English 1B

College reading, writing, and critical thinking applied to literature, including poetry, drama, and fiction. Essay writing employing methods of literary analysis, academic research, and critical thinking.

Course Objectives/Major Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

Compose coherent expository and argumentative essays about literary texts.
Synthesize critical reading, academic research, and cultural contexts in writing about literature.
Analyze and evaluate literature by means of close textual reading, identifying central themes and key literary elements.
Distinguish between literal and figurative language and assess how these figures of speech help generate themes.

Required Texts

Chopin, Kate The Awakening ISBN: 9780486277868
Shakespeare, William Othello ISBN: 9781501146299
A selection of readings will be available within the Canvas modules.

Recommended Texts

A college level dictionary and thesaurus
MLA Handbook (9th edition)

Grading

Three research essays (20%, 20%, 30%)
Diagnostic and Final Exam Timed Essay 15%

*Process work 15%

*Process work (Canvas assignments and discussion boards) helps you process the literature we are reading. 15% is significant, so please do your absolute best to complete all assignments.

Late Work

Canvas Process Assignments: All Canvas process assignments are due at 11:59 p.m. PST on the due date. Late submissions will receive a daily penalty.
Discussion Boards: Discussion boards will have a close date of 24 hours after the due date, which means you will not be able to contribute once the discussion closes. If you submit within the 24-hour window, you will receive reduced points.
Quizzes: Quizzes will have a close date of 24 hours after the due date, which means you will not be able to complete it once the quiz closes. If you submit within the 24-hour late window, the submission will be marked down by 30% from your total quiz score.
Essays: Only once during the semester, you may ask for an extension on the final draft of your essay with no grade penalty. Please note that this only applies to essays 1 or 2. Essay 3 cannot be submitted late. If you need to turn in essay 1 or 2 late, you must turn in your late essay within one week of the original due date. This is a one-time deal. I will deduct all other late essays 1/3 of a grade for each day that the essay is late.

Supporting Students with Disabilities

I am committed to creating a course that is inclusive in its design. If you encounter barriers, please let me know immediately, so we can determine if a design adjustment can be made. I am happy to consider creative solutions as long as they do not compromise the intent of the assessment or learning activity.

If you are a student with a disability or think you may have a disability, you are also welcome to initiate this conversation with Olga Galvez, CCSF DSPS department chair. CCSF's DSPS Office offer many wonderful services to students with disabilities and faculty members to identify reasonable accommodations. Please visit their website for contact and other information.

If you have already been approved for accommodations through our DSPS office, please meet with me so we can develop an implementation plan together.

Additional Resources

English 1B is a challenging course, and numerous resources are available to help you succeed. For example, tutoring help is located in the English Lab.

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism is not tolerated at City College. Plagiarism includes using words and ideas that are not your own without crediting the source properly, getting someone else to write your paper, or having someone rewrite/edit sentences for you. This is especially tempting in 1B as literature topics are some of the most common essay topics shown online. Because of this, it is critical that you refrain from reading those kinds of web sources. Another thing to note is that plagiarism is easily spotted by myself, and I use Turnitin, a software application, to review for plagiarism in essays.

Students engaging in plagiarism will receive an “F” on the assignment and will not pass this class. There are also more serious institutional consequences for repeat offenses. Not knowing how to do something is not an excuse; if you are confused about how to cite a source properly, always ask me, a writing tutor, or a librarian for help. Academic honesty is so important so please be honest.

I look forward to an engaging semester; if you feel you are struggling with an assignment or concept (even if it is only a slight struggle), please contact me so we can set up a Zoom meeting. Helping my students is a fundamental part of my teaching practice! I never want you to feel lost without any direction. So please never hesitate to reach out!

Ultimately, I want to help you understand and succeed. :)

Important Dates

January 16

Holiday Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Observance (No Classes, College Closed)

January 30

Instruction begins. First day of instruction for City Online classes.

February 3

Last day to add Full-Term credit courses in-person and online using myRAM Portal

Last day to drop credit classes without a 'W', no notation will appear on the student's permanent record

February 8

Last day to drop, withdraw or reduce course work in order to qualify for 50% refund of international and nonresident student tuition and capital outlay fees

February 16

Last day to request Pass/No Pass grading option

February 17 - February 20

Presidents Weekend Observance (No classes, College Closed)

March 2

Last day to file a petition to receive AA/AS Transfer Degrees for students transferring to CSU in Fall 2023

March 7

Professional Development Day (No Classes)

March 17

End of Mid-Term Period

March 23

Last day to petition for an Associate in Arts, or an Associate in Science Degree. You must see a counselor before submitting your petition.*

Last day to petition for an Award of Achievement or Certificate of Accomplishment

March 25 - April 3

Spring Recess (No classes, College Closed)

April 13

First day Mid-Term grades available on myRAM Portal

April 20

Last day to process Student or Instructor Initiated Withdrawals and Change Sections for the same Department.