Tuesdays and Thursday from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., Thomas 215
Professor: Dr. Bev Hogue
Office: 216-A Thomas Hall
Office Hours: MW 10 a.m. to noon and 3 to 4 p.m.
TTH 2 to 4 p.m.
F 10 a.m. to noon
e-mail: hogueb@marietta.edu
office telephone: x4657
website: www.marietta.edu/~hogueb
class e-mail list: 2008_FL_WRIT_101_08@marietta.edu
Course Description: Our main interest in English 101 will be to study and practice expository writing, which develops a subject through direct statement of thesis and logical arrangement of ideas. Exposition is basic in many types of writing required of college students and college graduates: essays, examinations, reports, research papers, and proposals.
This course is a Learning Community linked with FYSE 101-04 and FYSE 102-04. You will complete separate assignments for each class, but there will be some overlap in topics and readings; further, you will be encouraged to use techniques and insights developed in one class in each of the others.
Required Texts
Walker, Frank X. Affrilachia. Old Cove Press. ISBN: 978-0967542409
Norman, Gurney. Kinfolks. Gnomon Press. ISBN: 978-0917788109
Hacker, Diana. Pocket Style Manual. Bedford/St. Martin’s. ISBN: 978-0312436643
Additional readings from the FYSE 101 textbooks and from the library’s electronic reserve system.
Course Objectives: By the end of the semester, students will demonstrate ability to
Expectations: All students must
Attendance: The English Department believes that regular classroom attendance is essential to success in English Composition; therefore, we have adopted a standard attendance policy. A student is permitted to miss one week of class time without a penalty, provided all class work is made up. A student in a Tuesday-Thursday class may have a maximum of two absences during a semester. Each additional week's worth of absences will lower the final grade by one letter. Excessive tardiness also detracts from the learning environment; therefore, three tardies will be equivalent to one absence. Anyone who has a legitimate reason for missing more than a week of class should consult with the instructor. Anyone who misses class is responsible for making up work that was due. If it is possible, students should inform the instructor about an impending absence. Those who miss class to participate in athletic events or authorized college functions must present a notice of the event from the coach or instructor.
Evaluation
Two in-class essay exams, 100 points each
Three major papers, 100 points each
Homework, 100 points
Each essay exam will require you to write a coherent essay in response to a specific question, using evidence from one or more texts to support a thesis. Essay exams will be evaluated based on a rubric.
Each major paper will be a coherent, well organized essay responding to a specific prompt and providing evidence to support a clear thesis. Each paper will require one or more preliminary drafts submitted for peer review. Failure to submit the required drafts will result in a final grade of F on the paper. Papers will evaluated based on a common rubric.
One of the best ways to improve your writing skills is to write frequently and receive frequent feedback on your writing; homework assignments are designed to help you do this. Homework assignments will not be graded but will receive either full credit or no credit; your final grade on homework assignments will be computed by dividing the number of assignments successfully completed by the number available. To receive credit for completing a homework assignment, you must:
Grading 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
The A+ grade does not affect gpa and will be given only for extraordinary work.
All written work must be typed/word processed, double-spaced, in black ink on white paper, with attention paid to spelling, grammar, and style. Late work will not be accepted except in rare unavoidable cases. Students are expected to produce original work for this course; papers written for other courses here or elsewhere are not acceptable.
Plagiarism occurs when a student represents someone else’s work as his or her own; it includes:
Any student who plagiarizes, whether from published material (such as a web site, book, or magazine) or from unpublished material (such as another student’s writing), will receive an F on the assignment. Any student who submits someone else’s work as if it were his or her own will receive an F on the assignment and may fail the class. Copying information from an online source directly into a paper will result in an automatic F for the assignment and possible failure of the course.
All work produced in this course is considered public and is used for the purposes of teaching and evaluation. This may include the use of your work as a model for future students and the submission of your work to an online plagiarism detection service.
Co-Curricular Probation: Students placed on academic probation at the end of the semester will be barred from most co-curricular activities the following semester. See the college catalog for further details.
Accommodations: Any student requiring accommodations because of a documented disability should notify the instructor AND the Academic Resource Center (Andrews Hall, third floor, 376-4700) at the beginning of the semester for further instructions.
Come to class prepared to discuss reading assignments on the date listed. All written assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date listed. Late assignments will not be accepted.
August
26 Introduction to class; diagnostic writing
28 Homework: Write a few paragraphs (at least 500 words) about what Appalachia means to you, using at least one specific example from your own experience.
September
2 Homework: Write a few paragraphs (at least 500 words) in which you briefly summarize one of the chapters you have read for FYSE 101, being careful to include the name of the author, the title of the work, and the main points of the chapter. Include at least one direct quotation from the chapter you are summarizing.
4 Homework: Write a few paragraphs (at least 500 words) in which you compare what you’ve read about Appalachia for FYSE 101 with your own experience, including at least one direct quotation from one of your readings and at least one personal example.
9 Exploration Essay draft due for peer review (see assignment sheet)
11 Homework: Read Norman 1-21 and Walker 92-97. Write a few paragraphs (at least 500 words) comparing the two authors’ portrayals of Appalachia, using at least one direct quotation from each author.
16 Homework: Read Norman 23-55 and Walker 79-81. Write a few paragraphs (at least 500 words) comparing the authors’ portrayals of the lives of children, using at least one direct quote from each author.
18 Homework: Read Norman 57-86. How does Gurney Norman’s portrayal of Appalachia compare with the material you are reading for FYSE 101? Write a few paragraphs (at least 500 words) in which you use material from one of your FYSE 101 readings to comment on, critique, or otherwise illuminate Gurney Norman’s work.
23 Exploration essay due
25 Museum visit (meet at Campus Martius at 10 a.m.); during museum visit, gather information for visual analysis assignment (see handout)
30 Visual analysis assignment (see handout)
October
7 Homework: Read Norman 87-119. Taking into account everything you have read and learned about Appalachia so far this semester, write a few paragraphs (at least 500 words) in which you list three common characteristics of Appalachian culture, using evidence from at least two texts.
(four-day break Oct. 11-14)
16 Homework: Read Berry 217-24 (online reserve) and Walker 3-6, 48-52, and 98-100. Write a few paragraphs (at least 500 words) comparing the way these poets approach history, providing evidence from the texts.
21 Homework: Read Berry 132-4 and 151-2. Find a visual image (photograph, poster, painting, etc.) that represents some aspect of these poems and write a few paragraphs (at least 500 words) describing the visual image and explaining why it is an appropriate representation of the poem.
23 Homework: Read Walker 13-14 and 53-61. Find a visual image (photograph, poster, painting, advertisement, sculpture, etc.) that represents some aspect of these poems and write a few paragraphs (at least 500 words) describing the visual image and explaining why it is an appropriate representation of the poem.
28 Homework: Using the college library or research databases available through the library’s website, find a reputable print source (a book or article that originally appeared in print, not an online source) that provides some information relevant to one or more of the poems you have read or one of the visual images you have written about. Write a few paragraphs (at least 500 words) in which you briefly summarize the source and explain how it helps you to understand these works.
30 Comparative Analysis draft due for peer review. (See assignment sheet.)
November
4 Homework: Write a brief (at least 500 words) but detailed description of a place important to you, including specific examples showing how and why you are connected to that place.
6 Homework: Locate data about a place important to you and summarize what you learn in at least 500 words, providing correct citations where needed. You may wish to consider information about geography, population, demographics, economics, and so on.
11 Comparative Analysis due
13 Homework: Complete government source evaluation form (see handout).
28 Homework: Complete academic journal source evaluation form (see handout).
20 Place analysis draft due for peer review
25 Place analysis Works Cited draft due for peer review
(Thanksgiving Break Nov. 26-30)
December
2 Homework: Considering everything you have learned in your writing, reading, and research this semester, write a few paragraphs (at least 500 words) in which you speculate about the future of a particular place (Appalachia or someplace important to you), making predictions about how that place might change in the coming years. Draw on evidence from at least two sources to support your thesis.
4 Place analysis due
9 Final essay exam, noon to 2:30 p.m.
What does Appalachia mean to you? And how can your reading inform your understanding of Appalachia? In this essay, you will describe your understanding of Appalachia, using at least one personal example, and then explore how your experience of the region accords with what you’re learning from your reading. Your essay must:
You may wish to use the homework assignments to work through your ideas for the paper; just make sure the finished paper is a unified and coherent essay, with all parts connected to a clear thesis.
Deadlines
Sept. 9: Draft due for peer review. Bring a hard copy of your essay to class and send an electronic copy (Word document) via e-mail to Dr. Hogue (hogueb@marietta.edu). Failure to turn in a draft for peer review will result in an F on the finished paper.
Sept. 23: Exploration Essay due at the beginning of class.
What is Appalachia? What common elements characterize the region’s art, religion, people, or culture? The midterm exam will ask you to write an in-class essay responding to a specific question concerning characteristics of Appalachian culture, supporting a clear thesis from evidence from at least two texts read for this class or for FYSE 101. Feel free to use your homework assignments to work through your ideas in preparation for the exam.
Midterm Exam Policies and Procedures
Suppose you are an outsider trying to understand Appalachian culture but all you have are two artifacts. These may be two poems, two stories, two photographs, two advertisements, two paintings, or any two other artifacts that represent the region. What conclusions can you draw about the culture from the evidence provided by those two artifacts alone?
In this essay, you will analyze two artifacts and draw conclusions about what they suggest about Appalachian culture. Your analysis must focus not just on content but on form; in other words, you must move beyond what the artifacts show and consider how they portray the region and why they portray it that way. Your thesis must clearly indicate the purpose of your analysis, avoiding vague generalizations and saying something specific and interesting about the artifacts and the region. Some examples, bad and good:
Too vague: The two advertisements are similar in some ways and different in other ways.
Less vague but lacking purpose: The two advertisements differ in their use of color, composition, and location.
Vague purpose: Although the two advertisements differ in their use of color, composition, and location, both suggest something about Applachian values.
Good: Although the two advertisements differ in their use of color, composition, and location, both suggest that Appalachian people value family unity.
Good: The two advertisements differ in their use of color, composition, and location, but one upholds the Appalachian value of family unity while the other suggests the difficulty of maintaining that unity in the face of modernization.
Your essay must
You may wish to use the homework assignments to work through your ideas for the paper; just make sure the finished paper is a unified and coherent essay, with all parts connected to a clear thesis.
Deadlines
Oct. 30: Draft due for peer review. Bring one hard copy to class and send an electronic copy (Word document) to Dr. Hogue at hogueb@marietta.edu. Failure to turn in a draft will result in a final grade of F on the paper.
Nov. 11: Comparative Analysis due at the beginning of class
This semester, you have been learning about the ties that bind people to a particular place. In this essay, you will examine your own connections to a place important to you. Choose a place small enough to explore in some depth in a relatively short paper: your hometown or a small section of a larger city, a place you frequently visit, or a place you have come to know since arriving in Marietta.
Your purpose is to inform readers about the characteristics of your place while exploring what elements evoke a sense of connection between people and places. Your paper should include any information that will support your clear thesis; you may wish to include any or all of the following:
You may wish to use the homework assignments to work through your ideas for the paper; just make sure the finished paper is a unified and coherent essay, with all parts connected to a clear thesis. Furthermore, you may use all or part of your final essay for FYSE 101, as long as the result fulfills all the requirements for this paper, which must:
Deadlines
Nov. 20: Draft due for peer review. Bring one hard copy to class and send an electronic copy (Word document) to Dr. Hogue at hogueb@marietta.edu. Failure to turn in a draft will result in a final grade of F on the paper.
Nov. 25: Works Cited draft due for peer review. Bring one hard copy to class and send an electronic copy (Word document) to Dr. Hogue at hogueb@marietta.edu. Failure to turn in a draft will result in a final grade of F on the paper.
Dec. 4: Place Analysis due at the beginning of class.
Now that you have learned so much about Appalachia and a place of importance to you, it is time to think about the future. The final exam will ask you to write an essay speculating about what the future holds for a specific aspect of either the Appalachian region or a place of importance to you. Considering everything you have learned, how do you expect the region to change over the next 10, 20, or 50 years? How might the culture, economy, demographics, religion, or other elements change? Why?
The essay exam will require you to support a clear thesis with evidence from at least two sources of your choice. Feel free to use your homework assignments to work through ideas in preparation for the exam.
Final Exam Policies and Procedures