ENGL 633 : Probes & Insights

633 Description |633 Syllabus | 633 Critical Readings

Weekly "Probes and Insights": One substantive discussion question and one insight for each of the assigned texts (20% of Grade)

Because the careful reading of both the plays and literary scholarship is essential to our weekly conversations, I want to grant credit and assign a grade for completing that work. My assumption is that each of you intends to read all the texts thoughtfully, striving to grasp as much as you can and asking fruitful questions. Therefore, I would like to assign the letter grade of "A" to this course activity from the outset of our work together. As long as you demonstrate that you have read and thought about each of the assigned readings, I can assign an A for this portion of the final grade.

To demonstrate that you have read all the readings, each week please prepare a set of (for want of a better word) "Probes and Insights." Please type these and shoot for about one page each week.

By "probes" I mean essential, critical questions that get at what you feel are the central issues of the pieces we read. These should be substantive questions, dealing with fundamental concerns. Each week, please write one “probe” for each assigned text. These should consist of a brief paragraph in which you contextualize your question and explain it fully. Provide enough explanation so that the rest of us know where your question is coming from and we can begin discussing it.

By "insights" I mean just that--ideas that have come to you after careful reflection upon each piece. Make your "insight" be the one idea you would most like to contribute to our conversation about each of the assigned readings each week;. Come to class prepared to share these with others and to explain them more fully. Our conversations each week will be rooted in your own concerns as articulated in your questions and ideas. I will collect these each week and use them to plan for future class meetings.

Assessment Criteria: To receive a grade of "A," submit your "Probes and Insights" on the due date. Be sure your Probes and Insights demonstrate that you have read the assigned works in their entirety. Your Probes and Insights should make specific references to the assigned texts each week; they should begin with something specific in the text and then develop a question or an insight from that specific material. Late work or incomplete "Probes and Insights" will necessarily lower the grade.

633 Description |633 Syllabus | 633 Critical Readings