Require Texts:
    Student Guide to English 10, 11, and 12, 1999-2000
    Rosen and Behrens, The Allyn & Bacon Handbook (3^rd edition)
    A hardbound, college level dictionary
 

Course Description:

    The purpose of this English 11 class is to prepare you to write at the college level.  In the course of helping you improve your writing, this class will also promote a different approach to writing, transforming writing into a more social activity.  Throughout this course we will examine writing as it varies as a means of discourse in different communities.  For example, the university is one community, while the various departments within it make up other communities.  We will participate in the discourse of three communities, paying particular attention to the ways in which they both affect and are affected by their audiences.   As a result of this close examination, you will be enabled to produce writing suitable to a specific community and/or audience.
    In this course emphasis will be placed on the idea of writing as a group exercise.  To this end, the class will be divided into a number of "peer review groups".  These groups will serve to help their respective members as they go through the drafting process of writing, in the course of producing a finished, much-improved final product. While this may be something that you are unaccustomed to, if you are an active participant in your assigned group, you will be pleasantly surprised by the many benefits of a peer review group to a writer.  Moreover, your class participation grade will be greatly affected to your level of participation within your assigned group.
 

Assignments:

    This course is comprised of three units: Popular Culture, Public Issues, and Professional Communities.  Each unit will include two "feeder" assignments which will serve to prepare you for your eventual unit project.  There will also be a few short writing assignments (1-2 pages) assigned at the teacher's discretion.  These papers will be assigned in the hopes of helping each student become more comfortable with his/her writing.  Finally, there will be reading in The Allyn and Bacon Handbook on various aspects of  writing assigned from time to time.
    All assignments must be typed and double-spaced in a ten or twelve point font.  Margins should be one inch on the top, bottom, and sides.  In writing all papers place your name, the date, and English 11 in the top right hand corner.  All unit project papers must include a title page with your name, the date, English 11 and the section number, and of course, the title.
    All assignments are to be turned in on the due date, preferably at the beginning of class.  If an assignment cannot be turned in on the due date, the student must inform the teacher at least one day in advance with a suitable reason.  If the excuse is judged as not being worthy of an extension or no excuse is given, a letter grade will be deducted for each day the assignment is late.
 

Plagiarism/Cheating:

    Neither plagiarism nor cheating will be tolerated in this class.  Engaging in either activity will result in a failing grade for the class and it will be brought to the attention of the university.  For a comprehensive discussion of what constitutes plagiarism, refer to pages 14-25 of The Student Guide to English 10, 11, and 12.  We will also go over this subject in depth in class, along with instruction on proper citation.  For further information on documentation, check the MLA web page.  Also, feel free to visit me during my office hours if you have any further questions.

Grading:

     For this class, I will grade all assignments by the traditional grading scale (A,B,C, etc.).  For a detailed description of the criteria for assigning letter grades to assigned work, refer to pages 12-13 of The Student Guide to English 10, 11, and 12.  However, in referring to that section, keep in mind that these criteria do not take into account other circumstances that can also affect a paper's grade, such as the paper being turned in late.  Remember, the first thing you can do to ensure that your paper gets consideration for a high grade is to turn it in on time.
    Along with each assignment's letter grade, all assignments and class activities will be given a proportionate value in determining your final grade.
        Unit 1 Project: 20%
        Unit 2 Project: 20%
        Unit 3 Project: 20%
        Feeder Assignments: 30%
        Other Assignments: 5%
        Class Participation: 5%
Of course, if you should ever have a question or complaint about a grade you have received, feel free to see me during my office hours.
 

Attendance:

    I will try not to go into too much detail about attendance.  The guidelines for attendance are on page 3 of The Student Guide to English 10, 11, and 12.  If you are absent with a reasonable excuse, see me during office hours or contact me through e-mail.  If you fail to contact me, the absence will be recorded as unexcused.  After three unexcused absences, your grade will be negatively affected.  After ten unexcused absences, you will be in severe danger of failing the course.
    Excessive tardiness will not be tolerated.  If you are not present when the role is taken, then you are tardy.  Role will be taken promptly at 8:05 each morning.  Three instances of tardiness will count as one absence.
    *Remember, whether your absence is excused or not, you are still responsible for turning in any assignment(s) given on the day(s) in question on time.
 

Office Hours:

    My office hours are listed above.  Throughout this course we will have two mandatory conference sessions.  One such session will be an in-class session.  The other round of conferences, which is scheduled to take place between September 17-22, will be held in my office.  To accommodate these conferences, I will expand my available office time to two hours and meet with students on the Friday, Monday, and Wednesday in question.
    Beyond the mandatory conferences, my office hours are for your benefit.  I encourage you to come if you have any questions
or concerns about a particular assignment, or your general progress in the course.  If my office hours conflict with your class schedule, let me know, and we will schedule an appointment for a more convenient time.

*For further information about this course, visit my web site: http://www.unc.edu/~nadhiri/english11.
 
 

Class Page                                                                                      Unit 1
My Page                                                                                         Unit 2
Policy Statement                                                                              Unit 3
Class Schedule                                                                                 Resources