their final grade. An excused absence requires a note; however, you will not be allowed to make up any of your missed assignments except for the six major essays. In order to make up one of the six major essays, you must have proof of an excused absence (death of an immediate family member, you are hospitalized).

Late essays will receive an automatic deduction of 10-points per day. Late work will not be accepted. Late means anytime after the beginning of class. It is the student’s responsibility to keep up with journal entries, readings, and due dates of essays whenever an absence occurs. Please do not call or email asking if we did something the day you were not in class.

Under no circumstances will any work be accepted after Friday, May 1, 2009.

Student Support:
*The Language Arts Learning Center, aka, the writing lab, located in H-225 is a wonderful resource if you are experiencing difficulty with this course. Mrs. Eble, the LALC Specialist, can provide you with computer exercises, as well as individual tutoring.

*Smarthinking.com is another resource which is available to you free online. Live tutoring sessions are available. Finished essays can be submitted for comments. The turn-around time for essays is 24 hours.

Academic Integrity:
Civility and respect for others is a requirement for continued enrollment in this course. Any student found to have wholly or partially plagiarized an essay will receive an F for the essay and the course.

Disability:
If, because of a documented disability students require assistance or reasonable accommodations to complete assigned course work (such as modifications in testing, readers, special equipment) they must register with Disability Support Services and notify the instructor within the first Two weeks of the semester. Disability Support is located in the Office of Student Development and Testing 478-6217.

Electronic Devices:
I have a very low tolerance for cell phones. Turn them off before walking into the classroom. Any student using a cell phone during an in-class essay or quiz will be assumed to be cheating and receive an F for that assignment. All electronic devices, including laptops, are also prohibited.

Developmental Writing Syllabus DSPW 0800

CLEVELAND STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
DSPW 0800 DEVELOPMENTAL WRITING SEC. 101 & 102
SPRING 2009

Jayne Hasting jhasting@clevelandstatecc.edu Humanities 113D 473-2305
Office Hours: MWF: 12-2; TR: 12:30-1:15
Website: http://collegewritingcscc.blogspot.com/ Location of syllabi and handouts for this course Only those students without a home computer/printer are permitted to copy this syllabus and handouts using college facilities.

Required:
Writing First 3rd ed. (available for use in the library only; student ID req.)
Tuesday’s with Morrie (available for 2 day check out in library; student ID req.)

Students are expected to bring their textbook, paper, and pen or pencil to class beginning with the first class meeting.

This course will cover essay reading, writing skills, grammar, and editing skills. All graded work must be returned to the instructor and kept in a folder.

Upon completion of this course, students will know how to develop ideas for writing, be able to write a coherent paragraph, use formal, academic English, vary writing according to purpose and audience, rewrite and edit their own writing, and write a college-level essay.

Assignments will include class work, homework, quizzes, two typed in-class essays, and two typed essays written out-of-class. *Conferences are required for each out of class essay. The final exam will be cumulative.

GRADES:
Students must have a C average (75 or higher) and must write all four essays in order to pass this course. Any essay found to be wholly or partially plagiarized will receive an F and the student will automatically fail the course.

A 93-100; B 83-92; C 82-75; F below 75

Essays 1-3 45%
Essay 4 25%
Class/Homework/Quizzes 20%
Final Exam 10%

Extra Credit Opportunity:
Students who participate in the reading scholarship program in conjunction with the writing lab will have 5 points added to their final grade. (10 book minimum)

ATTENDANCE
More than four absences (excused or unexcused) for Section 102 or more than six absences for Section 101 will result in 5 points being deducted from the final grade.

Conference attendance is mandatory. Missing a conference will result in a 10-point deduction in that essay’s grade.

No late work other than the four major essays will be accepted. No class/homework/quizzes can be made up in this course no matter what the reason for the absence. A late essay will receive a 10 point deduction per day.

Under no circumstances will any work be accepted after Friday, May 1, 2009.

Student Support:
The Language Arts Learning Center aka. the writing lab, in H225 is a wonderful resource if you are experiencing difficulty with this course. Mrs. Eble, the LALC manager, can provide you with computer exercises, as well as individual tutoring.

Smarthinking.com is another resource which is available to you free online. Live tutoring sessions are available. Finished essays are accepted for comments. The turn around time for essays is 24 hours.

Disability Statement:
If, because of a documented disability, students require assistance or reasonable accommodations to complete assigned course work they must register with Disability Support Services and notify the instructor within the first two weeks of the semester. Disability Support can be reached at 478-6217.

Academic Integrity:
Academic dishonesty (plagiarism) will be grounds for failing the course. Civility and respect for others is a requirement for continued enrollment in this course.

Electronic Devices:
I have a very low tolerance for cell phones. Turn them off before walking into the classroom. Any student using a cell phone during an in-class essay or quiz will be assumed to be cheating and receive an F for that assignment. Laptops may not be used in this course.