Course Description
In English 1010 we will workshop expository writing and explore strategies and practices in analytical reading and writing on texts. We will also compare grammar and syntax between texts and when and why grammar and syntax change. We will have frequent writing assignments including summaries, analyses, comparisons of texts with narration, description, and argumentation. We will learn that writing is a process that includes close reading, critical thought, revision, and editing. This course satisfies the Required Core English composition requirement.
Course Objectives
Students who complete this course successfully will be able to:
Grading Percentage Breakdown
Essays 60%
Final Exam 20%
Other Assignments 10%
Attendance and Participation 10%
Required Texts
Michelle Obama, Becoming
Attendance and Punctuality
This class is heavily based in discussion and attendance, and as such participation is mandatory. If you are going to be absent for any reason, you must email me beforehand to not receive an unexcused absence. You are allowed four unexcused absences before it begins to negatively affect your grade. Your grade will be dropped by one letter for every absence after that. If you are more than 10 minutes late you will be marked absent. Please be on time! If there are any extenuating circumstances, I would be happy to work with you, but please let me know about this in a timely manner. It is very difficult to accommodate circumstances if they are brought to my attention at the end of term, or following my alert to a missing assignment.
Grades
The Brooklyn College policy on grading for English 1010 is as follows:
Grades for English 1010 are: A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, NC or F. The minimum passing grade is C-. Students who have completed all the coursework, but are not yet writing at the college level will receive a grade of NC. Students who have not completed the coursework will receive a grade of F.
Students who do not pass English 1010 must repeat it the following semester. The course may not be taken more than three times without a passing grade. This may result in dismissal from the college.
Plagiarism
The following information may be found HERE
Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research, or writings as your own. The following are some examples of plagiarism, but this is NOT a complete list:
Internet plagiarism includes submitting downloaded term papers or parts of term papers, paraphrasing or copying information from the internet without citing the source, and “cutting and pasting” from various sources without proper attribution. This includes translating work in other languages and presenting it as your own.
Plagiarism is not tolerated at Brooklyn College in any form. If you plagiarize, you will fail the class with no exceptions.
Students With Disabilities
If you have a disability that I should be aware of, please reach out to me directly and register with the Director of the Center for Student Disability Services, Ms. Valerie Stewart-Lovell at 718-951-5538. After you have registered, please provide the correct documentation to me. If you have any issues with this process, I am here to help!
Religious Holidays
Any student with religious obligations regarding non-attendance due to beliefs and holy days, please refer to Brooklyn College’s policy HERE
Assignments
Readings: You will be expected to come to class prepared, having read the assigned texts outlined below and ready to discuss. You will be graded on how well you contribute to class discussion.
Peer Review: You will be assigned peer review exercises throughout the semester. Attendance is mandatory on these days for you to receive credit. If you have an excused absence on a peer review day you may make arrangements with one of your classmates outside of class to complete the assignment, however, I must approve this.
Essays: Throughout the semester you will write and revise the following take-home essays
If you are unhappy with the grade you receive on an essay, you have to meet with me outside of class to discuss how you plan to revise your essay for a better grade. I will not accept emailed or late essays unless there are extenuating circumstances that I have been alerted to before our class meeting time on the assignment due date.
Final exam: The Final exam will be an in-class compare and contrast essay worth 20% of your overall grade. If you would like to prepare in advance for this you may read more information HERE, but we will review this in class.
Cell Phones and Devices
Please put away all cell phones and devices and turn them off during class. As this is a requirement course based in close reading and analysis, you are not permitted to use devices to refer back to texts during in-class discussions. NO DEVICES ARE PERMITTED UNLESS NEEDED FOR DISABILITY PURPOSES. Failure to follow this rule will result in an unexcused absence for the day. Please respect the class by printing out readings for reference during discussions. If this is an issue for you, please speak to me directly prior to class.
English 1010
Monday/Wednesday 12:50-2:05pm
Boylan 2150
Instructor: Amanda Killian
ajk354@gmail.com
Office Hours: Monday 11:45-12:45, Boylan 2311
Class 1 WED AUG 28
Introductions & Reading Habits
Review of syllabus
In-class writing diagnostic
Class 2 WED SEPT 4
DUE: Diagnostic writings
READING: Michelle Obama, Becoming (Preface pp. iv-xiii, Chapt. 1 pp. 3-16)
The language of difference and disagreement
Class 3 THURS SEPT 5 (Monday Schedule)
READING: Michelle Obama, Becoming (Chapt. 2-3 pp. 17-41)
Introduction of writing process, argument, rhetorical modes, and strategy
Personal narrative
Class 4 MON SEPT 9
READING: Michelle Obama, Becoming (Chapt. 4-5 pp. 42-67)
Class 5 WED SEPT 11
DUE: Short summary of Becoming
READING: Michelle Obama, Becoming (Chapt. 6-7 pp. 68-83)
Introduce Library Orientation and assign LOOP
Class 6 MON SEPT 16
READING: Roxane Gay, “Peculiar Benefits”
Summary vs. analysis and paraphrase
Class 7 WED SEPT 18
DUE: Personal narrative
READING: Rebecca Solnit’s, “Men Explain Things to Me”
Evidence and Analysis
Class 8 MON SEPT 23
DUE: LOOP
Introduce the thesis statement
In-class reverse outline “Men Explain Things to Me”
Class 9 WED SEPT 25
READING: Lars Eighner, “On Dumpster Diving”
Summary 2 assigned (250-500 words) of Lars Eighner, “On Dumpster Diving”
Continuation of thesis, evidence, analysis
Class 10 MON SEPT 30 NO CLASS
Class 11 WED OCT 2
READING: Greg Lukianoff & Jonathan Haidt, excerpt from “The Coddling of the American Mind”
Argument / persuasion / thesis structure
Class 12 MON OCT 7
DUE: Summary 2 of Lars Eighner, “On Dumpster Diving”
READING: Errol Morris, “Liar, Liar Pants on Fire”
Argument construction and proper quotation
Class 13 WED OCT 9 NO CLASS
Class 14 MON OCT 14 NO CLASS
Class 15 WED OCT 16
DUE: Analysis Exercise
READING: Rachel Louise Carson, “The Obligation to Endure”
Argumentative construction
Selecting evidence and citation
Class 16 MON OCT 21
READING: Roxane Gay, “The Careless Language of Sexual Violence”
Audience and argument
Class 17 WED OCT 23
READING: Claudia Rankine, Citizen
Audience: you, me, we, us
Class 18 MON OCT 28
DUE: Argumentative essay (1000-1250 words)
READING: David Foster Wallace, “Consider the Lobster”
Class 19 WED OCT 30
“Consider the Lobster” continue discussion and peer work
Class 20 MON NOV 4
READING: Ernest B. Furgurson, “The End of History?”
Brent Staples, “Confederate Monuments as Instruments of Racial Terror”
Texts in conversation and comparison discussion
Class 21 WED NOV 6
Texts in conversation continue with Furgurson and Staples
In-class comparative thesis statements
Class 22 MON NOV 11
READING: James Baldwin, “Notes On A Native Son”
Class 23 WED NOV 13
READING: Brent Staples, “Just Walk on By”
Continue Baldwin comparison
Class 24 MON NOV 18
READING: Nicholas Carr, “Is Google Making us stupid?”
Mona Eltahawy, “Twitterholics Anonymous”
Peer group work on effective use of quotations discussion
Signal phrases and statements compared to thesis statements
Class 25 WED NOV 20
Continue Carr and Eltahawy
Class 26 MON NOV 25
READING: Tristan Korten “In Florida, Officials Ban Term ‘Climate Change’”
Akiba Solomon “Thugs, Students, Rioters, Fans: Media’s Subtle Racism in Unrest Coverage”
Class 27 WED NOV 27
READING: Continue Korten and Solomon
Class 28 MON DEC 2
DUE: Compare and contrast essay (1100-1250 words)
ALL REVISIONS DUE
Review citations and quotation
Class 29 WED DEC 4
In-class peer review of student essays
Writing strategies for final essay
Hand-out long essay for final exam
Class 30 MON DEC 9
DUE: Compare contrast revision due
In-class compare and contrast essay
Final exam questions
Class 31 WED DEC 11
Review in-class essay
Long essay discussion and peer group work
FINAL EXAM:
Friday, December 13th from 10:30am-12:30pm
Boylan 2307
This syllabus is subject to revision; please check this page regularly for any updates throughout the semester.
