Course Description    This is a course about reasoning.  When we reason about an issue, we try to determine whether we should believe something by considering what reasons there are for believing it. Giving reasons for believing something is offering support for it--making an argument.  This is the focus of this course: learning to examine arguments, figuring out how they are supposed to work, and determining if they amount to good or bad reasoning. 

To this end, we will practice identifying common fallacies, reflecting on the use of language for the purpose of persuasion, and analyzing the sources and biases of the deluge of information that constantly confronts us.  We will spend a lot of time conducting research and identifying reliable sources.  The textbook Mind Readings explores topics that will be the basis of research paper--topics like animal intelligences, the origin of violent minds, and the impact of electronic technology on human identity and relationships. Mind Readings reading schedule

The best learning takes place when students are involved in the thinking and doing, so the class will be organized around students working together in groups.  Of course, there will be individual work like your formal papers, but much of classroom time will be students talking and preparing the questions and the responses.

Student Learning Outcomes    If you successfully complete this course, you will be able to perform academic research resulting in the identification and integration of facts, opinions of authority and statistics from credible sources into your formal argumentative papers. You will be able to recognize the inappropriate and appropriate use of appeals in your sources. The goal in this advanced writing class is that you  will be able to write well-developed argumentative essays, and to think about the world in a critical and ethical way..

Textbooks   All books are available through the college's bookstore.  The links provided here are for informational purposes only.  The textbooks might be also available at a public library.

Mind Readings by Gary Colombo
Publisher: Bedford St. Martins, 2002 edition
ISBN 0312 390 823

short novel to be announced

Rules for Writers
by Diana Hacker. LATTC Custom Edition
Publisher: Bedford/St. Martins, ISBN 0-312-47800-3
Fully integrated with its companion web site: http://dianahacker.com/rules
An LATTC custom version of Rules for Writers is available only through the college's bookstore.  If you already have another handbook, feel free to use it, but keep in mind that I will be referring to the assigned textbook.

All Formal Papers     You will complete four formal papers outside of class.  You must turn in all papers, and these must be submitted in consecutive order.   Late papers will receive a reduced grade.  Wikipedia or any encyclopedia is not an acceptable source for formal papers.  Ask about this if you don't know why.

In-Class Essays    There will be three in-class essays, including the English Midterm (see below).  In-class essays are to be written in the classroom during the assigned class time. If you miss one in-class essay, your final grade will be lowered one letter grade.  If you miss two in-class essays, you will be dropped from the class.  Make-up essays must be taken within one week of the original essay date; they must be taken during my office hours, not during class time.

English Midterm Exam   All English 103 students must take the same Departmental English Exam. The purpose is that you (and I) can be alerted to areas that need to be strengthened.  There will then be time for you to work on these. The topic is chosen by English faculty.   The grading is based on a holistic view of your writing. The essays will be graded as "poor," "fair," or "good."  Watch for Writing Center workshops on writing the in-class essay.

Journals    You must turn in a loose-leaf (no notebooks) academic journal for each assigned reading; journals will be one page response papers due at the beginning of class.  No late journals will be accepted.  The journal does not need to be typed.  If you miss more than 5 journals, your grade will be reduced.  Sorry, but you need to be prepared to work with others in the class.

Attendance and Participation   You will be graded on the quality of your participation.  Exemplary participation means coming to class prepared by having read the material, completing the exercises, offering specific and insightful comments on the readings, asking good questions, and contributing to the learning of the class.  It also includes integrity in the way you do your assignments and the way that you work on group assignments and class exercises. The assumption (and LATTC regulations) is that you attend class! You will be excluded for lack of participation.

If you have a disability that might make it difficult to access any of the materials online or in class, please let me know so I can try to accommodate you.

Grading Criteria

An A paper is free from careless grammatical, spelling, and organizational errors. It begins with a clear topic , explains the purpose of the topic, and concludes in the first section with a thesis. It has seamless transitions from paragraph to paragraph, never losing sight of its focal point. It draws a logical conclusion that answers or solves a problem stated in the thesis. It meets the length requirement of the assignment; it has an original point of view that is lively and interesting to read. It has no format errors. It does not contain contractions or the first person narrative (I, you, etc.) Also, it is turned in on time. It demonstrates inclusion and/or consideration of comments and advice from previous papers.

A B paper has many of qualities found in the A paper, but it might have one too many writing errors that tarnish the shine an A paper has. It might be an A paper in all features, but it contains weak examples. Often it lacks the depth of explanation and originality seen in an A paper. A B paper might have one minor format flaw. It may contain a few contractions and/or the first person narrative. It may not demonstrate inclusion and/or consideration of comments and advice from previous papers.

A C paper is an adequate essay. It may have errors, but not enough to hurt its clarity. It shows some of the A and B qualities, but it does not develop the idea to its fullness. It may contain contractions and/or the first person narrative. It may not demonstrate inclusion and/or consideration of comments and advice from previous papers.

A D paper is an inadequate essay. It contains all or some of the following problems: It falls too short, has too many errors, lacks a clear focus, lacks a logical argument, rambles, loses its focal point, or is too general. It may contain a contractions and/or the first person narrative. It may not demonstrate inclusion and/or consideration of comments and advice from previous papers. If you receive a D or F on a paper, you should quickly set up a meeting so we can develop an educational plan of action.

An F paper is off topic, or poorly written. A student who writes two fail papers is not ready for college English 101.  It may contain contractions and/or the first person narrative.  If you receive a D or F on a paper, you should quickly set up a meeting so we can develop an educational plan of action.

Grades will be determined as follows: