English 1B:
Literature and Composition
What exactly is English 1B? What do I need to qualify?
English 1B is a three-unit literature course that covers the fundamentals of literary study by introducing students to the three major literary forms of poetry, fiction, and drama, and by developing analytical reading and writing skills. The course can be used to satisfy the Humanities general education requirement for both the Associate Degree and transfer to the California State University system. To enroll in this course, students must either qualify for English 1B/1C on the English Placement Test offered through the Shasta College Assessment Center or complete English 1A with a grade of "C" or better. This screening of prospective students is necessary because success in English 1B will depend heavily on an adequate level of reading, writing, and research skills that students bring into the course.
What kind of work and how much of it can I expect?
The emphasis of this course will be on quality of work rather than quantity. There are three essays (approximately 5 pages, typed, double-spaced) that will involve techniques such as close textual analysis and research of literary scholarship.
In addition to the essays, there will be assigned readings from our textbook, exams on literary terms and concepts, and a reading journal that features responses to individual reading assignments. The overall purpose of these readings and exercises is to develop a the tools necessary to be a carefully skilled analytical reader of literature.
What else will count towards the course grade?
In addition to the essays, reading assignments, and written exercises, you are also expected to regularly participate in class discussions and workshops. Class discussions are vital to the course because they allow instructor and students to share individual interpretations of the assigned readings; however, this is not a free-for-all that involves simply tossing out personal opinions and views--critical reading of literature requires the careful and precise use of textual evidence to support any given interpretation. The workshops involve the entire class reading drafts of individual student essays. Although this may sound pretty agonizing, it's actually been proven to be a truly effective way to develop both reading and writing skills; readers get a stronger sense of what makes an essay work or not work, and this knowledge can in turn be applied to their own writing. Everyone in the class has the same goal in mind, to become better readers and writers, and workshops are an important step in reaching that goal.
How important will attendance be?
Attendance will play a significant role in your course grade. Just showing up will not translate into a good grade; the participation component of the grading requires you to make a contribution to discussions and class activities. If you miss classes, you will miss important discussion of readings as well as components of the writing process, and this nearly always results in lower grades for exams and essays.
If at any time you plan on missing a class for a legitimate reason (a family crisis, a college-sanctioned event, etc.), it is your responsibility to inform me of your upcoming absence and to complete the work assigned.