English 1C, Applied Intermediate Composition for the Sciences
Course Syllabus

The following is a syllabus for a class offered  at the University of California, Riverside.

Instructor : P. Aaron Potter

In addition to class time and office hours, I can be reached through my mailbox in the English department, or through my e-mail.

Course Description :
College level readers and writers are responsible for digesting and presenting a broad range of material, in a variety of formats. This statement is as true, or more so, for students of the sciences as it is for students of the humanities. This is a writing course designed for students majoring in the sciences : as such, it is committed to the principle that the skills which go into good composition -- careful observation, critical evaluation, clear organization and accurate representation -- are also necessary for success in the sciences. As scientists, you will be responsible for the effective presentation of material in your field, whether that entails notes on a patient’s medical chart, or scholarly articles presenting vital research. Similarly, you will be responsible for interpreting and evaluating the writing of others on a daily basis. In addition to scientific knowledge, you must acquire the tools of a writer, or that knowledge can never be communicated. This class is intended to help you acquire those tools.

Required Textbooks :

• T. Rex and the Crater of Doom, Walter Alvarez
• Dracula, Bram Stoker
• Einstein’s Dreams, Alan Lightman
• English 1C Xerox packet (to be made available at the campus copy center)

Course Requirements :
Students are responsible for arriving in class on-time and prepared, which includes responsibility for all assigned readings on the dates indicated in the schedule. All papers and drafts of papers are due at the beginning of class on the due date indicated. In addition, occasional in-class exercises and quizzes will be assigned, and are factored into the final grade as indicated below. It should be noted that showing up for class on time and prepared is considered *minimally* adequate behavior for a college-level class, and thus merits a *C* grade. Active participation in classroom discussion is essential to earning a higher grade in the participation category.

Grading : (numbers in parentheses indicate minimum page-length requirements)

• Summaries #1-2 (1/2 each) -- 10% (5% each)
• Annotated bibliography (6) -- 20%
• Process description essay (3) -- 10%
• Object description essay (5) -- 20%
• Speculative writing essay (5) -- 20%
• Final examination -- 10%
• Participation, quizzes -- 10%

Class Policies:

• Failure to turn in *one* assignment results in a zero ("F") for that assignment. Failure to turn in *two* assignments results in a zero for those assignments *and* a zero for the participation section of the grade. Failure to turn in *three* or more assignments results in an automatic failing grade in the class.
• Late papers are automatically graded one full letter grade lower than they would otherwise have merited (an "A" turns into a "B," for example). An additional one-third letter grade is deducted for each additional day (not class day, but every day) that the assignment remains outstanding (that is, from a "B" to a "B-" to a "C+" and so on). If the assignment is as much as a week overdue, then it counts as not being handed in, per the policy above.
• All essays should be typed and double-spaced, with approximately 1 - 1.5 inch margins on all sides, in a 12 point font (Times New Roman or a similar ‘standard’ font is strongly preferred). College level papers are thoroughly formal documents : spelling and grammar are important components of your writing, and I urge you to proofread carefully! Feel free to use a spell-checker, but don’t let it do your thinking for you. For more information on paper format, see the class web-pages and follow the link to the "style guide."
• Papers which are shorter than the required minimum will automatically be graded one full letter grade lower than they would otherwise have merited. Papers which are two or more pages deficient are automatically given a grade of "F" (0). Please note that one sentence does not constitute a "page" of writing -- the writing should extend at least half-way down the page for it to be counted towards the minimum length requirements. Material from other sources does not count towards the minimum page length.
• This class adheres strictly to the University policy on academic dishonesty.

Course Schedule :

• Week One
  • 09 /27 (M) -- Introduction to the course, requirements, and policies.
  • 09 / 29 (W) -- Introductory writing. Further explanation of class requirements. Reading due : Lewis Thomas, excerpts from The Lives of a Cell. Class discussion: what makes good writing, in general? Class exercises: how to identify a thesis. First summary assignment handed out.
• Week Two
  • 10 / 04 (M) -- Paper due (first summary report). Reading due : T. Rex (preface-58). Class discussion: the role of science in society; how do we identify "science" as a category?
  • 10 / 06 (W) -- Reading due: T. Rex (59-106). Class discussion: writing style, organization, and persuasion.
• Week Three
  • 10 / 11 (M) -- Paper due (second summary report). Reading due: T. Rex (107-146). Annotated bibliography research assignment handed out.
  • 10 / 13 (W) -- -- Reading due: Bem and Blackmore on "The Existence of ESP." Class discussion: sources, slanting, interpretation, persuasion.
• Week Four
  • 10 / 18 (M) -- Reading due: Associated Press and the National Transportation Safety Board, "Two Reports of an Airplane Crash." Class discussion: precision, evidence, and evaluation. In class exercise: describing a process. Process description assignment handed out.
  • 10 / 20 (W) -- Note: Meeting in SCIENCE LIVBRARY. Reading due: Auerbach and Evans articles on "Television Shows About the Paranormal" Class discussion: signs, signifiers, semiotics; the ‘science’ of reading.
• Week Five
  • 10 / 25 (M) -- Paper due (process description essay). Reading due: Stoker, Dracula (chapters 1 - 7). Class discussion: genre, expectations, familiarity and unfamiliarity.
  • 10 / 27 (W) -- Reading due: Stoker, Dracula (chapters 8 - 10). Class discussion: observation, hypothesis, the historic role of science. In class exercise: description, accuracy, precision, prepositions -- familiar scenes and unfamiliar objects. Object description essay assignment handed out.
• Week Six
  • 11 / 01 (M) -- Reading due: Stoker, Dracula (chapters 15 - 21). Class discussion: narrative necessity vs. scientific process. In class exercise: facts vs. opinions, observations vs. associations.
  • 11 / 03 (W) -- Reading due: Stoker, Dracula (chapters 22 - 27). Class discussion: analyzing for meaning, comparison with modern texts.
• Week Seven
  • 11 / 08 (M) -- Paper due (object description essay). Reading due: Conley, "Narcissus Cloned"; Ehrenreich, "The Economics of Cloning." Class discussion: science and ethics
  • 11 / 10 (W) -- Reading due: Moore, "Nonverbal Courtship Patterns in Women"; Gladwell, "the Science of Shopping." In class exercise: science and mass media, audience, assumptions.
• Week Eight
  • 11 / 15 (M) -- Discussion and exercises on cause and effect, science fiction. Speculative writing essay assignment handed out. Evaluations.
  • 11 / 17 (W) -- Paper due (annotated bibliography research essay). In class exercise: taking science to the streets; application of science. Speculative writing topic due.
• Week Nine
  • 11 / 22 (M) -- Reading due: Lightman (1-50).
  • 11 / 24 (W) -- Reading due: Lightman (51-96).
• Week Ten
  • 11 / 29 (M) -- Paper due (speculative writing essay). Reading due: Lightman (97-179).
  • 12 / 01 (W) -- Reading due: Gould, "Women’s Brains." Examination preparation, and wrap-up.
• 12 / 06 (M) -- Final Examination, 8:00 - 11:00 a.m. (location to be announced).

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