ICC English (English 111)

 Course Syllabus

 

Course Instructor: Mr. Walles

 

Course Description: English 111 is a composition course that provides Princeville students with the opportunity to earn college credit while growing as readers, writers, and critical thinkers. According to the ICC Handbook, “English 111 progresses the student from writing analysis of and inquiring about issues to writing argumentative and persuasive compositions using research, through critical reading, discussion, exercises, conferences, and revision. The majority of the writing is argumentative.”

 

Grading Scale:

 

100-95 – A                                82-79 – C

94-93 – A-                                 78-77 – C-

92-91 – B+                                76-75 – D+

90-87 – B                                  74-71 – D

86-85 – B-                                 70-69 – D-

84-83 – C+                                68 or less – F

 

Required Texts

 

Faigley, Lester. The Brief Penguin Handbook. Second ed. New York: Longman, 2006.

 

Knowles, John. A Separate Peace. New York: Scribner, 1987.

 

Messenger, Erica, John Gooch, Dorothy Seyler. Argument! Boston: McGraw Hill, 2011.

 

 

Course Objectives

 

Students will have the opportunity to . . .

 

1. Develop critical reading skills.

2. Develop skills as a researcher, exploring a variety of sources of information.

3. Grow more proficient in using MLA documentation.

4. Learn to synthesize information from disparate sources into a cohesive essay.

5. Compose a variety of persuasive essays, some literature based and some research based.

6. Analyze, evaluate, and respond to a variety of persuasive essays, articles, works of satire, and films.

7. Grow more proficient in organizing, drafting, self-evaluating, and revising an essay

8. Grow as readers, writers, and critical thinkers.

 

 

Tentative Course Schedule:

 

Week 1A Separate Peace Ch. 1-5 / Intro "This I Believe”

 

Week 2A Separate Peace Ch. 6-7 / "This I Believe" (write)

 

Week 3 – A Separate Peace Ch. 8-9 / "Proposal to Abolish Grading" (read)

 

Week 4 A Separate Peace Ch. 10-11 / "Proposal to Abolish Grading" (write) 

 

Week 5A Separate Peace Ch. 12-13 / A Separate Peace Essay

 

Week 6 -- A Separate Peace Essay / Argument Ch. 1, 2

 

Week 7Argument Ch. 2 / Analysis of an Argument.

 

Week 8 – Argument Ch. 3-4, 6 / Competition article analysis

 

Week 9"Refutation Essay" (Argument Ch. 6)

 

Week 10Argument Ch. 7 / Read "Free Speech in Schools" articles / "Position Essay"

 

Week 11 – "Letter from Birmingham Jail" -- Martin Luther King, Jr. ("Refutation" / "Position")

 

Week 12 Argument Ch. 9 / Explore "Problem - Solution" articles / "A Modest Proposal"

 

Week 13 – Intro Satire / Write Original Satire

 

Week 14 Argument Ch. 5 / Cliché Exercise / “Speech Grads Didn’t Hear” Response

 

Week 15 – Persuasive Essay (School Issues)

 

Week 16 -- Propaganda / Intro Animal Farm

 

Week 17 Animal Farm ch. 1-5

 

Week 18Animal Farm ch. 6-10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ICC English (English 110 - 111) Classroom Policies

 

1. Regular attendance is expected. It is impossible to replicate the classroom experience missed when you are gone. If you must miss class, you are expected to pick up your homework in the office and complete it by the following class.

 

2. Be prepared for class. Bring books, paper, a USB device (on which to save your work), and any other necessary items to class. Points may be deducted for irresponsibility.

 

3. You may not have any food or drink in class.

 

4. Always respect your classmates’ ideas during class. This respect will also be extended to you. Excessive talking and/or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.

 

5. The Princeville “Acceptable Use” policy for the computer lab will be strictly enforced. Any student using a computer for purposes other than those specifically indicated by the instructor will fail the assignment and lose computer privileges.

 

6. Assignments must be completed on time. Although I will offer points for an assignment turned in late, you cannot pass the assignment.

 

7. At ICC, the grading scale of a course is left to the discretion of the instructor. Consequently, the grading scale for English 110 and 111 will correspond to the grading scale mandated at Princeville High School (and posted on the first page of this syllabus).

 

8. English 110 is, primarily, a composition course, and it is expected that all of the work you submit in this class will originate with its author (you!) and will not have been taken from any other source, unless that source has been cited appropriately. Plagiarism, which is misrepresenting someone else's work as your own, is an incredibly serious offense and will result in a student receiving no credit on a plagiarized assignment.

 

Illinois Central College, the institution through which this course is offered, takes academic dishonesty very seriously. The following is taken from the ICC student handbook: "Matters relating to academic honesty or contrary action such as cheating, plagiarism, or giving unauthorized help on examinations or assignments may result in an instructor giving a student a failing grade for the assignment or test, and also recommending the student be given a failing grade for the course and/or be subject to dismissal."