ABOUT THIS COURSE

Congratulations on making it to English 101! This 3-

unit transfer-level course satisfies General Education

Area A (CSU; UC) and will help to prepare you for the

rigorous reading, writing, and research tasks ahead of

you.

More specifically, this course is going to push you to

develop as a thinker, reader, and writer by helping you

to think differently about the way you use language and

the way you appropriate discourses. Beyond this focus

on the social nature of language, we’ll also be focus on

analytical and argumentative writing skills you’ll need

to succeed well beyond academia.

To be stronger thinkers and readers you must become

aware of how “meaning” is constructed in society and

be bold enough to engage with the ideas of others and to

question your own.

To be stronger writers you must learn to see writing as

something methodical—an act with agency and purpose

directed at a specific audience in a specific context,

always with an eye towards effective revision.

This term we will work our way through a variety of

texts, including the graphic novels Daytripper and Fun

Home, each focusing on the relationship between the

authors and their fathers.

Throughout the semester, you will work on expressing

your ideas clearly and effectively, with strong evidence

written words for the course—all while demonstrating

you can synthesize research and the words of others into

your writing.

INSTRUCTOR INFO

Who am I?

Professor Rodrigo Gomez

Where can you find me?

Office H-110G

When can you stop by?

M-TH from 2:30-4:15 p.m.

(Or by appointment)

What is the best way to contact me?

Email: rgomez001@sdccd.edu

Office Phone: 619-388-7871

Course Website?

Professorgomez.wordpress.com

SPRING 2017 SCHEDULE

M/W in H206 / 9:35-11:00 a.m.

T/TH in I125 / 9:35 – 11:00 a.m.

/ 11:10 – 12:35 p.m.

T/TH in I127 / 12:45 – 2:10 p.m.

REQUIRED TEXTS

Through the lens of graphic novel

English 101: Reading & Composition San Diego Miramar College / 16 – Week Course

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

ATTENDANCE / PARTICIPATION: Much of what you will learn in this class will be the direct result of active

participation in the form of discussions, group work, and in-class writing activities based on assigned readings. This

means that you must take a more active role towards both reading and writing. It will not be enough to simply show

up to class to succeed (though showing up is a crucial step, to be sure)—you are expected to read the material, to

engage with it critically, and to be ready to volunteer your insights, questions, critiques, or ideas. Be here. Be

prepared. Be bold. Note that there are no “excused absences” of any kind; you’re either in class or you’re not. Still,

you are allowed four absences for illness, work situations, or family matters; however, you will miss points for

assignments due that day since you must be in class to participate on follow-up activities. Your fifth absence will

reduce your course grade by 5%. Your sixth absence is grounds for failing the course. It is your responsibility to drop

by the deadline if you would prefer a “W”.

READING & WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

EXPOSITORY ESSAYS: The majority of your course grade will depend on the two major (out of class) essays you

will be expected to produce throughout the semester. Each expository essay must be ~1,200 words long (~four type

written pages) and must contain a central claim, topic sentences, evidence, examples, and details.

RESEARCH PAPER: You will be required to prepare one research paper based on topics from reading selections

on the syllabus, related course themes, conversations in your field, or our current social climate. This paper must

contain a central premise or argument (thesis) and provide supporting quotes, evidence, reasons, and examples from

primary and secondary sources that are interpreted, analyzed, and synthesized into the argument.

PREWRITING

Activities, including

researching, reading,

reflecting, and note-taking,

that prepares you for writing

Reading Notes

Annotating, Researching

Proposals

1 pg. Typed in MLA

WRITING

The words you place on the

page, addressing a specific

audience for a specific

purpose in an effective tone

Outlining

Drafting

Citing & Synthesizing

1 Works Cited due for each

major essay, typed in MLA

REVISING/REWRITING

“Big picture” changes aiming

to improve clarity,

development, organization,

and overall draft quality

Peer Review Sheets

Workshop reflections

Your peer review sheets will only

receive credit if the bottom

“reflection” section is completed

Essays “packets” turned in for evaluation must include: the

prompt, typed proposal, rough draft with revision notes,

completed final draft with Works Cited and a Post Outline.

PEER WORKSHOPS (3): You will be required to bring

in one print copy of your well-developed draft on

workshop days to exchange with a peer. If you do not have

a draft on the day it is due, you will be dismissed and will

not receive credit for the activity.

READING REFLECTIONS : You will do a substantial

amount of reading for this course. Some will help you

generate ideas for your own writing; some will provide

models for emulation. To keep track, you’ll be reflecting on

course readings and class discussions in your Blue Book

journals. I will collect these at the midpoint in the semester

and at the end. Additionally, you will keep notes and submit

ONE page Reading Reflections for chapters or sections of

Daytripper and Fun Home.

MIDTERM (In Class Writing): Your mid-term exam will

consist of a series of essay questions based selected course

readings. Your job will be to discuss the central issues

addressed in each text and any connections between them.

You will be graded on the degree to which you engage

critically with the text—that is, how well you can discuss

the central argument of each text and construct an argument

of your own. Note: All class readings are fair game!

SOCIAL RHETORIC PROJECT (SRP)

This Social Rhetoric Project is a short analysis assignment

that will ask you to seek and report on texts from the real

world. These texts, like all texts composed contain

decisions made by authors—decisions made to evoke some

desired effect on their audiences. Your job will be to

analyze the rhetorical choices made by 5 authors, which

you will analyze for: author, audience, purpose, medium of

distribution, and persuasive effect.

REMEMBER!

Writing effectively is a valuable skill in

academia and the real world, but it is not

easy to learn or master. Even if you’re

“good at writing,” it’s still hard do well.

Even if you find the material we engage

with challenging or demanding, stick with

it! If you engage with it genuinely, you will

find it a source of satisfaction.

GRADING CHART 600 pts possible

3 ESSAYS PACKETS 350 pts

2 Expository Essays (2,500 words)

1 Research Paper (2,000 words)

PREWRITING (3) 90 pts

REVISING/RE-WRITING (3) 30 pts

SHORT REFLECTIONS (4) 20 pts

BLUE BOOK JOURNALS 10 pts

MIDTERM EXAM 50 pts

(In-Class Short Response)

SOCIAL RHETORIC PROJECT 25 pts

COURSE PERFORMANCE 25 pts

GRADING SCALE

A = 535 points +

B = 470 – 534 points

C = 420 – 469 points

You need at least 420 points to pass!!!

D/F = 419 points -

Caveat!

Only essays turned in on time and peer reviewed in-class may be revised.

QUIZZES AND PARTICIPATION

Quizzes based on course readings assigned on the syllabus, or course related concepts, terms, or ideas will

factor into a portion of your in-class participation grade. Remember, again, that this course is not a lecture

course. This means it is not enough to simply walk in the door—especially underprepared. In order to receive

participation points you must come to class having reflected on course readings and ready to discuss them.

Additionally, this means that you must participate fully in any and all class activities. Be Active in your

Learning.

GRADING on GRADESOURCE

I’ll be inputting your grade information into Gradesource.com. In order to access your grade information, at any

point in the class after week two, you’ll be receiving an email with a private student code. Everyone will be able

to see the entire grading sheet but, as long as you don’t share your code with anyone, only you will be able to

recognize your overall course grade. Alternatively, you could tally your points earned and divide by max points.

POLICIES / EXPECTATIONS/ RESOURCES

What are the Student Learning

Outcomes (SLOs) that I should know

or be able to do by the end of this

course?

By the end of the semester you should be able to:

Read, analyze, discuss, and evaluate any variety of texts critically,

meaning you can identify arguments, patterns, and strategies

authors use.

Compose in a variety of genres demonstrating increasing

expertise in academic discourse and academic writing. This

includes applying research strategies, citing and synthesizing the

words of others effectively. This also includes methodical revision

and careful editing.

Think critically about any rhetorical situation and explain in

clearly written English how the rhetoric of others (as well as your

own) creates appeals and fallacies. Understand how language and

power dynamics produced in any text.

What is the course policy regarding

plagiarism and academic honesty?

Plagiarism is defined as any action that goes against the academic and

professional integrity code. This includes copying words and/or ideas

from any sources without proper citation; purchasing or downloading

papers sold or available on the web; submitting a paper for a grade in

this class that you wrote for another class; or, even having someone

else complete an assignment for you. I take this very seriously,

meaning that the assignment will be an automatic zero. Additionally,

you may be reported to academic affairs and fail the course.

What resources are at my disposal

at Miramar College?

The PLACe (tutoring) / DSPS (for students with disabilities) / Veteran’s

affairs / Health services: Let me know if you’d like more information

regarding any of these services. Your classmates are another great resource. Get to know each other and help each other succeed!

Will we be using Blackboard.com?

No. Instead, I’ll be updating professorgomez.wordpress.com and we

will use that as our primary mode of web interactions.

HOW TO BECOME

a stronger WRITER:

1. Think critically.

2. Write creatively.

3. Revise carefully.

What is the course policy on Late Work?

Essay packets should be compiled at home and turned in at the beginning of class on the day specified on the

syllabus. This means that if you are late, your assignment is also late and will be accepted for a reduced grade (for

example a “B” becomes a “C”) at the following class meeting. Essay packets will not be accepted afterwards.

As a courtesy, for all those random life occurrences, I allow one late essay packet per student per semester. No

questions asked, though it will be your responsibility to e-mail me at least a day before the due date for approval. No

other late work will be accepted; either you’re in class when it is due or you miss those points.

Anything else I should know about

the course related to my grade?

I genuinely believe that writing is a recursive process and that revision is

a crucial step in that process, if not the most crucial. After all, good

revision reflects growth, improvement, and critical insight. For this

reason, I allow one essay revision per semester per student, excluding

the final essay, for a possible higher grade.

This option is great for students who are not entirely happy with the grade

they received and want to strive towards a higher grade. To revise, you

need to come up with a plan, meet with me to discuss, and write!

What is expected of me in terms of

conduct, technology use, or

performance?

I expect you to be here. I expect you to be ready to participate. I expect

you to be active and bold—to volunteer questions and insights.

I expect that you will keep an open mind when we discuss topics you feel

strongly about. And that you will think critically & reflect thoroughly in

writing before sharing, even if you feel strongly about the topic.

I expect you to respect your colleagues, your instructors, your school, and

any ideas we engage with. Being respectful also involves being adults

about using technology in the classroom and not being disruptive for any

reason. Don’t do it.

What you can expect from me?

I have a real, deep passion for rhetoric and good writing. You can expect for me to care about your

writing as well. This is especially true when I recognize that you are making a sincere effort to engage with

course material and to produce something that you feel is important. If you come to me to discuss your work

then you will see an improvement in the quality of your writing by the end of the course. If you simply turn in

papers by the deadline to earn credits, you will not get as much out of the course.

I will do what I can to produce activities that will teach you to improve your rhetorical skills and writing

in a lively and exciting way. This is because, although I imagine most of you will disagree with me at first,

writing is an exciting, liberating, empowering (though sometimes scary) act that often requires courage—and

often vulnerability as well.

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I have thoroughly read through Mr. Gomez’ Spring 2017 course syllabus, understand all of its contents, pledge

to adhere to its policies and acknowledge that I will be held responsible for all assignments and expectations

without exception.

Name: Section:

______________________________________________________ ___________________

Signature Date