ENGL 472: Focus Questions

472 Description | 472 Requirements | 472 Syllabus | Critical Readings

For each act of the assigned plays and each assigned critical essay, you will submit a set of typed focus questions. On days when two acts are assigned, you should prepare two focus questions on the play, one for each act. On days when a critical essay is assigned in addition to an act from a play, you should prepare one focus question for the assigned act and one focus question for the critical essay. Consult the syllabus for due dates and the required readings for each set of focus questions.

Format for Questions on the Plays:

· Begin each focus question with a specific quote about which you would like to ask your question.

· Base your question on that quote. Your question should deal with a substantive issue or central concern that you think the quote “gets at” or “opens up.”

Format for Questions on the Critical Essays or Chapters from Garber’s book:

· Begin your question by nailing down in 2 or 3 sentences the thesis idea of the critical essay or chapter from Garber’s book.

· Formulate a question about the thesis idea or other ideas in the essay, about the author’s use of evidence and logical argument to support the thesis idea, or about some other specific concern related to the essay.

Purpose: The focus questions will help you with the close, critical reading necessary to prepare you for the midterm and final exams. They provide you an opportunity to articulate your thinking about the plays and critical essays before you come to class. Your questions will enhance our conversations about the material and insure that everyone is prepared to make substantive contributions. Another important purpose of the focus questions is to indicate to me whether you are reading and comprehending all the assigned texts; keep in mind that your questions should demonstrate to me that you have read all the assigned texts carefully and thoughtfully. The more specific your questions and the more of the assigned texts you bring into your questions the better.

I do not accept late focus questions. However, if you are absent when a set of questions is due and do not have access to e-mail at your home, you may submit the set the next time you attend class. If you are absent and have access to e-mail at home, you may e-mail me your focus questions.

Assessment: The Focus Questions will constitute 25% of the final grade. I will assess Focus Questions according to how specifically they address the acts assigned for a given day, how fully they do so, and how analytically they do so. In other words, I will ask myself whether the questions deal specifically with the plays, offering concrete, specific examples; whether they reflect that you have read all of the assigned text or texts; and whether you have attempted some kind of analysis that goes beyond mere summary or "plot" description. You need not concern yourself with a single "right analysis," nor need you worry about a "wrong analysis." Any analytic insight that focuses on more than mere summary of plot is acceptable. Each set of focus questions will be graded on a 5-point scale, with 5 representing the highest grade. See syllabus for due dates.