Composition II Syllabus for 2015-2016
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Instructor Information
Instructor
Shelby Amiro-Wilson (Curriculum Vitae)Office Hours
Available via Google Meets with appointment.
Course Information
Recording Policy
Disability Statement
Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact disAbility Services (Student Service Center room 119, phone 371-5436) as soon as possible.
Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:
As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc
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Administrative Drop Policy
N/A
Student Withdrawal Procedures
N/A
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The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students. If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .
Course
ENGL-1302-DC010 Composition II
Prerequisites
Prerequisite: ENGL 1301
Course Description
Intensive study of and practice in the strategies and techniques for developing research-based expository and persuasive texts. Emphasis on effective and ethical rhetorical inquiry, including primary and secondary research methods; critical reading of verbal, visual and multimedia texts; systematic evaluation, synthesis and documentation of information sources; and critical thinking about evidence and conclusions.
Student Resources Student Resources Website
Department Expectations
Amarillo College English Department Plagiarism Policy, revised Spring 2013
The English Department takes plagiarism seriously.
Plagiarism is defined as the following: the use of someone else’s exact words that are neither quoted nor cited; paraphrasing someone else’s words without citing them; or using someone else’s research without citing it.
Student plagiarism in the Amarillo College English Department is internally tracked. To clarify, records will be kept in the Department of those students who have plagiarized. At the beginning of each new semester, the names of students who plagiarized the previous semester will be sent to all English Department faculty.
Plagiarism may receive a penalty of a zero. A subsequent infraction will be deemed a reason for expulsion from the class. At this point, the case will be referred to the Vice President of Student Affairs.
Note: Self-plagiarism will be discussed with the class by each instructor and infractions for such are left up to the individual instructor’s discretion.
In addition to the course description, the skills taught in this course will be primarily achieved through the study of literature. Also, in addition to the learning outcomes, students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of literary genres and the basic vocabulary of literary analysis, as well as write a researched literary analysis paper that utilizes peer review.
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Hours
(3 sem hrs; 3 lec, 1 lab)
Class Type
Dual Credit Course
Syllabus Information
Textbooks
Amarillo College English Department. A Rhetoric Handbook for English 1301 & 1302. Plymouth, MI: Hayden McNeil, 2013. Print.
Kirszner, Laurie G., and Stephen R. Mandell. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Compact 7th Edition. MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.
Supplies
A computer with reliable access to the internet and a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice .
OpenOffice and LibreOffice contain free word processing applications and can be found here:
Students Rights and Responsibilities
Student Rights and ResponsibilitiesLog in using the AC Connect Portal
In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .
If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".
Expected Student Behavior
Amarillo College English Department Plagiarism Policy (Revised 2013):
The English Department takes plagiarism seriously.
Plagiarism is defined as the following: the use of someone else’s exact words that are neither quoted nor cited; paraphrasing someone else’s words without citing them; or using someone else’s research without citing it.
Student plagiarism in the Amarillo College English Department is internally tracked. To clarify, records will be kept in the Department of those students who have plagiarized. At the beginning of each new semester, the names of students who plagiarized the previous semester will be sent to all English Department faculty.
Plagiarism may receive a penalty of a zero. A subsequent infraction will be deemed a reason for expulsion from the class. At this point, the case will be referred to the Vice President of Student Affairs.
Note: Self-plagiarism will be discussed with the class by each instructor, and infractions for such are left up to the individual instructor’s discretion.
Grading Criteria
Amarillo College Grading Scale:
90-100% = A
80-89% = B
70-79%=C
60-69%=D
59% and lower=F
It is the responsibility of the student to request make up work when absent.
Work must be turned in on the assigned due date in class or no later than 11:59 PM of the due date in digital format to ACConnect:
shelby.wilson@amaisd.org or shelby.wilson@actx.edu
https://amaisd.ebackpack.com/login
Missed work must be made up within three days of the absence unless you make arrangements with me during your absence or immediately upon your return. Please be aware that failing to make up missed work in a timely manner puts you at risk of falling further behind. This impacts your overall grade.
Remember: Stay current with the daily lesson—if you fall behind it is easy to keep up via email.
Late Work Policy:
I do not accept late work on major assignments. Deadlines are posted well in advance. However, if it becomes apparent that you will not meet the deadline for some unforeseeable reason, you must contact me before the due date. In this case, you will agree to a new deadline after which no work will be accepted. Should you choose this option, be aware that 70 will be the highest grade you can achieve. Use this option only in an emergency.
I would highly suggest keeping up with your Amarillo College email and monitoring your grade through AC Connect:
Monitoring your college grade is entirely your responsibility. I cannot contact your parents/guardian about your Amarillo College grade. I also cannot discuss your Amarillo College grade with your parents without your express written consent.
If you have difficulties with using Amarillo College’s online systems, you can contact the CTL HelpDesk at (806)371-5992 or at ctl@actx.edu.
Attendance
Students attend this class at Palo Duro High School and must abide by AISD attendance policy.
Regular attendance is necessary for satisfactory achievement. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the student to attend class and to complete all assignments. If during the semester you consider dropping, please check with me first for an alternate plan, one that protects your investment in the course and gives you an opportunity to complete it. Remember that the deadline for drops this semester is April 21, 2016.
The Texas Education Code stipulates that students attending Texas institutions of higher education for the first time in fall 2007 and later may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career, including courses from which transfer students have withdrawn at other Texas institutions of higher education. There are certain exceptions to this policy and petitions for exceptions should be directed to the Registrar.
Calendar
Required Assignments and Exams
Since this is a composition class, learning is assessed through writing.
- Timed Writings (will also include a Timed Writing portfolio)
- Socratic Circles with Notes(approximately every week)
- Poetry Portfolio (3 poems: 1 closed form, 1 open form, and 1 choice of author)
- Short Story (2-7 pages)
- Poetry Analysis (3-5 pages)— with research (MLA format)
- Literary Analysis (5-7 pages)—with research (MLA Format)
- Final Exam: Two-hour, in-class final exam that assesses course objectives outlined in syllabus.
Extra Credit: Self-selected dystopian novel from list provided—or cleared with me—and book conference completed no later than May 12 during office hours. You may do this at any time in the semester and apply it to the current or a future six weeks.
Selections Available:
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
1984 by George Orwell
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Objectives:
Students will be able to
- read and think critically
- annotate various texts and reflect upon meaning
- analyze text for evidence and effectiveness of rhetorical elements
- apply rhetorical elements in spoken and written products
- write and speak clearly and effectively in standard American English
- utilize the library’s online databases; effectively embed research into a research paper using correct MLA format; and understand what constitutes plagiarism
- understand point of view and use of third person
- improve timed writings
Required and recommended reading
A Rhetoric Handbook for English 1301 and 1302: pages 3-60.
Selections from: Kirszner, Laurie G., and Stephen R. Mandell. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Compact 7th Edition. MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.
Additional non-fiction and fiction readings as assigned.
Literature: Pride and Prejudice; Hamlet; Heart of Darkness; Dystopian book for Book Conference
Major assignments, required reading, and subject matter of each lecture and discussion:
Unit 1: Reality and Identity (1/4-1/29)
Essential Questions:
- What makes text realistic?
- What is reality?
- What is the different between perception and reality?
- What is hiding beneath the surface of my mind?
- Are stories universal?
Major Assignments and Due Dates:
Practice AP Timed Writing (Throughout the Unit)
Students will begin practice AP writing from released exams during this unit. Questions will focus on prose and poetry.
Mind Map (Due: Feb. 1)
Students will create a mind map based on the topic they think Heart of Darkness is “about.” The mind map should be colorful, arresting, and memorable. The mind map may be submitted on paper or digitally, but should be neat and professional. The mind map should be free of grammatical errors. Students will be required to submit a well-developed paragraph (about 8-12 sentences) exploring the significance of their chosen topic.
Objectives:
- Students will effectively analyze diction.
- Students will effectively analyze tone.
- Students will read a text through a lens.
- Students will increase timed writing skills.
- Students will understand literary theme.
- Students will understand and apply archetypes to a text.
- Students will enhance vocabulary.
Unit 2: Values and Choices Part 2 (2/1-3/25)
Essential Questions:
- What is poetry? Why use poetry?
- How can I express my values?
- How should I make decisions?
- How do decisions affect the rest of my life?
- How do my values reflect who I am?
Major Assignments and Due Dates:
Practice AP Timed Writing (Throughout the Unit)
Students will begin practice AP writing from released exams during this unit. Questions will focus on prose, poetry, and open-ended responses.
Poetry Portfolio (Due: Feb. 29)
Three Original Poems
- One must be an open-form poem
- One must be a closed-form poem (any form or multiplied form equaling at least 12 lines)
- One is the author’s choice (open or closed)
Poems should be well-crafted, keeping in mind all choices such as symbols, figurative language, imagery, theme, tone, punctuation, form, rhyme, etc. All elements of the poem should contribute to meaning and add layers to the poem. Poetry is subjective, but well-crafted poetry will have certain elements in common. The provided rubric should be your guide for your writing.
Poetry Analysis (Due: Mar. 28)
Students will select two to three poems and compare/contrast a theme, structure, style, or literary device found in each poem (SC2). Students will analyze these elements, discussing the artistry of their chosen works (SC9). The conclusion the poems draw about the subject may be complimentary or at odds with one another. From the poems selected, at least one needs to be a poem read and discussed for class. Students will also find a minimum of two pieces of additional research (literary, sociological, or psychological criticism) through academic databases to incorporate in their analysis. Students will complete this writing outside of class. Please use pages 721-741 as a guide for your process. Essay should be 3-4 pages in MLA format with MLA citations.
Objectives:
- Students will effectively analyze diction.
- Students will effectively analyze tone.
- Students will understand universality of theme.
- Students will have a deep understanding of figurative language.
- Students will understand character development and interpretation.
- Students will analyze author’s style.
- Students will compare/contrast two interpretations of the same story
Unit 3: What I Expected (3/28-5/27)
- How are truth and verisimilitude different?
- How do expectations play into a story’s ending? How do expectations play into the future?
- Are we merely poor players who strut and fret our hour upon the stage?
- What does it mean to be a good person?
- Does my existence matter? (Do I dare disturb the universe?)
- Parody: insult or highest form of praise?
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Major Assignments and Due Dates:
Practice AP Timed Writing (Throughout the Unit)
Students will begin practice AP writing from released exams during this unit. Questions will focus on prose, poetry, and open-ended responses.
Short Story (Due: April 18)
Write a 2-7 page short story. Your story should have a beginning, middle, and end. It should also contain believable dialogue and characters. Make sure to be specific about selection to detail, including only that which adds meaning and complexity to the story. The story should reveal a deep theme. Make sure to mind verisimilitude in the story.
Literary Analysis (Due: May 16)
Why read literature?
“A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.” –Italo Calvino
“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young.” – Maya Angelou
“Without literature, life is hell.” – Charles Bukowski
Prompt: You will select one of the novels or plays you have read/will read in class (Catcher in the Rye, The Importance of Being Earnest, Pride and Prejudice, Heart of Darkness, Hamlet, self-selected book conference book from 1st or 2nd semester). Identify a theme or a character that has opened up new doors you had not previously considered, doors that push you to become “more” human. You should consider how the author communicates this message, including exploring motifs, symbols, archetypes, point of view figurative language, etc. You should also find a minimum of two pieces of additional research (literary, sociological, or psychological criticism or another relevant piece of literature) through academic databases to support your assertions. This research should be used and extended upon in your own writing.(4-6 pages)
Parody (Due: May 20 and 23)
Choose a group and select a scene from Hamlet. Make sure that you have an appropriate number of people to reenact the scene. Begin by thinking what exactly you want to satirize: the language, the genre, the characters, Shakespeare himself, the events, or a combination therein. Remember: you have to have a deep understanding of the scene before you can parody it. Reread it. Use additional resources for your understanding if necessary (No Fear Shakespeare is free on Sparknotes). You and your group compose a script that will take 5-7 minutes to perform.
Objectives:
- Students will effectively analyze diction.
- Students will effectively analyze tone.
- Students will understand universality of theme.
- Students will have a deep understanding of figurative language.
- Students will understand how character, setting, dialogue, and other story elements play into verisimilitude.
- Students will understand and create parody.
Weekly Breakdown
Unit 1
Week Dates Primary Focus Major Readings
1 1/4-1/8 Archetype and Postcolonialism/ Psychological
Lens Short Stories:
“The Third and Final Continent” by Jhumpra Lahiri (p. 650-664)
2 1/11-1/15 Archetype and Postcolonialism/ Psychological
Lens Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
3 1/18-1/22 Diction and Tone/ Psychological
Lens Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
4 1/25-1/29 Theme Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and “An Image of Africa” by Chinua Achebe
Unit 2
Week Dates Primary Focus Major Readings
1 2/1-2/5 Figurative Language (Simile, Metaphor, Metonymy, Synecdoche, Personification,
Understatement, Hyperbole)
Poetry:
“Harlem” by Langston Hughes(p. 814)
“Constantly Risking Absurdity” by Lawrence Ferlinghetti (p. 815)
“Simile” by Momaday (p. 818)
“Metaphors” by Sylvia Plath (p. 819)
“Holes Commence Falling” by Huddle (p. 829-30)
“Out, Out” by Robert Frost (p. 833-4)
“To My Dear and Loving Husband” by Bradstreet” (p. 830-1)
“To Lucasta Going to the Wars” by Lovelace (p. 836-7) “What My Mother’s Hands Smell Like” by Starnino(p. 837)
“On Passing thru Morgantown, Pa.” by Sanchez (p. 838)
“Ode to a Nightingale” by Keats (p. 839-841)
2 2/8-2/12 Romantic Poetry Poetry:
“Ode to the West Wind” by Percy Bysshe Shelley(p. 1056-58)
“She Walks in Beauty” by Byron (p. 1005)
“When I Have Fears” by Keats (p. 1037)
“Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe (handout)
“Success is counted sweetest” (p. 1014) “I like to see it lap the Miles—“ (p. 851-3) by Emily Dickinson
3 2/15-2/19 Metaphysical Poetry: Syntax/Paradox/ Conceit Poetry by John Donne:
“Batter My Heart, Three Personned God” (p. 1015)
“Death Be Not Proud”
(p.1015-16)
“The Flea” (p. 1016)
“A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” (p. 823-4)
4 2/22-2/26 Character/ Style Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Lizzie Bennett Diaries
5 2/29-3/4 Character/ Style
ALL AP Literature Students: Mock Exam 3/2 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Lizzie Bennett Diaries
6 3/7-3/11 Comparing/ Contrasting Texts Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Lizzie Bennett Diaries
7 3/21-3/25 Universality of Theme Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Lizzie Bennett Diaries
Unit 3
Week Dates Primary Focus Major Readings
1 3/28-4/1 Verisimilitude/Character/ Setting/ and Magical Realism Short Stories:
“The Girl with Bangs” by Zadie Smith (p. 236-240)
“This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” by Alexie (p. 268)
“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Marquez (p. 628-632)
2 4/4-4/8 Verisimilitude/Point of View Review and Flash Fiction Short Stories:
“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe (p. 331)
“The School” by Donald Barthelme (handout)
“The Man Who Shouted Teresa” by Italo Calvino
“The Blue Boquet” by Octavio Paz (handout)
“55 Miles to the Gas Pump” by Annie Proulx (p. 164)
3 4/11-4/15 Shakespeare and Dramatic Elements
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
4 4/18-4/22 Shakespeare and Dramatic Elements and Figurative Language Hamlet by William Shakespeare
5 4/25-4/29 Shakespeare and Dramatic Elementsand Figurative Language Hamlet by William Shakespeare
6 5/2-5/6 Theme
AP Literature Exam: May 4 Hamlet by William Shakespeare
7 5/9-5/13 Parody and Satire
8 5/16-5/20 Test Review and Final Exam Reading other students’ work
9 5/23-5/27 Exempt Week
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Additional Information
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Syllabus Created on:
11/30/-1 12:00 AM
Last Edited on:
11/30/-1 12:00 AM