HomeMy WebLinkAboutEBS-011EBS 011 Syllabus--1 Revised Feb 9, 2011
BERGEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ENGLISH DIVISION
ENGLISH BASIC SKILLS DEPARTMENT
COURSE SYLLABUS
[Semester]
Developmental Skills I EBS-011
5 Hours, 5 Non-degree Credits Instructor:
TEXTBOOK:
Anker, Susan. Real Writing with Readings, 6th. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2013.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Developmental Skills I is the first course of a two-course basic skills sequence designed
to improve fundamental academic skills in the areas of reading, writing, and critical
thinking. Class instruction emphasizes the development of writing skills, literal and
interpretive comprehension of reading texts, sentence structure, grammar and punctuation,
and vocabulary. At least 50 minutes per week of this five-hour course meets in a computer
lab where there is opportunity for individualized instruction.
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES (SLO’s):
Students who successfully complete the work of this class will be able to:
1. Understand and practice active reading strategies (i.e., annotation, journal
writing, vocabulary development, paraphrase, and summary).
2. Understand and practice critical thinking strategies to improve reading (i.e.,
identify the main idea, topic sentences, transitions, and supporting details,
recognize the difference between facts and opinions, and recognize organization
strategies in sample texts).
3. Use computers to enhance writing skills and to synthesize reading and writing
skills.
4. Find and use outside sources in written assignments (i.e., use MLA format for
internal documentation of sources, avoid plagiarism, and use college library.).
5. Write paragraphs and essays with unity, support, coherence and sentence skills.
6. Use organizational strategies for narration, description, and illustration in sample
paragraphs and/or essays.
7. Write error-free sentences and find and edit sentence-level errors in sample
paragraphs and essays with rudimentary proficiency.
8. Understand and practice using the stages of the writing process.
9. Understand and practice academic survival skills, such as, time management,
planning, memory strategies, note taking, test taking and utilization of college
resources.
EBS 011 Syllabus--2 Revised Feb 9, 2011
GRADING and ASSESSMENT:
A student's final grade in EBS-011 is determined by how successfully he/she fulfills the
student learning outcomes. Students will show their achievement of these outcomes
through the following:
Assignment Type (Recommended)
Percentage
Assignments (including paragraphs,
essays, journal writing, textbook
exercises)
50%
Tests and quizzes (including
department exit tests in reading and
writing)
20%
Daily class work and participation 20%
Research project 10%
Total 100%
It should also be noted here that while EBS 011 carries five credits that will not count
towards graduation status, these credits DO count in the overall cumulative average. A
high grade in an EBS course can help raise a student’s average, while a low grade can
bring it down. Students receiving an E or F in EBS-011 are required to repeat the course.
An ―E‖ grade is an unofficial withdrawal, given to students who stop attending a class. An
―E‖ grade carries the same consequences as an ―F‖ because it awards no credit and it is
calculated into a student’s cumulative average.
Students receiving a grade of D, C, C+, B, B+ will move to EBS-012.
Students receiving a grade of A, who also pass the departmental reading and writing exit
tests, will move directly to Composition I.
EBS EXIT TEST:
Upon successful completion of Developmental Skills I, students will be required to
demonstrate their proficiency in reading, writing, and critical thinking on a departmental
skills assessment test. For this test, students will be required to write a multi-paragraph
essay in response to one of three specific topic statements provided and to write a
summary of one of two reading selections provided. The tests will be evaluated in a group
reading session by all faculty teaching English Basic Skills courses. Tests will be evaluated
on the basis of reading comprehension, paragraph/essay structure, sentence structure,
and grammar and punctuation. Tests will be scored on a scale of 1-6 by two readers with a
combined score of 7 or better as passing. A student must pass the course, but need not
pass the Exit Test, to move on to Developmental Skills II (EBS 012).
ATTENDANCE POLICY
The Bergen Community College attendance policy will apply to this course:
All students are expected to attend punctually every scheduled meeting of
each course in which they are registered. Attendance and lateness
(Recommended)
Grading Scale
100 - 90 A
89 - 85 B+
84 – 80 B
79 – 75 C+
74 – 70 C
69 – 60 D
59 and below F
EBS 011 Syllabus--3 Revised Feb 9, 2011
policies and sanctions are to be determined by the instructor for each
section of each course. These will be established in writing on the
individual course outline. Attendance will be kept by the instructor for
administrative and counseling purposes.
Bergen Community College Catalog, 2009-2010 (67)
http://www.bergen.edu/documents/academics/pdf/Catalog%202009-2010.pdf
PLAGIARISM POLICY
Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty and may be a violation of
U.S. Copyright laws. Plagiarism is defined as the act of taking someone
else’s words, opinions, or ideas and claiming them as one’s own.
Examples of plagiarism include instances in which a student:
• knowingly represents the work of others as his/her own
• represents previously completed academic work as current
• submits a paper or other academic work for credit which includes
words, ideas, data or creative work of others without
acknowledging the source
• uses another author’s exact words without enclosing them in
quotation marks and citing them appropriately
• paraphrases or summarizes another author’s words without citing
the source appropriately
Sanctions Against a Student for a Classroom Violation
1. The faculty member must report all incidents to the Chair of the
Department.
2. The faculty member in consultation with the Chair will determine the
course of action to be followed. This may include:
• assigning a failing grade on the assignment
• assigning a lower final course grade
• failing the student in the course
• other penalties appropriate to the violation
3. The faculty member, after making a decision, must notify the
Director of Student Life and Judicial Affairs and Vice President
of Student Services of the violation and the penalty imposed.
4. The student has the right to appeal the decision of the
faculty member by writing to the appropriate Department
Head and then to the Academic Vice President.
Bergen Community College Catalog, 2009-2010 (66)
http://www.bergen.edu/documents/academics/pdf/Catalog%202009-2010.pdf
SUPPORT SERVICES
Distance Learning Office Room C 334 201-612-5581
psimms@bergen.edu
English Language Resource Center Room E-156 201-612-5292
http://www.bergen.edu/pages/2182.asp
Writing Center Room L 125 201-447- 7489
http://www.bergen.edu/pages/1795.asp
Online Writing Lab (OWL) Online at: www.bergen.edu/owl
Office of Specialized Services Room L 116 201-612-5270
www.bergen.edu/oss
EBS 011 Syllabus--4 Revised Feb 9, 2011
Sidney Silverman Library Room L-226 201-447-7131
www.bergen.edu/library
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE
Week Reading Assignment Classroom Activities Writing Assignment SLO’s
1 Ch 1, ―Critical Thinking,
Reading, and Writing‖
Assigned reading passage
Introduction to the Course
Introduction to Journal
Writing
In-class Diagnostic Test
Introduction to Computer
Lab
In-class diagnostic writing.
Journal Writing on assigned
reading passage
1, 3, 9
2 Ch 2, ―Writing Basics:
Audience, Purpose, and
Process‖
Ch 3, Finding, Narrowing,
and Exploring Your Topic:
Choosing Something to
Write About.
Ch 4, ―Writing your Topic or
Thesis sentence: Making
Your Point‖
Assigned reading passage
Overview of the Writing
Process
Prewriting Practice on
computers
Practice choosing topic
sentences; group work on
effective topic sentences
Vocabulary building—
based on assigned reading
passage. Continue with
reading throughout the
semester.
Use outlining with assigned
reading passage.
Writing Assignments for Ch
3
Journal writing on assigned
reading passage
1, 3,5,8
3 Ch 5, ―Supporting your Point:
Finding Details, Examples
and Facts‖
Assigned reading passage
Ch 19, ―The Basic Sentence:
An Overview‖
Ch 20, ―Fragments:
Incomplete Sentences‖
Discuss major concepts of
support.
Continue vocabulary
building
Discussion of main ideas
and supporting details in
assigned reading passage.
Introduce concept of the
basic sentence and basic
sentence patterns.
Working with, evaluating,
and organizing supporting
details
Writing exercises in chapter.
Grammar exercises in
chapters.
1,2,5,7
4 Ch 6, ―Drafting: Putting Your
Ideas Together‖
Assigned reading passage
Ch 21, ―Run-Ons: Two
Sentences Joined
Incorrectly‖
Discuss concepts of
paragraph and essay
organization and drafting
writing.
Continue vocabulary
building.
Discuss facts and opinions
in assigned reading
passage.
Group work on editing run-
on sentences.
Writing exercises in chapter.
Draft sample paragraph or
essay
Grammar exercises in
chapter
1,2,5,7
5 Ch 7, ―Revising: Improving
your Paragraph or Essay‖
Assigned reading passage
Ch 27, ―Coordination and
Subordination: Joining
Sentences with Related
Ideas‖
Review concepts of drafting
and revising writing.
Continue vocabulary
building
In computer lab, practice
drawing conclusions from
facts and agreeing or
disagreeing with opinions in
assigned reading passage.
Writing exercises in chapter.
Revise and edit sample
paragraph or essay.
Grammar exercises in
chapter.
1,2,3,5,7
EBS 011 Syllabus--5 Revised Feb 9, 2011
Week Reading Assignment Classroom Activities Writing Assignment SLO’s
6 Ch. 18, (302-303) ―Writing
the Research Essay: Using
Outside Sources in Your
Writing—Make a Schedule,
Choose a Topic‖
Assigned reading passage
Ch 28, ―Parallelism:
Balancing Ideas‖
Begin Discussion of
Research Essay (Continue
work on Research Essay
Through Week 14)
Continue vocabulary
building
Introduce concept of
subordination. Practice
sentence combining in
small groups.
Begin to annotate sources
for research essay.
Write journal entries about
sources for research essay.
Grammar exercises in
chapter
1,4, 7,9
7 Ch 8, ―Narration: Writing That
Tells Important Stories‖
Ch 39, Readings for Writers:
Narration
Ch 23, ―Verb Tense, Using
Verbs to Express Different
Times‖
Discuss and plan narrative
essay.
Continue vocabulary
building
Introduce transitions
indicating time order
Use computer to practice
changing or editing verb
tenses in a sample narrative
passage.
Use computers to draft
narrative essay.
Grammar exercises in
chapter
1, 2,3,
5,6,8
8 Ch. 18, (304-313) ―Writing
the Research Essay: Using
Outside Sources in Your
Writing—Find Sources,
Evaluate Sources, Avoid
Plagiarism, Cite and
Document Your Sources‖
Review materials 302-304.
Read sample sources and
evaluate them
Find and detect examples
of plagiarism in sample
passages.
Use computers to revise and
edit narrative essay.
Begin to find, evaluate, read,
and keep track of sources
for research essay.
1,3,4,5,6,
8,9
9 Ch 9, ―Illustration: Writing
That Gives Examples‖
Ch 40, Readings for Writers:
Illustration
Ch 22, ―Problems with
Subject Verb Agreement‖
Discuss and plan illustration
essay.
Drawing inferences from
examples in illustration
essay.
Transitions of
exemplification
Continue vocabulary
building
Use computers to draft
illustration essay
Grammar exercises in
chapter
1,2,3,5,6,
7,8
10 Ch 17, Writing Summaries
(291-294)
Assigned reading passage
Review concepts involved
in summary writing
Discuss paraphrase and
summary in assigned
reading passage.
Use computers to revise and
edit illustration essay
Summarize Illustration
Essay from Ch. 40
1,2,3,5,6,
8
11 Ch 10, ―Description: Writing
That Creates Pictures in
Words‖
Ch 44, Readings for Writers:
Description
Ch 25, Adjectives and
Adverbs: Using Descriptive
Words‖
Discuss and plan
descriptive essay.
Continue vocabulary
building
Compare and contrast
adjectives and adverbs.
Use computers to draft
description essay
Grammar exercises in
chapter
1,2,3, 5,
6,8
EBS 011 Syllabus--6 Revised Feb 9, 2011
Week Reading Assignment Classroom Activities Writing Assignment SLO’s
12 Ch. 18, (314-315 and 319-
326) ―Writing the Research
Essay: Using Outside
Sources in Your Writing—
Directory of MLA In-Text
Citations and Sample
Student Research Essay‖
Ch 24, “Pronouns: Using
Substitutes for Nouns‖
Practice: Introduce, cite
and analyze sample
quotations.
Practice using two different
sources in one paragraph
or essay.
Introduce concept of
pronoun reference and
agreement.
Use computers to draft
Research Essay
Use computers to revise and
edit descriptive essay.
Grammar exercises in
chapter
1,2,3,4,6,
7,8,9
13 Exit Tests in Reading and
Writing
1,2,5,6,7,
9
14 Ch. 20, (316-319 and 319-
326) ―Writing the Research
Essay: Using Outside
Sources in Your Writing—
Directory of MLA Works
Cited and Sample Student
Research Essay‖‖
Create Works Cited page
for research essay.
Proofread and edit research
essay
Research Essay due 3,4,7,8
15 Oral Presentations of
Research Essays
Grading Conferences
Summaries of Research
Essays
Student Course Evaluation
Assignment
2,5,7,8