Download / print this syllabus here.

Things you must remember:

• Homework and assignments can NOT be turned late! EVER!
• If you miss class, you are expected to talk to a classmate to find out what you missed. Make sure that you have someone else’s telephone number. I will NOT spend extra time explaining to you what you have missed.
• OFTEN check your e-mail messages because I sometimes send important messages.
• Please do not eat in class except if you want to share with everyone.
• Everything you write needs to be TYPED (font: Times, 12 pt.) and DOUBLE-SPACED (except in-class essays).
• It is your responsibility to spell-check and verify the grammar and format of ALL your writings (see comments above and below).
• ALWAYS write your name, the class number and name (alpha or omega), the date, and the draft number on everything you turn in.
• When turning in your final drafts, also include ALL your previous drafts in a folder.
• Being late not only disturbs class but is also a sign of disrespect for your classmates and your teacher. There is no late policy now, but one might be created if lateness of students becomes a problem.
• Plagiarism means an automatic F in this class. No exception!
• "Extra credit" work can be done but there is a limit to it! It can change only up to 5% of your final grade. I strongly encourage it, since individual work is always welcome, but do not count on it to get you an A when you have a C in this class. Start thinking about the grade you want early!
• Bring a stapler to class and staple everything!
• If you have ANY questions, please ask your teacher.

• Participation and attendance are crucial and count toward your grade, since much information will be given and much interaction will take place in class. There will be NO opportunities to make up work that was done in class or as homework.
• Participation and attendance count for 10% of your final grade, which is a lot. If you miss class more than 6 times, you automatically fail the class.

• Good grades are not given by the teacher; they are earned by the student!
• If I find more than 10 format, spelling, or grammar mistakes in any final draft, I automatically deduct 5% off your final grade for this project.
• Every paper you write will be graded on a 100-point scale.
• Here is the general breakdown of the grades (THIS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE!):

Attendance and participation: 10%

Journals/Readings/Quizzes: 25%

Project 1: Summary: 5%

Project 2: Review: 10%

Project 3: Explanatory Report: 15%

Project 4: Annotated Bibliography: 5%

Project 5: Proposal: 10%

Project 7: Term Project: 20%

Readings:

1. Every other class or so you will have to read a short text from the 75 Readings Plus book (Go there to see what the assigned readings are for the day).
2. Normally, you will have a quiz the next day to verify that you have read the text, but sometimes, you will be asked to discuss the readings online. In order to do so, follow these directions:
3. Give me your full name, email address (one that you check often), and telephone number.
4. Go to http://www.moussu.net/courses/english102/journals.html and follow the instructions on how to log in the online "blog."
5. After every assigned reading, write your opinions and responses online for all to see.
6. Here are some ideas you might want to discuss about the readings:

• Answer some of the interesting questions that are asked at the end of the individual reading
• Why did this reading stand out to me? Was it because of other things that I have read? Personal experiences? Media experiences? Career aspirations? My social, political, or religious beliefs?
• What does this text mean? What do I think the author intended to say? What does the text mean to me? Is there more than one way to interpret this text?
• To what other ideas, issues, concepts, or conflicts does the text relate?
• What ideas, experiences, or phenomena does this reading help explain?
• Why do I agree or disagree with the point this text is making?
• Is this passage controversial? Why or why not? If I do not think it is controversial, can I think of readers who might think it is?
• How is the point being made in this passage? In other words, what theoretical conventions are being used here? What argumentative strategies are being employed? What appeals does the author use? How do the vocabulary, tone, page layout, and/or style contribute to the point that is being made?
• To what discourse community or discipline does the text appear to belong to? How do I know it belongs to that community?
• How can I respond to what other students have said about that reading?
• Anything else!

1. Go to your blog (see the above section).
2. THREE TIMES A WEEK write a journal entry (or, occasionally, discuss the readings)!
3. Here are some examples of topics you can write about:

• A topic assigned to you by your teacher
• A response to someone else’s comments
• Your learning process in this class or other classes your are taking
• How your classes at Purdue are going and why
• New things you have learned or would like to learn
• Things you like or don’t like
• Questions or comments to your teacher
• Your life, your family, your friends, your hobbies
• What you wish were different in your classes or your life
• A movie you have seen or a book you’re reading
• Someone you’ve met or would like to meet
• Places you have visited or would like to visit
• ETC.