Course Syllabus

ENGLISH COMPOSITION 100

Instructor: Rachel Oswell
Contact:  rachel.anne.oswell@live.mercer.edu
Cell phone 555.555.5555
Office phone 555.555.5555
Office hours by appointment only

Class delivery: Online, CANVAS

Purpose

 

                The purpose of English Composition 100 is to provide high school sophomores with opportunities to participate in close reading, analyze difficult texts, and study challenging texts throughout the course of the year. This course will enable students to  analyze literary devices, write expository, persuasive, and literary analysis papers, and communicate with both teachers and peers on an academic level. A major focus of the school year will be that of discourse—or written and spoken communication or debate. Discourse will be included in most activities to make sure students are able to articulate their purpose both on paper and in conversation.  

 

We will focus on a multitude of topics during the school year:  

 

                Value and Love of Reading

                Non-fiction Works

                Cultural Literacy

                Vocabulary Retention

                Timed Writing (Expository, Persuasive, and Literary Analysis)

 

            You should be prepared to work hard. Class will be challenging, but it will also be fun

Writing

You will grow exponentially as a writer over your sophomore year. You can expect to be doing some sort of writing every day, whether you’re completing a journal entry, responding to cultural literacy entries, imitating a passage or style, working on a poem or short story, or composing an analytical essay. You’ll be completing both process-based pieces that you’ll revise several times as well as timed essays. To help your writing, we’ll also be revising, editing, and peer editing papers. Yes it looks like a lot. Yes it will be hard. Yes it will be fun.

 

Reading

We will read the following books as a class: Fahrenheit 451, Catcher in the Rye

You will be expected to read and track 10 books (in class or at home) by the end of the year.

 

Feedback and Grading: There will be some assignments where you will receive written feedback only and not a numerical grade. This practice of giving you regular feedback is meant to help you improve and reflect on your progress as well as set goals for the future before you are formally assessed on the material. The expectation is that you read through all written feedback and use it to set goals for improvement. I will do my best to return anything that we do in class (that includes essays!) within a week.

Course Assignments:

Textbook Discussions (100 points total)

Textbook Quizzes (50 points total)

Writing assignments (300 points total)

Reading and Writing Poetry Now (200 points total)

Research essay (200 points total)

Final essay (150 points total)

Participation (50 points total)

Total Points: 1050

 

Textbook discussions (100 total points)

We will be reading the textbook and make chapter discussion posting in Canvas. A subject will be given for each discussion. You will be required to make comments on at least 2 other postings to receive full credit.

Textbook quizzes (50 total points)

2 quizzes will be given during the session that will cover the chapters we will be covering in class.

Writing assignments (300 total points)

You will be given timed writing assignments where you will be expected to complete a full one-page essay on the following topics:

Expository, Persuasive, and Literary Analysis each worth 100 total points.

Reading and Writing Poetry Now (200 total points)

Students will gain a better understanding of poetry and review steps on reading and interpreting poetry in written form, whether song, literature, or free-style.  You will take time to write your own poetry and identify new forms of poetry that inspire you in class.

Research essay (200 total points)

Students will be expected to compose a full research essay over the last half of the semester.  This essay will be 10-12 pages long on a discussion of the student's choosing but should use citations and properly sourced research materials.

Final essay (150 total points)

Students will be expected to complete a final essay on a book completed in class upon the teachers approval.  This assignment is open at the beginning of the semester and can be started at any time during the semester!

Participation (50 total points)

Assignments that are otherwise not marked as graded will count towards your participation points.  These include:

Character and Theme development ideas (10 total points)
Reading and Writing Poetry Now  (10 total points)
Write Your Own! (20 total points)
Research essay discussion (10 total points)

 

Late Assignments: Don’t do it. I have a very strict late policy. You will receive two grades on every assignment. One participation grade and one numerical grade. If you turn in an assignment late, your participation grade drops to a 50. If it is a week late it drops to a 0. For assignments that are turned in after the class period, the highest you can receive is an 85. You will then be graded with a ceiling of an 85 instead of 100.

Corrections: For assignments that are turned in on time you are allowed to use the given tutorials, and then correct your work. When correcting work, you can earn back half of your points.

                    Ex: If you originally scored a 40, you can earn back half of the 60 points you missed earning up to a 70

                    Ex: If you originally scored a 70, you can earn back half of the 30 points you missed earning up to an 80

    If you are going to retake an assessment (quiz, test, etc.) than you can retake a new quiz for full points. I will keep the higher of the two grades.

 

Policies and Procedures

Entering Class - You are required to login to class on each day.  You are expected to read the given material in a timely manner and complete the assignments indicated on the class calendar.

Academic Integrity - Honesty and integrity are essential to developing critical analysis skills and fostering a positive classroom culture.  Plagiarism, copying, or providing work for others will result in a 0% on the assignment and an honor code violation.  Three academic honor code violations will result in expulsion.

This is serious business. Don’t do it. Ever.

 

Heading - On the top right-hand corner, please write your first and last names, instructor name, class information, and date. Every assignment should be labeled with the title of the assignment centered on the top line.

 

Eddy Explorer

Ms. Oswell

English Composition  - 1^st

July 8^th, 2020

 

Attendance/Absences - It is imperative that you log into CANVAS every day.  It is your responsibility to get your missing assignments within 24 hours. If you forget, your work will be considered late.

 

What You Can Expect from Me

• I will speak to you with respect and kindness--always
• I will be available for help
• I will return phone calls (before 8:00 pm) and emails (before 8:00 pm)
• I will listen if you have a problem (personal or academic)
• I will give you timely feedback on your work and updates on your progress
• I will talk with your family regularly to give them updates on your progress

 

What I Expect from You

• Be present, both literally and with your attitude.
• Be prepared with the materials and assignments you need and with the readiness to work hard every day.
• Be prepared to ask for help when you need it.
• Be respectful to everyone in here, follow school rules, be a leader.
• Be honest. Submit only your own best work.
• Speak to me with respect and kindness
• Be positive.

 

Final thoughts: I love teaching. I love English.  I am passionate about working with you all every single day. I know that English is tough and that this syllabus shows that I will expect A LOT from you over the school year. I appreciate your commitment to making yourself better and pushing yourself through. My goal is that you leave with a newfound appreciation for the success that hard work and dedication will bring you. I truly hope that each of you will leave with something you have learned and loved about this class.  I work hard to make sure our class is lively, fun, and engaging, but much of the work depends on your level of readiness, participation, and willingness to push yourself to places you have never been before academically.

 

Disabilities Statement:

Students requiring accommodations for a disability should inform the instructor at the close of the first class meeting or as soon as possible. If a student is not registered with Disability Support Services, the instructor will refer him/her to the Disability Support Services office for consultation regarding documentation of the disability and eligibility for accommodations under the ADA/504.

In order to receive accommodations, eligible students must provide each instructor with a “Faculty Accommodation Form” from Disability Support Services (downloadable from the website).

Students must return the completed and signed form to the Disability Services Coordinator on the 3rd floor of the Connell Student Center. Students with a documented disability who do not wish to use academic accommodations are also strongly encouraged to register with Disability Services and complete a Faculty Accommodation Form each semester. For further information, please contact Katie Johnson, Director and ADA/504 Coordinator, at (478) 301-2778 or visit the website at http://access.mercer.edu/

The Code of Ethics for Educators:

“The Code of Ethics for Educators defines the professional behavior of educators in Georgia and serves as a guide to ethical conduct. The Professional Standards Commission has adopted standards that represent the conduct generally accepted by the education profession. The code protects the health, safety and general welfare of students and educators, ensures the citizens of Georgia a degree of accountability within the education profession, and defines unethical conduct justifying disciplinary sanction.”

The Code of Ethics for Educators, Georgia Professional Standards Commission (2009)

 

Class Participation:

This class depends upon an actively engaged community of learners; therefore, you are expected to complete all assignments in the course. It is vital that you actively engage in the class and participate in all course discussions and class activities. You are expected to be an active learner who is fully engaged. You are required to read all assignments and to be prepared to discuss and apply all material. In order to improve our understanding of the issues raised throughout this course, and to engage in an informed, critical analysis of those issues, you should complete the assigned readings and make postings with thoughtful responses. Your active participation is expected.

Class Procedures:

Appropriate professional behavior is expected of all students. Your professionalism in this course must be of the highest standards. Included within the realm of professionalism is your ability to interact appropriately with other students and the professor. Unprofessional behaviors will be addressed by the instructor and may result in a course grade reduction. In an online course, it is vital to stay engaged. This means that you need to login to the course and complete all assignments on time. Your attendance and class participation will be based on your active involvement in the course.

Canvas

We will be using Canvas for our Learning Management System (LMS). All assignments must be submitted through Canvas unless notified by the instructor. Make sure to login and read all assignment materials.