English 1A Summer 2019 Syllabus: Section 6333
6-8:50 meets from June 17 to July 25 (Thursday, July 4, is a holiday)
Class meets in H206
Office Hours:
Monday through Thursday 5:30-6 p.m. in H121P
Email: [email protected]
Books and Materials You Need to Buy for This Class
So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport
Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier
Rules for Writers, 8th Edition by Diana Hacker
1 pocketed, flat folder for your Homework Portfolio
Work You Must Do in This Class
One: Five Typed Essays
You will write 5 typed essays in MLA format. The first 4 essays will be 1,000 words. The fifth essay, your capstone essay, will be 1,200 words and will need 5 sources for your Works Cited. The first 4 essays are worth 150 points. The final fifth essay is worth 250 points. These essays will be uploaded on turnitin.
Late Essays
Late essays are accepted for a week after deadline and are marked down a full grade.
Two Reading Response Portfolio
You must generate a writing response to every reading. Instead of getting quizzed on the readings, you will write 3-paragraph reading-response essays to the readings. Each mini essay should have at least 3 signal phrases citing the text of the assigned reading. You will not be uploading these essays on turnitin.com. Instead, you will bring a typed hard copy to class and discussing it with your team of 3 or 4 students.. An unacceptable essay won’t be given credit. You will keep these essays in a flat, pocketed folder, which I will grade during Finals Week. Unless you have a doctor’s note, you cannot make-up missing mini essays. You should be motivated to show up to every class. Your portfolio is worth 150 points. I grade it two halves at 75 points per half.
Three. Before the essays are due on turnitin, there is a peer edit session with some exceptions like when a holiday falls the week before final due date. You bring hard copies of your completed typed draft so your team can review your work, and you can review theirs. Like your mini essays, the completed draft gets a stamp, either a top-tier stamp or a middling one.
Grading Based on 1,000 Points
First 4 essays: 150 for 600
Final 5th essay: 250
Portfolio, Part 1 and Part 2, 75 each for 150
Grading Point Scheme
Total Points: 1,000 (A is 900-100; B is 800-899; C is 700-799; D is 600 to 699)
So Good They Can’t Ignore You Lesson #1: “Don’t Follow Your Passion”
Essay Assignment 1
In an essay of 1,000 words, defend, refute, or complicate Cal Newport’s argument that the Passion Hypothesis is dangerous and should be replaced by a craftsman mindset. Your first source for your Works Cited page is Newport’s book. Your second source will be “In the Name of Love” by Miya Tokumitsu. You won’t receive credit unless you have an MLA format Works Cited page at the end of your essay.
Essay Assignment 2
For a 1,000-word essay, develop an argumentative thesis that addresses Jaron Lanier (Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now) and Andrew Sullivan’s claim (“I Used to be a Human Being”) that social media compromises personal excellence, degrades one’s core humanity, and accelerates the disintegration of democracy. You may also consult Black Mirror episode “Nosedive,” Sherry Turkle’s Ted Talk “Connected, But Alone,” and Tristan Harris’ Ted Talk video “How a Handful of Tech Companies Control Billions of Minds Everyday.” Also consult these works from Tristan Harris: “Our Minds Have Been Hijacked by Our Phones,” and “How Technology Hijacks People’s Minds.
Essay Assignment 3
Option A:
In a 1,000-word essay, compare Dr. David Pilgrim’s Jim Crow Museum explanation of Jim Crow laws of yesterday to Childish Gambino’s exploration in “This Is America” to Jim Crow exploitation today. You may consult “Hidden Meanings” video, Dr. Lori Brooks’ Hidden Meanings video, “Childish Gambino’s Genius Absurdity,” and PBS analysis. Your claim will be to address the argument that Jim Crow still exists or not today.
Option B
In the context of Jamelle Bouie’s “Remembering History as Fable” and Jack Schwartz’s “It’s Time for the Lost Cause to Get Lost,” develop a thesis that evaluates the assertion that for many Americans the Civil War denies real history and replaces that real history with a pernicious mythology, often called The Lost Cause, that perpetuates the false doctrine of white supremacy. You may also consult John Oliver Confederate Flag critique video.
Option C
Develop a claim that supports, refutes, or complicates the claim that the people who got duped by Billy McFarland in the Netflix documentary Fyre were complicit in their own suffering by their blind faith in social media, their lack of due diligence, their over eagerness to boast “street cred” for having a bling vacation with the cool tribe, their surrender to Groupthink, and their surrender to cultural influencers for defining their consumer habits.
Essay Assignment 4
Option A
See Monica Lewinsky Ted Talk video “The Price of Shame” and John Oliver video on “Public Shaming” and develop an argumentative thesis about what type of shaming is good for society and what kind of shaming cannot be defended. Consult Conor Friedersdorf essay “John Oliver’s Weak Case for Callout Culture.”
Option B
Develop an argumentative thesis that addresses the human inclination for staying within the tribe of sameness as explained in David Brooks’ “People Like Us.” Consult Vice video about social media and tribalism; also consult Brian Klaas video on how tribalism in social media is undermining democracy. Also consult the role of Backfire Effect and tribalism.
Option C
Defend, refute, or complicate Justin Peters’ argument in “Joe Rogan’s Galaxy Brain” that though Rogan promotes himself as a liberal thinker, his popular YouTube videos and podcasts contradict Rogan’s claim in that he enables and promotes his white bro lifestyle, alt-right trolls, and “anti-intellectual intellectuals.”
Option D
Watch Hannah Gadsby comedy performance Nanette and develop an argumentative thesis about the limitations of conventional comedy in the context of providing relevant social commentary. Consult Wired article “Seriously, We Need to Talk About Nanette,” and for a compendium of sources, consult New York Times’ “‘Nanette’ Is the Most Discussed Comedy Special in Ages.”
Option E
Read "In admissions scandal, the students should be expelled" by Michael Hiltzik and develop a thesis that supports or refutes the author’s claim. Should rich students whose parents paid their way illegally into top-tier colleges be expelled? Are all these students equal? Some are not even taking classes seriously evidenced by their YouTube videos. Others may be performing well. Should their performance make a difference? You can also consult Atlantic essay about "Real Scandal" and how there is no way to prevent the next college scandal.
Option F
Develop a claim that supports or refutes the idea that getting into college is not based on meritocracy or fairness but a process that stacks the cards in favor of the rich. To make your claim, see Clint Smith’s essay "Elite Colleges Constantly Tell Low-Income Students That They Don't Belong.”
Option G
Read Kajsa Elas Ekman’s essay “All surrogacy is exploitation” and write an argumentative thesis that supports or refutes her claim.
Default Setting Essay Template for 1,000-word essay
8 Paragraphs, 130 words per paragraph, approx. 1,000 words (1,040 to be exact)
Paragraph 1: Attention-getting introduction
Paragraph 2: Transition from introduction to argumentative claim (thesis)
Paragraphs 3-5: Body paragraphs that give reasons for supporting your claim.
Paragraphs 6 & 7: Counterarguments in which you anticipate how your opponents will disagree with you, and you then provide rebuttals to those counterarguments.
Paragraph 8: Conclusion, an emotionally powerful re-statement of your thesis.
Make sure to include a Works Cited page.
Essay #5 Due Date: 6-5-19
You need 5 credible sources for the MLA Works Cited page in your final capstone essay.
Your guidelines for your Final Research Paper are as follows:
This research paper should present a thesis that is specific, manageable, provable, and contestable—in other words, the thesis should offer a clear position, stand, or opinion that will be proven with research.
You should analyze and prove your thesis using examples and quotes from a variety of sources.
You need to research and cite from at least five sources. You must use at least 3 different types of sources.
At least one source must be from an ECC library database.
At least one source must be a book, anthology or textbook.
At least one source must be from a credible website, appropriate for academic use.
The paper should 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.
This paper will be approximately 5-7 pages in length, not including the Works Cited page, which is also required. This means at least 5 full pages of text. The Works Cited page does NOT count towards length requirement.
You must use MLA format for the document, in-text citations, and Works Cited page.
You must integrate quotations and paraphrases using signal phrases and analysis or commentary.
You must sustain your argument, use transitions effectively, and use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Your paper must be logically organized and focused.
Default Setting Essay Template for 1,200-word essay
9 Paragraphs, 135 words per paragraph, approx. 1,200 words (1,215 to be exact)
Paragraph 1: Attention-getting introduction
Paragraph 2: Transition from introduction to argumentative claim (thesis)
Paragraphs 3-6: Body paragraphs that give reasons for supporting your claim.
Paragraphs 7 & 8: Counterarguments in which you anticipate how your opponents will disagree with you, and you then provide rebuttals to those counterarguments.
Paragraph 9: Conclusion, an emotionally powerful re-statement of your thesis.
Make sure to include a Works Cited page.
Final Essay #5 for 1,200 words
Option A
Develop an argumentative thesis that analyzes the intersection of tribalism and fake facts as anti-vaxxers bring disease back to the world. Consult the following: “The Real Horror of Anti-Vaxxers” by Frank Bruni, Michelle Au’s fear tactic essay in Slate, John Oliver video on vaccinations. See Bulwark “Contagion of Folly.” See New York Times logical fallacies video. Also see "Why Vaccination Refusal Is a White Privilege Problem."
Option B
See video “3 Arguments Why Marijuana Should Stay Illegal” and read Annie Lowry’s essay “America’s Invisible Pot Addicts” and support, refute, or complicate the argument that legalizing weed is a bad idea. See Netflix documentary and Netflix Explained.
Option C
Watch Hasan Minhaj defend affirmative action in the context of Asian Americans suing Harvard (Netflix Patriotic Act, first episode), and write a research paper that defends, refutes, or complicates Hasan's argument. Consult "The 'Whitening' of Asian Americans" in The Atlantic; "The Rise and Fall of Affirmative Action" in The New Yorker; "The Uncomfortable Truth About Affirmative Action and Asian-Americans" in The New Yorker, and a source from a book.
Option D
Develop a thesis that about the ritualization of violence as described by Steve Almond in his essay “Is It Immoral to Watch the Super Bowl?” and his video “Eager Violence of the Heart--America’s Football Obsession.” As a source, you can also consult The Professor in the Cage by Jonathan Gottschall.
Option E
Support, refute, or complicate Harlan Coben’s argument from “The Undercover Parent” that spyware is a legit and compelling safety measure that parents may need to use for their children’s computers.
Option F
Watch Hasan Minhaj video (on both Netflix under Patriot Act and YouTube) and support, refute, or complicate the assertion that the presidential administration is undermining civil rights to the detriment of American democracy and freedom. Be sure to have a counterargument section. For example, defenders of the administration would argue that their policies strengthen America against terrorism.
Summer 1A 2019 Reading and Writing Schedule
Week 1 Cal Newport & Passion Hypothesis
June 17 Introduction and “In the Name of Love” by Miya Tokumitsu. Homework #1 for June 18: Read Cal Newport chapters 1-3 and have a hard copy of 3 paragraphs that explain why the Passion Hypothesis (“follow your passion”) is dangerous.
June 18 Go over Newport chapters 1-3. Homework #2 for June 19: Read Cal Newport chapters 4-7 and in 3 paragraphs answer the question: What is one of the strongest advantages of the craftsman mindset over the passion-centric mindset?
June 19 Go over Newport chapters 4-7. Homework #3 for June 20: Read Newport chapters 8-10 and in 3 paragraphs identify the 3 control traps and how we should avoid them. Homework #4 is to turn in a tentative or preliminary thesis statement for Essay #1. Bring hard copy and email me thesis before class so we can edit them on the big screen.
June 20 Go over control traps. Go over thesis statements in class.
Week 2 Jaron Lanier & Why You Should Delete Your Social Media Accounts
June 24 Essay 1 Due on turnitin. Go over Andrew Sullivan’s “I Used to be a Human Being,”, Sherry Turkle, and Tristan Harris. Watch “Nosedive.” Homework #5 for June 25: Read Lanier pages 1-39 and in 3 paragraphs explain how social media destroys free will.
June 25 Go over Lanier 1-39. Homework #6 for June 26: Read pages 39-76 and in 3 paragraphs explain how social media makes us terrible versions of ourselves.
June 26 Go over Lanier 39-76. Homework #7 for June 27: Read Lanier 76-145 and turn in a tentative thesis both in hard copy and email before class.
June 27 Go over Lanier 76-145. Go over student thesis statements in class.
Week 3 Old and New Jim Crow in America & Electoral Vs. Popular Vote
July 1 Essay 2 due on turnitin. We will compare Dr. David Pilgrim’s Jim Crow Museum explanation of Jim Crow laws of yesterday to Childish Gambino’s exploration in “This Is America” to Jim Crow exploitation today. You may consult “Hidden Meanings” video, Dr. Lori Brooks’ Hidden Meanings video, “Childish Gambino’s Genius Absurdity,” and PBS analysis. Homework #8: Read Jamelle Bouie’s “Remembering History as Fable” and Jack Schwartz’s “It’s Time for the Lost Cause to Get Lost” and explain how some people rewrite the history of slavery.
July 2 Go over Jamelle Bouie’s “Remembering History as Fable” and Jack Schwartz’s “It’s Time for the Lost Cause to Get Lost.” Your Homework #9 for July 3: Read Jamelle Bouie’s argument in his essays “Getting Rid of the Electoral Isn’t Just About Trump” and “The Electoral College Is the Greatest Threat to Our Democracy” and summarize his arguments for replacing electorate with popular vote.
July 3 Watch Netflix documentary Fyre; discuss Mashable essay; New Republic allegation that Netflix committed fraud as well. See Daily Beast, Vox, and Rolling Stone.
July 4 Holiday
Week 4 Public Shaming, Tribalism, College, Student Loans
July 8 Essay 3 due on turnitin. Grade Portfolio #1, which will consist of homework assignments 1-9. See Monica Lewinsky Ted Talk video “The Price of Shame” and John Oliver video on “Public Shaming” and develop an argumentative thesis about what type of shaming is good for society and what kind of shaming cannot be defended. If we have time, we will go over Kajsa Elas Ekman’s essay “All surrogacy is exploitation” and address essay strategies.
Homework #10 for July 9 is to read David Brooks’ Atlantic essay “People Like Us” and explain why we gravitate people who share our values.
July 9 We will go over “People Like Us” and watch two videos about social media and tribalism from Vice and Brian Klaas. Homework #11 for next class: Read Justin Peters’ essay in Slate “Joe Rogan’s Galaxy Brain” and in 3 paragraphs explain why Peters finds Joe Rogan objectionable.
July 10 We will defend, refute, or complicate Justin Peters’ argument in “Joe Rogan’s Galaxy Brain” that though Rogan promotes himself as a liberal thinker, his popular YouTube videos and podcasts contradict Rogan’s claim in that he enables and promotes his white bro lifestyle, alt-right trolls, and “anti-intellectual intellectuals.” If time, we will watch
Hannah Gadsby comedy performance Nanette and develop an argumentative thesis about the limitations of conventional comedy in the context of providing relevant social commentary. Consult Wired article “Seriously, We Need to Talk About Nanette,” and for a compendium of sources, consult New York Times’ “‘Nanette’ Is the Most Discussed Comedy Special in Ages.”
Homework #12 for July 11 is to read Michael Hiltzik’s "In admissions scandal, the students should be expelled"and write a 3-paragraph essay that analyzes the validity of his claim. Homework #13 for July 11 is to submit email of your tentative thesis for Essay 4. Also bring hard copy to class.
July 11. We will go over "In admissions scandal, the students should be expelled" by Michael Hiltzik and we will answer question: should rich students whose parents paid their way illegally into top-tier colleges be expelled? Are all these students equal? Some are not even taking classes seriously evidenced by their YouTube videos. Others may be performing well. Should their performance make a difference? You can also consult Atlantic essay about "Real Scandal" and how there is no way to prevent the next college scandal. We will also go over Clint Smith’s essay "Elite Colleges Constantly Tell Low-Income Students That They Don't Belong.”
For your counterargument regarding Clint Smith’s essay, we will look at David Brooks’ notorious essay “How We Are Ruining America.”
Homework #13 for July 11 is to submit an email and bring hard copy of your tentative thesis to class.
Week 5 Anti-Vaxxers, Marijuana, and NFL Violence
July 15 Essay 4 due on turnitin. Your homework #14 for July 16 is to read Annie Lowry’s essay “America’s Invisible Pot Addicts” and in 3 paragraphs support, refute, or complicate the argument that legalizing weed is a bad idea.
We will develop an argumentative thesis that analyzes the intersection of tribalism and fake facts as anti-vaxxers bring disease back to the world. We will consult the following: “The Real Horror of Anti-Vaxxers” by Frank Bruni, Michelle Au’s fear tactic essay in Slate, John Oliver video on vaccinations. See “Anti-Vaxxers Trolled a Doctor’s Office” in the Washington Post. We will also consult Bulwark “Contagion of Folly.” We will also consult New York Times logical fallacies video, and we will read "Why Vaccination Refusal Is a White Privilege Problem."
July 16 We will see video “3 Arguments Why Marijuana Should Stay Illegal” and go over Annie Lowry’s essay “America’s Invisible Pot Addicts. We will also see Netflix documentary and Netflix Explained. If we have time, we will see Patriot Act video on affirmative action. Your homework #15 for July 17 is to read Steve Almond’s essay “Is It Immoral to Watch the Super Bowl?” and in 3 paragraphs support or refute his claim.
July 17 We will go over Steve Almond’s essay. We will also watch his video “Eager Violence of the Heart--America’s Football Obsession.” As a source, you can also consult The Professor in the Cage by Jonathan Gottschall. Your homework #16 for July 18 is to write an introduction and thesis to be emailed to me before class. Also bring a hard copy to class.
July 18 We will go over Harlan Coben’s argument from “The Undercover Parent” and discuss if spyware is a legit and compelling safety measure that parents may need to use for their children’s computers. We will also go over Hasan Minhaj video “Civil Rights Under Trump.” We will go over counterarguments. We will also go over your introductions and thesis statements in class. Your homework #17 is to submit to me your introduction, thesis, and two body paragraphs in email and hard copy for July 22.
Week 6 Doing Your Final Essay Piece by Piece
July 22 Go over thesis statements in class (Homework #16). Go over MLA format, grammar, and your essay in progress. Your homework #18 is to submit to me your introduction, thesis, and 2 body paragraphs in email and hard copy for July 23. We will go over counterargument and rebuttal.
July 23 We will go over your essay in progress. Your homework #19 is to submit two counterarguments and rebuttals in both email and hard copies.
July 24 We will go over your counterarguments and overall essay in progress with emphasis on counterarguments and rebuttals.
July 25 Essay 5 is due on turnitin. We will grade your Portfolio #2 in class.
You Must Use turnitin to submit essay and bring hard copy on due date
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 will give you first week of class
Classroom Decorum: No smart phones can be used in class. If you’re on your smartphone and I see you, you get a warning the first time. Second time, you must leave the class and take an absence
Tardies: Two tardies equals one absence.
Homework for Your Portfolio
Your Homework Portfolio connects with a 20-minute class activity that begins the class in your team (of 3 or 4 people).
Your essays are of the “mini” variety: 3 paragraphs, 350 words long, and have at least 3 signal phrases citing the text in the form of direct quotations, paraphrase, or summary.
Almost every class-assigned reading has a mini essay that you will keep in your portfolio.
Every class, while you discuss the study question with your team, I will come around and put a stamp on the completed typed mini essay.
Even though I grade your Portfolio mid-way into the semester as “Portfolio 1,” keep all your subsequent essays in the same Homework Portfolio. In other words, don’t throw your hard-copies of your essay away after I grade “Portfolio 1.”
Course Catalog Description:
This course is designed to strengthen the students’ ability to read with understanding and discernment, to discuss assigned readings intelligently, and to write clearly. Emphasis will be on writing essays in which each paragraph relates to a controlling idea, has an introduction and a conclusion, and contains primary and secondary support. College-level reading material will be assigned to provide the stimulus for class discussion and writing assignments, including a required research paper.
Course Objectives:
One. Recognize and revise sentence-level grammar and usage errors.
Two. Read and apply critical-thinking skills to numerous published articles and to college-level, book-length works for the purpose of writing and discussion.
Three. Apply appropriate strategies in the writing process including prewriting, composing, revising, and editing techniques.
Four. Compose multi-paragraph, thesis-driven essays with logical and appropriate supporting ideas, and with unity and coherence.
Five. Demonstrate ability to locate and utilize a variety of academic databases, peer-reviewed journals, and scholarly websites.
Six. Utilize MLA guidelines to format essays, cite sources in the texts of essays, and compile Works Cited lists.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, students will:
- Complete a research-based essay that has been written out of class and undergone revision. It should demonstrate the student’s ability to thoughtfully support a single thesis using analysis and synthesis.
- Integrate multiple sources, including a book-length work and a variety of academic databases, peer-reviewed journals, and scholarly websites. Citations must be in MLA format and include a Works Cited page.
- Demonstrate logical paragraph composition and sentence structure. The essay should have correct grammar, spelling, and word use.
Students with Disabilities:
It is the policy of the El Camino Community College District to encourage full inclusion of people with disabilities in all programs and services. Students with disabilities who believe they may need accommodations in this class should contact the campus Special Resource Center (310) 660-3295, as soon as possible. This will ensure that students are able to fully participate.
Academic Honesty and Plagiarism:
El Camino College places a high value on the integrity of its student scholars. When an instructor determines that there is evidence of dishonesty in any academic work (including, but not limited to cheating, plagiarism, or theft of exam materials), disciplinary action appropriate to the misconduct as defined in BP 5500 may be taken. A failing grade on an assignment in which academic dishonesty has occurred and suspension from class are among the disciplinary actions for academic dishonesty (AP 5520). Students with any questions about the Academic Honesty or discipline policies are encouraged to speak with their instructor in advance.
Attendance and Class Participation
You can’t miss more than 4 classes. A tardy counts as one half an absence. These rules are designed so that we will be compliant with Title 5 Contact Hour Laws prescribed by the State of California.
Student Resources:
- Reading Success Center (East Library Basement E-36)
- Software and tutors are available for vocabulary development & reading comprehension.
- Library Media Technology Center - LMTC (East Library Basement)
- Computers are available for free use. Bring your student ID # & flash drive. There’s a charge for printing.
- Writing Center (H122)
- Computers are available for free use. Free tutoring is available for writing assignments, grammar, and vocabulary. Bring your student ID & flash drive to save work. Printing is NOT available.
- Learning Resource Center - LRC (West Wing of the Library, 2nd floor)
- The LRC Tutorial Program offers free drop-in tutoring. For the tutoring schedule, go toelcamino.edu/library/lrc/tutoring .The LRC also offers individualized computer adaptive programs to help build your reading comprehension skills.
- Student Health Center (Next to the Pool)
- The Health Center offers free medical and psychological services as well as free workshops on topics like “test anxiety.” Low cost medical testing is also available.
- Special Resource Center – SRC (Southwest Wing of Student Services Building)
The SRC provides free disability services, including interpreters, testing accommodations, counseling, and adaptive computer technology.
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