Montgomery County Community College
Syllabus for Fall 2003
English Composition 102 NC (3 credits)
Instructor:
Peter C. Scheponik
Credentials:
BS Secondary Education, Villanova University
Masters in the Teaching of English, Villanova University
28 years experience teaching
Course Description:
ENG 102 continues the process begun in ENG 101of developing in the student the values of written communication. Emphasis is placed on organizing specific kinds of evidence to support sensible conclusions.
Selections from a variety of materials (fiction, poetry, drama, magazines, etc.) provide the stimulus for discussion and writing. Research techniques are included. Prerequisite: ENG 101 with a grade of C or better.
Hours: M
3:45 p.m.—6:50 p.m.
Room:
P 329
Office/Hours:
452 Parkhouse Hall
M: 2:00 p.m.—3:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.—8:00 p.m.
MW: 11:15a.m.—12:15 p.m.
TTH: 2:15 p.m.—3:15 p.m.
And upon request
Phone:
(215) 619-7439
E-mail:
pschepon@mc3.edu
Texts:
Research Papers: A Practical Guide by Marian Arkin & Cecelia Macheski
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th edition, by Joseph Gibaldi
Attendance:
Attendance expected for all classes
If not attending class, students expected to inform instructor
I reserve the right to excuse or not excuse absences, based on the specific circumstances at hand.
Students who—without my permission—miss more than six classes will receive a “W” or an “F” for the course.
Students who regularly arrive late for class or regularly leave class early will receive a full grade lower for class participation.
Course Objectives:
· Familiarize students with the use of the MLA Handbook
· Teach students to critically analyze readings
· Help students to enhance their own interpretations and analyses by incorporating the ideas of other experts and scholars into the students’ own writings, using the established MLA guidelines
· Familiarize students w/library research techniques
· Improve students’ critical thinking skills
· Familiarize students with methodology of academic writing in research paper
· Increase students’ awareness of the common pitfalls of plagiarism and provide students with effective strategies to avoid these pitfalls
Course Requirements:
· Each student must purchase his/her own books for this course.
· One ten-page research paper divided into corrected but ungraded sections and graded final draft (60% of grade)
· Participation in class (20% of grade)
· One Final (20%) that will include the following:
MLA works cited format and quote integration including:
introduction of quote
use of signal phrase
tag phrase
integration of quote
analysis of quote
use of brackets
ellipses
parenthetical citation
block format
Understanding of the following:
comma splice
fused sentence
agreement
literary present
point of view
parallelism
MLA paper format:
heading
header
title
pagination
introductory paragraph
thesis statement
plan of development
body of paper
transition
thesis reference
closing paragraph
thesis echo
clinching sentence
All students are required to actively participate in each class.
I define participation as follows:
Attending class
Having workbook and writing assignments done on time
Listening attentively—to instructor and other members of the class
Taking notes
Joining class discussions
Peer editing
Collaborating on workbook activities as directed
Working in the library as directed
Conferencing with instructor as directed
Collaboration vs. Cheating:
I define collaboration as follows: working with other students as directed in workbook activities, assisting one another in drafting activities for research paper, or helping one another with library activities.
I define cheating as follows: doing none of the work in the workbook and just copying another’s answers, writing another’s research paper, copying another’s research paper, doing another’s library research or having another do yours for you, copying or giving answers to one another on the final, plagiarizing in any form
Grading Scale:
A=4.0
B=3.0
C=2.0
D=1.0
F=. 5
Policy on plagiarism:
Plagiarism will result in an automatic “F” for the plagiarized paper and, quite possibly, for the course.
Please read the attached Ethics Statement and the “XF” grade.
Requirements for Papers:
Typed
Double spaced
12 pt Times New Roman
MLA format according to sample in workbook
Must have centered title
Must have works cited sheet
Carefully proofread for spelling, grammar, and sentence variety
Handed in on due dates
No resubmission for higher grades
Policy on late papers:
I only accept late papers from students who have come to me in advance, and, even then, I determine whether or not I will allow a late submission. Papers handed in late—without my permission—receive an automatic “F.”
Class Behavior:
Courteous informality
First name basis for all class discussions
Pleasant attitude during all class discussions
No bias or bigotry
No smoking
No cheating/plagiarizing
Students with Disabilities Policy:
“Students with disabilities may be eligible for accommodation in this course. Contact the Director of Services for Students with Disabilities in the Counseling Center, College Hall, at (215) 641-6575/6577 for more information. At West Campus, contact the Director of Student Affairs, (610) 718-1839.”
Class Schedule:
Introduction to course
Topic Choices
Sample paper
Prewriting techniques
Library visit for bibliographic instruction on reference books
Homework:
Read pp. 24-26, 27-31.
Do exercises pp. 32 & 33.
Read pp. 40-42, 44-52.
MLA readings as assigned
Topic Choice due
MLA readings as assigned
Thesis narrowing exercises
Understanding the P. O. D.
Thesis/plan of development due
Library visit for bibliographic instruction on WebCat
Homework:
Read pp. 100-106, 114-127.
Work on thesis and P.O.D.
Read pp. 56-59, 67-68, 70-80.
MLA readings as assigned
Read pp.81-99, 142-157
Library visit for bibliographic instruction on electronic databases
Extra library time
Reviewing the elements of a proposal (Sample on pp.53-54).
Working on a proposal for the research paper
Homework:
Read pp. 158-162, 166-170, 173-174, 175-177, and 185-186.
Do exercise p.187.
MLA readings as assigned
Proposal due
Working on outline
Homework:
Read pp. 188-195, 198-199.
MLA readings as assigned
Outline due
Conferences
Homework:
Read pp. 234-239, 241-249.
MLA readings as assigned
Work on pp. 1-4 of first draft.
Pages 1-4 of first draft due
Homework:
Work on pp. 5-8 of first draft.
MLA readings as assigned
Pages 5-8 of first draft due
Homework:
Work on pp. 9-10 and works cited sheet.
MLA readings as assigned
Pages 9-10 and works cited sheet due
Peer editing session
Homework:
Work on revising final draft.
Monday, 11/3
Final draft due
Film: Death of a Salesman
Homework:
Work on questions for Death of a Salesman.
Conferences
Short story: “A Rose for Emily”
Homework:
Work on questions for “A Rose for Emily.”
Monday, 11/17
Poetry of Sylvia Plath
Homework:
Work on questions for poetry of Sylvia Plath.
Read Stephen King’s “Suffer the Little Children”
Film: Beckett’s Rockaby
Stephen King’s “Suffer the Little Children”
Homework:
Read Susan Glaspell’s Trifles.
Work on questions for Trifles.
Wednesday, 11/26—Sunday, 11/30
Thanksgiving Holiday
Susan Glaspell’s Trifles.
Homework:
Prepare for final.
Monday, 12/1
Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl.”
Homework:
Read Sharon Olds’s “Sex without Love,” and “My Father Speaks to Me from the Dead.”
Work on questions for Olds’s poems.
Wednesday, 12/3
Sharon Olds’s “Sex without Love,” and “My Father Speaks to Me from the Dead.”
Homework:
Read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Rappaccini’s Daughter.”
Work on questions for “Rappaccini’s Daughter.”
Monday, 12/8
Working on final
Monday, 12/15
Conferences