ENGL 1550 - Writing 1
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 38, CRN 40419,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Jacklynn Mercer
Email: jmercer01@ysu.edu
Course Description
1550. Writing 1. This course develops an awareness of writing processes and provides strategies for generating ideas, drafting, giving and receiving feedback, revising, and editing. Students analyze texts in light of specific audiences, purposes, and contexts and develop critical skills in reading, thinking, and writing. Students write a minimum of 5,000 words (approximately 20 double-spaced pages) cumulatively across the major assignments and incorporate sources into their writing. English 1550 is the first of two required composition courses in the general education core. Grading is ABCDF but must earn a "C" or better to satisfy the General Education requirement and continue to ENGL 1551 or ENGL 1551H. English 1550 is three semester hours. Prereq.: Placement by ACT/SAT test results OR Composition Placement Test results. 3 s.h.
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | The Norton Field Guide to Writing, 7th ed. | Bullock, R. & Bertsch, D. | 978-1-324-08739-7 |
Note: Your Ebook access is included in your course fees. If you would like a hard copy, you can purchase that at the bookstore.
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Writing I, Fall 2026
| Day | Date | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 8/25 | Class introduction and syllabus review | ||
| Thu | 8/27 | The Norton Field Guide to Writing, Ch. 1 “Writing in Academic Contexts” Ch. 2 “Reading in Academic Context” Ch. 3 “Summarizing and Responding: Where Reading Meets Writing” |
Professional Email Assignment due Thursday, 8/27 Reading Response #1 due Thursday, 8/28 Writing Sample due Sunday, 8/31 by 11:59 pm |
|
| Tue | 9/1 | Norton Ch. 6 “Writing with Generative AI” | ||
| Thu | 9/3 | Norton Ch. 7 “Purpose” Ch. 8 “Audience” Ch. 9 “Genre” Ch. 8 “Stance” Ch. 13 “Analyzing Texts” |
Reading Response #2 due Thurs, 9/3 | |
| Tue | 9/8 | “Se Habla Español” by Tanya Maria Barrientos, p. 678 “Representation of Disney Princess in the Media” by Isabelle Gill, p. 711 “Homelessness on Campus” by Eleanor J. Bader, p. 753 “Justice or Murder?” by Russell Mobley, p. 905 |
Discuss Paper 1 and analysis | |
| Thu | 9/10 | Work on Paper 1 outline | Outline due by the end of class | |
| Tue | 9/15 | In-class time to work on rough draft | ||
| Thu | 9/17 | Rough Draft due for peer workshop | Paper 1 rough draft for Peer Workshop due Thurs, 9/17 | |
| Tue | 9/22 | Norton, Ch. 36 “Reflecting on Your Writing” | Discuss Paper 2 and proposal | |
| Thu | 9/24 | Student selected piece | Reading response #4 in class Discuss Paper 2 and proposal |
Paper 1 due, Thurs, 9/24 |
| Tue | 9/29 | Norton, Ch. 40 “Comparing and Contrasting” Ch. 51 “Quoting, Paraphrasing and Summarizing” |
Work on Paper 2 Paraphrase practice |
Paper 2 Proposal due, Tues, 9/29 |
| Thu | 10/1 | Work on Paper 2 outline | ||
| Tue | 10/6 | Norton, Ch. 50 “Synthesizing Ideas” Ch. 52 “Acknowledging Sources, Avoiding Plagiarism” Ch. 53 “Documentation” |
Work on Paper 2 outline | Paper 2 outline due at the end of class |
| Thu | 10/8 | Work on Paper 2 rough draft | ||
| Tue | 10/13 | Norton Ch. 30 “Organizing Your Writing, Guiding Your Readers” Ch. 31 “Drafting” |
Work on Paper 2 rough draft | |
| Thu | 10/15 | Work on Paper 2 in class | ||
| Tue | 10/20 | Paper 2 rough draft for Peer Workshop | Paper 2 rough draft due at the beginning of class | |
| Thu | 10/22 | Work on Paper 2 in class | Paper 2 due, Thurs, 10/22, by 11:59 pm | |
| Tue | 10/27 | Students will have individual conferences with Dr. Mercer this week. See Blackboard for the link to sign up for a day and time. | ||
| Thu | 10/29 | Students will have individual conferences with Dr. Mercer this week. See Blackboard for the link to sign up for a day and time. | ||
| Tue | 11/3 | Norton, Ch. 26 “Processes of Writing” Ch. 27 “Writing as Inquiry” Ch. 28 “Generating Ideas and Text” |
Paper 3 discussion and proposal | Reading Response #5 due Tues 11/3 |
| Thu | 11/5 | Paper 3 proposal in-class work | Paper #3 Proposal due Thurs, 11/15 | |
| Tue | 11/10 | Works cited information and practice | ||
| Thu | 11/12 | No Class | ||
| Tue | 11/17 | Work on Paper 3 rough draft | Works Cited due Tues, 11/17 | |
| Thu | 11/19 | No Class | ||
| Tue | 11/24 | Paper 3 Rough Draft Peer Workshop | Paper 3 rough draft for Peer Workshop due Tues, 11/24 | |
| Thu | 11/26 | No Class | ||
| Tue | 12/1 | In-class time to work on Paper 3 | ||
| Thu | 12/3 | In-class time to work on Paper 3 Final course wrap up |
Paper 3 due, Thurs, 12/3, by 11:59 pm | |
| Tue | 12/8 | FINALS WEEK--NO CLASS MEETING | ||
| Thu | 12/10 | FINALS WEEK--NO CLASS MEETING |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.