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English 1AX ~ Fall 2019

Intensive College Composition and Reading

“If you write to impress it will always be bad, but if you write to express it will be
good.” -Thornton
Wilder
Instructor: Erik Fetler English 1AX  Sec 9711  T/Th 2-3:50 pm
email: efetler@hartnell.edu Sec 9716 hpm
Class Location: N6 Office Hours: Before/After class or by appointment
ENGL 1AX prerequisites: ENG-101 or ESL-101 with a grade of "C" or better or placement by
Hartnell's assessment.
Required Texts
 Peterson, Linda/Brereton, John. The Norton Reader 14th ed. ISBN13: 978-0393617412
 Trimble, John. Writing with Style, Third Edition. ISBN13: 978-0-205-02880-1
Recommended Texts
 Graff, Gerald and Birkenstein, Cathy. They Say, I Say. ISBN13: 978-0-393-61743-6
Materials
 Spiral notebook with perforated pages for easy removal (no fringies!)
 2-3 Green Books (Composition books you can find in the bookstore)
 Stapler: I will not accept loose pages.
 A USB flash drive – cheap and priceless!
Course Description and Objectives
English 1AX is an intensive introduction to composition with emphasis on writing of argument,
reading of selected works from a variety of academic and cultural contexts, and writing from
research. Students will write a minimum of 6,500 words in graded assignments.
Writing
Writing assignments will include summaries, analytical and argumentative essays, informal in-
class writings, and self-assessment reflective pieces. It is my expectation that you are coming in to
this class with a strong foundation for writing – if not, however, please be prepared to work harder
to bring yourself up to par as much as possible. Also, take advantage of the Hartnell Writing Lab
in the library.

READING
"The man who does not read good books has no advantage
over the man who can't read them." -Mark Twain
One cannot write effectively without first having something to say. The selected essays, articles,
and editorials we will read during the semester will be “jumping off” points for critical analysis
and various writing activities. You will also practice assessing logic and accuracy in others’
arguments, as well as learning to strengthen your own ideas and opinions.
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STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

 By the end of this course, students should be able to:
 Demonstrate that writing is a process requiring multiple drafts to create and complete an effective
piece of writing.
 Write essays that pursue answers to challenging questions or advance substantial arguments that
are supported with relevant, thoughtful, and sufficient evidence drawn (as appropriate) from
written texts and the writer’s own experience and knowledge.
 Gather, evaluate, and incorporate diverse resources into purposeful and coherent research papers.

Course Objectives Upon satisfactory completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. critically read, synthesize, analyze, interpret, and evaluate texts from a variety of rhetorical styles
and cultural contexts;
2. employ critical reading strategies
3. develop a focused thesis and select relevant evidence to present in an argumentative or persuasive
paper;
4. apply appropriate writing strategies for a variety of rhetorical outcomes
5. gather, evaluate, and incorporate outside sources into a purposeful and coherent research paper;
6. demonstrate basic research skills utilizing diverse resources from a variety of media;
7. utilize pre-writing and planning techniques
8. develop an awareness of the importance of writing as a process;
9. demonstrate mature style in writing;
10. apply appropriate diction, style and tone in relation to the subject and audience of the student’s
writing;
11. demonstrate proofreading skills
12. apply the MLA Stylesheet conventions to research writing.
Course Requirements and Grading
Your course grade will represent my overall evaluation of your essays, revisions, shorter
assignments, participation in class, attendance, and effort in this course. The following percentages
represent the official line on the significance of each aspect of the course to your grade:

1) Main Essays (40%) Grading of papers will be based on 3 criteria:

2) Homework/In-class Writing (20%)  Content (Information, Following Prompt, Specificity)
3) Mid Term (10%)  Mechanics (Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation)
4) Final Research Paper/Debate (20%)  Clarity (Organization, Focus)
5) Attendance/Participation (10%)

Writing Assignments
 4 Formal Multi-Paragraph Essays: You will write four formal essays that will include a preliminary draft
and a revised draft. All assignments MUST BE TYPED. You must meet all deadlines for preliminary drafts,
peer critique, and final drafts for full credit on writing assignments.
 One-Page Analyses: You will be doing a lot of writing. Much of this writing, however, will be short analyses
of the assigned readings, in which you will provide various observations and personal insights. BE CAREFUL!
Although these assignments are short, they are not throw-away assignments. They are multi-paragraph essays
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that will require you to show that you have not only read, but have also thought about the work. Ultimately,
these exercises are designed to help you write efficiently – saying a lot with few words.
 The Midterm Essay: This essay will be worth the same as a normal essay, but will likely be more difficult
because it will be an in-class exam and you will be graded on one, unrevised draft (based on a familiar text).
You can’t pass this class if you do not pass this analytical essay.
 Practice Exercises: Sometimes the hardest part of writing is not what to say, but how to say it. I will assign
various worksheets and practice exercises that will help you think about how to approach the writing process.
These will be factored into your overall homework grade.
 Extra Credit: I will give up to a 1-grade bonus (C to a B, for example) if you choose to consult a tutor (in
the ESSC) for help with your paper, provided the revised paper shows significant improvement. Your tutor
should give you a form that you can attach to your essay when you turn it in.
 Backup: You should always be certain that you have a spare digital copy of your written work. This will
prevent losing your work due to power outages or computer freezes, and enable you to print on campus if you
have printer issues.
Deadlines: While I prefer papers to be turned in on time, I will typically accept late papers up to a week past
the due date. Late essays (including those submitted in class after I collect them) will be marked down a full
grade I will only make exceptions to this policy for those who have written medical or legal excuses.
Important! I do not advocate late work, but I would much rather receive a late paper that is better, than a
poorly written paper handed in on time. The point is not just to hand something in, but to get feedback on
your work, and you do not benefit from any corrections made to careless or otherwise deficient writing.
Plagiarism: Some papers for this class will require you to do outside research, which is basically reading other
people’s work to get information to support your own ideas. Sometimes the pressure of deadlines makes
students seek short cuts, and they resort to plagiarism. Most of these students know what plagiarism is (taking
others’ writing and passing it off as one’s own), but decide to do it anyway, rationalizing thus:
 “This is what I want to say, and this  “Mr. Fetler said to do research. This is
passage says it better than I can.” research.”
 “I’m not copying the whole sentence/  “This is too hard/I’ll never have to use this
paragraph.” in real life…”
 “Most of my paper is my own writing.”  “He’ll never find out…”

None of these “rationales” is valid, especially considering that this class is designed to help strengthen your
critical thinking as well as your writing. And a little advice: Writing is hard work. Allow yourself to struggle
a little. Bottom line: if I read a plagiarized paper, the paper gets no credit, and we will have a personal
conference to determine whether you will remain in the class. We will cover how to do research in class, but
any and all questions regarding plagiarism should be brought to me beforehand.
Classroom Conduct & Notes:
1) Please observe the drop deadlines on the inside cover of your schedule of classes.
2) Please bring all texts to class daily. We will not always use them, but sometimes we will use them when it
is not scheduled. Rule of thumb: It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
3) Discussion: My classes generally run in a lecture/discussion format. I will not be grading you on your
opinions, and I hope that you will feel free to voice them. As our catalog states, “Students are free to take
reasoned exception to the data or views offered in any course of study and to reserve judgment about matters
of opinion, but they are responsible for learning the content of any course of study in which they are
enrolled.” Such discussion is where the learning takes place, and the more involved you are, the more you
will learn.
4) Attendance: All students are expected to attend each class session and to participate in discussions. More
than three absences may cause you to be dropped from the class.
5) Punctuality: You will also be counted as tardy if you are not in the classroom when the class is scheduled to
begin. Excessive tardies will lower your grade and can cause your dismissal from the course.
6) Children: I know that many students at Hartnell are working parents. However, unless there is no alternative,
I would prefer that students don’t bring their children to class. Also, some of the content of this class is
designed for adults over the age of 18.
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7) Electronic Devices: Many people choose to take notes on tablets, laptop computers and other similar devices.
Such instruments are a distraction when students use them in class. They are therefore not allowed in this
classroom under most circumstances. If you need to use your communication device for emergencies, let
me know at the beginning of class.
8) Communication: If you have any medical or personal issues that may interfere with your performance in
this course, please let me know immediately after the first class session. I am willing to work with you to
overcome almost any problem, but I have to know about it in order to help. Also, if you have a need for any
in-class accommodations because of a physical or learning limitation, please speak with me during the first
two weeks of the semester.
9) Overall Comment: Ultimately, you know what is expected of you in this class: Show up, listen and take
notes, respect my and others’ ideas, read what is assigned, and write thoughtful, effective essays. Keep in
mind the underlying question: “Why am I here?” and you will do well in this class.

Your Name
English 1AX - Fetler
Assignment #
Due Date

Title

This is the proper format for all papers. All papers must have a title (don’t

underline or boldface your title). All assignments must be typed, double-spaced, and must

use 12-point font, Times New Roman. Please provide 1 inch margins (top, bottom, left,

and right). Indent paragraphs (Tab key/5 spaces), and do not leave extra spaces between

paragraphs (you might have to go into your settings to change the default). Do not submit

papers in folders or binders or with a cover page; a simple staple or paper clip in the

upper left-hand corner is sufficient. Papers must be stapled or clipped prior to class, so

please do not ask me if I have a stapler.

Ultimately, failing to follow this format does not diminish the quality of your

writing; however, it does show me a certain level of carelessness. Therefore, essays with

incorrect format will be graded down one half a grade (an A- would become a B+).

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If you must miss a class, it is your responsibility to refer to your lesson plan and email or call a
classmate to find out what you have missed.
Write down the names and numbers of at least (2) classmates:
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Classmate 1:
Name _________________________________________ Phone or e-mail____________________

Classmate 2:
Name _________________________________________ Phone or e-mail____________________