Spring 2001                                                                Instructor:  Susan Huss-Lederman

English 162                                                                 Office: Heide 434

Prerequisites:  680-101 or 680-161                           Phone: Heide: 5038

                                    E-mail:  hussleds@mail.uww.edu

                                    Web:  http://facstaff.uww.edu/hussleds

                                                                                   

Office Hours: Mon. & Weds. Heide 434: 1:30-3; Tues. 4:30-6; gladly by appointment.

 

Dept., Course & Section

Rooms

Days

Time

680-162-01

114 Heide Hall and writing lab TBA

Mondays & Wednesdays

3:20-4:35

 

Course Description:  All undergraduates at UW-Whitewater are required to take a two-semester sequence of literature and composition courses.  English 162 is the second course in the sequence for international students.  The topic of this course is the multicultural U.S.  We will examine the American experience from many different viewpoints throughout the course by reading plays, poetry, essays and fiction.  In this course, students will continue to develop academic writing skills, including the completion of a library research paper related to the course topic.

 

Objectives:

·        to organize and write three short essays as well as a thoughtful and thought-provoking term paper on a topic related to the multicultural U.S.

·        to present research on a panel

·        to develop academic vocabulary for improved reading comprehension

·        to develop academic reading skills

 

Since the theme of our course is the multicultural U.S., writing assignments will all relate to this theme in some way and will culminate in a 5-8 page library research paper.  Each paper we write will enable us to explore the many facets of culture in the U.S.

 

Course Materials:  The following is to be purchased from the UWW bookstore:

 

·        Border Texts by Randall Bass (Bass)

·        A Writer's Reference (4th ed.) by Diana Hacker (Hacker)

 

Additional short readings will be distributed in class.

 

In addition, you all must have diskettes for working on writing in-class.  You must also purchase a large manila envelope for the term paper portfolio.  Finally, you should all own a good, collegiate, monolingual English dictionary.  I will bring different dictionaries to class and discuss their assorted merits of each at the beginning of the semester.

 

Class Participation & Attendance:  The following factors constitute appropriate class participation:

 

·        Arriving on time.  Being late is disruptive to others.  Arriving late counts as an absence.

·        Regular attendance.  Do not miss class. Your participation is valuable.  Accumulating three or more unexcused absences results in the lowering of your grade by one letter.

·        Participating in small group and class discussion.  This means speaking up as well as listening.

·        Not talking while the teacher is talking.  This distracts other students.

·        Turning off mobile phones and pagers during class.

·        Asking for clarification when needed.

·        Being prepared for discussion by completing homework assignments.

·        Keeping office appointments.

 

Grading Schedule:

 

Graded work includes quizzes (announced & unannounced--if necessary), certain in-class and out-of-class writing, and essays.  Quizzes may be conventional or unconventional, but will always be explained first.  Graded work is weighted as follows:

 

Assignment

Worth

Quizzes and certain in-class assignments

15 points

Three short essays of 1-2 pages (grading criteria to be distributed in class)

10 points X 3 = 30 points

Complete term paper portfolio

Presentation of term paper

25 points

  5 points

Participation (homework, attendance, active participation)

Accumulating three or more unexcused absences results in losing a letter grade.

25 points

 

Grading Scale:

A = at least 90%          C = at least 65%                      F = anything less than 50%

B = at least 80%           D = at least 50%

 

Extra Credit.  Extra credit may be earned by attending campus cultural events and writing typed summaries along with personal responses.  I may ask you to talk about the event in class.   Extra credit points help students who are at the boundary of grades (for example, at a 79 or 89) advance to a higher grade.  Extra credit does not substitute for homework.

 

Tutoring.  I strongly recommend that you work with tutors in the McCutchan writing lab or with our class tutor, Barbara Borre.  Although English 162 is not linked to English 091, students are welcome to schedule appointments with tutors. It is even possible to make standing, weekly appointments.  The telephone number for the writing lab is 472-1230.

 

Plagiarism:  Plagiarism, the act of intentionally using the work of another writer without citation, intending the reader to believe that it is your own work, is a serious violation of academic conduct.  Engaging in plagiarism will result in your failing the assignment and/or the course.

 

Religious Observances:  If you are absent due to the observance of a religious holiday, please let me know so that we can reschedule your assignments.

 

Special Needs:  If you have special needs due to physical or learning disabilities, please let me know so that I can make the appropriate accommodations for you.

 

Finally, please stop by to see me during office hours or schedule an appointment if I can help you in any way.  My door is always open.

 

UWW Required Statement:  The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is dedicated to a safe, supportive and non-discriminatory learning environment.  It is the responsibility of all undergraduate and graduate students to familiarize themselves with University policies regarding Special Accommodations, Misconduct, Religious Beliefs Accommodation, Discrimination and Absence for University Sponsored Events.  (For details please refer to the Undergraduate and Graduate Timetables; the "Rights and Responsibilities" section of the Undergraduate Bulletin; the "Academic Requirements and Policies" and the "Facilities and Services" sections of the Graduate Bulletin; and the "Student Academic Disciplinary Procedures: [UWS Chapter 14]; and the "Student Nonacademic Disciplinary Procedures" [UWS Chapter 17]).

 

Schedule of Major Assignments (subject to change with advance notice):

 

Dates:

To be covered in the week:

Jan. 22-24

Orientation to class. Writing sample. 

Jan. 29-31

Note-taking from reading (Bass pp. 1-6).   Conducting Research (Hacker 50-54).

Feb. 5-7

Academic reading strategies (Hacker 68-72). Reading:  "The White Man's Indian" by Berkhofer (Bass, pp. 261-268). Coming up with a research question. Essay 1 assigned.

Feb. 12-14

Library orientation for term paper (Hacker).  Using the Web responsibly.  Reading:  Find at least one short source related to a topic of interest.  Essay 1 due.

Feb. 19-21

Term Paper:  Locating appropriate background and sources; reading critically. Essay 2:  Source critique.  (Hacker, pp. 72-81)

Feb. 26-28

Film:  Dakota Conflict.  Readings:  Tales told by granddaughters (handout).  Essay 2 due.

Mar. 5-7

Writing:  Work on argumentation and quotation (Hacker, pp. 82-91).  Reading:  "Mother Tongue" by Tan (Bass, pp. 11-15).  Essay 3 assigned. 

Mar. 12-14

Framing a draft research paper.  (Hacker, pp. 350-360).  Essay 3 due.

Mar. 19-21

Classes canceled for student conferences.

Mar. 26-28

Spring Break

Apr. 2-4

Viewing:  Raisin in the Sun by Hansberry.

Apr. 9-11

Viewing:   Raisin in the Sun.  In -class writing. 

Apr. 16-18

Reading:   "Little Sister Born in This Land." by Muñoz (handout), "Persimmons" by Lee (Bass, pp.161-164), poems of Angel Island (handout).  Working with paraphrases, quotations, and in-text citations (Hacker).

Apr. 23-25

Viewing:  Chicano!  Reading:  excerpts from "I am Joaquin," by Gonzalez and from Canícula by Cantú (handouts).  In-class writing.

Term paper draft due.

Apr. 30-May 2

Writing:  Working on term papers.  MLA style and references (Hacker).

May 7-9

Writing:  Working on term papers and presentations (Hacker and handouts).

Exam week

Presentations 3:15-5:15 p.m. Wed. May 16th, no exceptions.  Draft portfolio due at time of meeting.

 

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