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Syllabus
(.pdf)
Schedule
(.pdf)
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Work
All written work should conform to the *General
Guidelines for Written Work*.
Essays
During the course, you'll be asked to write two 4-5
pages essays in which you'll analyze one or more texts we've read during
the term. Additional details will be provided by the time each essay
is assigned.
Exams
There will be a midterm and a final, which will ask
you to identify terms and passages, explicate short pieces of text,
and write short responses to questions.
Journals
You will keep a public journal for this course using
the class blog. Your journal is a place for you to keep notes about
your readings, to explore issues relevant to the class, to try out ideas,
and to share research. A decent journal entry will be between 200-250
words (roughly 1/2 -3/4 page double-spaced with a 12 pt. font). For
this course, there are two types of journal entries: the general
entry and snippet research. To earn a B for the journal component
of your grade, you will need to post two journal entries per week. For
the first two weeks, you should post general entries. Beginning
with the third week, one of your journal posts should be snippet
research.
- General
Entries allow you to reflect on and work with the texts and ideas
we cover in this course. A general entry can be (1) a response
to a reading, such as summary, an interpretation, or an evaluation
of what you've read, (2) an exploration of ideas, issues, and themes
relevant to the course, or (3) an unassigned activity from The
English Studies Book.
- Snippet
Research allows you to explore the context of the texts we're
reading. To do snippet research, you'll need to explore topics
using both the library and the Internet, and at least half your sources
should come from the library. Your research should be sparked by our
readings and discussion. For instance, as we read poems by Edna St.
Vincent Millay, you may want to read about her or read specific interpretations
of one or more of her poems. Or, as we read "Farmer Giles of
Ham," you may want to see what Tolkien said about the story in
his Collected Letters. As we read Early in Orcadia,
you may want to learn more about the stone-age culture of the Orkneys
or about oral cultures. Likewise, as we read Hogfather, you
might want to research mythology, the Solstice, or even the folklore
about the hunting and killing of wrens during winter. For each journal
entry, you should spend, on average, 30 minutes or so, and then write
up a summary for your journal. I will put a number of possible research
sources on reserve, and will provide a list of library and online
sources on the Resources page. We can discuss possible research topics
in class as well.
As journal entries will be posted to our class blog,
you are welcome, even encouraged, to comment upon each others journal
entries and to cite each others' journals in your own journal entries,
short papers, and essays. While the journals will not be graded for
mechanics, selling, grammar, they will be graded for thoroughness and
I reserve the right to not give credit to journals which repeatedly
violate the spirit of the assignment (i.e. journal entries which are
just a few lines, journal entries which clearly have nothing to do with
the course, etc.). Regardless, you should proofread your journals before
posting them.
Participation
Regular and active participation in class is required
and such participation presupposes you have prepared for class by completing
both the reading and writing assignments and thinking about them. Your
participation grade is made up of four components:
- Discussion:
I expect you to contribute to class discussion, which will require
you to not only read but also think about the reading writing assignments.
Discussions will be conducted in class both face-to-face and online.
- In-class
work: Throughout the course we will engage in a number of in-class
assignments. In-class work will not be graded for mechanics, selling,
grammar, but will be graded for thoroughness (though I reserve the
right not to give credit to in-class work which violates the spirit
of the assignment).
- Quizzes:
Regular quizzes will be given throughout the course. The quiz with
the lowest grade will be dropped, and quizzes missed for excused absences
will not be held against you.
- Short
assignments: Short assignments will be required throughout the term
and they will be graded for thoroughness.
Readings
You are responsible for all readings listed in the schedule
on the date that they are due. You are expected to have read the material,
have a general understanding of the major points and issues, and be prepared
to discuss it.
Short papers
You'll be required to write a series of short, 1 1/2
- 3 page papers in which you'll apply the approaches and techniques discussed
in The English Studies Book to a variety of texts. The purpose
of these short papers is to let you explore the ways in which texts can
be analyzed, practice literary interpretation, and work further with the
texts we're reading. |