ENGL 110

Prof. Eva Polites

Office Hours MWF 9:50-10:30AM
Email-- Eva.Polites@millersville.edu

1/19—Intro /The secret of good writing is . . .

1/21—“Simplicity” William Zinsser/finding sources
1/24—In-class analysis of Time cover/audience expectations
1/26—discuss Time article
1/28—read and discuss Forbes article
1/31—in-class writing
2/2—“People Illustrated”
2/4—“People Illustrated”/methods of organization
2/7—In-class organizational analysis
2/9—Style and grammar
2/11—Thematic research project
2/14—Research workshop
2/16—Documentation Workshop
2/18—Summary and evidence
2/21—troubleshooting the Thematic research project
2/23—“Spatial Temporal Versus Language Analytic”
2/25—“Spatial Temporal Versus Language Analytic”
2/28—“The Mozart Effect”
3/2—“The Mozart Effect”
3/4—In-class summary
3/14—Evidences analysis in-class
3/16—Editing and style workshop
3/18—Research workshop
3/21—Editing workshop
3/23—Thematic research project due/Topics
3/25—Presentations
3/28—Presentations
3/30—Presentations
4/1—Research workshop
4/4— Editing workshop/ Discussion
4/6—Hand-out due/Editing workshop
4/8—Informative paper due/Presentations
4/11—Presentations
4/13—Presentations
4/15—Presentations
4/18—Movie
4/20—Movie
4/23—Movie/discussion
4/26—Discussion
4/28—In-class essay
4/30—Editing workshop
5/2— In-class assignment
TBA—Final Meeting

**Syllabus subject to change!

Assignment Values:
Research Project 20%
Presentation 5%
Hand-out 10%
Organization Analysis 10%
Summary 5%
Evidence Analysis 10%
Thematic Project 20%
Class work 15%
Final in-class 5%

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Research Project and Presentation—Through a lottery system, you will chose your research
topic. The Research Project requires you use 5 academic sources. The written component is a
short (3-5 page) informative essay using either APA or MLA documentation. For your
presentation you will create a one page hand-out on your subject. I will make copies for your
classmates. Your presentation should be a 5-10 minute power point presentation that compliments
your hand-out.

Organization Analysis—a short in-class writing assignment that examines organizational

techniques used in specific articles. We will edit and rewrite in class.

Summary—in-class summary of an article. Editing and rewriting will take place in-class.

Evidence Analysis—a short in-class analysis that examines evidence presented in several
articles. We will edit and rewrite in class.

Thematic Research Project—As a class we will generate a series of questions covering specific
themes. You will choose a question to investigate. Explore 5 different sources that will help you
answer your research question. Your sources will come from the library’s extensive collections
and available databases as well as alternative sources. Your paper should address and ideally
answer your question in 4-6 pages. The paper must include internal citations and an annotated
bibliography using the documentation style of your chosen field of study.

Class work—During the semester, you will write responses to prompts, explore ideas, practice
style and grammar, and be quizzed on readings and vocabulary. All of these activities are in-
class. These assignments can only be made up if you provide proper documentation for your
absence. You will also be required to annotate all of your reading assignments and the points will
be part of the journal grade. As you read, you should look up any word you do not know. I will
periodically quiz you on the vocabulary from the readings. These quizzes will be open note
quizzes.

CLASS POLICIES--
I. Emailing me does not constitute an excused absence. In-class work cannot be made up unless
you have made arrangements with me and have a valid (in my opinion) and documented excuse.
At the end of the semester, I will drop your lowest class work grade (this includes zeroes due
to absence or lack of preparation). Please use your absences wisely because illness and family
emergencies are unexpected and unforeseeable, and if you have indiscriminately taken time off, I
will not make an exception for you even if your reason is valid. Attendance is important. Class
discussions can not be “made up.” Each class is worth a quiz point—if you arrive late or leave
early, you do not receive the point for the class. Texting or using other electronic devices during
class will result in the loss of your attendance point.

II. All work must be handed in on time. I do not accept late papers unless you have made prior
arrangements with me. Nor will I accept papers that have not been through a rough draft peer
review. Writing is a process, and the process will be part of the grade the final “finished”
assignment receives.

IV. All documentation will follow MLA or APA style. Documentation is also pass/fail. You do it
properly, you pass--any mistakes, you do it over or you fail.

V. All assignments will be graded on several components, which will be equally weighted:
preparation, content, grammar, following instructions, documentation.

Grading Criteria--
4
--error free (grammar, commas, misspellings, typos)
--ideas clearly stated and supported
--organization is logical and flows smoothly
--writer strives for originality
3.7
--error free
--ideas stated and supported
--organization is logical
--writer shows some instances of originality
3.3
--error free
--ideas are clear and supported
--organization is logical
--little or no attempt at originality
3
--few errors
--ideas are clear and supported
--organization is logical
--lacks originality
2.7
--contains some errors although not poorly written (commas, typos, misspellings)
--states ideas, but does not consistently explain or provide sufficient evidence
--has organization; although it may be choppy or lack effectiveness
--shows some originality
2.3
--contains some errors although not poorly written
--states ideas, but does not consistently follow through with support
--has organization: although it may be choppy or lack effectiveness
--lacks originality
2
--sloppy mechanics/contains many errors (no serious grammatical flaws)
--ideas are stated but lack sufficient support
--the organization is hard to follow or sloppy
--lacks originality
1.7/1.3/1/.7/0
--contains many errors including serious grammatical mistakes.
--does not state ideas or provide evidence
--lacks organization and coherence

Plagiarism equals theft!!!! Most plagiarism is unintentional, resulting from misusage of

sources. We will work on proper documentation. If you are unsure of a documentation issue, it is
your responsibility to approach me for help. The Learning Resource Center is an excellent option
for all students at all stages of the writing process. They can help you focus on a topic and
organize your material. They will point out areas that are strong and areas that need more work.
If you have specific grammatical problems, they will help you learn the rules. They will also help
you with your documentation. They will not correct your essays. They are not your personal
editors, and going to the Writing Center does not guarantee you a higher grade. Your writing is
solely your personal responsibility.

Course Outline and Objectives:

Documentation and sources--

--What is documentation?
--MLA style
--APA style
--What is available in the library and online?
--Why we read
--What is genre and discipline?
Reading Actively:
--annotating texts
--reading for content and understanding
--finding a thesis
--recognizing and understanding methods of organization/paragraphing
*Readings—
“People Illustrated”
“Afghan Women”
“A Step Beyond Human”

Reading and Writing Critically:

--reading openly, then skeptically
--finding, evaluating, and writing using supporting evidence
--composing a summary of a scholarly article
*Readings—
“Spatial-Temporal Versus Language-Analytic Reasoning”

Reading and Writing to Answer Specific Questions:

---selectively excising and incorporating material from a text that is most pertinent
--identifying points of agreement among experts
--answering research questions
*Readings:
“The Mozart Effect”
Semester Reading List
Afghan Women And the Return of The Taliban. (cover story) By: Baker, Aryn. Time, 8/9/2010,
Vol. 176 Issue 6, p20-28, 9p, 6
A Step Beyond Human. By: Greenberg, Andy. Forbes, 12/14/2009, Vol. 184 Issue 11, p49-51,
2p
People Illustrated. By: Mayor, Adrienne. Archaeology, Mar/Apr99, Vol. 52 Issue 2, p54, 4p, 3c;
(AN 1723845)
Spatial-temporal versus language-analytic reasoning: By: Grandin, Temple; Peterson, Matthew;
Shaw, Gordon L.. Arts Education Policy Review, Jul/Aug98, Vol. 99 Issue 6, p11, 4p; (AN
781882)
The Mozart Effect: Musical Phenomenon or Musical Preference? A More Ecologically Valid
Reconsideration. By: Cassity, Hope Daniels; Henley, Tracy B.; Markley, Robert P.. Journal of
Instructional Psychology, Mar2007, Vol. 34 Issue 1, p13-17, 5p; (AN 24729496)

Simplicity. In On writing well: An informal guide to writing nonfiction. Zinsser, W.

1980. New York: Harper & Row. Copyright 1980 by William K. Zinsser. Reprinted by
permission of the author.
In: Miles, Thomas H. Critical Thinking and Writing for Science and Technology.
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1990, 290-294.
Taken from: http://www.as.wvu.edu/~tmiles/zinsser.html