School of Literature, Communication, and Culture

Syllabus

RGTR 1098 (Regents' Reading) & RGTE 1099 (Regents' Essay)

Fall 2008

Class Location: Skiles 371	Class Time: T/TH 11:05-11:55 AM
NOTE: Class does NOT meet every Thursday; check the schedule below for more info.
Professor: Dr. Emma Crandall
Office: 307 Skiles	Office Hours: T/TH 3:00-4:30 PM
E-Mail to Schedule Individual Appointment: emma.crandall@lcc.gatech.edu
Undergraduate Coordinator: Dr. Shannon Dobranski
Office: 331 Skiles	Office Hours: TBA
E-Mail to Schedule Individual Appointment: Shannon.dobranski@lcc.gatech.edu

Course Description:

RGTR 1098 and RGTE 1099 prepare students to take or retake the Regents' Exam. The Regents' Exam consists of two sections, essay and reading, administered in that order. The essay section requires students to write an essay on one of four topics given. The timed reading test is multiple choice and includes word usage and reading comprehension. You cannot receive an Associate or Baccalaureate degree from the University System of Georgia until you pass the Regents' Exam.

RGTR 1098 and RGTE 1099 are taught as one class. This course primarily teaches students the fundamentals of writing an essay in preparation for the essay portion of the Regents' Exam. Students will learn basic rules of grammar, organization, and argumentation; they will practice brainstorming and proofreading techniques; and they will become familiar with the types of essay questions asked on the Regents' Exam.

In the last weeks of the class, students learn strategies for passing the reading comprehension portion of the Regents' Exam. We will discuss how students can improve their skills in the following testing areas: (1) Vocabulary, (2) Literal Comprehension, (3) Inferential Comprehension, and (4) Analysis. Students will also learn techniques for meeting the time requirements of both portions of the exam.

Grade Determination:

Students who pass the Regents' Exam automatically pass the class with a designation of S. Students who fail the Regents' Exam receive the designation U. Neither RGTR 1098 nor RGTE 1099 count towards a student's graduation credits or GPA.

Class Materials:

1. Successful Regents' Essays: A Sourcebook for Writers by Mary R. Lamb and Marti Singer
2. Mastery of Regents' Reading Exams by Linda L. Arthur
3. Copies of class materials available online via hypertext links below. NOTE: Other materials and more information about the Regents' Exam are available at the LCC Regents' Exam pages.

Preparing for Class:

Prepare for class by reading the materials and completing the exercises listed on the syllabus for that day. Please do the reading and exercises assigned and bring your books and assignments to class. Class time will be devoted to completing a brief overview of the materials assigned, to addressing any questions students may have regarding the readings, and to participating in activities related to that day's topic.

For individual help with writing or reading assignments, please make an appointment with me via email (emma.crandall@lcc.gatech.edu). Include your student number and the day you would like to meet during my office hours. If you cannot meet with me during office hours, let me know. We will try to make other arrangements to meet during designated periods set aside for individual appointments.

Schedule of Classes

Tuesday, August 19	Course Introduction Overview of Regents' Exam. See FAQ
Thursday, August 21	Diagnostic Exam. Come to Skiles 371 & take a Regents Essay Exam
Tuesday, August 26	Successful Regents' Essays, Chapters 1 & 2: "Understanding the Georgia Regents' Test," "Rating and Writing Regents' Essays," and sample essays. Grading Criteria (How your Regents' Exam is rated.) GRAMMAR REVIEW: Grammar Function Junction
Thursday, August 28	No Class. If desired, schedule an individual appointment with Dr. Crandall to discuss diagnostic and/or failing Regents' Exam.
Tuesday, September 2	Successful Regents' Essays, Chapters 3 & 4: "The Writing Process: Strategies for Timed Writing," "Invention: Discovering and Developing Ideas," and sample essays #4 and #5 in Appendix B.
Thursday, September 4	Submit Completed Practice Essay Test 2, pgs 23-26 from Successful Regents' Essays. Place in Dr. Crandall's drop box outside the office at 307 Skiles. No Class. If desired, schedule an individual appointment to discuss the Regents' Exam.
Tuesday, September 9	Pre-Writing & Organizing Before You Write the Essay: Brainstorming and Planning Interpreting the Essay Topics Knowing Your Audience Developing a Thesis Statement Organizing the Essay
Thursday, September 11	No Class. Individual Appointments.
Tuesday, September 16	Successful Regents' Essays, Chapter 5: "Structuring Response: Rhetorical Strategies for Paragraphs," and sample essays # 6, #7 and #8 in Appendix B.
Thursday, September 18	Submit Completed Practice Essay Test 3, pgs 33-36 from Successful Regents' Essays. Place in Dr. Crandall's drop box outside the office at 307 Skiles. No Class. If desired, schedule an individual appointment to discuss the Regents' Exam.
Tuesday, September 23	Essay Components: Introductions Body Paragraphs Conclusions Writing the Essay Introduction, Part I and Part II Developing Body Paragraphs Using Evidence and Examples Writing Essay Conclusions
Thursday, September 25	No Class. If desired, schedule an individual appointment to discuss the Regents' Exam.
Tuesday, September 30	Successful Regents' Essays, Chapter 6: "Editing and Proofreading," and Appendix A A3-A37.
Thursday, October 2	No Class. If desired schedule an individual appointment to discuss the Regents' Exam.
Tuesday, October 7	Regents' Reading Review Mastery of Regents' Reading Exams Chapters 1-3 Test Description & Overview Take Practice Reading Test BEFORE Class
Thursday, October 9	Regents' Reading Review Mastery of Regents' Reading Exams Chapters 4-6 Complete & bring to class Diagnostic Reading Exams 1 & 2 from Mastery of Regents' Reading Exams. We will discuss these exams and reading strategies. Regents' Essay Writers: Complete Practice Essay Test 4. Randomly choose a topic from the Approved Regents' Test Essay Topics List. Place in Dr. Crandall's drop box outside the office at 307 Skiles.
Tuesday, October 14	NO CLASS - FALL BREAK Regents' Reading Review Tailored reading strategies based on class performance on diagnostic exams.
Thursday, October 16	OVERALL Regents' Review Complete Exam Review Q & A Session Dr. Crandall will be available for meetings during office hours Oct 21 & 23.
Monday, October 27 Tuesday, October 28	OFFICIAL DATES FOR REGENTS' EXAMS The Registrar's office will e-mail you with information on your exam appointment (place and time).