ENG 043 - Writing: Paragraph to Essay

Learning Community with ENG 073, Minati Roychoudhuri

Sec. 1062, T/R 10:05-11:25AM, Rm 415

Instructor: Kevin Lamkins Office phone: 906-5213

Office: 1019 Home phone: (860) 560-9668

Office Hours: M/W 2 -3:30, or by appt. Email: klamkins@ccc.commnet.edu

Required books/readings:

- Focus on Writing 2nd

Edition by

Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R.

Mandell

- Assorted exercises, texts supplied by

professor or online, to be announced

- http://klamkins.wordpress.com

I will have course materials and

additional resources online. Please

bookmark or remember this web

address because we will use it

throughout the semester.

Intro to ENG 043:

One purpose of ENG 043 is for students to advance from writing simple paragraphs to well-

organized short essays. Another purpose is to prepare students for ENG 101 and the

expectations of college level writing.

ENG 043 is not a credit bearing class. You must successfully pass ENG 043 to move onto the 3-

credit ENG 101.

Goals for ENG 043 (from the Standardized Course Outline) Students will learn:

1. How to participate fully in class through regular, punctual attendance, individual and

group projects, and by having responsibility for their own work

2. A variety of language and prose writing by identifying and presenting clear main ideas in

writing, practicing varied paragraph and essay patterns, evaluating appropriate diction

and register, evaluating reliability and logic of observations in reading and writing texts

3. Organization and development of effective compositions by employing appropriate

strategies for prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing, composing coherent paragraphs,

supporting central ideas with specific details, composing organized essays with thesis,

introduction, body, and conclusion, and demonstrating control of key conventions of

standard written English.

4. Critical and global perspectives in writing by evaluating reliability of evidence in support

of main points, establishing tone and degree of objectivity appropriate to given purpose,

clarifying distinctions and relationships among ideas in compositions, providing context

for theses and explore their implications

Course Breakdown:

The course is composed of three units:

Unit 1 – The first unit will focus on essential concepts of college writing, from terms to know, to

prewriting techniques, to the writing process. We will work step by step through writing your

first essay.

Unit 2 – In the second unit, we will address common grammar and sentence errors and discuss

ways to catch these mistakes while you're writing. Also, we will learn how to write a

compare/contrast essay, a common type of college writing.

Unit 3 – We will discuss techniques for revising and fine-tuning your work. We will also look at

different types of writing to prepare you for ENG 101 and use of sources. There will be a final

in-class writing assignment the date of the final exam.

Participation/attendance:

Class participation will be graded. You are expected to be present and prepared for all classes.

You must have all reading and writing homework assignments completed by the beginning of

class for them to be accepted. In class you are expected to discuss the assignments, ask

questions when you don’t understand something and always be helpful and respectful to other

students and the instructor. You must notify me ahead of time to receive an excused absence.

Assignments and Grade Breakdown:

- In-class writing, short assignments, quizzes, and participation (25%)

- Unit 1 Essay – Exemplification (25%)

- Unit 2 Essay – Compare and Contrast (25%)

- Unit 3 In-class writing assignment (25%)

- Extra credit – as assigned or student generated

I will offer opportunities to revise work for better grades. Some revisions will be built into the

course work, but you can revise just about any assignment on your own.

Please take advantage of the Writing Center, room 409, for additional help with your writing. If

you have special learning needs or difficulties that you feel I should know about, please meet

with me early in the semester.

ENG 043 Essential Terms to Know Glossary

Part 1:

Composition: _________________________________________________________________

Thesis: ______________________________________________________________________

Structure: ____________________________________________________________________

Prewriting: ___________________________________________________________________

Outline: ______________________________________________________________________

Drafting: _____________________________________________________________________

Revision/revising: ______________________________________________________________

Edit/editing: ___________________________________________________________________

Writing process: ________________________________________________________________

Summary: _____________________________________________________________________

Response: _____________________________________________________________________

Detail: ________________________________________________________________________

Specific: ______________________________________________________________________

Development: __________________________________________________________________

Essay: ________________________________________________________________________

Part 2:

Diction: ______________________________________________________________________

Analysis/analyze: _______________________________________________________________

Introduction: ___________________________________________________________________

Body: ________________________________________________________________________

Conclusion: ___________________________________________________________________

Coherence: ____________________________________________________________________

Clarity: _______________________________________________________________________

Organization: __________________________________________________________________

Evaluation/evaluate: _____________________________________________________________

Tone: ________________________________________________________________________

Audience: _____________________________________________________________________

Content: ______________________________________________________________________

Purpose: ______________________________________________________________________

Paraphrase: ____________________________________________________________________

Quotation: ____________________________________________________________________

ENG 043 Syllabus

Date: In-class work: Homework:

Tues. 1/24 Intro to the course, policies and goals. We will do a writing sample in class (who am I?).

Essentials terms to know, part 1

Thur. 1/26 Infosheet and email. You must have a working email address. Review terms to know part 1. Discuss grading rubric. Begin ENG 043 glossary.

Email me your contact information for my records

Tues. 1/31 Discuss the structure of writing: introduction, body, conclusion, thesis, topic sentences, transitions, etc. (FOW: 161)

Essential terms to know, part 2. Read “The Dog Ate My Disk, and Other Tales of Woe” (FOW: 689, RH: 396)

Thur. 2/2 Discuss the writing process: planning, organizing, drafting, revising and editing. (FOW: 3-27); discuss “The Dog Ate…” and begin response. (FOW: 632)

Write a summary/response paragraph (bring 2 copies).

Tues. 2/7 “The Dog Ate My Disk…” paragraphs due. Peer review. Review essential terms to know, part 2. Update ENG043 glossary (do no lose this!); discuss prewriting techniques and audience (content, vocabulary and tone, FOW: 5-13)

Read “Impounded Fathers” (FOW: 708)

Thur. 2/9 Discuss “Impounded Fathers” Who is the audience? How do you know? How would the article be written for another audience? Discuss topic sentences, exercises in class, apply to your first paragraph. (FOW: 14-17)

Read pages 50-55 Write a summary/response to “Impounded Fathers” (bring 2 copies)

Tues. 2/14 “Impounded Fathers” paragraphs due. Peer review. Discuss paragraph development, part 1, TESTing your paragraphs (FOW: 29+). Introduction to the Unit 1 Essay – Exemplification using summary and reflection (p.207). Begin introductory paragraphs in class.

Read “Don’t Call Me a Hot Tamale” (FOW: 636)

Thur. 2/16 Discuss purposes for writing, exercises in class – identifying purpose (from text and image, FOW: 167), creating a purpose – examine your introduction draft. Is the purpose clear? Discuss “Don’t Call Me a Hot Tamale”

Write a summary/response to “Don’t Call Me a Hot Tamale” (p. 636) (Bring 2 copies)

Tues. 2/21 “Don’t Call Me a Hot Tamale” paragraphs due. Peer review. Discussing ordering of details in paragraphs – how to organize. How does the author organize information in the article? Think about your own essay draft. What is the best way to organize it so that it shows your purpose?

Thur. 2/23 Discuss fragments, comma splices, run-ons (FOW: 354, 370) using the three step test of sentence completeness. Discuss dependent words, exercises in class. Address any further questions about Unit 1 Essay.

Unit 1 Essay complete draft

Tues. 2/28 Unit 1 complete drafts due. Peer reviews in class. Peer reviews will count toward your Unit 1 Essay grade.

Thur. 3/1 Begin Unit 2. Read “My Two Lives” (FOW: 674) in class and discuss. Think about tone, purpose, audience, vocabulary, etc.

Write a list of responses to “My Two Lives.” Include at least 4 main points.

Tues. 3/6 “My Two Lives” list due. Discuss coordination and subordination (FOW: 277, 297) – forming compound and complex sentences to enhance your writing, FANBOYS, etc. (FOW: 262-307) Exercises in class.

Read “An Identity Reduced to a Burka” (handout).

Thur. 3/8 Unit 1 final drafts due! Discuss “An Identity Reduced to a Burka.” Think about tone, purpose, audience, vocabulary, etc. How are the articles similar to or different than each other? Anchor Assignment (FOW: 632).

Write Anchor Assignment in response to your choice of Unit 2 readings. Include at least 4 main points.

Tues. 3/13 Anchor assignment due. Discuss paragraph to essay – essay form, finding a topic, main ideas, thesis statements (FOW: 160-180). Apply to Unit 2 readings.

Get caught up!

March 12-18

Spring Break – College closed.

Tues. 3/20 Brief review – fragments, comma splices, run-ons, 3 step test, thesis, etc. Discuss paragraph to essay (part 2) – introduction and conclusion (FOW: 194).

Read FOW: 106-119

Thur. 3/22 Discuss comparison/contrast essay (FOW: 106, 235), point by point, exercises in class – breaking down the topic into points of similarity and difference. Apply to Unit 2 texts.

Write down at least 4 points or comparison or contrast.

Tues. 3/27 In class writing workshop: using your response paragraphs and points of comparison/contrast, begin your Unit 2 essay. Start with prewriting – brainstorming, fastwriting, outlining (FOW: 176-178). Think about your tone, order of details, etc.

Write an outline: compare/contrast the two articles. Have at least three main points. Be as detailed as possible.

Thur. 3/29 Unit 2 outline due. Peer review of outlines. Continue drafting your introduction and thesis. Think about your conclusion – what's your assessment of the two articles? Use specific examples from the texts.

Begin Unit 2 essay.

Tues. 4/3 Workshopping and catch-up. Grammar and sentence errors revisited. We'll also talk about using transitions (FOW: 40, 283) to help your essay flow. Create the Criteria.

Finish Unit 2 essay

Thur. 4/5 Learning Community workshop day

Tues. 4/10 Unit 2 compare/contrast essays due. Begin Unit 3 – preparing for ENG 101: patterns of organization, part 1: exemplification, description, narration, process.

Skim FOW: 94-105, 122-151

Thur. 4/12 Patterns of organization, part 2: cause and effect, classification, definition, argument.

Extra credit essay: write a short argument paper on a controversial issue.

Tues. 4/17 ENG 101 preparation continued, expectations of college composition, refining your writing, addressing

Read FOW: 182-193

sentence variety and wordiness (FOW: 309, 337), attention-getters, titles (FOW: 198), etc.

Thur. 4/19 Revising an essay (FOW: 182+), the importance of drafts, revising for content and organization, editing for grammar, punctuation and spelling. In class, reading workshop. Pairs recommend a reading for Unit 3.

Tues. 4/24 Use of sources, part 1: quoting and paraphrasing (FOW: 728). When should you use a direct quote? When should you paraphrase? We'll discuss how to paraphrase well. Discuss TBA

Double entry journal – quoting and paraphrasing.

Thur. 4/26 Double entry journals due. Use of sources, part 2: documentation (FOW: 736). Why cite? How to cite your sources in-text and in your works cited page. Groups make Works Cited pages in class.

Final works cited page for your Unit 3 project: include all the articles from the textbook and handouts.

Tues. 5/1 Works cited pages due. Discuss critical thinking and writing. Catch-up day. In class we'll play ENG 043 Jeopardy!

Thur. 5/3 Last day of class – review for the final

Tues. 5/8 Final in-class writing assignment, 10-12noon

Scoring Rubric for Written Assignments

Score Purpose & Audience Organization Development Language

6

Superior

Takes ownership of

purpose, uses assignment

to explore topic’s

intrinsic interest, shows

full understanding of

issues, engages audience,

uses format to enhance

clarity

Focuses consistently on

clearly expressed central

idea, establishes strong

unity and coherence

among ideas, guides

readers smoothly with

paragraph structure and

transitions, opens and

closes with strength

Explores ideas

vigorously, supports

points fully, balances

general and specific

skillfully, chooses

evidence (subjective or

objective)

appropriately, reasons

persuasively making

useful distinctions

Employs words with

fluency, develops concise

standard English

sentences, balances a

variety of sentence

structures effectively,

conveys lively consistent

voice

5

Collegiate

Address purpose

effectively, manages

assignment skillfully,

shows good

understanding of issues ,

establishes credibility,

uses appropriate format

and style

Clear central idea is

steady and supported by

paragraph progression,

unity and coherence are

evident, paragraph

structures and

transitions are

competent, opens and

closes effectively

Supports all key ideas

with examples and

details, finds suitable

levels of generality and

of subjectivity, makes

logical connections and

clear distinctions

Word forms are correct,

sentence structure is

effective, applies

conventions of standard

English, presence of a

few errors is not

distracting

4

In

Progress

Establishes and adheres

to purpose, fulfils

assignment, shows basic

understanding of key

issues, style steady,

format mostly correct

Establishes central idea,

paragraph structures

adequate to convey

continuity among ideas,

opening and closing

devices sufficient to

frame essay

Supports some ideas

with examples and

details, shows some

ability to choose among

levels of generality and

subjectivity, clarifies

some distinctions

Word forms are mostly

correct, sentence

structure adequate for

clarity, few areas of

usage deviations, errors

minimally distracting

3

Essential

Purpose clear, mostly

fulfils assignment, shows

need for more study of

issues, style varies,

format or visual

presentation ragged

Central idea present but

wavering, unsteady use

of paragraph structures,

problems with

consistency or

progression of ideas

Supports some

generalizations with

details, instability in

levels of subjectivity,

distinctions and

reasoning only implied

or tangled

Word forms and sentence

structures are adequate to

convey basic meaning,

errors cause noticeable

distraction

2

Basic

Purpose partly clear,

incompletely address

topic or directions, grasp

of issues minimal,

inappropriate style,

careless visual

presentation

Central idea is

identifiable, some

repetition or digression,

weak paragraph

structures, tangled

progression of ideas

Presents ideas in

general terms, support

for ideas unsuitably

personal or distant,

distinctions need

clarification, reasoning

unclear

Word forms and sentence

structures are unreliable,

meaning sometimes

unclear, errors seriously

distracting

1

Entry

Purpose unclear, failure

to address topic or

directions, weak grasp of

issues, visual

presentation poor

No central idea, no clear

logic or focus, many

repetitions or

digressions, lack of

evident structure

Most ideas are

unsupported, confusion

between personal and

external evidence, lack

of needed distinctions,

reasoning flawed

Word use is unclear,

sentence structures

inadequate for clarity,

errors obscure meaning

ENG 043 Lamkins – Spring 2012

Section/CRN:

Name: _____________________________

Nickname: _________________________

Major:_____________________________

Student ID#: ________________________

Phone #: ___________________________

Email: _____________________________

Do you have a job outside of school? ____

Is English your second language? ____ If so, what is your first language: ____________

Other info I should know (special needs, learning difficulties, weak points in writing):

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Describe your experience(s) with writing? Good? Bad? What kind of writing have you done?

What have you enjoyed, despised? Be honest!

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Who are you?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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