11spring oncampus english120

ENGLISH120COURSE

DESCRIPTION: Continued practice

of college-level writing process

and strategies, building on skills

learned in English 110. This course

refines critical reading, writing,

thinking, and research skills.

Students will practice summary

and analysis of texts, as well as

synthesizing information from

primary and secondary sources.

Writing assignments will

emphasize logical argument,

persuasion, and collaboration.

Major assignments will require

proper crediting of source material

and research. Prerequisite: English

110.

ENGLISH120LEARNING

OUTCOMES:

Upon completion of this course, the

student will be able to:

- Apply critical thinking to the

research and writing process.

- Focus, organize, and develop a

longer piece of writing effectively.

- Demonstrate understanding of

argumentation/persuasion

strategies and the use of evidence.

- Properly use and cite sources in

written work.

- Assemble materials from a variety

of sources.

- Evaluate the validity and reliability

of source material.

- Demonstrate effective word

choice.

- Produce an orderly, well-

documented, researched paper

with minimal documentation flaws.

- Show an understanding of written

genres through oral and written

communications.

SYBIL’SBIGFATNO-NOS:

Any of the following results in

a student receiving 50-100%

deduction on a paper,

assignment, project, Class

Weblog, etc.:

1. Lateness. Even an hour late

is still late. If a paper is due at

midnight on a Saturday, and

you think you may have to

work late or you may be out of

town, upload the paper early.

2. Length. If the paper

requires over 1000 words, a

paper containing less than

1000 words will be considered

incomplete.

3. Lack of parenthetical

citations and/or lack of a

Works Cited page when it's

obvious a source(s) has been

used.

*Absolutely no late work will

be accepted.

ENGLISH120GENERAL

EDUCATION

LEARNINGOUTCOMES:

1. Written and oral

communications

ENGLISH120TIETO

PROGRAMASSESSMENT

OUTCOMES:

This course contributes most

directly to the Liberal Arts Program

outcome involving communication.

Reading and writing exercises will

be completed to assess student

ability in those areas.

ENGLISH120COURSEGOAL:

By thinking and writing globally,

students will develop the ability

to do researched writing with a

persuasive focus. In addition,

students will learn to avoid

plagiarism and properly use and

cite source material.

English 120: INSTRUCTORCONTACTINFORMATION:

CALL ME SYBIL: Sybil Priebe, Asst. Prof. of English &

Humanities

OFFICE LOCATION: Haverty 223

PHONE: 671-2346 or 1-800-342-4325, ext. 3-2346

*EMAIL: [email protected]

*BLOG: www.xanga.com/teacher47

OFFICE HOURS: TBA & by appointment. *Sometimes, bonus opportunities will be placed on the blog or

emailed out.

CODEOFCONDUCT:

Students will come to class on-time and prepared

for discussion. All students will be respectful of

others’ ideas and opinions. Participation in class is

expected. Cell phones, pagers, and MP3 players

will be turned off when you enter the classroom.

No tobacco products are allowed in NDSCS

buildings, and, when you’re outside - in designated

areas only.

DISABILITIESSPECIALNEEDS:

If you have emergency medical information to

share, need special arrangements in case the

building must be evacuated, or you have a

documented disability for which you are, or may

be requesting an accommodation, please make an

appointment. If you plan to request disability

accommodations, you are expected to register

with the Disability Support Services (DSS) Office,

Room 215, Mildred Johnson Library, 701-671-2623,

PLAGIARISM:

Integrity is an NDSCS core value and there is an

expectation that all students, as members of the

college community, adhere to the highest levels

of academic integrity. Dishonesty in class,

laboratory, shop work or tests is regarded as a

serious offense and is subject to disciplinary

action by the instructor and dean of the

respective division. For more information, refer

to the NDSCS Student Planner or College Catalog

under College Policies and Basic Regulations of

Conduct.

Essentially, if any amount of plagiarism is found

in a student’s paper (copying from the internet

without quotations or parenthetical citations,

copying parts or whole pages from another

student, or any other sign of plagiarism), that

student will be subject to disciplinary action

which could result in no credit for the paper or a

complete revision of the paper with a large

reduction in points. If a student repeatedly

plagiarizes, more severe actions will take place.

ENGLISH120ITEMSNEEDEDTOSUCCEED:

> everything's an argument by Lunsford,

etc.; Bedford St. Martin's, 4th

Edition

> Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck

Klosterman

ENGLISH120BREAKDOWNOFPOINTS:

> P1 [Are You A Stereotype?]. 100pts.

> P2 [Definition of a Controversial Word].

100pts.

> P3 [Visual Argument.] 50pts.

> P4 [Global Blog Project]. 150pts.

> P5 [Chuck Argument]. 50pts.

> P6 [Collaborative Shortfolio]. 100pts.

> Class Blog and other activities: 200-300pts?

> Mini-Arguments. 25pts x 6 = 150pts.

> Peer Review. 70pts?

> Quizzes. About 100pts?

> The My Words Activity: 100pts.

About 1000-1500 points = Total for

Semester.

ENGLISH120GRADESCALE:

90 - 100 = A /// 80 - 89 = B /// 70 - 79 = C ///

60 - 69 = D /// 59 and below = F

ENGLISH120STUDENTQUOTE:

“At first I thought what the hell kind of English class

is this? I was thinking this was going to be the most

pointless English class I have ever taken. I thought I

was going to learn nothing and that the teacher was

nuts. Well I thought the class went very very well.

And yes, the teacher is still nuts but in a good way I

assure you :o). I managed to write and learn how to

write better. Being able to even argue with a

powerpoint was interesting to do and see. I don't

think that there wasn't much that didn't go well.

Overall, a very organized class that taught me a lot

and I learned a lot. Arguing can be very effective and

now that I know different ways I will actually use

this.”

– Jeremy Becker, Fall ’09, Online English 120

ENGLISH120NOTES:

= No late work is accepted.

= Not ALL assignments will be completed /

introduced on eCompanion.

= Students will not be allowed to use computer

problems as an excuse as to why their work is

late. They are responsible for backing up their

work.

= Regular attendance and completion of all

assignments, on time and as scheduled, is

important to your success in this course.

= Papers, usually, will be graded within 2 weeks

of their due date.

=Please use Microsoft Word to complete

papers. If you only have WordPerfect or

Microsoft Works, you should definitely SAVE AS

.rtf (Rich Text Format).

= Emails to the instructor must be error-free ( I

am an English teacher, afterall) & will be

responded to within 24 hours Monday-Friday.

= If a flood or other major disaster occurs during

this semester, the instructor will communicate

with the class via email as so what to do to

continue the course along. Please have an

updated email in eCompanion/eCollege!

=Chapters that may not be assigned: Chapters 2,

3, and 4. Chapters 7, 9, 10, and 11. Chapter 13.

Chapters 23 and 24. And about half of Chuck

Klosterman’s essays.

ENGLISH120ATTENDANCEPOLICY:

Regular and punctual attendance is an integral part of the

learning process. Poor attendance is likely to affect students’

quality of work and overall success in the course.

In order to support a positive and comfortable learning

environment for students and fair practice in our English and

Humanities Department courses, the following policies have

been adopted:

1) Since coursework can be both individual and collaborative,

regular attendance is vital. If students have five unexcused

absences, it will be considered excessive and may result in

their withdrawal from the course.

2) Excused absences: a) Students are permitted to make up

daily coursework, quizzes, and tests due to documented*

illnesses, mandatory military duty or religious obligations,

recognized college-sponsored activities, or funerals. b)

Students must be aware that merely notifying the appropriate

Division Dean’s office or their instructor of their absence does

not equate an excused absence.

3) Unexcused absences: All other reasons for absences.

ENGLISH120LATENESSPOLICY:

No late work will be accepted without an

excused absence & proof (doc’s note, military,

funeral, school-related activity). Calling

instructor or dean’s office does not constitute

an excused absence.

*To document your excused absence(s), you

must email the instructor with two items: 1)

the missed homework attached (within a week

of last excused class date), and 2) proof – doc’s

note, email from coach, phone number, link to

funeral announcement, etc.

ENGLISH120COLLEGEEXPECTATION

OFATTENDANCE:

Regular attendance, promptness,

and participation in classes is

expected of each student. A student

missing three consecutive or five

non-consecutive classes will be

referred to the Division Academic

Counselor.

Email messages are not text messages. Please

punctuate and capitalize and use an opening

and closing. Your message should utilize

punctuation and capitalization. Also, placing

your name at the end (after a closing) would be

most helpful; we can’t always recognize you by

your email address.

ENGLISH120RUBYRUBRIC:

READ EVERYTHING THOROUGHLY AND THEN READ IT AGAIN. THEN READ IT TO YOUR DOG. Ruby Rubric will be used

for Papers 1 and 2.

It’s an all or nothing type of assessment. Please read this entire handout before you start to draft/write/argue.

a) First, some big questions: Did you hand it in on time? No = 0pts. Late work is not accepted.

Do you have the correct word count? No = 50% off.

Do you have the correct amount of sources? No = 50% off.

Do you have proper in-text citations? No = 50% off.

Everyone is Capable of Rock Star Status. b) Second, some categories: Yes. ☺

Rock Star Status.

Take A Bow.

Maybe?

Lucky Duck.

No. ��

You Should Expect More

From Yourself. Write That

Down.

Focus & Development.

Essay is focused on backing

up the thesis throughout.

Three (3) awesome

examples illustrate the main

argument.

Yes. +2pts. Focus wavers just a wee bit. Or

maybe you have 2 semi-

awesome examples. You may

earn +1.5pts.

No. 0pts.

Organization. Ideas flow

from one paragraph to the

next; transitions were used

throughout.

Yes. +2pts. Half of paper is organized. You

may get lucky and earn 1pt?

No. 0pts.

Style. Argument does not

use “You,” slang, or texting

language.

Yes. +2pts. “You”/slang/texting is used

less than 5 times. Maybe you’ll

earn +1.5pt.

No. 0pts.

Sources & Works Cited

Page. Entries are complete

and correct and not just

URLs.

Yes. +1pt. No. 0pts.

Introduction is interesting

and states argument

concisely. *Does not say, “In

this paper…”

Yes. +1pt. Intro is somewhat interesting,

but reader wants more oompf.

Maybe you’ll earn +.5pt.

No. 0pts.

Title is intriguing and

original. It’s funny and

makes reader want to

devour the paper.

Yes. +1pt. It’s kind of awesome. You

could earn +.5pt.

No. 0pts.

Mechanics. Less than 10

errors total (punctuation,

spelling, grammar, etc).

Yes. +1pt. No. 0pts.

Total:

10pts x 10 = 100pts*

Somewhere between 100-0.

0pts x 10 = 0pts.

c) Lastly, please note the following: If the paper isn’t an argument at all (meaning it’s informative), then it may not be

assessed at all. And that’s bad news, bears!

ENGLISH120SCHEDULE:

Not every single daily activity is listed, obviously. And some of these things will change and/or be deleted/added to. Stay tuned!

Week Unit Dates/Readings For This Week: Activities To Do This Week:

January

11-14

1 -Syllabus

-READ ME FIRST folder in Doc Sharing

-Student Lounge.

-Book Quiz & Syllabus Quiz.

-CB: How are you controversial?

January

17-21

1 -Chpt 1 and 5: Thinking Rhetorically -CB: Everyday arguments.

-M-A: First one. Five (5) options.

MLKJr. Day

on Monday.

January

24-28

2 -Chpt 20: Sources & Chpt 22: Media

-Chuck #16

-My Words.

-Take Rubric Quiz.

-Peer Review of P1.

January

31-

February

4

2 -Chpt 6 & 12: Structure and Style

-Chuck #8

-CB: Flickr/Pixlr w/Chuck/slogans.

-Mini-Argument assigned.

-Citation/WC Quiz.

February

7-11

2 -Chpt 16: Evidence; Chpt

18:Plagiarism; Chpt 19: Evaluating

Sources

-My Words: C and W.

-CB: Reliable Web

site/Book/Person.

-P1 DUE

[100pts].

February

14-18

3 -Chpt 8: Definition, Intro to P2

-Chuck #6

-CB: Fact/Opinion worksheet.

-My Words: 5 letters or less.


February

21-25

3 -Chpt 17: Fallacies of Argument

-Chuck #13

-CB: Commercial.

-Peer Review of P2.

Prez Day on

Monday.

February

28-March

4

4 -Chpt 25: Language and Identity

-Chuck #1

-CB: 5x2 Quotes.

-My Words: Conversation.


March 7-

11

4 -Chpt 21: Body Image

-Chuck #7

-CB: Flickr/Pixlr w/Chpt 21. -P2 DUE

[100pts].

Mar 14-18 SPRING BREAK!!! SPRING BREAK!!!

March 21-

25

5 -Chpt 14, Intro to P3/Chuck #10 -CB: Bonus. -P3: DUE

[50pts].

March 28-

April 1

6 -Intro to GBP and Chuck #12 -CB: GBP comments.

-M-A assigned.

Instructor

at UND conf

W-F?

April 4-8 6 -Chpt 28: Love Us? Us? (9/11, etc.) -CB: Guide/Top Ten List.

-PR of P4.

April 11-

15

6 -Chpt 27 & Chuck #14 -CB: Chuck Quiz creation.

-P4: GBP

DUE

[150pts].

April 18-

22

7 -Chuck #4 and/or #2 -My Words: Slang & Foreign.

-M-A: Added option.

-PR of P5.

Easter

Friday and

Monday.

April 25-

29

7 -Chapter 26: Religion & Public Life

-Chuck #18

-CB: Phrase that offends.

-P5: DUE

[50pts].

May 2-6 F -Chapter 15: Presenting Arguments

-Final Test directions: Options.

-CB: Bonus.

May 9-13 F -P6: Shortfolio DUE -CB: Class Evaluation.

-FINAL TEST DUE [50pts].

ENGLISH120REMINDERS:

1 ---- the gradebook:

+In the Gradebook, you can click on the grade itself and see if the instructor has left any comments. Typically, I, the

instructor, will leave comments on papers and projects but not smaller assignments. If you see a deduction in points,

check the assignment’s description before emailing the instructor. If the assignment was uploaded late, it will receive a

deduction. With mini-arguments, if the source cited at the end is missing or if the citation is lacking in detail, that Mini-

Argument grade will incur a deduction of five (5) points (20/25).

2 --- email

+Email messages are not text messages. Please punctuate and capitalize and use an opening and closing.

[When emailing any instructor, it is wise to take into account the fact that you want to come across as an intelligent

individual. We know you ARE, but you should DEMONSTRATE IT. HOW? By addressing the email to us with our names

capitalized and spelled correctly. Your message should utilize punctuation and capitalization. Also, placing your name at

the end (after a closing) would be most helpful; we can’t always recognize you by your email address. In some cases, if

the email message is too abstract or filled with errors, I may just delete it.]

+Emails to the instructor that ask questions answered in the syllabus may not be responded to. Read the syllabus

thoroughly at the beginning of the semester. Then read it again as questions arise.

3 --- the dropbox

+If you write, “Please let me know if you got this,” in the Dropbox, it won’t alert me of that message. Once you’ve

uploaded something to the Dropbox, it should show up in your OUTBOX area. And, please please please use Microsoft

Word! If you don’t have Word, you must SAVE AS .rtf (Rich Text Format).

+The Dropbox is for FINAL drafts only.

+Please do NOT ATTACH documents for the My Words, Class Blog, or Mini-Argument activities. It takes the instructor a

longer time to assess if he/she has to download every single document; it also allows all students to SEE your arguments

and words automatically.

+Final drafts of papers and projects should be in .rtf (Rich Text Format) or .doc (Microsoft Word) format; all others

(.wps or .wpd for instance) will not be able to be opened. In some cases, no points will be awarded to these formats; if

they can't be opened, they can't be graded.

5 --- arguments, in general

+Instructor’s definition of argument = a claim someone could disagree with.

1. My outsides may give others the allusion that I am high-maintenence, but I’ll argue with anyone that I’m

not.

2. The most basic definition of a “slut” is someone who displays herself inappropriately (by showing too

much skin on top AND/OR bottom when she goes “out” for a night on the town). Once she begins to act

inappropriately, she moves into the arena of being defined a “whore.”

3. A “retard” is no longer someone who is born mentally different.

Not arguments:

1. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. (How can you disagree with that?)

2. In this paper, I’ll explain how the definition of “geek” has changed. (Sounds informative, doesn’t it? – So,

it’s not an argument! And please don’t start out with, “In this paper” – that’s SO boring! Be creative &

spicy & different!)

6 --- goofy stuff

+Feel very free to use any font other than Times New Roman. It's an ugly font.

ENGLISH120 FORADVICE CLASS: THIS

[parts have been borrowed from a very cool online teacher named Carrie]

REGARDING ASSIGNMENTS:

• Turn in your assignments on time. Tardiness flatters no one, and late work will not be accepted.

• Turn in assignments you would be proud to show your mother. Or your father. Or your grandmother. Or your favorite high

school or college teacher ever. Or that snotty kid down the block who thinks he’s so smart. If it’s not something you are

proud of, let’s figures out a way to make it super cool.

• Before you begin anything for this class, ask yourself the following questions: “Did I read the directions? And did I really

read the directions carefully?” I write out lots of information for you to help you understand the assignments we do in this

class. I don’t write these things out because I find them to be therapeutic, relaxing, or even thrilling. I write them out

because we all learn differently. Some of us learn by reading books written by Smarty McSmartersons. Others learn by

physically doing something or by practicing. Still others learn by listening to the melodic and peaceful sound of a teacher’s

voice. I write handouts and pages on our course eCollege site to help you learn. Therefore, it may help to read what is

written on the page.

• Proofread everything you write. Proofread your papers. Proofread your class blog posts. Proofread your emails to me.

Please proofread. Messages and papers without errors says, “Hey, check me out; I know what I’m doing,” and obviously

teachers like that. Don’t YOU like that when people take extra time to communicate properly to YOU?

REGARDING QUESTIONS:

• If I am not making sense, if an assignment is confusing, if you think you are misunderstanding something I am writing, ask.

Ask questions. Ask me to rephrase or reword something. Ask me to define something. Ask me for an example. ASK.

REGARDING TECHNOLOGY:

• If you don’t know how to use a computer or if you aren’t all that confident in your computer skills, get some help.

• Do you have a back-up if your computer gets a virus or your roommate decides to delete all of your work of her computer?

Consider saving all documents you write for this course in a safe place like your file space eCollege and a flash drive.

Consider drafting your initial discussion posts in a Word document so that you have a copy of what you’ve written

somewhere. Strange things can happen when technology is involved. Be prepared.

REGARDING YOU:

• You are different from every student I have ever taught. You write your own way. You communicate your own way. You

see things your own way. You have a unique approach to topics. You’re life experiences are something new to me and to

those around you. Bring that uniqueness, creativity, and perspective to your writing and to class discussion. And respect

the different opinions and experiences of those around you.

• You are a busy person. You have a life. I understand and respect the fact that you have lots of stuff going on right now,

this week, or this month. Remember, you selected this course at this time in your life. You chose to take this course

during the time it is offered. We are happy to have you here among us, and we know that we are probably not your first

priority in life. Just remember that the effort you put into this class is reflected in the final grade. You earn a grade – you

don’t receive one.

REGARDING ME:

• Call me Sybil. Don’t call me Mrs. Priebe (that’s my mom). I don’t care what you call me behind my back, but call me Sybil

when you email me, when we chat, or when we converse on the class blogs. And please spell it correctly and use

capitalization.

• Calling someone or something “gay” is disrespectful and inappropriate. Please consider your audience before you speak

or write.

10 spelling mistakes that make you look stupid

http://www.bspcn.com/2007/05/16/10-grammar-mistakes-that-make-you-look-stupid/

These days, we tend to communicate via the keyboard as much as we do verbally. […]

In general, we can slip up in a verbal conversation and get away with it. A colleague may be thinking, Did she just say

“irregardless”?, but the words flow on, and our worst transgressions are carried away and with luck, forgotten.

That’s not the case with written communications. When we commit a grammatical crime in e-mails, discussion posts,

reports, memos, and other professional documents, there’s no going back. We’ve just officially gone on record as being

careless or clueless. […]

Here’s a quick review of some of the big ones:

1. Loose for lose

No: I always loose the product key.

Yes: I always lose the product key.

2. It’s for its (or god forbid, its’)

No: Download the HTA, along with it’s readme file.

Yes: Download the HTA, along with its readme file.

No: The laptop is overheating and its making that funny noise

again.

Yes: The laptop is overheating and it’s making that funny

noise again.

3. They’re for their for there

No: The managers are in they’re weekly planning meeting.

Yes: The managers are in their weekly planning meeting.

No: The techs have to check there cell phones at the door,

and their not happy about it.

Yes: The techs have to check their cell phones at the door,

and they’re not happy about it.

4. i.e. for e.g.

No: Use an anti-spyware program (i.e., AdAware).

Yes: Use an anti-spyware program (e.g., AdAware).

Note: The term i.e. means “that is”; e.g. means “for

example.” And a comma follows both of them.

5. Effect for affect

No: The outage shouldn’t effect any users during work hours.

Yes: The outage shouldn’t affect any users during work hours.

Yes: The outage shouldn’t have any effect on users.

Yes: We will effect several changes during the downtime.

Note: Impact is not a verb. Purists, at least, beg you to use

affect instead:

No: The outage shouldn’t impact any users during work

hours.

Yes: The outage shouldn’t affect any users during work hours.

Yes: The outage should have no impact on users during work

hours.

6. You’re for your

No: Remember to defrag you’re machine on a regular basis.

Yes: Remember to defrag your machine on a regular basis.

No: Your right about the changes.

Yes: You’re right about the changes.

7. Different than for different from

No: This setup is different than the one at the main office.

Yes: This setup is different from the one at the main office.

Yes: This setup is better than the one at the main office.

8. Lay for lie

No: I got dizzy and had to lay down.

Yes: I got dizzy and had to lie down.

Yes: Just lay those books over there.

9. Then for than

No: The accounting department had more problems then we

did.

Yes: The accounting department had more problems than we

did.

Note: Here’s a sub-peeve. When a sentence construction

begins with If, you don’t need a then. Then is implicit, so it’s

superfluous and wordy:

No: If you can’t get Windows to boot, then you’ll need to call

Ted.

Yes: If you can’t get Windows to boot, you’ll need to call Ted.

10. Could of, would of for could have, would have

No: I could of installed that app by mistake.

Yes: I could have installed that app by mistake.

No: I would of sent you a meeting notice, but you were out of

town.

Yes: I would have sent you a meeting notice, but you were

out of town.

Six Common Punctuation Errors that Tork Off Bloggers

by Daniel Scocco

Proofreading your text for misspelled words and grammatical mistakes is essential. What about the punctuation,

though?

Despite being more subtle, these errors can equally hurt your credibility. I’m going to point out six common punctuation

errors that you shouldn’t be making, and give you examples so you’re sure about the right way to handle these

situations.

Ready? Let’s go.

1. Apostrophe for Plurals

This mistake is particularly common among foreigners who are learning English as a second language. After all, you would expect

native English speaks to know how to form plurals (right?). The apostrophe is used to form contractions (e.g., It’s time to go) and to

indicate possession (e.g., Mary’s car is blue), but never to form plurals.

Wrong: The boy’s will go to the school tomorrow.

Right: The boys will go to the school tomorrow.

2. The Comma Splice

When the comma is used to separate independent clauses, there must be a conjunction connecting them. If the conjunction is not

there, we have a comma splice. You can fix this mistake by using a period instead of the comma, or by adding a coordinating

conjunction.

Wrong: The car costs $10000, I am going to buy it.

Right. The car costs $10000. I am going to buy it.

Right: The car costs $10000, and I am going to buy it.

3. Quotation Marks for Emphasis

Quotation marks are mainly used to quote speech, sentences or words. They can also be used to denote irony. They can’t be used,

however, to add emphasis to a word or sentence. It is not rare to find advertisements or promotional flyers carrying this error. If you

want to add emphasis to a word, use the boldface type and not the quotation marks.

Wrong: This gift is “free”!

Right: This gift is free!

4. Multiple Punctuation Marks

Unless you want to sound like an overly emotional teenager writing on MySpace, you should limit yourself to one exclamation point,

regardless of how excited you might be when writing that sentence. The same applies to question marks and to the ellipsis (which

should have only three dots). Also, keep in mind that exclamation points are not used that frequently in business and formal writing.

If your text is loaded with them, you probably should review it.

Wrong: This is amazing!!!!

Wrong: The man was silent……

Right: This is amazing!

Right: The man was silent…

5. Punctuation Outside the Quotation Marks

If you are writing in American English, other punctuation should go inside the quotation marks, even if it is not part of the quotation

itself. British English, on the other hand, places punctuation that is not part of the quoted sentence outside of the quotation marks.

Wrong in American English: Uncle John said, “My car is blue”.

Right in American English: Uncle John said, “My car is blue.”

6. The Missing Comma After Introductory Elements

Sometimes you want to give an introduction or provide a background to a certain sentence. That is fine, but do not forget to place a

comma after that introductory element. Notice that an introductory element can be a sentence (like in the example below) or a

single word (e.g., however, moreover and so on).

Wrong: Before going to the school Joe stopped at my house.

Right: Before going to the school, Joe stopped at my house.

What other punctuation mishaps do you make, or what drives you crazy when others fracture the rules?

Daily English Classroom Activities That are Good for You

Students should be given the time to write and or read daily, working through their ideas and developing their Time:

abilities by working as writers.

Choosing their subject and what to say about it engages writers; they feel a sense of ownership. Choice:

Responding to students’ writing throughout the composing process signals that people—students, teachers, Response:

other readers—take them and their ideas seriously. Students need to hear how others, beyond the teacher, to what

they are writing and how they are writing.

The teacher will demonstrate via samples how to write well, how projects in the past have been Demonstration:

completed, etc. The teacher may also demonstrate through his/her own writing how writers write.

Students are expected to try. Students are smarter than they think, and the teacher knows this. If students Expectation:

are smart enough to make up excuses, they are expected to be smart enough to complete all tasks in the class. The

classroom must be a place where students and teachers continually revise and raise their expectations of each other and

themselves.

Students need to know what to expect so they know how to—and then they can—work on their piece Room structure:

of writing. He describes this as making the room “predictable” for productive work.

Students should self-evaluate at mid-term and at the end. What did they learn? How did they learn? Why? Evaluation:

The 5 Features of a Great Education

Students learn skills and knowledge in multiple lesson types. Feature 1:

Teachers make connections across instruction, curriculum, grades, and life. Feature 2:

Students learn strategies for doing the work. [Problem-solving!] Feature 3:

Feature 4: Students are expected to be generative thinkers. [“Gen·er·a·tive” = adjective = capable of producing or

creating.]

Classrooms foster cognitive collaboration. Feature 5:

How I am Controversial:

a) I am a teacher who doesn't spend every night grading papers; I like to go out with my friends just like you do. And

someone has to watch The Office or the dumb Housewives! I am also a teacher who will say she doesn't know

something if she doesn't know it. (Blasphemous! An English teacher who doesn't know everything about punctuation!

Oh my!) So, basically, no, I don’t read the dictionary every night. Sorry to disappoint you.

b) I used to tan a lot; now I freak out on people who are fried or look way too dark for ND.

c) I detest derogatory words like the n-word, but I use the word “retard” and throw around f-bombs in my non-

professional life.

d) I like to argue that the Bible is just a book with stories in it; it shouldn't be the only thing people use for research.

e) I’m unsure about how important marriage is, but I do think I’d like to have kids.

ENGLISH PRACTICE: We’ll be reading and writing daily if not weekly in this class. Sometimes, a reading activity will be 120

assigned with a reading from the book(s).

Sometimes, there will be mini-arguments, for the writing side of practicing, or a cool composition-based activity.

Reading Activities and the layout for Mini-Arguments follow.

1

Flickr.com

Pixlr.com

READING ACTIVITY: F/P Image Creation

Idea: This activity visualizes the reading.

Students will find an image that connects

to the quote/statement they find most

interesting. Using the Creative Commons

area of Flickr, they save the image and add

text (or a quote) by using Pixlr.com. From

there, they could upload the image to

eCollege or Insert it into a document to be

handed in.

2

Pen/Pencil or

MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Facebook Status(es)

Idea: Students will create a Facebook

status of the topic or person in the

reading. Perhaps there will be comments

to that status by other people in the

reading.

3

Handout

Pen/Pencil

READING ACTIVITY: Self-Exam & T/F

Idea: The instructor will create a small self-

exam for the students to take pre-reading.

This will prepare students for the reading

as well as see where they stand before

they read. True/False questions are best,

but the self-exam could include short-

answer.

4

Handout

Pen/Pencil

READING ACTIVITY: Passport!

Idea: No matter the pre-reading or reading

activity, the students must come to the

next class prepared. This means whatever

they needed to answer or create needs to

be ON THEM PHYSICALLY THE MINUTE

they enter the classroom. They will need a

Passport to enter the Country of Further

Learning. Without a passport, they can’t

participate. �

5

Handout

Pen/Pencil

READING ACTIVITY: Tweet from Your Seat

Idea: Bring the crazy brevity of Twitter into the

classroom by having students, in 140 characters

or less, sum up what they read. *This activity

would be conducted after they’ve read or,

maybe, while they are reading (?).

6

Pen/Pencil or

MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Text Type-Up

Idea: Some students learn through repetition, and

some also don’t like to mark up their textbooks. So,

this activity asks students to type (or write) up a piece

of the reading they’d like to respond to. After typing

or writing up the piece, they can then circle things

they don’t get or really find interesting. Instructors

should specify word count and amount of questions

to circle, etc.

7

Animoto.com

READING ACTIVITY: Animoto Video Trailer

Idea: Just like how movies have previews, maybe

discussions should too? This activity asks students

to create a trailer or preview of the upcoming

discussion by reading and then putting related

images and text into Animoto.com. Their 30-

second videos are free and easy to use. From

there, they could upload the URL to eCollege to be

viewed in class.

8

Prezi.com or

PPT

READING ACTIVITY: Prezi/PPT

Idea: In order for the students to prep for the

upcoming discussion of the reading, have them create

parts of the possible discussion by putting together a

piece such as a PowerPoint slide (or slides) or Prezi

presentation. They could upload those Prezis/PPTs to

a specific area in eCollege in order for the instructor

to pop them up on the big screen in class.

9

MS PPT

Flickr Images

READING ACTIVITY: Visual Definition

Idea: Students naturally increase their vocabulary

by reading, so this activity asks them to pick a

specific amount of words to create visual

definitions of. Each slide = new word made visual

with images, stories, quotes from the reading,

definitions, etc.

10

MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Create a Quiz

Idea: In order to create a quality quiz, you need to

know the material. (A Spanish teacher I met has

students who miss his tests create the test, and they

rarely miss now because putting together a Spanish

test is harder than just taking one.) This could be done

in many different courses. The instructor could ask for

a few levels of difficulty as well.

11

Comp Lab

MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Speed Dating

Idea: *This activity needs to be completed in a

computer lab. Essentially, on each computer

screen, a question would be displayed. Each

student would type in their response. Each student

would be asked to respond differently than the

student before him/her. This activity would be

timed as well using http://www.online-

stopwatch.com/.

12

Web Access

MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Welcome to the Buffet

Idea: Students could get a few different options as to

what to do while reading. Maybe they can create: a) a

Timeline, b) a Chart, or c) Tweet from their Seat.

13

Pen/Pencil

MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: “How To…” Guide

Idea: After students have read, ask them to

become an expert on something in the reading

material. From there, they would create a step-by-

step guide on the topic. If they read something

about Buddhism, perhaps they would have to write

a guide on how to be a good Buddhist follower, for

example.

14

Pen/Pencil

MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: (Fake) Interview

Idea: Students could either be required to interview

someone about what they’ve read or they could

create a document which shows a fake interview with

the author about the piece.

15

Pen/Pencil

MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Survey the Masses

Idea: After students read, they would conduct a

survey of those around them (f2f or email or

Facebook) about the topic(s) covered in the piece.

They would report their findings at the next class

time.

16

Pen/Pencil

MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Reconstruction!

Idea: After reading, have the students reconstruct

parts of the text into chunks. Calling them stanzas

may scare them, but basically that’s what they are.

Slices of the text, fragments, put into poetic bite size

bits.

17

Pen/Pencil

MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Dear Some Dude/Advice

Idea: Have the students write a letter to the author

of the piece.

OR mimic a “Dear Abby” column that is related to

the piece read.

18

Pen/Pencil

READING ACTIVITY: Scavenger Hunt

Idea: If the instructor wants students to find certain

ideas or topics in the piece, ask them to do so

before they read. Have them keep a list of quotes,

perhaps, that give details of the topic, etc.

19

Pen/Pencil

MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Jeopardy

Idea: While reading, have students create Jeopardy

questions or maybe a whole game with points

assigned (200 level questions versus 400 level

questions). What would be the question that

players would bet $$$ on? These could be placed

on the board in class & used for discussion?

20

Pen/Pencil

MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Do you know your ABCs?

Idea: Students will create a table in MS Word and

place all 26 letters down the far left column. From

there, they have to find things in the reading that

pertain to each letter. For instance, while reading

about Buddhism, they would talk about the

Afterlife in the corresponding A row.

21

Pen/Pencil or

MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Reality Show Vote-Off

Idea: This activity asks students to take the reading

and create a Reality Show out of it. They will, then,

present the idea to the class. The class acts as

entertainment producers – Who’s show will get

voted off? Which show will air?

22

Pen/Pencil or

MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Mad Libs

Idea: Students will create a mad lib, or a few, (tell

them to Google that term if they’ve never used a

Mad Lib before) based on the reading. Then, in

class, the students could get into small groups and

“take/complete” each others’ mad lib(s).

23

Email/LMS

READING ACTIVITY: Email/Discussion Board

Idea: If instructors really want to know what

students are thinking (or what problems they are

having) when it comes to the reading, they could be

required to read and email the instructor before

class time. This way, the instructor can print off the

problems and questions and use them in class.

Same goes for discussion boards.

24

Pen/Pencil or

MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Vanna White on Steriods

Idea: While students are reading, they will take out

quotes/statements they like. In class, they will get

into groups and present 1-2 statements on the

board, using the Wheel of Fortune as their format.

The group who wins the most could get a treat or

bonus points. This takes up more class time than

“Diet Vanna.”

25

Pen/Pencil or

MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Diet Vanna White

Idea: While students are reading, they will take out

quotes/statements they like. Before class, they’ll

turn those statements into the Wheel of Fortune

format and then in groups exchange statements

with one another. This could lead into a larger group

discussion.

26

Pen/Pencil or

MS Word

and Library

READING ACTIVITY: Mini-Book Report

Idea: While students are reading, instructors could

have them seek out a topic they want to learn more

about. From there, they should head to the library

and research a book on that topic. Then, in class,

orally or on paper, they would talk about what the

book contained.

27

Google or

Bing or the

Library

READING ACTIVITY: Factoid/Something Cool

Idea: Ask the students to search the text for

someone or something. From there, they should

find something cool or some factoid about that

topic. Ex: If they are reading about World War II,

they could look online for something interesting to

them about the fashions of the time or what people

drove (if they are into fashion/cars, for example).

28

Pen/Pencil or

MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Pictionary or Art

Idea: This activity would ask students to draw out

what happened in the reading. It could lead into a

game of Pictionary lead by the students in class as

well?

29

MS Word

and Web

access

READING ACTIVITY: Multi-Genre

Idea: This activity asks students to find multiple

genres that connect to the topic(s)/theme(s) in the

reading. Ex: Finding a cartoon, a non-Wikipedia

article, and a chart based on Buddhism/WWII/STDs,

etc.

30

Pen/Pencil or

MS Word or

Web access

READING ACTIVITY: The Comic Strip

Idea: Using www.makebeliefscomix.com (or paper &

pen/MS Word?) have students create a comic strip

based on a theme or some dialogue that occurs in

the reading. This could add a bit of humor to any

subject.

ENGLISH MINI-ARGUMENTS: 120

First, you will need to read a few things in Doc Sharing:

a. “The Basics on How To Write An Argument.”

b. Mini-Argument Sample.

c. Cat/Dog argument.

Then, there are five (5) options:

1) Pick a question (from the list below – the complete list of 130 is online!) below to answer.

2) Pick a question posed in any chapter of everything’s an argument.

3) Pick a question posed in Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs.

4) Pick something that has been in the news lately.

5) Pick anything you have been thinking about. Open topic, essentially.

From there:

a) Find & use at least 1 source. Cite it at the end properly for full credit.

b) Do not go over 500 words!

c) Highlight the thesis statement or put it in color.

d) Copy & Paste your argument into the correct spot in eCollege/eCompanion before the due date (or bring it to class typed if

that’s what the instructor requires).

NOTE: Each Mini-Argument is worth 25 pts total (20pts for a brief, quality argument; 5pts for a correct citation of an integrated

source).

Why are we doing these mini-exercises? Practice makes perfect.

1) If you were asked to make a fair evaluation of your

teachers, what criteria would you use for the evaluation?

2) Has college made you less sure about what is right and

what is wrong?

3) How has your attitude toward your home (either town or

family) changed between the time you entered college and

now?

7) How does your public image differ from your private self?

9) Is college a good place to find out who you really are? Why

or why not?

16) What vice (gambling, alcohol, shopping, tanning, etc.) do

you find most offensive? Why?

17) Is there any job that you would absolutely refuse to take?

Why?

20) Apart from chronological age, what are some major

differences between an adolescent and an adult? .

21) If you could ban anything in the world, what would it be

and why?

22) Should prison inmates be allowed to take college

courses? Why or why not.

24) Do you think that you have the qualifications of a good

parent? Why or why not?

25) What do you consider the most important event of the

past decade? Why?

28) Is anger ever beneficial?

31) Is it better for a political leader to be feared instead of

loved? Why or why not?

32) What specific sacrifice or sacrifices would you endure as a

partial solution to our country's economic problem?

33) Most people consider themselves part of a particular

generation. Discuss what you consider the most important

values of your generation.

35) Is an academically competitive atmosphere helpful or

harmful to you as a student?

36) Should the government do more to discourage cigarette

smoking? Why or why not?

37) "Manners belong to a bygone age; they are no longer

relevant." Attack, defend, or modify.

38) In your view, what would most impress (favorably or

unfavorably) a foreign student spending his or her first

weekend in an American home?

39) At a scientific conference, Russia's chief space scientist,

Leonid I. Sedov, taunted a U.S. colleague: "You Americans

have a better standard of living than we have. But the

American loves his car, his refrigerator, his house. He does

not, as we Russians do, love his country." If you had to

answer Mr. Sedov, what would be your reply?

40) Argue the advantages and/or disadvantages of nuclear

power as a source of energy.

41) In what areas should all college graduates be required to

have some competence? Why?

46) Given all the evidence that cigarette smoking is harmful,

why do people continue to smoke cigarettes?

47) If the average life span were increased to 150 years, what

major changes in society would you expect?

48) What would cause you to end a friendship?

49) Do you believe that banning certain books from public

and school libraries is justified?

50) Do high schools put too much emphasis on athletics?

51) What would you place in a time-capsule to allow people

opening the capsule 1,000 years from now to understand life

today? .

52) "Self-discipline is the most important ingredient for

success." Agree or disagree.

54) Does our public educational system promote mediocrity?

58) Beauty contests, despite some criticism, are still very

popular. In your opinion, what are the chief reasons for their

popularity?

59) What are the chief causes of shoplifting?

62) Should public agencies be required to inform parents if

their minor children (those under 17) seek birth control?

63) If you could pass one law, what would it be? Why?

64) What do you consider to be your duties as a citizen?

69) The changes brought on by the women's movement are

typically seen as benefitting women. Do men also benefit

from the women's movement?

70) According to studies, the average American watches

television as much as six hours a day. Why do Americans

watch so much television?

75) Is the person without knowledge of computers

handicapped?

79) Do you favor or oppose a rule that would prohibit

professional teams from recruiting college student athletes

until their college sports eligibility is over? Why?

80) Whether we want them or not, many of us get tagged

with one or more nicknames during our lives. Discuss the

positive and/or negative aspects of the practice of

nicknaming.

81) Whom would you identify as a truly wise person? What

makes him or her seem wise to you?

82) What steps should be taken to improve the quality of

education in our public schools?

83) Athletic programs at some colleges are big business.

Discuss the advantages and/or disadvantages of this

situation.

84) Partners in marriage often write their own detailed

marriage contracts, covering such matters as the number of

children they wish to have and the management of money.

Would you write such a contract? why or why not.

88) What steps would you recommend be taken to make

health care in America more available to everyone?

89) Is it better to know a little about many subjects than to

know a lot about one subject?

93) What steps should be taken to reduce the number of

drunk drivers?

95) Though a favorite sport of many, boxing is a dangerous

sport that leaves many boxers suffering from eye and/or

brain damage. Should the sport of boxing be outlawed?

96) What do you think are the best methods of disciplining

children?

97) Is it the responsibility of the United States to share its

food supplies with the hungry people of the world?

98) The United States has never had a female president. To

what do you attribute this?

99) What type of music do you prefer? Why?

100) If you were among the first colonizers of a new planet in

the twenty-first century, what would you not want your

fellow colonists to transport from the planet Earth?

101) Americans generally condemn daydreaming as a waste

of time. Do you agree with this view, or do you see some

benefits of daydreaming?

102) When you are approached for a charitable contribution,

do you generally contribute? Why or why not?

103) Publishers report that horoscope columns are among

the most widely read features in newspapers. Do you check

your astrological forecast from time to time? Why or why

not?

104) The evidence shows that for many reasons the family-

owned and family-run small farm is a vanishing American

institution. Should this situation cause concern in American

society? Why or why not?

105) Do you read the newspaper every day? Why or why not?

106) The "Living Will" directs a person's family and physicians

not to keep that person alive by artificial means if that person

were to suffer a totally incapacitating disease or illness.

Would you consider signing such a document and giving it to

your own family? Why or why not?

107) Is noise pollution becoming a serious threat to the

welfare of Americans?

108) Do you favor or oppose the use of animal organs (such

as hearts or kidneys) as transplants in humans when human

organs are not available?

113) If you were placed in a position to reduce the national

debt, what area would you cut? Why?

116) Nearly all students have had classmates who they

wished were anywhere else but in that particular class. What

kinds of students do you find most annoying?

117) Is there anything that teachers can learn from students?

119) With the widespread availability of calculators, is it

necessary for students to learn arithmetic?

120) What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of being

single?

121) What single experience do you believe every human

being should have, one without which human life, in your

opinion, would not be complete?

122) Do you agree that children diagnosed as having AIDS

should be permitted to attend public schools? Discuss why or

why not.

125) Optimists are people who always expect the best;

pessimists always expect the worst. Which kind of person is it

better to be?

126) If it were possible to be reincarnated, would you want to

come back as a person of the other sex?

127) How has your birth order (eldest, middle, youngest, or

only child) affected your personality development?

128) If you were guaranteed honest responses to any three

questions, whom would you question, and what would you

ask?

129) Are there situations in which lying is appropriate?

130) Argue the advantages or disadvantages of marrying

someone significantly older or younger than yourself.

+These mini-arguments were found at:

http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwrtp/topics.htm

Is Everything an Argument?

Is Everything Controversial?

I’d say it can be.

In this course, you’ll argue logically and

illogically; you’ll figure out how to argue well

on paper; you’ll probably see or hear points of

view you haven’t seen or heard before.

Good Luck and

Have Fun!

Student P. Sample

English 120

Mini-Argument #1

06 Sept 08

Question Chosen: #120

What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of being single?

Who would really want to take a 50/50 bet on something? “The Americans for Divorce Reform estimates that ‘Probably, 40

or possibly even 50 percent of marriages will end in divorce if current trends continue’” (divorcerate.org). So, why get married?

The 50/50 statistic is only the top of the pile of reasons why people should stay single. Not only should everyone rethink

marriage, but my argument focuses mainly on why singlehood is an advantage for women, and not to men.

I wasn’t so opposed to marriage until I realized a few key social issues that are connected to marriage.

First of all, when the couple is united in a ceremony, typically the pastor or priest or whoever will say, “I now pronounce

you man and wife.” This is just the start of things to come for the female in the relationship. Carol L. Rhodes and Norman S. Goldner

write in their book, Why Women & Men Don’t Get Along, about how things don’t change for a man when he gets married. He still

works and pretty much does what he did when he was single. For a woman in a marriage, she suddenly acquires the “keeping of the

house” and the “rearing of the children.” Her single-gal habits are supposed to be deleted. Now, I argue these generalizations

because on average, most people would agree with me. If one goes to someone’s house and it’s messy, the gossip will conclude that

it’s the woman’s fault the house wasn’t clean. Right?

Secondly, marriage benefits men, not women, when it comes to the death rate. Married men live longer than single men;

on the other side of that coin, single women live longer than married women. One could assume from that general knowledge that

single women aren’t as stressed as married women. Also, married men have it better health-wise than single men (due to being

pampered?)!

My last piece looks into the future, to the possibility that divorce may occur and that there are children involved. Single

mothers are typically frowned upon more so than single fathers. Just thinking of the dating scene alone, it’s not a dealbreaker if a

man has a child. Women will look past that; men will not. Again, I know these are generalizations, but they are true for the most

part.

Finally, based on my own experiences, I don’t have many friends who are married who seem truly happy. And the ones who

are, are the ones who keep to themselves. The ones who aren’t are the ones asking me when I will tie the knot – misery loves

company?

[433 words]

Works Cited:

+Divorcerate.org. www.divorcerate.org. 11 Aug 08.

+Rhodes, Carol L & Norman S. Goldner.

Why Women & Men Don’t Get Along.

Somerset Publishing: Troy, M.I., 1992.

11spring oncampus english120

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