Welcome to English 101!

This course is designed to help students acquire the skills they will need for academic success.  They will learn to produce essays that are clear, concise, and unified.  The writing process is emphasized.  Students write a papers both out of class, at least one of which requires outside sources and documentation, and in class.  Near the end of the course, students will complete a final in-class essay which will be evaluated by the English Department to assess the writer's preparedness to move on to other college-level writing.  

Course Objectives:  Students will

1.  use prewriting strategies to choose and narrow a topic, to generate and organize ideas, and to plan an essay,

2. draft an essay that expresses a main point and provides detailed development and support for that point,

3.  revise writing to achieve coherence, unity, and clarity,

4.  edit writing to correct mechanical errors,

5.  produce finished essays which express a main point, provide detailed development, clearly communicate ideas, and come to an effective closure.  The essays will also follow the rules of standard written American English.

6.  critique their own writing and the writing of others,

7.  use research procedures to produce a documented paper using MLA format,

8. write successful essays within the confines of a time limit,

9.  exhibit the ability to think critically and analytically and to reason logically in their writing,

10.  recognize that composition skills from this course apply to other writing situations and enhance life-long learning.

Required texts and materials for Fall 2010:

1.  composition handbook:  A Writer's Reference by D. Hacker, 2009 edition

2.  an instructor-created notes packet-- available in the CCC Bookstore

2.  a thumb/flash drive for storing electronic copies of your work

3.  a folder or notebook for notes, handouts, and returned papers

4.  a folder to serve as your writing portfolio (I'll provide this, but you are responsible for maintaining and hanging on to it.)

5.  writing supplies:  plenty of pens, pencils, paper