This course requires a WEB CAMERA for Final Grammar Exam & Final Essay

Office Hours: MTWRF 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

OFFICE PHONE 940-397-4246. You can call any time. If I am unable to answer immediately, please leave your name, message, and the number to call you back. My OUTLOOK email will record your VOICE message, alert me to it, and play it back. ZOOM: Make an appointment with me by email. At the agreed-upon time, I will send you the link. IN-PERSON: Make an appointment to meet me in my office.

TWO Required Books:

The Little, Brown Compact Handbook. 10^th ed. Jane E. Aaron & Michael Greer. Pearson. ISBN 978-0-13-557127-9

The Best American Essays 2019. Edited by Rebecca Solnit.

Mariner. ISBN 978-1-328-46580-1 (this book is the most important)

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.

Assignment percentage values:

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

Five Essays – the W’s                                                      50 percent (50 points out of 100)

W1       5%   Enclosed Spaces: Pars. 1-2                            Friday February 3                  

W2      10%   Enclosed Spaces: Pars. 3-4                           Friday February 17

W3      12%  Losing Something                                           Friday March 10

W4      13%   Fitting In                                                       Friday March 31

W5      10%  NOT Fitting In                                                 Friday April 21

Final Grammar Exam         -- 7 PM MAY 4 – 11:59 PM May 5 20 percent (20 points out of 100)

Final Essay –           7 PM May 4 -           11:59 PM May 5                 20 percent (20 points out of 100)

WE NEED OUR BOOKS!

The most important (and of immediate need) Is Best American Essays 2019 (Editor: Rebecca Solnit), published by Mariner. Our handbook is The Little, Brown Compact Handbook (Jane E. Aaron & Michael Greer), published by Pearson; instead of The Little, Brown Compact Handbook, you can use any edition of the LB BRIEF, also published by Pearson. Our campus bookstore is happy to ship books to you—just ask them.

Grading – NO ROUNDING UP

Grading (out of 100): A 100-90; B 89-80; C 79-70; D 69-60; F 59-0 (no rounding up). The late penalty for “W” essays is capped at 10 points out of 100. NOTE: The semester grade is NEVER rounded up to the next letter grade. For instance, a 79.9 is a C, not a B; an 89.9 is a B, not an A. 

FINAL GRAMMAR EXAM and FINAL ESSAY both open at 7:00 PM Thursday May 4; they close as of 11:59 PM Friday May 5. You may take either before the other.

FINAL GRAMMAR EXAM (20 percent of semester grade) 50 multiple choice questions/60 minutes. Requires Respondus Lockdown Browser+Webcam.

FINAL ESSAY (20 percent of semester grade) 3 prompts to choose from/two hours. We use our standard 4-paragraph model, but we are NOT quoting from BEST AMERICAN ESSAY 2019. Requires Respondus Lockdown Broswer+Webcam.

PRE-TEST IN GRAMMAR (Two attempts recommended/NOT for a grade)

Pre-Test (Bank A) is modeled on our Final Grammar Exam. Take first attempt our first week. You might do the SECOND attempt before you study for the Final Grammar Exam.

The Q’s (our QUIZZES) are REQUIRED [review study aid in module & then take Q]

The Quizzes—our Q’s—may be found in CONTENT in their respective modules down the left side. Notice that each quiz module features study aids. At the very least, read the PDF before taking each Q. The old Q’s close and new Q’s open on scheduled Mondays at 10:00 AM (see schedule below). Once Q’s are closed, they cannot be reopened.

GOOD NEWS about the Q’s

Each Q becomes a 100 at the end of the semester, but only if you actually take the Q. Quizzes are NOT extra credit. If you fail to do the Q, the grade for that Q is a “0,” and it will hurt your overall grade.

Writing Assignments (the W’s)

All our writing is the same four-paragraph model (see model in this syllabus). For W1 and W2 we will divide the same four-paragraph essay into two parts: W1 Enclosed Spaces: Pars. 1-2 and W2 Enclosed Spaces: Pars. 3-4..The W essays (W1-W5) must be submitted to their appropriate drop box in order to be evaluated and graded.  

QUICK ACCESS on the NAVIGATION BAR

On the navigation bar, students can click on ASSESSMENT and ASSIGNMENTS for the drop boxes of our W’s, or click on ASSESSMENT and TESTS to find the Quizzes, Practice Exam, Final Grammar Exam, and Final Essay.

THREADS: GETTING MY INPUT PRIOR TO SUBMISSION TO THE DROP BOX

You have the OPTION of receiving my input on your writing BEFORE it is due in the drop box (only if you truly want the input—it is not a requirement). We call this opportunity for my feedback and suggestions a THREAD. It is a paragraph (or two, or three, or four paragraphs) that you type (or copy and paste from your own document) directly into a text box. When you post it, I am informed in OUTLOOK that you would like my input.

The THREAD begins in CONTENT by clicking on the module for DISCUSSIONS

On the navigation bar, click on CONTENT. Then click on the DISCUSSION module. You will see a discussion forum for each “W.” Beside the title of each forum is an arrow. Click on the arrow for VIEW TOPIC. At the end of the TOPIC is the TEXT BOX to submit your paragraph(s) for my input and suggestions. Do not use any attachment function--your work-in-progress must be in the text box in order for me to type my reply and see your writing at the same time.

NOTE ABOUT ORIGINALITY

Students in our class are at liberty to click on a thread and see a student’s work-in-progress with my reply and suggestions. However, students are not allowed to copy-and-paste or adapt each other’s work and represent it as their own.

SUBMISSION TO DROP BOX IS MANDATORY IN ORDER TO BE GRADED

Getting my input in a THREAD is a GOOD idea, but it does not constitute submission for a grade. In order to be graded, the “W” must be submitted to the drop box.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY is when students rely on undocumented sources, whether a printed source (other than our required books) or a human being who writes the essay or part of it on behalf of the student. The grade for that assignment is a “0” and the student can no longer participate, do assignments, or accrue points in the course. If the student does not withdraw, the semester grade is an F.

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 not tolerated, whether intentional or not.

SAFE ZONE: We need to treat each other with respect regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, political beliefs, age, or ability.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. The ADA requires that we accommodate disabilities for which the student has provided paperwork to Disability Support Services in Room 168 of the Clark Student Center (397-4140).

What follows is our four-paragraph model:

Paragraph 1 needs these components:

Answer-to-prompt and the "because" give us the overall idea (first person plural "We"). 1 sentence.

Supporting idea 1 will be the topic idea of paragraph two (“we”).1 sentence: e.g., Breakfast in the kitchen is what ushers us from the dreamland of our comfy beds into the challenges of the real world.

Preview of example 1 for par. 2 and one of its sensory details (first person singular “I” or “my”). 1 sentence: e.g., mother’s kitchen for breakfast—taste of homemade bread.

Supporting idea 2 will be the topic idea of paragraph three ("We"). 1 sentence: e.g., Dinnertime in the kitchen is what calls us home from the world.

Preview of example 2 for par. 3 and one of its sensory details (“I” or “my”). 1 sentence: e.g., mother’s kitchen for dinner—the smell of her pot roast.

LAST SENTENCE of PARAGRAPH ONE: THESIS SENTENCE– Here is the “because” of the answer-to-the-prompt but without the word “because” (the THESIS may be refined and improved, but it has the same meaning as the reason—the "because"—in the first sentence of the paragraph).

NOTE: Use “we” for universals (supporting/topic ideas); use the singular (“I” or “my”) for description of examples. Do NOT use “you” for anything.

Paragraph 2 needs these components:

Topic idea restates and explains the first supporting idea ("We") – 1 or 2 sentences: e.g., We need a place that launches us into the world. The kitchen is where breakfast prepares us to venture forth. Provide the context for the first example previewed in par. 1 ("I" is fine)—1 or 2 sentences: e.g., I will never forget how my mother’s breakfast gave me a reason to get up in the morning. THEN we need sustained DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE ONE in THREE respects (e.g., beginning, middle, and end)—use of “I” and “my.” Use “sensory” details: e.g., onions and peppers sizzled on the grill. SENSORY details paint a picture in sight, sound, physical action, texture, taste, and even smell. TRY TO BRING IN MORE THAN ONE PHYSICAL SENSES. Strive for a SUSTAINED description of at least three sentences—that’s our minimum. Description SHOWS (it does not tell)—we infer your meaning from the details of your description. I am hoping for more than just three sentences.

Paragraph 3 needs these components:

Provide 1 or 2 sentences for the Topic idea ("We"), which restates and explains supporting point 2: e.g., We need a place to come home to in the evening after our foray into the world. The kitchen is what beckons us home. Then introduce the required author from Best American Essays 2019. Put the title of the essay in quotation marks. Explain (better yet describe) the author’s scenario in your own words prior to the quote. Quote from the designated essay in BEST AMERICAN ESSAYS 2019 and provide a parenthetical page. For W2 use either Camille Dungy (70-76) or Elizabeth Kolbert (124-130) in our BEST AMERICAN ESSAYS 2019 book. Here is the model: Camille T. Dungy in her essay “Is All Writing Environmental Writing?” makes the point that the in-between is where nature has a chance to grab hold of us, change us, and make us more like her—more free. As a youngster, Camille eluded her neighbor’s scary Dobermans by climbing above her neighborhood cul-de-sac and venturing along an undeveloped hillside of overgrown weeds, precarious rock outcroppings, and imposing, scraggly trees. She was always in sight of her home, but the hillside terrain felt like untamed wilderness: “On that little-traveled path, I was free from the tensions of my built environment. I could be like the landscape in the hills beyond our house—a little wild and moderately protected” (71). [Note: Don't use my quote -- pick a different quote.] Paragraph 3 is not over! After the quote, provide the context of the second example previewed (1 or 2 sentences with “I” or “my”) in par. 1: e.g., I remember my mother’s kitchen as a place where we all came home in the evening to gather around the dinner table. Describe the example’s experience with sensory details, starting with the description you previewed in paragraph one. We need SUSTAINED description in at least THREE respects (e.g., beginning, middle, and end)—use “I” or “my.” The minimum would be at least three sentences.

Paragraph 4 (four to five sentences) needs these components:

Start with a NEW sensory detail for the example you developed in either par. 2 or par. 3 (first person “I” or “my” – first two or three sentences) and close with a “we” relevant thought (e.g., a variation on your THESIS sentence at the end of paragraph one—one or two sentences).  

DAILY SCHEDULE

Tuesday January 17 – Friday February 3:

W1 Enclosed Spaces: Pars. 1-2.

Do the Pre-Test and Quiz 1 (Q1). Both Pre-Test for Grammar and Q1 are open as of Tuesday January 17; Q1 will close by 10:00 AM Monday January 30. Q1: See LB BRIEF CH 21 Parts of Speech; LB CH 22 The sentence; LB 24 Sentence Types. Q’s 2,3,4 will open 10:00 AM Monday January 30 and close as of 10:00 AM February 13.

Prompt for W1 & W2 Enclosed Spaces: What do our enclosed spaces say about us? What makes them meaningful? An enclosed space can be any contained area in your experience: your kitchen (or your parents’), your back porch, your garden, your bedroom at home, your dormitory, a collage of pictures, office—even a drawer in a desk.

For my input: in DISCUSSIONS, click on the arrow beside the title of W1; click on VIEW TOPIC. Here will be the textbox for typing or copying and pasting your paragraph(s).

DUE DATE: W1 Enclosed Spaces Pars. 1-2 is due in the drop box before 11:59 PM Friday February 3. The drop box will accept LATE work, but it will be penalized. The penalty is capped at minus 10 points out of 100.

Monday February 6 – Friday February 17.

W2 Enclosed Spaces: Pars. 3-4.

Do the Q’s! Quizzes 2, 3, and 4 open 10:00 AM Monday January 30 & close 10 AM Monday February 13. Q2 Phrases, clauses, fragments – See LB 23 Phrases/Clauses; LB 35 Fragments. Q3 Comma Splices, fused run-on – See LB 36 Comma splices/run-on syntax. Q’s 5, 6, 7 open as of 10:00 AM Monday February 13.

NOTE: In each quiz module are study aids including the PDF. At the very least, study the module’s PDF before taking the Q and that way prepare for the Final Grammar Exam.

Discussion Forum and Topic W2 Enclosed Spaces Pars. 3-4.

In CONTENT go the module for DISCUSSIONS and open the Discussion forum for W2. Click on arrow next to title for View Topic. For par. 3 please quote from ONE of these two essays in BEST AMERICAN 2019: Camille T. Dungy, “Is All Writing Environmental Writing?” (pp. 70-76) or Elizabeth Kolbert, “How to Write about a Vanishing World” (pp. 124-130). Par. 3: After topic idea (and prior to quote), indicate author, title of essay, and describe in your words the relevant scenario in the essay. After the quote, provide description in three respects of your own personal 2^nd example previewed in paragraph one—just like you did for the first example in par. 2. Par. 4 (no more than 5 sentences, please): Start with three sentences of descriptive details, pivoting from either your first or second example (using “I”). Conclude (one or two sentences) by revisiting your THESIS and refining it further (use “we” here in the last sentence or two).

For my input: in DISCUSSIONS, click on the arrow beside the title of W2; click on VIEW TOPIC. Here will be the textbox for typing or copying and pasting your paragraph(s).

DUE DATE: W2 Enclosed Spaces Pars. 3-4 due in the drop box before 11:59 PM February 17. The drop box will accept LATE work, but it will be penalized. The penalty is capped at minus 10 points out of 100.

Monday February 14 – Monday March 7:

W3 Losing Something.

Do the Q’s! Quizzes 5, 6, 7 open 10:00 AM Monday February 13 & close 10:00 AM Monday March 6. Q5 Pronoun Agreement & Q6 Pronoun Case. See LB 30, 31, 32. Q7 Commas. See LB 39. In CONTENT see modules for the Quizzes; study the PDF before taking the Quiz. Q’s 8, 9, 10 open as of 10:00 AM Monday March 6.

Prompt for W3 Losing Something: (Now we do all four paragraphs in one essay.) How does loss make our lives meaningful? In paragraph three, be sure to quote from J. Drew Lanham, “Forever Gone” (pp. 131-144, see esp. pp. 131-33, 136-42). PAR. THREE: After the topic idea (and prior to the quote), indicate author, title of essay, and describe in your words the situation in the essay. After the quote, provide description in three respects of your 2^nd example—just like you did for the first example in par. 2.

Discussion Forum and Topic for W3 Losing Something. Read the forum. Click on View Topic (by the forum title) and read the topic. Suggestion: Send Dr. Fields a thread. You can put all four paragraphs in one thread, or send one or two paragraphs at a time. 

DUE DATE: W3 Losing Something is due in the drop box before 11:59 PM Friday March 10. The drop box will accept LATE work, but it will be penalized. The penalty is capped at minus 10 points out of 100.

Monday March 13 – Monday March 31:

W4 Fitting In

Do the Q’s! Quizzes 8, 9, 10 open 10:00 AM Monday March 6 & close 10:00 AM Monday April 3. Q8 Colons & semicolons - see LB 40 & 41. Q9 Parallelism – see LB 16. Q10 Apostrophes – see LB 42 and LB 43. In CONTENT see the modules for the quizzes; study the PDF in each module before taking the quiz.

Prompt for W4 Fitting In: Why is it so important for us to fit in? In paragraph 3, be sure to quote from either Lacy M. Johnson, "On Likability" (pp. 105-112; see esp. 105-106) OR Walter Johnson, "Guns in the Family" (pp. 113-123; see esp. 113-15, 116-17, 117-18, 120-22). PAR. THREE: After topic idea (prior to quote), indicate author, title of essay, and describe in your words the relevant scenario in author’s essay. After the quote, provide description in three respects of your 2^nd example—just like you did for the first example in par. 2.

Discussion Forum and Topic for W4 Fitting In. Click on View topic (by the forum title). Suggestion: Start a thread.

DUE DATE: W4 Fitting In due in the drop box before 11:59 PM Friday March 31. The drop box will accept LATE work, but it will be penalized. The penalty is capped at minus 10 points out of 100.

Monday April 3 – Friday April 21:

W5 Not Fitting in

Prompt for W5 Not Fitting In: Why is failing to fit in sometimes a good thing? In paragraph three, be sure to quote from Kai Minosh Pyle, “Autobiography of an Iceheart” (pp. 176-188). PAR. THREE: After the topic idea (and prior to the quote), indicate author, title of essay, and describe in your words the situation in the essay. After the quote, provide description in three respects of your 2^nd example—just like you did for the first example in par. 2.

Discussion Forum and Topic for W5 Not Fitting In (may not be so bad). Suggestion: start a thread.

DUE DATE: W5 NOT Fitting in due in the drop box before 11:59 PM Friday April 21. The drop box will accept LATE work, but it will be penalized. The penalty is capped at minus 10 points out of 100.

Monday April 24 – Friday May 5: Final Exams

Monday April 24: Practice Question for Requires Respondus Lockdown + Webcam.

In CONTENT click on the module for Practice Exam—it’s just ONE question (very brief).

Thursday May 4: Final Grammar Exam opens at 7:00 PM; closes Friday May 5 at 11:59 PM - 50 multiple choice/60 minutes. Requires Respondus Lockdown Browser + Webcam: In CONTENT see module for Final Grammar Exam or go to ASSESSMENTS on navigation bar & click on TESTS.

Thursday May 4: Final Essay opens at 7:00 PM; closes Friday May 5 at 11:59 PM - choice of 3 prompts/2 hours. Requires Respondus Lockdown Browser + Webcam: In CONTENT see module for Final Essay or go to ASSESSMENTS on navigation bar & click on TESTS.

GRADING RUBRIC

Each of the five categories is measured according to a range of five levels of strength: failing (50), passing (66), satisfactory (76), good (86), and excellent (96). For an “A” the essay needs to be EXCELLENT in most of the five categories. Most grades tend towards “C” because it is possible a “good” in one category could be dragged below “satisfactory” by a rating of merely “passing” in a different category. A “B” grade overall means the essay may have had a “C” for two of the categories but also broke out with a couple of “good” ratings—even an “excellent” in one of the categories. The rubric has a floor or safety net because a “failing” in all five categories is still a “50” overall.

[1] Introduction: Par.1 starts with answer to prompt w. because; offers two supporting ideas; after each supporting idea, previews an example with a sensory detail we will see again when the student describes the example in at least three respects. Ends w. THESIS sentence.

[2] Topic idea at start of pars. 2 and 3. Explains the relevant supporting idea as topic idea at the beginning of the paragraph. 

[3] Example in pars. 2 & 3: Provides description of example (previewed in paragraph one) with dynamic sensory details in at least three respects. Proficient in standard English. Phrasing is mostly effective.

[4] The third paragraph uses something from the required essay in BEST AMERICAN ESSAY 2019 after the topic idea and provides quote just before the 2nd example’s description in three respects. After topic idea and before the quote, the student cites author and designated essay from our book, describes author’s scenario in student’s words, and then cites a significant quote. Provides parenthetical page after quote.

[5] Conclusion starts with a new descriptive detail (based on par. 2 or 3) and closes with a relevant thought (perhaps a variation on the THESIS sentence at the end of paragraph one).

COMMENTS: Here is where I might comment on something that stood out to me and/or offer a suggestion for the next assignment.

SAMPLE: Let us say someone did not provide most of the components in paragraph one. That would be a 50 for the first category. Let us also suppose the student achieved in the SATISFACTORY range for the other categories except category 3 (description of example). For category 3, the student went much higher—reaching the EXCELLENT column. That would be 70 overall for the assignment. It should be noted that the entire rubric adds up to only 96. I am at liberty to add FOUR points if one the categories achieves an EXCELLENT rating. The highest possible grade for this assignment would be a 74 – a letter grade of “C.”

In D2L Class Progress indicates the most recent date that students have logged into the course. I do NOT have an attendance penalty, but the university tracks attendance for Financial Aid purposes. I use class progress (log-in history) in D2L for all reporting.

LATE WORK is accepted by D2L.The penalty is 10 points out of 100. 

The late penalty for our W’s is capped at minus 10 points. If students fall behind with a “W,” they can go back and make it up; they must submit all late work prior to 11:59 PM Monday May 8.

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.

Senate Bill 11 passed by the 84th Texas Legislature allows licensed handgun holders to carry concealed handguns on campus, effective August 1, 2016. Areas excluded from concealed carry are appropriately marked, in accordance with state law. For more information regarding campus carry, please refer to the University’s webpage at https://msutexas.edu/campus-carry/rules-policies.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact MSU Chief of Police at police@msutexas.edu.