Syllabus

Orange Coast College, Spring, 2015

English A100 Freshman Composition
Section 30158
T/Th 12:45-2:50
Bldg: WRTROW Room 109
Nooshin Zardinejad
Email:
nzardinejad@gmail.com
Office Phone: N/A
Office Hour: T/Th 3-4
No Office Hours

Course Materials
One Hundred Great Essays Robert Diyanni (5th Edition)
Adios Strunk and White Glynis and Gary Hoffman(5th Edition)
Flashdrive
Pen
Paper
Highlighters
Course Description
English 100 emphasizes critical thinking as students explore writing for specific purposes and
audiences. Students will write four essays: evaluative, definition, description and problemsolving in order to learn strategies for communicating a message in context. Students will craft
essays utilizing techniques as explained in the handbook, Adios Strunk and White.
Student Learning Outcomes
Writing Outcomes
Students will be able to articulate logically through the writing of essays that are organized while
using grammatical techniques at the college level.
Reading Outcomes
Identify majore and minor supporting details, identify structural elements such as transitions,
thesis, topic sentences, and main ideas of a text.

Research Outcomes
Effectively use the library. Conduct research via online databases .
The Reader:
The reader assigned for this course is OHGE. Please make sure that you come to class
prepared to discuss the readings while identifying which tools the essayists are using to
communicate a message.
Attendance:
It is imperative that students be present and on time to class meetings. Many assignments are
completed in-class and 50% of your overall grade depends on your presence in the classroom.
The classroom assignments focus more closely on the details of writing and it will behoove
students to be present in class both in body and mind. This course will conform to Orange Coast
College withdrawal policies. You get two absences, no questions asked. Each additional absence
will cost 15 points from your score. You will lose 5 points for each tardy of five minutes or more.
If you are unable to attend class for any reason, please email me immediately. If you must be out,
hand in your assignment early or e-mail the document to me before 3:20 pm on the day it is
due. It is your responsibility to get notes from a classmate and master any missed material on
your own. Keep in mind that even one missed assignment will lower your grade substantially. I
do not give make up exams. NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED!
Participation:
Participation includes completing the in-class work on time while following appropriate in-class
behavior and etiquette. Participation is also a part of the teamwork, and individual work
assignments. If you are not participating in a given area then that means that you are not
completing part of the course learning objectives. I reserve a portion of the grading scale for my
discretionary evaluation of a students involvement in class. See the grading scale below for
details.
POSSIBLE POINTS:

100 2 In-Class Essays

100 Evaluation Essay
100 Definition Essay
100 Problem/Solution Essay
100 Description/Process
100 Final Essay Question (from our readings in-class)

TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE 600 POINTS

550-600 = A
549-500 = B
499-450 = C
349-300 = D
Rubrics: See Rubrics for guidelines for all essays.
Definition Essay: (See Rubric)
Description Essay: (See Rubric)
Evaluation Essay: (See Rubric)
Problem-Solution Essay: (See Rubric)
Final Essay: TBD (It can be any of the above)