Andrew Hall's English Page
English 102 Project 1- Sample 2
Here is a sample following along one focus (although I still combine Pop Culture with social issues).
Sample Proposal 2- The Hidden Truths of Red Dwarf
I am proposing a paper on one of my favorite TV shows: Red Dwarf. Red Dwarf is a British Broadcasting Corporation TV show that began in the late 1980s and has progressed into the current decade. It is a mixture of situation comedy and science fiction. Altogether, there are about 50 episodes. The show is about David Lister, a loveable regular guy who takes a job on a mining vessel and ends up, the last known surviving human. On the ship, Lister is arrested and put into stasis for refusing to hand over his cat, it is illegal to bring aboard pets for sanitary purposes . He gets put into stasis, which is like being put to sleep, but life functions are maintained without aging. Meanwhile, his crewmate Arnold Rimmer makes a mistake leading to a catastrophic explosion that kills the entire crew, save for Lister, and the cat. The ship's computer Holly, who has Artificial Intelligence is left alone for 3 million years while waiting for the radiation levels to decrease so that it is safe enough to revive Lister. Meanwhile, the cat reproduces in a safe locked down part of the ship, and over millions of years, mutates into a humanoid form, with catlike qualities. Lister is revived and meets his old crewmate, and immediate superior Rimmer. Holly brings Rimmer back as a hologram in order to keep Lister sane.
The two are like the odd couple. Both are opposites, but in someway, kindred souls. Lister was a beer-drinking, soccer fanatic, not very intellectual, but bright. Rimmer was a self-loathing militaristic peon, intellectual, but not very bright. Both were at the bottom rank in terms of the ship, and for Rimmer, this caused more self-loathing. For Lister, hey, it was a paycheck.
The show continues on as Lister and Rimmer become reacquainted and the Cat comes back. The cat is vain, is silly, rather dumb, but intelligent on a gut level. Later on they pick up Kryten, a stranded android who believes his life purpose is to serve humans.
What makes this show unique besides the interesting plot and character lines are the social issues that are hidden behind the humor. Lister and Cat are both Black. Not that this is made note of in the actual show. But the Cat behaves a bit like a caricature of James Brown. "Yowwwww!" he shouts as he admires himself in the mirror. This could be considered potentially degrading, but the cat is also, or becomes, the ship pilot.
All characters are of equal status. Also, Lister is the hero of the show. He is in some respects, the man in charge, but he seldom uses his authority as the last surviving human. He prefers the egalitarian approach.
Rimmer in life ranked above Lister, as senior Chicken Soup Dispenser while Lister was the Assistant, but as a hologram, a computer generated life form, Rimmer must obey Lister if the need arises.
The show also has a lot of character depth. We learn a lot about Lister's past. He led a jovial life on earth, and seems to enjoy his crewmates, although terribly annoyed by Rimmer.
Rimmer is the character with the most depth on the show. Picture Frank Burns from M.A.S.H. but a bit sharper, and more pathetic. Rimmer had a bad childhood, or at least complains about it. He so desired to be an officer, but his lack of self-confidence, and his lack of rationality hold him back. He is absurdly bitter, and this is used to comic effect. He also has an altar ego. Ace Rimmer, the hero, a guy who can do no wrong. He is James Bond with beautiful hair. His opposite is so exaggerated that Rimmer becomes in many ways too, the hero of the show. Rimmer is the loser in us all, while Lister is the every-man.
Granted, this is a bachelor-controlled show, but it has the feminine. Kristine Kochanski was Lister's love interest before the accident, and she comes back in from a parallel universe and forces the crew to experience Jane Austen World. However, the main purpose of the show is to place us in that fantasy world of being the last surviving humans, millions of miles from home, millions of years in the future.
That, and to make us laugh. However, the British humor sometimes goes over my head, but the humor occurs on many levels, so if one thing doesn't strike me as funny, another will.
What I'd like to investigate in regards to Red Dwarf is whether the humor would go over in the United States or not. There have been pilots done with American actors, but for some reason, perhaps the show is too banal for Americans, or the characters too controversial with the race issues.
I have a few focuses in mind regarding the characterization of Rimmer, the race aspect regarding Lister and Cat, and the fantasy world of science fiction. What I remain most undecided about at this time is the race issues between American Blacks and British Blacks (and how they are portrayed in TV and film), and perhaps, I could segue-way into that topic more specifically later on.
Other British made shows have been successful in the United States including Monty Python's Flying Circus, but this show remains somewhat obscure, with a cult following. The producers of the show have also co-authored a few novels based on the story line and have continued on into other projects. I could potentially find a book on race and television, or on British Television to guide me in my research.
All in all, it should be a fun paper to write, and while it may be hard to find a lot of material on this show, it will be a hoot to watch it.
"This is a sample topic proposal for my English 102 students. Note its informal meandering nature. This is a bit unorthodox, but so am I. Also, due to my lack of html knowledge, the paragraphs are not indented. You may prefer to write on one topic, in a linear fashion with thesis and structure as taught in high school English. But we have broadened our definition of what is considered "academic." At least some of us have. Keep in mind that an essay can take many different forms. I prefer stream-of-consciousness. I invite you to think outside the box, but if you wish to, you can stay within the box. For more information, please refer to the guidelines a few entries below.)
Topic Proposal: The Topic Proposal At The End Of The Tunnel
Andrew Hall
English 102
Ambivalence: It is the spice of life. The decision making process is always with us, and often the case, we are told to make judgments on various issues, such as what to have for breakfast, whether or not to call in sick to work that day, what route to take to work, when to work on the paper. Then there is the problem of quality. How will we revise our essay? Make it tight, focused, organized... How will we satisfy the assignment. Where do we get started. Why do this anyway? I would rather put it off, but I know I can not. Perhaps, I will sleep on this essay, and get to it in the morning.
1/30/05, 8:20-9:05 a.m., in Las Vegas, Nevada; in bed, me, Chip Mosher-the cat, sleeping in the doorway. 60 degrees, I woke up with my mind racing, and wrote this:
Can a TV show be considered a work of art? Can a comic book be considered a work of art? A slam poem, a rap song, erotica, science fiction? All these genres have had to struggle for acceptance, or more succinctly, rather, stay around long enough to be accepted.
We often get the notion, especially from some English professors, that viewing movies is inferior to reading books. That may be true in some cases, for example, the Harry Potter novels are so well detailed and the character's depths clearly revealed, that even with a great visual representation as done in the films thus far, I was relieved that I had seen the films before reading the books. Granted, that is just my subjective opinion, and Joe Schmoe over here may see things differently.
Even in the most non-linear work, there is an implied setting, time, and character. In Hal Sirowitz' Mother Said we might picture a guy sitting in a recliner with a switcher watching TV, or lying on a couch, talking to an analyst. We have the implied setting in his poems; the same would be true for a Billy Collins', or Maya Angelou poem. Poems are just really short stories, or plays, or films, or sometimes long ones.
Spalding Gray, sat at a desk and recited his monologue with arms folded, although he would gesticulate and do all sorts of movements in that space. Eric Bogosian would use the whole stage, sometimes taking you on an imaginary airplane ride, or into the office of a high power executive, or sometimes a stoner's house, or he would speak as the out-of-turn actor from the stage to the audience, chastising them for coming to see the show. Comedians like George Carlin tend to keep the setting as the stage, but uses the stage as a platform for the collective audience mind, whereas a Margaret Cho will take you to her parents' house and show you her straight-shooting mother, who has no problem with her daughter being potentially gay, but still wants to make fun of her in broken English.
When I was 17, I was talking to an old man outside my brother's apartment where I was visiting, and he was telling me that microwaves are evil, and I should never trust micro-waved food. He also told me I was a fool. I forgot why, I didn't take offense. I figured he was senile. He also said that rap music wasn't music. I figure he was one of those persons who rooted for Larry Bird. Just like my dad. My dad is no racist, at least not unless everybody is included in that definition, but he tends to root for the white guy in basketball. He also identifies with Randall Cunningham, and a few other black athletes. He was a huge fan of Mike Tyson, but there is that element, of race, that still comes out. He roots for Duke (basketball), usually because they got one really good white guy. It makes me wonder about reparations for slavery. While I don't think it is fiscally possible to do it, it would be moral for all African Americans to have some sort of compensation. Under slavery, we had the black lying on the ground with hand tied behind his and her back. Under Jim Crow, we had untied them, but still had the heel of our boot on their neck. Now, we have taken off the boot, and backed away, but it takes an awful long time to recover from that sort of repression. If Germany is making reparations to holocaust survivors, perhaps, we could at least have scholarships here for all people demonstrating economic need, whether black, yellow or white. But I digress. Rap music just started getting widespread acclaim, as Grammys started to be awarded to hip hop artists. Still the race thing is evident in hip hop, just look at Eminem? Why is he selling so many records? But then, oddly enough, I was watching a Public Enemy concert on cable the other day, and I noticed that 95% of the audience were white, and almost all of them male, and almost all of them, my age. But these guys had receding hairlines.
Public Enemy was a throwback to the black power movement of the late 60s and early 70s. They were still edgy, but what if you wanted to find out what was big, or going to be big, what were the whites not into yet?
Pat Boone? Boone had made a heavy metal album and it was hilarious and good at the same time. Barry Manilow? Celine Dion, who were into these so called squares? My friends, me. I am digressing again.
Can a film be as intricate as a novel? As compact as a poem? Check out Akira Kurosawa. His samurai pics are legendary, and range from good popcorn chomp-fests to deep investigations of the human psyche, often in the same film. He was also an influence on a lot of western film, especially Yojimbo, influencing A Fistful of Dollars, The Hidden Fortress inspiring Star Wars, and The Seven Samurai inspiring The Magnificent Seven. He was also profoundly influenced by John Ford, our Western guru who made John Wayne the American symbol.
For outright complexity, check out the Kaufman films of Adaptation, Being John Malkovich, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. A friend of mine was livid that Eternal was shunned from the best picture category in the Oscar nominations, but I seemed to think it was the type of film one would love if going through or getting through a romantic break-up. It lost me in the telling of the story, not that that is a bad thing. Who says we have to understand everything? But I tend to think that I would have enjoyed it more had it stayed conventional and formulaic( like When Harry Met Sally), instead, it showed me a visual representation of the anguished soul who has just been rejected. It kind of put me in the mood that Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan did. Not happy. Still, next time I get dumped, or do the dumping, I will buy a box of tissue, some chocolate, and sit down and watch Jim Carey in all his agony.
Comix are also getting artistic recognition. From Frank Miller's redoing of Batman, to Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore, to Art Spiegelman's Maus. Then there are the Brother's Hernandez who wrote Love and Rockets. Will we be handing out comic books in high school English some day? You bet.
Slam poetry also has been called the "Death of Art" by esteemed literary critics, (i.e., Harold Bloom, Robert Pinsky has also disdained it) some not so esteemed too.
But slam is simply an amalgamation of several different genres: improvisational theater, hip hop, preaching, dramatic monologues, stand up comedy, and yes, even poetry, and a little bit of The Gong Show thrown in for good measure. It can be done badly, but by God, so can any art or entertainment. What matters most in any given work of art, is the big picture. Where are we in relation to the work. Am I inside Van Gogh's Starry Night? If so, then, I do believe it did its job. Did it teach me? Yes, what? I don't know. That is a cop out, but it is always a great answer, just not the best one to put on a test, or to say to a police officer who asks you if you saw that stop sign back there.
Which brings us back to setting, time, and place. In journalism, the news article is supposed to have the lead, the who, what, where, when, why, and how all revealed in the first paragraph. In the academic essay, the thesis is revealed in the first paragraph, the support given in the body, and the conclusion reaffirms the thesis or calls for action. In a play, film, or novel, you have the set up, the rising action, the climax and the resolution. Then you have the world of conflict: Man Vs Man, Man Vs Himself, Man Vs Nature, Man Vs Society, Man Vs God, Man Vs Woman, Man Vs Dog, Man Vs Cat, Man Vs Typewriter, Man Vs Pencil. This could go on and on listing the literary and rhetorical devices, but I don't have all day, and speaking of irony...
The subject of David Sedaris was brought up at a senior lecture in my last residency at Antioch. Somehow the distinction was made, or rather, the observation that his written words, did not hold up to his oral presentation. That his delivery on NPR, is what seals the deal, so to speak.
I can only say, that perhaps it is true, his writing might not age as well as his oral delivery, similar to Garrison Keillior, but that is all a minor concern, a blip on the radar when compared with the Tsunami. I sound flip, but I was about to segue into propaganda, not to take anything away from the tsunami, but remember Casablanca, the problems of two lovers don't amount to a hill of beans when compared to the problems of the world. Who wants to sign up for the war effort? So film buffs might have to decide, which is the number one film of all time? Is it Casablanca or Citizen Kane? A choice must be made, no wishy-washy, no hem haw. Decide!
All I have left to say about that is: Here's looking at you, Rosebud.
-30-
Andy Hall
Syllabus English 232
Spring 2005
Saturdays
Section 035 1130-2:20 FDH 217
Section 036 2:30- 5:20 CBC-C231A
Office: CDC 3
Office Hours: Mondays 11:00-2:00
Phone: 895-1492
Email: hallawayjoe@hotmail.com
General Information
Text: The Longman Anthology. World Literature. Vol D-F
Course Description: In this course, you will read a selection of fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry by world writers from the seventeenth century to the present. Emphasis will be placed on reading and writing skills: how to interpret literary texts from different eras and cultures and how to present your interpretations in written form.
Religious Holidays: The UNLV Faculty Senate policy states:
"Any student missing class quizzes, examinations, or any other class or lab work because of observance of religious holidays shall be given an opportunity during that semester to make up missed work. The makeup will apply to the religious holiday absence only. It shall be the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor no later than the last day of late registration of his or her intention to participate in religious holidays which the state has not officially recognized.
Special arrangements can be denied if they would result in 'undue hardship on the instructor or the University which could not reasonably have been avoided.' Student appeals of a denial should be forwarded first to the department chairperson and then to the college dean.
Disabilities: If you have a documented disability that may require assistance, you will need to contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) for coordination in your academic accommodations. The DRC is located in the Reynolds Student Services complex in Room 137. The DRC phone is 895-0866 (TDD 895-0652).
Copyright: The University requires all members of the University Community to familiarize themselves and to follow copyright and fair use requirements. You are individually and solely responsible for violations of copyright and fair use laws. The University will neither protect nor defend you nor assume any responsibility for employee or student violations of fair use laws. Violations of copyright laws could subject you to federal and state civil penalties and criminal liability as well as disciplinary action under University policies. To help familiarize yourself with copyright and fair use policies, the University encourages you to visit its
copyright web page.
Writing Center: UNLV's Writing Center (FDH240) offers free tutoring for students who want or need extra help in their writing. Drop by the Center for more information or call 895-3908 for an appointment.
Plagiarism: This course has a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism. Any student who plagiarizes a written assignment will fail the course. Plagiarism includes any unacknowledged borrowing from a written source, website, or fellow student.
Attendance: Class attendance is mandatory, and more than three unexcused absences will result in a reduced grade of 10%. Lateness and leaving early can also have negative consequences on your grade. Coming to class late will count as half an absence. Religious, medical emergencies, university sanctioned excuses must be documented and a copy per date, must be given to me.
Extra Credit: The equivalent of 5% of the course grade can be attained, or lateness and attendance (partially) made up by attending selected poetry readings and writing 2 page reflection/ responses. Each of these are worth 1% and should be attached to the paper at end of the semester.
Grading:
Midterm Exam (20%)
Final Exam (20%)
Journal (60 Pages) (20%)
Presentation (10%)
Class Participation/quizzes (10%)
Paper (20%)
The grades will be assigned on the letter/point scale as listed in the UNLV Undergraduate Catalog (+ or - will be added as well when warranted).
Paper and Presentation:
Your paper can explore formally or creatively an aspect of our readings and discussions;
your presentation can be formal or informal and should relate to your paper, readings, and class discussions. I will give guidelines in a few weeks for both the paper and presentation.
Journal:
The journal should be 60 pages long, and can be whatever you want, but you should have one entry per week (or 10) relating to the readings in some way.
Schedule:
Jan 22- Introduction and some poetry- Eliot(F:224-228), Wordsworth (E:67-94) , Celan(F:445-447)
Jan 29- Conrad (F:55-115)
Feb 5- Kant (D:670-675), Swift (D:349-398), Mon'Zaemon (D: 46-70)
Feb 12- Cao Xeugen (D:77-151), Wollstonecraft (D:663-669), Rousseau (D:649-655) De Sade (D:655-663)
Feb 19- Dostoyevski (E: 600-669), Baudelaire (E:585-590)
Feb 26- Ghalib (E:272-282), Du (E:303-336), Dickinson (E:810-816) - Journal Evaluation 1
Mar 5 - Nez and Matthews (E:680-693), Leopardi, Emerson, Thoreau (E:114-131) Study session
Mar 12 -Exam 1 / Woolf (F:186-210), Lu Xun (F:131-138)
Mar 19 - Primo Levi (F:405-418), Achebe (F:869-958)
Mar 26- Spring Break
Apr 2 - McKay, Lorca (F:243-246), Erdrich (F: 737-739) Kincaid (F:813-816)
Apr 9- Baldwin (F:676-696), Mahfouz (F:549-591)
Apr 16 - Haruki, Gibson, (F:1111-1138) Beckett (F:468-505), Borges (F:529-537)
Apr 23 -Basho( D: 410-415), Equiano (D:455-464), Gyatso (D:621-624) +A look at some contemporary poets
from 1950- present -Final Journal Evaluation
Apr 30 -Presentations
May 7 -Presentations, Study Session, Paper due.
May 14- Final Exam.
Besides these readings, I will assign other readings in class, and occasionally, put material on reserve at the library. This schedule is subject to change. You should have the readings completed before coming to class.
Syllabus Spring 2005
English 102, Section 06
Room: BEH 217
Time: Monday and Wednesday 8:30-9:45 am
****************
English 102, Section 25
Room: MPE 103
Time: Monday and Wednesday 2:30-3:45
**********************
English 102, Section 64
Room: FDH 202
Time: Thursday 5:30-8:20
Instructor: Andrew Hall
Phone: 895-1492
Email: hallawayjoe@hotmail.com
Office: STS-3 (Located north of Arch Bldg. at Dorothy) NOTE: WE WILL BE MOVING TO CENTRAL DESERT COMPLEX
Office Hours: Monday 11:00 a.m.- 2 p.m.
Course Announcement:
English 102 is designed to build upon the critical thinking, reading, and writing capabilities developed in English 101. Students learn the processes necessary for conducting research and for incorporating research material in writing. They learn how to evaluate and cite primary and secondary research sources; how to investigate, report, and document existing knowledge; and how to develop arguments and support them with sound evidence.
Texts and Other Materials:
"Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric With Readings" 6th edition (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson)
"St. Martin's Handbook" 5th edition (Lumsford)
A notebook with at least 100 sheets of loose-leaf paper
Pen and pencil, stapler, pocket folder
UNLV email address, Student Computing Account, and UNLV Library Card
A composition book, journal, sketch book, or web log
Additional items will be placed on Reserve in the Library or on WebCT
Course Objectives:
Specific skills and abilities you will learn in this course are:
-to understand argumentation as a process that seeks to understand a range of views and that treats opposing views respectfully
-to use research, reading and writing as tools for questioning, critical thinking, and informed communication
-to critically read and write with attention to the use of evidence
-to develop an understanding of the strategies of argument
-to analyze and evaluate reasons and evidence in arguments
-to design and implement appropriate research strategies
-to evaluate primary and secondary research sources
-to summarize, paraphrase and synthesize research material
-to plan and to organize a research essay
-to integrate and document research sources
-to address purpose and audience effectively in a research essay
-to evaluate strengths and weaknesses of your own writings and those of others
-to revise through several drafts
-to use conventions of format, structure and language
Course Requirements:
Assignments will include both out-of-class and in-class work and will include research, informal writings, drafts of essays, peer responding and editing, final typed drafts of essays, and readings. In order to successfully complete English 102, you must:
Write an in-class diagnostic essay during the first week of class
Complete the online library research tutorials and test, and submit the "passed" certificates
Complete weekly reading assignments of approximately 30-50 pages
Design research strategies and conduct library and internet research
Participate in in-class writing workshops and discussions
Write at least one graded in-class essay
Complete three formal, out-of-class writing projects of no less than three-to-five pages each
Write a research-based argumentation essay of no less than seven-to-ten pages
Complete a standardized test during the scheduled final exam time
In-class Activities: In-class activities will include
discussions of assigned readings and other course material
workshops related to the current writing assignment including exploratory writings, planning, drafting,
revising, and editing
Collaborative exercises and peer response sessions
You are required to actively participate in all in-class activities.
Attendance Policy: Attendance is mandatory. If you miss class for any reason, you are still responsible for the material and content of the class and for any assignment given for the class. If you miss more than four classes, your final course grade will be lowered by one full letter grade. If you miss more than six classes, you will FAIL the course. Keep in mind that the allowed absences are intended to be used for unavoidable absences due to illness or emergencies. Coming late to class, or leaving early is also distracting. Thus, every instance of this will be marked as half an absence. I will take roll at the beginning of class and anyone who comes in after I take roll will be marked late. If you come in more than half way late, you will be marked absent.
Please inform me of any religious holidays or university-sponsored activities in which you are involved well in advance. If you have a medical or family emergency, a copy of the documentation such as a doctor's note, must be shown to me upon returning to class, and included in your final portfolio.
If you have to miss class for non-excused reasons, you will need to contact a classmate to be informed on what you missed that day. You will not be allowed to make up quizzes, etc.
Non-Excused Absence Make-up and Extra Credit Opportunities: This is limited to making up no more than five absences or up to 5% of the grade. There are poetry readings throughout the semester, and I will notify you of readings you can attend and write a two-page summary response paper in order to make up absences or gain extra credit points. You may turn these in the final portfolio. These must be events that I attend as well.
Special Accommodations: If you have a documented disability that requires assistance, you will need to go to Disability Services (DS) for coordination in your academic accommodations. DS is located within the Learning Enhancement Services in the Reynolds Student Services Center Room 137. The DS phone is 895-0866 (TDD 895-0652).
Plagiarism: According to university policy, plagiarism (which can be defined broadly as using as one's own the ideas or writings of others) constitutes grounds for failure in this course.
Writing Center: One-on-one assistance is available to students free of charge at the Writing Center, located in FDH 240. Although walk-ins are welcome, students with appointments will receive priority assistance. You can make appointments in person at the Writing Center or by calling them at 895-3908. When you go to your appointment, take a copy of the assignment sheet and TWO copies of any writing you have completed for the assignment.
UNLV Library Research Tutorial:
(This url may not be exact, so you may need to search for it, or try from their home page, and click on the help page, until you find the tutorial.)
Class Conduct: You are expected to behave courteously and professionally in your interactions with your peers as well as your instructor. Please remember that the classroom is not the place for taking naps, eating meals, conversing with friends, or working on assignments for other classes. Students who do these things will suffer in their participation grade.
Late Assignments: Unless otherwise specified, written assignments are due at the beginning of class on the designated due date. Any paper turned in after the general collection will be considered late.
Late papers will not be penalized by grade deduction, but will be ineligible for revision grade improvement. Also, late papers will be graded last. You could turn in all four papers in the portfolio at the end of the semester, but your grade will likely suffer.
Assignment Submission Requirements: All writing assignments must be typed or word-processed unless otherwise noted. Final essays must be formatted according to MLA guidelines, must meet the length requirement for the assignment, and must be accompanied by the rough draft, peer reviews, copies of all research material cited, and any other exercises as noted on the essay assignment sheet. These materials will be organized and submitted in a two-pocket portfolio folder You should keep a checklist of your grades and due date on a sheet of paper attached to the back of your portfolio.
Your final portfolio must include the following:
Writing Projects 1, 2, 3 and 4 (Including rough drafts and peer reviews
Certificates of completion of both library tutorials
and can include:
extra credit assignments
Writing Project Revisions
Grades:
Calculation of Course Grade
Writing Project 1 10%
Writing Project 2 10%
Writing Project 3 10%
Participation, quizzes, daily assignments, etc. 20%
Mid-term Exam 10%
Writing Project 4 (Research Essay) 20%
Presentations 10%
Journal 10%
Grading of Assignments: Assignments will be graded on the standard A to F system with plusses and minuses.
What the Grades Mean: The Undergraduate Catalog defines the letter grades as follows:
A Superior
B Above Average
C Average
D Below Average
F Failing
Point Equivalencies:
A=100, A-=92 , B+=89, B= 85, B-= 82, C+=79, C=75, C-=72, D+=69, D=65, D- =62, F=59 or below (point values for F grades contingent on quality of assignment)
Grading of formal assignments will take two weeks.
I will grade the paper and put a few comments, however, I will not mark up the papers for typos, etc., beyond the first two pages. If you would like to discuss your paper further, please make arrangements to meet with me by appointment or during office hours.
Assignment and Reading Schedule for 102: On days where I ask you to discuss a chapter, you should have completed reading it.
Additional readings may be assigned.
Other Important Dates: To be determined
Presentation dates:
Journal due dates:
Note: Completion of the Final Exam is Mandatory, although the score will not affect your grade.
During week 5 we will have conferences to discuss your grade on paper 1. We will not have classes that week. It is mandatory that you meet with me to discuss your grade on paper 1.
During week 9, before the final drop date, I will notify you of my record of your attendance and current grade status. You may meet with me during office hours to discuss the outcome of your grade.
Journal: You will write approximately 100 words a day in a journal. That is, you should have about 700 words per week. I will grade these twice on quality and quantity. They will have approximately 10,000 words or 40 typed pages or 60 hand-written/long-hand pages. These journals can be anything you want. You can use them for personal logs, movie reviews, art, doodling, scrapbooking, ranting, poems, song lyrics, or reading response. You may choose to keep an online journal or blog. If so, I must have access to it. It is optional if you wish to provide access to your classmates. The final grade, at the end of the semester will be the grade for the journal. I will occasionally give ideas for optional journal exercises.
Reading Schedule:
Week 1, Jan. 18-20 WA Chapter 1 (Monday Jan. 17, No Class)
Week 2, Jan. 24-27 WA Chapter 2
Week 3, Jan. 31-Feb. 3 WA Chapter 3
Week 4, Feb. 7-10 WA Chapter 16 Proposal due (PROJECT #1)
Week 5, Feb. 14-18 Conferences
Week 6, Feb. 22-24 WA Chapter 17 (Monday Feb. 21 No Class)
Week 7, Feb. 28- March 3 WA Chapter 4 Mid-term In-Class Essay
Week 8, March 7-10 WA Chapter 5 Research Analysis due (PROJECT #2)
Week 9, March 14-17 WA Chapter 6 Mid-term Grade notification
Spring Break March 20-26
Week 10, March 28-31 WA Chapter 7 Mid-term Revision due (PROJECT #3)
Week 11, April 4-7WA Chapter 8
Week 12, April 11-14 WA Chapter 9 Final Paper due (Project #4)
Week 13, April 18-21 WA
Week 14, April 25-28 Final Presentations, Final Paper returned
Week 15, May 2-5 Final Presentations, Portfolio due last day of class
(NOTE: I WILL NOT ACCEPT any revisions for papers handed in late and for portfolios turned in late. Failure to turn in your portfolio with required materials will result in a failing grade).
Final Exams:
102-06 Wednesday, May 11 8 AM
102-25 Wednesday, May 11 3:10 PM
102-64 Thursday, May 12 6 PM
You must bring your textbook to class every day
The handbook is for your reference, but you will use it for your grammar presentation.
Description of assignments:
Writing Projects 1, 2, and 4 are related:
Project 1 is a topic proposal of about three pages
Project 2 is a research and analysis of six pages and Project 4 is an extended argument of ten pages
Your midterm and Project 3 are related. Project 3 will be a revision of your midterm. You will receive the higher of the two grades for both the mid-term and Project 3, and you may revise Project 3 for the portfolio as well.
This means that if you got a 72 on the midterm, a 82 on Project 3, you would get an 82 for the mid-term and Project 3, and if you revised Project 3 and got an 89, you would get an 89 for both grades.
Changing Topics: If you decide to change your research/argument topic, at any stage, you will need to confer with me.
Revision for grade improvement and how it works: You turn in your final portfolio at the end of the semester. Assuming you have turned in the initial paper on time, you will get a chance for revision improvement if you desire. You will revise the paper and list and annotate any changes you make. This list of changes will be titled: REVISION GUIDE. You will then have the revised copy and the original graded copy with rough drafts, and peer review. By annotating them you will explain each change you made and why, and how it has improved your paper. It is not guaranteed that the revision will lift your grade. It is likely though that some improvement will occur.
Note: It is not advised to turn in incomplete work on the due date and expect that you can make up the difference later on. That is, if you get a 10% for handing in a piece of paper with your name on it, it is not going to be easy to lift that up from a 10% to an 85. You will have quite a bit of annotating to do, perhaps doubling the length of the writing assignment. Plus, I grade the revisions a bit tougher than the initial draft.
It is easier to go from a B- to an A- than a low F to a C. So put forth your best effort and see what happens.
If you choose not to revise for the portfolio, simply put the four papers in along with the midterms, and library quizzes, and hand it in.
Academic Calendar:
Spring Break-March 20-26
Drop Deadline-March 18
Eng 102
Spring 2005
Project 1
Option 4 on page 71 of WA is our assignment, specifically, the part about writing a letter to the instructor about what you want to write about. Keep in mind that this can be a social issue that you are ambivalent about, or you can look at problematic issue in pop culture as well, i.e., (racism in popular music, censorship of Robert Maplethorpe's photos, Does Hollywood glamorize violence? Is America divided politically and culturally? etc.).
Other Guidelines:
It should be 3-5 pages, double spaced and typed.
The style can be informal (that does not mean that the paper shouldn't adhere to the conventions of academic writing).
No research is required (that comes later in the course). Although if you wish to, you can use a source.
If you are running short of ideas, check the anthology of essays in the latter portion of our textbook.
Keep in mind you will be grading on a holistic scale taking into account the content and the technical aspects such as grammar, punctuation, and other things. I will be conferencing with each of you after the due date to discuss this assignment and to give you feedback.
************************************
Section 64 - Thursday Night Class:
Rough Draft due Feb 3,
Final Copy due Feb 10.
Section 6 and 25- The Monday/Wednesday Classes :
Rough Draft Due Feb 7,
Final Copy due Feb 9 .
I will post a sample topic proposal in a few days to guide you
