My Freshman English course is designed specifically to teach students how to communicate clearly, think critically, and express their ideas and thoughts in college level essays. Students will learn to read and respond analytically to various sources and incorporate these sources into clearly organized academic essays while using college level concepts, diction, and textual evidence/support. Students will also learn to conduct academic-level research and incorporate it effectively into a research paper. The emphasis for this class will focus on how the media shapes American society.
Freshman Composition (English 101) focuses on expository and argumentative essays and the research paper.
Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in English 061 or ESL 112, or qualifying profile from English placement process.
The learning objectives for my Freshman English course are adapted from the RSCCD English 101 Student Learning Outcomes and are as follows:
Communication Skills
A. Reading and Writing
1. Read various works of non-fiction, short stories, novels, or any other appropriate literary work, learning to recognize their structural
elements, central themes, and main ideas.
2. Read at least one book length work of fiction, engage in discussion related to it, and write assignments in response to it.
3. Write journals about or responses to the various assigned readings.
4. Develop and limit topics and write thesis statements
5. A. Generate ideas for drafts through the use of prewriting strategies/techniques.
B. Use these ideas to plan a draft.
C. Write a rough, exploratory draft based on prewriting and planning.
D. Participate in self and peer revision activities.
E. Write a final draft after progressing through the four writing process stages.
6. Using the writing process, write several essays that display the various rhetorical modes or a combination of them: narrative, descriptive,
illustration, definition,
comparison/contrast, division/classification, causal analysis, argumentation.
7. Write a documented paper, following the format of the current MLA format.
8. Write in-class essays on instructor-chosen topics.
B. Listening and Speaking
1. Participate in large or small groups, discussing the readings.
2. Listen and take notes on instruction of elements of grammar, mechanics, and usage as related to the editing requirements of specific
assignments.
Thinking and Reasoning
A. Creative Thinking
1. Generate pre-writing strategies, either individually or in small groups.
2. Write a narrative essay, observing the elements of narration such as pacing and climax.
3. Use connotative language and metaphor in specific written assignments.
B. Critical Thinking
1. Identify the thesis and the logic of the structure of the various reading selections.
2. Read at least one book-length work of fiction and identify its theme.
3. Write essays that display a clearly stated thesis, coherent paragraphs that are logically connected to the thesis and which contain relevant
supporting details, and an introduction and conclusion that are tailored to the assignment.
4. Write a documented paper, applying outside sources to support their own ideas in their writing.
Information Competency
1. Evaluate primary and secondary sources including Internet sources using a checklist for evaluating sources.
2. Use library’s on-line catalog and resources.
3. Demonstrate on their research paper’s Work Cited page an awareness of breadth of sources.
4. Use a checklist for avoiding plagiarism.
Diversity
A. Cultural
1. Read, discuss in large or small groups, and respond to readings in written assignments literary and expository works from diverse
historical and cultural backgrounds.
2. Demonstrate an appreciation of these works either through class discussion or in a written evaluation.
B. Social
1. Read, discuss in large or small groups, and respond to readings in written assignments literary and expository works from diverse
socio-economic backgrounds.
2. Demonstrate an appreciation of these works either through class discussions or in a written evaluation.
Civic Responsibility
A. Ethical
1. Discuss, either in small or large groups, the moral dilemmas and historical and contemporary social issues that are present in the readings.
2. Examine in written assignments the moral dilemmas and historical and contemporary social issues that are discussed in class.
Essays and writing requirements include:
Write five to eight expository essays, including revisions of these essays.
Read essays and other literary works for literal, inferential, and critical meaning.
Write a research essay using library resources.