Materials

In this course, we will review various skills and content covered in Level 2: prefixes, suffixes, and word roots, guessing vocabulary from context, skimming, identifying main ideas of paragraphs and passages, identifying supporting details, reading under timed conditions, and analyzing word forms.

We will read a variety of original texts, including short academic readings and newspaper and magazine articles. We will also read a novel and identify the conflict, climax, and resolution. Skills that we will practice and develop are: distinguishing facts from opinions; semantic mapping; paraphrasing and summarizing; identifying rhetorical patterns in texts; inferring; predicting; and developing critical thinking skills through student-led small group discussions.

By the end of the term, students should be able to do the following:

	Read at the rate of 100-150 words per minute from a variety of sources;
	Demonstrate previewing, skimming and scanning techniques to locate information and build schemata during pre-reading activities;
	Distinguish general from specific ideas and locate them in a passage;
	Distinguish fact from opinion in a passage;
	Read and understand a novel;
	Identify conflict, climax, and resolution in works of fiction;
	Paraphrase key ideas from a passage;
	Make inferences about information in a passage;
	Identify basic rhetorical patterns in reading passages;
	Lead a small group discussion that analyzes assigned reading passages.

Grades

Grades will be based on participation/performance in the following areas:

	Vocabulary journal
	Timed Readings
	Performance as discussion leader
	Assignments HOMEWORK: You will have reading assignments due for almost every class and will be asked to give a group presentation on one or two of them. Sometimes you will have written assignments about what you read. You will be assigned one or more times to be a discussion leader and will be graded on your performance. You will also have weekly writing assignments in your journal. LATE OR MISSED ASSIGNMENTS: I do not accept late homework. If you miss a quiz or a test, you cannot make it up. If you miss a discussion, it is your responsibility to ask a classmate or me about the work you missed; you will still be responsible for the information you missed if it appears on an exam or a later assignment.
	Group presentation
	Quizzes
	Final exam
	Attendance

	If you are more than 10 minutes late, you will be marked absent. However, please come to class even if you are late.
	There are no excused absences.
	Missing 3 classes will result in your final grade being lowered 10 percentage points.
	Missing 6 classes may result in your failing the course.
	If you miss class, you are responsible for all the information covered in class. Please get the telephone number or e-mail address of a classmate who is dependable. You will have to rely on him/her to give you information if you are absent.

This class is graded A - F.

Percent	Letter Grade
97-100%	A +	PASSING
93-96%	A
90-92%	A -
87-89%	B +
83-86%	B
80-82%	B -
77-79%	C +
73-76%	C
70-72%	C -
67-69%	D+	NOT PASSING
63-66%	D
60-62%	D -
0-59%	F

 

Send mail to davisg@pdx.edu with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 2003 Gregry M. Davis Last modified: June 24, 2003