Contents
Contact
Professor Caitlin McDonnell CMcDonnell@citytech.cuny.edu
Class Numbers and Meeting Times
D320: Mon: 10-11:15am Room M307, Wednesday: 10-11:15 am Lab C320: Mon 9-11:15
D352: Mon: 11:30-12:45 Room V317 Wednesday 11:30-12:34 Lab C352: Mon 1-1:50
Course Description and Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
(1) Describe and utilize the writing process
(2) Write focused thesis sentences and provide supporting details for the thesis
(3) Identify and address issues of audience, purpose, coherence, and unity
(4) Employ conventional rhetorical modes, as appropriate (such as description, narration,comparison and contrast, cause and effect, and argumentation).
(5) Analyze professional writing (including non-fiction, as well as fiction)
(6) Employ critical reading and thinking skills
(7) Revise and edit essays
(8) Constructively critique works of other student writers
(9) Appropriately cite sources in MLA documentation styles
(9) Employ appropriately documented research to support a thesis
(10) Define plagiarism and apply strategies to avoid plagiarism
Course Requirements
To successfully complete the course, students are expected to follow these classroom policies:
(1) Bring a physical copy of the assigned readings to every session for which they
are due . Textbook and/or readings are needed to complete class work.
(2) Maintain regular attendance by attending all class sessions. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to complete the required lessons and assignments.
(3) Complete your own work. Submission of someone else’s work as your own will result in for that assignment and possible failure of the course.
(4) Demonstrate professional courtesy in speaking & behavior shown towards the instructor and classmates.
(5) All cell phones and electronic devices should be OFF during class.
(6) Late work will be significantly penalized a whole letter grade for every calendar class day that it is late.
Attendance:
The volume of material discussed in each class session is extensive. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that each student attend every class. However, according to school policy it is permissible for students to have up to 3 absences. Students’ exceeding this limit run the risk of automatically failing the course. In addition, students who show up to class more than 10 minutes late will be marked for lateness. Three latenesses will count as an absence. Therefore, chronic lateness can also lead to a failing grade.
ParticipatioN AND homework:
Students will be expected to actively participate in class readings and discussions thoughtfully and respectfully and to keep up with regular homework assignments on a timely basis. If you miss class, check the blog, the course schedule, and email your classmates before you email the professor.
Grading
Essay #1: 10%
Essay #2: 20%
Essay #3: 20%
Midterm: 10%
Participation: 10%
Homework: 15%
Final: 15%
Writing Assignments
Academic Integrity
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty Policy:
New York City College of Technology considers academic honesty to be one of its highest values. Use of another person’s work or ideas must be accompanied by specific citations and references in the appropriate APA or MLA format.
The following are some examples of academic dishonesty:
• Plagiarism: using another person’s work, ideas, or results without giving proper credit to that person; thereby giving the impression that it is the student’s own work.
• Any form of cheating on examinations
• Falsifying information for assignments
• Submitting an assignment that was partially or wholly completed by another student
• Copying work or written text from the Internet or any document without giving proper credit to the source of the information
• Assisting another student in any act of academic dishonesty. This offense would include, but not be limited to: providing an assignment to another student to submit as his/her own work or allowing another to copy answers to any test, examination, or assignment.
Academic dishonesty is a serious offense and may result in sanctions as outlined in the Student Handbook:
• First Violation: Student will receive an “F” on the assignment or test in question. The “F” will be averaged in with the other grades in the course to yield the final course grade.
• Second Violation: This will result in an “F” for the whole course.
Schedule:
Reference the City Tech Fall 2018 Calendar here.
Week |
Topic |
Assignments |
| 8/27-8/31 | Introductions Description |
Syllabus Overview, Register for Open Lab Ice Breaker: Interview and Description, Diagnostic. |
| 9/3-9/7 | Description and Narrative | College is Closed Monday. For Wednesday, Read Mother Tongue Answer Reading and Discussion Questions, Pick one Activity. |
| 9/10-9/14 | Description and Narrative | College is Closed Monday. For Wednesday, Read Learning to Read Answer Reading and Discussion Questions, Pick one activity. |
| 9/17-9/21 | Description and Narrative. | Paper #1 Due Monday. College is Closed Wednesday. Lab Topic: Peer Review. |
| 9/24-9/28 | Compare and Contrast | Compare two works of art, Read Gendergap in Cyberspace. Final Draft of Paper #1 Due. Lab Topic: Two Types of Comparison. |
| 10/1-10/5 | Compare and Contrast | College is Closed Monday Read Two Views of the River. Answer discussion questions. Lab: Grammar |
| 10/8-10/12 | Cause and Effect | Read Black Men in Public Spaces Answer Reading and Discussion Questions, Pick one Activity. Lab: Thesis Statements |
| 10/15-10/19 | Cause and Effect | Read The Brain on Love In class essay response: How is it an example of cause and effect? What is the cause and what is the effect? Lab: MIDTERM PREP |
| 10/22-10/26 | Interpretation and Argument | MIDTERM Read The Yellow Wallpaper |
| 10/29-11/2 | Interpretation and Argument | Introduce Literary Interpretations of The Yellow Wallpaper:Postpartum Depression, Ghost Story, Cautionary Tale about Mold, Critique of Yellow Journalism. Lab: Citing evidence from the text. |
| 11/5-11/9 | Interpretation and Argument | Debate and Vote. Lab: Outline Paper #2 |
| 11/12-11/16 | Interpretation and Argument | Paper #2 Due. Read and discuss Harrison Bergeron. Watch Film. Discuss Dystopic Fiction and Interpretation. Lab: Peer Review, Grammar |
| 11/19-11/23 | Interpretation and Argument | Final Draft Paper #2 Due. Read and discuss Where Are You Going Where Have You Been
Lab: Outline Paper #3 |
| 11/26-11/30 | Interpretation and Argument | Debate and Vote. Paper #3 Due. Lab: Peer Review |
| 12/3-12/7 | Interpretation and Argument | Final Draft Paper #3 Due, Watch and Discuss Smooth Talk. |
| 12/10-12/14 | Interpretation and Argument | FINAL EXAM REVIEW. Lab: Grammar Review |
| 12/17-12/21 | FINAL EXAM |
