English 122, Section 3890

Tuesday/ Thursday 11-12.15

LA 113

Jessica Barksdale Inclan, Instructor

Office Hours MW 8-9.30 online, TTH 10.30-11, 3.15-3.45 FO 240 on land.  Arrange appt. beforehand.

Office phone:  925-685-1230 x 2513

lilphi@pacbell.net 

www.jessicabarksdaleinclan.com

(For my web site, click on the DVC icon, find your class by section and you will find the syllabus and the assignment for the Writer Write Up.  A good idea is to save my web site as a favorite place on your browser so if you lose the syllabus, you will be able to get another fast)

Texts:  Stranger than Fiction by Zach Helm

            The Best American Short Stories of 2007 edited by Stephen King

            The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

            180 More by Billy Collins

            The Best American Nonrequired Readings edited by Dave Eggers

            What Every Student Should Know About Citing With MLA Documentation

Welcome to English 122.  The aim of this class is to help you learn to read and think more critically and to help you learn to develop ideas in writing.  We will be reading a play, The Merchant of Venice, a screenplay, Stranger than Fiction, a collection of short fiction, The Best American Short Stories of 2007, a collection of various genre forms in The Best American Nonrequired Readings, and an anthology of poems 180 More.  We will also watch two movies, The Merchant of Venice and Stranger than Fiction.

In order to achieve these goals, each class will be arranged so that you will have done all of the assigned reading before class.  In class, we will read aloud portions of the assigned section.  Then, we will spend some time talking about the themes, ideas, concepts, values, interpretations, and meanings of the piece.  We will also contemplate personal reactions to the various works.  Next, we will write about what we’ve read, using writing strategies, tips, ideas, concepts, and structures that I will talk about.  Finally, you will share some of what you’ve written to the entire class.  As I listen to what you’ve read, I will talk about what works well in the writing and what could be thought through more fully. 

There is no homework in this class EXCEPT for the reading.  However, you will be graded intensely on how you participate and write in class—you will be graded on your deep understanding of the piece we discuss each day.  You will be graded on the work that you turn in on the final day of the class—work that will be validated by your attendance in the class. You will be graded on actually putting forth your ideas, sharing your writing, and working together in groups when called to. 

In class, you are expected to have the book we are reading in front of you, to discuss, to think, to offer up ideas.  If you do not bring your book to class, you will lose some portion of your participation points.

Toward the end of the class, we will be putting together a final paper that you will complete and turn in with your portfolio at the end of the semester.

So basically, if you are in class, if you are awake, alert, alive, interested, and focused in class—if you listen, respond, and produce—you will do well.  If you miss class, if you don’t participate, if you don’t read ahead of time (and this always shows) if you don’t bring your books, you won’t do well at all.  IF YOU DO NOT SPEAK IN CLASS, OFFER TO READ, OR PARTICIPATE OFTEN, YOU WILL NOT GET AN A.  An A is not guaranteed.  Please consider this before remaining in the class.  None of the above will change!  And likely, you won’t change into a person who likes to talk in front of others or read aloud within one semester, though sometimes, people do!

Missing more than 4 classes will automatically lower your grade one full grade AND you will be asked to drop if you miss one more.

Your only other assignment is the Writer Write Up, where you will go to listen to a writer on your own time.  See the separate assignment on my web site—www.jessicabarksdaleinclan.com for details.

• If you miss four classes, I will drop you. 
• If you are unprepared or disruptive, I will ask you to leave class.
• Three tardies/early departures equals an absence.
• I accept no late work—and you cannot make up work that you are not in class to do.  You cannot make up participation points in the writing segment.
• Please turn off electronic devises when entering the classroom—a phone set to vibrate is NOT turned off.
• I do not entertain discussions about why you received the grade you earned.  Unless you think I made some kind of math mistake, please do not contact me about such.  I know that you have compelling reasons for wanting an A, but I will not be moved by them.  Do the work in the class to get the grade you want.
• If I think for one instant that your writing is not your own (and you won’t be able to talk with me about this as the class will be over), I will not pass you.  I do a quick introductory writing at the beginning of class so that I can see what you write like in general.

Assignments and grade scale:

Writing portfolio           20 per day        700                  1250-1125       A

Attendance/Part            10 per day        350                  1124-1000       B

Writer Write Up           100                  100                  999-875           C

Final Essay                   100                  100                  874-750           D

                                                                                    749 below        F

Below, you will find the class and reading schedule.  The reading listed for each date is the reading you will read before class and then bring to class. 

January

15—Introduction to class

17—Merchant 7-35

22—Merchant 36-64

24—Merchant 65-93

29—Merchant 94-122

31—Merchant 123-151

February

5—Merchant 152-180

7—Merchant 181 to finish

12—Merchant film

14—Merchant film

19--Short Stories begin:  Solid Wood, Balto

21—L.DeBard And Aliette:  A Love Story

26—Riding the Doug House, St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves

28—My Brother Eli

March

4—The Bris, Do Something

6—Nonrequired Reading:  3-29

11—NR 42-69

13—NR 70-83, 105-130

18-20 Spring Break

25—NR 151-161, 317-329

27—NR 237-258, 204-226

April

1—Stranger Than Fiction 2-26

3--STF 27-51

8—STF 52-76

10—STF 77-101

15—STF 102 to finish/ STF film

17—STF film

22—STF film

24—180 More 3-27

29—180 More 28-53

May

1—180 More 54-79

        Writer Write Up Due

6—Work on Final Essay

        180 More 80-105

8—Work on Final Essay

      180 More 106-131

13—Work on Final Essay

      180 More 132-157

15—Work on Final Essay

        180 More 158-183

20—10.30-12.30  Final class/Turn in Portfolio of work

        Pick Poem to read in class from any part of the book