Assistant: 

 
  
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Course Outline  
Faculty of Education & Arts  
 
Course Number:   ENGL 1014  
 
Course Title:    College English I 
 
Course Instructor:   Yma R.M. Casey    
 
Sections:    (B1), (3), (4) 
 
Semester:    2024-1 
 
Meeting Time:             Mon/Wed 12:30 – 1:45 Tues/Thurs 9:30 – 10:45 PM/  
 
Meeting Location:   JABU2/SMU2/LIB 
 
Pre-requisite:    ATLIB Pass above or successful pass for Pre-college 2 
 
Co-requisite:    None 
 
Office Location:   FEA  
 
Telephone:    Office: 613-0953 
 
E-Mail Address:   <PRESIDIO_ANONYMIZED_EMAIL_ADDRESS>  
 

 
  
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COURSE DESCRIPTION  
   
This course develops students’ expository, descriptive, and narrative writing skills. Argumentation is introduced via a debate and a written 
paper. Emphasis is on topic selection and development of thesis statements across the four types of writing. Topics include audience 
analysis and purpose of writing; thesis: support and development; editing and revision with some grammatical review work. An introduction 
to APA documentation format is also presented.  
 
LEARNING OUTCOMES  
  
Learning Outcomes have been condensed and organized in an effort to comply with institutional effectiveness guidelines: 
 
 
Using text models, identify and explain thesis, claims, evidence, and organization. 
 
Subsets: 
                        Recognize and explain the use of methods of development to accomplish a purpose. 
                        Identify and explain claims and evidence within an argument. 
Identify and describe the overarching thesis of an argument, and any indication it provides of the argument’s structure 
Explain ways claims are qualified through modifiers, counterarguments, and alternative perspectives 
                        Explain how the organization of a text creates unity and coherence and reflects a line of reasoning. 
                        Describe the line of reasoning and explain whether it supports an argument’s overarching thesis. 
 
 
 
Using text models, identify purpose, genres and rhetorical situation 
 
Subsets: 
 
Explore the many different purposes of writing, including writing to reflect, analyze, explain, and persuade 
 
Identify and describe components of the rhetorical situation: the exigence, audience, writer, purpose, context, and message. 
                        Become attentive to how audience and purpose affect content, tone, and style 

 
  
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                        Explain how an argument demonstrates understanding of an audience’s beliefs, values, or needs. 
 
 
 
 
Execute the steps of the composing process. 
                 
Subsets: 
 Discover significant questions to explore and address via writing 
                        Practice drafting and revising 
Schedule and meet deadlines 
 
Gain competence in using computer technology in the writing process 
 
 
 
 
 
Write skillfully in several genres 
Subsets: 
Increase your awareness of organizational strategies and your ability to apply them    
 
Incorporate sufficient and appropriate details and examples both from your experiences and from secondary research 
 
Express your ideas with clarity and with effective syntax and punctuation 
                        Develop a line of reasoning that includes a claim and evidence supporting the claim. 
                        Use transitional elements to guide the reader through the line of reasoning of an argument 
                        Use word choice, comparisons, and syntax to contribute to the specific tone or style of a text. 
                        Use standard English grammar and mechanics to contribute to the clarity and effectiveness of an argument 
                        Write a thesis statement that requires proof or defense and that may preview the structure of the argument. 
                         Qualify a claim using modifiers, counterarguments, or alternative perspectives. 
                         Strategically use words, comparisons, and syntax to convey a specific tone or style in an argument. 
                         Use appropriate methods of development to advance an argument. 

 
  
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This is only a tentative schedule and is subject to future changes.  
 
1. Quizzes will be opened for 24 hours on the weeks designated in Moodle. Quizzes will allow 2 attempts, and the higher grade will be 
recorded.  
2. Attendance is MANDATORY. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CLASS SCHEDULE 
 

 
  
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Date Topics/Sub-topics Teaching Strategies & 
Activities 
Readings Assignments & Due Dates 
Week 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Course Overview/Expectations 
for the Virtual Classroom 
 
Thinking about Writing; No 
writing happens without 
thinking 
 
Writer’s voice 
 
The Writing Process 
 
Killer Thesis Statements 
Overview of the course and 
course expectations.  
 
Writing as Process 
 
Slideshows  
Writing Process 
How to Write Killer 
Thesis Statements 
 
 
 Hence the Reason 
Students answer discussion 
questions 1-6.  
 
 
Optional: 6 Word Memoir 
Six Word Memoirs 
 
1 extra point 
 
To further explore issues 
connected with artists’ and 
writers’ unique voices, 
engage in a mini debate on 
this prompt : It is wrong to 
utilize a deceased artist’s voice 
to create new content in his/ 
her name. 
Week 2 
 
Assignment 1: The Narrative 
Essay Overview 
The Narrative Essay: Thesis 
Statements based on Prompts 
 
 
Slideshows 
 
The Narrative Essay 
Genre Conventions and 
Development Framework 
Narrative Thesis statement 
practice 
 
 
Narrative Essay Writing: 
Book Chapter 
 
Narrative Task Sheet 
Present 6 Word Memoirs 
(optional 1 extra point) 
 
Group Poetry Presentation 
 
ENGL1014 Poetry 
Presentations Task Sheet 
and Rubric 
 
 
 
 
 
Week 3 
 
Poetry and Literary Devices 
The Narrative Essay 
Organization and Structure: 
Hooking the Reader 
Slideshows 
Hooking the Reader 
Advancing the Plot 
Making the Point 
View example poetry 
presentation on Moodle 
Quiz 1 

 
  
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Date Topics/Sub-topics Teaching Strategies & 
Activities 
Readings Assignments & Due Dates 
Advancing the Plot 
Making the Point 
Week 4 
 
 
 
Identifying literary devices and 
their Effect 
Writing the Narrative Essay 
Grammar and Writing  
In groups, evaluate example 
narrative essays on these 
bases: 
Effective title 
Showing vs Telling 
Dialogue and Dialogue 
Tags 
Imagery 
Literary devices (including 
dialect/ non English 
language use) 
Hooking the reader 
Concluding with insight, 
prediction, moral, or 
thought -provoking image 
Grammar and Mechanics 
Read example narratives on 
Comepose blog 
Read past student writing 
with common grammatical 
missteps ( on Moodle) 
 
 
 
 
 
Students present poetry. 
identifying devices 
 
 
 
Week 5 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Assignment 2: The Expository 
Essay Overview 
 
Note: This semester we will 
study the standard expository 
genres, but the assignment will 
take the form of a blog. 
Slideshows: 
 
Expository Writing: Genre 
Conventions 
 
Expository Thesis 
Statement practice  
 
The Magic of Real Revision 
Task Sheet for Expository 
 
His Amazing Memory 
Begin expository 
assignment. 
Week 6 
 
 
The Expository Essay: 
Organization and Structure 
Lecture: 
Topic sentence development 
Supporting Details 
Review Expository Essays: 
Color coded specifics 
Quiz 2 
 
 

 
  
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Date Topics/Sub-topics Teaching Strategies & 
Activities 
Readings Assignments & Due Dates 
 
 
 
 
How it differs from a Narrative 
Essay 
Structuring Body Paragraphs: 
From Topic Sentence to 
Concluding Sentence 
 
Explanations 
Concluding sentences 
Week 7 
 
The Expository Essay: 
Achieving Noteworthy 
Introductions and Conclusions 
Slideshow 
 
Strategies for Effective 
Introductions and 
Conclusions 
 
 
Examples of expository blogs 
by coordinator and 
facilitators 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Week 8 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Writing the Expository Essay: 
 
Cohesion and Coherence 
Transitions 
Paragraph Hooks 
 
 
Slideshows 
✔ Cohesion and 
Coherence 
✔ Cohesion within and 
among paragraphs 
 Coherence exercise 
Paragraph Hook exercise 
Week 9 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Information Literacy 
Overview: 4 Pillars 
 
Pillar 1: Topic Selection 
and Narrowing a Topic 
      Documented Argument     
      Project Plan 
 
Assignment 3: The Argument 
Essay 
 
✔ How to Choose and 
Narrow a Topic 
✔ Setting the 
Parameters for the 
Information 
Gathering Process 
 
Lecture: 
✔ Framework for 
Argumentation 
 
National Geographic article 
on human migration patterns.  
 
Answer discussion questions 
provided 
 
Task sheet for Argument 
Essay 
 

 
  
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Date Topics/Sub-topics Teaching Strategies & 
Activities 
Readings Assignments & Due Dates 
This semester’s focus: 
Migration 
Students will take a stance on 
an issue surrounding Belizean 
immigration or emigration 
 
 
 
 
✔ Structure and 
overview 
 
Week 10 
 
 
 
 
       Pillar 2: Accessing and     
       Critically Evaluating  
       Sources 
Lecture: 
How and where to access 
credible content 
CARS checklist for 
evaluating sources 
Using the CARS checklist 
Sampling Sources 
Library Databases: The Gold 
Standard 
 
Belize Trying to Address the 
Issue of Nationals Not 
Returning 
 
Questions: 
1. Do you agree with 
Courtenay’s 
suggestion? Explain 
2. Cite this article using 
APA 7th ed. 
formatting 
3. Evaluate this article 
using the CARS 
checklist. 
 
Diaspora Engagement 
 
Quiz 3 
 
 

 
  
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Date Topics/Sub-topics Teaching Strategies & 
Activities 
Readings Assignments & Due Dates 
Questions: 
1. Do you believe that 
Belize is adequately 
engaging its diaspora? 
2. Identify 3 ways 
Belize’s diaspora 
benefits the country. 
3. Debate: Diaspora 
citizens would benefit 
Belize more if they 
had stayed home 
4. Evaluate the article 
using CARRS 
5. Cite the article using 
APA 7th Ed. 
Week 11 
 
 
 
 
 
Pillar 3: Integrating 
Source Information 
Balancing author’s voice     
      with expert voices in  
      secondary source content:  
      They say/ I say 
● Lead Ins 
● Summary and 
Paraphrase  
● Quotations 
Lecture:  
How to Effectively 
Integrate Secondary Sources 
 
 
Structuring Body Paragraphs 
✔ Topic Sentence 
✔ Explanation 
✔ Evidence 
✔ Interpretation 
✔ Conclusion 
 
Week 12 
 
Pillar 4: Using   
  Information Ethically and  
  Legally 
 
Counterarguments 
✔ Claim 
✔ Claims, 
counterclaims and 
rebuttals 
 
Read and discuss book excerpt 
Globalization, Migration, and the 
Shaping of Masculinity 
 
Answer the questions given 
Quiz 4 
 

 
  
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Date Topics/Sub-topics Teaching Strategies & 
Activities 
Readings Assignments & Due Dates 
✔ Counterclaim 
✔ Rebuttals 
✔ The Opposing Side 
 
Week 13 
15 April 
 
Opening and Closing 
Arguments: Introductions and 
Conclusions for the Argument 
Essay 
 
✔ Strategies for 
Effective 
Introductions and 
Conclusions 
Review Sample Introductions 
and Conclusions 
 
Week 14 
 
 
 
APA citation and Formatting 
Guidelines 
✔ Citations 
✔ APA cover page 
✔ References Page 
✔ Formatting Specifics 
✔ Guidelines for 
Formatting an APA 
paper (APA 7
Th
 
edition) 
 
 
Week 15 
 
Revising the Documented 
Argument  
Revising the Documented 
Argument  
Revising the Documented 
Argument  
Revising the Documented 
Argument  
 
 
 
FINAL SUBMISSIONS 
ARGUMENT ESSAY 
FINAL SUBMISSIONS OF 
ARGUMENT ESSAY 
FINAL SUBMISSIONS OF 
ARGUMENT ESSAY 
FINAL SUBMISSIONS OF 
ARGUMENT ESSAY 
 
ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY  
 
Plagiarism is copying or using the language, structure, ideas and/or thoughts of another and adopting same as one’s own original work. Be 
aware that the writing you do for this and all courses must be your own work and, primarily, your words. It is okay to incorporate the words of 
others from articles, essays, interviews, etc. as evidence in support of your ideas, but when you do so, you must be sure to cite each source 
appropriately. Other forms of academic dishonesty involve using, without my approval, one of your own papers, or parts of it that you’ve 
already submitted for another class. Penalties for plagiarism and academic dishonesty are severe. If you are found guilty of intentional 
plagiarism or any other form of academic dishonesty, you will receive a zero for the paper or an outright “F” for the course, and a report will 

 
  
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be forwarded to the Administration.  Be sure to see me if you have any questions about plagiarism before you turn in an assignment. We will 
discuss proper documentation of sources and how to avoid plagiarism throughout the semester.  (This paragraph has been adapted from East 
Carolina University’s ENGL 1200 spring 2011 Course Outline and is in line with the UB Academic Honesty Policy.)  
     
The University of Belize Academic Honesty Policy, which is described in the Student Handbook, outlines the university’s expectations for 
the integrity of students’ academic work, the procedures for resolving alleged violations of those expectations, and the rights and 
responsibilities of students and faculty throughout the process.  All students are expected to conform to the Academic Honesty Policy. 
Students wishing to dispute a charge of academic dishonesty or a sanction against them may do so by appealing to the Dean of Student 
Affairs to invoke the Discipline Appeals Process as detailed in the Student Handbook. The Handbook can be found at 
http://www.ub.edu.bz/student_affairs/ student_handbook.php.  
 
  
Plagiarism: The appropriation, buying, receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any means another’s work and the unacknowledged submission 
or incorporation of it in one’s own written work offered for credit.  
✔ You commit plagiarism if you fail to acknowledge the sources of any information in your paper which is not either common 
knowledge or personal knowledge. Common knowledge includes facts, dates, events, information, and concepts that belong 
generally to the educated public. You can acknowledge a source through in-text citations, attribution lines (for example, Gloria 
Steinem observations in ‘Erotica and Pornography’....), footnotes, or other forms of documentation approved by your instructor.  
✔ You commit plagiarism if you fail to acknowledge direct quotation either by using quotation marks when quoting short passages or 
indentation when quoting longer passages, without the quotation marks or indentation, a passage copied directly from a source might 
be considered plagiarized even if it were followed by an in-text citation or a footnote: the citation or footnote acknowledges that you 
have a source but it does not indicate that you borrowed someone else’s exact words. If you use the language of a source, word for 
word.  
✔ You commit plagiarism if you merely paraphrase the original words of your source. Some students think they can avoid a charge of 
plagiarism by changing a few words in each sentence then copy, or by rearranging the shape of phrases or the order of sentences in a 
paragraph. This is not true. When you take notes, you must be careful to put the ideas in your own words, or to use direct quotation 
when you are relying on phrases borrowed directly from a source.  
✔ You commit plagiarism if you take, buy, or receive paper written by someone else and present it as your own.  
✔ You commit plagiarism if you use one paper for two different courses, or re-use a paper previously submitted for credit, without the 
prior approval of the instructor or instructors.  
 
 

 
  
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Use of ChatGPT or Bard is prohibited in this class. You may wish to look at what AI generates for your topic to get ideas, and/ or help you 
organize, but you must do your own writing and research. AI written papers tend to be poor, unoriginal, and prone to serious content errors. 
They can easily be detected by instructors who use common sense combined with sites such as https://www.zerogpt.com/ 
 
CLASS POLICIES   
  
1. You are expected to attend virtual sessions whenever possible and participate in online forums and complete all assignments in a 
timely fashion in order to gain the maximum benefits from this class. Because class participation is imperative for success, each 
student’s final grade will be positively or negatively affected based upon the number of class sessions he or she attends. If you are 
unable to attend the live virtual sessions you are responsible for reviewing the video recording and obtain all class notes, handouts, 
and activities, as well as any other pertinent information.   
2. If you are unable to submit an assignment by the deadline you will be given an extension or make-up opportunity only if you 
provide credible documentary evidence (such as a doctor’s certificate) that your absence was due to illness or a family 
emergency. Please do not email or phone to ask for work you missed in class unless you are able to provide such evidence. If prior 
approval for late submission of an assignment is not granted by the instructor, 10% of the grade for that assignment will be deducted 
for each day the assignment is late, unless you provide credible documentary evidence that your inability to turn in your work on 
time is due to illness or a family emergency. NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED.  
3. Whenever readings are assigned, you are expected to complete them thoroughly and be able to respond critically to any and all 
related writing prompts. 
4. All major papers must be word processed in MS Word and carefully proofread and formatted according to APA style.  Kindly submit 
the document as a PDF as this will minimize the risk of viruses.  
5. Keep all of your assignments electronically, including all drafts (scanned), peer review feedback (scanned), and graded work in order 
to have a record of your progress or in case you need to query a grade. Note that it is your responsibility to audit your grades as the 
semester progresses. Do not wait until the end of the semester to investigate your performance. You’re advised to use the assessment 
table on page 3 of this course outline, or view your grade report to help you keep track of your grades.  
 
GRADING SCALE  
The final grade will be assigned in adherence with the University of Belize’s Grade Policy. Thus, final grades will be computed using a 
combination of semester grades (including homework assignments), essays, tests and quizzes, portfolios etc., and a final examination. The 
final letter grade will be assigned using the following University Grading Scale:  
 
95-100   A    80-84   B    65-69   D+  
90-94   A-    75-79   C+    60-64   D  

 
  
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85-89   B+    70-74   C    0-59    F  
 
ASSESSMENT:  
 
 Assessment: Points Allotted  Points Earned  
Major Assignments Drafts Revisions  
Narrative Essay  10 20  
Expository Essay  10 20  
Argument Essay (Final Exam)  10 30  
Quizzes (4 @10 each) 
Group poetry presentation (10 points) 
50  
Total  150  
 
ASSIGNMENTS 
 
Narrative Essay  
This essay (3 pages) asks writers to write about an important person, event or time period in their life. The goal is to narrate this event or 
situation in a way that the reader can fully experience and understand. This type of writing generally incorporates both narrative and 
descriptive writing, which are two of the main modes of writing. You should turn in all drafts, peer review feedback, and a self-reflection 
with the final draft (Details about the self-reflection will be provided). 
Expository Essay 
Your assignment is to write an expository essay (4 pages) as it relates to any of the Writing Prompts provided in the task sheet. Your thesis 
should address your topic of interest. You should turn in all drafts, peer review feedback, and a self-reflection with the final draft (details 
about the self-reflection will be provided). 
 
Final Research Paper: Documented Argument 

 
  
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In a paper of +/- 1400 words, you will develop a documented argument on a topic that you will research thoroughly during the latter half of 
the semester. I will provide the topic and will chart the process from Evaluating Sources, Note taking, Drafting and Revision.  
 
 
User: Don't include instructor nor location. Please give me it in the provided format only, no additional text or words. Generate study notes and questions at the end in this format:
              Chapter: Chapter Title
              Notes: Some important notes.
              Questions:
              - What is this? 
                Options: a.) Option 1, b.) Option 2, c.) Option 3, d.) Option 4
                
Answer: b.) Option 2
Assistant: