Required Text1. Introduction to Critical Reading, 5th edition, by Barnwell and McCraney.2. Cornerstone: Building on Your Best, concise 4th ed., Sherfield, Montgomery, Moody.3. Two spiral notebooks: single–subject, college rule, size 8 inches x 10½ inches4. A folder for loose papers.5. 3x5 Index cards for vocabulary study* You may also wish to purchase a portable dictionary—recommended but not required.Course ObjectivesIn this course you will:1. Improve your reading comprehension.2. Write clear summaries of what you read.3. Make connections between what you read and your own experiences.4. Combine information from several reading sources.5. Read for pleasure and for information.6. Assess and develop a range of study skills and strategiesAssociate Degree OutcomesThe Board of Trustees has determined that al JCC graduates should develop or enhance certain essential skills while enrolled in the college. Several of these Associate Degree Outcomes (ADOs) are addressed in this class, including: ADO 1A The ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and intelligibly using writing skills ADO 1B The ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and intelligibly using oral skills ADO 2 The ability to comprehend and use information including written and oral forms ADO 14 An understanding appreciation of our multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society 1Course SyllabusWinter 2006English 085 College ReadingEnglish 085 Section 07 meets Mondays and Wednesdays at BW 117 9:00- 10:55 a.m.Instructor: Kawita KandpalEmail: [email protected] Hours: By appointmentAssignments and Time ManagementYou will receive a calendar of readings and assignments. You must do assigned reading and written work before class begins. I strongly suggest you use a planner to map out your week, including when you will do your ENG 085 work. Careful planning is the key to not getting behind in this course. Journal for Introduction to Critical Reading You are expected to read the assigned works and also to write about them in your reading journalbefore class on the date listed on your reading schedule. In an 8” x 10½” spiral notebook, write about the works, focusing on three levels of meaning:1. Literal level: Summarize, in your own words, what the words on the pages are saying. Here the focus is on the words of the text. You do not have to paraphrase everything, but everything that is important. A good summary will not leave out leave out any key parts or important ideas. [Example: A tortoise and hare ran a race. The hare started fast but then stopped to rest and fell asleep. The tortoise went slowly but won the race.]2. Interpretive level: Do not continue your summary. For this level, you review thepiece of writing and make a guess about what the author’s intentions were in writing this? What lessons is she/he trying to convey? Quote from the text to support your interpretations. Here the focus is on the author’s ideas. The only way to guess what the author’s purpose was is to read between the lines. [Example: The author wanted to teach people the value of steady efforts and the danger of arrogance and laziness.] 3. Applied level: Relate this piece to your own experience, your own thinking, or other things you’ve read. What does this writing say to you personally? Tell your related stories. Here the focus is on you, your experiences, your ideas. [From 1992 to 1998, I was working toward my doctorate. I had classmates who were smarter than I, and sometimes that made me lose confidence. However, I completed one assignment at a time, one or two courses at a time, and finally my 200-page dissertation that took two years to write. I won! Some of my more intelligent classmates did not get the degree.]Start each assignment on the top line of the right-hand page of your notebook. Write to the end of each line and do not skip any lines. Do not copy the questions or long quotes from the book. Hand in the journal at the beginning of class to have your grade recorded. (For poems you will receive a 2.0 for writing ½ page; a 3.0 for 1 full page; a 3.5 for 1 ½ pages; and a 4.0 for at least 2 pages. Forshort stories and essays you will receive a 2.0 for writing 1 page; a 3.0 for 2 pages; a 3.5 for 2½ pages; and a 4.0 for 3 pages.) Journals will be collected from time to time. The Journal is worth 40% of your grade2ExamsFor each unit we will have an exam covering that unit. These exams will be short essay exams that provide you with a list of questions for you to answer. They will focus mainly on the interpretive level from your journals, but may also deal with other areas.These exams average together to be 15% of your final grade.Unit ProjectWe will have in class unit projects that combine information from your text book, internet resources, and your own personal experiences. More information on this will be handed out in class. There will be 2-3 projects this semester.The projects are worth 20% of your final grade.The Cornerstone TextbookA portion of class each day will be dedicated to your readings and exercises from this textbook. As you are reading the assigned pages on your own, make sure you complete the various written exercises in the textbook. You can do these exercises either right in the book, or in your second notebook (do not use the notebook for your reading journal). Take notes, write reactions, and highlight things that you see to be important. Completing these exercises and participating in the group discussions/projects about the text will determine 10% of your final grade.Final Class ProjectThe class project will be a presentation that combines what you have learned from your Cornerstone textbook, with what you have learned as a student this semester. The presentation can be done anyway you wish, but you need to be original and creative. Further instructions will be handed out in class. The final class project is worth 15% or your final grade. Class Attendance and ParticipationAttendance is mandatory. If you miss a class due to an emergency, it is your responsibility to contact a classmate or the instructor before the next class meeting to find out what you need to do to prepare for the next class. You probably have a busy life and many things that compete for your time. Nevertheless, class attendance and school work should be high priorities if you are to benefit from courses and receive credit.10 absences: no credit7 absences: highest possible grade is 2.04 absences: highest