College Writing Skills

Course Description

In this course, you will further develop and polish reading and writing skills (using our text book: College Writing Skills-CWS) required for academic work on the college level. We will pay special attention to the growth of critical thinking skills through studying, discussing and writing about interesting readings from our textbook . You will write a series of essays (expository essays) and some less formal writing projects, both in and out of class. Classes will be devoted to writing, reading, debating (informal), vocabulary building, and grammar.

Prerequisite: Take ESL-093, Minimum grade QC

Student Outcomes:

As a result of successfully completing this course, you should be able to write well-organized essays explaining a central idea (thesis). Skills should include but not limited to: * Develop ideas and evaluate them in light of your own beliefs and knowledge and evidence discovered through reading and discussion. * Communicate your ideas effectively (verbally and in writing) * Support your ideas with well-developed examples and other evidence * Organize your ideas and evidence effectively in a sequence of paragraphs

Required Books and Materials

1. College Writing Skills with Readings, MCC edition, Langan (Online Learning Center www.mhe.com/langan) 2. Composition Notebook (for journaling/note taking) (Recommended) 3. English Dictionary & Thesaurus (Required)

4. Two Pocket Folder (Recommended)

Classroom Practices:

* RESPONDING TO READINGS: Your goal as you are completing the reading is to respond, which means to ask questions, make connections in personal ways to your past and ongoing learning experiences, challenge, restate in your own words, anything that enables you to build your own knowledge base. This process should be the opposite of reading “mindlessly” in the hopes of memorizing and/or restating material to please the professor. Your texts should appear in class marked up with questions, comments and connections, which will allow you to participate in rich classroom conversations. FOR EACH CLASS SESSION, YOU WILL BRING YOUR CRITICAL READING/DISCUSSION ANSWERS. Your answers to each question should not be more than four sentences long and less than 2 sentences. Your classmates will support you by coming prepared with their critical thinking questions/responses. (Worth 25% of final grade)

* GROUP WORK: Group members must share the workload equally and make every effort to communicate with one another. You are accountable to the group; compromise and collaborate throughout the process. Set group norms ahead of time to avoid conflict. * IN-CLASS PARTICIPATION: This classroom is a place to experiment with your thinking, writing and take risks. Please speak up and share your thoughts! (Worth 25% of final grade) * ATTENDANCE: You must attend every class on time. If that is not possible, you should notify me beforehand. If you have an unexcused absence, your grade for the class participation for that day is F. Three late arrivals to class equal one absence. (Worth 10% of final grade) * LATE WORK: Written works must be printed and submitted on the date that they are due. Late homework is not acceptable! Work can be submitted online via Campus Cruiser before class (at least one hour).

* QUIZZES AND LAB: There will be reading comprehension quizzes/assessments almost every week. There is also a lab component to this class, lab will devoted to writing in reaction to the week’s reading, editing and drafting essays. (Worth 20% of final grade) * EXAMINATION & WRITING PROFICIENCY TEST “AccuPlacer”: There will be a midterm examination on July 29th and a final examination (not the AccuPlacer) on August21st. By college policy you must pass this essay test in order to register for non ESL English courses. We will do three practice tests during the semester and several responding to small reading passages. A score of 6 is passing (see test packet for more information) (Worth 20% of final grade) * PRESENTATION OF ESSAYS: Formal essays (including drafts) must be word-processed, double-spaced, in 12 point Times New Roman, Arial or Courier New type, with no cover sheet. Informal writing assignments can be legibly handwritten on lined, full sized paper in blue or black ink.

* PORTFOLIO: Please keep all work for the course in a well-organized folder. This will be your “portfolio” which demonstrates the quantity and quality of your work. * PROFESSIONALISM: I expect high standards of respect to be demonstrated toward your peers and toward all those you will encounter at Middlesex County Community College—faculty, staff and students. As such, it is up to you to communicate with your professor, peers (group members) if you have extenuating circumstances that might prevent you from participating in class. With respect to cell phones, please do not use cell phones in class or during class UNLESS it is an emergency.

Grading:

A (4.00) Superior (submitted for all the class requirements, including informed participation in class, was of excellent quality and on time.) A (3.67) B+ (3.33) B (3.00) B- (2.67) C+ (2.33) C (2.0) F Fail (NO CREDIT FOR THE COURSE) * A minimum of grade of C is required to pass ESL099.

STATEMENT OF COLLEGE POLICIES:

Disabilities Support Services

Students with disabilities who believe that they might need accommodations in this class are encouraged to schedule an appointment with Counseling Career Services at (732-9062546), as soon as possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. All disabilities must be documented by a qualified professional, such as a Physician, Licensed Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant (LDTC), Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Psychiatric Nurse, Licensed Social Worker, or Licensed Professional Counselor, who is qualified to assess the disability that the student claims to have and make recommendations on accommodations for the student. All information provided to the Counseling Career Services Program will be confidential between the program, professors involved with the student, and individual student.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is central to the pursuit of education. For students at MCCC, this means maintaining the highest ethical standards in completing their academic work. In doing so, students earn college credits by their honest efforts. When they are awarded a certificate or degree, they have attained a goal representing genuine achievement and can reflect with pride on their accomplishment. This is what gives college education its essential value.

Violations of the principle of academic integrity include:

* Cheating on exams. * Reporting false research data or experimental results. * Allowing other students to copy one’s work to submit to instructors. * Communicating the contents of an exam to other students who will be taking the same test. * Submitting the same project in more than one course, without discussing this first with instructors. * Submitting plagiarized work. Plagiarism is the use of another writer’s words or ideas without properly crediting that person. This unacknowledged use may be from published books or articles, the Internet, or another student’s work. When students act dishonestly in meeting their course requirements, they lower the value of education for all students.

Students who violate the college’s policy on academic integrity are subject to failing grades on exams or projects, or for the entire course. Serious cases may be reported to a division dean or director for further disciplinary action, including suspension or dismissal from MCCC. Detailed information on the College’s Academic Integrity policy may be found in the Pathfinder. The handbook also contains useful information for students on other policies and student activities/services on campus.

Other Services:
Tutoring/ Computer Laboratories:
Free tutoring is available for this course (Main Office across from computer lab). Please refer to posted information about hours.

The course schedule with topics and readings divided by dates follows. DATE| AGENDA| ASSIGNMENT (S) DUE| JULY 8| Introduction to 099/Class NormsIntroductions & How good is your English activitySyllabus Speed Dating: Syllabus ReviewReading Assessment (Practice Test 1)Diagnostic Test (Grammar)| Welcome to ESL099!Please print syllabus and bring your copy to class.| JULY 10| An Introduction to Reading & Participating in Class Discussion: Six Basic RulesReading: Getting the gist (using a political cartoon)Discussion & Free Write Focus Skill: Reading Comprehension Skill #1: SkimmingIntro to text annotation activity | 7/10 Complete Syllabus and Plagiarism quiz via Campus CruiserReading: College Writing Skills (CWS)—Introduction to Reading: Pg 643-646| JULY 15-17|

From Discussion to WritingIntroduction of pre-writing strategies * Free writing * Brainstorming * Listing * Intro to outlining * Basic principles of writing: topic sentence/thesis and evidence (support) * Q&A of Writing Rubric| 7/15 Reading: CWS pg. 649 “Three Passions” by Bertrand RussellComplete all Reading Comprehension Questions & Critical Reading/Discussion Section*Annotate Text!7/17 —Writer’s Workshop*** Read CWS pg 42-49 and complete Activities 11-13Bring draft/outline of writing assignment 1Practice Test 2 (To be done in lab)| JULY 22-24| An Introduction to Reading & Participating in Class Discussion: Six Basic RulesReading: Interact with text Focus Skill: Reading Comprehension Skill # 2: Making Inferences| 7/22 Reading: CWS 651 “Shame” by Dick GregoryComplete all Reading Comprehension Questions & Critical Reading/Discussion Section*Annotate Text!7/24

—Writer’s Workshop*** Read CWS pg 52-61 and complete activities 2-4Bring draft of writing assignment 2See Think-tac-toe sheet!| JULY 29-31ST| What is the Accuplacer?What does it mean to take an essay exam?Review Practice Test 1 & 2| 7/29 Lab Quiz 1, 2 & 3 due!Read CWS pg 386-394 and complete Activity 1-47/31 Midterm—Be prepared!| AUG 5-7| Patterns of Essay Development An Introduction to Writing Intro to vocabulary building—Reading Comprehension Skill # 3Writing Focus: Unity: Clear opening statement…What is a Thesis?| 8/5 Read CWS pg 684-690 “The Professor Is a Dropout” by Beth Johnson. Complete all Reading Comprehension Questions & Critical Reading/Discussion Section* Lab quiz 4, 5, & 6 are due!8/7—Writer’s Workshop*** See Think-tac-toe sheet!Read CWS pg 62-67 and complete activities 5-9Pg 73-78 and complete activity 15-19In class writing Test!|

AUG 12-14| Patterns of Essay Development The Writing ProcessFour Bases of Essay WritingReview of Titles/Intro & Conclusions * Organizing paragraphs and connecting specific evidence * Revising sentences * Consistent POV-The Power of Verbs| 8/12 Read CWS pg 675-678 “ A Hanging” by George Orwell. Complete all Reading Comprehension Questions & Critical Reading/Discussion Section* Lab quiz 7 & 8 are due!8/14—Writer’s Workshop*** See Think-tac-toe sheet!Read pg 625-634 and complete activity 1-4| AUG 19-21| Review of Writing Process and Reading Comprehension Skills| * Lab quiz 9 & 10 are due!FINAL EXAMINATION PERIOD|

Think-Tac-Toe (Weekly Writing Response Options)

# 1 Write a three paragraph letter to the author(s) of the article in which you: 1. State your position on their argument. 2. Offer examples in support or refutation. 3. Provide a new approach/solution to the problem they presented.| #2 (Default Option)Write an argumentative essay—argue for or against the author’s point of view. Include at least three separate reasons that support your argument. -OR-Write a compare and contrast essay—examine the author’s point of view and contrast it with your point of view or contrast the way you felt about the subject in the past with the way you feel now. Or compare the author’s POV to that of poems, stories, plays or novels. | #3Drawing inspiration from the main idea/argument of the author(s), create a-3-page comic book. Try to use at least one or two direct quotes in the call outs. Each page should have at least 4 boxes for the comics.

| #4Taking the main idea/argument that the author(s) presented in the text(s), write a short story that crafts this main idea/argument into a fictional world. The short story should be no longer than 2 pages. | #5Using a multimedia program such as Power Point or Keynote, create a 10-slide presentation of the author’s main idea/argument. One of the slides should include your point of view about the author’s argument. The presentation can be burned to a CD or e-mailed. | #6Set up an interview with the author of the article. After conducting the interview, submit a 3–5 paragraph summary of what you thought about the interview and the questions you asked. The interview should be particularly relevant to that week’s reading|