Readings in
American Literature

Spring 2010  Section 3    CRN 20482

Tuesday/Thursday 9:30 Curie 341

Office hours- Russell 18, T/Th 11-12:00

Office-831-5538  Home-639-5290

mbowling@radford.edu   www.radford.edu/~mbowling

TEXTS AND SUPPLIES:

        McQuade, Donald, et.al. The Harper Single Volume American Literature, 3rd ed. New York: Addison Wesley, 1999.

        Johnson, James Weldon. The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man.  New York:  Barnes and Noble, 2007.

        Silko, Leslie Marmon. Ceremony. New York: Penguin, 1977.

        20-40 5 x 8 index cards.

        Access to Power Point, funds for photocopying approximately 200 pages.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

        The main purpose of this course is to familiarize you with the voices that helped to define the literature of "The New World" and to illustrate how history and literature influenced each other as the United States formed its identity.  The struggle to define who and what an American was led to struggles with race, ethnicity, gender, religious freedom, and the difficult question of what to do about the native Americans who were here first. The questions and beliefs that were central during these early years continue to have relevance and can provide important contexts for understanding our culture and its problems today. In this course, you will read closely from texts that illuminate these challenges from many perspectives, reflect upon and compare their different voices, and write about what you've found.

        The assignments for this course are made up of many different types of tasks but are designed to give you some flexibility. Most of the assignments are designed to ensure that you read the assigned material carefully and interact with it on a level deeper than that of mere literal understanding. These include reading assignments, weekly quizzes, discussion questions, short logs, a mid-term, and a final exam. The longer assignments will challenge you to dig deeper into a particular author or time period. For these assignments you may produce two three-page papers, a three-page paper and a ten-minute presentation,  or a six-page research paper.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

        Your grade in this course will be based on accruing a possible 375 points. The final grade spread is as follows:

        A=337-375 points/B=298-336 points/C=261-297 points/D=224-260 points/F=0-223 points.

        This scale reflects the typical ten point scale of 90%-100% =A etc. Extra credit may be earned by having perfect attendance, attending literary events, receiving bonus points on discussion questions, and earning bonus points on quizzes.

REQUIRED POINTS

        45 points-9 quizzes at 5 points each (Twelve quizzes will be given.  I will count the nine highest grades. You may NOT make up missed quizzes.)

        48 points-8 sets of two discussion questions at 6 points per pair.

        72 points- 6 two-page reading logs at 12 points each. (Two pages means two full pages of writing, exclusive of citation.)

        60 points- two short papers at 30 points each OR

             one short paper and one ten minute presentation at 30 points each OR

             one six-page paper at 60 points. All papers and presentations require a Works Cited.

        40 points- Mid-term

        60 points- Final exam

        50 points- Attendance at two points per class (25 classes = 50 points)
 

ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION

The attendance points above allow for three missed classes with no penalty; however, poor attendance will hurt your grade in many ways. Quizzes will usually be given on Tuesdays and cannot be made up. Discussion questions will also only be collected on Tuesdays and will not be accepted late. Logs can only be turned in on Thursdays for that week's readings. Thursday will be our main discussion day; we will discuss log questions, and the results of our discussions will appear on quizzes and tests, so missing Thursdays will also impact your quiz and exam grades. Failure to bring that week's readings to class will result in the loss of one attendance point for that day.

ASSIGNMENTS

Readings:  Readings must be read before the class period for which they are assigned. You must be in class for the entire class period in order to turn in assignments. Do not send them with a classmate or drop them off. Rarely, I will accept work by email if arrangements have been made in advance. This option is totally up to my discretion and will rarely be used.

Quizzes:  (Nine of twelve required) Quizzes will usually be given  on Tuesdays and will be multiple choice or true false. They will cover all of the readings, lectures, and discussions since the previous quiz. If you tend to do poorly on these, I strongly recommend that you take all twelve. As mentioned above, quizzes cannot be made up.

Discussion questions:   (Eight sets of two required.) Two discussion questions will be due on Tuesdays. With 13 possible weeks to hand these in, you will be able to skip some weeks. Be careful to keep track of  these by numbering and dating each set. Each question will be graded on a scale of 0-3 for a possible six points per set. Full credit can be earned by writing thoughtful questions that require analysis and interpretation of the text. Extra credit may be given for excellent questions. Questions which have a single right or wrong answer that requires only a literal reading of the text will receive one point.

Reading logs:  Six reading logs are required and will be collected on Thursdays. You will have access to some discussion questions and Tuesday's class notes in order to help you find topics for your logs. Clearly identify the text you are discussing and use proper MLA format for margins, spacing, font size, etc. Use parenthetical citations to cite page numbers for particular ideas and any quotations and put an MLA citation for the readings at the end of the log. The best way to come up with log topics is to read closely and take notes as you read. Re-read to clear up confusions and investigate your reactions and observations. Compare tones, themes and voices across narratives. Your logs should reflect that you have read the material thoroughly and have formed specific and well-supported views about its content. Additional guidelines will be given in class.

You may choose to make up the following 60 points through two short papers, a short paper and a presentation, or one long paper. Each of the following require that you photocopy or print all pages you have used as sources and hand them in with your Works Cited page. All papers are due at the beginning of the class period. If you are late to class, your paper is also late.

Short Papers: ( 0, 1, or 2, at 30 points). Short papers should provide additional insight into a writer or reading beyond what can be found in our textbook. You may also use a short paper to write an expanded log based on a discussion question. Short papers must be more than 3 pages in length and be accompanied by a separate (additional page) Works Cited and copies of your sources. All sources must be academic sources (books or academic journals), NOT Wikipedia or web sites. I will demonstrate acceptable sources and citation styles in class. For those choosing to write two short papers, the first is due Thursday, March, 18. The second is due Thursday, April 15.

Presentation:  ( 0 or 1, at 30 points) Presentations may be done individually or with a partner.  Topics and due dates will be chosen  from a list that I will provide. In general, you will be looking to provide further context regarding an author, time period, or issue that corresponds to the readings. Pictures and video clips are encouraged, but limit videos to two minutes. On the day of your presentation you must also hand in copies of all slides, a Works Cited, and copies of your sources. Sources must also be cited on the slides so that the source for each piece of information is obvious.

Long Paper Option:  ( 0 or 1, at 60 points) For those of you interested in doing a more in depth study of particular text, writer, or piece of historical context, this option can earn you up to 60 points. The essay must be thesis-driven and use MLA format throughout. Please clear your topic with me at least two weeks before the due date. Due on Thursday, April 1.

LATE WORK

Only papers and presentations will be accepted up to one class period late and with a 10% grade penalty. All work is due at the beginning of the class period, and you must be present for the whole class period for the work to be considered on time.

CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE 

Please be respectful of me and your fellow students by refraining from engaging in disruptive or distracting behaviors. These behaviors include, but are not limited to, walking in late, asking off-topic questions, making loud noises, leaving and re-entering the room, and sleeping or being obviously inattentive. Do not bring a laptop unless you plan to take notes in Word--NO WEB BROWSING. Keep cell phones out of sight and off.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

"By accepting admission to Radford, each student makes a commitment to understand, support, and abide by the Honor Code without compromise or exception. Violations of academic integrity will not be tolerated. All appearances of Honor Code violations will handled in accordance to the Honor Code policy. Refer to your student handbook for details."

Full and accurate documentation for the use of others' work is required, even if paraphrased. Keep records and copies of all sources and hand them in with your papers and presentations. This policy also prohibits the use of others' work even if it is unpublished or the work of another student. In addition, you may not submit work that you produced previously for another class or purpose.

DISABILITIES

Please register with the Disabilities Resource Office if you are entitled to accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. They will give you the necessary forms to meet with me and arrange the appropriate accommodations.

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