SyllabusENG 1213 Freshman Composition II

Instructor’s Information

• Instructor: Jamie Worthley

• E-mail: jamswor@ecok.edu

• Office Phone: (580)559-5750

• Office Number: HM 336A

Minimum Competencies:The department subscribes to a number of minimum competencies a student is expected to meet in order to achieve a C grade in the course.

• Demonstrate all 0123 and 1113 competencies,

• Use electronic data bases effectively to find information appropriate for a writing assignment,

• Analyze and evaluate non-print media,

• Analyze and evaluate information or a concept from multiple perspectives within and among disciplines,

• Synthesize information derived from multiple sources in a clear, coherent text,

• Maintain focus in an extended composition (more than 700 words).

Learning Outcomes:

• Communication | Students demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively in multiple contexts.

• Intellectual Skills | Students demonstrate the ability to comprehend and process concepts, to establish relationships within and among disciplines, and to interpret and evaluate information for knowledge-building and decision-making.

• Information Literacy | Students demonstrate the ability to find, evaluate, and use information effectively and appropriately for any given learning situation.

• Intercultural Knowledge | Students demonstrate the ability to recognize the complexity of culture, their own as well as others, and see themselves as members of a global community

Correspondence:

I check my email far more than my ECU phone messages. If you need to discuss your essay or inform me of an absence, then email me. However, since you are responsible for keeping up with missed work when you are absent, I suggest you and your neighbor share information and email addresses.

Emailed work: In cases where you must miss class when an essay or major assignment is due, you may email me your work as an attached file. This is a limited option and for emergencies only. If I do not respond to your email, then I did not receive your email, and you will not receive a grade for that essay. Students must make sure the instructor responded to all emails.

Late Assignments Policy:

I do not accept late work unless the student discusses the reason prior to the due date. Students who miss class for school approved functions, jury duty, or a major illness/hospital visit must visit with me as soon as they can to discuss make up work. I try to work with students who face unusual problems, such as severe illness. Please schedule a time to visit with me privately about the situation. That visit should happen before the absences or as early as possible.

Attendance Policy:

Attendance and participation make up 200 points of the overall grade. Students with constant unexcused absences will lose all points. Students who come and do not participate will lose points as well. The number of points deducted is up to the instructor. Students with college obligations who must miss class for activities should keep up with their assignments and missed class discussions but will not lose points for college-related and school related absences. Absences due to jury duty or military related absences also will not make students lose points.

Grading Policy:

The grade for each essay will depend on structure, rhetorical appeals, argument strategies, and other aspects of well-organized and supported writing as covered in each unit. Other assignments’ grades depend of promptness and content. Students who turn in all assignments on time will usually find enough practice and enough instruction that both their grades and their critical thinking skills will prove satisfactory. Students earn points toward a final grade as follows:

Assignment Points:

• Three Essays 100 points each 300 points

• One Research Essay 200 200

• Four MLA Worksheets 25 100

• Four In-Class Activities 25 100

• Four Peer Reviews 25 100

• Participation 200 200

Assignments:

Essay One – Collective Community

For this three page essay, you have two options, and if you think of a different idea, then discuss that idea with me. The first option is to discuss how news stories bring citizens together by analyzing any or all of these: 1) community morals, 2) collective conscience, 3) cultural contexts, 4) collective memories, and 5) citizen identities. Choose one type of story such as child abuse stories or elderly abuse stories for your leading example. Or you may also discuss 1-5 by using specific news events such as News Channel 4’s ‘Pay It 4ward’ or ‘In Your Corner.’

Assignments:

Essay Two – Picture Analysis

For this three essay, you begin your final research paper. You analyze one picture broadcasted on different news stations or compare and contrast two pictures from different news stations. You analyze the picture(s) by answering these questions and any other questions you ask. Be prepared to offer your own questions to consider and share them with the class.

Assignments:

Essay Three – News Report Analysis

In this four page essay, students will further their argumentative research paper. You have two options to discuss. You compare and contrast two different news channel broadcasts of the same Murder Case you choose for your research assignment by discussing if these broadcasts are slanted or biased and how. The broadcasts can be from different news stations, such as FOX and CNN and were broadcasted around the same time (at the beginning of the case, middle of the case or end of the case). Or students can compare and contrast the same stations by analyzing different times in the murder case (compare FOX News (ex.) at the beginning of the case to their POV at the end and discuss how the station changed their POV). Students will also incorporate some of the same ideas as Essays 1 and 2 such as visual image manipulation and target audience.

Assignments:

Research Essay- Murder Case

This 8-10 page essay is the argumentative research paper. You compare and contrast different news channels, newspapers, magazine articles, and other media of the same Murder Case you choose for your research assignment. Students will also incorporate arguments and ideas from the previous essays. Students pool all previous discussion to create a larger research essay. Sum up the essay arguing for or against the verdict.

Assignments:

Four MLA Worksheets

Each essay must have a Works Cited page, so we create this page in class by citing all readings and other citations that you found for your essays. This is the day to ask questions and help other students cite their information as well as share outside sources. If you use citations on the MLA Worksheet in your essays, then all you have to do is transfer that information onto your essays and Works Cited pages.

Assignments:

Four In-Class Activities

All four in-class activities are done in groups. If you are absent the day we do an in-class activity, then you will not be able to make up this activity with the group. You will have a different activity to do outside of class. These activities tackle different writing strategies such as, supporting your argument, providing enough information and syncing outside sources. I would advise students not to miss these four days.

Assignments:

Four Peer Reviews

Student / Peer feedback is very important especially since we are pooling information and sources for our research essay. Each student will receive Peer Review Worksheets for every essay they review on Peer Review Day. Since your information is valuable to your peers, you will receive a grade for providing this information. These sheets will be on Blackboard. If you are absent on Peer Review Day, then you must print at least four of them and review four of your peers’ essays on your own time.

Grading Scale

• A – 1000 – 900 points

• B – 899 – 800

• C – 799 – 700

• D – 699 – 600

• F – 599 and lower

• N/A = 0 (plagiarism, essays that do not fulfill the assignment, etc.)

Materials:

Text:

Blair, Kristine L., eds et al. CrossCurrents: Cultures, Communities,

Technologies. Boston: Wadsworth, 2014.

Additional Materials:

• A loose-leaf notebook

• A collegiate dictionary and thesaurus

• Blue or black pens and pencils

• A flash drive or any other device on which to save work

Plagiarism and Copyright Infringement:

According to University policy, plagiarism is “presenting the words, visual images or ideas of another as one’s own. Except for what is called ‘common knowledge,’ any information taken from another source must be documented in the student’s work. When a student interprets another’s ideas, credit must be given by an in-text reference. When a student uses an exact copy of another’s work, it must be delineated by use of quotation marks or indentation and referenced with the source” (East Central University Policy on Academic Integrity).Plagiarism can result in a failing grade for the course or even expulsion from the university.

ADA Statement:

East Central University is committed to providing equal access to University programs and services for all students. Under University policy and federal and state laws, students with documented disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations to ensure the student has an equal opportunity to perform in class. If any member of the class has such a disability and needs special academic accommodations, please report to Student Support Services, Room 155 Administration Building, as soon as possible. Reasonable accommodations may be arranged after Student Support Services has verified your situation. Do not hesitate to contact me if any assistance is needed in this process.

Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Statement:In keeping with the University's emphasis on writing proficiency, all student-produced writing will be expected to reflect clear content, coherent and organized structure, and adherence to the stylistic and mechanical standards articulated by the professor.