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General Information

Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
EWRTD001A
Course Title (CB02)
Composition and Reading
Course Credit Status
Credit - Degree Applicable
Effective Term
Fall 2024
Course Description
This course introduces students to university-level reading and writing, with an emphasis on analysis. Students will closely examine a variety of texts (personal, popular, literary, professional, academic) from culturally diverse traditions. Students will practice common rhetorical strategies used in academic writing and compose clear, well-organized, and well-developed essays, with varying purposes and differing audiences, from personal to academic.
Faculty Requirements
Discipline 1
[English]
FSA
[FHDA FSA - ENGLISH]
Course Family
Not Applicable

Course Justification

This transfer-level course is the foundation and core course for all transfer-level English composition and reading courses at De Anza College. This course is transferable to CSU and UC. This course meets a general education requirement for De Anza, CSU GE, and IGETC. This course belongs on the CSU GE certificate. The course's specific emphasis on interpretation and analysis of diverse readings and on writing clear, organized, and well-developed expository and argumentative essays provides a foundation for success in nearly all general education transfer courses, overall academic success, and success in any career in which college-level writing skills are desirable.

Foothill Equivalency

Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
Yes
Foothill Course ID
ENGL F001A

Course Philosophy

Formerly Statement

Course Development Options

Basic Skill Status (CB08)
Course is not a basic skills course.
Grade Options
  • Letter Grade
  • Pass/No Pass
Repeat Limit
0

Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options

Transferability
Transferable to both UC and CSU
De Anza GEArea(s)StatusDetails
2GA1De Anza GE Area A1 - English CompositionApproved
CSU GEArea(s)StatusDetails
CGA2CSU GE Area A2 - Written CommunicationApproved
IGETCArea(s)StatusDetails
IG1AIGETC Area 1A - English CompositionApproved
C-IDArea(s)StatusDetails
ENGLEnglishApprovedC-ID ENGL 100

Units and Hours

Summary

Minimum Credit Units
5.0
Maximum Credit Units
5.0

Weekly Student Hours

TypeIn ClassOut of Class
Lecture Hours5.010.0
Laboratory Hours0.00.0

Course Student Hours

Course Duration (Weeks)
12.0
Hours per unit divisor
36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
Lecture
60.0
Laboratory
0.0
Total
60.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
Lecture
120.0
Laboratory
0.0
NA
0.0
Total
120.0

Prerequisite(s)

Eligibility for college-level composition (EWRT D001A or EWRT D01AH) as determined by college assessment or other appropriate methods.

Corequisite(s)

Advisory(ies)

Limitation(s) on Enrollment

(Not open to students with credit in the Honors Program related course.)

Entrance Skill(s)

(Eligibility for college-level composition as determined by college assessment or other appropriate methods.)

General Course Statement(s)

(See general education pages for the requirements this course meets.)

Methods of Instruction

Lecture and visual aids

Discussion of assigned reading

Discussion of student writing

Synchronous writing and activities

Quiz and examination review performed in class

Homework and extended projects

Field observation, field trips, and service learning

Guest speakers

Collaborative learning and small group exercises

Assignments

  1. Reading (rhetorically and culturally diverse texts, approx. 300-700 total pages, including:
    1. A substantial amount of challenging, college-level reading
    2. At least one book-length work
    3. A guide to rhetoric and usage, as desired
  2. Writing (at least 5000 words of rhetorically diverse writing assignments)
    1. A progression of four to five distinct essays which address varying purposes (including critical textual analysis and addressing differing audiences), of which at least one needs to be a required timed unrevised essay.
  3. Final exam &/or Portfolio with written reflection
  4. Optional additional assignments that support course objectives, such as:
    1. Oral presentations
    2. Informal, exploratory writing (journals)

Methods of Evaluation

  1. Essays, as listed in Assignments above, carefully evaluated according to clarity/correctness, organization/coherence, and development/depth (at least 75% of final grade to be based on written work)
  2. Final exam - essay(s) evaluated according to criteria listed above (at least 75% of final grade to be based on written work)
  3. Quizzes (e.g., to monitor reading) and other exams to evaluate the ability to analyze critically, discuss and respond effectively to discourse and diverse rhetorical texts.
  4. Synchronous participation, including activities such as oral presentations, small-group activities and projects, and class discussions and debates to evaluate ability to analyze critically, discuss, and respond effectively to discourse and diverse rhetorical texts.

Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities

Essential Student Materials: 
  • None
Essential College Facilities:
  • None

Examples of Primary Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisherDate/EditionISBN
Colombo, Gary, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle.Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and WritingNew York: Bedford/St. Martin’s2021/12th Edition
Graff, GeraldThey Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing with ReadingsNew York: W.W. Norton & Company2021/5th Edition
Abrams, Shane.EmpoWord: A Student-Centered Anthology and Handbook For College WritersLibreTexts (CC BY-NC)2018
Lunsford, Andrea A.Easy WriterNew York: Bedford/St. Martin's Press2022
Greene, StuartFrom Inquiry to Academic Writing: A Text and Reader, 5th edNew York: Bedford/St. Martin's Press2020

Examples of Supporting Texts and References

None.

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

Course Objectives

  • Analyze college level texts and discourse that are culturally and rhetorically diverse.
  • Compose essays drawn from personal experience and assigned texts.
  • Utilize MLA guidelines to format essays, cite sources, and compile a works cited page.
  • Create syntactically varied sentences that are free of mechanical errors.
  • Distinguish, compare, and evaluate the multiplicity and ambiguity of perspectives

CSLOs

  • Practice writing as a multi-step process including planning and revising with attention to varying purposes, audiences, and rhetorical strategies.

  • Read and analyze rhetorically and culturally diverse narrative and expository texts from a variety of perspectives.

Outline

  1. Analyze college level texts and discourse that are culturally and rhetorically diverse.
    1. Identify various rhetorical styles and methods of development in college level texts and discourse.
      1. Narration, reflection, and description: texts that tell a story and/or describe in detail
      2. Exposition: Non-fiction texts that give facts and information about a subject
      3. Analysis: texts that discuss and examine argument(s) and how those arguments are made about a subject/topic
      4. Argumentation: texts that attempt to persuade readers of a position taken on a subject/topic
      5. Synthesis: texts that bring together arguments and information, often from differing points of views, from other texts
      6. Textbooks and Scholarly Writing: textbooks on academic subjects or professional/career fields, as well as scholarly writings that may be found in academic peer-reviewed journals
      7. Oral Discourse: Oral discourse includes transcripts of spoken words, speeches, lectures, or stories.
      8. Multimedia audio, visual, and verbal modes of expression: multimedia expressions that can be found in advertising, news outlets, podcasts, blogs, videos/films, social media, and other online sites/sources
    2. Read and examine rhetorically and culturally diverse texts and discourse from a variety of perspectives, such as:
      1. Ethnicity and culture
      2. Social and economic classes
      3. Genders and sexualities
      4. Historical contexts
      5. Political position
      6. Rhetorical purpose and audience
    3. Interpret and analyze readings, rhetorical styles, and cultural codes in classroom and group discussions.
      1. Determine an author's main argument and supporting evidence from assigned readings.
      2. Analyze similarities and differences in theme and rhetorical devices in the assigned readings.
      3. Argue viewpoints and positions with evidence from texts.
      4. Engage in collaborative discussions and work such as:
        1. Oral, visual, or multimedia presentations
        2. Debates or discussions
        3. Role playing or other creative endeavors
        4. Collaborative reading and writing
      5. Synthesize ideas to form an opinion or interpretation
  2. Compose essays drawn from personal experience and assigned texts.
    1. Write summaries of and reactions to the assigned readings using techniques such as:
      1. Paraphrase author's main argument and supporting details.
      2. Reading journals (reading logs)
      3. Double entry journals (summary, response)
      4. Triple entry journals (summary, response, questions)
    2. Generate topics, thesis statements, and supporting arguments for essays.
      1. Employ pre-writing techniques such as:
        1. Brainstorming
        2. Clustering (webbing)
        3. Freewriting
        4. Journalist questions
        5. Cubing
        6. Looping
      2. Use formal outlines and/or graphic organizers to plan academic essays.
    3. Write clear, organized, and well-developed expository and argumentative essays with the writing process approach that involves:
      1. Prewriting
      2. Planning and outlining
      3. Drafting
      4. Revising
      5. Peer review
      6. Proofreading, editing
    4. Formulate argumentative thesis statements such as:
      1. Topic and comment
      2. Concession thesis that acknowledges other viewpoints.
      3. Evolving Thesis
    5. Develop coherent, topic sentence based body paragraphs that support the essay's thesis.
      1. Identify and employ paragraph writing strategies such as:
        1. PIE (Point, Information, Explanation)
        2. TEA (Topic, Example, Analysis)
        3. Claim, Data, Warrant (Toulmin Model of Argument)
      2. Provide coherence in paragraphs by using repetition and transitional devices.
        1. Use paragraph-level coherence devices such as transitional words and phrases and reference previous points.
        2. Employ essay-level coherence devices such as repetition of thesis through the use of different vocabulary and paragraph hooks.
    6. Integrate personal experience, assigned readings, and outside research to support an arguable thesis.
      1. Practice integrating quotes smoothly into essays to provide authorial support with techniques such as quote sandwiches.
      2. Practice paraphrasing with techniques such as alternate sentence structure.
      3. Employ various proofreading techniques to avoid plagiarism.
        1. Compare sentences and paragraphs in student's essay to author's text.
        2. Use peer review to check for plagiarism.
    7. Create introductions that give background information on the essay.
      1. Utilize introductory devices
      2. Utilize attention grabbers
    8. Create conclusions that synthesize the writer's argument.
  3. Utilize MLA guidelines to format essays, cite sources, and compile a works cited page.
    1. Format essays according to MLA guidelines.
    2. Cite sources with signal phrases and parentheses using current MLA documentation and conventions.
    3. Compile works cited pages according to current MLA conventions.
  4. Create syntactically varied sentences that are free of mechanical errors.
    1. Proofread for and revise errors in mechanics.
    2. Use variety of sentence structures such as:
      1. Subordination
      2. Transition words
      3. Apposition
  5. Distinguish, compare, and evaluate the multiplicity and ambiguity of perspectives
    1. Identify, compare, and evaluate various theoretical lenses and points of view, cultural values (e.g. races/ethnicities, genders, sexualities, social and economic classes), and textual meanings
    2. Determine one's own point of view and evaluate that perspective in relation to other viewpoints
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