General Course Information

• Be sure to complete all assignments

• Have all the equipment and apps downloaded before the start of class

• Take time to test out your equipment to work out any bugs before we begin

• Have a curious exploratory attitude about these new tools

• Remember, we’re evaluating them as well as becoming familiar - so relax! If things don’t work perfectly the first time or you don’t like the app, it's okay.

• Have fun!

• Ask questions!

• Share, share share. The more we exchange ideas, the better we become!

Focuses on composing the academic-style expository essay, which features a comprehensive thesis and logical support. Students will write original compositions increasing in level of difficulty and length, totaling at least 6,000 words, which will use rhetorical strategies such as textual analysis, causal analysis, comparison and argument. Students will read, interpret, and synthesize non-fiction sources using Standard Written English and MLA format.

Topics Covered

1. How to select and narrow an essay topic

2. How to formulate a thesis statement

3. How to select an appropriate pattern of organization

4. Essay structure: Introduction, development, conclusion

5. Review of paragraph development

6. Techniques for creating variety in sentence structure

7. Effective use of transitions

8. Discussion of diction and Standard Written English

9. Prewriting strategies to generate content and pattern of development

10. Peer editing techniques to respond to essays

11. Evaluation techniques using content, organization, style, and mechanics

12. Identify structure, development, and features of writing style in expository prose

13. Developing a 4-6 page argumentative paper, including the use of outside sources.

14. Summary, analysis and interpretation of outside sources.

15. MLA format and documentation.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Narrow an essay topic.

2. Select an essay topic.

3. Formulate a thesis statement.

4. Select a pattern of organization appropriate to the topic and the thesis of an expository essay.

5. Using a process approach, write 3-4 formal essays ranging from 2-3 pages in length, totaling approximately 3,000 words.

6. Write unified and coherent paragraphs using a variety of methods of development.

7. Summarize, analyze and interpret approximately 100-150 pages of primarily cross-discipline texts reflecting a diversity of authorship, disciplines, genres and perspectives.

8. Synthesize one course reading from a cross-content discipline into an essay completed in-class (500 words).

9. Assimilate two sources/readings from cross-content disciplines into a formal, out-of-class essay (800 words).

10. Write on a variety of topics using Standard Written English (SWE).

11. Use a variety of prewriting activities to generate ideas, Transisifocus a topic, and formulate a method of developing an essay.

12. Edit an essay for content, organization, style, and mechanics.

13. Evaluate essays using content, organization, style, and mechanics.

14. Analyze the structure, development, and features of writing style in expository writing.

15. Find, read, analyze, interpret, use, synthesize and evaluate outside sources, including online information.

16. Incorporate sources into writing as appropriate.

17. Use MLA or APA documentation format.

18. Develop a 4-6 page argumentative paper, including the use of outside sources.

Saddleback College English Composition Department Student Learning Outcomes

Out-of-Class: English 1A students will write an essay of 900+ words, which demonstrates the following outcomes.

1. Controlling Idea: Essay contains a specific, arguable thesis.

2. Development: Essay contains at least 900 words and develops the thesis through summary, analysis, and evaluation.

3. Sentences/Style: The essay contains a variety of sentences that have no fragments, comma splices, and run on sentences.

MLA Formatting: The essay integrates MLA standards to the following (8) items: heading, running header, fonts, spacing, indentation, works cited page, in-text citations and use of outside sources with minor errors.

Textbook

As noted on the Welcome page, this is a course with a zero textbook course option.

Zero Textbook Course. All materials will be provided digitally to students.

Supplements

Supplements are provided through Canvas to students.

Bedford St. Martin's. Documenting Sources in MLA Style: 2016 Update. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2016. (Replaces chapter 13 in the textbook).

Writing Commons. Writing Commons, OER, 2008.

Various Texts. Lumen Learning. 2019.

See also Course Resources for the ZTC content and itemized supplemental readings.

Materials

• Organizational folder/binder for course materials/assignments

You will access your course by logging into Saddleback’s Canvas. All your course materials, assignments and other information will be in Canvas. Canvas works best on Chrome.

You will log on with your Saddleback student username and password. If you have any problems logging on, be sure to contact Student Technical Support for assistance.

If you’ve never used Canvas before, I highly recommend you check out these great video tutorials!

Help/Support

• New to Canvas? I highly recommend checking out the video tutorials before getting started.

• Saddleback Student Technical Support - Canvas, password, and email assistance

• Library - online databases and librarian assistance

• Tutoring Center

• Student Health Center

• Additional help links will be provided with course assignments

Online Access

Expect to check our course Canvas site or your official Saddleback College email address for correspondence, announcements, and/or assignments.

Required Online Accounts/Access

• Canvas: Canvas: https://canvas.instructure.com

  • Applications through Canvas

• TurnItIn: Canvas will connect you automatically

• RefWorks: RefWorks: http://www.refworks.proquest.com (Sign up using Saddleback email)

• Google Drive/Gmail Account: Google: http://drive.google.com/ All papers are to be written in and maintained through Google Drive. NOTE: Students are expected to respect each other’s work; any student caught messing with another student’s or group’s paper(s) or assignment(s) will automatically earn a zero on the assignment in question.

• Zoom: https://conferzoom.us/

Recommended Online Accounts/Access

• Padlet: https://padlet.com/ (a free account should be fine: used in class to document discussions)

• Kahoot! App (Recommended to install on your phone; we play 5-6 games throughout the semester)

• Monosnap: https://monosnap.com/ (download the free app; don’t sign up; useful for creating videos and screenshots for homework)

• Trello: https://trello.com/ (free account; we use this 2-3 times in the semester)