Fall 2011 Syllabus

ENG 093-57
Paragraphs to Essays
Instructor: Ruth Haller
Time: Monday/Wednesday 12:10 1:50 PM
Room: L-123 (Liberal Arts Building)
Instructors Email: rlhaller@hfcc.edu
Text: Along These Lines: Writing Paragraphs and Essays. John Sheridan Biays
and Carol Wershoven.
NOTE: Please bring this textbook to class with you EVERY DAY!
Required Materials:
Access to the internet, e-mail, and a word-processing program
(i.e. Microsoft Word) and printer (all available on campus)
3-ring binder with loose-leaf paper
Blue or black pen
A folder for turning in assignments
Prerequisite: Students must have writing skills scores of 32-43 on the
ASSET Test or 23-77 on the Compass Test.
Catalog Description:
This course is intended for students whose placement scores indicate
the need for instruction or review in order for them to write acceptable
college compositions in English 131. Various methods such as lectures,
group discussions, textbook exercises, peer review, conferences, and
lab work will be used to help students improve their expository writing
and study skills. To facilitate mastery of writing, students will receive
study skills instruction. This course does not substitute for English
131,132, or 135. Students must earn a grade of S (satisfactory) before
enrolling in English 131.
Goal Statement:
The major goal of ENG 093 is for students to learn to write a variety of
short essays, each with a clear thesis, coherent organization, relevant
supporting details, and a minimal number of mechanical and
grammatical errors.
Major Core Course Objectives:
After successfully completing the course, students will be able to do the
following:

Use the writing process stages to plan, draft, revise, and

proofread paragraphs and essays.
Write paragraphs with clearly stated topic sentences that are
supported with logical reasons and evidence such as examples,
details, and facts.

Formulate clear, narrowly focused, and precisely worded thesis

statements appropriate for 500- to 800-word expository essays.
Organize supporting information in a clear pattern, such as time,
space, or importance.
Use various modes of development, such as examples,
definition, and comparison and contrast.
Use transitional expressions to link main ideas in paragraphs
and paragraphs in essays.
Use a variety of sentence patterns and rhetorically appropriate
vocabulary.
Make few grammatical and mechanical errors of the kind defined
in the 093 grade rubric.
Write essays in and out of class with complete introductory,
supporting, and concluding paragraphs.

Assessment of Academic Achievement: The final grade assigned in

English 093 will be either an S (Satisfactory) or a U (Unsatisfactory). To
pass the course, students must earn at least 75% of the total points possible.
Students will be given a score sheet which lists all of the assignments and
possible point totals for the semester the student is expected to keep track
of their assigned and graded assignments on this score sheet throughout the
semester. Four major multi-paragraph essays will be assigned throughout the
semester, as well as several smaller writing projects and grammar quizzes.
Students must complete a final exam consisting of a grammar test and inclass written essay.
Attendance Policy: Consistent and punctual class attendance is expected.
Any student who has more than three (3) absences or are habitually tardy
should consider dropping the class. Excessive absences (more than
three) will affect your final grade. Attendance will be taken every day at
the beginning of class. If you will be late to class, or absent, please alert your
instructor BEFORE class by email. It is the students responsibility to obtain
handouts and assignments given out on days he or she is absent before the
next class period. In other words, if you miss class one day, you must STILL
have the work completed by the next class.
Assignment Policy: NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS/HOMEWORK WILL BE
ACCEPTED. Have all work completed BEFORE you come to class.
Cell Phone Policy: Cell phones are not allowed to be used during class its
best if they are turned off. MP3 players, laptops (unless permitted by
instructor) or any other electronic devices are not allowed for use during
class. Students who use these devices during class may be removed from
the classroom. Electronic spelling/dictionary devices or translators should be
approved by instructor prior to use.
Accommodations: I am more than happy to accommodate any students
who require special measures for completion of class assignments. However,
the disability must be documented and it must be reported to Assisted

Learning Services LRC 125 (313) 845-9617 so I can have official notice of
the measures taken to ensure your success in this class.
Cheating and Plagiarism: Cheating can be defined in a wide variety of
ways it is not just peeking at someone elses answers during a test, though
that is absolutely cheating. Other ways are handing in other students papers
and saying they are your own, bringing in cheat sheets for tests or quizzes,
using electronic devices to look up answers, trying to give another student
help on a test or quiz, or attempting to access quiz or test answers from the
instructor illegally. Any such behavior or activity will result in a fail grade
for that particular assignment, quiz or test. There are times when you will be
able to work with other students, but those will be specially designated by
the instructor.
Plagiarism is a word you might not be familiar with, but it a serious offense
in the world of writing. Plagiarism is the intentional submitting of work that is
not yours under your own name. It is the stealing of ideas and words, and is
a significant problem in the college classroom. If I suspect you have been
plagiarizing, we will meet a confidential conference. If plagiarism is
confirmed, you are in danger of failing the course. Severe cases of plagiarism
will be reported to Registration and Records so that a note of the occurrence
will appear on your files. Plagiarism can be easily avoided by quoting, citing,
and giving credit to the author; these are all things well learn about in this
class. If you are worried that you may be plagiarizing inadvertently in your
work own, PLEASE contact me and I will help you out.
HFCCs academic handbook defines Academic Dishonesty as any activity
intended to improve a students grade fraudulently. Both cheating and
plagiarism are a part of this.
Now onto happier things
Course Schedule
This class will contain a good amount of grammar review and writing
practice. My hope for this class is that you will come out on the other side a
confident and able writer, excited for the rest of your collegiate future and
better prepared to present yourself in the best way when pursuing a career.
This will take a lot of concentration and dedication on your part, but if you
work hard, this class will be very beneficial and rewarding.
Each week we will be working both on different aspects of grammar and on
writing skills. You will be writing four essays this semester, each in a different
rhetorical mode. These are modes which will most help you through your
academic career. Grammar instruction will help you construct clear,
coherent, thoughtful sentences and the writing assignments will allow you to
practice putting these sentences together in ways that best communicate
your intended meaning.
Heres a loose schedule for the next twelve weeks, which is subject to
change, but in general, tells you what youre going to be working on. This

schedule does not list specific day-to-day activities. Bolded items contribute
to your grade for this class.
Week 1:
Intro to class/read over syllabus/paper formatting/visit the learning lab
Diagnostic exam (points for completing)/letters of interest activity
Week 2:
Chapter 1 reviewing the writing process and the paragraph
Chapter 1 cont., write narrative paragraph & Chapter 15 The
Simple Sentence
Week 3:
Quiz on Chapter 15/begin learning about essay format/begin Cause
& Effect essay
Continue work on Cause & Effect/Grammar lesson
Week 4:
Quiz on grammar/continue Cause and Effect/first draft due workshop essays
New grammar lesson/concluding points on Cause & Effect
Week 5:
Cause & Effect Essay DUE/grammar quiz/Begin Compare &
Contrast Essay
Grammar lesson/continue work on Compare & Contrast essay
Week 6:
Grammar quiz/continue work on Compare & Contrast essay
Grammar lesson/first draft due - workshop Compare & Contrast
essay
Week 7:
Compare and Contrast essay due/Grammar quiz/Begin work on
Classification essay.
Grammar lesson/continue work on Classification essay
Week 8:
Grammar quiz/continue work on Classification essay/schedule in-class
conferences for next week
Grammar lesson/first draft due - Classification essay workshop
Week 9:
CONFERENCE WEEK attend conference at appropriate
time/Classification essays DUE at conference *(if your conference
is on Wednesday, EMAIL ME YOUR FINAL DRAFT BY MONDAY AND GIVE
ME A HARD COPY AT YOUR CONFERENCE ON WEDNESDAY!!)*

Use this week to study for a COMPREHENSIVE grammar test the

following Monday!

Week 10:
Grammar TEST/Begin work on Argument essay
Grammar lesson/Continue work on Argument essay
Week 11:
Grammar quiz/Argument essay cont.
Grammar lesson/First draft due - Argument essay workshop
Week 12:
Grammar quiz/Argument essay due/begin review for final
Continue review for final/last day activities
FINAL EXAM WEEK Specific day TBD, but we WILL be meeting for an
exam during our scheduled exam period.
A little more about course requirements:
The Diagnostic Exam: This is administered on the first day of class and it is
NOT a graded exam it is merely a way for me to determine a.) if you will
benefit from this course or if you should be in another one and b.) aspects of
writing and grammar the class as a whole needs to work on. You will be given
points just for completing the diagnostic, but it will not be graded for
correctness.
Grammar quizzes: These will be worth ten points each and will cover the
material from the Wednesday class preceding it. A grammar midterm will
occur the Monday after conferences, and will cover everything weve done so
far. The final will also have a grammar component which focuses on
EVERYTHING weve done in class, so the week 10 midterm is a great way to
start preparing for the final exam.
First Drafts and Workshops: Each essay must be turned in with the original
draft used for the in-class workshop. Essays will be 500-800 words, and the
first draft must satisfy this requirement. In other words, the first draft cannot
just be a hastily thrown-together collection of words. It must be carefully
planned and must satisfy the assignment requirements as much as possible.
The workshop process will allow you to collaborate with your classmates in an
effort to proofread and revise your work. An assignment sheet will be given
out at the beginning of each essay unit which lays out all of the necessary
components of the assignment. You should abide closely by this assignment
sheet.
Essay Collection: When you turn in your essay projects, you must have
everything collected in your folder. The folder must contain your first-draft,
the completed workshop sheet, your scorecard and your final draft. The

folder must NOT contain anything else, including past essay projects. Only
the current essay project may be in the folder.
Conferences: A conference week is scheduled for one-on-one conferences
with each student. This means, if you schedule a conference on the Monday
of that week, you will not need to come to class on Wednesday (and vice
versa). Final drafts of the Classification Essay are due that Monday a hard
copy is due directly to me if you have a scheduled conference, or an
electronic is due by email if you have a conference on Wednesday. But those
with conferences on Wednesday must also then submit a hard copy of the
essay. The electronic copy and the hard copy of the essay must be
the exact same no alternations may be made!
** You must bring your textbook to every class, as well as your
binder, paper and pen for taking notes **