NOTE: Please turn off all
cell phones, pagers and other electronic devices before entering the classroom
ENG 004-05M –
READING IMPROVEMENT I
ENG 005-04M – READING IMPROVEMENT II
Semester: FALL
2007
Credit Hours: 5 Credits
Office
/ Hours: Room 231 Colgan / Monday and Wednesday
Tuesday
Telephone: 257-6690
E-mail: cdorsey@nvcc.edu
Website: http://www.nvcc.edu/home/cdorsey
Required Materials: Alexander, Roberta and Jan Lombardi. Joining
a Community of Readers: A Thematic Approach to
Singletary, Michelle. Spend
Well, Live Rich: How to Get What You Want With the Money You Have.
One 70-page spiral bound single
subject notebook
One two-pocket portfolio folder
Two 3-1/2" floppy disks
(double-sided, double density) or other media on which you can save your papers
College Dictionary and Thesaurus
An independently
selected novel which can be chosen from the Banned Book List
Course Objectives:
· Students will acquire the reading,
writing, speaking and listening skills necessary to succeed in the
reading-related requirements of entry-level college credit courses.
· Students will integrate their reading,
writing, speaking and listening skills to promote thinking and learning.
· Students will be active, independent
learners able to apply integrated learning strategies appropriate to the
reading-related task.
· Students will increase their
self-confidence in their ability to be effective readers.
· Students will understand the role of
reading in their academic, professional, and personal lives.
Course Requirements:
Complete various reading and writing assignments. FINAL VERSIONS OF
ALL ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE TYPEWRITTEN.
Complete journal entries and
submit journal for review once a month on dates specified in syllabus.
(Journal will be collected on Tuesday and returned on Thursday.)
Read two full-length books and
complete accompanying assignments.
Submit a portfolio of final
version of assignments.
Make at least two successful
oral presentations.
Attend class regularly and
participate actively.
Grades: Your weekly assignments and reports will
not be given letter grades. Instead, you will be given checks for completion,
check pluses for better than average work and check minuses for unsatisfactory
work. Each paper or report will go through several writing and revision stages
and you will receive extensive suggestions for improvement. Final papers or
projects will be evaluated on a task related evaluation sheet. All work chosen
for the Portfolio will be rewritten a final time.
Three symbols will be used for
the final grade:
S (Pass Satisfactorily)- You have completed all course requirements
satisfactorily.
R (Re-enroll) - You need more time and practice with several of the
objectives that re-enrolling in this course will provide.
U (Unsatisfactory) - Requirements not met. You failed to attend class
and/or failed to complete class assignments.
Attendance: You will fail this course
automatically if you miss more than five classes. Repetitive lateness may
count against the allowed absences.
Late Assignments: You are expected to attend every class
with the current assignment. However, do not skip class because your assignment
isn’t finished.
Unauthorized Persons: Do not bring unauthorized persons to
class.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the presentation of
another’s words or ideas as though they are your own. Any plagiarism is cause
for failure of the assignment in which it occurs. Deliberate plagiarism is
cause for failure of the course.
Inclement Weather: Decisions as to whether or not the
college will close for inclement weather will be made by
RESPONDING
TO LITERATURE
When you are writing journal
entries in which you are discussing Tuesdays with Morrie or your
independently chosen novel, make sure your journal entry addresses two or three
of these questions.
1. What do you
notice? Examples:
Do you notice any change in the characters from one chapter to another? Can you
predict what will happen in the next few chapters? What examples or details
have led you to believe there is change going on.
2. What is the main point? Examples: What is the primary
event taking place? Support your evidence by discussing why the event is
occurring.
3. What do you feel? Examples: Does any part of this book
make you feel agitated, annoyed, frustrated, happy or horrified? Give specific
examples. Do you feel differently about a character or situation in the novel
now than you felt before?
4. What do you relate to? Examples: Does anything in this
book remind you of something from your own experience? Have you read any
novels, seen any TV programs, or know any songs that remind you of some of the
events in your story? Discuss that experience and how it compares with what is
going on in the book.
Course
Outline
Each student will be
required to introduce one new vocabulary word, explain its definition,
etymology and usage and develop a writing prompt to which the class will
respond in a 10-minute writing. A college edition of any dictionary will
provide you with much of the information for this assignment. Some good
websites which may also help you are: www.wordwithyou.com (avoid selecting
phrases); www.takeourword.com; and www.oed.com.
NOTE: Journal Entries
should include as many new vocabulary words as possible
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IN CLASS |
ASSIGNMENT |
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August 23 |
Review Syllabus Reading Assessment |
JOINING: JOURNAL ENTRY: Write answers
to Ex. 10 on p. 19 for yourself only |
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August 28 |
Vocabulary/Writing Exercise JOINING Ch 1: Preview
textbook; PPO; Setting goals, p. 2 JOURNAL ENTRY: What will you be doing on this day 5 years
from now? 10 years from now? 20 years
from now? Meet your classmates |
JOURNAL ENTRY: Preview a textbook from another course you are taking. Identify the various features of the book. Does it have any unique parts? What parts, as a student, will you find most helpful in this text? |
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IN CLASS |
ASSIGNMENT |
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August 30 |
Vocabulary/Writing Exercise What’s your learning
style? JOURNAL ENTRY: Discuss
suggestions that you think will work for you.
Choose at least one for each of your five learning styles. Notetaking Exercise |
JOURNAL ENTRY: Answer the questions at the top of page 54 in your journal. Read Latinas: Journeys of Achievement and Vision, p. 54 JOURNAL ENTRY: Answer questions 5, 17 and 18 on pages 56
and 58. |
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September 4 |
Vocabulary/Writing Exercise JOINING Ch 2: Vocabulary
skills; vocabulary aids; definition and synonym clues; context clues; Working
with words Group Meetings/Reports: pp. 87,
88, 89, 92, 93 |
JOINING: Complete Ex. 12, p. 91 Visit my
homepage and click on the link to Study Skills Help. Jot down the parts of the site you found
most helpful and why. How will this site help you in your classes? (Be sure to use new vocabulary) |
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September 6 |
Vocabulary/Writing Exercise JOINING Ch 2: Dictionary
Skills; Reading 4 JOINING Ch 3: Topics and Main
Ideas JOURNAL ENTRY: What would you
do immediately after finding out you have a terminal illness? SPEND WELL |
Find an article in a newspaper or magazine of at least 500
words. Identify the topic and main idea and prepare a brief summary for
presentation to the class |
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September 11 |
Vocabulary/Writing Exercise Oral Reports NEWSWEEK (Topics/Main Ideas) SPEND WELL Draft Article Summary/Response Turn in journals |
JOURNAL ENTRY: Complete Ex. 5,
pp. 139-141. Read JOURNAL ENTRY: Complete Ex. 9,
p. 147 |
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September 13 |
Vocabulary/Writing Exercise SPEND WELL Rules for Peer Review Edit Article
Summary/ Response Turn in Article Summary/Response |
JOURNAL ENTRY: Read Body Art pp. 148-153. Complete Ex. 10 on p. 153 and Ex. 13 on p. 156. Visit the website http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/bodyart/ thumbnails.html and write a brief review of the site. |
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September 18 |
Vocabulary/Writing Exercise NEWSWEEK (Topics/Main Ideas) SPEND WELL Complete Exercise 18, p. 163 |
SPEND WELL JOURNAL ENTRY: Read The Hidden Costs of That Buff Bod pp. 157-159. Complete Ex. 17. |
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September
20 |
Vocabulary/Writing Exercise SPEND WELL NEWSWEEK (Unstated Main Ideas) Discuss Research Project |
JOURNAL ENTRY: Read Will Johnny Get A’s pp. 180-181. Answer questions 1-5 on pp. 181-182. Be prepared to share your answers in class on Tuesday SPEND WELL |
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September 25 |
Vocabulary/Writing Exercise SPEND WELL Oral Reports The
Veldt Discuss Research
Project |
JOURNAL: Complete The Veldt.
Should SPEND WELL |
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September 27 |
Vocabulary/Writing Exercise NEWSWEEK (Unstated Main Ideas) Discussion of The Veldt SPEND WELL |
SPEND WELL |
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October 2 |
Vocabulary/Writing Exercise SPEND WELL “Heather Has Two Mommies” Banned Book Novels Draft Literary Analysis Turn in journals |
JOINING: Read Participation in Small Groups, p. 194. JOURNAL ENTRY: Complete Ex. 11
and Ex. 12 |
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October 4 |
Vocabulary/Writing
Exercise Selecting a Novel Draft Literary Analysis
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Select novel and bring to
class JOURNAL ENTRY: Discuss why you
have chosen the novel you have. Include the title and name of the author as
well as what you have heard about the plot or read about the plot on the
cover. Be prepared to make an oral presentation in class.
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OCTOBER 9 |
NO CLASS |
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October 11 |
Vocabulary/Writing Exercise JOINING Oral presentations regarding
novels Work on Literary Analysis |
JOURNAL ENTRY: Read novel and
make a journal entry after every two chapters or every 20
pages. (See page 3 of syllabus.) |
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October 16 |
Vocabulary/Writing Exercise JOINING Complete Literary Analysis
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JOURNAL ENTRY: Read novel and make a journal entry after
every two chapters or every 20 pages. (See page 3 of syllabus.) |
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October 18 |
Vocabulary/Writing Exercise NEWSWEEK (Supporting detail) |
Read novel and make a journal entry after every two
chapters or every 20 pages. (See page 3 of syllabus.) |
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October 23 |
INDIVIDUAL MEETING WITH INSTRUCTOR (Bring all assignments with you.) Turn in journals |
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October 25 |
INDIVIDUAL MEETING WITH INSTRUCTOR (Bring all assignments with you.) Turn in journals |
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IN CLASS |
ASSIGNMENT |
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October 30 |
Vocabulary/Writing Exercise JOINING Ch. 6: Reading 1;
Paraphrasing & plagiarizing Mapping project |
JOURNAL ENTRY: Read “Fighting
Over Sneakers,” p. 302. Answer questions 1-20. |
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November 1 |
Vocabulary/Writing Exercise JOINING JOINING Work on Research Paper |
JOURNAL ENTRY: Complete Ex. 17
and ex. 18 on pp. 364 and 365 |
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November 6 |
Vocabulary/Writing Exercise JOINING |
Work on Research Project |
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November 8 |
Vocabulary/Writing Exercise Prepare for Powerpoint Presentation |
Complete
Research Project |
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The remainder of the semester
will be dedicated to completion of research projects, powerpoint
demonstrations and assembly of final portfolio. |
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All
papers should be typed in Times Roman, 12 pitch font, and double-spaced.
Headings
for papers:
Your
Name
Reading Improvement
Date
Type of Writing
Title of Paper
Double
spaced Text
RESEARCH PROJECT – BANNED BOOKS
Read one book from
the following list of books which have been challenged in
Alvarez, Julia.
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent. (1992)
Anaya, Rudolpa A. Bless Me, Ultima. (1995)
Angelou, Maya. I
Know Why A Caged Bird Sings. (1996)
Block, Francesca.
I Was a Teenage Fairy.
(2000)
Cart, Michael. Love
and Sex: 10 Stories of Truth. (2001)
Chbosky, Stephen.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
(1999)
Cormier, Robert.
The Chocolate War. (1999)
Davis, Lindsey. Silver Pigs: A Detective Novel in
Ancient
Lopez, Tiffany Ana. Growing Up Chicano. (1995)
McCunn, Ruthanne.
Thousand Pieces of Gold. (1981)
Morrison, Toni.
Song of Solomon. (1987)
Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels. (1989)
Santiago,
Esmeralda. When I Was Puerto Rican.
(1993)
1. Go
the PABBIS website (www.pabbis.com) to determine why the book you have read was
challenged in
Write a paper in which you:
A. State the name of the
book, author and date of publication.
B. Write a summary of the plot. Be
sure to include the theme, important
characters, conflict and setting.
C. Give a brief biography of the
author of the book
D. State why the book was
challenged in
E. State whether or not you agree
that the book should be banned from schools
F. Support your position.
Name
____________________________________ Date
_______________________________
The word for
the day is _________________________________Part of speech______________
Other forms of
the word
________________________n. ___________________________
verb
_______________________ adj. ___________________________
adv.
Where I heard
or saw the word. ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Prompt for
writing. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Other
vocabulary words this semester
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