English 1A hybrid

English 1A (Composition and Reading) is a transfer-level course which teaches students to read and analyze college-level texts and to write college-level papers. This hybrid version of English 1A allows us to take advantage of current technology. Students will need access to the internet and an email account for this class as approximately five hours a week of instruction will take place online thru De Anza's course management system, Catalyst.

Course Description:

In this course we learn the techniques and practice of personal, analytical and argumentative writing based on our critical reading of texts. This course is designed to teach you to write an organized, well-developed expository essay with a minimum number of mechanical errors--in short, to write college-level prose. To this end, we will address the writing process (pre-writing, writing and revising) as well as questions of sentence structure and error identification.

Required Texts:

Rosenwasser and Stephen, Writing Analytically, 6th edition

Atwan, The Best American Essays (6th or 7th college ed)

Zadie Smith, White Teeth

Course Requirements:

This class will require approximately 8,000 words of graded writing: 5 essays and drafts, several short writing assignments, a midterm, and a final exam written in-class. To have a chance of passing this course you must complete all essay assignments, the midterm and the final exam.

  • Essays and Drafts: The graded essays counting for the bulk of your course grade will be formal writing assignments graded numerically according to a Grading Standard. Most of the essays will involve peer editing, the first drafts reviewed and critiqued in class and through online discussion groups. Late essays will be penalized in points. All essays will be submitted to Turnitin.com. Instances of plagiarism will not be tolerated. You will fail the course if you plagiarize ideas or parts of a paper and you will be reported to the Dean of Student Development. Throughout the quarter we will work on integrating and citing outside sources in your essays.
  • Online Discussion Assignments/Quizzes/Daily Observation Assignments: An online discussion forum will be set up to facilitate informal writing assignments consisting of posting responses to discussion questions and topics and responding to a classmate's post. There may be some quizzes given occasionally, both with and without warning. They are designed to highlight key information and ensure that the texts are being read. For every class session you will be assigned to prepare a written observation and/or passage analysis for the relevant reading and you will be required to share your observations in class.
  • Attendance/Participation: Since this is a hybrid class which meets face-to-face only half of the time, class time will involve plenty of writing instruction including lectures, discussion, and writing workshops. Attendance is mandatory on class days. A fifth absence will result in being dropped from the course. You are responsible for whatever occurs in class even if you are absent, so obtain contact information for classmates in case you miss a class. Showing up for class is not enough. Do the assigned reading and be prepared for I will call on you often. This is not a class for lurkers!

Using smart phones and other electronic devices in class is prohibited. You may be dismissed from class for using one.

Grading:

Essays 50%

Final Exam 20%

Online Discussion Assignments/Daily Writing Assignments/Quizzes 25%

Midterm 5%

Grading Scale:

Letter Grade Percentage
A 93+
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 70-76
D 60+
F 60 below
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