Elements of Writing

Course Syllabus 2008-2009

Teacher

Ms. Eileen Williams

E-mail

williams@netros.net

Course Description:

Welcome! This course will introduce you to various elements of the English language needed to write a successful essay on a high school level and beyond. We will rely on the basic elements of grammar such as parts of speech, vocabulary, spelling, etc. as well as essay outlines as foundations to a well-written and well-argued essay. In conjunction with the grammar lessons we will write essays by selecting topics formed during class discussion, from our textbook, from research done on the world wide web, and from viewing movies and film clips.

Main Objective:

• The students will express a positive outlook toward and perfect the skill of putting together a well-polished and organized essay by relying on the proper elements of grammar.

Expectations:

• The students will do all assigned reading and writing on or before the deadline.
• The students will actively participate in class discussions, projects, and group work.
• The students will respect each other and the teacher.
• The students will come to class on time and prepared to start.
• The students will abstain from cheating and/or plagiarizing.

Grading Breakdown:

Excellent Good Average Below Average Unsatisfactory

A = 93 - 100% B+ = 87-89% C+ = 77 - 79% D+ = 67 - 69% F = Below 60%

A- = 90 - 92% B = 83 - 86% C = 73 - 76% D = 63 - 66%

B- = 80 - 82% C- = 70 - 72% D- = 60 – 62%

Grading Plan:

Tests: ………………………………….. 20%

Quizzes: ……………………………….. 20%

Essays, compositions, and projects: …… 30%

Homework and in-class assignments: … 20%

In-class attendance and participation: … 10%

100%

Text:

Prentice Hall Writing and Grammar: Communication in Action. Gold Level. Upper Saddle

River: Pearson Education, Inc., 2004.

Course Outline (subject to change):

August-September

· Ch. 1 The Writer in You

· Ch. 16 Nouns and Pronouns

· Standardized Test Preparation Workshop

· Chapter Review

· Test on ch. 1 and ch. 16

· Ch. 2 A Walk Through the Writing Process

· Ch. 17 Verbs

· Standardized Test Preparation Workshop

· Chapter Review

· Test on ch. 2 and ch. 17

· Writing Workshop

October

· Ch. 3 Sentences, Paragraphs, and Compositions

· Ch. 18 Adjectives and Adverbs

· Standardized Test Preparation Workshop

· Chapter Review

· Test on ch. 3 and ch. 18

· Writing Workshop

· Ch. 4 Narration: Autobiographical Writing

· Ch. 19 Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Interjections

· Standardized Test Preparation Workshop

· Autobiography project

November

· Chapter Review

· Test on ch. 4 and ch. 19

· Writing Workshop

· Ch. 5 Narration: Short Story

· Ch. 20 Basic Sentence Parts

· Standardized Test Preparation Workshop

· Chapter Review

· Test on ch. 5 and ch. 20

December

· Ch. 6 Description

· Ch. 21 Phrases and Clauses

· Standardized Test Preparation Workshop

· Chapter Review

· Test on ch. 6 and ch. 21

· Writing Workshop

· Ch. 7 Persuasion: Persuasive Essay

· Ch. 22 Effective Sentences

· Movie

January

· Chapter Review

· Test on ch. 7 and ch. 22

· Ch. 8 Persuasion: Advertisement

· Ch. 23 Verb Usage

· Standardized Test Preparation Workshop

· Advertisement Project

· Chapter Review

· Test on ch. 8 and ch. 23

· Writing Workshop

· Ch. 9 Exposition: Comparison-and-Contrast Essay

· Ch. 23 Pronoun Usage

February

· Standardized Test Preparation Workshop

· Chapter Review

· Test on ch. 9 and ch. 23

· Ch. 10 Exposition: Cause-and-Effect Essay

· Ch. 25 Agreement

· Standardized Test Preparation Workshop

· Movie

· Chapter Review

· Test on ch. 10 and ch. 25

March

· Ch. 11 Exposition: Problem-and-Solution Essay

· Ch. 26 Using Modifiers

· Standardized Test Preparation Workshop

· Chapter Review

· Test on ch. 11 and ch. 26

· Writing Workshop

· Ch. 12 Research: Research Paper

· Ch. 27 Miscellaneous Problems in Usage

· Standardized Test Preparation Workshop

· Chapter Review

April

· Test on ch. 12 and ch. 27

· Writing Workshop

· Ch. 13 Response to Literature

· Ch. 28 Capitalization

· Standardized Test Preparation Workshop

· Movie

· Chapter Review

· Test on ch. 13 and ch. 28

· Ch. 14 Writing for Assessment

· Ch. 29 Punctuation

May

· Standardized Test Preparation Workshop

· Chapter Review

· Test on ch. 14 and ch. 29

· Writing Workshop

· Ch. 15 Workplace Writing

· Ch. 31 Vocabulary and Spelling

· Standardized Test Preparation Workshop

· Chapter Review

· Test on ch. 15 and ch. 31

Some words on PLAGIARISM:

To plagiarize is to “steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (a created production) without crediting the source. To commit literary theft: present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source” (S.E. Van Bramer, Widener University 1995). In other words, “plagiarism is the theft of another’s ideas, specific language, or other media, and the presentation – for the purposes of evaluation – of that material of one’s won, at any stage of the writing process” (UConn Freshman English Program).

• How to avoid plagiarism:

1. Whenever you do research be careful to write down where you got your information from so that you can include that in your in-text citation and works cited page.
2. The best policy for plagiarism is -- Whenever you are unsure if you are passing off someone else’s work as your own, PUT IT IN QUOTATION MARKS and cite the name of the author, page number, or other source information within an parenthesis following the quotation marks.
3. Lastly, if you are not entirely sure if what you include in your paper might constitute plagiarism, NEVER HESITATE TO ASK ME FIRST.