1. Syllabus - English 1311 - Fall 2006
Expository English Composition
Christie Daniels
CRN – 15283/ MWF 7:30 A.M. – 8:20 A.M. / 313 Hudspeth Hall
Office: 409 Burges Hall
Office Hours MW 8:30-10:00AM; TR 3:00- 4:00PM and by appointment
Office Telephone: 747-6027
E-mail: cldaniels@utep.edu
Required Texts:
Reading Critically; Writing Well, 7th ed. Axelrod and Cooper (Bedford/St. Martins, 2002.)
A Guide to First-Year Composition, Tenth Edition (UTEP)
Optional Texts:
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Sixth Edition, (2003)
Major Writing Assignments and Grade Percentages:
Paper #1 10%
Paper #2 10%
Paper #3 20%
Paper #4 20%
In-Class Essays, Short Assignments, Quizzes, Blog, Participation 30%
Final Exam 10%
Attendance:
Regular attendance is required, and roll will be taken. Students will automatically be dropped from the class if they
miss 4 class meetings. A late arrival or early departure equals half an absence, unless cleared with the instructor
ahead of time. Missed in-class work may not be made up. Attendance on Peer Review days is mandatory. Peer review
day will be graded and constitutes 20% of the final grade on the paper. Students arriving to class on Peer Review Day
without their three copies of their rough drafts (for group work) will be considered nonparticipatory and will receive
a 0 for their peer review grade and be required to complete an in-class essay in order to not be marked absent for the
day. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Visiting with a neighbor, reading or doing homework for another class,
allowing your cell phone or pager to ring, or making wisecracks or private jokes in class constitutes a disruption; you
will be asked to leave immediately and be marked absent for the day. Do not eat or drink during class. Take care of
outside interests before class; do not leave the room once the door is closed and class has begun.
Grading:
Course work is graded according to criteria outlined on the Assignment Sheets distributed at the beginning of each
project. All papers and assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date. Any late paper will

2. automatically lose 10 points off the grade. If you are ill and cannot come to class on the day a paper is due, contact the
instructor and your finished paper should be emailed to the instructor via WEBCT prior to the class time or given to a
classmate to turn in for you. You are responsible for preparing your assignments for submission using your own
paper and ink, unless prior arrangements have been made.
Students must take the Final Exam, and ALL assignments must be turned in to receive a passing grade for the course.
Do not come to the instructor at the end of the course and ask for extensions on missing work.
Course Goals:
ENG 1311 prepares students to be successful college writers. The Guide to First-Year Composition details the specific
skills that students will acquire and develop in ENG 1311, in preparation for ENG 1312 or ENG 1313. By the end of
this course, students will be able to explain ideas; analyze and synthesize academic texts; formulate, explain, and
defend their own positions; and respond to typical college assignments (essay exams, documented papers, etc.) in
acceptable English with a minimum of grammatical and composition errors.
Course Assignments:
Essay #1 - Reflective Essay. Students will select a family photograph that captures something in their personal
experience. They will write an essay in which they present the event to describe to the reader what the situation was,
what happened that inspired someone to take the picture, what happened as a result of the event, and why the
photograph is significant. Students will choose a photograph that captures an experience from which they learned
something about themselves, or as a result of which they changed in some way.
Length: 2-4 pages.
Essay #2 - Explaining Essay. Students select an interest or hobby, define it, and explain its importance for them.
Students may also decide to focus on one aspect of the environment, culture, or technology that has a powerful effect
on them or society, and explain it benefits or disadvantages. Students may interview authorities about the subject.
Length: 2-4 pages.
Essay #3 - Analysis of a Text Students focus on 2 or 3 challenging academic essays that tackle the same issue in
different ways. (The essays are already in the textbook or are handouts.) Students analyze and evaluate the texts,
focusing on the authors’ audiences and purposes, types of evidence, etc. More practice in summary and argument
analysis is given; documentation is introduced and practiced. Students become familiar with MLA citation format.
Length: 4-5 pages.
Essay #4 - Arguing a Position Essay. Students take a position on an issue or propose a solution to a particular
problem. Simple primary and/or secondary research is done. Students gain practice with MLA citation format.
Length: 4-5 pages.
Presentations - Students will prepare and deliver to the class a 3-5 minute presentation on the topic of their research
from Paper #4.

3. In-Class Graded Writing - In preparation for essay exams in other classes, Eng 1311 provides students the
opportunity to practice extensive in-class writing. These short, impromptu essays will be evaluated and graded, with
specific feedback regarding suggestions for writing improvement.
Blog - All students will be required to keep a blog and write in it frequently. While not graded per se, blog entries
should be no shorter than a complete paragraph. Effort, originality and thorough blog entries will be rewarded.
Final Exam - The Final Exam will consist of a reflective essay written on a topic given by the instructor
PLAGIARISM:
Stealing someone’s ideas or writing will not be tolerated. Suspected cases of plagiarism will be reported to the Dean
of Students.
Feel free to contact me anytime via e-mail (cldaniels@utep.edu) or come by my office during posted office hours.
Welcome to the class.

4. Course Schedule - English 1311 - Fall 2006
Expository English Composition
Instructor: Christie Daniels Office: 409 Burges Hall
Office Hours: MW 8:30-10:00 AM; TR 3:00- 4:00PM and by appointment
Office Telephone: 747-6027
E-mail: cldaniels@utep.edu
Week 1 Mon. Aug. 21 - Course introduction; WEBCT/UTEP Email; Blog assignment; In-class essay #1
Wed. Aug. 23 - Departmental Diagnostic (writing sample); Discussion of The Thesis Statement;
Fri., Aug. 25 - Return and discussion of In-class Essay #1; Discussion of common errors
Week 2 Mon., Aug. 28 - Introduction to Paper #1 - Reflective Essay; Intro to Chapter 1-3 (introduction,
autobiography & observation)
Wed., Aug. 30 - Further discussion of Paper #1; Discussion of reading
Fri., Sept. 1 - Paper #1-Reflective Essay First Drafts Due for Peer Reviews (Bring 3 copies of RD
and Guide) First draft day
Week 3 Mon., Sept. 4 - LABOR DAY - NO CLASS
Wed., Sept. 6 - Discussion of Paper #1; Intro to Chapter 4 (reflection)
Fri., Sept. 8 - Paper #1-Reflective Essay Rough Drafts Due for Peer Reviews (Bring 3 copies of RD
and Guide)
Week 4 Mon., Sept. 11 - Paper #1-- Reflective Essay Due; Discussion of selected reading; In-class writing
Wed., Sept. 13 - Introduction to Paper #2 - Explaining Essay; Intro to Chapter 5 (Explaining Concepts);
group work
Fri., Sept. 15 - Discussion of reading; group work;
Week 5 Mon., Sept. 18 - Return and discussion of Paper #1; Discussion of common errors; discussion of text
selection; Compare/contrast activity
Wed., Sept. 20 - Classification and illustration activity; process narration activity;
Fri., Sept. 22 - Paper #2-Explaining Essay Rough Drafts Due for Peer Reviews (Bring 3 copies of RD
and Guide)
Week 6 Mon., Sept. 25 - Discussion of Paper #2; Intro to Chapter 6 (Evaluation)
Wed., Sept. 27 - Discussion reading; group activity
Fri., Sept. 29 - Paper #2-Explaining Essay Due; Discussion of text selection; in-class writing
Week 7 Mon., Oct. 2 - Introduction to Paper #3 - Analysis of a Text; discussion of readings
Wed., Oct. 4 - Intro to Chapter 7 (Speculating about Cause and Effect); group activity
Fri., Oct. 6 - Discussion of readings; in-class writing

5. Week 8 Mon., Oct.9 - Intro to Chapter 8 (Proposal to Solve Problem); group activity
Wed., Oct. 11- Paper #3- Analysis of a Text Rough Drafts Due - Peer Reviews (Bring 3 copies of RD
and Guide)
Fri., Oct. 13 - Discussion of reading; group activity
Week 9 Mon., Oct. 16 - Discussion of reading; in-class writing
Wed., Oct. 18 - (Midterm grades due at Registrar) Further Discussion of Paper #3; Intro to Chapter 9
(Position Paper)
Fri.,Oct. 20 - Paper #3- Analysis of a Text Due; Discussion of reading; group activity
Week 10 Mon., Oct. 23 - Introduction to Paper #4 - Arguing a Position; Selecting a topic
Wed., Oct. 25 - Discuss organizing and supporting an argument; Paper proposals due
Fri., Oct. 27 - Intro to Appendix 1 (A Catalog of Critical Reading Strategies); Further discussion of
Paper #4; In-class writing
Week 11 Mon., Oct. 30 - Discussion of paper proposals; discussion of reading
Wed., Nov. 1 - Further discussion of Paper #4; Intro to Appendix 2 (Strategies for Research and
Documentation); group work on thesis statements
Fri., Nov. 3 - LIBRARY DAY. Doing research. MLA Format. Begin researching for paper and library
assignments to be completed later.
Week 12 Mon., Nov. 6 - Further discussion of Paper #4; organization and argument activity
Wed., Nov. 8 - Further discussion of Paper #4 and parameters for presentations; discussion of reading;
in-class writing assignment
Fri., Nov. 10 - Paper #4 - Arguing a Position Rough Drafts Due - Peer Reviews (Bring 3 copies of
RD and Guide)
Week 13 Mon., Nov. 13 - Student Presentations of Paper #4 argument
Wed., Nov. 15 - Student Presentations of Paper #4 argument
Fri., Nov. 17 - Student Presentations of Paper #4 argument
Week 14 Mon., Nov. 20 - Paper #4 - Arguing a Position portfolio Due; Student Presentations of Paper #4
argument
Wed., Nov. 22 - Student Presentations of Paper #4 argument
Fri., Nov. 24 - THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY - NO CLASS
Week 15 Mon., Nov. 27 - Complete Library assignments 1 and 2 and ready for submission
Wed., Nov. 29 - Last day of class; evaluations; complete blog entries for grading by 11:00 PM.
Section #15283 Final Exam: Fri., Dec. 8 7am -9:45 am