Course Website: http://archive.cunyhumanitiesalliance.org/fall2019comp102/
Welcome to your second college-level writing course offered by the English Department. This course, Writing Through Literature, extends and intensifies the skills that you have learned in Composition I (ENA/C/G101), including process-based writing and research methods. The theme of this class is Nothing About Us Without Us! Read on to find out what that means.
Course Description
Nothing About Us Without Us is the motto of the Disability Rights Movement, yet disabled people have historically been one of the most overlooked and discriminated against groups in America. Excessively high rates of school dropout, unemployment, and incarceration tell us that disabled people continue to be excluded from society. To make matters worse, they are also often left out of the conversations about the policies and practices that affect their lives.
But times ARE changing and disabled activists, students, artists, actors, writers, etc. have fought for the right to claim their differences proudly and demand full representation and participation. The works we will look at in class will raise those voices, and ask important questions about identity and difference, representation and freedom. We will explore literary and nonfiction texts that chronicle the history of disability in the U.S., and discuss how the disability rights movement overlaps with other struggles for social justice. We will examine an array of primary source documents that provide socio-historical context for the literature.
The readings in this course are not for the faint of heart…revolutionary writing can be vulgar and violent, beautiful and bombastic. Together we will sift through the complexity to find meaning. Are you up for the task?
Course Objectives
This course is designed to assist you in developing the critical reading and writing skills necessary for success in college-level courses. You will practice close reading, comprehension, and textual analysis skills. In addition, you will produce written and oral analyses that integrate textual evidence using appropriate MLA formatting.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Use the writing process to plan, construct, and revise written paragraphs, short response papers, and essays.
- Apply advanced close reading strategies and literary analysis of fiction, poetry, and drama.
- Compose various types of written responses that explain, analyze, and synthesize concepts and themes from texts.
- Integrate textual evidence into your writing to explain, support, or prove your perspective, using appropriate MLA formatting and citation.
Required Texts
There is no mandatory textbook for this class and the readings will be provided through our course website and/or in paper. Bring the texts to class (in print or on your laptop or other device, preferably not your cell phone).
Class Structure, Assignments and Grades
This three-hour class will be divided into three distinct sections:
- One hour we will dedicate to analyze the readings in a lecture/open discussion mode.
- One hour we will do hands-on work individually, in groups, in pairs or as a large group. We will take this time to connect the texts we read to issues to real-life issues.
- One hour we will spend on writing both individually and in groups We will read each other’s work and exchange feedback.
| Assignment | Grade |
| Class participation and team work | 10 Points |
| Journal responses to readings | 10 points |
| In-Class Writing | 5 points |
| Assignment #1: (500-600 words) | 10 points |
| Assignment #2: Literature Review (3 sources minimum) | 15 points |
| Assignment #3: Research paper (1200-1500 words) | 25 points |
| Assignment #4: In-class final | 15 points |
| Presentation | 5 points |
| Portfolio and class reflection | 5 points |
| Total | 100 |
Class participation: You are expected to participate each week in your team and/or in large-group discussions. You will also be graded on your active participation and your ability to collaborate with your colleagues.
Online reading responses: You will be required to write at least 10 double-entry journal responses to the readings each week. (The process for doing this will be explained in class and instructions will be posted online.) Each entry is worth 2 points of your final grade. Responses due: Saturday at midnight.
Writing Assignments: You will be required to hand in 5 pieces writing. Four will be completed at home and one is an in-class final.
All the essays can be revised except the in-class final. All papers should use vivid and effective language and demonstrate a sound analysis of the topic, as well as exhibit organized and developed ideas that support a thesis or main point.
- Assignment # 1 will be an essay 500 to 600 words and will be due on March 23rd.
- Assignment # 2 will be and essay of 500 to 600 words and will be due on April 13th.
- Assignment # 3 will be a literature review that summarizes at least 3 sources for your research paper and will be due on April 29th.
- Assignment # 4 will be your final exam: an in-class essay of 600 words and will take place on June 3.
- Assignment # 5 will be a longer critical research essay of 1,200 to 1,500 words. You will need to conduct research, incorporate the sources from your literature review, and use them to develop and support your ideas. Each of the previous 4 assignments will build to this essay, and we will work in class to guide you through the research, drafting, and writing process. This essay will be due NO LATER THAN JUNE 5.
- Use Modern Language Association (MLA) style.
In-Class Journal: You will begin most classes with a 10-minute freewriting exercise based on a prompt that I will provide you.
Quizzes: I hate quizzes. I am much more interested in how you think about the material. I may, however, occasionally handout short assessments that will help me understand where you might need help regarding the technical aspects of writing (grammar usage, sentence structure, punctuation). These are not intended to be graded, they are to help me better plan the class around your needs.
The Writing Center – Room B-200
The Writing Center provides free tutoring in writing, and I encourage you to seek assistance in revising at least one of your essays. In some cases, I may give students a referral slip for support in specific areas.
Cell Phones
Please remember to turn cell phones to silent before entering the classroom.
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to attend all classes, for the duration of the period, and to arrive on time. I will take attendance during the first five minutes of the class. A pattern of lateness will lower your attendance grade. Any student who misses more than 6 hours of class with unexcused absences automatically will receive a failing grade.
Please review the course schedule in advance and inform me of any unavoidable conflicts with exams or assignment deadlines. Please report known conflicts as soon as possible so alternative arrangements can be made if necessary.
Academic Integrity
This class will be conducted in compliance with LaGuardia Community College’s academic integrity policy. Please review the brochure for more information.
Plagiarism: ‘Plagiarism’ includes, but is not limited to, the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. It also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic materials.
Using proper MLA format is the only way to avoid plagiarism. Reference this website and others for help with MLA format: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_style_introduction.html
“When in Doubt, Cite!”
Declaration of Pluralism (from the College Catalogue)
We are a diverse community at LaGuardia Community College. We strive to become a pluralistic community. We respect diversity as reflected in such areas as race, culture, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, disability and social class.
As a pluralistic community, we will:
•Celebrate: individual and group diversity.
•Honor: the rights of people to speak and be heard on behalf of pluralism.
•Promote: inter-group cooperation, understanding and communication.
•Acknowledge: each other’s contributions to the community.
•Share: beliefs, customs and experiences which enlighten us about members of our community.
•Affirm: each other’s dignity.
•Seek: further ways to learn about and appreciate one another.
•Confront: the expression of dehumanizing stereotypes, incidents where individuals or groups are excluded because of difference, the intolerance of diversity and the forces of racism, sexism, heterosexism, homophobia, disability discrimination, ageism, classism, and ethnocentrism that fragment the community into antagonistic individuals and groups.
We believe that by carrying out these actions, we—as students, faculty, and staff—can achieve social change and the development of a society in which each individual can achieve her or his maximum potential.
Disability Services (M-102)
As a pluralistic community, we are committed to ensuring access to programs and services for all students, including those who have Individual Education Plans (IEPs) or 504 plans. If you are entitled to accommodations for this class, you must obtain appropriate documentation from the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD). Please note that I am a trained teacher of special education, and I am committed to providing differentiated and inclusive lessons for all students. Don’t be shy! ☺
Course Schedule
Session 1, March 4
In Class: Introduction to each other and the course.
Introduction to Poetry: What Makes a Poem a Poem?
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Session 2, March 11
In-Class: Finding a Voice: Identity Poems
Read: Poetry Packet
Assignment: Double Entry Journal
Find a poem in any language to share with the class (including date and information about author and context).
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Session 3, March 18
In Class: Introduction to Drama
Read: Shoot! by Lynn Manning
Assignment: Double-Entry Journal
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Session 4, March 25
In Class: What is researcher positionality?
Assignment: PAPER #1 Who am I and from where do I speak? DUE BY MIDNIGHT SATURDAY MARCH 23.
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Session 5, April 1
In Class: Introduction to the Novel and Character Mapping
Read: Good Kings, Bad Kings pages 1-67
Assignment: Double Entry Journal
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Session 6, April 8
In Class: Selecting a Research Topic
Read: Good Kings, Bad Kings pages 68-137
Assignment: Double Entry Journal
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Session 7, April 15
In Class: Selecting a Research Topic
Read: Good Kings, Bad Kings pages 138-169
Assignment: Paper #2 Connecting the dots: What is my research interest? DUE BY MIDNIGHT SATURDAY APRIL 13.
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April 22 Spring Break NO CLASS
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Session 8, April 29
In Class: Incorporating Sources and Drafting Our Papers
Read: Good Kings, Bad Kings pages 170-274
Assignment: Literature review that summarizes a minimum of 3 sources for your research paper. Bring your literature review to class.
Double Entry Journal
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Session 9, May 6
In Class: Wrapping up the Novel
Read: Good Kings, Bad Kings pages 274-294
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Session 10, May 13
Group 1 Presentations
Group 1 Draft of Research Paper Due
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Session 11, May 20
Group 2 Presentations
Group 2 Draft of Research Paper Due
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May 27 Memorial Day NO CLASS
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Session 12, June 3 In-Class Exam
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June 5 FINAL PAPERS DUE
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June 12 Grades and Attendance Due