Overview and Goals: English 1010 is an introduction to college level composition. This course will focus on reading and writing fundamentals to help enhance your critical thinking, reading comprehension, expository writing and revision skills. Class discussion will be led by assigned readings, writing assignments and current events as they relate to coursework. As a class, we will explore Americanah, a memoir by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi, and several short non-fiction essays. With a focus on collaborative learning, you will build a solid foundation of writing tools that will assist you in your future career as a student at Brooklyn College while gaining a responsible perspective on cultural differences and the world around you.
Required Texts:
*A free copy of Americanah is provided for all registered freshman. Visit 2211 Boylan if you did not receive a free copy.
Attendance: Our classroom is a place for discussion, which requires each student to be present, on time, and actively engaged in each class session. Students are allowed 3 unexcused absences. Use them wisely and understand that your grade is docked 5% for every subsequently missed class. Arriving 15+ minutes late to class is considered excessive tardiness; being excessively tardy three times results in an absence.
Readings and Class Participation: You are expected to read the readings beforetheclass period in which they are discussed. Because classroom discussion is an integral part of this class, your preparation is essential. Constructive participation in discussion is expected and will decide your participation grade.
In Class Writing Assignments: I will periodically ask you to write in short answer or paragraph form for the first 10-15 minutes of class. These writings can vary from journals, responding to a reading, or free write. Occasionally, these writings will also be in the form of short answer reading quizzes.
Essays: You will be assigned three out-of-class essays over the course of the semester: A Personal Narrative Essay, a Compare and Contrast Essay and an Analytical/Argumentative Essay. All essays will be submitted on Blackboard and Turnitin. I will not accept hardcopies of your final essays; failure to submit your work online results in a 10% dock of the essay grade. We will go over the specific requirements for each essay in class as the due dates approach. Each essay will be graded according to its own rubric. Essays are required to be in MLA format.
In addition, you are assigned an In-Class Compare/Contrast Essay that will be completed and turned into me during class.
Summaries: You will write two summaries of 350 – 500 words each. The requirements of these summaries will be discussed in class.
Semester Requirements:
Class Participation (10%)
In-Class Writing Assignments (10%)
Summaries (10%)
Personal Narrative Essay (10%)
In-Class Compare/Contrast Essay (10%)
Compare/Contrast Essay (10%)
Analytical/Argumentative Essay (20%)
Final Exam (20%)
Grading and Friendly Reminders: Essay grading is done both with a rubric and holistically. I will take into account your personal growth as a writer and your ability to follow class instruction. I will mark off for excessive grammatical errors; however, showing that you can think critically and analyze a text is of more importance in my class. Be yourself and develop a writing style that is true to you as an individual. Remember; although I am grading your papers, you are not writing for me. Choose topics that interest you. Raise questions, explore your options, and say what’s on your mind. This class is intended to give you the tools to write your best.
Grades are based on the following scale:
A = 93-100; A- = 90-92; B+ = 88-89; B = 83-87; B- = 80-82; C+ = 78-79; C = 73-77; C- = 70-72; D+ =
68-69; D= 63-67; D- = 60-62; F = Below 60
Late Work: All assignments are due on the date specified. Any late work will be lowered one letter grade for each class meeting they are late. In Class Writing Assignments and Reading Quizzes cannot be made up.
Brooklyn College English Requirements:
The English Department requires that all students receive a grade of C- or better in order to pass English 1010. No credit will be given for grades below 70%. Students whom attend class, but fall below the 70% requirement may receive a grade of NC (meaning no credit). Students who do not meet the attendance or grade requirement will be given a grade of F, which will negatively affect your GPA. If you find you are having difficulty in class, schedule a meeting with me or visit the Learning Center for outside guidance.
City University’s Policy on Academic Integrity:
The faculty and administration of Brooklyn College support an environment free from cheating and plagiarism. Each student is responsible for being aware of what constitutes cheating and plagiarism and for avoiding both. The complete text of the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy and the Brooklyn College procedure for implementing that policy can be found at this site: www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/policies. If a faculty member suspects a violation of academic integrity and, upon investigation, confirms that violation, or if the student admits the violation, the faculty member MUST report the violation.
Center for Student Disability Services:
In order to receive disability-related academic accommodations students must first be registered with the Center for Student Disability Services. Students who have a documented disability or suspect they may have a disability are invited to set up an appointment with the Director of the Center for Student Disability Services, Ms. Valerie Stewart-Lovell at 718-951-5538. If you have already registered with the Center for Student Disability Services please provide your professor with the course accommodation form and discuss your specific accommodation with him/her.
Office Hours:
I encourage you to make use of my office hours to discuss your work or any questions you may have. If you are unable to attend office hours, I am happy to meet with you another time by appointment.
English 1010
M/W 3:40-4:55pm, Boylan 4135
Instructor: Catherine Green, Catherine.Green@brooklyn.cuny.edu
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Office hours: Mondays 1:00-2:00pm
Americanah by 
Schedule of Assignments (Assignments subject to change):
8/27 Introduction: Syllabus, Course Materials, Personal Essay
8/29 Americanah
9/3 No Class - Labor Day
9/7 Americanah
Due: Personal Narrative (Rough Draft)
9/10 No Class
9/12 “Real Food” - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
9/17 “The Declaration of Independence” - Thomas Jefferson
Due: Personal Narrative (Final Draft)
9/19 No Class
9/24 “I Have a Dream” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
9/26 “The Tyranny of Choice” - Barry Schwartz
Due: Summary 1
10/1“The Trouble with Self-Esteem” - Lauren Slater
10/3 “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior” - Amy Chua
10/8 No Class - Columbus Day
10/10 “Black Men and Public Space” - Brent Staples
Due: Summary 2
10/15 “The Case for Reparations” - Ta-Nehisi Coates
10/17 “The Case for Reparations” - Ta-Nehisi Coates, cont.
Due: Analytical/Argumentative Essay (Rough Draft)
10/22 “Is Google Making Us Stupid” - Nicholas Carr
10/24 “The Coddling of the American Mind” - Lukianoff & Haidt
Due: Analytical/Argumentative Essay (Final Draft)
10/29“Mirror, Mirror on the Web” - Lakshmi Chaudhry
10/31 “Mirror, Mirror on the Web” - Lakshmi Chaudhry, cont.
11/5 “Regarding the Pain of Others” - Susan Sontag
11/7 “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire” - Errol Morris
Due: Compare/Contrast Essay (Rough Draft)
11/12 “Politics and the English Language” - George Orwell
11/14 “Thugs, Students, Rioters, Fans” - Akiba Solomon
Due: Compare/Contrast Essay (Final Draft)
11/19 “Confederate Memorials as Instruments of Racial Terror” - Brent Staples
In-Class Compare/Contrast Essay
11/21 “The End of History” - Ernest B. Furgurson
11/26 “The Case for Working with Your Hands” - Matthew Crawford
11/28 “We Are Not All Created Equal” - Stephen Marche
12/3 “What Makes Superman So Darned American?” - Gary Engle
12/5 “Larger Than Life” - Jenny Lynn Bader
12/10 “Reprogenetics: A Glimpse of Things to Come” - Lee M. Silver
12/12 Final Exam Review
Finals (Date/Time/Place TBA
