English 099
English 099 is a focus on reading and writing with some listening and speaking components. It is one of Dorset's two first-level English courses in the College's University Transfer (UT) Programs. This course is meant to provide students with instruction and practice in advanced English language skills necessary for success in the Dorset English course and required for English 100. _____________________________________________________________ Learning Outcomes: * Construct simple, compound, and compound sentences * Organize their thoughts and prepare outlines * Produce well-organized, focused paragraphs with clear topic sentences * Develop coherence through transitional expressions * Comprehend texts of varying styles and lengths * Speak understandably and with confidence * Speak with a consistent focus and organization * Organize their speaking logically and coherently _____________________________________________________________ Course Content: The Reading and Writing component of English 099 is designed to develop basic college-level writing and reading skills. Through an emphasis on the basic structures of sentences and paragraphs, instruction in essential grammatical forms, and repeated practice with the written word, students will develop variety in their writing style and to provide evidence for their ideas. Students will learn to exhibit clear deductive thinking in their writing. The Listening and Speaking component is designed to introduce students to basic college-level listening and speaking skills and topics. Students will be encouraged to heighten the complexity of their discourse. This course requires students to become full participants in discussion and debate, as listening and speaking are both interactive skills. _____________________________________________________________
Instructional Methods: Instructional approaches in this course will include lectures, class discussion, in-class group work and individual work. _____________________________________________________________ Evaluation: Grading System: All grades for course work including the Final Grade will be given in percentages. Course Requirements (Assignments and Activities) and Weighting: Class Participation 10% Quizzes and writing assignments 50% Midterm exam 20% Final exam 20% _____________________________________________________________ Course Materials • Along These Lines; writing paragraphs and essays , 4th Canadian edition by John Sheridan Biays, Carol Wershoven and Lara Sauer. • Instructor Handouts • Class website : http://english099.wikispaces.com/ • Highly Recommended: English-English dictionary (Oxford, Longman, Cambridge Advanced Learner’s )
Course Outline Week
Quizzes / Assignments / Exams / in-Class exercises
Week 1
Reading Strategies: Preview Reading vs in-depth reading Writing: Editing notation
Diagnostic In-class paragraph writing Group and individual activities
Week 2
Looking for topic sentences Chapter 20 Using Verbs Correctly
Group and individual activities on topic sentences
Chapter 21 More on Verbs: Consistency and Voice
Individual and group activities on verb consistency
Chapter 1 Writing a Paragraph • Topic sentences & controlling ideas • Concluding sentences • Supporting details
Individual & group activities on topic sentences and controlling ideas Individual and group activities on simple sentence structure Quiz #1
Week 3
Chapter 13 The Simple Sentence
Chapter 22 Making Subjects and Verbs Agree • Subject / Verb Agreement
Week 4
Chapter 17 Avoiding Sentence Fragments • Correcting fragments • Identifying and using phrases •
Individual and group activities on subject verb agreement Individual and Group activities on fragments Individual and group activities on identifying and using phrases Individual and group work on run on sentences Individual and group activities on subordination Quiz # 2
Week 5
Chapter 14 The Compound Sentence: Coordination Chapter 16 Run-On Sentences and Comma Splices
Individual class work on capitalization and punctuation Individual and group work on pronouns
Chapter 15 Complex Sentence – Subordination Subordination
Group Discussion Quiz # 3
Week 6
Chapter 25 Punctuation & Capitalization • Capitalization Punctuation: apostrophe, colons, parentheses, quotation marks & underlining Chapter 23 Using Pronouns Correctly • Using pronouns Pronoun –antecedent agreement
Week 7
Individual class work on capitalization and punctuation Individual and group work on pronouns
Group Discussion Quiz # 4
Midterm week Review Midterm
Week 8
Chapter 18 Parallelism in Sentences • Parallel structure
In class individual and group activities on parallel structure and modifiers
Chapter 19 Correcting Modifiers • Modifiers Chapter 6 Process • Developing Process Paragraphs • Process analysis • transitions
Week 9
Chapter 7 Compare and Contrast • • • •
Developing paragraphs: Comparison or contrast Organizational structure Transitions Supporting details – comparatives and participial adjectives
Individual and group activities on process writing Individual in-class writing Writing Assignment 1: Process analysis paragraph Quiz # 5 Individual and group activities on supporting details Individual and group activities on compare and contrast paragraphs Individual in-class writing Writing Assignment 2: Compare and Contrast paragraph
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Chapter 9 Cause and Effect • Developing paragraphs: Cause and Effect • Causal relationships • Underlying causes • Timing of effects • Transitions
Individual and group activities on Cause and Effect
Chapter 10 Argument Writing: Introduction to argumentation • Argument analysis • Presenting an position / opinion • Using effective supportive evidence
Individual and group activities on argumentation
Handouts • Choosing words that work Introduction to peer editing Editing techniques Introduction paragraph - Thesis statement outlining
Week 13
Chapter 11 Writing an Essay (cont.) Body – supporting paragraphs Concluding paragraph outlining
Final Exam Review Week 14
Final Exam
Individual in-class writing Writing Assignment 3: Cause and Effect Paragraph
Individual in-class writing Writing Assignment 4: Argumentation paragraph
Individual editing techniques Group activities on peer editing techniques Individual in-class writing
Individual editing techniques Group activities on essay writing Individual in-class writing
Individual and group activities on Final Exam Review