Course Objectives: In this course you will. . .Keys to reading skill development(1) The more you invest time and effort in reading, the more your reading skills will develop. (2) Skillful reading requires vigorous mental activity. Be alert and actively seek out what the author wants to say by asking questions, making guesses and predictions, reflecting on ideas, and drawing on your own knowledge and experience as you read.(3) Pay attention to how the author organizes ideas, noticing heading titles, bold or italicized words, central themes, patterns, etc. (Noticing how writers organize their ideas can also make you a better writer.)English 080, Reading Essentials, Fall 2007Instructor: Dr. Ted Miller Office hours in BW 241 (2nd floor, Walker Hall)Email: [email protected] Monday through Thursday, 3:00-4:30Phone: 796-8597 (dropping in is okay, though I may be busy; making an appointment is recommended and appreciated)Textbook and Supplies(1) The Townsend Thematic Reader, by Hayes & McAlexander.(2) Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom. (3) Words Count, by Laraine Flemming(4) Spiral notebook: single-subject, college rule, size 8” x 10½” (that’s important)(5) A folder for loose papers. (6) Some books of your own choosing that you will read for pleasure and tell us aboutCourse Objectives: In this course you will. . . 1. Improve your reading comprehension. (We’ll test you at beginning at end.)2. Make connections between what you read and your own experiences. 3. Write clear summaries of what you read. 4. Expand your vocabulary. 5. Combine information from several reading sources. (e.g., for culture project)6. Read for pleasure and for information. (personal reading, culture project, text)Associate Degree Outcomes: The JCC Board of Trustees has developed a list of essential skills that all graduates should develop. The Board has said:JCC’s goal is to prepare students to live productive and meaningful lives. Implicit in this goal are efforts to prepare students to: (a) live and work in the 21st century, (b) be employed in situations which will require retraining several times during a productive life,and (c) function in a rapidly changing international society.In support of these guidelines, ENG 080 students will develop critical thinking skills, including the ability to1. Generate questions about text before and while reading.2. Distinguish between fact and opinion.3. Incorporate new knowledge with old2Keys to reading skill development (1) The more you invest time and effort in reading, the more your reading skills will develop. (2) Skillful reading requires vigorous mental activity. Be alert and actively seek out what the author wants to say by asking questions, making guesses and predictions, reflecting on ideas, and drawing on your own knowledge and experience as you read. (3) Pay attention to how the author organizes ideas, noticing heading titles, bold or italicized words, central themes, patterns, etc. (Noticing how writers organize their ideas can also make you a better writer.)Assignments and Time managementYou will receive a calendar of readings and assignments. You are expected to read the assigned materials and do journal writing and other work before class starts. Plan out your week, allotting enough time to complete the assigned work. You should spend about 4 hours preparing for each 2-hour class (That means 8 hours per week for this class.) READING JOURNAL: Townsend Thematic Reader (50% of grade)Your calendar tells you which essay to study for each class. You will read the assigned works and also write at least one page about each selection in your reading journal before class on the date listed. In your 8” x 10½ ” spiral notebook, write down complete and thoughtful answers to four questions of your choice from the “Understanding Content” and “Thinking (or Writing) about Ideas” sections at the end of each reading selection.” To receive a 3.5 or 4.0, you must answer one of the “Writing about Ideas” (WAI) questions. Start every assignment on the top line of the right-hand page of your notebook. Write to theend of each line and do not skip any lines. Do not copy the questions or long quotes from the book—write your words, not the author’s words and not the words of a classmate. When we read Tuesdays with Morrie, you will have study guide questions to answer, and the same grading criteria will apply:You will receive a 1.0 for writing ½ page; a 2.0 for 1 page; a 3.0 for 1½ pages; a 3.5 for 2 pages including the WAI paragraph, and a 4.0 for 3 pages, including the WAI paragraphCOMPREHENSION QUIZZES (15%)3You will be quizzed on your comprehension of assigned readings from time to time. Sometimes you will know about the quizzes in advance, and sometimes you won’t. VOCABULARY (15% of grade)Assignments will be made for every class in the Words Count vocabulary book. Your grade for vocabulary will be based on those assignments and on your performance on vocabulary quizzes. Your grade on both comprehension and vocabulary quizzes will be determined by the percentage of correct answers, according to this chart: Total % of points Grade Total % of points Grade93 – 100 4.0 71 – 77 2.088 - 92 3.5 64 – 70 1.583 – 87 3.0 56 – 63 1.078 – 82 2.5 48 – 55 0.5PERSONAL READING (10% of grade)Using the online book catalog, or by browsing our classroom book collection or the shelves in the library, find a book that interests you. Read the book and tell us about it. If it is fiction, tell a little about the characters and the story, and why you do or don’t recommend that others read it. If it’s non-fiction, tell us some things you learned and why you do or don’t recommend that others read it. The more books you read and review, the better your grade: One book = 2.0; two books = 3.0; three books = 3.5; four books = 4.0.Based on your Nelson-Denny Reading Test results, I may recommend that you work everyweek with a reading coach. Working with a coach will help you become a stronger reader, so we will make a contract specifying how much time you’ll spend with a reading coach. This work will contribute to your personal reading grade and will be a condition for moving to the next level of reading. CULTURE PROJECT (10% of grade)You will spend time learning about a culture, either a culture you know little about or your own family “roots.” We will spend time in the library. You may