Literary Texts and Contexts
ENGL 200-11 CRN 11605
M/W 6:30-7:45 Davis 212
Office hours- 702 Fairfax B203, TR 9:45-11:45
Office 831-6554/C-239-2583
mbowling@radford.edu www.radford.edu/~mbowling
TEXTS AND SUPPLIES:
McQuade, Donald, (Ed.). (1999) The Harper single volume American literature, 3rd ed. New York, NY: Addison Wesley.
Johnson, James Weldon. (2007). The autobiography of an ex-colored man. New York, NY: Barnes and Noble.
Silko, Leslie Marmon. (1977).Ceremony. New York, NY: Penguin.
Access to Power Point, funds for photocopying approximately 100 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, short logs, a mid-term, and a final exam. The contextual projects will challenge you to dig deeper into a particular author or time period. For these assignments you will produce one three page paper and one presentation, which may be done with a partner.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Your grade in this course will be based on accruing a possible 350 points. The final grade spread is as follows:
A=315-350 points/B=280-314 points/C=245-279 points/D=210-244 points/F=0-209 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, and receiving bonus points on quizzes and in-class activities.
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.)
25 points- In-class writings and activities. (May not be made up.)
70 points- 7 two-page reading logs at 10 points each. (Two pages means two full pages of writing, exclusive of citation.)
30 points- One 3-page paper exploring an author from the time periods we study
30 points-One ten minute presentation on background information pertinent to our readings
* All papers and presentations require a Reference page in APA format and photocopies of your source material.*
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 Mondays and cannot be made up. Logs can only be turned in on Wednesdays for that week's readings. Wednesday 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 Wednesdays 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
You must be in class on time and present for the entire class period in order to turn in assignments. Do not send them with a classmate or drop them off. If printing your assignment will make you late, take the late penalty and turn it in next class period because if you walk in late, the assignment will automatically be counted one class late. 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.
Readings: Readings must be read before the class period for which they are assigned.
Quizzes: (Nine of twelve required) Quizzes will usually be given on Mondays 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.
Reading logs: Seven reading logs are required and will be collected on Wednesdays. You will have access to some discussion questions and Monday's class notes in order to help you find topics for your logs. Clearly identify the text you are discussing and use proper APA format for margins, spacing, font size, etc. Use parenthetical citations to cite page numbers for particular ideas and any quotations and put an APA 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.
Short Papers: (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) Reference page 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.
Presentation: (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 Reference page, and copies of your sources. Sources must also be cited on the slides so that the source for each piece of information is obvious.
LATE WORK
Only papers and presentations will be accepted up to one class period late and with a 10% grade penalty. Papers turned in two classes late will receive an F (50%). 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. Failure to observe these rules of common courtesy will result in the loss of one or more attendance points for the day.
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. Violating the Honor Code almost always results in failure of the course.
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.