Greetings,
Below you will find a copy of the course outline and a copy of the grade sheet, both of which were distributed in class today.
English 20, College Composition II
Sacramento State University, Fall
2013
Section 14, MW, 1:30-2:45 pm,
Mariposa 1010
Section 15, MW, 3:00-4:15 pm, Alpine
148
Instructor: Catherine Fraga
Email: sacto1954@gmail.com (BEST way to reach me)
Office Hours: in CLV 149 –
MW—10-10:50 am AND 12-12:50 pm
OR BY APPOINTMENT
COURSE DESCRIPTION (FROM CSUS CATALOG):
ADVANCED WRITING THAT BUILDS UPON THE
CRITICAL THINKING, READING, AND WRITING PROCESSES INTRODUCED IN ENGL 1A AND
ENGL 2. EMPHASIZES RHETORICAL AWARENESS BY EXPLORING READING AND WRITING WITHIN
DIVERSE ACADEMIC CONTEXTS WITH A FOCUS ON THE SITUATIONAL NATURE OF THE
STANDARDS, VALUES, HABITS, CONVENTIONS, AND PRODUCTS OF COMPOSITION. STUDENTS
WILL RESEARCH AND ANALYZE DIFFERENT DISCIPLINARY GENRES, PURPOSES, AND
AUDIENCES WITH THE GOALS OF UNDERSTANDING HOW TO APPROPRIATELY SHAPE THEIR WRITING
FOR DIFFERENT READERS AND DEMONSTRATING THIS UNDERSTANDING THROUGH VARIOUS
WRITTEN PRODUCTS. NOTE: WRITING REQUIREMENT: A MINIMUM OF 5,000 WORDS.
PREREQUISITE: COMPLETION OF ENGL 1A AND ENGL 2 OR EQUIVALENT WITH A C- OR
BETTER; SOPHOMORE STANDING (MUST HAVE COMPLETED 30 UNITS PRIOR TO
REGISTRATION). UNITS: 3.0.
Required Texts:
• Sacramento
State Student Writing Handbook, 1st edition
(NOT available in the bookstore;
please purchase it at FedEx, 5600 J Street—cost is about 10 dollars)
OR it is available at no cost online
at:
http://www.csus.edu/wac/WAC/Students/CSUS_Writing_Handbook.pdf
Required Materials:
• stapler
• lined notebook paper, standard size
8 ½” x 11”, clean edge (not torn from notebook)
• access to a computer and printer
(very important!)
• Breaking
Bad, Season 1 (DVD) – seven episodes total. (You have several choices on
how to obtain Season 1 for viewing. You may purchase it on iTunes, on Netflix,
or on Amazon. It is also on reserve in the CSUS library.
Classroom Policies:
1. Attendance is very important in
this class. Classroom discussions prepare students for all writing assignments,
and your fellow students and I need your input in order to make this class more
complete and enjoyable. I do not take attendance, and absences don’t
“technically” count towards the grade you earn. However, ultimately, if you
miss class, you may miss a quiz, group work, in class writing, etc. which
really does end up impacting your
earned grade because this work CAN NOT
BE MADE UP.
2. About being tardy for class: It
seems that over the last few years, tardiness has REALLY escalated and become
problematic. I am not sure why, but I do know that most of my colleagues deduct
a percentage of the earned grade for tardiness. It is really annoying and
disruptive, both to me and the rest of the class, when students enter the class
late—we only meet for 75 minutes, twice a week, and I begin class immediately.
In the “real world,” there is even less tolerance for lateness. Plan ahead. I
realize things can happen beyond your control, but looking for parking is not a
good excuse. If I see that tardiness is becoming excessive, I may ask you to
drop the class.
3. YOU MUST TYPE AND DOUBLE SPACE ALL
OUT OF CLASS WORK. Work must be in 12 pt. font, Times New Roman, black ink, MLA
format.
4. In all fairness to other students,
I do not accept late work except for out of class essays (see #5 below.) If you
are ill, please arrange for another student, friend, or relative to turn it in
for you. Period.
5. After the due date, a late essay
loses 10 points for every day it’s late, including weekends. NOT submitting an
out of class essay is NOT an option. The English dept. requires that you write
an approximate number of words in this course. The out of class essays provide
a large part of the word count requirement.
6. You’re responsible for finding out
what you missed if you are absent. When you miss class you will ALWAYS miss
something “important.” I will provide you with a class roster for your
convenience.
7. My policy on EXTRA CREDIT is…I do
not believe in extra credit. In short, “real” life outside the university does
not operate on the extra credit option. You earn the grade you receive. It
really is a fairness issue.
8. ABOUT REVISIONS: you have the
option to revise ONE of your three out of class essays. If you choose to
revise, you must submit the revision with the original within one week of
receiving the graded essay back. ALL CHANGES MUST BE CLEARLY HIGHLIGHTED ON THE
REVISED DRAFT. No exceptions. An essay with unacceptable errors might be an
essay you choose to revise.
A note on classroom etiquette:
If you feel you cannot survive each
class session without the use of your cell phone, iPod, iPad, or laptop
computer, please do not enroll in this class. (I own three of these devices,
and value each of them, but I do not plan on using them during my classroom
time with you. Simply, it is the highest degree of rudeness and disrespect.) If
I see you busy texting, etc. I will not hesitate to ask you to leave until you
finish your crucial business. I plan to give you my full attention and I expect
the same from all my students.
THE EXCEPTION TO THE ABOVE IS IF
THERE IS A WRITING RESPONSE OR A QUIZ BASED ON A READING FROM THE INTERNET, YOU
MAY ACCESS THE MATERIAL IN CLASS FROM AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE.
ABOUT
PLAGIARISM:
From the CSUS Policy Handbook:
“As stipulated
in the California Code of Regulations, Section 41301, cheating or plagiarism in connection with an academic program at a
campus may warrant expulsion, suspension, probation or a lesser sanction.
Administrative action involving academic dishonesty at Sacramento State is the
responsibility of the Student Conduct Officer in the Office of the Vice
President for Student Affairs. Any administrative action taken by the Student
Conduct Officer must be in accordance with the procedures set forth in
Executive Order No. 970, Student Conduct Procedures for the California State
University.”
Familiarize yourself with this
website—everything you need to know about what constitutes plagiarism and the
repercussions.
STUDENT
ACCOMODATIONS AVAILABLE:
Become
informed about accommodations for test taking and other learning disabilities
on this campus. The following
excerpt is from
TESTING
SERVICES
Testing
for Students with Disabilities
Students
registered with Services to Students with Disabilities, (SSWD), are able to
take exams in an environment free from distractions, with tools usually not
available in the classroom. Some of the testing accommodations available to
students are; readers and scribes, computer assisted and computer adaptive
software, and wheelchair accessible and adjustable tables. Group room testing
times are 12:30 PM on Monday, and 8:30 AM and 12:30 PM Tuesdays - Thursdays.
Students arriving after 8:45 AM or 12:45 PM will not be admitted to the testing
room. Testing
Accommodation Instruction forms are to be completed by faculty and submitted with the exam.
Exams should not be faxed or e-mailed.
HOW YOUR GRADE IS EARNED:
Attached to this course outline is
your Grade Worksheet. At no time in the semester should you be puzzled about
your grade. Please keep ALL returned & graded work until the very end of
the semester. NOTE: quizzes are NOT always scheduled. Come to class prepared
with the assigned reading assignments completed on the day they are due to be
read.
Refer to pages 3 and 4 in the Handbook to fully understand how your
writing will be evaluated.
ABOUT THIS COURSE…
I have designed a very different and
I hope interesting and provocative set of themes for discussion and critical
thinking/writing for the semester. The core of the course from which these
themes/ideas will spring is the first season of the television series, Breaking
Bad. It was recently announced that it won the TCA (Television Critics
Association) Award for Outstanding Drama on Television. It has also been
honored with a few Emmys as well. The series is now in its fourth season.
You are required to view all seven
episodes as well as read a wealth of material connected either directly or
indirectly to some of its themes. We will be using these materials as fodder
for writing.
This series poses so many intriguing
questions about morals, family values/responsibilities, the line between good
and evil, the war on drugs, greed, gun control, health care and so much more,
including a comparison between current television vs. film viewing. In short,
we will examine and expand on several issues connected with the overall term of
“breaking bad”—straying from the path of morality, of legality, of conformity
towards something deemed unacceptable by the majority of society. In fact, the
origin of the term is American Southwest, a slang phrase meaning to challenge
conventions, to defy authority, to skirt the edges of the law.
Here is an excerpt from a review of the series:
“It’s difficult to fathom a more
dangerous and enthralling piece of television than Breaking Bad, the AMC drama
that is quietly redefining the creative and content limits of primetime.”
--Ray Richmond, The Hollywood
Reporter
This class has a blog and it is vital
that you check it on a regular basis, even on weekends, for important information,
including reading assignments and other information pertinent to the course.
Please bookmark it on your computer for easy, quick access.
www.English20Fall2013Fraga.blogspot.com
Class Schedule:
(Please note: This schedule is
subject to change at a moment’s notice. Please bring this schedule, your
textbook and appropriate handouts to every class session. ALSO…not every quiz, group discussion, lecture, activity is listed on
this class schedule. Simply, that would be impossible. The pace of the
class is not always predictable…if you attend class, follow the course outline
and read the blog, you will stay current.)
Week One (Wednesday 9/4)
Introduction to the Course (course
theme explained)
Course Outline Distributed (handout)
Assign: Breaking Bad Viewer’s Journal
Week Two (9/9 & 9/11)
Unacceptable Errors (handout) (Mon)
Television vs. Film Viewing—in class
discussion (Mon.)
Watch first two episodes of Breaking
Bad (Wed.)
In class writing response #1 (Wed.)
Week Three (9/16 & 9/18)
Assign: Out of class essay #1 (Mon.)
Complete Reading Packet 1 (Mon.)
Skim first 27 pages and read pages 28
thru 48 in Handbook (Wed.)
Week Four (9/23 & 9/25)
Watch third episode of Breaking Bad (Mon.)
Rough Draft
(optional) of Out of Class Essay 1 no later than today (Wed.) ROUGH DRAFTS MUST
BE E-MAILED TO ME AS AN ATTACHMENT IN WORD. I WILL MAKE COMMENTS AND RETURN TO
YOU VIA E-MAIL.
Week Five (9/30 & 10/2)
Watch fourth episode of Breaking Bad (Mon.)
In class writing response #2 (Monday)
Read Packet #2 (Wednesday)
Group Work #1 (Wednesday)
Week Six (10/7 & 10/9)
Out of class essay #1 due today
(Mon.)
Out of class essay #2 assigned today
(Mon.)
Watch episode 5 of Breaking Bad (Monday)
In class essay #1—please remember to bring a green (or blue
book) to class today (Wednesday)
Week Seven (10/14 & 10/16)
Read Packet #3 (Mon.)
In class writing response # 3 (Wed.)
Week Eight (10/21 & 10/23)
Watch 6th episode of Breaking Bad (Monday)
Read Packet #4 (Wednesday)
Week Nine (10/28 & 10/30)
Read Packet #5 (Monday)
Group Work #2 (Monday)
Rough Draft
(optional) for Out of Class Essay #2 due no later than today (Mon.) ROUGH
DRAFTS MUST BE E-MAILED TO ME AS AN ATTACHMENT IN WORD. I WILL MAKE COMMENTS
AND RETURN TO YOU VIA E-MAIL.
(Week 9 continued)
In class essay #2
(Wednesday)—remember to bring blue or green book today
Week Ten (11/4 & 11/6)
Watch 7th (and final) episode of Breaking Bad (Monday)
Out of class essay #2 due today
(Monday)
Arrive in class having read one of
the four sections in Part III of the Handbook: Writing Across the Curriculum at
Sacramento State. Select the section that “fits” your major field of study. If
you have not yet declared a major, select the one that BEST fits what you THINK
your major will be. (Your choices are: Natural Sciences and Math; Social
Sciences; Arts and Humanities; or Business and Professional Communications.)
(Wednesday)
Week Eleven (11/11 & 11/13)
Out of class essay #3 assigned today
(Monday)
Read packet # 6 (Mon.)
Week Twelve (11/18 & 11/20)
Group Work #3 (Monday)
Read Packet #7 (Wed.)
In class writing response #4 (Wed.)
Week Thirteen (11/25 & 11/27)
Read Packet #8 (Mon.)
Rough Draft (optional)
for Out of Class Essay #3 due no later than today (Mon.) ROUGH DRAFTS MUST BE
E-MAILED TO ME AS AN ATTACHMENT IN WORD. I WILL MAKE COMMENTS AND RETURN TO YOU
VIA E-MAIL.
Thanksgiving Week—Campus Closed
on Thursday & Friday
Week Fourteen (12/2 & 12/4)
Out of class essay #3 due today
(Monday)
Group Work #4 (Wed.)
Week Fifteen (12/9 & 12/11)
Video surprise (Monday)
Grade Worksheet Match-up (Wed.)
(Week Fifteen continued)
Class Evaluations (Wed.)
Week Sixteen
Finals Week
There is no formal final exam in this
class.
****************************************************
Name:______________________________
GRADE WORKSHEET
English 20, Fall 2013, Section
_______
1650 points possible
OUT OF CLASS ESSAYS—600 pts.
Essay 1 (200 points)_____ Essay 2
(200 points)_____
Essay 3( 200 points) _____
IN-CLASS ESSAYS—400 pts.
Essay 1 (200 points) ______
Essay 2 (200 points) ______
IN-CLASS WRITING RESPONSES—200 pts.
#1 (50 points)_____
#2 (50 points)_____
#3 (50) points)_____
#4 (50) points)_____
IN-CLASS GROUP WORK (200 pts.)
Each session is worth 50 pts.
Group Work 1 _____ Group Work 2 _____
Group Work 3 _____ Group Work 4_____
QUIZZES (these quizzes may not always be “announced” and they
cannot be made up. 50 pts ea.) (250 pts. total)
Quiz 1_____ Quiz 2_____ Quiz 3_____
Quiz 4_____ Quiz 5_____
How to assess your grade earned: Divide the points you earn by
1650 to find the percentage.
Then see chart below.
100-94=A Example:
940 pts. earned=56.9%=D
93-90=A- Example:
1100 pts. earned=66.6%=C
89-84=B+ Example:
1359 pts. earned=81.7%=B
83-80=B Example:
1458 pts. earned=88.3=B+
79-74=B-
73-70=C+
69-64=C
63-60=C-
59-54=D
53-0=F
