ENGL 1010: English Composition-Student Version (2018-19 Archive): Best, Melanie

Freshman Common Reading: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah (required)

2. Course Readings and syllabus available at: https://libguides.brooklyn.cuny.edu/1010/best_melanie

3. Grammar Handbook (required): A Writer's Reference, Diana Hacker & Nancy Sommers, 8th Edition.

4. 3 ring binder for class notes, class writing assignments, summaries, and properly cited bibliography of works read during the duration of the class.

Attendance & Punctuality: If you miss more than four classes, you will receive no credit for participation. Two latenesses count as one absence. Arriving more than 10 minutes late counts as an absence. A pattern of lateness will affect your grade.

Participation: Participation includes completing and commenting on the assigned reading, contributing to class discussion through listening and responding to classmates or the instructor, bringing required materials to class, and engaging in group activities.

NOTE: Cellphones must be silenced and put away during class. The use of cellphones and other electronics is not permitted in the classroom, except under exceptional circumstances. Students should inform the instructor about these circumstances.

Reading: Class discussion is a critical element of this course, and participation is essential. Students are expected to have closely read, annotated, and be ready to discuss all readings on the day they are assigned. There will be unannounced reading quizzes. Bring the assigned reading to every class.

Assignments:

Essays & Other Writing: Students will write the following: a personal narrative (750-1000 words), two summaries (250-500 words each), an argumentative essay (1000-1250 words), a compare and contrast essay (1000-1250 words). Students will revise each of these essays.

These essays must be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point font, and formatted with one-inch margins. In addition, students will have an in-class essay exam. Students will be asked to complete other assignments, such as journal entries, in-class writing, and reading responses.

NOTE: Essays are due at the beginning of class. The instructor will not accept essays submitted via email.

Final Exam: English 1010 students must take a final exam. The exam is based on responses to two pieces of writing: one 5-7 page essay, distributed one week before the end of the term, and a second 1-2 page piece, distributed along with the question on the day of the exam. The exam will count for 20% of the final grade for the class. The instructor will discuss the test format in class.

LOOP workshop: The Brooklyn College Bulletin states the following:

All students in English 1010 will complete the required Brooklyn College library orientation, which will introduce them to the services and resources of the library, including access to and ethical use of its print and electronic resources.

Research textual references: Two or three times during the semester, each student will research assigned textual references from the weekly readings and present their findings to the class. These presentations will be short, 3-5 minutes.

Grading: 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. Note that the minimum passing grade is C-.Students who have completed all the course work but are not yet writing at

the college level will receive a grade of NC; students who have not completed the course work 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; students who receive three grades of F, NC and/or WU may be dismissed from the college.

NOTE: Essays turned in late will be penalized half a letter grade for each class meeting they are late. Late work will not be accepted after one week has passed from the original due date. If students miss a class during which an essay is to be submitted, students are still responsible for submitting (e-mailing) the essay on the same day AND bringing a hard copy of it the next time they attend class.

Possible grades are as follows:

Grading Breakdown: Essays: 60%

Personal Narrative: 10 % Summaries: 10%

Argumentative Essay: 20% Compare and Contrast: 20%

Final Exam: 20%

Other Assignments: 10%

This includes take-home assignments, in-class writing, and quizzes.

Attendance & Participation: 10%

List of Readings and Major Assignments

Tue 8/28/18     First class, introductions

Thu 8/30/18     Reading: Adichie, chapter 1

Writing:    Summary of chapter 1

Tue 9/4/18       Reading: Adichie, chapter 2

Writing:    Summary of chapter 2

Student presentations of textual references

Thu 9/6/18       Reading: Adichie, chapters 1 & 2

Writing:    Description of neighborhood

Description vs. Exposition; peer review of descriptions Tue 9/11/18     NO CLASS

Thu 9/13/18     Reading: Leave Your Name at the Border, Manuel Muñoz

Writing: 1st draft of personal narratives; re-write of Adichie ch. 2 summary, focusing on author's main ideas, purposes and techniques; or compare chapters 1 & 2 in relation to a particular theme or idea

Tue 9/18/18      NO CLASS

Thu 9/20/18     Reading: The Colossus of New York, Colson Whitehead Writing:     Answer questions on Whitehead handout

Descriptive language as implicit argument

Tue 9/25/18     Reading: Peculiar Benefits, Roxanne Gay Writing:    Summary of Gay

Thu 9/27/18     Reading: We are not all Created Equal, Steven Marche Writing:    2nd draft of personal narratives

Tue 10/2/18     Reading: Regarding the Pain of Others, Susan Sontag Writing:    Summary of Sontag

Thu 10/4/18     Reading: Liar, Liar Pants on Fire, Errol Morris Writing:    Reworked, formal summary, any reading

Tue 10/9/18     Reading: The Trouble with Diversity, Walter Benn Michaels Writing:    Summary of Michaels

Thu 10/11/18 Reading: The Trouble with Diversity, Walter Benn Michaels Writing:    1st draft of Argumentative Essay