EWRT
200-03: Fundamentals of Writing
Spring, 2008, #0960
T & Th 1:30-3:40, Sem 1A
Ken Weisner: Forum 2C, 864-5797
Office Hours: Mon., 5:00-6:00; Tues, 3:45-4:45, Wed. 8:10-9:00 PM; Thurs 12:30-1:30.
E-MAIL: weisnerken@fhda.edu Also, home: gyre@cruzio.com
Faculty website: http://www.deanza.fhda.edu/faculty/weisner
Additional Support Services:
Writing and Reading Center (�WRC�): ATC 309 (Julie Pesano, Director)
Tutorial Center: L-47, (Diana Alves de Lima, director) 864-8682
Financial Aid: 864-8718 Counseling Appointments: 864-5400
Course Goals: In EWRT 200, we will
1. Read carefully; annotate and discuss texts.
2. Write paragraphs that are well organized and supported.
3. Write and revise papers for content, structure, style.
4. Make use of various pre-writing techniques including directed freewriting,
listing, clustering, brainstorming.
5. Write grammatical sentences and understand how your sentences work.
6. Write with sentence variety.
7. Punctuate sentences correctly.
8. Work to increase vocabulary.
9. Type assignments and practice word processing.
10. Write approximately 500 words a week.
Course Requirements:
1. Attend class regularly and on time.
2. Do your best to fully participate in class discussions and activities.
3. Five papers, 2-3 pp. each = approx 500-700 words.
4. Drafts of papers due as indicated in course schedule.
5. Keep up on reading, writing, and homework assignments, including vocabulary.
6. Two conferences with instructor also required.
7. Please see recommended tutor weekly or as advised.
8. Final Exam (1:45-3:45�note unusual time�Wednesday, June 26th).
Texts and supplies: always bring these to class!
1. Fawcett, Susan. Grassroots, With Readings, 8th Edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 2006.
2. Jimenez, Francisco. Breaking Through. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 2001.
3. A college dictionary, paper, pens.
4. A ring-binder style notebook just
for this class.
Grades: This is a
"Pass/No Pass" course!
Pass = 70% = 700 points or more; No Pass = less than 70% = less than 700 points
Papers (100 points each) [500]
Quizzes & Homeworks: 10 x 15 points each [150]
Revisions and drafts: 5 x 20 points each [100]
Final exam: [ 50]
Participation and attendance: [200]
1,000
Notes: You must attend each of the first four classes, or I may assume that you have dropped. Please call and leave a message on the voice mail (864-5797) if you need to excuse yourself from a class period. You might also e-mail me. Students who miss more than three classes are not guaranteed to pass the course. Always feel free to e-mail or come and talk to me if you are having trouble of any kind. If for any reason you must stop attending this course, be reminded to go through the official college "drop" procedure, or you would receive an "F."
Corequisite: English Writing 200 students must also enroll in English Writing 201. Keep me informed about what section you are enrolled in and how it is going for you. This lab �complements� our course and is important�essential�as you get ready for the next steps, EWRT 100B and 1A.
All papers including drafts should be typed and double-spaced. The computer labs in ATC 102 and 103 are available to English students to word-process class assignments. On certain days (see course schedule), we will meet there as a class, but you should feel free to explore this space on your own as well. Lab computers also allow you to work on grammar and ESL websites as well as do research. If you are uncomfortable with typing, consider taking a keyboarding class!
Tutorial services in the new WRC (ATC 309) and in L47 (tutorial) are vital resources for you. There you can get free private tutoring as well as sign up for skills workshops and classes. I will be referring many of you to tutors over the next couple of weeks and recommending various skills classes and workshops as well. You can also �drop in� at the WRC (in SC3) on your own for help. Their hours are: M, T & Th from 9-4; W from 10-7; F from 9-12:30.
If the price of books is a problem, see Ken (or call financial aid directly) about book grants and loans available to students who are already on financial aid. I need to know if you are having trouble buying the books for financial reasons so that I can help you set up a plan that works for you to succeed. Without your own books and supplies, it is nearly impossible to keep up with a college workload.
Plagiarism: Make sure that you do not borrow or copy any words or ideas from others without a very clear and exact acknowledgment that you are doing so. There are proper ways to do this (MLA citation, for example). Plagiarism is a very serious problem and offense. Just do your own original work. If you plagiarize, you will flunk that assignment�and possibly the whole course. Plagiarism is counterproductive, unethical�and can ruin your whole year!
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE (**indicates homework due that
day) (to May 8th)
April 8 Course
overview & introductions. Get
your books.
Overview
of "The Writing Process."
April 10 Discuss:
Concrete Language (specific, sensory language)
Subjects
and Verbs: what is a sentence?
Assign
reading schedule for Breaking Through.
April 15 **Homework due today: pp. 63-66,
subjects and verbs Pts. A & B
**Jimenez:
pp. 1-28
In-Class
Writing: a difficult or
transformative time in your lives.
April 17 **Jimenez: pp. 29-47
**Homework due today: pp. 78-79,
practices 5, 6, & 7
Meet
one of our course tutors today: Sarah Orr.
Discuss
methods for expanding in-class writing
into first typed essay, due
next Tuesday, April 22nd
April 22 **Turn
in paper #1: 2-3 pages, typed, with in-class draft &
comments
attached, stapled at back.
**Jimenez: pp. 48-94�Focus: �Back to the Fields,� �Becoming a
Saint�
We will meet in classroom but
walk together over to ATC 102
for a computer-classroom/lab orientation.
Meet course tutor Alexandra Santa Ana today.
April 24
**Jimenez: pp. 94-116�Focus on: �Making
Connections�
**Grassroots, chapter 13, pp. 168-69
Class brainstorm: what are the most important qualities
that Francisco�s family strives to maintain in order to survive through so many
hard times?
April 29 **Jimenez: pp. 116-146
**Grassroots, chapter 14, pp. 173-179
Work
on first paragraphs/outlines of paper #2 on Breaking Through.
(Tutoring
in class today*)
Introduce P.I.E. paragraphs
Introduce
Al Young�s poetry.
May 1 We
will meet in ATC 102 to computer-classroom/lab.
Introduce
Regie Cabico�s poetry.
(Tutoring in class today*)
Work
on rough draft in class of paper #2
**Jimenez: pp. 146-185 (finish book)
*De Anza LitFest May
5-8 Come to as many events as you
can!*
May 5 (Mon) Faculty
and student reading, 12:30
May 6 Al
Young reading, 12:30
**Three copies of rough draft
of paper #2 due today
(Tutoring in class today*)
Grassroots, chapter 15 & 16, pp.
182-185 & 193-196.
May 7 (Wed) 12:30,
poet Marilyn Chin
May 8 Francisco
Jimenez reading today, 12:30
**Final draft of paper #2 due today: attach
drafts, feedback.
Regie
Cabico workshop today, 2:30
May 13 In
class: introduce sentence combining.
�Playing
a Violin With Three Strings,� Jack Riemer, pp. 380-81
�A
Homemade Education,� Malcolm X, pp. 393-94
May 15 (ATC
102 available today)
Work
on paper number three in class
(Tutoring in class today*)
�Mrs. Flowers,� Maya Angelou (382-385)
�Papa the Teacher,� Leo
Buscaglia, pp. 397-400
May 20 Strategies
for developing paper #3: Portrait Paper
May 22 Rough
drafts due today: paper #3
(Tutoring in class today*)
May 26 Memorial
Day Holiday
May
27 **Final Draft, Paper #3:
(attach
drafts and peer feedback sheets)
Begin
Unit Four: opinion Paper
May 29 ATC
102 Available today. Work on paper #4.
June 3 Work
on opinion paper today.
Read
�The Hidden Life of Bottled Water,� Liza Gross (420-421)
�Barbie
at 35,� Anna Quindlen (395-96)
June 5 **Opinion
Paper Draft due today (three typed
copies of 3 page paper for peer
feedback)
June 10 Discuss
selected poems
(TBA)
June 12 **Opinion
Paper (#4) due today.
Continue
discussion of poems from reader (TBA)
Work
on poem presentations today.
Review
sentence combining. Review P.I.E Paragraph.
June 17 **First
revision due no
later than today.
Continue work on poem
presentations.
Grammar review, sentence
combining.
Final
conferences
available next week (sign up).
ATC
102 Available today.
June 19 Review
for grammar and paragraph writing final today.
Present poems to class.
June
24 Last
regular class period
Complete
poetry presentations.
**Second
revision due no later than today
June 26 **SPECIAL
FINAL EXAM TIME: 1:45-3:45 p.m. Meet in ATC 102
**Revision (at least one is
required) due no later than exam time.