I. GSL 095 3 Hours Institutional Credit Spring 2001 EKU Corbin Center
Section 10340 Wednesday 9:00-11:45
Instructor: Virginia S. Baker
Mailing Address: 12 Boggs Road
London, KY 40744
Home Telephone: 606-877-1534
Office Hours: Tuesday, 1:00-4:00
Wednesday, 1:00-2:00
Other times by appointment
II. CATALOG COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed for students with basic reading proficiency who need higher-level comprehension skills required in college reading. Concentration is on reading and writing to enlarge student vocabulary and acquire critical thinking skills. Taken by referral or placement. Students may also elect to take this course. Three hours of Institutional Credit when criteria are met.
III. TEXTS:
English Composition Booklet (ECB)
Breaking Through: College Reading (5TH Edition)
An appropriate dictionary and Thesaurus.
A spiral-bound notebook for journal records and an additional notebook for class notes
IV. GOALS:
To enlarge students' awareness and experience with different kinds of text and to foster reading enjoyment.
V. COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
To satisfy the requirements of this course, students must attend at least 90% of the classes and complete class assignments and conferences as indicated. Students will be given a final exam and an alternate form of the pretest at the end of the course. Students must have a passing grade in the course to be eligible for the final exam.
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VI. OUTSIDE CLASS PREPARATION
The University has established basic guidelines which expect students enrolled in a 100-200 level course to spend at least two hours of outside preparation each week, for each hour of lecture.
VII. ACADEMIC HONESTY
The policy concerning academic honesty is outlined in the English Composition Booklet. Students are expected to be familiar with the policy and abide by it. Students will also be expected to sign a statement
that they are aware of the nature of academic honesty and also aware of the procedures followed if the student is found guilty of violating this policy.
VIII. ATTENDANCE POLICY
See Freshman Composition Handbook. REMINDER! Any student who misses more than 10% of the scheduled class meetings will fail the course! Students who must miss a class meeting should inform the instructor in advance, if possible, or contact the instructor at home before the next class meeting to make plans to complete the work. Students are expected to present the instructor with adequate documentation for their absences in order to be able to makeup the work missed. Students who miss class are still responsible for missed in-class work, for assignments from the syllabus, and for announced homework. Also, students who are tardy for class or leave early will be counted as absent for one-half of the class.
NOTE: If there is any student in this class who is in need of academic accommodation and is registered with the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities, please make an individual appointment with the instructor to discuss accommodations. Upon individual request the syllabus can be made available in alternative forms. If any student who is not registered with the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities has need of academic accommodations, please contact the office directly, either in person on the first floor of the Turley House or by telephone at (606) 622-1500.
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X. GRADING POLICY
Grades in GSL 095 are based on the student's classroom performance, tests, weekly quizzes, a final exam, a writing journal, and scores on the alternate standardized reading test given at the end of the term.
All student work-daily work, quizzes, class participation, tests and the
journal--will be graded and averaged. Students will be expected to keep a journal. Students who miss class and fail to turn in an assignment must get special permission from the instructor before late assignments will be accepted.
Students must pass the exit exam to pass the course. Also, students who have more than two unexcused absences will fail the course.
The following grading scale will apply to all work in this course:
Reading Journal = 120 points possible (60 entries)
Tests (4) = 400 points possible
Homework= 100 points possible
Weekly Quizzes = 100 points possible
In-class Assignments/Class Participation = 100 points possible
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TOTAL ---- 820 points possible
Quiz Grades: End of Semester Grades:
A = 100-90 A = 820-738 points
B = 89-80 B = 737-656 points
C = 79-70 C = 655-574 points
D = 69-60 D = 573-492 points
F = 59 and below F = 491 or below
X. EVALUATION
Students will demonstrate an increasing aptitude for time-saving and efficient methods of extracting important information from text. Students will respond periodically to a particular piece of writing. Students must have a passing average in order to take the Exit Exam, which consists of a reading, questions, and a short answer essay. Proficiency at the end of the course must be demonstrated in order for a student to pass the course. Failure to demonstrate proficiency will result in the need to repeat the
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course during the next full semester that the student is enrolled in the
University. Students are only allowed to take the course twice.
X. COURSE OUTLINE
Each of the units of study in this course will be a mixture of lecture, workshop, class discussion, journal writing, exercises, and weekly quizzes. Students are expected to participate fully in class activities.
Week 1. January 10
Introduction:
--Brief Outline of the Course
--Learning Objectives
--Guidelines for Grading
--Plagiarism
--Late Assignments
--Attendance
Pre-Test with Nelson-Denny Reading Test, Form G
Assignment: BT, Ch. 1: Student Success; Exercises, pp. 5-6, 7-8;
Sections 1 and 2, Materials on Study Skills;
Complete "Success" Handouts
Week 2. January 17
Motivation
Personal Goals
Time Management
Study Skills:
--Study Habits
--Concentration
--Short-Term and Long-Term Memory
Journal Writing
Summarizing
Assignment: BT,, Ch. 6: Textbook Learning; Ch. 7: Test-taking Strategies;
Exercise 7, pp. 193, 194-195, 200-201; Sections 3 and 4, Materials on Study Skills;
Completion of Personal Schedule
Week 3. January 24
Course Syllabus
Class Attendance
Classroom Behavior
Lecture Notes
Annotations of the Text
Mapping
5.
Notetaking
SQ4R Method of Study
Tips on Test-Taking
Assignment: BT, pp, 224-225; BT, Ch. 3: Vocabulary Development; Handouts on Prefixes and Suffixes;
Test on Study Skills
Week 4. January 31.
Test on Study Skills
Using Context Clues
Knowing Word Parts and Origins
Using a Dictionary and Thesaurus
Understanding Analogies
Assignment: Quiz on Prefixes and Suffixes;
BT, Exercises, pp.34, 60-64; BT, Ch. 2: Stages of Reading; BT, Ch. 4: Main Idea;
Week 5. February 7.
Stages of Reading
--Previewing
--Integrating Knowledge
--Predicting
--Picturing
--Relating
--Monitoring and Correcting
--Recalling
Reading Rate
Discussion of Reading Techniques
Use of Context Clues
In-class Exercises.
Assignment: BT, pp. 37-42, 44-47;
Week 6. February 14.
Topic
Main Idea
Stated Main Idea
Unstated Main Idea
Major Detail
Minor Detail
In-class Exercises
Assignment: Handouts; BT, Ch.5: Supporting Details and Organizational Patterns
Test on Main Idea and Details
6.
Week 7. February 21.
Test on Main Ideas
Organizational Patterns
--Definition
--Listing
--Time Order
--Cause and Effect
--Comparison and Contrast
Signal Words
Identification of Key Elements
In-class Exercises
Assignment: Handouts;
Journals Due
Week 7. February 28.
In-class Exercises
Journals Due for Midterm Grading
Assignment: Handouts;
Test on Organizational Structure
Week 8. March 7.
Test on Patterns of Structure
In-class Exercises
Work in Computer Lab w. Extension Librarian
Assignment: BT, Ch. 9, Analytical Reasoning; BT, Exercise 8, pp. 282-284, 286-287, 297-298, 304-30; Handout on Logic;
Bring to class advertisements showing three types of persuasion.
MARCH 2--MIDTERM; LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW FROM CLASSES
MARCH 9-MIDTERM GRADES DUE IN REGISTRAR'S OFFICE
MARCH 12-MARCH 16: SPRING BREAK WEEK.
Week 9. March 21.
In-Class Exercises
Using Problem-Solving Techniques.
Assignment: Handout on Inferences; BT, Ch.10, Inference; BT, Exercise 2, pp. 313-321, 325-327.
Week 10. March 28.
Implied Meaning
Drawing Conclusions
Figurative Language
Assignment: BT, Ch. 11, Critical Reading; BT, Exercise 1, pp. 341--344, 347-351.
Week 11. April 4.
Distinguishing Fact From Opinion
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Slanted Language
Author's Purpose
Bias
Tone
In-class Exercises
Assignment: Handouts;
Week 12. April 11.
Continuation of Discussion
In-Class Exercises
Assignment: Test on Logic and Critical Thinking
Week 13. April 18.
Test
Elements of Fiction
In-Class Exercises
Assignment: Handouts on Fiction
Journals Due
Week 14. April 25. Pre-Final Exam Period
In-class Exercises
Journals Due
Retesting with Nelson-Denny Reading Test, Form H.
Week 15. May 2 Final Week
Exit Exam
NOTE: Grades on reading journals, homework, and all tests will be shown to the student, then those materials will be retained by the instructor, or returned to the English Department at Richmond, depending on the instructions of the English Department at the end of the course.
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Created by Virginia S.
Baker 5/29/2001
For information or questions
contact vsbaker@kih.net
Copyright 2001. All Rights Reserved.