Critical and Evaluative
Instructor: Rod
Scott
Dates:
Room: Building
H,
Room: Building
H,
Room: Building
H,
Telephone: 602-285-7315
(Voicemail activates after 8 rings)
Office: H-234
Office Hours: MWF
Email: rod.scott@pcmail.maricopa.edu
Course Description: Emphasizes the application of critical
inquiry skills to varied and challenging reading materials. Includes: analyzing, synthesizing, and
evaluating, varying critical reading techniques according to material and
purpose, and analyzing and evaluating written material. Also includes: identifying support, author’s
language, and fallacies in reasoning, recognizing and evaluating arguments in
writing, and synthesizing ideas on related issues from varied written sources. See course objectives for more detailed description. Prerequisites: A grade of "C" or better in English
101 or English 107. Also required: a
reading placement test score (ASSET) of 41 or higher, or a grade of
"C" or better in RDG 091, or permission of instructor.
Instructional Methods: Lecture, skills practice, oral reading and
speaking, class discussions, group activities, cooperative learning, use of
library and computers, and conferences as needed.
Required Text:
1. Thinking Critically. Seventh Edition, John Chaffee, Ph.D. Houghton Mifflin Company (You must purchase
the seventh edition or you will not receive credit for the course.)
Other Materials:
1. Scantron answer sheets from the bookstore for
quizzes. Approximately 2 quizzstrips
form 815E (1-15) will be needed during the semester (required)
2. Three-ring notebook (strongly suggested)
3. Dictionary – a paperback is acceptable
(suggested)
4. 3.5 inch floppy disk for writing assignments
(suggested)
Course Requirements:
1. Attend class.
Arrive on time with your textbook, notebook, paper and pencils. Be ready to work.
2. Participate in class activities and
discussions. The more you participate
the more you will learn.
3. Complete all reading and writing assignments
and exams.
Grading
Policy:
Your final grade in this course will be based
on the following:
|
Tests and assignments |
|
|
Grading |
Scale |
|
Approximate value of assignments: |
|
|
|
|
|
Classwork & Participation |
33.3% |
|
A |
90-100 |
|
Homework |
33.3% |
|
B |
80-89 |
|
Tests & Quizzes |
33.3% |
|
C |
70-79 |
|
(Final Exam is required.) |
|
|
D |
60-69 |
|
Total: |
100% |
|
F |
Below
60% |
|
A |
The paper must show the qualities of
originality, enthusiasm, and liveliness.
Your views will be logical and logically presented and supported. The paper will be well organized. Mechanics and grammar will be very nearly
perfect with no spelling errors or sentence structure errors such as
fragments or comma splices. |
|
B |
The paper must have nearly the same
qualities as an “A” paper, but it may lack some of the originality and
liveliness of content. Mechanics and
grammar must be excellent. |
|
C |
A “C” paper is average. Content will be logical and valid, but the
presentation may be less original, enthusiastic and lively. There may be a few grammar errors (still no
serious sentence structure errors) and perhaps two or three spelling or
homonym errors. |
|
D |
The paper is less satisfactory in terms of
content and/or may contain a number of mechanics or grammar errors. |
|
F |
The paper demonstrates more than one of the
problems indicated in the description of the “D” paper and/or major problems
such as lack of care in typing. |
|
|
A paper that is plagiarized in any way is
automatically an “F” paper, and the student will receive an “F” in the
class. Helping another student
plagiarize will also result in failure. |
Assignments: You will need access to a computer and printer for
this class. I do require some papers to
be typed. (If you hand-write legibly in
ink an assignment that is required to be typed, I will still accept it but take
two letter grades off - an A becomes a C, etc.)
Any student can pass this class without owning a computer and a printer,
but you will need to arrange access to a computer lab on campus, if necessary.
All papers submitted become property
of
Attendance: Regular, punctual
attendance is crucial to your success in college. To earn credit a student must attend class
regularly and participate in class activities.
A student with excessive absences will be dropped regardless of what
grade average they had. A student will
be dropped after accumulating absences equal to the number of times the class
meets per week, or receive a failing grade.
You must sign in each day or you will be marked absent. Absences begin with the first day of
class. Days missed due to late
registration count as absences. It is
the student’s responsibility to initiate withdrawals. It is also the instructor’s choice to
withdraw a student for nonattendance.
Students accumulating excessive absences and tardies near the end of the
semester may receive a grade of "F" in lieu of being dropped for
nonattendance. If you have a medical
excuse, please show it to the instructor.
Please explain absences or tardies to the instructor after class (not
during class) or via email or voicemail or by visiting during my office hour,
keeping in mind that this does not change the requirement to be here. Tardy means partial attendance - arriving
late or leaving early. Three tardies
count as an absence. Attending less than
half of the class counts as an absence, not a tardy. Do not bring children, pets, or visitors with
you to class. Students with perfect
attendance (zero absences, zero tardies, everyday, all semester) will get
four percent added to their final semester grade!
Food
& Drink: Do
not bring food or drinks to class; however, plastic sports bottles which
do not spill when tipped over are acceptable, if they contain water only. If you bring a sports bottle with you, be
sure to take it with you when you leave.
Accommodations
for disabilities:
Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with limitations due
to any disability including learning disabilities. Please see me after class or during my office
hours to discuss any special needs you might have. The Disability Support Services Office is in
the
If
you have to miss class: You do not need to call me to get your
assignments. You should be
proactive. Use the “buddy system.” It is strongly recommended that you establish
a buddy system with 1 or 2 other students in the course. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain
handouts and other information missed during an absence.
Please Note: I do not normally allow make-ups for midterm or final examinations. If you miss one of these exams, I require documentation such as a doctor’s excuse or traffic citation for accidents. If you do not have such documentation, you could find yourself in serious jeopardy of failing CRE 101. You must take the midterm and the final examination. A student who misses the midterm or final exam will drop one letter grade for the semester; that is an A will drop to a B, a B will drop to a C, a C will drop to a D, a D will drop to an F, even though these tests may or may not count as exactly ten percent of the final semester grade.
The classroom is a telephone free zone! Beepers and cell phones are disruptive to the learning environment,
so turn them off before
entering class. If you have an emergency
situation, where you want to leave a pager or cell phone on, please ask me
about it before class. (Also
remember that attendance and participation are required to earn credit.)
Taping
Policy: Please ask for permission if
you want to tape record a class. I do
not lecture very much, so taping would usually serve no purpose.
Room: Several times during the semester we will meet in
the Reading Department Computer Lab in H-205 or in the library for a variety of
activities. You will be notified of
meeting dates and room numbers.
Seating
Assignments: Most days students will
choose their own seats. During tests and
quizzes and other occasions I may assign seats.
Cooperative
Work: Several times during the semester you will
work in groups. Sometimes I will assign
you to a group, and sometimes you will select your own group.
Suggestion: Highly recommended, not required: Register
for NC 500 Section 9099 ($10 fee) so that you will have printing privileges
in the library and you will be able to use all the open labs on campus
including the large open lab in the downstairs area of the library. You can then use any open lab on campus to do
work for this course and any other courses you are taking. This gives you printing privileges downstairs
in the library. The computers
upstairs are for searching and printing from the Internet only; if you want
to able to conveniently type and print your school papers, you will want
to sign up for NC 500 Section 9099.
This syllabus and the course requirements are subject to change to meet the needs of the students in CRE 101. The policies governing student behavior are recorded in the schedule, Student Handbook and other college documents. Please become familiar with these policies.