1. hobbies and interests
2. astrology

ENC1101-Composition 1- Section 94352: 2:00-3:15MW
Classroom 704
Prof. Dory O’Brien
Office: 405 FWB
3 semester hours
Course Description – Spring 2015
Office Hours: MW: 9:30-12:30
& TTh: 1:00-3:00
Office Phone: 863-6529
Office email:obriendo@nwfsc.edu
Course Design:
In Composition I, students will work to achieve college-level writing and analytical skills. The
course is designed so that all its elements work together to enable students develop professional and
adult writing voices by developing both practical skills and intellectual sophistication. This is a very
demanding but also highly rewarding course for the serious student.
Aims and Objectives:
1. To improve skills in logic and analysis
2. To learn to integrate concrete and specific supporting data
3. The learn how to formulate theses and to develop them by employing such rhetorical strategies
as exemplification, classification and information, and argumentation in essays from 500 to 800
words in length
4. To achieve proficiency in the skills of quoting, and paraphrasing
5. To develop and demonstrate proficiency in standard English grammar, syntax, usage, and
punctuation
6. To develop reasoning skills and strategies adequate for college and professional work
7. To practice and demonstrate proficiency in research and the incorporation, interpretation and
8. documentation of research materials through the production of an acceptable research paper.
Required Texts and Materials (available at the NWFSC Bookstore):
The Little Seagull Handbook
The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings
A hardbound college edition dictionary
Two two-pocket paper folders
A jump drive
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Course Policies:
Students are responsible to read and abide by the “Statement of Student Rights and
Responsibilities and Policy of Academic Freedom” published in the Northwest Florida State College
Catalog and Student Handbook.
*** Students discovered using electronic communication devices during a test will be presumed
guilty and will receive no credit for the test in question.
Emergency Class Cancellations:
If classes have to be cancelled for any reason, tests and activities scheduled during the period in
question will be due at the next class meeting held unless there are significant disruptions due to a
weather emergency and/or a general power outage. In the case of the latter, adjustments will be
made upon the reopening of classes. In all cases, students should strive to do homework assignments
as stipulated in the syllabus until we meet again. This will make catching up easier for all concerned.
Support Services:
Northwest Florida state College offers academic support with extensive tutoring services at the
Academic Success Center in Building E (E-149) on the Niceville campus Fort Walton Beach of a student
counsellor to all students as well as various tutoring services, which can be arranged through the
Faculty Office (rm. 402) in Building 4.
The college also offers services to students with special needs. If you have special needs for
which accommodations may be appropriate to assist you in class, please contact the Office of Services
for Students with Special Needs in Building C-1 on the Niceville campus or call 729-5372 (TDD 1-800
955-8771 or Voice 1-800-955-8770.
N.B. The following are not permitted during class:
Consumption of food & drink
Gum chewing
Operating cell phones (must be turned off)*
Operating pagers (must be turned)*
(With documentation, exception will be made for care-givers and on-call personnel.)
Cheating and Plagiarism:
Any student who cheats by turning in work written or overly emended by another person, or
who plagiarizes from published or unpublished sources will receive a grade of zero for the
assignment and will not be allowed to do a rewrite. Anyone guilty of a second offence will be
dismissed from the course with a grade of F and may be recommended for academic discipline.
N.B.! All essays will be submitted to Turnitin, a nationwide essay bank and internet search
service designed to identify plagiarized material. Essays may also be submitted to a comparative
language analysis and/or bibliographic searches.
Incompletes: These are possible in this or any course only in cases involving no more than two major
assignments (including the final exam) and a favorable attendance record.
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Class participation and Attendance (10%):
Composition is a performance course; successful students are those who attend and actively
participate in each class session. Students who miss more than a reasonable number of classes will
very likely earn low or failing grade because learning activities that take place during class cannot be
made up. Attendance will be recorded daily and will account for 10% of the grade. Three tardy arrivals
constitute one absence.
Students who miss a class are responsible to ask colleagues for any missed information or
instructions. I teach several sections and subjects and am rarely able to redeliver a perfect and
complete summary of a past class as a result. When in doubt, consult the assignment schedule and/or
another student.
Absenteeism is no longer grounds for dropping a student from a course. However, instructors
are obligated to report excessive absences (minimum: 3 consecutive absences or more than 1/3 of
classes to date). Be warned that excessive absenteeism can have a very tragic effect on a student’s
financial aid.
Late work and make-up work:
All assigned work is due at the beginning of class on the specified due date, and is deemed late
thereafter. Late work will be penalized 5% if submitted after the beginning of roll call on the due day,
and 5% for each day late (a weekend will count as one day). Rewrites, however must be submitted on
time and will not be accepted late under any circumstances.
Course Components:
Essays (45%):
The essays are major assignments, and students must complete them all. Any missed essay will
be factored into the final grade as a zero.
Essays must be typed, double-spaced in 12 point font, with standard margins. They must
include a left aligned first page heading with the student writer’s name [line 1], my name (Prof. D.
O’Brien) [line 2], course identification (ENC1101- Section #) [line 3], and the due date [line 4]. See page
583 in your Bedford Handbook for a model of MLA format.
Essays must be submitted on time. Late work policies are stipulated on page 2.
Essays must meet the minimum length specified on the assignment sheet (computer count). Those
which fall more than 50 words short will lose 10 points after essay is graded. Those which fall more
than 100 words short will be rejected with an automatic F. Essays that exceed the maximum length
will drop 10 points.
Essays must bear a computer generated word count at the end that includes one draft only.
Essays must be submitted with the following materials to earn a passing grade:
- preliminary brainstorming notes
- informal “scratch” outline
- a rough draft bearing handwritten evidence of revision and editing
- at least one intermediate draft bearing evidence of revision and editing
- a typed final draft
- labeled and highlighted photocopies of any and all material quoted
Essay Folder: The above materials must be submitted in a two pocket paper folder reserved for this
purpose.
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Rewrites: Rewrites are optional. Students may rewrite and submit any or all of their first three
Essays to raise their grades. The fourth essay may not be rewritten. The grade for rewrites of any of
the first three essays will be averaged with the grade for the first version of that paper to generate the
final grade for that assignment.
Documentation Test (15): This is an in-class open book test designed to verify that students have the
information and skills necessary to enable them to successfully document the research essay.
Writing Skills Assignments (10pts):
These are required personalized assignments assigned in response to any or all of the first three
essays. They are grammar readings and exercises (online or written) that respond to an individual
student’s instructional needs. They are credit bearing and the wise student will regard them as a grade
support opportunity.
Homework Assignments (10%):
These will include online documentation drills and written grammar assignments.
LSH – The Little Seagull Handbook
N.B. / n/b. = Note bene = “Note well” or “Attention!”
Date:________
Week One:
Mon. 1/12
Wed. 1/14
Week Two:
Mon. 1/19
Wed. 1/21
Work Due:________Assignments:__________________________________
two paper folders
Rough Draft
w / Preliminary
Thesis in place
Readings:
(See 1/12)
MLK Day
Intermediate
Draft
Readings:
(See 1/14)
Essay #1
(See 1/19)
Week Three:
Tues. 1/25
Readings:
(See 1/21)
Ex. S-2a
Thurs. 2/3
Rough
Draft
Ex. S-3a
Thurs. 2/5
Rewrite
Readings:
(See 9/9)
Ex. S-1a, Ex. 1
Read: LSH: “W-11: Personal Narratives” 1a-1g pp. 58-61
Norton: “Literacy Behind Bars” – Malcom X pp. 640-3
Start: Essay #1: due Thurs. 1/22
Write: a preliminary thesis & rough draft of E #1; due Wed. 1/14
Bring: 2 Two-pocket, paper folders to class Wed. 1/14
Read: LSH “Writing Processes” pp. 9-12
“Revising”2 a – 2c pp. 13-16
Write: Intermediate Draft of Essay #1
Write: Essay #1 due Wed. 1/21
Read: LSH -“S1 & S2: Repair sentence fragments.” pp 252-7
Norton - “Homeless on Campus” - pp. 693-8
Write: LSH Ex. S-2a p. 362 (Write out to hand in.)
Read: LSH “Identifying Comma Splices.” pp. 258-59
Write: LSH Ex. S-3 a & b p. 364, 5 [Always write out or type all
Start: Essay #2 – due Tuesday 2/24
exercises to hand in.]
Read: LSH “Subjects and Predicates.” pp. 252, 3
Write: LSH S-1a, Ex.1 & Ex.2 pp. 356-8
Read: LSH “Pronouns.” pp. 277-82
Norton “Multitasking can make you lose…Um…Focus”
pp. 714-18 ENC1101-92062
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Date:________
Week Four:
Work Due:________Assignments:__________________________________
& Ex. 2
Week Five:
Tues. 2/10
Thurs. 2/12
Week Six:
Tues. 2/17
Thurs. 2/19
Readings:
(See 9/11)
Ex. S-6a
Read: LSH “Ch. 23: Make pronoun references clear.” pp. 278, 9
Write: LSH Ex. S-6b Pronoun Reference p. 377
N.B. Rough Draft of E# 2 due Thurs. 9/18
Rough Draft
Readings:
(See 9/16)
Ex. S-6b
Read: Read: LSH “S-6c Pronoun Case” pp. 280-82
Write: LSH S-6c Ex 1& 2 - Pronoun Case E p. 378, 9
Readings:
(See 9/18)
Ex. S-6c Ex 1
Read: LSH “Ch. 25: Distinguish between who and whom.”
pp. 280-2
Write: LSH “S-6c Ex. 2 - Who / Whom / We / Us” p. 379
N.B. Rewrite #1 due Thurs. 9/25
Rewrite #1
Readings:
(See 9/23)
Ex. S-6c - 1
Read: LSH L-7 Adjectives and Adverbs”pp.308-11
Norton “Throwing Like a Girl”- Fallows pp 100-105
Write: LSH Ex. L-7a pp. 393, 4
N.B. Intermediate Draft due Tues. 9/30
Week Seven:
Tues. 2/24
Intermediate
Draft
Readings:
(See 9/25)
Ex. L-7a
Thurs. 2/26
Week Eight:
Tues. 3/3
Thurs. 3/5
Week Nine:
Tues. 3/10
Write: LSH Ex. S-6a Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement” p.376
Read: LSH S-4: Verbs, Forms, Tenses pp. 260-8
and moods in Standard English” pp. 260-64
Write: LSH Ex. S-4a, Ex. S-4b-1 & 2 - pp. 366-8
Library Lecture
Readings:
(See 9/30)
Ex. S-4a, S4b-1
Read: LSH “Helping Verbs and Moods” pp. 265-8
Write: LSH Ex.S-4c p. 370 & S-4e pp. 371-3 (3 exercises)
Readings:
(See 10/2)
Ex. S-4c, S-4e
Read: LSH “Helping Verbs and moods in Standard English”
Write: LSH Ex.S-4e p. 371 pp. 265-67
N.B. Essay #2 due Thurs. 10/9
Essay #2
Readings:
(See 10/7)
Ex. S-4D
Read: LSH “Active and Passive Voice” pp. 267-9
LSH “Conducting Research & Evaluating Sources pp. 80-95
Write: LSH Ex. S-4D p. 371
Start: Research for Essay #3 –due Thurs. 11/6
Write: Topic Proposal - due Thurs. 10/14
Readings:
(See 10/9)
Read: Norton “A Feel-Good Movie That Feels Kind of Icky”Stevens - pp 775-8
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Date:________ Work Due:________Assignments:______________________________________
Week Nine (cont.)
Thurs. 3/12 Topic
Read: LSH “Evaluating Sources” pp. 92-5
Proposal
LSH “W-7: Arguments” pp. 43-48
Readings:
Write: Rewrite #2 due Tues. 10/21
(See 10/14)
Continue Research
Week Ten:
Tues. 3/17
Rewrite #2
Read: LSH “Avoiding plagiarism,” pp. 97-9,
Readings:
“Signal Phrases” pp. 103, 4
(See 10/16)
Continue Research
Thurs. 3/19: Readings:
Read: LSH “Quoting” pp. 98-100, “Paraphrasing” pp.100-02
(See 10/21)
“Summarizing” pp. 102, 3
Continue Research
Write: Topic Proposal (@200-300 words)
* * * * Spring Break: March 21 – 29 * * * *
Week Eleven:
Tues. 3/31
Readings:
(See 10/23)
Topic Proposal
Read: Norton -“Kenneth Cole Gets Schooled”- Sirota pp. 759-63
Write: Preliminary outline & Rough Draft for Essay #3
with thesis: due Thurs. 10/30
Thurs. 4/2 Prelim. Outline Read: LSH-53 “MLA Documentation Style,” pp.112- 156
& Rough Draft
Readings:
(See 10/28)
Week Twelve:
Tues. 4/7
“In-text Citations” pp. 119-112
Write: Intermediate Draft with integrated quotations and
paraphrases and parenthetical notes: due Thurs. 11/6
* * * * * Open Book Documentation Test * * * * *
Week Twelve (cont.):
Thurs. 4/9
Intermediate Draft
In-Class Workshop
Readings:
(See 10/30)
Read: (n. b. Examine “List of Works Cited” on p. 156, 7
examine pp. 119-148 & review pp. 109-112 for
reference when assembling your works cited page.)
Write: N.B. Essay #3 due Tues. 4/14
Week Thirteen:
Tues. 4/14
Essay #3
Read: Norton - - “First Job” – Roman pp. 814-820
Thurs. 4/16
Quiz & Discussion
Readings:
(See 4/14)
Read: Norton -“Of the 1%, by the 1%, and for the 1%” –Stiglitz
pp. 746-53
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Date:________ Work Due:________Assignments:______________________________________
Week Fourteen:
Tues. 4/21
Quiz & Discussion
Read: Norton - “Us and Them”- Sedaris pp. 798-805
Readings:
(See 4/16)
Thurs. 4/23 Quiz & Discussion
Read: Norton - “Why We Hate the Smart Kids” – Penrod
(See 4/21)
pp. 754-758
Week Fifteen:
Tues. 4/28 Quiz & Discussion
Read: Norton – “Women Don’t Ask” Babcock & Laschever
(See 4/23)
pp.699-703
Bring rewrites in progress and be prepared to share w/ classmate
and /or consult w/ me concerning problems, questions.
Thurs. 4/30
Quiz & Discussion
& Writing Lab
(See 4/28)
Week Sixteen:
Tues. 5/4
Rewrite #3
Test Preview
N.B. Rewrite #3 due Thurs. 5/4
Exam Day: ___________________________________