In this accelerated course, students will receive instruction twice weekly on English I composition assignments. Learning to think clearly and critically, organize paragraphs and essays, and use research skills will be a major focus. Computer and information literacy skills will be developed and honed.
Appropriate assessment score
General Education Outcomes are the knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and behaviors that students are expected to develop as a result of their overall experiences with any aspect of the college, including courses, programs, and student services, both inside and outside of the classroom. The General Education Outcomes specifically learned in this course are:
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Responsibility
N/A
Faculty Contact Information
By appointment only, please email: jkirchner@kcc.edu
Jan Kirchner is a multi-genre indie author whose writing explores the emotional terrain between light and shadow. Drawing inspiration from lyrical storytelling and emotionally rich narratives, she crafts poetry, romance, suspense, and contemporary fiction that delve into themes of mental health, identity, longing, resilience, and the quiet power of everyday survival.
A lifelong writer and storyteller, Jan holds a Master's degree in English and Creative Writing and teaches college writing. Her love of language is deeply influenced by songwriters who blend narrative and emotion, particularly Taylor Swift. Jan's favorite creative era is *Folklore*, whose atmospheric storytelling, introspection, and focus on the beauty of ordinary moments continue to inspire her own work.
Whether she's writing poetry that captures emotional truth, heartfelt romance, or stories filled with mystery and unexpected turns, Jan is passionate about creating characters and experiences that resonate with readers long after the final page. Her goal is simple: to tell honest stories that remind people they are not alone.
Course Information
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate critical reading skills by annotating, analyzing, and thoughtfully responding to a variety of texts.
- Use various invention, drafting, and revising strategies (including peer support and/or peer review).
- Narrow topics to appropriate claims.
- Organize paragraphs and papers for clarity and rhetorical effectiveness.
- Support claims and generalizations with adequate and relevant examples, details, explanations, or evidence.
- Demonstrate basic proficiency with rhetorical principles, primarily rhetorical situation and appeals.
- Practice evaluating and incorporating outside sources in MLA style.
- Recognize and utilize standard grammar, spelling, and mechanics in their own writing.
- Composition: Focus; Coherence; Development; Grammar, spelling, and punctuation; Introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions
- Reading: Engagement with texts: annotation, outlining, vocabulary; Critical analysis of texts including non-fiction academic writing
- Writing Process: Brainstorming and other invention strategies; Paragraph and paper development and organization; Revision strategies
- Rhetoric: Rhetorical situation; Strategies, devices, tools, and appeals; Relationship to audience
- Research & Information Literacy: Credibility; Integration; Citation and documentation; Research as inquiry; Types of sources; Role of research librarian
- Critical Thinking: Analysis and other methods of logical inquiry and reasoning; Recognize assumptions, implications, and practical consequences; Intellectual empathy and fairmindedness
No Textbook required. You will need access to a computer and a reliable internet connection to turn in assignments via Canvas.
Canvas Assignments/ In-class participation: 20%
Rhetorical Analysis Essay: 80%
Total: 100%
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Dean, Jennifer Huggins; 815-802-8484; R310; jhuggins@kcc.edu; Division Office- W102; 815-802-8700
We will use the standard College grading scale where 100% is an A, and anything less than a 60% is considered an F. Please see your KCC handbook for more information.
This course will learn and use MLA (Modern Language Association) style formatting for all essays. You will submit work that will consist of the following:
- Header's that will include Student Name, Professor Name, Course Code, and Date (Day Month Year), along with a page-number header with your last name.
- The document will be formatted as 1-inch margins, double-spacing, and at times using Section Headers.
- You will use 12-point font size, and Font type such as Times New Roman or Calibri. (Please use a clear, and readable font type)
- You will always have a Works Cited page listing all your Sources in alphabetical order with hanging indentation.
- All Essays will strive to meet the required word count of the assignment. (Headers and titles do not count towards overall word count)
Late Work: Your Professor will assign a due date towards the end of the term where you can turn in all late work (work graded as a zero or missing in the Canvas gradebook) for partial credit.
Technology Issues: If you are having issues connecting your device to the KCC internet or cannot login to your MYKCC account, please contact the IT dept via helpdesk@kcc.edu or call 815-802-8900. Their office is located on the Third floor of the L-building.
Class Attendance is heavily encouraged as it is taken in Canvas everyday and is weighted against your course grade. Unexcused absences or tardiness beyond the 5-minute grace period can lower your overall grade.
Scrolling/Texting during class is discouraged, and if there is an emergency, you are always welcome to step outside of the classroom to handle it.
Please refrain from using CHAT GPT or other AI tools in your research, drafting, and writing of all papers and assignments for this class. Also, Wikipedia is never an appropriate source to use for your research.
Lastly, changing or altering the font and formatting of your written assignments is considered academic dishonesty.
The Last Day of Class for this Section is Thursday, September 24th. **ENG I will begin on Tuesday, September 29th.
Week One
- Introduction to Course/Canvas
- MLA Formatting Activity
- Review Rhetorical Analysis Topic/Assignment
Week Two
- Intervention Strategies: Drafting Thesis Statements and Review of Rhetorical Appeals
Week Three
- Researching tools and where to find Scholarly Sources
Week Four
- Importance of Citations and integrating Sources
Week Five
- Optional Rough Draft Help
- Final Draft of Essay is due on Friday, September 25th @ 11:59pm CST in Canvas.
College Policies, Resources and Supports
For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non- Attendance/Non-Participation Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu under the Academic Regulations & Conduct Guide.
KCC offers various academic and personal resources for all students. Many services are offered virtually, as well as in person. Please visit Student Resources - Kankakee Community College to access student resources services such as:
- Clubs and organizations
- Counseling and referral services
- Office of disability services
- Student complaint policy
- Transfer services
- Tutoring services, etc.
The materials on this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course. Further information regarding KCC's copyright policy is available at https://kcc.libguides.com/copyright.
|Course syllabus/calendar is subject to change.