English 101 - Beginning College Writing

Course Syllabus

Instructor​: Vu Thi Diem Phuc ​Office​:

Email​: [email protected] ​Phone: ​0386930944

Classroom:

Required Text:

Axelrod, Rise B., and Charles R. Cooper. ​The Concise St. Martin’s Guide to Writing.​ 7​th​ed.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2015. Print.

Prerequisites:

Course Description:

English 101, Beginning College Writing, is an intensive writing course designed to develop you
as a competent writer. It will help you with your critical thinking and analytical skills required for
academic communication in American universities and colleges. In order to cultivate your
written communication skills, this course will require in-class participation and discussion (group
work, peer review, etc.) as well as out-of-class work on drafting and revising your essays.
Expect to write a lot, and expect to write every day!

CSUF University Policy Statement:

This syllabus complies with UPS 411.201. English 101: Beginning College Writing is a 3-unit
course that fulfills CSUF’s lower division writing requirement, General Education Category I. A2:
Written Communication. A grade of "C" (2.0) or better is required to meet this General Education
requirement. A grade of "C-" (1.7) or below will not satisfy this General Education requirement.
See the following link for details:
http://www.fullerton.edu/senate/documents/pdf/400/ups411-201.pdf​.
Course Objectives:

1. Identify and develop your own writing process

2. Organize and express your ideas clearly and effectively in writing
3. Become familiar with the expectations of academic writing
4. Learn how to think critically and analytically
5. Identify and articulate your position clearly in prose
6. Gain confidence in your ability to write
7. Improve your own writing skills through the critique of the writing of others

Course Requirements:

● Throughout this course, you will write ​four ​(4) essays.

○ Each essay MUST be typed, double-spaced, with a 1-inch margin on each side and a
running header with your first name and the page number in the upper right-hand
corner.
○ Each essay must be a 12 pt. font (Times New Roman).
○ Each essay must have your name, my name, the course name and the date in
the upper left-hand corner (MLA format).
○ Each essay must have a centered creative title. Do not underline it, change the
font size or place quotation marks around it.
○ Two of them will be done entirely in class (if applicable).
○ The other two will be formal, out-of-class essays. For each out-of-class essay,
your final draft will include evidence of ​pre-writing​, ​peer review feedback​, and (if
applicable) ​conference feedback​, or points will be deducted from your essay
grade. Formal essays must adhere to MLA guidelines in order to receive full
credit:

Conferences:

Conferences will occur ​three (3)​ times during this course (if applicable). You must come to your
scheduled conference with the required materials. Conference times will occur during class
time. If you miss your conference, you will be marked absent for the day, which will negatively
affect your grade significantly (see attendance requirement).

Daily Writing Assignments:

Every class meeting will begin with a 10-minute (approximately) writing assignment that
responds to a prompt or question that I will provide. This is how I will take roll every day, and
these daily writing assignments cannot be made up if you are absent, or late. If I decide to give
a Reading Quiz, there will not be a Daily Writing Assignment for that class period. If you show
up late, please make sure to check in with me after class, or you will be counted as absent,
which will affect your grade in this class (see attendance requirement).
Reading Quizzes:

Quizzes will be given at random to ensure that you are reading. Please come prepared for your
quizzes by reading all assigned reading and reviewing your class notes. ​Note​: Reading
Quizzes cannot be made up if you are absent, or late.

Peer Review:

We will use peer review groups in this class. This entails bringing ​two(2)​or ​three (3)​ copies of
your essay to class on peer review day. I will give a thorough explanation of this process, so
that each of you can effectively help each other. This is MANDATORY, so you need to come to
peer-review sessions with your complete rough draft and the required number of copies.
Additionally, I want you to be able to provide your fellow peers with ​constructive​ and
thoughtful feedback​. Therefore, peer review is considered part of your essay and it must be
included along with your final draft for full credit. If you provide helpful, constructive feedback,
you may earn the points. If your peer review is lacking appropriate feedback, you miss peer
review, or you do not bring a completed draft for peer review, I will deduct points from your
essay grade. This is a great opportunity to improve your grade and those of your classmates.

Grading:

Attached to this syllabus is a rubric for how I grade your papers. If you have any questions or
concerns, please speak with me.

The assignments break down like this:

Essay #1 10

Essay #2 15

Essay #3 25

Essay #4 20

Group Presentation 10

Daily Writing Assignments 10

Attendance and Participation 10

________________________________________________________
 Total 100

Points Grade

85-100 A

70-84 B

55-69 C

40-54 D

0-39 F
 Schedule and Assignments

(Subject to Change)

Class Content Homework

(Due for Next Class)

1 ● Introduction Reading:
● Discuss Syllabus ● "Preface”
● Course Objectives, Expectations, and Formats ● “Contents"
● Discuss and familiarize yourselves with everything ● 1-28
on the syllabus and course outline
● Daily Writing: Self-introduction

2 ● Daily Writing: Writing Experience Reading:

● Aims and Modes of Writing ● 29-45
● Module 1

3 ● Paragraphs and essays structure Writing:

● Essay #1 In-Class Writing ● 2 topics for Essay
#2

4 ● Daily Writing: Map Reading:

● The Descriptive and Narrative Modes ● 48-49
● Reading strategies ● Module 2
● Prompt for Essay #2 Writing:
● Calling Home ● Draft of Essay #2
Prepare:
● 2 hard copies of
Essay #2

5 ● Daily Writing Reading:

● An American Childhood ● Module 3
● What is Peer Review? ● Module 4
● Rubric for Essay #2 Writing:
● Guidelines for Group Critiquing ● Final Draft of Essay
● Peer Review in Groups of 3 #2
● Provide detailed and constructive feedback
6 ● Daily Writing Reading​:
● Arguing a Position
● Due: Essay #2: ● 144-170
○ Final Draft ● Essays in Which
○ 2 Peer Reviews You Take a
● Argumentation in Different Cultural and Social Position on an
Contexts Issue

Writing:

● 3 topics, one in
each setting (pp.
144-145)

7 ● SCS #1 Reading:

MLA ● 171-188
● Module 4
AB ● AB

8 ● Due AB Writing:
● Daily Writing
● Writing as a Social Construct vs. Writing as Private ● Choose 1 topic from
Act the 3 you selected
● Introduction and Thesis Statement for Persuasive ● Formulate a working
Writing Thesis with your
● Workshop on Thesis Statement position
● Children Need to Play ● Create an Outline
● Why Privacy Matters

9 ● Daily Writing Writing:

● Prompts for Essay #3
● Outlining the Persuasive Essay ● Outline for Essay #3
● Draft E3

Prepare:

● 2 hard copies of
Essay #3
10 ● Daily Writing Reading:
● Classical Appeals
● Deductive Reasoning ● 236-243
● Essay #3 In-Class Revision

11 ● Due: Essay #3: Group Writing:

○ Final Version
○ First Version ● “Practicing the
○ 3 Topics Genre” on p. 238
○ Outline
Reading:
● Conference #2
● Daily Writing
● 243-262
● Analysis of a Film

12 ● Thesis Statement for the Evaluative Essay Group Writing:

● Collaborative Writing
● Watch a Film (to be named on the day) ● 1 topic for Essay #4
● Prompt for Essay #4 ● Thesis Statement
● Discussion Readings for Evaluative Articles ● Outline
● Group Discussion on Collaboration and Division of
Reading:
Labor
● 263-278
● 294-208

13 ○ Daily Writing Reading:

○ Primary and Secondary Sources
○ MLA Documentation ● 420-426
○ Plagiarism
Group Writing:
○ Sign-up for Group Presentation on Essay #4
● Discussion of Sources
● Essay #4
14 ● Due: Essay #4: Reading:
○ Final Version
○ Outline ● 438-442

Conference #3: Group Writing:

Group conference: ● PPT or Prezi

Presentations of
○ Thesis Statement Essay #4
○ Outline
○ Presentation Plan
● Sources: Sample In-Text Citation and Works Cited

15 ● Course Evaluation
● Reflections ​Presentations