COURSE OUTLINE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICES COURSE NAME: COURSE CODE: CREDIT HOURS: PREREQUISITES: COREQUISITES:

PLAR ELIGIBLE: Skills for College English COMM 1003 42 Admissions or Placement Test none YES ( ) NO (x)

EFFECTIVE DATE: September 2013 PROFESSOR: Sharon Small PHONE: OFFICE #: 490F (mailbox) EMAIL: ssmall9@georgebrown.ca

NOTE TO STUDENTS: Academic Departments at George Brown College will NOT retain historical copies of Course Outlines. We urge you to retain this Course Outline for your future reference.
FOR OFFICE USE ONLY ORIGINATOR:__________________________________________________________________________ SIGNATURE DATE

CHAIR: _ SIGNATURE

____________________________September 3, 2013______________ DATE

DATE OF REVISION:__August 2013________________________________________________ EQUITY STATEMENT: George Brown College values the talents and contributions of its students, staff and community partners and seeks to create a welcoming environment where equity, diversity and safety of all groups are fundamental. Language or activities which are inconsistent with this philosophy violate the College policy on the Prevention of Discrimination and Harassment and will not be tolerated. The commitment and cooperation of all students and staff are required to maintain this environment. Information and assistance are available through your Chair, Student Affairs, the Student Association or the Human Rights Advisor. George Brown College is dedicated to providing equal access to students with disabilities. If you require academic accommodations visit the Disability Services Office or the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Office on your campus. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES: Students should obtain a copy of the Student Handbook and refer to it for additional information regarding the grading system, withdrawals, exemptions, class assignments, missed tests and exams, supplemental privileges, and academic dishonesty. Students are required to apply themselves diligently to the course of study, and to prepare class and homework assignments as given. Past student performance shows a strong relationship between regular attendance and success.

COURSE NAME: Skills for College English COURSE CODE: COMM 1003

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COURSE DESCRIPTION: In English Skills, students develop reading and writing skills that are necessary for success in collegelevel courses and in the workplace. The focus is on improving understanding of different types of readings by learning to recognize common strategies that are used to organize and present messages in written texts. Students also learn how to use those structures and strategies to improve the focus, clarity and organization of their own writing. They plan, draft, write and revise several paragraphs as well as at least one summary and one complete essay. They also learn basic research and documentation skills. This non-credit course is a pre-requisite for College English and for other advanced COMM courses. ESSENTIAL EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS: As mandated by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities essential employability skills (EES) will be addressed throughout all programs of study. Students will have the opportunity to learn (L) specific skills, to practice (P) these skills, and/or be evaluated (E) on the EES outcomes in a variety of courses. The EES include communication, numeracy, critical thinking & problem solving, information management, interpersonal and personal skills. The faculty for this course has indicated which of the EES are either Learned (L), Practiced (P) or Evaluated (E) in this course:

Skill 1. communicate clearly, concisely and correctly in the written, spoken and visual form that fulfills the purpose and meets the needs of the audience 2. respond to written, spoken or visual messages in a manner that ensures effective communication 3. execute mathematical operations accurately

L P E X X X

X X X

4. apply a systematic approach to solve problems 5. use a variety of thinking skills to anticipate and solve problems 6. analyze, evaluate, and apply relevant information from a variety of sources

X X X

X X

Skill L locate, select, organize and X document information using appropriate technology and information sources 8. show respect for the diverse opinions, values, belief systems, and contributions of others 9. interact with others in groups or teams in ways that contribute to effective working relationships and the achievement of goals 10. manage the use of time and X other resources to complete projects 11. take responsibility for ones own actions, decisions and consequences 7.

P X

E X

X X X

COURSE NAME: Skills for College English COURSE CODE: COMM 1003

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COURSE OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of this course the students will have demonstrated the ability to: 1) Accurately read college-level texts and summarize material using their own words and outline. 2) Locate information/resources in the GBC library and/or in other appropriate electronic and print sources. 3) Use a standard documentation style (APA or MLA) to create in-text and full references for secondary sources. 4) Create logical, cohesive introductory, body, and concluding paragraphs using outlines and drafts. 5) Compose an organized, coherent text (i.e., a short essay or report) with a distinct introduction, body and conclusion. 6) Revise and edit their own writing to improve organization, sentence structure, grammar and mechanics.

DELIVERY METHODS / LEARNING ACTIVITIES: Teaching and learning strategies used in this course include interactive lectures, group discussions, demonstrations, group work, in-class assignments and exercises (skill-building and writing), homework exercises and assignments (reading, writing and skill-building), on-line learning, library orientation/workshop, peer feedback.

LIST OF TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER TEACHING AIDS: Required: The Canadian Writers Workplace, Lipschutz, Scarry, &Scarry (2013). Seventh Edition

Recommended / Optional:College-level dictionary TESTING and ASSIGNMENT POLICY: 1) Some writing assignments and skill-building exercises must be completed in class. If you know ahead of time that you will miss the assignment, you must inform the professor in person or by email to arrange for alternate arrangements. If you do miss an in-class assignment, please contact your professor as soon as possible to make alternate arrangements.* 2) Take-home assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date indicated on the schedule. If you know in advance that you will be unable to complete a particular assignment by the scheduled due date, contact your professor before the due date to request an extension. If you miss a deadline due to unforeseen circumstances, it is your responsibility to contact your professor as soon as possible to explain the situation. If the reason for missing the deadline is valid, an extension will be granted.* Otherwise, late assignments will be penalized at a rate of 10% per day and may not be accepted beyond one week after the original deadline. 3) The final exam must be written during class time on the scheduled day. If you are unable to complete the exam as scheduled, notify the professor well in advance so alternative arrangements can be made.* Failure to follow this procedure may result in a zero grade.
COURSE NAME: Skills for College English COURSE CODE: COMM 1003 PAGE: 3

* Important: When an assignment deadline or in-class test or assignment is missed, you may be required to provide documentation (medical or legal) to confirm eligibility for an extension or a re-write. 4) Paper dictionaries can be used as aids for in-class essays/exams; electronic dictionaries and other devices including cell phones and PDAs cannot be used. 5) Assignments completed outside class should be word-processed and double-spaced in 12 pt font. 6) You are advised to keep all marked assignments, feedback on workshop/labs, and the course outline. In cases of disagreement over marks or work completion, you must produce the graded assignments. Important: Students with special needs or accommodations are encouraged to discuss any necessary accommodations with their professors as soon as possible. EVALUATION SYSTEM: Assessment Tool: Writing Assignments Description: Paragraph Summary Essay Components-Intro, Body Essay (Complete Rough draft) Essay (Final draft) Reading Comprehension Library assignment APA assignment During the final class, construct a point-form outline and write (at least) a 500 word essay. Outcome(s) EES Due Date assessed: assessed: / Week: 1,4,5,6 1,2,4,5,6,9,10,11 4 5 7,9 11 13 3 5 6 15 % of Final Grade: 5 10 25 5 15 5 10 5 20

Exercises, Assignments, Quizzes Final Exam

1,2,3,6

1,2,4,5,6,10,11

1,4,5,6

1,2,6,10,11

TOTAL: 100% GRADING SYSTEM This is a Pass/Not pass course. The passing grade for this course is: ___60%___ P NP 60100 <60

Excerpt from the College Policy on Academic Dishonesty: The minimal consequence for submitting a plagiarized, purchased, contracted, or in any manner inappropriately negotiated or falsified assignment, test, essay, project, or any evaluated material will be a grade of zero on that material. To view George Brown College policies please go to www.georgebrown.ca/policies

For information on withdrawing from this course without academic penalty, please refer to the College Academic Calendar: http://www.georgebrown.ca/Admin/Registr/PSCal.aspx
COURSE NAME: Skills for College English COURSE CODE: COMM 1003 PAGE: 4

TOPICAL OUTLINE: Class 1 Topic / Task Introduction: Overview of outcomes and expectations The Writing Process: Overview Getting started with the paragraph: focus and flow Brief In class diagnostic: brainstorming and paragraph writing. Language Skills: Overview of key sentence parts Active Reading Strategies: Reading to learn Sentence Skills: Review basic sentence structures Compound sentences Writing and intro to editing: Review paragraph structure for focus and flow Content /Activities Outcome(s) 1,2,58,9 Group discussion: Teacher and student Introductions Lecture: paragraph structure. Evaluate 1 paragraphs using rubric In-class writing: Using brainstorming strategies to generate ideas Develop ideas into a short written piece to be handed in before end of class. In-class exercise: 4. Recognizing parts of speech. Crossword Puzzle 1,2,4,6,8,9 Pre-reading strategies Annotating texts Comprehension Identifying main and supporting details. In-class exercise: Analyzing and constructing complete sentences; varying sentence structure. Ordering sentences to make a paragraph Paragraph Writing circlein groups Peer group evaluation and editing with error codes 1,2,4,5,8,9 Homework discussion In-class Reading Test 5% Paragraph Review Paraphrasing Homework group discussion and presentation Reading Test Writing a paragraph from a given outline Lecture on Paraphrasing and examples Individual sentence and short paragraph paraphrasing Resources / (Text pages, from The Canadian Writers Workplace (Ed. 7), handouts, etc. to be announced before each class) Link to George Brown page on plagiarism.

Chapters 1, 15

Chapter 15

Homework: Reading and questions

Chapter 18

COURSE NAME: Skills for College English COURSE CODE: COMM 1003

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In-class paragraph 5% Summarizing Skills : Analyzing structure of paragraphs and texts Steps in summarizing Plagiarism Documentation APA Style- in-text citations and references list entry

Sentence Skills: Complex sentences 5 Summarizing Skills Paraphrasing In-class assignment: Summary Assignment 10% Writing Skills: concise language Library visit and assignment 5% APA assignment due 5% Essay Overvieworganization and structure Types of essaysargumentative, compare and contrast, process, narration Introduction Thesis Statements Parallelism 1,2,6,8,9

Annotate Identifying main and supporting details. Summarize the article GBC link on plagiarism Lecture on Documentation Group exercise: documenting various sources In-class exercise: Analyzing and constructing complete sentences

Class summary- each group does one paragraph and class combines sentences using transitions Homework APA assignment In-class exercise: Identifying and correcting wordiness, redundancy and vague language

2,3,6,8,9 Lecture on essays Group exercise and presentation- groups read one essay and identify essay type, make an outline and present to class Groups create different types of hooks and present Quizz in text, Analyze sample thesis statements and make corrections Group discussion: choose the best introduction from 3 samples and support your choice In-class exercise: Label the parts of a body paragraph. Number the
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Chapters 8 and 16

Review Introductions

2,4,5,6,8,9

In-class intro 10% Developing Body Paragraphs- types of supporting evidence

COURSE NAME: Skills for College English COURSE CODE: COMM 1003

Topic sentences, support and concluding sentence

supporting evidence Group brainstorm supporting evidence for a given topic sentence Write the body paragraph INTERSESSION 4,5,6

8 9 Review Body Paragraph In-class body paragraph 15% Conclusion structure

Writing a body paragraph and peer evaluation

Chapter 23

Overview of Process Essays

Read an essay without a conclusion. Write the conclusion and share within a group. Group brainstorm of process topics for Child and Youth Worker Program. Choose one and all groups brainstorm the steps, group steps and compare answers Ordering paragraphs of a process essay Reverse outline Group discussion:evaluate introduction, body and conclusion. Identify topic sentences and transitions

10

Process Essay continued 2,5,6,8,9 Analyis of a sample Review structure: topic sentences, steps, transitions between and within paragraphs.

Writing a short process essay

Groups of five write essay for steps brainstormed in previous class. Each person writes a paragraph and students put it together and give each other feedback. 4,5,6 Powerpoint demonstation

11

Rough Draft Due 5% Revising Essays Strategies Punctuation Essay revision Organization, editing

Powerpoint Revise an essay with checklist and compare with a partner. Then, do it as a class.

Chapter 11 Chapter 17

COURSE NAME: Skills for College English COURSE CODE: COMM 1003

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12

Review Process essays Questionnaire Review based on need Fragments and Misplaced Modifiers

5,6

Students complete needs survey and tabulate as a class Review excersises Powerpoint, Fragment Umbrella handout, Drawing misplaced modifier pictures and correct sentence

13

Final Essay due 20% Practice for final

5,6 Write a 5 paragraph process essay Peer evaluation

Read some process essays before the final

14

Final Exam

5,6

In-class writing: Final Exam: 20% Construct an outline and write a 5 paragraph essay

Please note: This schedule may change as resources and circumstances require.

COURSE NAME: Skills for College English COURSE CODE: COMM 1003

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