Please note: This course format is available at the URL shown at the bottom of the page.  All essay topics, plus other important materials I'll give out in class over the course of the semester, will be posted to that Web address. 

Instructor: Dr. Stephen doCarmo
Office: Penn 131 
Hours: MWF 1:00-2:00; F 1:00-4:00 
Phone: 215-968-8267 
E-mail: docarmos@bucks.edu 

Required Texts
Signs of Life in the USA, 5th ed, edited by Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon.

Writing Intensive: Essential College Writers, by Elaine Maimon and Janice Peritz.  (This is BCCC's official English handbook.)

Catalog Course Description
English Composition I emphasizes the systematic study of writing effective expository prose and argumentation, stressing development and support of a clear thesis. Essays must demonstrate careful thinking, ability to synthesize sources, and must employ appropriate diction, sentence sense, and standard organizational strategies. Reading assignments will provide models of good writing and support for student compositions. 

Prerequisites
Writing Placement Test Score of 6 or higher or a grade of C or better in COMP107: Introduction to Rhetorical Skills. 

Learning Goals (as stated by Bucks' Language and Literature Department)
English Composition I has two primary concerns: 

(1) improving writing skills in multi-paragraph compositions and 
(2) developing critical thinking skills through reading, discussion, analysis, and application of substantive expository prose and argumentation essays. 

Methods
Classes will consist of small-group discussions, big-group (or whole-class) discussions, small- and big-group writing workshops, occasional video viewings, and one-on-one conferences with me, your instructor. 

Course Requirements
There are four.  Here they are: 

1. You'll need to write four "at-home" essays, one for each of the four reading units we'll do from Signs of Life.  These essays will be at least three pages long each and will need to demonstrate the qualities of good writing agreed upon by Bucks' Language and Literature Department: unity, coherence, good organization, varied sentence structure, proper punctuation, clarity and economy of usage, proper diction, and proper grammar.  We'll discuss these qualities in class before you start drafting your essays. 

I'll give you written instructions for each of these essays, but those instructions will be broad and interpretable enough to let you do your own thinking rather than just reciting back information and ideas familiar to you from class discussions.  And demonstrating your own insightful thinking is, as much as anything else, what you'll have to do to earn high grades on these essays. 

I'll put written comments on each of your at-home essays and give them A-F grades, with "plus" and "minus" grades possible.  Due dates for final and rough drafts are on the course schedule at the end of this format. 

2. You'll write three in-class essays, each of them several paragraphs long and each pertaining to one of the final three reading units we'll do from Signs of Life.  Like the "at home" essays, these will need to demonstrate the qualities of good writing agreed upon by Bucks' Language and Literature Department and must be composed in response to written instructions I'll give you at the beginnings of the class periods in which they're written. 

I'll put written comments on each of your in-class essays and give them A-F grades, with "plus" and "minus" grades possible.  The dates on which you'll write these essays are on the course schedule at the end of this format. 

Please note that you need to get a passing grade ("C" or better) on at least one of your in-class essays to pass the course. 

3.  You'll need to take roughly ten unannounced reading quizzes on the assigned readings.  They'll be short (five questions each), they'll be given at the very start of class meetings, and they'll focus on key ideas and information from the readings.  I won't be looking to see if you memorized minutiae from the readings' footnotes; I'll just be checking to see that you've read carefully enough to get the readings' major claims and ideas.  So read reasonably carefully before each class, with the TV and phone switched off, and you'll do fine on these. 

I'll grade each of your quizzes on a 1-5 scale.  Get all five questions right and you'll get a "5," or an A, basically.  A "4" is a B, a "3" is a C, a "2" is a D, and a "1" is an F. 

At the end of the semester, I'll drop your lowest quiz grade before averaging the others. 

4.  You'll need to participate in class.  If you come to class regularly, on time, and prepared; participate in whatever in-class activities I've devised for that day; and are respectful to me and your classmates, your reading-quiz grade will be your participation grade.  If you don't do the aforementioned things, I reserve the right to adjust your reading-quiz grade to reflect the overall quality of your class participation as I see it. 

Grade Distribution 
Your first and second "at home" essays are each worth 15% of your final grade.
Your third and fourth "at home" essays are each worth 20% of your final grade.
Your first and second in-class essays are each worth 5% of your final grade.
Your third in-class essay is worth 10% of your final grade.
Your reading quizzes (the average of which I may adjust to reflect the overall quality of your class participation) are collectively worth 10% of your final grade.

Attendance
You get four free skips, "excused" or "unexcused" doesn't matter.  After that, your final grade for the course falls a half letter-grade per absence (from a C+ to a C, for instance, or from a C to a D+, since there are no "minus" final grades at Bucks). 

Since I don't distinguish between excused and unexcused absences, you shouldn't burn all your skips thinking it'll be okay to miss more classes later should you get sick or have an emergency!  Your four skips are for sickness and emergency. So budget them wisely. 

Please don't vanish from class for extended periods of time (more than two classes in a row) without getting in touch with me! 

Also, be sure to come to class on time.  Not only might you miss reading quizzes given at the start of the hour if you're late, but I'll count three late arrivals as an absence. 

Rewrites
You may rewrite two of your four "at-home" essays and one of your three in-class essays to improve their grades by up to one full letter grade.  If you do a rewrite, you'll need to 

a. turn in the revision within seven days of your getting back the original graded essay, 
b. give back to me with the revision the original graded essay, and 
c. make significant improvements!  Simply re-arranging a few words or fixing some punctuation won't earn you a higher grade.

Please note that while essays turned in late can be re-written, the penalty for lateness never goes away (see the next item). 

Late Work
You may submit any of your at-home essays late at a penalty of one half-letter grade per weekday. 

In-class essays can't be turned in late.  If there's any reason, then, why you won't be able to attend class on a day for which an in-class essay is scheduled, be sure to get in touch with me before that class period, so we can make other arrangements. 

You can't make up missed reading quizzes, since it wouldn't be fair to people who had to take them on time.  If you can't be in class on a day you suspect a quiz will be given, call me in my office sometime before class that day (215-968-8267), and I'll let you take the quiz over the phone.  Please note, though, that doing this won't erase the absence. 

Skipping Assignments 
Sorry, but you can't. All of the writing assignments (the four at-home essays and the three in-class ones) must be submitted to me -- otherwise you can't receive a passing grade for the course. 

Back-up Copies 
You must -- must! -- save copies for yourself of every essay you turn in to me.  That way, in the highly unlikely event I lose one of your essays, you can re-submit it to me the moment we realize it's missing.  (In other words, "You lost my only copy" isn't a valid excuse for missing an assignment!) 

Cell Phones
Cell phones should be switched off before class!  Not even silent texting is okay.  If you're in the midst of some emergency that will require you to use your phone during class time, please (1) let me know about it before class starts, and (2) leave the room to use the phone. 

Tutoring 
If you need help with a writing assignment for this course, please work with either me or someone in the Tutoring Center (Library 121). 

If you'd like to listen to the advice of a friend, family member, or classmate who's read a rough draft of yours, that's fine -- great, even.  But nobody besides me or a Bucks tutor should help you actually compose an essay for this course.  Please talk to me if you're confused about what constitutes too much help from other people. 

Special Needs 
If you have a documented learning problem requiring you to have extra time on quizzes and/or in-class essays, please let me know about it at the start of the semester, so we can make arrangements for whatever you need. 

Plagiarism 
This is from the College Catalog:

The expectation at Bucks County Community College is that the principles of truth and honesty will be rigorously followed in all academic endeavors.  This assumes that all the work will be done by the person who purports to do the work without unauthorized aids.  In addition, when making use of language, information and some ideas not his or her own, whether quoting them directly or paraphrasing them in his or her own words, the student must attribute the source of the material in some standard form, such as naming the source in the text or offering a footnote.

Core Curriculum Goals & Objectives 
COLLEGE LEVEL WRITING I 

Goals
Upon completion of College Writing Level I, students will: 
1. use the knowledge and skills they have developed to be critical thinkers and curious learners who dare to think, ask questions, and support what they say; 
2. apply successfully College Level Writing I skills/concepts to college writing in various disciplines, on the job, and in daily activities; 
3. apply proper strategies, concepts, guidelines, grammar, and English language fundamentals to produce well-organized, well-written academic prose. 

Objectives 
Upon completion of College Writing Level I, students will be able to: 
1. identify and prepare well-written academic and/or business communications organized appropriately for the situation and the audience (2,3); 
2. demonstrate critical thinking skills such as synthesis, analysis, or argument, when writing or when analyzing all forms of written communication (1); 
3. locate, articulate, and develop a central idea for any written communication (2,3); 
4. tailor academic and/[or] professional prose for a culturally diverse audience (2); 
5. eliminate stereotyping and gender bias from all written communication (3); 
6. revise documents by editing for content, organization, style, readability, mechanics, and format (3); 
7. articulate requirements for academic integrity and apply appropriate methods for citing and documentation (3). 

CRITICAL THINKING AND READING 

Goals 
Upon completion of College Writing Level I, students will: 
1. identify the explicit and implied features of a communication, especially in arguments that put forth a conclusion (Analysis skills); 
2. integrate and/or combine knowledge from multiple sources to create new knowledge (Synthesis); 
3. assess the credibility of a communication and the strength of claims and arguments (Evaluation Skills); 
4. reason from what they know to form new knowledge, draw conclusions, solve problems, explain, decide, and/or predict (Inductive and/or Deductive Reasoning Skills); 
5. communicate and justify clearly the results of their reasoning. (Presenting Arguments Skills). 

Objectives 
Upon completion of College Writing Level I, students will be able to: 
1. identify the ideas presented and assess the interests, attitudes, or views contained in those ideas (1); 
2. identify the main conclusion of an argument (1); 
3. determine if the conclusion is supported with reasons and identify those that are stated or implied (1); 
4. demonstrate deductive and/or inductive reasoning (2); 
5. determine if an argument makes sense (3); 
6. determine if an argument rests on false, biased, or doubtful assumptions (3); 
7. list alternatives and consider their pros and cons, including their plausibility and practicality, when making decisions or solving problems (4); 
8. present an argument succinctly in such a way as to convey the crucial point of an issue (5); 
9. cite relevant evidence and experiences to support position(s) (5). 

COOPERATIVE EFFORTS: GROUP PROCESSES 

Goals 
Upon completion of College Writing Level I, students will: 
1. value cooperative work as a way to accomplish task goals; 
2. be open to possibilities. 

Objectives 
Upon completion of College Writing Level I, students will be able to: 
1. identify and practice elements of effective group process (1); 
2. practice effective small group communication skills (2). 
 

Course Schedule
All readings listed below are from Signs of Life in the USA, which you should bring to class every day! 

Scan for underlined items below if you want to know due-dates for important assignments. 

Wed. Jan. 21: Introduction to the course. We'll go over the course format, and I'll collect a writing sample from you. 

Mon. Jan. 26: We'll begin Reading Unit 1, "Video Dreams: Television, Music, and Cultural Forms" by discussing Francine Prose's "Voting Democracy off the Island: Reality TV and the Republican Ethos" (pg. 222) and Anita Creamer's "Reality TV Meets Plastic Surgery" (pg. 229). 
Wed. Jan. 28: This is the day we lost to snow. 

Mon. Feb. 2: Discussion of Rick Pieto and Kelly Otter's "The Osbournes: Genre, Reality TV, and the Domestication of Rock 'n' Roll" (232) and Carl Matheson's "The Simpsons, Hyper-Irony, and the Meaning of Life" (pg. 250). 
Wed. Feb. 4: Discussion of Steven Stark's "The Oprah Winfrey Show and the Talk-Show Furor" (pg. 263) and Gwendolyn Pough's "Women, Rap, Wreck" (pg. 275).

Mon. Feb. 9: Discussion of Andy Medhurst's "Batman, Deviance, and Camp" (pg. 753).  We'll also spend some time doing fact-finding for your first "at home" essay, instructions for which I'll give out on this date. 
Wed. Feb. 11: Class replaced by one-on-one draft-developing conferences with me.  I'll have passed around a sign-up sheet before this date. 

Mon. Feb. 16: Draft of at-home essay 1 due.  Small- and big-group workshopping on drafts. We'll also begin Reading Unit 2: "Constructing Race: Readings in Multicultural Semiotics" by discussing Michael Omi's "In Living Color: Race and American Culture" (pg. 549).
Wed. Feb. 18: Final draft of at-home essay 1 due, with all drafts, freewrites, critiques, etc.  We'll also discuss Leon Wynter's "Marketing in Color" (pg. 561) and Jack Lopez's "Of Cholos and Surfers" (pg. 597). 

Mon. Feb. 23: Discussion of Benjamin Demott's "Put on a Happy Face: Masking the Differences Between Blacks and Whites" (pg. 567) and Paul C. Taylor's "Funky White Boys and Honorary Soul Sisters" (pg. 578).  We'll also spend some time prepping for Wednesday's in-class essay.
Wed. Feb. 25: In-class essay 1 due.  You'll write it in class on this day.

Mon. Mar. 2: This is the second day we lost to snow.
Wed. Mar. 4: Discussion of Nell Bernstein's "Goin' Gangsta, Choosin' Cholita" (pg. 604) and bell hooks' "Baby" (pg. 610).  I'll also bring you the instructions for your second "at home" essay on this day.

Mon. Mar. 9: Discussion of Fan Shen's "The Classroom and the Wider Culture" (pg. 619).  We'll also do some warm-up exercises for the second at-home essay. 
Wed. Mar. 11: Draft of at-home essay 2 due. Small- and big-group workshopping on drafts.  We'll also begin Reading Unit 3: "We've Come A Long Way, Maybe: Gender Codes in American Culture" by discussing Mariah Burton Nelson's "I Won. I'm Sorry" (pg. 439). 

SPRING BREAK

Mon. Mar. 23: Final draft of at-home essay 2 due, along with all drafts, outlines, peer critiques, etc.  We'll also discuss Joan Morgan's "Sex, Lies, and Videos" (pg. 496) and Deborah Tannen's "There Is No Unmarked Woman" (pg. 499). 
Wed. Mar. 25: Discussion of Aaron Devor's "Gender Role Behaviors and Attitudes" (pg. 458).  We'll also spend this day prepping for Monday's in-class essay. 

Mon. Mar. 30: In-class essay 2 due.  You'll write it in class on this day. 
Wed. Apr. 1: Discussion of Kevin Jennings' "American Dreams" (pg. 464) and Sean Cahill's "The Case for Marriage Equality" (pg. 469). 

Mon. Apr. 6: Discussion of James William Gibson's "Warrior Dreams" (pg. 504). We'll also do some fact-finding for your third "at home" essay, written instructions for which I'll give you on this date. 
Wed. Apr. 8: Class replaced by one-on-one draft-developing conferences with me.  I'll have passed around a sign-up sheet before this date. 

Mon. Apr. 13: Draft of at-home essay 3 due.  Small- and big-group workshopping on drafts. We'll also begin Reading Unit 4: "American Paradox: Culture and Contradiction in the USA" by discussing David Brooks' "One Nation, Slightly Divisible" (pg. 388).
Wed. Apr. 15: Final draft of at-home essay 3 due, along with all drafts, outlines, peer critiques, etc.  Discussion of Anna Quindlen's "A Quilt of a Country" (pg. 397) and Thomas Frank's "Countercultural Consumerism" (pg. 136). 

Mon. Apr. 20: Discussion of Gregg Easterbrook's "The Progress Paradox" (pg. 400).  We'll also spend some time getting ready for Wednesday's in-class essay. 
Wed. Apr. 22: In-class essay 3 due.  You'll write it in class on this day. 

Mon. Apr. 27: Discussion of Jack Solomon's "Masters of Desire" (pg. 409) and Alfred Lubrano's "The Shock of Education: How College Corrupts" (pg. 420). 
Wed. Apr. 29: Discussion of Richard Corliss's "The Gospel According to Spider-Man" (pg. 427) and Randall Kennedy's "Blind Spot" (pg. 446).  We'll also do some fact-finding for the fourth at-home essay, instructions for which I'll bring you on this day.

Mon. May 4: In-class viewing of a film related to our "American Paradox" unit. 
Wed. May 6: Class replaced by one-on-one draft-developing conferences with me.  I'll bring a sign-up sheet to class before this date. 

Mon. May 11: Draft of at-home essay 4 due.  Small-group workshopping on drafts. 
Wed. May 13: Final draft of at-home essay 4 due, along with all drafts, outlines, peer critiques, etc.