September 2008 T: 604.323.5761 E:
[email protected]
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English 1127: Essay Writing and Short Prose Selections Course Description for Sections 007 & 008 Instructor: Peter Babiak Office: A118 R (adjacent to study area) Office Hours: Mon. & Wed. 11–12:25; Tues. & Thurs. 12:30–1:25 Class Times & Location:
Section 007: Mon. & Wed., 8:30 - 10:25 am, in B 010 Section 008: Tues. & Thurs., 8:30 - 10:25 am, in A 368
All the information on this Course Description, along with a reading schedule and most of the important handouts for 1127, will appear on the course website, which you can access through your mylangara service. Read each word of this document before the second class.
Standard Course Description English 1127 introduces students to the principles of composition and critical reading through the study of essays and short stories, and through practice writing both in-class and home papers, one of which is a major research paper. Although the focus of the course is on helping you to develop a critical sense of your own writing, you will be spending close to a third of the term concentrating on the analysis of literature. This course will foster your ability to express yourself clearly and decisively, while at the same time increase your comprehension of, and appreciation for, different writers and their works. Learning Outcomes (By the end of the term, you will be able to do the following:) 9 9 9 9 9
write a college-level essay—argumentative & analytical—with a precise thesis conduct academic research & integrate research materials into your writing understand & apply the principles of appropriate use of secondary sources understand & apply the principles of documentation in academic writing analyse a text to determine how persuasive elements of language (or rhetoric) work
My Course Description This section of 1127 has two general aims: first, it aims to teach you—and help you improve—the writing skills you need for post-secondary education and employment beyond school; second, it aims to help you improve your ability to analyse texts (short stories) and non-fictional literature, as well as other elements of textual/linguistic culture—like print and graphic advertising, websites, TV, video games, etc.—in order to understand how they work. By the end of this course, you will know more about each of these: 9 critical reading 9 academic writing 9 research 9 literary analysis and interpretation 9 language and its various uses—and abuses—in the world Mode of Delivery A variety of methods, including lectures, discussions, question-answers, workshops, tutorials, group work, group presentations, and open class discussions, will be used this term. Participation in class is NOT OPTIONAL. If you are not used to speaking in front of other people, if you get freaked out and afraid when you need to speak in public because you are still concerned about what others think of you, then you will need to grow up and get over your fears and intimidation as soon as possible. If you do not, then you will lose marks (see below).
Required Texts You will need to buy two short texts: Grammar Booklet for Lawyers & Rulebook for Arguments. The first readings and the short story texts will be distributed in class and online (free). You will need a dictionary of Canadian English. Grading and Requirements This is a list of the tasks you are required to complete in this class, followed by an indication as to what each is worth in your compilation of a final grade. Each of the main items in this list will be evaluated by alpha grade. Alpha grades are converted to numerical grades for the purpose of calculation at the end of the term, when final grades are submitted (in alpha format). Minor items—like Homework, Grammar, Lecture Notes Submission &
Participation—are graded directly by numerical point. MAD Assignment (typed, on half bristle board) Essay1: Summary (written in class) Essay 2: Revision of Summary (typed) Research Essay Proposal (typed) Library Research Assignment Essay 3: Research Paper (typed) Essay 4: Literary Analysis (written in class) Essay 5: Language in Culture Project (typed) Homework / Grammar Quizzes Lecture Note Submissions (5 x’s through term) Participation/Class discussion Attendance (it is not optional; it is expected) Final Exam
5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 15% 10% 10% 10% 5% 5% 0% 20%
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# # # # # # #
A’s are rare and splendid marks, but they are only given for error-free superior or EXCELLENT work. B’s represent work solidly better than average. They mean VERY GOOD. C+ is for work slightly better than average. It means GOOD. C is for “clearly sufficient and correct work at a college/uni transfer level.“ It is the average in 1127. C- indicates adequate but weak fulfilment of requirements. It means OK, BUT BELOW AVERAGE. D’s are rarely given; a D doesn’tt permit you to advance to 2nd half of first-year English. It means POOR. F represents work that is below a passing standard. Obviously, this mark means FAIL.
Standard Special Requirements or Expectations (or course policies) You must attend classes regularly and submit all papers on time, but if—for a valid reason—you cannot meet a deadline, you must advise me of this eventuality before the due date. Failure to do so will result in a loss of grades for the assignment: a grade per day. Be advised, too, that you are responsible for completing all readings and assignments missed as a result of your absence from class (for whatever reason). If you miss a class, ask someone in your section if there was any homework assigned. My Special Requirements or Expectations The only reason you are in this class is because you either want to or need to know how to write good academic essays and learn how to read and analyse texts in order to understand them critically. You may not want to be here, you may find it boring, but that is irrelevant to me. I will tell you right away that this will not be an easy class. If you do not want to come to class, if you do not want to listen carefully and work hard every day, if you do not do the scheduled readings before coming to class, if you choose not to participate because you get embarrassed speaking in front of people or because you are self-conscious about how you sound/look/appear, if you are one of those people speak outs in class and immediately looks around to see how what you just said was received by your classmates, if you demonstrate an indifference to the material we study because you have convinced yourself that only “real” subjects like economics or science deserve your attention, if you have somehow come to the mistaken idea that “English” is a subject that is all about opinions rather than facts and logic and matters that are true and false, if you believe that it is a lame subject, if you have one of those adolescent attitudes—common among many high school students—that says thinking and learning and knowledge and reading are a waste of time, if you are one of those people who sits at the back of the class looking like you’d much rather be somewhere else, if you spend more time thinking about how your hair looks or what next bit of fiction you will put onto your Facebook profile or what ring-tone you want to download than about developing your mind, if you if you are not prepared to think originally and critically and logically, then you will have some difficulty getting through this class. Having said that, I do not take pleasure in failing students. My hope is that you all succeed in this class; my experience tells me that some of you will not; my demand, which is much more important than either my hope or my experience, is that you work hard, indeed harder than you have in any other English class you have taken up until this point. I recommend that you come to see me during my office hours—at least once—this term: to discuss the material, ask questions, vent and complain if you want to, seek assistance if you need it, and so on. Office visits are an
indication of your desire to improve in the course. If by the end of the course you have hardly made yourself known either in class discussion or in office visits, the participation grade will not go well for you.
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The following are unacceptable behaviours in class: 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
letting your cell phone ring; answering your cell phone; checking your messages eating (unless you are borderline starved)` sleeping doing homework for other classes sexist, racist, homophobic and other prejudicial or hateful comments being late for class; being late after the break (if we have one) yawning without covering your mouth
Attendance and Punctuality (in class, with essays, etc) I expect you to come to class every day on time and to be prepared to discuss the day’s topic/text. Do the readings before coming to class. Bring your texts with you EVERY DAY. Take diligent lecture/discussion notes in class every day (that means, when you get here take out your notebook right away, date the sheet and then proceed to write your lecture/discussion notes, reminders, etc.). If you must miss a class, let me know, in advance if possible, by calling 604-323-5761 and leaving a message. Make sure you leave your name/section on the message. Please know that I have heard every excuse as to why students miss class. I will give you two free skips this term: you can miss TWO classes without having to provide authorization (ie, a medical/ dental note). All absences after that will start affecting your grade. You cannot expect to succeed in this class without attending regularly. You are responsible for any material you miss due to an absence—and for finding out what you need to be prepared for the next class you attend. If you miss two weeks of class (if you miss a total of FOUR) classes, then you should know that I can give you an automatic F. Late or missed essays cannot be made-up without documentation of illness or emergency, and late papers will lose one letter grade per day (ie, “A” moves to “B”). One week following the original due date the assignment will no longer be accepted. An attendance sheet sign sheet is circulated every morning by 8:35am. The class starts at 8:30. After the first two weeks of class, if you arrive after 8:35am, then you will need to wait until I open the door to let you in or until the break. Do not—I repeat: do not—just walk in after 8:35 and take your seat while the lecture or discussion is in progress. Plagiarized material will receive an automatic “F”, or 0, on a first offence. A second offence will result in an “F” for the course and a referral to the Dean. Be well aware that your work must be your own and any inclusion of another writer’s ideas or words MUST BE DOCUMENTED, even if it is Wikipedia. Furthermore, do not plagiarize by “borrowing” words or structure, or by cutting and pasting material you find on-line. If in the past you always began every assignment by “GOOGLING” the topic, then stop it and start producing your own thoughts and ideas and points of argument. Restrictions You must have scored either a minimum level 3 on the LANGARA ENGLISH TEST (LET) or a minimum of 24/40 on the essay section of the LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY INDEX (LPI) with a 5 or above in English usage to gain entry to this course. If you have not satisfied this requirement, contact the Chair of the English Department at onces. Students who have scored a level 3 on the LET (or 24/40 with a 5 or higher in English usage on the LPI) are also strongly encouraged to register in English 1121 (there is no tuition charge for this course) in order to upgrade their reading and writing skills. English 1121 will help students at this prerequisite level succeed in English 1127. This is not high school; you will need to think and act differently here. Stretch and grow.
Course Reading Schedule and Major Due Dates
Please note:
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# Week numbers and date in bold correspond to the first day of that week. # The minor due dates (for grammar quizzes, homework tasks, etc) are NOT on this list. They will be announced in class. # Lecture note submission (worth 5%) is up to you: you need to give me your lecture notes 5 times this term: 1 or 2 times in each of the three months (Sept, Oct and Nov. A full point is awarded to diligent and thoughtful notes, but only partial points are awarded for scattered notes or notes that simply repeat what was said in class.) # You must have the assigned week readings done BEFORE the first class of that week. DO NOT fall behind in your readings. I strongly urge you to read ahead and, especially, to begin work on your essays long before the due dates. # For example, Essay 5 can be submitted any time: I will explain it only two times in class, during the first two weeks of the term, so pay attention and think ahead); the due date for Essay 5 you see here is only the last possible day you can submit it. # Essay 3 topics will be given to you long before the due date, so you can get to work on it early).
We will likely fall behind schedule every now and then, but that is ok. There are three units of study in this class, and the schedule is organised accordingly: Summary Writing, Argument and Research, and Literary Analysis. # Week 1: Sept 2
Introduction to the course, expectations & grades; explanation of essays; high school vs post-secondary school; Analysing an ad (The Dark Knight); explanation of MAD Ass.; introduction to SUMMARY writing. Reading: ``Literacy Debate: Online R U really Reading?`` http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/books/27reading.html
Week 2: Sept 8 Summary Writing: theory and practice. Readings: surf around this website: http://creativity-online.com/ and then read Alex Billington's “Why The Dark Knight's Viral Marketing is Absolutely Brilliant” and Dinyar Gordrej’s “Captive—How the Ad Industry Pins Us Down”; also look at “How to Read an Ad” (all three readings are available online in the Week 1 & 2 file of the course webpage)
Week 3: Sept 15 Summary Writing Media Analysis Display due (first class: no lates) Readings: Rob Walker`s ``Buying In`` and Al Frankel`s ``Wordcraft`` (both readings are available to read online in the Week 3 file of the course webpage) Week 4: Sept 22 Summary Writing Essay 1 written in class (last hour of second class) Readings: George Lakoff’’s “Concepts We Live By” & Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” (handouts)
Week 5: Sept 29 Introduction to Argument and Research Essay 2 (rewrite of Essay 1-typed) due (second class: no lates) Reading: Anthony Weston’s A Rulebook for Arguments Week 6: Oct 6 Argument and Research Library Tour for Library Research Assignment Readings: David Kushner’s “PlayNation” & Samuel Intrator’s “Teaching the Media Child” (handouts) Reading: Anthony Weston’s A Rulebook for Arguments Week 7: Oct 14 *Monday Oct 13 is Thanksgiving Day: no classes Argument and Research Essay 3 Proposal due (first class: no lates)
Readings: Edward Bernays’ “Engineering of Consent” (handout) & Naomi Klein “No Logo” (online) Reading: Anthony Weston’s A Rulebook for Arguments
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Week 8: Oct 20 Argument and Research Readings: Barbara Stern’s “How Does an Ad Mean?” & James Paul Gee’s “Semiotic Domains: Is Playing Video Games a Waste of Time?” Week 9: Oct 27 Introduction to Literary Analysis Essay 3 due (first class: no lates) Readings: Kelley Griffith’s “Analysing Fiction & Brian Pratt’s “Diary of a Mad Bus Driver” (in the Litpack) Week 10: Nov 3 Literary Analysis Readings: Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” & Morley Callaghan’s “Two Fishermen” (in Litpack) Week 11: Nov 10 *Tuesday Nov 11 is Remembrance Day: no classes Literary Analysis William Faulkner’s “Dry September” & James Joyce’s “Araby” (in Litpack)
Readings:
Week 12: Nov 17 Essay 4 written in class (last hour of second class) Literary Analysis Readings: Libby Creelman’s “Sunken Island” & Margaret Atwood’s “Death by Landscape” Week 13: Nov 24 Literary Analysis Readings: to be announced later
Final day for Submitting Essay 5 due (second class)
Week 14: Dec 1 *Tuesday Dec 2 is last day of classes Review and Preparation for Final Examination Dec 5 – 15: Final Examinations
Week 14/December 3 (Monday December 3rd is last day of classes)