Paper
Topics for English 100 –Fall 2014
Theme: Listening to
the Music Inside Us
All the
writing you will be doing in this course is reading-based. This means
that every essay you write will be
a response to and analysis of the reading arguing
a point of view about the reading. If you write an essay that
does not mention the reading or directly examine the reading, it will be
considered off topic and will receive
little to no credit. You will not be writing plot summaries. You will summarize
parts of the reading to support
your argument, but summary should not take over your paper. Each paragraph
should serve to prove a clear
and specific point and all paragraphs should work together to prove one
unifying, thesis (opinion on the reading).
For all papers, except the midterm and final exam, you will be creating your
own argument about the assigned
reading so that you are writing from a place of interest rather than duty. You
cannot pass this course if you fail
to turn in one of the assigned papers.
Follow
standard paper guidelines and know expectations as described in
Chapter 3: Paper Topics: http://www.skylinecollege.edu/skyenglish/3Papertopics.htm
Paper topics come in all shapes and sizes, but in general for an English class,
you can expect to find the following requirements:
·
Meet
stated page length requirements. Turning in papers that are under the
required page length sends a message
that the assignment was not taken seriously and that a lack of time, effort,
and consideration was put into the project.
·
Adhere to
due dates. Plan ahead and break down
the project into manageable stages, so you don’t cause yourself
undue stress by doing things “last minute” or by hurting your grade through
missing due dates and not being able to turn
in assignments.
·
Use the
stated paper formatting standards. In an English class, the most common paper
formatting approach is MLA.
See Chapter 5 on MLA
Conventions.
·
Follow
the assignment. It is essential that
you follow the guidelines of the assignment or else you risk receiving little
to
no credit for your work. English classes
are also teaching students how to successfully complete college-level tasks, so
take some time in the beginning to ensure you are doing what was asked.
·
Apply
writing standards in your paper.
This Rhetoric walks you through the fundamental essay components, so
apply these concepts to your writing.
There is also an Essay Checklist
in Chapter 4 that you can use to ensure you
have covered all the bases your instructor will be expecting in an academic
paper:
·
Seek
opportunities for additional help.
Writing can be an isolating experience but it does not have to be. Use campus
resources to help you formulate your writing plan and to get outside
perspective and feedback on your writing.
You can visit
your instructor during office hours at any stage in the writing process. You can also use
the tutoring services offered in the
Learning Center: http://www.skylinecollege.edu/learningcenter/index.php. Getting feedback is one of the most effective
ways
to focus and improve your writing.
Use the Essay
Checklist to make sure you have all the necessary essay elements but here
is
also a quick guide of things not to forget:
·
MLA formatting: on the first page, include your own title centered at the top, the
course info (your name, the class, the instructor, the
date)
in the top left corner and in the top right corner of each page, your last name
next to the page number. Typed, double
spaced throughout,
font 12, one inch margins and be sure to meet the page minimum (Please note: 10 pts are removed for each page the paper is under the
required minimum length and 5 pts for half a page under. Don’t go solely by
word count but by actual length).
MLA Conventions (Rhetoric 172-176): http://www.skylinecollege.edu/skyenglish/5MLA.htm
·
Creative title: Creating a strong, clear, appealing title is
an important part of any writing task.
The title is the reader’s first
introduction to
your piece of writing, and first impressions matter. Therefore, you want to create a title which
pulls in your reader’s interest and makes him
or her want to keep reading. Make your
essay stand out from the others and draw in your reader.
The Writing Process (Rhetoric
153-154): http://www.skylinecollege.edu/skyenglish/4Writing.htm
·
Integrating Sources: When writing about texts,
you will want to include quotes and paraphrases and you want to make sure to
smoothly
integrate and properly document all your sources. Connect all quote to phrases that introduce
them (don’t drop quotes) and follow quotes
with the source information in parenthesis (usually the author’s last name and
the page number). Also, follow quotes
with your own analysis
explaining their significance.
Sources (Rhetoric 253-273): http://www.skylinecollege.edu/skyenglish/10IntegratingSouces.htm
·
Works Cited: when
you are writing about a text, you will always include a Works Cited even if you
are only citing the text you wrote about.
If you did research, include all your outside sources on the Works Cited page
as well. List the sources alphabetically
by author last name or
by title if there is no author.
MLA Conventions (Rhetoric 177-181): http://www.skylinecollege.edu/skyenglish/5MLA.htm
·
Revising and Editing: the best writing is rewriting so before turning in an
essay for a grade, use the advice on revising (making larger global
changes) and editing (making sentence level corrections) to ensure that you
have submitted your best work.
Revising (Rhetoric 143-152) &
Editing (Rhetoric 155-161): http://www.skylinecollege.edu/skyenglish/4Writing.htm
·
Grading standards: every student should be striving for the ‘A’ paper so know what
criteria make an excellent paper by reviewing the
English department grading standards that your instructor will be using when
assessing your essay. Use the criteria
as the standard you are
using as you revise your essay.
Grading Standards (Rhetoric 197-198): http://www.smccd.edu/accounts/bellr/GradingMenu.htm
Five major
papers will be written for this class:
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Paper #1 (worth 10% of grade): 2-4
pages, 500-1000 words
Comparing two articles from Music and Culture edited by Anna Tomasino
Draft
due 9/16, Revision 9/23
MLA Title page and Works Cited required
Choose TWO of the assigned readings from Music and Culture edited by Anna Tomasino
and write an essay that makes
an argument that connects the two articles.
Do not simply summarize each of the articles. Answer this:
What can we
learn about music by reading these articles together that we could not have
learned otherwise? What argument do you
want to make that connects these two articles?
What arguments do the authors make that you can compare and so what
is revealed that is important or significant from this comparison?
Uploading the revision of Paper #1on Tues 9/23 before midnight:
(1) Before midnight on 9/23, go to WebAccess: https://smccd.mrooms.net/
(2) Log in using your G number and password which is your birth date
(mm/dd/yy)
(3) Click on correct course link and 5-digit CRN number for your English class:
9:35-10:50am: CRN #80301
// 11:10-12:25pm: CRN #88926 // 12:35-1:50pm: CRN #85832
(4) Click on the link that says “SUMBIT by 9/23: Revision of Paper 1 &
Essay Checklist.”
(5) Scroll to the bottom and click “Add Submission,” click “Add,” then click
“Browse” and select your paper
from your computer and then click
“upload this file.” Repeat to upload all
your documents. When
complete, click “Save changes.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Research Paper #2 (worth 10% of grade):
3-5 pages, 750-1250 words
Analyzing All Shook Up: How Rock ‘N’
Rock Changed Americaby Glenn C. Altschuler
Draft due 10/21, Revision 10/28
MLA Title page and Works Cited required with a minimum of ONE outside source
Choose an issue or argument that Glenn C. Altschuler
raises in his book All Shook Up: How Rock ‘N’ Rock Changed America.
Is your topic narrow enough to fully cover in a short paper? What more do you want to learn or argue about
this topic?
What do you think of Altschuler’s approach to the
topic? What do you want to argue in
regards to what he has put forth on
the topic? What can you research further on this issue that could add to an
argument that you want to make?
Uploading the revision of Paper #2 on Tues 10/28 before midnight:
(1) Before midnight on 10/28, go to WebAccess: https://smccd.mrooms.net/
(2) Log in using your G number and password which is your birth date
(mm/dd/yy)
3) Click on correct course link and 5-digit CRN number for your English class:
9:35-10:50am: CRN #80301
// 11:10-12:25pm: CRN #88926 // 12:35-1:50pm: CRN #85832
(4) Click on the link that says “SUMBIT by 10/28: Revision of Paper 2 &
Essay Checklist.”
(5) Scroll to the bottom and click “Add Submission,” click “Add,” then click
“Browse” and select your paper
from your computer and then click “upload
this file.” Repeat to upload all your
documents. When
complete, click “Save changes.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paper #3 (worth 10% of grade): Midterm 75-minute essay exam
Analyzing Ripped:
How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music by Greg Kot
Thursday,
November 13th during your scheduled class time
Open
book, timed essay exam on the assigned readings in Ripped: How the Wired Generation
Revolutionized Music
by Greg Kot. In 75 minutes, you will compose an essay to a
prompt about the reading that will be given to you on the day
of the exam. You will not need to
include a Works Cited or outside research.
There is no required page length but you will
want to fully answer all parts of the exam question in a focused, organized and
well-developed essay using Kot’s text as the
basis of your response.
Preparing for
the midterm exam:
Before taking the exam, review the advice in the
Rhetoric, Chapter 11: Timed Writing (pages 274-285,
http://www.skylinecollege.edu/skyenglish/11TimedWriting.htm). The best way to prepare is to annotate your
text and
take a practice 75 minute exam before the midterm. There is a non-graded practice exam you can
take in WebAccess.
Click on the link that says: “PRACTICE
MIDTERM (75 min) opens 11/6: non-graded writing practice.”
Taking the
75-Minute Midterm Exam: Thursday, November 13th
You have the
choice to take the exam in-class or online:
OPTION 1:
Taking the exam online
(1) During your regular class time on exam day, go
to WebAccess: https://smccd.mrooms.net/
(2) Log
in using your G number and password which is your birth date (mm/dd/yy)
(3)
Click on correct course link and 5-digit CRN number for your English class:
9:35-10:50am: CRN #80301
// 11:10-12:25pm: CRN #88926 // 12:35-1:50pm: CRN #85832
(4) Open the Word program on your computer and save a document as “Midterm”
(5) Click on the link in WebAccess that says “MIDTERM
EXAM (75 min) open 11/13: Essay Exam
on Greg Kot’s
Ripped.”
(6) Recommended because WebAccess is not always
reliable in saving student work:
Cut and paste the exam prompt into
your Word document and compose your exam there, saving
regularly. Before the 75 minutes are up, cut and paste
your entire exam into WebAccess and
submit. If you experience any technical difficulties,
email me your exam directly to
bellr@smccd.edu. As long as I receive the exam 75 minutes
after your exam start time, it will be on
time and accepted.
OPTION 2:
Taking the exam in class in electronic classroom 8119
You can also
take the exam in-class during your regularly scheduled class time. You can handwrite it
(bring a bluebook or lined paper) or take it on one of the computers, type it, and
submit it in
WebAccess (see directions above).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Collaborative Research Paper #4 (worth
20% of grade): 4-6 pages, 1000-1500 words
Analyzing Musicophilia:
Tales of Music and the Brain by
Oliver Sacks
Draft
12/9, Revision 12/15
MLA Title page and Works Cited required with a minimum of TWO outside sources
Choose an issue or argument in Musicophilia:
Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks and write a
collaborative research paper. Is your
topic narrow enough to fully cover in a short paper? What more do
you want to learn or argue about this topic?
What do you think of Sacks’ approach to the topic? What do
you want to argue in regards to what he has put forth on the topic? What can
you research further on this
issue that could add to an argument that you want to make?
What
is a collaborative paper?
Students will select a partner (or we can assign partners in class) and write
the paper together in teams of two.
I've assigned this type of paper in my classes for many years and consistently
these are the strongest papers I
get over the semester. Working with another person can show you your strengths
and weaknesses and help you
produce an excellent paper. As you work
with a partner, is it vital that you each work collaboratively and
equally.
Also remember that you will be completing a Collaborative Paper Evaluation on your partner and on yourself.
Also, on the essay you turn in for a grade, you will indicate who wrote which
part of the paper to ensure that the
work was shared. If you have any
difficulties with your partner, let me know immediately and we can have you
write the paper separately. I want this
to be a positive experience for everyone.
Uploading the revision of Paper #4 on Mon 12/15 before midnight:
(1) Before midnight on 12/15, go to WebAccess: https://smccd.mrooms.net/
(2) You and your partner need to only upload one copy of the paper and it does
not matter whose name
you submit it under. Just be sure that both of your names are on
the paper. As this is a collaborative
paper, you and your partner will
write the paper together but you will indicate which body
paragraphs each was the principle
writer for (each student must write a minimum of 2 pages each of
the final paper). Indicate this
information next to your names on the first page. For example, the top
left header will contain the
following information:
John
Ramirez (wrote paragraphs 1-4 & 7)
Jun
Chan (wrote paragraphs 5-6 & 8-10)
English
100
21
May 2014
And
for the page numbers in the upper right corner of each page, you will hyphenate
the last
names of the authors, i.e.
Ramirez-Chan 1
(3) Log
in using your G number and password which is your birth date (mm/dd/yy)
(4) Click on correct course link and 5-digit CRN number for your English class:
9:35-10:50am: CRN #80301
// 11:10-12:25pm: CRN #88926 // 12:35-1:50pm: CRN #85832
(4) Click on the link that says “SUMBIT by 12/15: Revision of Paper 4 &
Essay Checklist.”
(5) Scroll to the bottom and click “Add Submission,” click “Add,” then click
“Browse” and select your paper
from your computer and then click
“upload this file.” Repeat to upload all
your documents. When
complete, click “Save changes.”
Uploading the Collaborative Partner Evaluation on 12/15 before midnight:
(1)
Download the Collaborative Partner Evaluation:
http://www.smccd.edu/accounts/bellr/ReaderWorkshoppingCollaborativeMenu.htm
Complete both pages: assign both you and
your partner a grade on the project and then answer the questions.
If you did not have a partner, submit
a written reflection on your experience in writing the paper to get credit.
(2) Log into WebAccess, click where it says “SUMBIT
by 12/15: Collaborative Partner Evaluation” and upload
the completed file.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paper #5 (worth 20% of grade): Final essay
exam—2 ½ hours
Connecting the 4 course texts under the
course theme “Listening to the Music Inside Us”
Tuesday,
December 16th 11:10-1:40pm or 2:10-4:40pm
Open
book, timed essay exam on the assigned readings in Music and Culture edited by Anna Tomasino,
All Shook Up: How Rock ‘N’ Rock Changed America by Glenn C. Altschuler, Ripped: How the
Wired Generation
Revolutionized Music by Greg Kot, and Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by
Oliver Sacks. In 2 ½ hours
(150 minutes), you will compose an essay to a prompt about the reading that
will be given to you on the day of the exam.
You will not need to include a Works Cited or outside research. There is no required page length but you will
want to
fully answer all parts of the exam question in a focused, organized and
well-developed essay using the assigned texts as
the basis of your response.
Preparing for
the final exam:
Before taking the exam, review the advice in the
Rhetoric, Chapter 11: Timed Writing (pages 274-285,
http://www.skylinecollege.edu/skyenglish/11TimedWriting.htm). The best way to prepare is to annotate the
texts and take
a practice 150 minute exam before the midterm.
You
can create possible final exam questions for yourself which connect
the works we have read through the course theme: “Listening to the Music Inside Us.” Take at
least one practice essay exam
before the actual final exam. There is a non-graded practice exam you can
take in WebAccess.
Click on the link that says:
“PRACTICE FINAL EXAM (2.5
hours) opens 12/9: non-graded writing practice.”
Taking the 2
½ hours Final Exam: Tuesday, December 16th
You have the
choice to take the exam in-class or online:
OPTION 1:
Taking the exam online
(1) Between 11am and 5pm (the latest you can begin
the exam is 2:30pm), go to WebAccess:
https://smccd.mrooms.net/
(2) Log
in using your G number and password which is your birth date (mm/dd/yy)
(3)
Click on correct course link and 5-digit CRN number for your English class:
9:35-10:50am: CRN #80301
// 11:10-12:25pm: CRN #88926 // 12:35-1:50pm: CRN #85832
(4) Open the Word program on your computer and
save a document as “Final”
(5) Click on the link in WebAccess that says “FINAL
EXAM (2.5 hrs) opens 12/16 11am, closes 5pm:
Essay exam on course theme
"Listening to the Music Inside Us.”
(6) Recommended because WebAccess is not always
reliable in saving student work:
Cut and paste the exam prompt into
your Word document and compose your exam there, saving
regularly. Before the 150 minutes are up, cut and paste
your entire exam into WebAccess and
submit. If you experience any technical difficulties,
email me your exam directly to
bellr@smccd.edu. As long as I receive the exam 2.5 hours after
your exam start time, it will be
on time and accepted.
OPTION 2: Taking the exam in class in the Library electronic classroom (2nd
floor bldg 5)
You can also take the exam in-class. We have the computer classroom in the library
booked for two exam times.
Choose which exam time works best for you:
11:10-1:40pm OR
2:10-4:40pm
The room is
equipped with computers. If you take it
on the computer, you will log into WebAccess (see
directions above).
If you handwrite the exam, bring a bluebook or lined paper.