Course: English 120 - Critical
Fall 2009
Contact hours: 3 Credit
hours: 3
Instructor: R. Reese
Office: Room 512 Office
hours: M ___ T ___ W ___ Th ___ F
___
Telephone: 562-4151
E-Mail: Randy.Reese@clinton.edu
REQUIRED TEXTS
Current
Issues and Enduring Questions, 8th. Ed.
A
dictionary
COURSE
DESCRIPTION
This
course is designed to enhance students' reading comprehension and analytical
abilities in a variety of academic areas and to develop skills in evaluating
oral and written material. The
course focuses on the analysis of logic and evidence. The course is designed to
strengthen critical thinking and communication skills through written critiques
of expository prose. The course
builds general knowledge through interactive reading across disciplines
regarding contemporary issues.
PREREQUISITES:
Placement, the successful completion of Eng 093, or exemption from the Placement
Test on the basis of a standardized test such as SAT or ACT
CO-REQUISITE:
Upon
successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
·
identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments as they occur in their own or
other’s work, and
·develop
well-reasoned arguments.
COURSE
OBJECTIVES
Upon
successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
·determine
main ideas and support,
·
identify claims for arguments,
·distinguish
between logical and fallacious reasoning,
·integrate
information from two or more essays and use the information
to form their own opinions,
·integrate
information from essays and their own knowledge
and experience, and
·write
well-reasoned arguments.
COURSE
METHODS
This
course will be taught through a combination of lectures, discussions, in-class
and assigned exercises, cooperative activities, and writing.
Class participation is important to the success of this course.
GRADING
Assessment
will be based on class participation, worksheets and short writings, and
original essays developed from analyzing and reacting to assigned readings.
Homework - 10
Class participation - 10 percent
Tests and quizzes - 40 percent
Short writings and essays - 40
To
equate letter grades with percentage points, you may use the following guide:
A = 95-100
A-
= 92
B+ = 88
B = 85
B-
= 82
C+ = 78
C = 75
C-
= 72
D+ = 68
D = 65
D-
= 62
F = no credit
In
all courses, students’ work is evaluated for effectiveness, as well as
content. The writing must express
ideas clearly, logically, and maturely, using Standard English sentence
structure, grammar, and spelling. Students
must acknowledge all sources of information by following standard citation
format.
ATTENDANCE
POLICY
Attendance
is required by the college and is vital to the successful completion of this
course. College policy states that a
student who is absent for more than 15% of class meetings is considered
non-attending and may be involuntarily withdrawn from the course. Because class
participation is important and new material may be presented each session,
students must attend every class. Excess
absence (more than three classes) may result in a lowered grade or automatic
withdrawal from the class. If you
must be out for more than three classes, you should conference with me about
your progress in this course. If you
are more than five minutes late for class, you may be marked absent for the day.
GRACE
PERIOD
We
all sometimes have difficulty keeping up with our work.
A limited number of assignments may be accepted up to one week after the
due dates if you conference with me about your situation.
An
assignment will be considered late unless you:
-Send the assignment with someone else in the class
-Deliver the assignment to me in person prior to class
-Put the work under my office door prior to class
-Receive permission to e-mail the work to me prior to class
MAKE-UP
WORK
If
you must be absent on the day of a quiz or an in-class writing, you must make
arrangements with me to do the make-up work.
Quizzes, tests, and in-class essays should be made up within one week of
the original due date. Responsibility
for your progress and achievement is something we share.
COURSE CONTINUITY PLAN
In the case that the college officially closes because of an
emergency which causes a short term disruption of this course, we will utilize
email to continue this course in the short term (1-3 weeks). All students
need to utilize their campus email to receive course-related information.
INDIVIDUAL
ASSISTANCE
If
you would like individual help outside of class, speak to me after class so that
arrangements can be made. If you
have, or suspect you have, any type of disability or learning problem that may
require extra assistance or special accommodations, please see me privately
after class or during my office hours as soon as possible, so I can help you
obtain any assistance you may need to successfully complete this course.
We will try to make any arrangements that may be required so that we can
both achieve our goals in this course.
DIVERSITY
The
college community includes people with diverse patterns of thinking, feeling,
and behaving due to cultural differences. These
differences will be valued and respected in all class activities.
The
primary responsibility for managing the classroom environment rests with the
faculty. Students who engage in any prohibited or unlawful acts that result in
the disruption of a class may be directed by the faculty member to leave the
class for the remainder of the class period.
This may count as an absence for the day.
For example, cell phones should be turned off and out of sight before a
class begins. If you are
multitasking, you are not giving your full attention to the class, the
instructor, and your classmates. Students should not talk while the professor is
talking or while a student is offering a response during a class discussion.
Students should not move around the room or leave the room during the
class period unless it is absolutely necessary.
Please take care of your personal needs prior to class.
Actions that distract other students or your instructor interfere with
the education of your classmates.
In
general,
-stay involved in what is going on during class,
-don’t interfere with your classmates’ right to pay attention and
learn,
-and don’t interfere with the instructor’s right to teach.
ACADEMIC
HONESTY
It
is not academically honest to misrepresent another's work as your own; to take
credit for someone else's words or ideas; to accept help on a quiz, test, or
assignment when you are expected to work independently; to obtain advance
information on confidential test or quiz materials; or to act in a way that
might harm another student’s chance for academic success.
A student who does not maintain academic honesty will receive a failing
grade, either for the assignment or for the course, depending on the severity of
the offense. For a second offense, a
student may be dismissed form the College.
TENTATIVE
ORDER FOR ASSIGNED
“Let’s
Put Pornography Back in the Closet”
“On
Racist Speech”
“Protecting
Freedom of Expression on the Campus”
“Own
This Child”
“Letter
from
“Bring
Back Flogging”
“Just
Take Away Their Guns”
“The
Case for Torture”
“I
Want a Wife”
“Death
and Justice: How Capital Punishment Affirms Life”
“The
Death Penalty”
“Famine,
Affluence, and Morality”
“Lifeboat
Ethics”
“’Moral
Suicide,’ a la Wolfe”
“Intelligent
Design”
“Design
for Living”
“Drug
Policy and the Intellectuals”
“There’s
No Justice in the War on Drugs”
“Toward
a Policy on Drugs”
“The
Reasonable Woman Standard”
“Cultural
Fascism”
“Gay
Marriages: Make Them Legal”
“Gay
Marriage: An Oxymoron”
“In
the Pursuit of Happiness”
“Inner
Contentment”
“The
Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”