Required Texts and Materials

Regular access to a computer and internet

The College Writer, Vandermey et al, 2nd Edition e Writer, VanderMey et al.
MAUS I by Art Spiegelman
How German Is It by Walter Abish
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

Course Goals 
The goals of English 1B are as follows: a) to guide you in writing effectively with a variety of distinct purposes and to different audiences, b) to give you knowledge of and practice with research techniques and managing sources, c) to teach you to use the principles and methods that will enable you to enter courses in many fields with confidence, d) to provide you with the tools to analyze and synthesize the discourses you find there, and, e) on the basis of this work, to begin participating effectively in these other discourses, whether written, oral, or multimedia.  More generally, you will learn how to think, write, and read critically at a college level, to participate as an active contributor to the academic conversation.

Course Overview
About history, George Orwell warned, "Those who control the past control the future. Those who control the present control the past."  We must take him seriously.

This is a history course, but it won’t merely provide you with an historical perspective and factual data to absorb for later regurgitation on a final exam.  Instead, you will explore the notion of “history” itself, what it is, how it represents things, how it should be read, why we must stay engaged with it, and how understanding it is, as Orwell suggests, as much about the present and the future as it is about the past. 

In this class, you can become a more ethical, self-confident, and self-aware “maker of history.”  By learning how to read historical discourse more critically, you’ll develop your ability to make the right choices, as a citizen in a democracy and as a human being.  And, by learning how to write (or make) a history (which you will do in an in-depth research project), you will begin to shape the on-going, always changing, and terribly important conversation about what matters in the human story and why. 

We will explore the German Holocaust, this icon of inhumanity and of evil through its diverse representations—in photographs, essays, a film, a graphic novel, and two novels--in order to understand the problems with and the possibilities of understanding the history.  Our discussions will also extend to other atrocities, including the genocide in Rwanda, the rape of Nanking, slavery, the dropping of the Atomic bomb, Darfur, and others as we consider questions of historical guilt and responsibility, sort out from fact, opinion and fiction, learn about primary and secondary sources, and explore the notion that every story about what has happened in the past is an argument for how we should understand power in the present.  Through your research into your own historical legacy, you will gain a better sense of yourself in the context of history.

Writing Assignments
Each major writing assignment requires a peer workshop and your reflection on your writing process.  The descriptions of the following writing assignments will be expanded in the Assignment Section of Etudes.

Major assignments:

A.  ESSAY 1: Textual Analysis (750 words, 100 points)

B.  ESSAY 2.1: Oral History Assignment (Interview) (50 points)

C.  ESSAY 2.2: Research Proposal (Extension of Interview) (50 points)
C.  ESSAY 3: Synthesis (750-1000 words, 100 points)
D.  Annotated Bibliography (80 points)

F.  Webpage (extra credit max. 50 points, if all other assignments completed)
G.  Research Project:  (2-3000 words, 140 points)
(All of these assignments must be completed)

In-class writing:

A. A midterm: An Analytical Argument Essay (80 points)
B. A final: A synthesis of your own writing, the content of the course, and your conclusions about the telling of history. (100 points)

Peer Critiques
I WILL NOT REVIEW FIRST DRAFTS.  This shall happen in our Peer Workshop, where you will exchange your drafts and constructive criticism with your classmates. I will provide detailed guidelines for you to follow for your critiques.  Give the feedback you would like to receive from others. I will give credit to thorough, constructive critiques. Your hard work will also count toward your final grade. Also, you can learn much from helping others to improve.

Some of these will happen in class and others will take place on-line.

Reflective Writing
Upon your completion of each essay, you will have the opportunity to reflect on your process, writing an essay that holds a mirror up to your efforts -- both successful and unsuccessful -- in the making of a particular piece of writing. This will complete the writing process.  Your ability to recognize your strengths and weaknesses in your reflection and your ability to discuss them articulately may significantly influence your grade on the essay.

Submission Guidelines
You will submit your work precisely according the instructions you receive in class for the particular assignment you're turning in.  You must meet all of the deadlines and perform all of the assigned activities in order to receive full credit for the essay. This may include: prewriting, outlines, drafts, final draft, and reflective writing.  Missing portions will result in a lowering of your grade or even a No Credit.

All ESSAYS must be submitted in a manila folder (with all prewriting, drafts, and print-outs of sources), 12-point standard font (I suggest Times New Roman, Palatino or New Century Schoolbook), be double-spaced, have paragraphs indented, and have 1-inch margins. Nothing else is acceptable. Write your name, the class, the date, and the essay number (e.g. 2.1) in the top left-hand corner of the first page. Center the title below the heading. Use MLA style for documentation.

For each typed essay, you will write at least two (2) versions, one for peer workshop and one that is revised for final submission. In Etudes, you will be given guidelines for a self-evaluation or reflection before the final version is due.

Late papers will be penalized, unless previous arrangements have been made and approved. (Not being in class does not excuse you from doing the work due to be turned in that day.) 

LATE PAPER CERTIFICATES:  You will be granted a single free extension on an assignment during the term.  When and if you choose to exercise this privilege you will fill out the Late Paper Certificate, noting the date by which you intend to submit the work.

Rewritten second versions are possible only if the requirements above are met. Include the rewritten essay along with originals and a NEW one-page reflection in your folder.

The BLOG
This is the other classroom, the place where we will continue our conversation, develop ideas, and find community.  YOUR PARTICIPATION AS A BLOGGER IS MANDATORY. Your responses will be assessed qualitatively and quantitatively and your grade will either substantially contribute to or detract from your participation totals.  Think of this as your on-line, interactive journal and venue for contemplation and self-expression.

DISCUSSION IS WORTH 80 POINTS OF YOUR GRADE IN THE CLASS.
 
Course Policies
Attendance on Scheduled On-Campus Dates
I have scheduled three dates for MANDATORY meetings on campus at Foothill.  On these dates, you will be either getting oriented, writing a midterm essay, and writing a final essay.

Your failure to be on-campus for any one of these meetings will result in your failing the course.
If you must miss one of the meetings due to an emergency, verifiable evidence must be presented to explain your absence.  In such circumstances, an in-person make-up shall be scheduled.

Grade Disputes
 If you have a complaint about this course or wish to question a grade on an assignment, please write me an e-mail explaining the problems you are having with the course or my evaluation of your work. If you are not satisfied by my response or if you would like to discuss the matter further with me, we may meet. You may ask me to read an assignment again, reconsidering your work in light of points you have made about it. Many misunderstandings or problems can be worked out in such a meeting.

Incompletes
I will give a student an Incomplete in this course ONLY in this very special case: when the student has completed all of or the vast majority of the work in the class but, for some valid and verifiable reason, cannot complete the course.

Revising
I stand by the principle that "writing is rewriting." You may revise as much as you want, up to the due date for the assignment. Your work will, as part of the process, be reviewed by your peers and/or by me. The revision of "final drafts" is possible if ALL previous steps in the writing process have been completed, including proper formatting. Revisions will be due no later than one week from the return of the paper.  Grades on revisions can either improve or not. A weak revision can actually lower your grade. More careful proofreading does not constitute a revision.

Evaluation Criteria
A    Excellent. Paper fully grasps the intent of the assignment. Asserts a complex thesis and fully develops it with grace and clarity. Is highly engaging to read. Is written in a voice and a style that are exceptionally suited for subject, audience, and purpose. Uses sound paragraphing. Employs a structure that is both logical and fitting for the assignment. Is virtually free of grammatical errors and misspellings. When applicable, uses appropriate documentation style with accuracy and consistency.

B    Good. Paper fulfills the basic expectations of the assignment. Asserts and develops a strong thesis. Is written with a voice and style appropriate for subject, audience, and purpose. Has clear prose, though it may be somewhat inconsistent or have some problems such as inflated diction, cliché, overuse of passive voice, or repetitiveness. Has logical structure, though, like the "five-paragraph essay" often is, it may be too rigid and without nuance or have overly mechanical transitions. May need some editing of occasional grammatical errors, such as comma splice, verb agreement, or pronoun reference. May require some further proofreading.

C    Fair. Paper may demonstrate a vague or only general understanding of the assignment. May either state a strong thesis idea, which it fails to develop fully, or state a weak or self-evident thesis with adequate development. May have style and voice that are fairly clear but that may be inappropriate for subject, audience, and/or purpose. May suffer from fairly weak prose, particularly with pervasive grammatical problems. May employ an ill-conceived or poorly executed structure that makes the logic of the paper hard to follow. May have had few substantive revisions made to it between drafts.

D    Poor. Paper may demonstrate that the writer has misread the assignment. Neither states nor implies a clear and consistent controlling idea. May show little development of ideas. May suffer from pervasive paragraphing and/or editing problems that make for difficult reading. May have had few or no substantive revisions made to it between drafts.

F    Failing. Come to see me if you get this grade or if you think you might.


Grading
Assignments in this class will be given the approximation of point values listed below:
   
Essay 1                         100 pts
Essay 2                         100

Essay 3                         100
                                     300

BLOG                          90

Participation                 80

                                     170

Research:
Annotated bib.               80

Outline                           30

Oral Argument             100

Webpage (extra)             50
Research Paper            140
                                     350

Midterm                          80
Final                              100
                                      180

  total                            1000    


Your final grade will be determined using the following scale:
   
900-1000 pts             A
801-899                     B
701-800                     C
601-700                     D
600 and under           No Pass

Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Plagiarism
 Students are responsible for maintaining honesty in scholarship. Work submitted for a course must be the student's own (or a group's work, if students have collaborated on an assignment). The use of someone else's words or ideas without acknowledgment and/or as your own will earn you an “F” for the assignment and may, depending on the judgment of myself and the college result in your being dropped from the course.  Remember, if I suspect plagiarism, I have the means of discovering your sources.  I end up doing this far too often.  Don't commit this mistake.  It's not worth it.  For a thorough examination of plagiarism and why you should not do it, click here.