CSC Dual Credit English Syllabus Second Semester 2011

Freshman Composition 102

Instructor:

Craig Rigg, West Prairie High School

School B 309-456-3750Home B 309-776-4541

riggc@westprairie.org

 

Materials:

Pickering, Fiction 100, 11th ed.

Fowler and Aaron, The Little, Brown Handbook, 11th ed.

4x6 index cards

sturdy folder with pockets for your writing portfolio

82x11 legal pad for in-class and hand-written activities

a USB flashdrive is strongly recommended but not required

 

Carl Sandburg College Mission Statement

The mission of Carl Sandburg College is to provide accessible, quality education in a caring environment by keeping the learner’s needs at the center of the decision making and by working in partnership with communities of the College district.

 

Course objectives:

The purpose of this course is to help you develop effective written communication for college level coursework.  By the end of the semester, you should meet the following reading and writing objectives:

1. Read a number of short fictional works from a variety of historical eras and

cultural settings

2. Analyze a work of short fiction and communicate an original thesis about how fictional elements advance a theme

3. Create a research document from provided materials, demonstrating knowledge of basic documentation techniques

4. Investigate an issue of personal interest and communicate a thesis, with the assistance of secondary sources, demonstrating knowledge of documentation techniques

5. Investigate an issue related to emerging technology (preferably in your anticipated field of study and communicate the results of investigation by making a “posterized” presentation and a formal research paper with an argumentative thesis

6. Learn and apply basic bibliographic conventions, both in MLA and APA formats

7. Retain and apply basic writing and usage skills acquired in Freshman Composition         101

 

Course schedule:

Freshman Composition 102 meets 2nd hour (8:52-9:37) three days a week for a 16-week semester.  The accompanying calendar outlines major planned reading assignments and due dates for most assignments.  Be prepared for changes depending on weather and unexpected school activities.

 

 

Written assignments:

Informal quizzes and classroom activities, as well as some informal out-of-class projects may be handwritten on legal pad paper in ink on one side of the paper.  However, all composition assignments (all drafts) are to be word-processed.  Each draft will include a cover sheet with relevant course details (more about this in class).  You are expected to submit a paper copy rather than email your drafts, unless we’ve made prior arrangements.

 

Readings:

A number of fictional readings have been selected for the following reasons: (1) to explore a writer’s techniques; (2) to explore a writer’s ideas; and (3) to develop your analytical skills in literature;  and (4) to continue analytical writing skills developed in the previous course.  Quizzes and writing responses may be assigned.

 

Grading:

Your final grade for CSC Freshmen Composition 102 will be determined by your performance in three areas:

1.  Five major papers/projects (70 percent)

a.  Trial research paper (10 percent)

b.  Undocumented literary analysis of short fiction (10 percent)

c.  Documented “discovery” paper (15 percent)

d.  Documented classroom presentation (10 percent)

d.  Documented analysis of a technological controversy (25 percent)

2.  Quizzes, reading tests, and minor writing activities (10 percent)

3   Semester test reviewing stories, research techniques, and bibliographic                                          conventions (20 percent)