Assignments

Assignment 1

Write a two- to three-page, well-organized essay in response to the following prompt.

The chapter we read from "The American Ways" presented six traditional American values: individual freedom, self-reliance, equality of opportunity, competition, material wealth, and hard work.

Choose two or three values and describe how you have observed them in American life. Be sure to provide specific examples that reflect your observations and experiences. You may also wish to contrast those values with your own culture and how things are done differently.

Assignment 2

Write a two- to three-page, well-organized essay in response to one of the following two prompts.

  1. James Dillard, the physician in "A Doctor's Dilemma," helps an accident victim despite serious reservations. Applying both the definition of emergency situations and the social factors of bystander intervention, explain why Dr. Dillard intervened.
  2. The story "Wilshire Bus" illustrates that bystander "apathy" is present even in our everyday interactions. Using the arguments from "Bystander 'Apathy,'" explain why none of the bus passengers came to the aid of the Chinese woman.

Sample Essays

  1. Sample Essay (PDF)
  2. Sample Editorials Memo (PDF)

Homework

See the readings section for downloadable handouts used in the course.

EC = Buy at Amazon Azar, Betty Schrampfer. Understanding and Using English Grammar:Chartbook-A Reference Grammar. 3rd ed. Pearson ESL, 1998. ISBN: 013958661X.

SES # TOPICS ASSIGNMENTS
1 Introduction Chapter 16 (EG)
2 Basic Grammar (Parts of Speech, Parts of Sentences, and Sentence Types)

Sentence Types

Chapter 19 (EG)

3 Logical Connectors / Connectives Editing
4 Adjustments in Connected Speech

Chapter 17 (EG)

Traditional American Values and Beliefs

5

Interaction Gambits

Adverb Clauses
Quit Playing Games with My Heart

Chapter 18 (EG)

Crossword Puzzle

6 Reducing Adverb Clauses Chapter 13 (EG)
7 Adjective Clauses Appositives Reducing Adjective Clauses
8 Participal Phrases

Dangling Modifiers

Chapter 12 (EG)

9

Correcting Dangling Modifiers

Noun Clauses

 
10 Essay Organization  
11 Paraphrase  
12

Word / Sentence Stress

Debate Gambits

Chapter 14 - 15 (EG)
13 Gerunds and Infinitives

Bystander Apathy

Punctuation

14 Jigsaw puzzle: A Doctor's Dilemma Determiners
15

Order of Cumulative Adjectives

Articles

 
16 Article Usage with "last" and "last"  
17 Thought Group / Prominence Chapter 1 - 4 (EG)
18

Review of Verb Tenses

Tense Shift in Oral Narratives

Cumulative Tense Review Exercise

Chapter 20 (EG)

19 Conditionals Deterrence
20

Jigsaw puzzle: Soft Power

Presentation Gambits

Parallelism
21 Debate #2  
22 Quiz #2  
23 Presentations  
24 Presentations (cont.)  
25 Course Wrap-Up