COMPOSITION

Spring 2008

 

Dr. Steve Hicks/Raub 402                                                                                Phone: 2211/ H:387-9306

email: shicks@lhup.edu                                     Office hours: M 4-5; TuTh 930-11; TuTh 1-2

 

Purpose: English 100 (Composition) provides the student with practice and instruction in writing college essays.  This practice is gained from a series of interlinked assignments, building various skills, and focuses on rhetoric and audience.

 

Texts: Reading Critically, Writing Well (RC)

 

Classroom technique: Mainly discussion.  Come prepared to talk about what you read: the notion of “reading critically” propounded in the text will be reinforced repeatedly.

 

Grades: Five papers are required; they will each weigh equally.  Intermittent exercises will be assigned in and out of class as necessary: those will be put together with participation will make a sixth equal grade.

 

Participation:  You can earn one participation point per day; participation points are earned for speaking on topic, answering questions (not just one) to the point and effectively, and generally making a positive contribution to class.

 

Attendance:  See participation, above.  You can’t earn points if not here.

 

Jan 15

Introduction

Mar 18

Ch. 7

Jan 17

Appendix 1 (p. 647ff); Ch. 6;

Mar 20

Ch. 7

Jan 22

More appendix; Burr 354

Mar 27

Third Paper Due

Jan 24

Ch. 6 (esp. Berardnelli 365)

Apr 1

Appendix 2

Jan 29

Ch. 6

Apr 3

Ch. 8

Jan 31

First Paper Due

Apr 8

Ch. 8

Feb 5

Ch. 5

Apr 10

Ch. 8

Feb 7

Ch. 5

Apr 15

Ch. 8

Feb 12

Ch. 5

Apr 17

Fourth paper due

Feb 14

Ch. 5

Apr 22

Ch. 9

Feb 19

Ch. 5

Apr 24

Ch. 9

Feb 21

Second Paper Due

Apr 29

Ch. 9

Feb 26

Ch. 7

May 1

Appendix 2

Feb 28

Ch. 7

May 5

Fifth Paper Due; Last Day

Mar 4

Ch. 7

 

 

 

 

First Assignment

Movie Review

 

Due Thursday, Jan 31 .  I take no late papers – don’t ask.

 

Your assignment:  a 3-5 review of a film or theatrical production.  We will discuss these in class for the next few days.

 

Your review should follow, somewhat, the model of the Burr review in the text book (pg. 358).    The review should be evaluative, they should not be summaries.  Yes, summary may occur, but it should not be the point of your review.

 

Audience:  shoot for an audience that is literate and interested in your subject, particularly the kind of medium  you are writing about (Stephen King?  Danielle Steele? Slasher movies? Musicals?)

 

Guidelines

 

The papers should follow MLA format for set up; see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/ for an example.

 

Note, no cover page.

 

Also note: I hate the plastic covers.  Paper clip or staple the paper together; save those covers for someone else.

 

Have a title, and don’t let it be either the title of your film OR “paper 1”…

 

Good luck.