One of the most useful skills developed in college should be your
ability to communicate written information effectively. Thus, in English 100, we
will spend significant time concentrating on the process of how to write now,
so you will be able to focus more of your time on what your are writing in
future work. This course is designed to develop your college writing and
critical thinking skills, and in it you will often focus on writing about
topics of your own choosing. Thus, you should be interested in what you are
researching and writing and should concentrate on topics which will enrich your
life and understanding.
We will spend a large portion of our time
together writing and revising. Writing is a process, and focusing on the
individual steps of that process, such as brainstorming, creating a rough
draft, editing, peer review, and revising to the final draft, is a significant
key to creating a successful paper. This semester you will draft, and
eventually revise, four essays, each using a different approach. Approaches
include a personal narrative essay, a rhetorical analysis of a documentary film,
an op-ed argument essay, and a research essay with citations. We will also be
frequently writing smaller pieces such as journal entries and other assignments
geared toward the process of writing. Class will be both discussion and lecture
based, thus students should expect to think on, write and talk about their
writing every day. We will benefit from the wide variety of topics and ideas
that each person brings to class and create an interesting and rich environment
in which to gain greater confidence in writing.
Course Requirements:
- Regular attendance
and active participation - A total of four
papers of varying lengths, adding up to twenty pages of edited and revised
prose. - Journal entries
designed to help you along the writing process as needed - A class portfolio
and reflection letter at the end of the semester - Other informal
writing assignments, activities, and worksheets as assigned - Four informal class
presentations on your essays
Required Texts (Both available at the UH
Bookstore):
Ballenger, Bruce. The Curious Writer:
The Brief Edition, 4th Edition. Boston: Longman, 2012.
Hacker, Diana, and Nancy Sommers. A Pocket
Style Guide, 6th Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012.