Skyline College      http://skylinecollege.net

                   English 836:  Writing Development – Spring 2006

                                                                       Theme: Science Fiction

 

                                                                             

                                             Instructor:  Rachel Bell                                       

                                        Webpage: http://www.skylinecollege.edu/bellr

                                         Email: bellr@smccd.net, Voice Mail: (650) 738-4349

                                                    Office: Building 5, Room 5108

                                                            

 

English office & mailboxes:  Room 5130, 738-4202         Course Meetings:  T Th  9:35-10:50am

Computers and Tutoring in TLC: Bldg 5, Room 5100       Room PH-405, Course Dates: 1/17 – TBA

Engl 853: Get help writing papers—enroll now CRN #37247   Schedule #30341  – Engl 836AI, Units 3.0

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     "Few people realize the immensity of vacancy in which the dust of the material universe swims."  --H.G. Wells

 

­­­                          If one's different, one's bound to be lonely.   --Aldous Huxley  Brave New World

 

                             "We are an impossibility in an impossible universe."    — Ray Bradbury

 

 

Course Prerequisites:  Writing Prereq: ENGL 826 or ESOL 840 or 841/842 with grade C or better, or appropriate scores on approved college placement tests and other measures as necessary. Reading Prereq: READ 826 with Credit or a grade of C or better, or eligibility for READ 836 on approved college Reading placement test, or other measures as necessary.  ENGL 836 prepares students for ENGL 100/105.

 

Course Classification:  Credit course applicable to the Associate Degree. 

 

 

Course Objectives:   The objective of this writing course is to guide students toward becoming more critical readers, writers, and thinkers through recognizing the effective writing strategies of other writers, through becoming aware of their own processes of writing, and through learning to discern logical relationships between words, ideas, and arguments. 

 

Required Materials:  

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Hour by Arrangement folder & Course Reader (both are in Skyline's bookstore)

 

Papers:  Five major papers will be written for this class.  The requirements are as follows:

(1)  Due Dates--       Paper #1 (2-3 pages, 500-750 words)    Draft due 2/14, Revised 2/21

                               Paper #2 (3-5 pages, 750-1250 words)  Draft due 3/21, Revised 3/28

                               Paper #3  In class Midterm essay exam on Tuesday, April 25th

                               Paper #4 (4-6 pages, 1000-1500 words)  Draft due 5/16, Revised 5/23

                               Paper #5  In class 2 ˝ hour written final exam on Tuesday, May 23rd 8:10-10:40am

 

 

        "The best reason for putting anything down on paper is that one may then change it.”  -- Bernard De Voto

                                                

 (2) Revision--  E.B. White said, “The best writing is rewriting.”  Because revising or “re-seeing” a piece of writing is such an important aspect of the writing process, each of the papers has two due dates.  Each student will receive feedback and suggestions on each of  his/her papers through class workshop/discussion groups; then each student will be asked to revise each paper based on peer feedback.  Please note:  if the first due date for a paper is missed, the paper cannot be turned in at all.

 

(3) Workshopping--  Each paper will be read, discussed, and commented upon by small student workshop groups.  Workshop days are very important, and therefore a missed workshop day will count as two (2) absences and a late paper will not be accepted.  Students without a completed paper (meeting page and format requirements) will not be allowed to participate in the workshop.  Below are the workshop dates--students must bring a copy of their paper for themselves as well as for the other members of their group:

 

 

 

 

        Paper #1:  Tues, Feb 14th           Paper #2:  Tues, March 21st                  Paper #4:  Tues, May 16th

 

 

(4)  Format—Papers must meet the required minimum length or run the risk of not being accepted. 

All papers must be typed, double-spaced, have 1” margins, and have a font of 12. 

 

 

 

 

Course Grade:                                                          Record Your Own Grades:

Paper 1                                                   10%              Score for Paper 1       ______ x .10  =  _____
Paper 2                                                   10%              Score for Paper 2       ______ x .10  =  _____

Paper 3                                                   10%              Score for Paper 3       ______ x .10  =  _____

Paper 4                                                       20%              Score for Paper 4       ______ x .15  =  _____

Paper 5--Final Exam                                 20%              Score for Paper 5       ______ x .20  =  _____

Quizzes                                                   10%              Average Quiz             ______ x .10  =  _____

Homework                                              10%              % of HM completed  ______ x .10  =  _____

HBA Folder                                               5%              % of HBAs completed  ____ x   .5  =  _____

* Participation                                            5%              Participation              ______ x .05  =  _____

                                        

 

 

* Participation includes being prepared each day, meeting      *TOTAL:      (convert total to %)   ________

with me at least once during the course of the semester,               * Deduct 1% for each absence over allowed 4.

adding to daily discussion, and giving your classmates        Scoring as follows:  A=100-90, B=89-80,

thoughtful responses to their writing in workshops.                          C=79-70, D=69-60, F=59-0