De Anza College -- Fall 2016 EWRT 1A-63 -- Composition and Reading Classroom: G9 -- MW 6:30-8:45 p.m. Instructor: Kimberly Braasch E-mail: braaschkimberly@fhda.edu Office Hours: MW 6:00-6:30 in G9 (and by appointment earlier or after class) Course Description:

This course focusses on skills required for effective writing in personal and academic contexts

with an emphasis on narrative, exposition, and analysis. The course will also foster critical

thinking skills so students can focus on a topic and use reason and logic to craft a thesis

statement and supporting details appropriate for the audience and assignment. Students will

interpret and incorporate ideas from a variety of cultural perspectives into their writing projects,

analyzing and evaluating those ideas as well as their own. Students will produce essays that are

organized and sufficiently developed and employ correct grammar, punctuation, and diction.

Course Texts:

• Bruce Ballenger, The Curious Writer, Concise Fourth Edition

• Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

The two texts are available at the De Anza Bookstore. The first we will be using immediately and

throughout the course. The second book we will not be reading until November, so you may

wish to search for a used copy online. In either case, buy hard copies of the texts – no

electronic books allowed – and make sure you get the listed editions for ease in class

discussions. All supplemental readings will be provided by the instructor.

Course Requirements:

Students will compose several short writing assignments, four formal essays, written and oral

group work, and an in-house final exam. Some prewriting, composing, and revising of essays

will be done in class. Homework, collaborative sessions, quizzes, and writing tutorials and

workshops will also be part of the course.

Course Grades:

Essay 1 10%

Essays 2-4 45%

Final exam 15%

Quizzes/in-class participation 30%

Grading Scale: A=93+; A-=90-92; B+=87-89; B=83-86; B-=80-82; C+=77-79; C=70-76; D=60+

Attendance and Participation:

Regular class attendance is essential. Except for the first day, when students must be in class to prevent being dropped (state regulation), students may be excused from three classes without impacting their grade, not including, however, the impact of missed quizzes, in-class writing, and paper deadlines on one’s grade. Habitual tardiness (15+ minutes late) will result in one or more absences. Four absences will result in a student having his or her participation grade lowered; over four absences may result in the student being dropped from the class. Trade contact information with other students in order to get notes if you find you must miss a class. Students are expected to do the assigned reading and come prepared to discuss the material. Joining class discussions and enhancing group sessions is mandatory for those students wishing to receive higher than a C for class participation.

Classroom Etiquette:

Respect your classmates and their viewpoints. Everyone will have different skillsets, varying levels of knowledge, and diverse personal voices, so be a thoughtful, not judgmental, participant in the free exchange of ideas in the classroom. Anticipate adult themes and sensitive issues in the college-level reading materials and respond accordingly. No cell phones, laptops, tablets, cameras, recording devices, etc. are to be used in class without prior permission from the instructor. Expect to be approached by the instructor if you are sleeping, continually talking off-topic to classmates, refusing to participate in activities, or being a disruptive force in class.

Late or Missed Deadlines:

All drafts and essays are due on the specified dates. In case of an emergency, notify your instructor before the work is due to discuss other arrangements. Unauthorized late papers will be penalized and not accepted after one week’s time. Quizzes and in-class writing count toward your participation grade and may not be made up due to absence.

Revised Essays:

One essay with a grade of “C+” or below may be rewritten. You must submit your original graded

paper along with your rewritten work within one week of getting back the graded essay. Highlight

all changes on the revised essay; it must be at least 25% different from the original in order to

receive additional credit.

Essay Length and Format:

Essay #1, 750-word minimum; essays #2-4, 1,000-word minimum. Double-space text, use font comparable to 12 pt. Arial or Times Roman, 1” margins all sides. No right-side justification; indent paragraphs one tab instead of adding a row between paragraphs. Upper-left corner includes your name, instructor’s name, course, and date. Last name and page number in upper-right corner for subsequent pages. Center your title; do not underline or enclose it in quotations.

Cheating/Plagiarism:

Cheating includes any attempt to defraud, deceive, or mislead an instructor in arriving at an

honest grade assessment. Plagiarism is a form of cheating that occurs when students present

as their own the ideas, language, or work of others. Cheating and plagiarism of any kind will

result in penalties, ranging from a failing grade on the assignment to a failing course

grade to administrative disciplinary action up to suspension or expulsion.

College Policies:

De Anza College is committed to equal opportunity regardless of age, gender, marital status, disability, race, color, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, or other similar factors. De Anza College provides an educational, employment and business environment free of unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct or communications constituting sexual harassment as defined and otherwise prohibited by federal and state law.

Academic Support:

De Anza offers a variety of academic support services. If anyone feels s/he would benefit from

extra help, check out the college’s Student Success Center programs, the helpful tutors at the

Writing & Reading Center, or live-chat tutoring, available via the Smarthinking link on MyPortal.

For the latter, you can ask specific questions or submit an essay and receive feedback on it.

If you are a student with a disability and would like to discuss special accommodations, please let me know as soon as possible.

If anyone is having difficulties in the class, please do not hesitate to contact me by e-mail or set up a conference with me during office hours.

Course Calendar:

Classes will include quizzes, short writing exercises, and collaborative work, as well as feature workshop sessions on writing and grammar in addition to discussions on the assigned reading. The instructor reserves the right to amend or augment this schedule as the quarter progresses.

9/26 Welcome and orientation to the course 9/28 Ballenger, Chapter 1, “Writing as Inquiry”

10/03 Ballenger, Chapter 2, “Reading as Inquiry” 10/05 Ballenger, Chapter 3, “Writing a Personal Essay”

Last day to drop with no recorded grade – Oct. 9

10/10 Essay #1 (Personal Narrative) final paper due 10/12 Ballenger, Chapter 4, “Writing a Review”

10/17 Ballenger, Chapter 5, “Writing a Proposal” 10/19 Essay #2 (Evaluative) draft due (bring 2 copies)

10/24 Essay #2 (Evaluative) final due 10/26 Ballenger, Chapter 6, “Writing an Argument”

10/31 Essay #3 (Argumentative) draft due (bring 2 copies) 11/02 Ballenger, Chapter 8, “Research Techniques”; changed to workshop more reviews

as 1/3 class out for Halloween

11/07 Essay #3 (Argumentative) final due; library orientation and computer lab session 11/09 Research paper workshop (laptops/phones allowed through 11/16)

11/14 Ballenger, Chapter 9, “Using and Citing Sources” 11/16 Ballenger, Chapter 10, “Revision Strategies”

Last day to drop with a “W” – Nov. 18

11/21 Essay #4 (Analytical) draft due (bring 2 copies) 11/23 Ballenger, Chapter 7, “Writing a Critical Essay”

11/28 Essay #4 (Analytical) final due 11/30 Satrapi, Persepolis, 1-61

12/05 Satrapi, Persepolis 62-153 12/07 Persepolis discussion continued

12/14 Final exam 6:15 - 8:15 (bring large blue book)