SRJC Course Outlines

3/28/2024 1:52:33 PMENGL 5 Course Outline as of Fall 2011

Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION

Discipline and Nbr:  ENGL 5Title:  ADV COMP & CRIT THINKING  
Full Title:  Advanced Composition and Critical Thinking
Last Reviewed:1/23/2023

UnitsCourse Hours per Week Nbr of WeeksCourse Hours Total
Maximum3.00Lecture Scheduled3.0017.5 max.Lecture Scheduled52.50
Minimum3.00Lab Scheduled06 min.Lab Scheduled0
 Contact DHR0 Contact DHR0
 Contact Total3.00 Contact Total52.50
 
 Non-contact DHR0 Non-contact DHR Total0

 Total Out of Class Hours:  105.00Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50 

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade Only
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly: 

Catalog Description:
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A critical reasoning and advanced composition course designed to develop critical reading, thinking, and writing skills beyond the level achieved in English 1A. The course will focus on development of logical reasoning and analytical and argumentative writing skills.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:
Completion of ENGL 1A or higher (V8)


Recommended Preparation:

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description: Untitled document
A critical reasoning and advanced composition course designed to develop critical reading, thinking, and writing skills beyond the level achieved in English 1A. The course will focus on development of logical reasoning and analytical and argumentative writing skills.
(Grade Only)

Prerequisites:Completion of ENGL 1A or higher (V8)
Recommended:
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;UC.
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:Effective:Spring 1992
Inactive: 
 Area:B
Communication and Analytical Thinking
 
CSU GE:Transfer Area Effective:Inactive:
 A3Critical ThinkingFall 1992
 
IGETC:Transfer Area Effective:Inactive:
 1BCritical Thinking - English CompositionFall 1993
 
CSU Transfer:TransferableEffective:Spring 1992Inactive:
 
UC Transfer:TransferableEffective:Spring 1992Inactive:
 
C-ID:
 CID Descriptor: ENGL 105 Argumentative Writing and Critical Thinking SRJC Equivalent Course(s): ENGL5

Certificate/Major Applicable: Major Applicable Course



COURSE CONTENT

Outcomes and Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:
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Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
A. Critical Thinking Objectives
  1. Identify and analyze the structure of arguments in the reading assignments.
  2. Evaluate the validity and soundness of arguments in the readings and in their own compositions.
  3. Identify common formal and informal fallacies of language and thought.
  4. Apply principles of inductive and deductive reasoning to their arguments.
  5. Distinguish between factual and opinion statements.
  6. Distinguish between and use denotative and connotative aspects of language for appropriate rhetorical ends.
  7. Draw inferences from a variety of sources (print, media, Internet and electronic databases).
  8. Identify propaganda and other manipulations of rhetoric--charged language and slanted facts in the readings and in their own compositions.
B. Composition Objectives
  1. Write a number of essays totaling 6,500-8,000 words, divided between short essays of 1,000-2,000 words and more comprehensive essays of up to 3,000-3,500 words.
  2. Employ writing strategies including analysis, synthesis, and summary.
  3. Employ writing strategies including causal analysis, advocacy of ideas, persuasion, evaluation, refutation, interpretation, and definition.
  4. Demonstrate continued development in writing correct, sophisticated college-level prose.
  5. Examine classical divisions of rhetorical appeal including ethos, logos, and pathos.
  6. Employ effective writing techniques including organization for logic and coherence; revision for focus, clarity, precision, and diction; use of correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
  7. Compile and evaluate library research for application in research papers.

Topics and Scope
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Reading assignments will include both book-length and long essays selected from various cultures, academic disciplines, and historical periods. Readings will include classic and contemporary arguments relating to such issues as censorship, women's rights, civil disobedience and the purpose of higher education. To establish the critical connection between thinking and writing, the class will examine the writer's argumentative purpose and its relation to rhetorical techniques, looking specifically at:
A. Motives for writing
B. Assumptions, bias, and value judgments
C. The power of language
  1. Denotative/Connotative
  2. Charged vs. neutral language
  3. Propaganda
  4. Gender bias in language
D. Audience and point of view
E. The Claim
  1. How claims work
  2. Classifying the claim
F. Supporting the argument
  1. Varieties of support
  2. Arranging an argument's support
  3. Definitions
  4. Evaluating statistics
  5. Evaluating academic sources
  6. Evaluating on-line sources
  7. Evaluating popular and anecdotal sources
  8. MLA/APA documentation
G. Making reasonable arguments
  1. Formal logic
  2. The Toulmin Model
  3. Informal fallacies
H. Writing essays using arguments
  1. Arguing facts
  2. Arguing cause
  3. Arguing evaluations
  4. Arguing recommendations

Assignments:
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1. Reading assignments by authors from various cultures, disciplines, and periods, which will be used both for examples of good essay writing and as subjects for student composition.
2. Reading of a full-length work of fiction or non-fiction.
3. Writing short essays (1,000-2,000 words in length) to demonstrate understanding of each unit during the semester.
4. Writing one longer essay (3,000-3,500 words in length), including library research, on a topic related to the semester's readings.
6. Various kinds of short (one-page) assignments to reinforce concepts related to assumption, bias, value judgments, charged language, identification of logical fallacies and generalization, evaluations of research sources, and practice of MLA/APA system for documentation.
7. Short quizzes to reinforce the concepts listed above.
8. Group research project with group presentation.
9. Mid-term and final exam.

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.
Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.Writing
50 - 80%
Short essays of 1000 words; research essay of 3000 to 3500 words; short written exercises
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.Problem Solving
0 - 0%
None
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.Skill Demonstrations
0 - 0%
None
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.Exams
10 - 30%
Objective Exams and Quizzes; Essay exams; Mid-term; Final
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.Other Category
10 - 20%
Attendance; participation in class discussion; group presentations


Representative Textbooks and Materials:
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Elements of Argument, 8th ed., Rottenberg, Annette T, Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008.
Thinking for Yourself. 7th Ed, Marlys Mayfield, Thomson/Wadsworth, 2007.
Everything's an Argument, 4th Ed. Lunsford & Ruszkiewicz. Bedford/St. Martin, 2009.
The Thinker's Guide to Fallacies. Paul and Elder. The Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2006. (Classic)
The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking. Paul & Elder. The Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2008.
Other standard English handbooks, which include MLA and APA style.

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