About This Course
In this course students develop thinking, reading and expository writing skills. Emphasis is on clear and coherent expression and on competence in the use of grammatical and mechanical conventions. Attention is paid to enhancing students’ understanding, interpretation and analysis of texts.
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to
- Evaluate print and non-print material to determine meaning, purpose and audience;
- Summarize and respond to various types of material;
- Distinguish between literal and figurative levels of meaning;
- Use pre-writing strategies to produce written texts;
- Generate, organize, develop and express ideas;
- Write expository and summary-response essays;
- Use a wide range of vocabulary; and 8) Apply conventions of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, syntax and grammar.
Curriculum
Week 1 – 4: Reading
A. Strategies
i. Annotating
ii. Questioning
iii. Connecting ideas
iv. Analysing (sentence by sentence; paragraph by paragraph)
v. Summarising
vi. Evaluating
vii. Outlining
viii. Paraphrasing
ix. Using context clues and knowledge of prefixes, suffixes and roots
to determine word meanings.
B. Comprehension
i. Word meaning
ii. Main idea and supporting detail
iii. Facts and opinions
iv. Explicit and implied meanings
v. Purpose and audience
vi. Point of view, development and organization
vii. Figurative
Week 5: Abbreviation and Number
Week 6: Revision and Midterm
Week 7 – 11: Writing
A. Pre-writing
i. Brainstorming
ii. Branching
iii. Freewriting
iv. Outlining/planning
v. Discussing
vi. Gathering relevant information
B. Organizing
i. Focus
ii. Purpose and audience
iii. Introductions
iv. Thesis Statements
v. Topic sentences
vi. Supporting details
vii. Transitions
viii. Conclusions
C. Methods of Development
i. Illustration/Examples
ii. Comparison/contrast
iii. Classification
iv. Definition
v. Summary/Response
D. Drafting
i. Writing
ii. Peer-reviewing
iii. Revising
iv. Rewriting
E. Editing
i. Grammar
ii. Punctuation
iii. Spelling
iv. Word choice
v. Sentence structure (syntax)
Week 12 – 13: Grammar and Mechanics
A. Parts of Speech
B. Verbs
i. Regular and irregular
ii. Past, present and future tenses
iii. Participles
C. Agreement
i. Subject/verb
ii. Pronoun/antecedent
D. Sentences
i. Fragments
ii. Run-ons
E. Dangling and misplaced modifiers
Week 14: Revision
Week 15: Finals
Free
Enrollment validity:
190 days
