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Reading and Writing I Fall 2003

Instructor: 
Randall Sadler
Office:  IEI 202
Phone (office): 333-7923

E-mail:  [email protected]
Course time and location MWF 10-12; 21 Psych

 

Required Texts:

�        Seal, Bernard.  Academic Encounters: Human Behavior.  New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002.  

�        A good college dictionary such as Longman or Webster's.  You may also use a translation dictionary for your own language, but you must use one only in English as well.

Other required materials:

�        A binder for notes, handouts, and readings

�        Some two-pocket folders for turning in larger writing assignments�do not use a three ring binder for this.

�        Copies of your work as needed for class and group discussion

�        An email account

Overview of the Course:

            The goals of this course are to improve your skills in reading and writing in English.  We will also focus on building vocabulary.  We will do a variety of writing tasks, both formal and informal.  We will also read a variety of types of texts from magazines, newspapers, short stories, and other sources.  In addition, we will often listen or speak in class to prepare for reading or writing tasks. 

Course Policies:

�      Attendance & Tardiness:  It is important that you attend every class.  Missing a class means you might miss a quiz or writing assignment that you cannot make up, or you might miss important information for the next class.  If you are going to miss a class please contact me ahead of time so I can tell you what you will miss.  While it is acceptable to be occasionally late, habitual tardiness or cases of extreme tardiness is not acceptable and will result in an absence.  Being late is rude to me and your fellow students�don't do it.

�      Cell Phones:  Turn them off or put them on silent mode.  ABSOLUTELY do not make or answer a call on your cell phone while in class.

�      Classroom Interaction: Come to class prepared, cooperate with your classmates in small-group activities, cooperate with me by coming to class prepared to ask questions, both in-class and during conferences, and use this course to expand your skills and abilities in reading and writing. 

�      PLAGIARISM: DO NOT DO IT!  I have no desire to give out "F" grades in this course, but one CERTAIN way to have this happen is to plagiarize.  I realize that it is easy to find papers on the Internet, but keep in mind that it is also easy for me to track them down.

 

 

Evaluation:

            To successfully complete this course you must turn in all assignments on time, come to class prepared to discuss the assigned materials, attend class and conferences, and participate in the in-class workshops and discussions.  If you do not submit all the major assignments, it is unlikely you will receive a passing grade.  When the final drafts of papers are turned in, they must be accompanied by all of the following materials in a two-pocket folder:

�        Final draft

�        Rough draft(s) with my comments

�        Associated writing assignments

�        Peer review feedback (on some papers only)

�        Copies of research materials (on some papers only))

 

Late assignments will be lowered one letter grade for each day of the week (Monday - Sunday) that they are late.  If you are unable to make it to class on the due date, turn in your essay by the due date and time at IEI office or email it to me as an attachment and then give me a hard copy as soon as possible.  Evaluation of your essay will consider content, organization, expression, mechanics, development of ideas, and maturity of thought.  Assignments are due at the beginning of the class period�essays turned in at the end of the class period will be considered late.

 

Reading and Writing Assignments:

There will be a variety of writing and reading assignments in this class, both coming from the main textbook for this class Academic Encounters: Human Behavior and from other sources.  The reading assignments for this class are very important as many of them will serve as examples of the kinds of writing that you will be expected to do for this class.  The point values of the individual assignments for this class will vary from 10, for a daily writing assignment, to 100 for larger assignments, such as the Rhetorical Analysis and Persuasive Essay Assignments.  For more on the individual assignments please see the Daily Schedule or the assignment sheets for each essay.

 

Under my grading system, the attainment of an "A" grade requires an overall grade of at least 90%; a "B" requires 80%; a "C" 70%; and a "D" requires at least 60%.  I round up grades of .5% or higher, so an 89.46% is considered an 89.5%.  I would round this up to 90%, which is an "A."  89.44%, however, would round to 89.4%�still a "B."

 

Reading & Writing I, Daily Schedule

Fall 2003

Special notes:

�        indicated something we will be doing in class (you need not prepare anything)

�      means that this is something you must read, write, or prepare for

 

Week 1

W. Sep 3

�        Introductions of the class and each other

o       two truths and a lie activity

F. Sep 5

9 AM IEI TOEFL

12-4 IEI picnic

Week 2

M. Sep 8

 

�        Begin Unit 1

�        Introduction to the text

�        Explain Independent Reading Project and give handout.

�        Unit Preview, p. 2

�        Reading 1, preparing to read, reading,

�        Due: Horoscope Assignment

�        HW:  Expand on your answer to prereading question #4 and write at least one paragraph about EITHER the most stressful aspect of life in your country or here in the U.S.

W. Sep 10

 

�        Focusing Work�What is the most interesting thing about (or place in) your country?

�        Sharing of the homework�put students in groups to share answers.

�        Preparing to read, p. 10

�        Reading 2, p. 11

�        After you read Tasks 1 &2

�        HW:  Read the third reading (pp. 15-16) and write a good one-paragraph summary.

F. Sep 12

 

�        Trip to Krannert Museum of art

�        Due: one-paragraph summary

�        H:  Descriptive Writing Assignment

�        HW: Descriptive Writing Assignment

Week 3

M. Sep 15

 

�        Museum review activity�have ss match museum descriptions to photos

o       trade descriptions and write comments

o       later add to the description

�        Further discussion of grades (after returning homework)

�        Begin Chapter 2

o       Prep to read, p. 24

o       Reading 1, pp. 25-27 +activities

�        HW:  Revise Museum description

W. Sep 17

 

�        Due:  Collect Museum description homework

�        Focusing Writing:  Some people in the United States would like to make smoking cigarettes illegal.  Do you agree with this?  Why or why not?

o       Share answers with the class

�        Reading #2, pp. 31-33

o       Preparing to read, p. 30�ss work in groups of 3 to answer these questions.

o       Have ss. do the reading

�         As they read, ss. must make a note of statistics in the reading and also try to make an outline of the sections of the reading.

o       Share their outlines in a group to compare.

�        Go to Task #1 on p. 34 and fill in the outline there

o       Each group chooses one important quote from the article and then writes a good paraphrase of that quote�share with the class

�        Task #2 pp. 34-5  groups must make their own listing paragraph as described.

�        HW:  Have ss. read and take notes on �Prohibition and Drugs� by Milton Friedman

F. Sep 19

 

�        Focusing Writing:  Write down at least 5 reasons why drugs should be legalized and 5 more about why drugs should not be legal (bring in Daily Illini and look at police reports?)

�        Questions about the Article

�        Put ss in two groups�for and against and work on arguments for their position

�        Discussion of Unit 1 writing assignment-what is expected?

�        Unit 1 Writing Assignment�brainstorm possible topics as a class

Week 4

M. Sep 22

 

�        Writing Week

�        Due:  Draft 1 of Unit 1 Writing Assignment

�        Return Descriptive Writing assignments

�        Discussion of Grades, problems seen in Assignments�include sentence length, indenting paragraphs, forming paragraphs, topic sentences, articles, preposition usage, verb matching.

�        Sharing of the drafts  in small groups and the class

�        HW:  Bring a second draft of your Unit 1 writing assignment

W. Sep 24

 

�        Warmup:  Sharing of writing assignments in new groups

�        Discussion of topic sentences and paragraphs�handout �What is a paragraph?� from Academic English, pp. 16-26

�        Exercises from the handout and practice developing their own topic sentences.

F. Sep 26

 

�        Due: Unit 1 Writing Assignments

�        Warm-up Assignment�decide as a class (they chose to write about euthanasia)

�        Review of Count/Non-count nouns & Articles

�        H: Noncount Nouns, Guidelines for Article Usage (pp. 206-7, Azar)

 

Week 5

M. Sep 29

�        Begin Unit 2: Development Through Life

�        Warm-up Assignment�discuss with classmates significant events in their own adolescence

�        Share most interesting group answers with class

�         Reading 1: Defining Adolescence, read aloud in class

�        In groups ss do task 2, analyzing paragraph organization.

�        Brief intro to transitions�groups must make new transitions for the reading�generate list of transitions in the class.

�        HW:  Readings 2 (pp. 53-54) and 3 (pp. 57-60).  No writing assignment.

W. Oct 1

 

�        Warm-up�make a list of how adolescents are different in the U.S. compared to your home country.

�        Questions about Reading #2, Physical Change in Adolescence.

�        Tasks 1 & 2.  For task 2 have them do the exercise on Gerunds as subjects and then give them some new topics to have to write new gerund-led sentences for.

�        Questions about Reading #3, Cognitive and Social Development in Adolescence.

�        Question: What do you think of the SQR3 system?�have students do Task 1, p. 61, if time.

�        HW:  None�new chapter starts on Monday?

F. Oct 3

Chicago Trip�No classes!!

Week 6

M. Oct 6

�        Discussion of the Chicago trip�report from the students

�        Return the Unit one papers and have students look over the comments.  Time for their questions and comments.

�        My discussion of problems on the papers�overhead.

�        Break

�        Begin Chapter 4, Adulthood

o       Partners do Preparing to read, p. 70

o       Reading 1, Early Adulthood

o       Partners do tasks 1 and 2, p. 73

�        HW:  Task 3, Write briefly about the factors that have influenced (or will influence) your choice of career.

W. Oct 8

�        Warm-up:  The California Recall�what do you think of Governor Arnold S?

�        Questions about the Reading (pp. 71-72)

�        Partners work on Tasks 1 & 2, p. 73

�        Discussion of the homework (Write briefly about the factors that have influenced your choice of career).

F. Oct 10

 

�        Ask the Ss to make a list of things that are important in a mate�one group all females and one all males�put on board and discuss�compare to chart on p. 75

�        Preparing to read�p. 74

�        Ss read Marriage and Family, pp. 75-77 

�        HW:  Read, Hope for an End of an �Endless War�

Week 7

M. Oct 13

 

�        Begin Unit 3: Rhetorical Analysis (book dumped at this point)

�        Warm-up:  Columbus Day Discussion

�        Reading:  Columbus and the Beginning of Genocide in the �New World�

�        Discussion

�        Break

�        Discussion of Rhetorical Analysis�The Art of Rhetoric Handout

�        Group�Use the handout to find the strategies that Chamaree de Silva uses in her essay Hope for an End of an Endless War

�        Groups present strategies and discuss effectiveness/ineffectiveness

�        HW:  none�Remind ss about independent reading projects

W. Oct 15

 

�        Show ss. my photos of Arizona and discuss

�        More on rhetorical analysis

�        Using the de Silva essay, find her thesis, topic sentences, and at least five cited sources that she uses.

�        Read:  Ethical Responsibilities Concerning the Use of Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles

�        Break

�        Groups�Find the strategies, thesis, topic sentences, and cited sources

�        Groups present

�        HW:  none�remind ss about Independent Reading Projects

F. Oct 17

 

�        Midterm grades

�        First set of Independent Reading Projects due today�3

�        Groups:  Perform a short RA of the de Silva essay.

�        Discussion of the most common types of persuasive papers:  Position, Proposal, and Refutation

�        HW:  Read article by Kathryn Williams:  John Naisbitt:  Fighting the War against Violent Video Games

Week 8

M. Oct 20

 

�        Discussion of the article by Kathryn Williams

�        Groups:  What strategies does this article discuss and how could it be improved upon?

�        Handout:  PIE structure

�        Discussion of PIE & examination of previous readings for PIE

�        Groups:  find PIE

�        HW:  Write a short (1-2 paragraphs) RA of the UCAV article.

W. Oct 22

 

�        Groups:  Sharing of the homework

�        Review of PIE structure

�        Discussion of Rhetorical Analysis Paper�

o       H:  Rhetorical Analysis Assignment

�        Rhetorical Analysis practice�

o       H:  Rhetorical Analysis Quote Integration Practice

�        HW:  Reading??

F. Oct 24

 

�        Discussion of the reading and group work in rhetorical analysis

�        Preparation for the Curtis Orchard trip

 

Week 9

M. Oct 27

 

�        Return Independent Reading Projects�

o       students share articles in groups and discuss

o       Each group presents 1-2 most interesting articles

�        In-class Reading:  This is Your Death

�        Partners:  Complete the handout chart comparing the rhetorical strategies used in the articles This is Your Death and Death and Justice

W. Oct 29

 

�        Continue exercise from Monday (ran out of time)

�        Students finish charts comparing the two articles, also include discussion of most and least effective strategies encountered

�        Groups write example of best example on board and discuss

�        Divide class into two groups (half class for each article).  Divide each group into smaller groups (2-3 ss) and they work on a potential thesis statement for a rhetorical analysis paper, using the essay they are looking at as their source (will discuss these on Monday)

F. Oct 31

 

�        Reading:  The History of Halloween.  Ss read and class discussion

�        Read (me): Some traditional Halloween stories of Horror!

�        Halloween Madlibs

�        Halloween!�Halloween party.

�        HW:  Read the two sample Rhetorical Analysis Essays:  Immigration in the United States and John Naisbitt:  Fighting the War Against Violent Video Games.

Week 10

M. Nov 3

 

�        Partners:  Finish thesis statements from last Wednesday

�        Groups�the two groups from last Wednesday get back together and each subgroups share the thesis statement(s) that they made.  The group must try to improve each one and then put them on the board

�        Discuss the readings from last Friday

�        HW:  Read the two articles that are the choices for the Rhetorical Analysis Paper (they will choose one of these to write about for their paper):  Nudity: Art or Pornography? and Campaign Finance Reform

W. Nov 5

 

�        Groups: Discussion of the two homework articles

o       Each groups must find one paragraph from one of the articles and write an argument discussing why it is good or bad (focusing on the rhetorical strategies used in the paragraph)

o       Groups present results to class

�        Class discussion of the two topics/articles

�        HW:  Bring a list of strategies that you might use for your paper (which means that you need to also decide which essay you�ll write about) and a possible thesis statement for your essay.

F. Nov 7

 

�        Check Homework

�        Groups:  Each student shares which essay they have chosen for the writing assignment and why. 

�        Groups:  Share thesis statement and improve.  Each group shares their best thesis statement and the rest of the class critiques.

�        Partners:  Work on one possible paragraph for your rhetorical analysis paper using one of the essay. The paragraph should contain PIE structure. 

�        HW:  Rough Drafts of RA papers due on Monday

Week 11

M. Nov 10

 

�        Due:  RDs of RA paper

�        WU:  Write down at least 2 questions you have about your paper at this point.

o       Ss share the questions with groups of 4 people and try to answer them.  Those they can�t answer they ask me when the groups finish. 

�        Handout:  The three parts of a rhetorical analysis paper.

o       Groups.  Students read over the handout and check their partner�s RD to see if it has these elements.

�        Partners:  Peer review of RA papers. 

W. Nov 12

 

�        Conferences for the RA paper

F. Nov 14

 

�        Begin Unit 4:  Persuasive Essay

�        HW:  Colony Ship Alpha Zebra 2934

�        Begin discussion of Persuasion

�        Persuasion Activity.  In groups of 4 the students do the Colony Ship activity.  This is one of those moral choice activities that don�t really have a correct answer, but you must argue for your decision

o       After groups make decision they defend their choice against the class.

�        Write:  Each student must write 1-2 paragraphs defending their decision.

�        HW:  Final Drafts of RA paper due Monday

Week 12

M. Nov 17

 

�        H:  The Persuasive Essay

�        H:  MLA Citation

�        Collect final drafts of RA papers

�        Give out handout on the Persuasive Essay and Discuss.

�        Groups:  Consider the Persuasive Essays we�ve read so far and decide which essay type they are (position, proposal, refutation):  Nudity: Art or Pornography, Campaign Finance Reform, Hope for an Endless War, This is Your Death, Death and Justice, Prohibition and Drugs, Should Drugs be Legalized?

o       Groups identify and tell why

�        OHP:  Questions:  What topic do you want to write about for YOUR persuasive paper, why is it an important topic, and why type of paper do you think you could write for this topic (position, proposal, refutation)?

o       After finishing this writing, discuss it in groups of 3-4 students and then as a class.

�        Discussion of MLA citation using handout

�        Groups:  take an overhead and write down all the necessary information for someone to make a correct citation (they make up an author, title, publisher, etc).  When finished, they give this info to another group and they try to make a correct citation for that information using the information in the handout (which comes from Hacker�s Rules for Writers).

W. Nov 19

 

�        H:  Persuasive Topic Questions Worksheet

�        H:  Library Map

�        Finish activity from Monday, check citations that groups generated.

�        Have ss. fill in the persuasive topic worksheet.  Asks questions about what they are thinking about for their paper.

o       I collect this worksheet and give feedback for Wednesday

�        Discussion of the library and doing research

�        Class trip to library for tour and practice finding resources (I led this)

F. Nov 21

 

�        H:  Sample introductions of Persuasive Essays

�        Groups:  Share the topic you have chosen for your paper and get feedback from your group as to its feasibility.   Ss also share the resources they have found so far for their own papers�and give hints on what successful resources they�ve used (e.g. which library database was most useful)

�        Read Sample introductions.

�        Groups:  Identify what elements are found in all of these introductions

o       Discuss as class

o       With a partner work on an outline of your own intro.

Week off!

M. Nov 24-

F. Nov 28

Thanksgiving Break

Week 13

M. Dec 1

 

�        Discussion of the remainder of the semester

o       Wednesday, 12/3, remaining Indep. Reading Projects due

o       Friday 12/5, TOEFL exam

o       Monday 12/8, Persuasive Essay Due

o       Wednesday 12/10, Final Exam

�        Write down questions you have about your persuasive paper at this point�discuss as a class

�        Work on thesis statements for your paper with a partner

�        Return RA papers

�        Students with additional questions stay for further discussion, those without questions leave to do research

�        HW:  Bring at LEAST a solid thesis statement for your paper and one or two body paragraphs for drop in conferences on Wednesday (No regular class, so if Ss have nothing they probably won�t come.

�        Course Evaluations

W. Dec 3

�        Drop in conferences

F. Dec 5

�        9 AM IEI TOEFL�no morning classes

Week 14

M. Dec 8

 

�        Students turn in Persuasive Essays and remaining Independent Reading Projects

�        Pairs:  Read over each other�s papers for grammar, citation, or style problems.  If a paper has problems, they can email me a revised version this evening. 

Tu Dec 9

Last day of IEI classes

W. Dec 10

�        Final Exam

Th. Dec 11

Finals/Reception