McMahon English 1C Critical Thinking Syllabus Spring 2016

McMahon English 1C Critical Thinking Syllabus Spring 2016

Office: H121P; extension 5673

Office Hours: M and W: 2:45-3:45 and 5:30-6; T and TH 12:30-1 and 3:30-4:15

Students with Disabilities:

If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact me as soon as possible.

Course Catalog Description:

This course focuses on the development of critical thinking skills. Students will apply these skills to the analysis of written arguments in various forms and genres, both classic and contemporary, and to the writing of effective persuasive essays. Students will learn to evaluate and interpret data, to recognize assumptions, to distinguish facts from opinions, to identify and avoid logical fallacies, to employ deductive and inductive reasoning, and to effectively assert and support argumentative claims.

Course Objectives:

Evaluate arguments in terms of bias, credibility, and relevance.
Assess an argument's claims by examining assumptions, by differentiating between facts and inferences, by recognizing errors in logic, by analyzing support, and by identifying both explicit and implied conclusions.
Recognize and assess argumentative claims embedded in literary works, advertisements, political tracts, and presentations in other media.
Express critical viewpoints and develop original arguments in response to social, political, and philosophical issues and/or to works of literature and literary theory.
Demonstrate the ability to evaluate electronic sources and databases, to incorporate research from on-line and print media, and to compose unified, coherent, fully supported argumentative essays that advance their claims by integrating primary and secondary sources, and by employing the tools of critical interpretation, evaluation, and analysis.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, students will:

Compose an argumentative essay that shows an ability to support a claim using analysis, elements of argumentation, and integration of primary and secondary sources.
Identify and assess bias, credibility, and relevance in their own arguments and in the arguments of others, including primary and secondary outside sources.
Write an essay that is correct in MLA format, paragraph composition, sentence structure, grammar, spelling, and usage.

Essay Requirements:

One. Students will express critical viewpoints and develop original thesis-driven arguments in response to social, political, and philosophical issues and/or to works of literature and literary theory. This argumentative essay will be well organized, demonstrate an ability to support a claim using analysis and elements of argumentation, and integrate primary and secondary sources.

Two. The paper should use at least three sources and not over-rely on one main source for most of the information. Rather, it should use multiple sources and synthesize the information found in them.

Three. This paper will be approximately 5-6 pages in length, not including the Works Cited page, which is also required. The Works Cited page does NOT count toward length requirement.

Four. Within your argument, address issues of bias, credibility, and relevance.

Five. Analyze and employ logical structural methods such as inductive and deductive reasoning, cause and effect, logos, ethos, and pathos, and demonstrate understanding of formal and informal fallacies in language and thought.

Six. You must use MLA format for the document, in-text citations, and Works Cited page.

Seven. You must integrate quotations and paraphrases using signal phrases and analysis or commentary.

Eight. You must sustain your argument, use transitions effectively, and use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Course Catalog Description:

English 1C Grammar Policy and Grading

Students in English 1C are expected to write clear, college-level essays with logical paragraph composition and sentence structure as well as correct grammar, spelling, word usage, and punctuation. If you feel you cannot be successful in this class due to struggles with grammar or other elements of essay composition, please see the instructor as early as possible to discuss resources and strategies for your improvement.

Policy on Plagiarism

Any attempt to commit fraud, misrepresenting someone else’s writing as your own, including turning in essays from previous semesters, will result in an automatic F grade, zero points, which mathematically, will disqualify you from earning a grade higher than a C for the semester. You will not be allowed to rewrite for a higher grade and because of the breach of trust it will be preferred that you drop the class. I will use turnitin to investigate plagiarism.

Each essay must be submitted to www.turnitin.com where it will be checked for illegal copying/plagiarism.

I cannot give credit for an essay that is not submitted to this site by the deadline.

The process is very simple; if you need help, detailed instructions are available at http://turnitin.com/en_us/training/student-training/student-quickstart-guide

You will need two pieces of information to use the site:

Class ID and Enrollment Password, which I’ll give you first week of class.

Late Essays Are Deducted a Full Letter Grade

Books You Need for This Class:

One. From Inquiry to Academic Writing, Third Edition, by Stuart Greene and April Lidinsky

Two. The Best American Short Stories of the Century, edited by John Updike

Three. Rules for Writers, 8th Edition, edited by Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers

Other Materials: 4 large blue books for in-class writing exams

All 4 Typed Essays Need 3 credible sources to be used for in-text parenthetical citation and MLA formatted Works Cited page.

The first three essays are 1,000 words typed and double-spaced.

The fourth and final essay is 1,200 words and typed and double-spaced.

Essay One: From Critical Thinking to Argument

Choosing a debatable topic that we’ve covered in class or another current topic of your choice, utilize the argumentative principles in our text From Inquiry to Academic Writing to write a 4-page argumentative essay.

Essay Two: The Best American Short Stories

Using the principles of literary analysis for writing paragraphs and thesis statements, develop an argumentative, cause and effect analysis, or extended definition thesis that addresses one or more of the assigned short stories.

Essay Three: From Inquiry to Academic Writing, Chapters 12 and 13

Develop an argumentative thesis for a 4-page essay that addresses one or more of the assigned selections from Chapters 12 and 13.

Essay Four (Final): From Inquiry to Academic Writing, Chapters 14 and 17

Option A

Develop an argumentative thesis for a 5-page essay that addresses race, gender, and privilege in Chapter 14. Be sure to incorporate at least two essays from Chapter 14 to develop your essay.

Option B

Develop an argumentative thesis for a 5-page essay that addresses consumerism and economics in Chapter 17. Be sure to incorporate at least two essays from Chapter 17 to develop your essay.

Because this is your Final, it is a bit longer than your previous typed papers. While they are four pages (1,000 words), this essay is five pages (closer to 1,200 words).

Be sure to have a Works Cited page with no fewer than three sources and be sure one of the sources is from the El Camino College database.

Grading 700 Total Points (6,000-word total)

Four in-class writing exams: 50 each for 200 point total (450-words per essay; 1,800 words)

Three typed 1,000-word essays: 100 each for 300 point total (3,000 words)

One Final 1,200-word essay 200 point total

Attendance and Class Participation

Deductions of 50 for more than 4 absences or more than 3 tardies; repeated use of smart phone in class or leaving class repeatedly to "take a call."

More than 5 absences or more than 4 tardies is a loss of 100 points. These rules are designed so that we will be complaint with Title 5 Contact Hour Laws prescribed by the State of California.

Reading and Writing Schedule

1-19 Introduction: What is critical thinking? We will study current events for our first typed essay. The essay will be structured from the critical writing tools we learn in the first 9 chapters of From Inquiry to Academic Writing.

1-21 FITAW (From Inquiry to Academic Writing) Chapters 1-2; Critical Writing and Thinking: Is College Worth the Cost?

1-26 FITAW Chapters 3 and 4; Identifying Claims and Analyzing Arguments: Continue College Debate.

1-28 FITAW Chapters 5 and 6; Developing a Thesis and Evaluating Sources: Is the Anti-Vaxxer Movement Defensible?

2-2 FITAW Chapter 7; From Summary to Thesis: Is Watching the NFL Morally Defensible?

2-4 FITAW Chapters 8 and 9; Ethos, Logos, and Pathos; Introductions and Conclusions: Is America Doomed to be a “Gun Country”?

2-9 In-Class Writing Exam 1 for 50 points

2-11 Typed Essay 1 Due; “The Other Woman” 38-44 from Best American Short Stories of the Century

2-16 “You’re Ugly, Too” 652-670. Theme of pride

2-18 “Greenleaf” 348-368. Theme of pride continued. Compare to “You’re Ugly, Too.”

2-23 “Where I’m Calling From” 581-594. Pride vs. Authenticity. Literary Paragraph Analysis

2-25 “The Country Husband” 325-347. Theme of Suburban Conformity

3-1 “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” 450-465. Compare to “The Country Husband.”