English 203

ENGL 203
Readings in American Literature (GE)

1. Catalog Entry

ENGL 203
Readings in American Literature (GE)

Credit hours (3)


Study of selected works in American literature with emphasis on the development of critical reading skills within a historical, cultural, and ideological national context.

Note(s): General Education and Humanistic or Artistic Expression designated course.

2. Detailed Description of Course

Close reading and critical analysis of selected major works of American literature from its beginnings to the present day; such works to be drawn from different periods of American history and to represent a variety of literary genres.

3. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

ENGL 203 uses a wide variety of instructional strategies which may include any number of the following: lecture; discussion; PowerPoint or web-enhanced instruction; collaborative group work; individual or group student reports; student PowerPoint or web-enhanced presentations; informal writing-to-learn activities including in-class focused writing, readers' logs, double-entry reading journals, or discussion questions; formal writing activities including essays, reviews, critical analyses, research reports with peer writing groups on drafts; individual or group conferences with the instructor on drafts; creative writing projects including short fiction, poetry, dramatic sketches.

4. Goals and Objectives of the Course

This course satisfies the University Core B, U.S. Perspectives requirement described as follows:

Goal 10: Radford University students will understand how social and cultural (for example, political, historical, economic, environmental, religious, or geographic) forces shape the American experience.

Radford University students will be able to:
    1) Identify diverse influences that have shaped the American experience;
    2) Apply course material to a relevant issue in the United States

In addition, English 203 has the following departmental goals:
    1) that students develop an understanding of literature as an art form;
    2) that students develop the ability to become skillful and thoughtful readers of literature;
    3) that students become knowledgeable about a representative sample of the major works of U.S. literature;
    4) that students learn to apply their engagement with literary texts to an examination of their own lives and worlds.

5. Assessment Measures

Either alone or in collaboration with others, students will demonstrate their understanding of the art of literature and their ability to interpret thoughtfully what they have read by participating in discussion and by formulating written analyses of the reading in their journals, in their papers and on examinations. Students will demonstrate in discussion and in their writing their mastery of the texts assigned for reading. Students will be expected to make personal connections to the literature and express those connections through discussion, writing, creative projects, class presentations or performances.

6. Other Course Information

None

Review and Approval

June 20, 2015

March 01, 2021