The student will master the writing process, including strategies for invention, organization, revision, and editing. The student will develop critical skills in reading, thinking and writing. Writing assignments will emphasize analysis and argument and the student will master research writing and documentation. All formal essays will require research. AAS: Communications elective.
Course Alignment
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
Faculty Contact Information
Student Support Hours: In-person in my office on Monday from 9-11 AM and virtually via email on Tuesday from 8-11 AM (a Zoom meeting during these Tuesday hours is also possible upon student request)
Course Information
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Use invention, drafting, revising, and editing strategies to write academic papers
- Write claims that are appropriate for assignment requirements
- Effectively organize paragraphs to suit the rhetorical situation
- Support claims and generalizations with adequate and relevant details, examples, explanation, and evidence
- Analyze and evaluate the use of rhetorical appeals in a variety of nonfiction texts
- Apply the principles of rhetoric in student writing assignments
- Correctly integrate and document outside sources through signal phrases, parenthetical citations, and a works cited page
- Apply self- and peer- review strategies for revision and improvement
- Create and share a multimodal project
- Utilize standard grammar, spelling, and mechanics for clarity, tone, and style
- Rhetoric: Style, strategies, devices, tools, and appeals; relationship to audience
- Research: Credibility, integration, citation and documentation, research as inquiry, types of sources, role of research librarian
- 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
- Criticality: Intellectual empathy, originality in thought, context of social and cultural contexts, diverse viewpoints
- Multimodality: Integration of visual, textual, and oral elements; methods of engaging audience; rhetorical awareness
No textbook is required.
Students will complete, at minimum, four formal writing assignments: three papers and a multimodal project that includes writing. This will help hone skills of observing, reflecting, making and supporting claims, and finding research for evidence/support. Source material should not overwhelm the student’s own voice.
- Rhetorical Analysis: 2-4 sources, minimum of 1,200 words
- Argument: 4-6 sources, minimum of 1,800 words
- Synthesis-based Annotated Bibliography: 6-8 sources, minimum of 1,500 words
- A multimodal project which includes a minimum of 500 words
Assignments may be given in any order. These four formal assignments must comprise at least 60% of the final grade for the course. Students will also be expected to complete smaller learning activities like in-class writing workshops and other assignments that contribute to the writing process.
Grading Breakdown by Points
| Assignment Category | Points |
|---|---|
| Annotated Bibliography | 75 |
| Argument Paper | 100 |
| Rhetorical Analysis Paper | 60 |
| Multimodal Project | 50 |
| Other Assignments | 55 |
| TOTAL | 340 |
Final Letter Grade Based on Percentage of Points Earned in the Course
A student's final letter grade is determined by the percentage of points earned throughout the course. Rounding up of final grades by less than 1% will be determined by a student's active and meaningful participation in class throughout the semester, per the instructor’s discretion.
Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
90-100% | A |
80-89.9% | B |
70-79.9% | C |
60-69.9% | D |
0-59.9% | F |
Course Writing Assignments for English I: ENGL 1613
Students will complete, at minimum, 3 major writing assignments and a multimodal project. This will help hone skills of observing, reflecting, making and supporting claims, and finding research for evidence/support. Source material should not overwhelm the student’s own voice.
- Rhetorical Analysis: 2-4 sources, 4+ pages
- Argument: 4-6 sources, 6+ pages
- Synthesis-based Annotated Bibliography: 6-8 sources, 5+ pages
- A multimodal project
Assignments may be given in any order.
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Dean, Jennifer Huggins; 815-802-8484; R310; jhuggins@kcc.edu; Division Office- W102; 815-802-8700
Failure Policy: Students are required to complete and submit the four major assignments listed in the Methods of Evaluation section of this syllabus. If you do not complete any one of these assignments, you will automatically fail the course.
Attendance: In this course, “attendance” is measured both by attendance of our in-person class meetings and meaningful participation online (course-related communication with the professor & submission of assignments in Canvas). Students who don’t submit work or communicate meaningfully with me throughout the course may be marked as “absent” or “inactive” on the Census Day and Midterm reports I am required to submit to the college, which may impact these students’ financial aid.
Missing a class may also result in missing in-class assignments that are worth points based on participation.
Late Work: Due dates for the coursework are designed to help you stay on track with course content and be fully engaged with class activities. Attempting to submit work past the deadlines not only affects your own progress but can also disrupt activities like in-class discussions and in-class assignments.
Excluding assignments that are built around in-class participation or group work and those due in the final instructional week of the course (such work is never accepted late), students have up to one week past the original due date to submit missing online assignments with the understanding that they can only earn up to 80% of the points possible on the assignment (i.e., late work will receive an automatic 20% deduction from the score the students earn on the assignment). Late work will not be accepted for grading past the 1-week grace period.
Technology: All assignments must be submitted in their appropriate place in Canvas. Lost or accidentally deleted files will not be an acceptable excuse for not submitting work. Be sure back up your work. Students are expected to have sufficient technological skills to complete the requirements of the course, which include using Canvas features, formatting and typing written work, submitting files to Canvas, emailing, using presentation tech (like Google Slides or PowerPoint), recording a video, etc. For this course, students must also have access to a computer with the internet on a regular basis. Facing technical problems? Contact KCC’s ITS Helpdesk at 815.802.8900 or helpdesk@kcc.edu.
Academic Honesty: Students are expected to do their own original work in this class. From brainstorming ideas and reading assigned texts to communicating their ideas in their own words – all the work students do in the process of completing assignments should be their own. If students are struggling with any part of an assignment, I would encourage them to request support from a KCC writing tutor and/or me (the instructor). Tutors and the instructor will help guide students through the process without doing the work for them. While AI-assisted tools might be tempting to use (and even appropriate for these tasks in other circumstances), using them for assignments in this class is prohibited and will be considered a form of cheating or plagiarism. Cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation, fabrication, etc. are all forms of academic dishonesty and they will not be tolerated in this class.
Cheating can take many forms in this class: copying or using another student’s work, adjusting format to make papers appear longer (a form of misrepresentation), working in groups on individual assignments (whether openly or in secret), sharing or stealing answers for tests or assignments, using AI to develop part (or all) of an assignment, making up “research” (a form of fabrication), etc. Section 17.6B of the Student Code of Conduct explains that cheating also includes, “Submitting the same paper, report, or other assignment for more than one course without the expressed permission of the faculty member. If a student believes that he/she can complete an assignment that meets the requirements of two or more faculty members, he/she should obtain prior approval from all faculty involved.”
Plagiarism is also defined in section 17.6B of the Student Code of Conduct: “Taking, reproducing, and/or using as one’s own, without proper attribution, the ideas, writings, paraphrases, data, reports, graphic designs, or computer codes of published or unpublished work of another person in completing an academic assignment. Prohibited conduct may also include the unauthorized submission for credit of academic work that has been submitted for credit in another course.”
Plagiarism in this class includes but is not limited to:
- submitting someone else’s work and/or AI-generated or AI-assisted writing (this prohibits tools like Grammarly!)
- using published material (including materials published online) without proper attribution
- paraphrasing or quoting someone without attributing the quote in your paper with a correct in-text citation, even if the source is included on the works cited page; improper paraphrase (sometimes referred to as “synonym swapping”) may also be plagiarism if the attempted paraphrase too closely imitates the writing style (including syntax) of the original source
- failing to clearly indicate when you are using quoted materials by not including (or properly formatting) quotation marks
- working with someone (without my permission) to write your paper and presenting it as your own
- self-plagiarism by submitting the same paper or assignment written for a different course without the instructor's prior, explicit permission
If you are in doubt, ask me or visit the KCC Writing Studio before you submit your assignment.
No form of academic dishonesty is acceptable. Cheating, plagiarizing, misrepresentation, and/or fabrication on any assignment in this class will have consequences and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. The severity of consequence (from automatic failure on the assignment to possible immediate failure of the course with no opportunity for the student to withdraw) depends on the instructor's judgment of intentionality. The violation of this course policy will be reported to the Director of Student Success. If the student has a repeated instance of academic misconduct reported to the Director of Student Success, the student may be suspended from the institution.
Minimum Requirements: Be aware that papers that fail to meet minimum requirements (i.e., minimum word count, number and types of sources, paper type, or paper subject determined by the instructor), may receive a failing score of 0%. Thus, a paper that is too short, missing the correct number and type of sources, or off-topic assignment-wise will fail with a 0. You are in college—partial work does not always receive partial credit. Also note that works cited pages do not count toward minimum length requirements and block quotes (quotes of four lines of text or longer) may not be used in papers for this class. Finally, simply meeting the minimum length and source requirements does not guarantee a passing grade.
Required Document Format: All papers submitted for this course must be typed with 1-inch margins in Times New Roman 12-point font (you may have to make changes in Word's default page setup). They must also adhere to current edition MLA (Modern Language Association) style guidelines where specified. Any differences will be noticed. Failure to adhere to these requirements may result in point deductions or even failure (0%) on an assignment if the problem persists.
Note: Although MLA style guidelines suggest that documents should be double-spaced (and many other instructors following MLA will require you to adhere to this guideline), I personally much prefer that you format your documents to be single-spaced. It’s much easier for me to read single-spaced documents when I’m grading digitally, within Canvas. Please single-space your writing for this class. Thank you!
Mandatory File Type for Assignments: Current KCC students may freely use Office 365 products. It’s also very easy to download a Google Doc as a Word file, which you could then upload to the Canvas assignment. Because not all file types are adequately accessible within Canvas, I require all students to submit Word document files for writing assignments.
Revisions: The student may choose to revise ONE major writing assignment for a higher grade, but one that is limited to 80% of the original points possible (i.e., students cannot earn higher than 80% on a revision, though it’s possible to still earn below 80% on a revision depending on the quality of the work). Such a revision must include substantial improvements to be considered. Making surface-level changes (i.e., punctuation or grammar mistakes) isn’t typically considered “substantial.” You must submit the revision to the original assignment in Canvas by the revision due date. If you fail to follow any of the details of these instructions when revising, I reserve the right to return your revision without re-grading it.
Communication: The best way to know what to do for class is to consult the syllabus, course calendar, and our Canvas course. If you have a question about what's due, consult these resources first. If neither the instruction materials nor your classmates can answer your questions, then you may email me. There are two ways to email me: through Canvas (preferred) or through KCC’s email. If you email me through Canvas, no worries. If, however, you email me through KCC’s email, be sure to include the following: your full name and what course you are taking with me (also, if you email me at jpecora@kcc.edu, then you should use your KCC student email address; other email addresses may be filtered & I won’t even see them). I will communicate important course-related info via Canvas email or Canvas announcements. Check your email often—at least every 2 days. I will typically respond to emails within 24 hours, though sometimes it may be longer. You may also be expected to participate in online class discussions that are open to all students’ view.
Title IX: Students sometimes choose to share private information with their professors. We appreciate your trust! Nonetheless, students need to be aware that KCC faculty and certain staff are required to report any incidents of sexual harassment and/or violence that we may hear about. Specifically, we will contact KCC’s Title IX Coordinator, the Dean of Student Development and Services. Please don’t feel like you can’t reach out but be aware of our requirement to report. If you want to speak with someone who is not required to report, please know that you are very welcome to call the county’s confidential sexual assault hotline (no referral is necessary, and your anonymity is guaranteed unless you choose to share your name): 815-932-3322 (Kankakee) or 815-432-0420 (Iroquois).
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, & Belonging: I fully embrace the idea that an intellectual community is enriched and enhanced by diversity along several dimensions, including race, ethnicity, national origins, gender and gender identity, sexuality, social class, and religion. My goal is to create an environment in which each student is able to openly hear and respect each other, offering his, her, or their opinion, insights, and analysis of course content without fear of inflammatory feedback or ostracism. It is critical that each class member show respect for all views, ideas, and perspectives expressed in class.
Expectations for Behavior: To ensure an enjoyable, inclusive, and engaging learning environment, you are expected to openly share your ideas and express your opinions in both the classroom and online environment. Respect the opinions, values, and identities of your classmates, instructors, and guests. Honor the open environment of the class by respecting confidentiality when appropriate. You are expected to do your best work, meet assignment deadlines, engage regularly in class discussion and activities, and treat other members of the class with courtesy and respect.
Course Calendar: 8-week English I
The following calendar is subject to change but it should provide a good overview of the course.
MODULE 1 – Research as Inquiry (Weeks 1-2)
Concepts & activities covered: Course overview (including syllabus policies, calendar, key principles & skills). Academic writing, documenting sources, and MLA citation guidelines. Research as inquiry. AnnBib topic selection and invention activities. Developing appropriately narrow, arguable research questions for the AnnBib assignment. Comparing popular and scholarly sources. Library databases and best practices with research (including evaluating sources’ credibility). Active reading: what, why, & how. Incorporating sources well into your own writing (quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing correctly). Synthesizing sources to make connections between their different points of view, information, and opinions. Peer- and self-review.
Week 1:
In-class meeting (W 10/14): We'll review the overall purposes and basic requirements of English I as well as the information provided in the course syllabus. I'll also introduce the AnnBib assignment to students and go over some of the basics of MLA style. We'll then talk about "research as inquiry" and I'll review the AnnBib assignment instructions and requirements. We’ll work on refining our research questions and then move onto finding sources that help to answer our research questions from a variety of perspectives. We will also review active reading strategies. Students will begin the Using Research to Inquire activity in class.
Required work after class and before next week's class:
- Don't forget to (1) verify that you read the entire course syllabus AND (2) submit the Using Research to Inquire Activity assignment by 11:59 PM on W 10/14 (if you didn’t already do this during class).
- Begin finding sources for your AnnBib. Remember that the KCC librarians can help make your research process more effective.
- Practice active reading strategies as you read the sources you're interested in using for the AnnBib assignment. Begin writing your AnnBib around those sources.
- You should have chosen, read, and taken some of the required notes on all 6 of your sources by the time we meet again as a class next week (on W 10/21). At minimum, you should complete a partial draft of your AnnBib with the citations, summaries, and evaluation sections for each of your 6 sources. Print a copy of your partial draft to bring to class next week.
- The optional extra credit for working with a KCC reference librarian (in a research consultation) is due by 11:59 PM on T 10/20.
Week 2:
In-class meeting (W 10/21): Bring your 6 sources to class and a printed copy of the partial draft of your AnnBib with your citations, summary, and evaluation paragraphs for each source. We’ll complete a Synthesis Workshop in class (you’ll begin writing your synthesis paragraphs then) as well as the AnnBib Peer Review Activity.
Required work after class:
- Finish and edit your annotations for your 6 sources. Consider working with a KCC writing tutor to get additional feedback on your work before you submit your AnnBib early next week.
- Submit your final Synthesis-Based Annotated Bibliography by 11:59 PM on M 10/26. The optional extra credit for working with a KCC writing tutor on the AnnBib is also due by 11:59 PM on M 10/26.
MODULE 2 – Writing for a College Audience (Weeks 3-4)
Concepts & activities covered: Argument Paper topic selection and invention activities. Learn about breaking down an argument into its claim, reasons, and assumptions. Develop an argument, working thesis, and paper outline. Audience awareness: analyze your own rhetorical situation and strategize for your audience. Imagine and address alternative arguments. Tips for writing a solid introduction and conclusion. Revision activities.
Week 3:
In-class meeting (W 10/28): We'll discuss expectations for college papers and go over the requirements for the Academic Argument Paper assignment. Students will complete the "Preparing to Write Activity" in small groups. We’ll then discuss outlining and developing clear, succinct thesis statements. Students will draft a tentative outline and thesis for their own Academic Argument Paper. As students develop their plans for their papers, they should keep in mind who their intended audience is and how best to appeal to them! Finally, we’ll review best practices for paragraph development and organization.
Required work after class and before next week's class:
- Don’t forget to submit the Paper Outline with Thesis Statement assignment if you didn’t finish it by the end of class! It’s due by 11:59 PM on W 10/28.
- Begin writing your paper, continuously considering your intended audience. You need to complete your paper draft (including the works cited page) before class begins next week. Print a copy to bring to class.
Week 4:
In-class meeting (W 11/4): You should come to class with a printed copy of your complete Academic Argument Paper draft by the beginning of class! We'll go over how to write effective introductions and conclusions, completing a peer review workshop on the subject. We’ll also discuss additional self-review strategies students can use to revise their own papers. Note: Because we won’t have an in-person class meeting next week, we’ll also review the ideas needed to begin Module 3: We’ll review the initial steps for analyzing a specific piece of rhetoric, including determining the communication’s purpose, intended audience, and development of rhetorical appeals through specific rhetorical devices and tools (the communication choices made by the creator). Students will review examples of RA Papers written by previous English I students. Students should find a professionally created image that you want to analyze for the RA Paper and begin researching its original context. Who created it and why? Who makes up the intended audience? Etc. We'll also go into more detail on the 2 sources required in this paper assignment (e.g., what types of sources might you look for, how/where might you find them, how to incorporate and cite them well).
Required work after class:
- Finish writing and revising your paper. Consider working with a KCC writing tutor to get additional feedback on your work before you submit your paper early next week.
- Submit your final Academic Argument Paper by 11:59 PM on M 11/9. The optional extra credit for working with a KCC writing tutor on your Argument Paper is also due by 11:59 PM on M 11/9.
MODULE 3 – Analyzing Others’ Rhetoric (Weeks 5-6)
Concepts & activities covered: Critically analyze specific rhetorical situations and the development of rhetorical appeals within those situations. RA thesis, organization, and paper development. Continue practicing writing for a college audience, incorporating and citing research, revision activities, and other related skills.
Week 5:
In-class meeting (W 11/11): No class because KCC has cancelled all classes in honor of Veterans Day.
Required work after class and before next week's class:
- Begin writing a draft of your RA paper. You need to complete your paper draft (including the works cited page) before class begins next week. Print a copy to bring to class.
Week 6:
In-class meeting (W 11/18): You should come to class with a printed copy of your complete RA Paper draft by the beginning of class! We'll complete a peer review activity in class.
Required work after class:
- If you haven’t already done so, consider working with a KCC writing tutor to get additional feedback on your work before you submit your paper early next week.
- Submit your final RA paper by 11:59 PM on M 11/23. The optional extra credit for working with a KCC writing tutor on your RA Paper is also due by 11:59 PM on M 11/23.
MODULE 4 – Multimodal Communication (Weeks 7-8)
Concepts & activities covered: Continue practicing audience awareness skills as well as communicating effectively through multiple modes of communication.
Week 7:
In-class meeting (W 11/25): (Yes! We have class today – KCC’s Thanksgiving break begins at 5 PM.) We’ll return to the basic principles of rhetoric and audience awareness, this time from the angle of designing our own effective multimodal communication for a target audience. We’ll discuss the multimodal project assignment requirements and review some best practices for visual design. Students will participate in a brainstorming activity.
Required work after class and before class next week:
- Begin designing and developing your own multimodal project artifact. You need to complete a draft of your project before class begins next week.
- If you want to work ahead, review the instructions for the audience analysis portion of the Multimodal Project and begin writing that as well.
Week 8:
In-class meeting (W 12/2): We'll complete some peer- and self-review activities in class and go over the instructions for the Audience Analysis portion of the Multimodal Project. To participate in these review activities (and earn the full points available), you must come to class prepared with an electronically accessible and complete version of your Multimodal Project draft for other students to look through. Students will begin writing a draft of their audience analysis in class if they haven’t already started writing it.
Required work after class:
- Submit both parts of the multimodal project by 11:59 PM on F 12/4: (1) your Multimodal Project Artifact and (2) your Audience Analysis. The optional extra credit for working with a KCC writing tutor on your Multimodal Project is also due by 11:59 PM on F 12/4.
- Optional paper revisions are also due by 11:59 PM on F 12/4, submitted within the original Canvas assignment (read the Revision policy within the course syllabus for more details).
Friday 12/4/26 is officially the final day of the course! Absolutely no coursework will be accepted for grading after the end of this day.
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.