English Course-composition and critical thinking

Complete course of 6 weeks.Syllabus attached

5

EWRT 2: COMPOSITION and CRITICAL THINKING

De Anza College

Summer 2013

This course meets via our course Catalyst page for 100% of instruction.

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Instructor:
Alex Giardino

Email:
giardinoalex@fhda.edu

IMPORTANT ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

1. To be eligible for this course, you must have passed EWRT1A.

2. This is a GE course and is degree applicable.

3. Letter grade method of scoring.

REQUIRED COURSE TEXTS

1. Asking the Right Questions, Browne and Keeley

2. American Earth, edited by McKibben

COURSE THEME

We are fortunate to study critical thinking during an unprecedented time in our world’s history. We apply our emerging critical thinking skills to the discussion and study of the Climate Crisis, asking ourselves what differences we can make in our planet’s future.

COURSE GOALS

1.
Develop an argument or analysis with a clear thesis, using relevant details, specific evidence, and unambiguous claims.

2.
Develop techniques for writing clear, cogent arguments, including definition, summary, induction and deduction, and analysis.

3.
Determine the best method of organization for an effective argument, using logic and persuasion, and careful arrangement of supporting evidence, examples, and illustrations.

4.
Understand critical role of voice, tone, and style in argumentation; denotations and connotations of words, appeals to reason and emotion, abstract versus concrete language.

5.
Learn to express ideas clearly and directly, avoiding vagueness, ambiguity, wordiness, truisms, clichés, euphemisms, and jargon.

6.
Learn to read secondary sources purposefully by annotating, notes, quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing materials.

7.
Use a variety of research sources (library and Internet). Become an efficient researcher.

8.
Incorporate source material through paraphrase, summary, and quotation.

9.
Exhibit full command of MLA format and citation style.

10. Develop sophisticated reading skills, including analyzing author’s argument, style, and point of view and examining implicit and explicit arguments and assumptions. Identify author’s use of authoritative sources, statistical information, examples and analogies, acknowledgment of opposing opinion, and counterclaims.

11. Become an adept close reader of texts to identify premises, conclusions, claims, assumptions, and biases.

12. Avoid errors in reasoning, logical fallacies, unexamined assumptions, and personal biases.

13. Apply principles of grammar, usage, and syntax to one’s own writing.

CLASSROOM COMMUNITY

This is an adult course; thus, the content will not be censored. I encourage critical thinking and lively debate. I expect that we will not all agree and that you will listen with an open mind to others. Respect is key to becoming a critical thinker.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

You are responsible for spending at least six (6) hours per week on our course Catalyst page.

During those hours, you will be expected to do any of the following, as indicated for the week:

1. read instructor lecture notes and materials as posted

2. watch videos related to course materials as posted

3. listen to audio recordings related to course materials as posted

4. complete all posted assignments due that week by the deadline

(these assignments may be reading quizzes, reader responses,

wiki posts, weekly forum participation, video conferences, and so forth)

You are also responsible for spending at least six (6) hours per week completing the assigned reading and taking notes on the materials so that you can successfully complete the work for this course, including related quizzes, critical reader responses, and weekly forum discussions. Overall this class will require about twelve (12) hours of your time per week—remember this is an intensive summer session.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

On a weekly basis, the instructor will check on your “Activity Report” status in Catalyst. If you are not reading the lectures, watching videos, and participating in all the weekly course activities, your activity report will show that, and the instructor will contact you about your performance in class. If you do not fully participate in all the course activities for more than one week, you will be dropped from the course, unless you can provide the instructor will an acceptable excuse, as your lack of participation is similar to a classroom absence.

GRADE BREAKDOWN

You must complete ALL of the following assignments to pass this course:

1. Three Reading Quizzes (20 points each)

60 pts

(the quizzes take the form of paragraph responses to questions linking our readings

in American Earth to Asking the Right Questions)

2. Three contributions to class wikis (20 points each)

60 pts

(your contribution must be a paragraph summary of research on a topic related to

the overall wiki topic, along with links to helpful websites from your research)

3. Three reader responses to posted study questions (20 points each)

60 pts

(these are one-paragraph responses to questions posted by the instructor

based on the readings in American Earth)

4. Final essay (6 pages, plus bibliography)

100 pts

Total = 280 points

Final Grade Scale
A+100-99%
A 98-94%
A- 93-90%

B+ 89-88%
B 87-84%
B- 83-80%

C+ 79-78%
C 77-74%

GRADING POLICY

1. Grades are final.

2. No late assignments accepted (unless you can provide an acceptable form of an excuse).

3. All work must be typed in 12 pt. double-spaced font, with 1-inch margins around the edges (basically MLA format).

4. No extra credit is available for this course, so please don’t ask.

5. Failure to turn in any of the assignments will result in failure in the course.

6. You MUST submit all of your assignments to me via our course Catalyst page. No exceptions.

GRADING RUBRIC

A = Excellence in all areas of the assignment.

1. This essay appropriately and adequately addresses the assignment.

2. It is well organized with a powerful thesis, a clear introduction, body, and conclusion; each paragraph has a topic sentence, three or more supporting points, and a clear transition sentence; and each paragraph contains a quote from course material.

3. The essay contains developed collegiate vocabulary and sophisticated sentence mechanics (use of semicolons and colons, for example); there are no fragments or run-ons. It lacks grammatical slips, such as comma misusage.

4. The essay has a strong, clear voice and is well argued and persuasive.

5. The essay has no spelling errors.

6. It is in proper MLA format, with proper use of quotation and citation style.

7. This is a very original essay with voice and style.

8. Absolutely no plagiarism.

B = Competence in all areas of the assignment.

1. This essay addresses the assignment, but may have missed a relevant point or left part of the argument undeveloped in one of the paragraphs.

2. It is well organized and has a clear introduction, body, and conclusion, but the thesis may be weak or unclear. The paragraphs may lack enough supporting evidence or quoted material, but they all have a topic sentence and transition sentence.

3. The essay contains collegiate vocabulary and sophisticated sentence mechanics, but may contain a few wrong word choices and word usage errors (affect versus effect, to versus too). May have one or two fragments or run-ons.

4. The essay has a clear voice but because it is missing some supporting ideas, it is not entirely persuasive.

5. It contains few or no spelling errors.

6. It is in proper MLA format, with proper use of quotation and citation style.

7. There is an emerging sense of voice and style.

8. Absolutely no plagiarism.

C =Low-level Competence in all areas of the assignment.

1. This essay only partly addresses the assignment, having missed relevant points or left part of the argument undeveloped.

2. It is roughly organized, but may not have a clear introduction or conclusion, and the thesis may be weak or unclear. The paragraphs lack enough supporting evidence and quoted material. They may not all have a topic sentence and transition sentence.

3. The essay contains a static vocabulary and a few wrong word choices and word usage errors (affect versus effect; to versus too). May have fragments or run-ons. May have several grammar errors (such as comma usage).

4. The essay has a weak and inconsistent voice. Because it is missing some supporting ideas, it is not entirely persuasive.

5. No spelling errors.

6. It is in sloppy MLA format, without proper use of quotation and citation style.

7. It lacks its own voice and style.

8. Absolutely no plagiarism.

D = Inadequate Competence in all areas of the assignment.

1. This essay barely addresses the assignment, having missed many relevant points or left part of the argument undeveloped.

2. It is roughly organized, has no clear introduction and conclusion, and no thesis. The paragraphs lack supporting evidence and quoted material. They do not have a topic or transition sentence.

3. The essay contains a static vocabulary and several wrong word choices and word usage errors. It contains fragments and run-ons, as well as several grammar errors.

4. The essay has a weak and inconsistent voice. It is not at all persuasive.

5. It contains spelling errors.

6. It is in sloppy MLA format, without proper use of quotation and citation style.

7. Absolutely no plagiarism.

PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING

Plagiarism means copying someone else’s work and presenting it as your own, without giving credit to the person who wrote and thought of the idea. Cheating means using unfair means to fulfill an assignment, such as having someone else do your work for you. What will happen anytime you plagiarize or cheat:

1.You will receive an F on the assignment without the option to redo it for a new grade.

2. The instructor will ask to meet with you to discuss issue.

3. Your name will be given to the Dean of Students.

4. If you are caught plagiarizing or cheating more than once, you will be asked to drop the course.

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS RIGHTS

Education is a basic human right. I believe that all people, regardless of their immigration status have the right to achieve their academic goals. If you have questions about how your immigration status may affect your academic opportunities, please talk to me. I may be able to help.

De Anza is an equal opportunity institution.

COURSE SCHEDULE

WEEK 1 (July 1-4)

ORIENTATION TO THE COURSE

Review syllabus and note important deadlines.

Purchase or download books.

Read all of the posted course materials at the top of our Catalyst homepage

ACADEMICS

For this week:
Read/watch/study all the posted materials

Read Asking the Right Questions: chaps. 1-5

Read American Earth (AE):

pages 2-37 (Thoreau)

pages 62-71 (Whitman)

Complete the Instructor Study Guides

due this week:
Take Reading Quiz #1 by Sunday, July 7, 11:55 pm

WEEK 2 (July 8-11)

For this week:
Read/watch/study all the posted materials

Read Asking the Right Questions: chaps. 6-8

Read American Earth (AE):

pages 266-295 (Leopold)

Complete the Instructor Study Guides

due this week:
Reader Response #1 Due by Sunday, July 14, 11:55 pm

Contribute to Wiki #1 (farming in the US) by Sunday, July 14, 11:55 pm

WEEK 3 (July 15-18)

For this week:
Read/watch/study all the posted materials

Read Asking the Right Questions: chaps. 9-10

Read American Earth (AE):

pages 359-380 (Jacobs, Carson, Baker)

Complete the Instructor Study Guides

due this week:
Take Reading Quiz #2 by Sunday, July 21, 11:55 pm

Contribute to Wiki #2 (ocean conservation) by Sunday, July 21, 11:55 pm

WEEK 4 (July 22-25)

For this week:
Read/watch/study all the posted materials

Read Asking the Right Questions: chaps. 11-14

Read American Earth (AE):

pages 413-434 (Abbey, Ehrlich)

Complete the Instructor Study Guides

due this week:
Take Reading Quiz #3 by Sunday, July 28, 11:55 pm

Contribute to Wiki #3 (oil industry) by Sunday, July 28, 11:55 pm

WEEK 5 (July 29-August 1)

For this week:
Read/watch/study all the posted materials

Read American Earth (AE):

pages 570-591 (Momaday, Silko)

pages 659-671 (Walker)

pages 690-696 (Chavez)

pages 849-855 (Anthony/Soule)

pages 920-929 (DeWitt)

Complete the Instructor Study Guides

due this week:
Reader Response #2 Due by Sunday, August 4, 11:55 pm

WEEK 6 (August 5-8)

For this week:
Read/watch/study all the posted materials

due this week:
Reader Response #3 Due by Tuesday, August 6, 11:55 pm

Your final essay for this course is due by no later than Thursday, August 8, at noon.

IT MUST BE UPLOADED TO BOTH TURNITIN.COM AND ALSO VIA OUR CATALYST SITE.