English 101 Section 0998 Spring 2016
Mondays and Wednesdays 1:00-2:25
Dear student,
Welcome to English 101:
College Reading & Composition!!
Below you will find valuable information that will help you succeed in this English 101 class. Be
sure to read it carefully, and consult it throughout the semester. Remember that the information in
it is subject to change, so it is up to you to keep up with any changes by coming to class regularly
and staying in touch with your classmates and me. The syllabus begins with the best ways to stay in
touch with me--my email address and my office hours:
Instructor: C. Norris
Office: GC280C
Classroom: GC240
Phone: 310-287-4590
Important Dates:
LAST DAY TO
Add/Audit Traditional Classes
Drop a Class with no Fee
Drop a Class with no W
Drop with a W
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 12:35-3:35 or make an appt
Semester: Spring 2016, February 8-June 6
CAMPUS CLOSED
Presidents’ Day
Cesar Chavez Day
Spring Break
Memorial Day
Feb 19
Feb 19
Feb 19
May 6
Feb 12-15
March 31
April 1-8
May 30
Course Description: This is a college-level freshman composition course, which focuses on expository writing
and argumentation and requires the writing of a minimum of 6000 words in essays and a research paper. Students
study texts written at the college level. The course is intended for students who plan to transfer to a four-year
college or university or graduate with an AA degree.
Required Texts & Materials
 The New Jim Crow Michelle Alexander 978-1595586438
 The West Guide to Writing Boutry, Bailey-Hoffman, Norris-Bell
978-1-4652-4015-6
 The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks 978-1-4000-5218-9
 Loose-leaf paper, blue/black pens, highlighter, and STAPLER
 Three large green books
About our texts: SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS READ. The West Guide to Writing is a composition textbook
designed to guide you in various patterns of developing your essays and research methods along with being a
resource to answer your MLA formatting questions, as well as sentence skills (grammar, mechanics, punctuation)
questions. The New Jim Crow is a challenging, college level work of research-based nonfiction. It is intended to
model writing about research, encourage you to think and write critically, and provide topics for discussions,
research, and writing. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a work of popular nonfiction that is being read
college-wide this semester. There will be cross-campus activities incorporating the book, so you will be reading this
book as part of the West community of readers!
English 101 Course Learning Outcomes: SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS LEARN.
 At the end of the course a successful student will be able to argue a point (thesis) and support it in writing
using extensive evidence from outside sources.
 At the end of the course, the successful student will be able to cite sources both in-text and on a works
cited page following MLA guidelines.
Office Hours and Contacting the Instructor: SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS STAY IN TOUCH. My office hours
provide you with an opportunity to discuss your performance in the course or your performance on any particular
assignment, and any relevant personal situations with me. You are also welcome to call or email me; I will respond.
Helpful Resources: SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS UTILIZE RESOURCES. On the bottom floor of West’s HLRC
(Library building), you will find the Learning Center. In the Center, many workshops are offered that will support
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English 101 Section 0998 Spring 2016
Mondays and Wednesdays 1:00-2:25
you in successfully completing your assignments for this class. You may attend one of these workshops to fulfill
one College-Wide Learning Activities requirement. Call the Center at (310) 287-4404 or email:
[email protected]. The Writing Lab is also in the Center, and the lab provides complimentary tutoring for
West students. You can reach the lab by phone at (310) 287-4420. Check out the lab’s web site:
http://www.wlac.edu/library/learningcenter/Writing-Lab.aspx. Please take advantage of these resources!
Also, check out Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/. It is full of useful
information on essay writing, grammar, punctuation, and research.
Disabilities: If you feel that you may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, please contact
me privately to discuss your specific needs. Also contact the Disabled Student Programs and Services in SSB 320
or at (310) 287-4450 to coordinate reasonable accommodations if you know you have a documented disability.
Check the office web site for more information: http://www.wlac.edu/dsps/.
Classroom Conduct: SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS CONDUCT THEMSELVES APPROPRIATELY.
 Cell phone and electronic device use for academic purposes (looking up words, chekcing our Etudes site,
refering to online texts, etc.) is welcome! No texting. No Facebook. No Instagram. No Snapchat. No Vine.
No games. No Tinder. No cat videos. You know what to do.
 During class discussions keep open minds, use inside voices, and be kind. Support your classmates’
learning and success!
Plagiarism: SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS DO THEIR OWN WORK. Plagiarism is presenting another person’s work
as your own. You have likely encountered the term in other classes. The bottom line is that if someone else is
writing your paper for you or if you are copying someone else’s work or copying and pasting from the Internet, you
are not learning or improving your skills. Your purpose here is to learn and improve your reading, writing, and
researching skills, so don’t purposely plagiarize. One major reason students plagiarize, accidentally and on
purpose, is procrastination! Planning ahead is your responsibility. Plus, you are capable of completing
assignments yourself! In English 101 you will learn to research and cite your sources correctly. If any student turns
in an essay that contains plagiarism, that essay will earn 0 credit, and the student will be reported to the Dean of
Student Services.
Attendance and Tardy Policy: SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS ATTEND EVERY CLASS.
1. Any student who is absent from either of the first two class sessions will be excluded from the course.
2. If your unexcused absences add up to more than three, YOU RISK BEING DROPPED FROM THE
COURSE. You are responsible for keeping track. Please see me if you accumulate three absences.
3. I will keep track of student attendance through daily classwork and assignments. You will have a reading
assignment and Metacognitive Reading Log due for almost every class session worth ten points at the
beginning of class. If you are late or absent, you will miss those points. (If you know you will be absent
ahead of time, we can arrange for you to submit the Log early.)
4. If, for a particular class session, you know that you must arrive late or leave class early, please notify me in
advance.
5. If you stop attending, you are responsible for dropping the class to avoid receiving an “F” in the course
Late Assignment Policy: SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS MANAGE THEIR TIME WISELY. I do not accept late
essays, and I only give half credit for late homework. However, I will make an exception to my late work policy one
time, with the No Questions Asked (NQA) coupon found at the end of the syllabus. If you choose to use your NQA
coupon, you will have until the next class meeting to turn in your late assignment for full credit. The NQA coupon
cannot be used on work due after May 18.
Assignments: SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS COMPLETE AND SUBMIT ALL ASSIGNMENTS!
Summary: Your first major writing assignment will be a summary of The New Jim Crow introduction. This will
help me know how well you are grasping the author’s major points.
Essays: You will type/write three essays that will give you practice with using outside research to support
your thesis and demonstrate your writing skills and your ability to respond to a text.
Research Project & Section Drafts: Your major assignment for this semester will be one intensive research
project. It will be typed in MLA format. It will be broken into smaller sections: Summary, Definition, History,
Current Reforms, Next Steps, and Counterargument, and required typed drafts will be due before the final
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English 101 Section 0998 Spring 2016
Mondays and Wednesdays 1:00-2:25
draft is due. This project will give you an opportunity to demonstrate that you have met the outcomes for the
course. You must earn a C grade or better on this essay in order to earn a passing grade in the
course.
Research Activities/Exercises: In anticipation of the research project, you will complete several
assignments that will give you a chance to practice your research and citation skills.
College-Wide Learning Activities: West LA College offers so many great learning opportunities for students.
You will earn points for attending two of those learning activities this semester. You may attend a One
College, One Book Event; a Learning Center Workshop; go see the College Guest Speaker; interview a
participant in the Student Poster Showcase; or you may propose another college-wide learning event that you
want to attend. These events are worth 25 points each, and you must provide evidence that you attended the
entire event.
Metacognitive Reading Logs: You will be assigned material to read for every class meeting. We will
practice a strategy to help students with reading called “Talking to the Text”. You will be required to talk to the
text for each reading assignment. This will include identifying and looking up unfamiliar words, asking
yourself questions about the text, identifying “golden lines” (one or two from each reading), making
connections and predictions, highlighting challenging passages, and checking your comprehension. You will
use reading logs to show (written) conversation with the text for every class meeting, and we will begin almost
every class with a group reading activity. I will stamp your Reading Log right at 1:00, and you must be present
to earn credit. Then, you will submit the Log at the end of class.
Writing Improvement Journal: You will reflect on each writing assignment in journal entries written in a
green book.
Grading: Each class assignment is worth a percentage of your grade. See below.
Final grade score: 90-100%=A, 80-89%=B, 70-79%=C, 60-69%=D
Keep track of your grade in the Etudes Gradebook!
TRACK YOUR GRADES
Summary
Essays 1-3
Research Project Section Drafts
Research Project
2 College-Wide Learning Activities:
Metacognitive Reading Logs
Writing Improvement Journal
Total
5%
30%
10%
20%
5%
/50
/300
/100
/200
/50
25%
5%
100%
/250
/50
1000
Your English 101 Instructor,
C. Norris
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Now that you’ve read almost three pages of
information about the course, you’re ready
for some specifics. On the next few pages
you’ll find the schedule of activities and
assignments for the semester.
I am looking forward to working with you!!
Please feel free to contact me with
questions. Enjoy the semester!
English 101 Section 0998 Spring 2016
Mondays and Wednesdays 1:00-2:25
Group Members - MONDAYS
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Phone
Email
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Group Members - WEDNESDAYS
Name
Phone
Email
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English 101 Section 0998 Spring 2016
Mondays and Wednesdays 1:00-2:25
Date
Schedule of Assignments & Activities
Week 1
2/8
WELCOME! Introductions; Roll call; Brief overview of course syllabus; Talk to the Text; Time
management (West Guide Chapter 1); Etudes; Metacognitive Reading Log Discussion &
Modeling (25% of grade); Introduce Texts; Show resources on Etudes
Due: Watch Talking to the Text West Guide Ch. 1 videos, Parts 1 and 2; Reading 1 Log: The
West Guide Chs. 1 and 2 (Talk to the Text); Complete Time Management Table;
Model Log Writing; Stamp Logs; Reading 1 Activity: Time Management in Groups; Alexander
TED Talk (Preview); Preview Essay 1 assignment (Be on the lookout for topics as you read.)
Due: Watch Talking to the Text The New Jim Crow Introduction videos 1 & 2 on Etudes;
Reading 2 Log: The New Jim Crow Introduction (pp. 1-19) (Talk to the Text); Print and Read the
Summary Assignment Sheet posted on Etudes
Reading Activity; Introduction Summarizing; MLA Format; Summary assignment
2/10
Week 2
2/17
Week 3
2/22
2/24
Week 4
2/29
3/2
Week 5
3/7
3/9
Week 6
3/14
3/16
Week 7
3/21
3/23
Week 8
3/28
3/30
Due: Summary typed draft; Reading 3 Log: The West Guide Chapter 8 “Writing a Summary”
pp. 166-168 AND Chapter 16 (Talk to the Text);
Revising (Campus Resources); Summary Rubric; Preview Chapter 1
Due: Reading 4 Log: The New Jim Crow Chapter 1 “The Rebirth of Caste” pp. 20-40 (Talk to the
Text);
Watch Slavery by Another Name
Due: Summary Final Draft; Reading 5 Log: The New Jim Crow Chapter 1 “The Rebirth of Caste”
pp. 40-59 (Talk to the Text); Listen to Michelle Alexander NPR Interview;
Journal Entry 1; Reading Activity; Discuss Slavery by Another Name; Preview Chapter 2; Explore
Possible Essay 1 Topics
Due: Reading 6 Log: The New Jim Crow Chapter 2 “The Lockdown” pp. 60-96 (Talk to the Text);
Select Essay 1 Topic
Reading Activity; Essay 1 Share Topics & Discuss Research; Preview Chapters 21 and 22 in The
West Guide (LIBRARY ORIENTATION – tentative)
Due: Reading 7 Log: The West Guide Chapters 21 pp. 351-363 and 22 pp. 385-393 and 399-404
(Talk to the Text); Print and bring all Essay 1 Sources (full articles and books)
Reading Activity; Essay 1 research: Discuss in-text citation; Draft sample thesis (See The West
Guide Chapter 11)
Due: Reading 8 Log: The West Guide Chapter 13 and Essay 1 Sources (Talk to the Text); Essay 1
introduction, thesis, and outline/partial draft
Essay 1 thesis and outline; Introductions; Practice quote sandwiches and in-text citations
Due: Reading 9 Log: The West Guide Chapter 14; Essay 1 first draft;
Essay Revising, Conclusions
Due: Reading 10 Log: The New Jim Crow Chapter 3 “The Color of Justice” pp. 97-119 (Talk to
the Text); Essay 1 Final Draft
Editing; Journal Entry; Reading Activity
Due: Reading 11 Log: The New Jim Crow Chapter 3 “The Color of Justice” pp. 119-139
Reading activity; Preview Chapters 4 (Entire Chapter due next class);
Due : Reading 12 Log: The New Jim Crow Chapter 4 “The Cruel Hand” pp. 140-177 (Talk to the
Text)
Return Essay 1; Journal Entry; Reading Activity; Preview Chapter 5; Essay 2 Assignment
Due: Reading 13 Log: The New Jim Crow Chapter 5, “The New Jim Crow” pp. 178-220 (Talk to
the Text); Read Research Project Assignment
Reading activities; Preview Chapter 6; Essay 2 Assignment
Due: Reading 14 Log: The New Jim Crow Chapter 6, “The Fire This Time” pp. 221-261 (Talk to
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English 101 Section 0998 Spring 2016
Mondays and Wednesdays 1:00-2:25
Week 9
4/11
4/13
Week 10
4/18
4/20
Week 11
4/25
4/27
4/28
Week 12
5/2
5/4
Week 13
5/9
5/11
5/12
Week 14
5/16
5/18
Week 15
5/23
the Text)
Reading activities; Discuss Essay 2 & Research Project topics; Pass out Henrietta Lacks Prologue
Due: Reading 15 Log: “Racial Critiques of Mass Incarceration: Beyond the New Jim Crow” by
James Forman Jr. (Talk to the Text); Listen to “College Freshmen Learn from “Henrietta Lacks”
from Talk of the Nation or “Henrietta’s Tumor” from Radiolab.
Reading activities; Discuss Essay 2, Timed Essay
Due: Reading 16 Log: The West Guide Ch. 20 (Talk to the Text)
Essay 2: TIMED IN-CLASS ESSAY
Due: Reading 17 Log: Research Project Assignment Packet; Watch Talking to the Text Research
Videos 1 and 2; Choose Research Project Topic; Research Project: Discuss Research and thesis;
Preview Henrietta Lacks; Start Reading and discuss Prologue;
Due: Reading 18 Log: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks “Prologue” and The West Guide Ch.
17 “Extended Definition” pp. 280-284; Print and bring (at least) one article from a library
database related to your research project topic
Reading Activity; How to read sources and integrate them into your research paper (Modeling
and practice)
Due: Reading 19 Log: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Part 1 “Life” pp. 13-83; Type
tentative Research Project Thesis
Reading Activity; Discuss Research Project
Due: Reading 20 Log: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Part 2 “Death” Chapters 12-17;
Read and bring 2-3 sources that will help you define your topic;
Reading Activity; Research Project: Discuss sources and section; Practice quote sandwiches & intext citations; practice synthesizing source info
College Guest Speaker
Due: Reading 21 Log: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Part 2 “Death” Chapters 18-22 (Talk
to the Text); Read and bring 2-3 sources that teach you about the history of your topic;
Section 1: Topic Definition Typed Draft;
Reading Activity; Research Project
Due: Reading 22 Log: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Part 3 “Immortality” Chapters 23-27
(Talk to the Text); Read and bring 2-3 sources that teach you about existing reforms or
programs tied to your topic; Section 2: Topic History Typed Draft;
Reading Activity, Research Project
Due: Reading 23 Log: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Part 3 “Immortality” Chapters 28-32
(Talk to the Text); Read and bring 2-3 sources that help you choose the best next steps;
Section 3: Current Reforms Typed Draft;
Reading Activity; Discuss Research, MLA Format,
Due: Reading 24 Log: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Part 3 “Immortality” Chapters 32-37
(Talk to the Text); Read and bring 2-3 sources that express a counterargument in response to
your topic; Section 4: Next Steps Typed Draft
Reading Activity; Sharing research
Student Poster Showcase
Due: Reading 25 Log: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Part 3 “Immortality” Chapter 38,
Where are They Now, and Afterward (Talk to the Text); Section 5: Counterargument Typed
Draft
Reading Activity; Discuss next steps, and compiling
Due: Research Project Introduction: Revised Summary Typed Draft
Compiling, Revising, and Editing
Due: Research Essay FULL TYPED DRAFT (10-12 pages)
Revising and Editing
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English 101 Section 0998 Spring 2016
Mondays and Wednesdays 1:00-2:25
5/25
Finals Week
6/6
Due: Research Essay FINAL DRAFT;
Journal Entry; Prep for timed essay
Due: Review Chapter 20 The West Guide; Timed Essay prep
Essay 3 (Timed essay in class) 11:30-1:30
NO QUESTIONS ASKED COUPON
This coupon entitles the bearer to turn in one homework assignment late one class period, no questions asked. One coupon per
student. The coupon must be turned in on the day an assignment is due. The assignment must be turned in the following class
period to earn credit. Unused coupons may be redeemed for extra credit at the end of the semester.
Used by (name): ____________________________________________________________________
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Expires: May 18, 2016
Valid only in English 101 Spring 2016
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