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.