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English 101: Composition 1

• http://uscupstateenglish.org/101
• Dr. Williams
• HPAC 222
• (864)-503-5285
• Skype: ProfGeorgeWilliams

Course Description

English 101 provides instruction and practice in academic writing, critical reading, and research. Attention is given to planning, drafting, revising, and editing a variety of texts.

Course Objectives

In this course, students are expected to

• practice strategies to develop a multi-stage process of writing, a sequence of invention, organization, drafting, revision, and editing to produce focused, clear, polished essays
• read to understand an author’s message and to determine how the author shapes his or her ideas, identifying rhetorical strategies appropriate to various genres and distinguishing between the conventions of private and public writing
• learn critical reading skills to understand and respond to texts and to develop personal insights and thoughtful ideas for their own writing
• engage the skills of annotating, summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting texts in order to represent them accurately in their own writing
• write logical, organized academic essays developing a thesis in a manner that an audience will find convincing
• develop strategies for locating and assessing relevant, credible sources
• research a topic, locate and use source material to generate ideas for their own writing
• engage the skills of annotating, summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting texts in order to represent them accurately in their own writing
• write logical, organized academic essays developing a thesis in a manner that an audience will find convincing
• develop strategies for locating and assessing relevant, credible sources
• research a topic, locate and use source material to generate ideas for their own writing, support their ideas as they write, integrate and clearly attribute source material, and document sources accurately using current MLA format
• manage appropriate and skillful language that may contain occasional surface mistakes in grammar and punctuation but no patterns of errors.

Required Texts

• Westover, Tara. Educated. Random House, 2018.
• Read Up, Write Up. Norton, 2019. *Note that this textbook has two sections: “Bridging the Difference” and “They Say/ I Say”. Readings from first section will appear below as “UP-##.” Readings from the second section will have page numbers only.
• Additional print or electronic readings provided by instructor.

Assignments

You will be given detailed assignment sheets for all major assignments

• 10% Quizzes / Homework / In-class exercises
• 10% Participation
• 10% Essay 1: Literacy Narrative
• 15% Essay 2: Summary and Analysis
• 20% Essay 3: Pop Culture Textual Analysis
• 25% Essay 4: Critical Response
• 5% PREFACE event description one
• 5% PREFACE event description two

Scope and Nature of Class Work

Assignments will include the following:

• strategic reading – locating the key points of an essay, comprehending or inferring main ideas or themes, recognizing particular rhetorical patterns, and identifying unfamiliar vocabulary
• critical thinking – asking questions, defining problems, examining evidence, analyzing assumptions and biases, avowing emotional reasoning, avoiding oversimplification, considering other interpretations, and tolerating ambiguity. Adapted from C. Wade, “Using Writing to Develop and Assess Critical Thinking.” Teaching of Psychology 22.1 (1995): 24-28.
• informal writing – journaling, taking class notes, responding to ideas or readings, drafting, reviewing cultural events
• formal writing – consisting of four or more essays, averaging four pages each, which undergo a process of revision. At least two essays will incorporate research. Overall writing, including both formal and informal writing, will include a minimum of 10, 000 words or thirty pages (330 words/page).
• research – participating in the iPod library tour and required library training sessions; locating a variety of sources through the USC Upstate library; accessing electronic sources using USC Upstate databases; researching, drafting and documenting an essay; and citing sources carefully and correctly
• portfolio building – collecting and reflecting on drafts, revisions, and final essays in a folder or notebook
• cultural event critiques – attending and reviewing two events from the PREFACE series. Additional information about PREFACE and the schedule of PREFACE events are available at www.uscupstate.edu/preface
• demonstrating progress as a cohort – writing a diagnostic essay, reading the Preface text in common with other 101 classes, and attending Preface events
• conferences – meeting with your instructor on a one-to-one basis for writing instruction. At least one conference is required.