TWO Required Books:

LB Brief. 6^th ed. Jane E. Aaron. Pearson.

The Best American Essays 2019. Edited by Rebecca Solnit. Mariner.

Course Goals:

Write thesis-based essays that provide strong support and specific details.

Engage in a writing process that includes invention, drafting, and revision.

Demonstrate critical and creative thinking about a timely issue or debatable topic.

Demonstrate proficient use of Standard Written English.

Assignments:

Ten Qs (quizzes) on D2L  10 percent (each is 1 point)

Five Essays – the Ws       50 percent (50 points out of 100)

W1      5%   

W2     10%   

W3      12%   

W4      13%   

W5      10%  

Multiple Choice Grammar Test                20 percent (20 points out of 100)

Final Essay (same model as the Ws)      20 percent (20 points out of 100)

Grading (out of 100):

A 100-90; B 89-80; C 79-70; D 69-60; F 59-0 (no rounding up).  

LATE Policy: Late essays are penalized 10 points out of 100.  

TENTATIVE DAILY SCHEDULE

Each W essay is a response to a prompt. The prompt is a specific question that the student’s essay is supposed to answer. For instance, the W1 & W2 thread Enclosed Space begins Monday, June 1. The W1 & W2 assignment (with prompt question) will already be open. The W assignment with prompt question opens the night before each new W thread.

PROCTOR U: Wait until I give you the all clear. Then schedule to take our GRAMMAR TEST (60 minutes) and FINAL ESSAY (2 hours) as an online proctored exam through ProctorU. Schedule the test between Monday, June 29 and Thursday, July 2 (first possible appointment at 8:00 AM CDT June 29; last possible appointment at 6:00 PM CDT, July 2). This proctoring requires access to a computer with a camera and payment to ProctorU of their fee. Read the following on setting up an account with ProctorU and making reservations: ProctorU: How It Works.

MONDAY JUNE 1   

Online Pre-Test & Q1 open as of 10:00 AM, today, June 1, and close as of 10:00 AM, Monday, June 8.

Thread for W1 Enclosed Space, Part One, due in D2l Drop Box this Thursday June 4.

The W1 & W2 Enclosed Space Assignment and Prompt question is already open.   

Camille T. Dungy, “Is All Writing Environmental Writing?” See esp. p. 71.

JUNE 2 TUESDAY

Thread for W1, continued.

Grammar Thread 1:

LB CH 21 Parts of Speech

LB CH 22 The sentence

JUNE 3 WEDNESDAY

Thread for W2 Enclosed Space, Part Two, due in drop box Monday, June 8.

Elizabeth Kolbert, “How to Write about a Vanishing World.” See esp. 124-25.

Grammar Thread 1, concluded. Do Q1: subject/verb identification.

JUNE 4 THURSDAY

W1 Enclosed Space, Part One, due today June 4.

JUNE 8 MONDAY   

W2 Enclosed Space, Part Two is due in drop box on D2L.

Qs 2, 3, and 4 are open this week as of 10:00 AM today, Monday, June 8, and close as of 10:00 AM, Monday, June 15.

Thread for W3 Losing something, due in D2L Drop Box this Thursday, June 11.

J. Drew Lanham, “Forever Gone.” See esp. pp. 132, 135-36, 137-39.

Grammar Thread 2:

LB CH 23 Phrases & Clauses

LB CH 35 Fragments

Do Q2: Phrases, clauses, and /fragments.

JUNE 9 TUESDAY

W3 Losing Something Thread and Grammar Thread 2, cont.

LB CH 36 Commas

LB CH 24 Sentences

Do Q3: Comma splices and fused sentences.

JUNE 10 WEDNESDAY

W3 Losing Something Thread and Grammar Thread 2, concluded.

LB CH 25 Verb forms

LB CH 29 Subject/Verb

Do Q4: Subject/verb agreement.

JUNE 11 THURSDAY

W3 Losing Something is due today in the drop box.

JUNE 15 MONDAY

Qs 5, 6, and 7 open as of 10:00 AM today, June 17, and close as of 10:00 AM, Monday, June 22.

Thread for W4 Fitting In, which is due this Thursday in the drop box.

Lacy M. Johnson, “On Likability.” Esp. pp. 105-106.

Walter Johnson, “Guns in the Family.” Esp. pp. 113-15, 116-17, 117-18, 120-22.

Grammar Thread 3:

LB CH 30 Pronoun Case

LB CH 31 Pron. Agreement

LB CH 32 Pronoun reference

Do Q5: Pronoun Agreement.

JUNE 16 TUESDAY

W4 Fitting in thread.

Grammar Thread 3.

Do Q 6: Pronoun Case.

JUNE 17 WEDNESDAY

W4 Fitting in thread.

Grammar Thread 3.

LB CH 39 The Comma.

In-class Blue Book writing for W4: Intro. Par. and first Body Par. 1.

Do Q7: The Comma.

JUNE 18 THURSDAY

W4 Fitting In is due today in the drop box.

JUNE 22 MONDAY

Qs 8, 9, and 10 open as of 10:00 AM today, June 24, and close as of 10:00 AM, Monday, June 29.

Thread for W5 Not Fitting In, which is due Thursday June 25 in the dropbox.

Dawn Lundy Martin, “When a Person Goes Missing.” See esp. 162-64, 164-69.

Kai Minosh Pyle, “Autobiography of an Iceheart.” Esp. 176-77, 181-84, 186-88.

Grammar Thread 4: LB CH 40 The Semicolon; CH 41 The Colon.

Do Q 8: Colons & Semicolons.

JUNE 23 TUESDAY

Grammar Thread 4, cont. 

LB CH 16 Parallelism.

Do Q9: Parallelism.

JUNE 24 WEDNESDAY

Grammar Thread 4, cont.

LB CH 42 The Apostrophe

LB CH 43 Quotation Marks

Do Q 10: Apostrophes.

JUNE 25 THURSDAY

W5 Not Fitting In is due today in the drop box.

JUNE 29 MONDAY

Now begins the Proctor U sessions for Grammar Test & Final Essay.

Final Essay Thread: TO BE ANNOUNCED.

Grammar Review Thread.

Reviewing our lists—preps, subordinating words, transitional expressions, etc.

JUNE 30 TUESDAY

Final Essay Thread. Grammar Review Thread.

JULY 1 WEDNESDAY

Final Essay Thread, concluded.  Grammar Review Thread, concluded.

JULY 2 THURSDAY

LAST DAY FOR GRAMMAR TEST/FINAL ESSAY WITH PROCTOR U.

Grading Rubric: Let us say someone did not provide most of the components in paragraph one. That would be a 50 for the first horizontal category. NOTE: Shading indicates the squares I settled on for evaluation.

Let us also suppose the student achieved in the SATISFACTORY column in categories, 2, 4, and 5. For category 3, the student went much higher—reaching the EXCELLENT column. Moving left from the lowest score (the 50 column in this case), each square is worth 2 points. We need to add 12 points (six squares that reach SATISFACTORY) to the starting point of 50; we also need to add 8 points (category three’s four squares to reach EXCELLENT). That would be 70. 

EXCELLENT (unique among our columns) allows for a bonus of four more points (notice the 96-100 at the top of the EXCELLENT column), if excellence for category 3 was truly remarkable.

The highest possible grade for this assignment would be a 74: 50 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 8 (+ 4 points) = 74.

LATE Policy: Late essays are penalized 10 points out of 100.  

Note: You may not submit a paper for a grade in this class that already has been (or will be) submitted for a grade in another course, unless you obtain the explicit written permission of me and the other instructor involved in advance.

Plagiarism is the use of someone else's thoughts, words, ideas, or lines of argument in your own work without appropriate documentation (a parenthetical citation at the end and a listing in "Works Cited")-whether you use that material in a quote, paraphrase, or summary. It is a theft of intellectual property and will not be tolerated, whether intentional or not.

Student Honor Creed

As an MSU Student, I pledge not to lie, cheat, steal, or help anyone else do so."

As students at MSU, we recognize that any great society must be composed of empowered, responsible citizens. We also recognize universities play an important role in helping mold these responsible citizens. We believe students themselves play an important part in developing responsible citizenship by maintaining a community where integrity and honorable character are the norm, not the exception.

Thus, We, the Students of Midwestern State University, resolve to uphold the honor of the University by affirming our commitment to complete academic honesty. We resolve not only to be honest but also to hold our peers accountable for complete honesty in all university matters.

We consider it dishonest to ask for, give, or receive help in examinations or quizzes, to use any unauthorized material in examinations, or to present, as one's own, work or ideas which are not entirely one's own. We recognize that any instructor has the right to expect that all student work is honest, original work. We accept and acknowledge that responsibility for lying, cheating, stealing, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty fundamentally rests within each individual student.

We expect of ourselves academic integrity, personal professionalism, and ethical character. We appreciate steps taken by University officials to protect the honor of the University against any who would disgrace the MSU student body by violating the spirit of this creed.

Written and adopted by the 2002-2003 MSU Student Senate.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Disability Support Services in Room 168 of the Clark Student Center, (940) 397-4140.

The professor considers this classroom to be a place where you will be treated with respect as a human being - regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, political beliefs, age, or ability. Additionally, diversity of thought is appreciated and encouraged, provided you can agree to disagree. It is the professor's expectation that ALL students consider the classroom a safe environment.

All instructors in the Department have voicemail in their offices and MSUTexas e-mail addresses. Make sure you add your instructor's phone number and e-mail address to both email and cell phone lists of contacts.

All students seeking a Bachelor's degree from Midwestern State University must satisfy a writing proficiency requirement once they've 1) passed the 6 hours of Communication Core and 2) earned 60 hours. Students may meet this requirement in one of three ways: by passing the Writing Proficiency Exam, passing two Writing Intensive Courses (only one can be in the core), or passing English 2113. If you have any questions about the exam, visit the Writing Proficiency Office website at https://msutexas.edu/academics/wpr, or call 397-4131.

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