American Writers III
34English209001
|
Instructor |
Assistant Professor, Dr. Joel Peckham—Ph.D. in
English with a Dissertation on American Literature from The |
Office Location |
CCSNYDER S272B |
Office Hours |
M,W,F 10am-11am |
|
Office Phone Number |
513-558-1249 |
Email Address |
Joel_Peckham@yahoo.com |
Homepage |
http://www.joelpeckham.com |
Prerequisite: 34 ENGL103
Course Description: Selected works in American Literature from 1865-1915 including short and long fiction, drama, poetry, and critical essays.
Student Learning Objectives: Students will utilize the analytical and critical thinking skills developed in Comp III; students will be required to read representative selections from literary periods and be expected to discuss these readings with insight and a knowledge of literary terminology.
Course Materials:
McMichael, George Anthology of American Literature: Volume II. 8th Edition (Prentice Hall, 2000).
Methodologies of Instruction and Learning/Assessment:
I. Mission
Statement
The
primary focus of this course will be to explore
The study of American literature is the study of the deepening of a nation’s soul, its passage through birth and maturation. And the story it forms is at times in equal parts heroic and tragic. As we study nearly a century of our national literature, we will form an understanding of the values, ideals, beliefs, ambitions, and hopes of a people just awakening to its presence as an international power. Forced into global consciousness by an industrial explosion and massive immigrations and diasporas, followed by an international depression, and two world wars, Americans were forced to reevaluate their fundamental principals and its belief in individual freedom. The individual, cut off from community, fragmented by dislocation, war, and the anxieties brought on by the open questioning of religious and political authority, was left to “find himself.” This search for meaningful identity through the self-exploration was to become the central problem of American literature for the next 100 years. What does it mean to be free? Is true freedom possible? What is the value of rebellion? Can one be both truly free and a contributing member of society?
In constructing this syllabus and this course I have tried to offer students multiple options for engaging with the material and for revealing their understanding of it. The fact that I give students options will mean that the syllabus may seem confusing and the choices overwhelming. But part of the education process is learning to take possession of one’s education and learning to make decisions that shape your educational experience. I would expect that students to carefully read the assignments and consider which options are best for them.
2) What you will be asked to do
Purpose: To Improve and Build Upon Reading Skills Developed in 102, to develop and increased awareness of the context of literary works, their philosophical underpinnings, and their role in our national consciousness.
Application and Assessment:
The student will read and systematically analyze a series of texts from the American literary canon from its beginnings to the Civil War.
a) The student will take occasional quizzes designed to reflect their comprehension of the text.
b) The student will participate effectively in individual and group discussions.
c) The student will complete short assignments designed to reflect their understanding of the main points and ideas present in the reading, these will be kept in a journal that will be presented to the professor periodically.
(200 pts)
Writing: Essay Assignments
Purpose: To encourage students to participate in higher thinking by asking them to make connections between literature, philosophy history, etc., to build upon writing and analytical skills developed in composition classes, to reveal their understanding of the formal elements of literature, and to apply that understanding to an analysis of at least 2 literary works. Students will be allowed to hand in a rough copy of the first essay for feedback from the instructor if they wish. Students will also have the option to complete a third essay, worth 300 points in place of taking the final examination.
Application and Assessment:
a) The student will write and revise two 3-5 page essays worth 200 points each. A series of possible topics will be given at least one week in advance. In the essay the student must
1) compare the ideas of two authors writing on a similar subject, supporting any statements about the author’s ideas based on evidence they find in the texts.
2) show how these ideas are revealed using powerful and convincing symbolism, imagery, characterization, argumentation, narration, etc.
3) suggest how and why the authors might have believed differently or similarly to each other, focusing on the times and or places in which they lived, the experiences they had, and the literary/philosophical movements of which they were a part.
4) make a case for/against their ideas and their value to contemporary American life.
5) try to answer the questions, do these ideas, values, and beliefs still matter to us? Should they?
Note: no research other than class handouts, discussion, oral presentations, and reading assignment are required for these writing assignments, but I will allow outside research if a student wishes to include it. The format of the paper should adhere to MLA formatting and any quoted material must be cited in adherence to MLA formatting practiced. The papers should be double-spaced and written in 12 point Times or Courier.
b) The papers will be graded in accordance with the following scale
100 points—Content: Completion of the 5 essay requirements listed above, with appropriate supporting evidence from the text. Students are expected to support all statements made using textual evidence and appropriate quotation. The absence of supporting evidence from the text could result in a 0 for this portion the assignment.
50 points—Quality of Writing, Paragraph Level: evidence of well-formed, coherent, unified paragraphs, with clear and elegant sentences, transitions, appropriate tone and clean grammar and punctuation. Though quality of writing is worth 50 points, if the quality is low enough, it can affect the content grade. If I can’t understand your position, I can’t give you credit for your ideas.
50 points—Quality of Organization and Formatting: evidence that the ideas are put together in a logical order with transition sentences connecting them to a central thesis.
The papers together will form 400 pts of a student’s total grade.
Examinations
Purpose: To give students the opportunity to reveal what they know about the material covered in class, to ensure that students keep up with and understand the texts covered for class, to encourage higher thinking through the answering of essay questions provided in advance.
Application and Assessment: Students will be given 2 exams: a mid-term examination and final examination (unless they choose the third essay option). The Mid-term examination will be worth 100 points and the Final Examination 300 points for a total of 400 points of the final grade. Each exam will contain short answer and essay questions on the material covered. We will have overviews in the form of literary jeopardy to cover possible short answer questions and students will be given a list of possible essay questions from which the essay questions on the exam will be selected. Students may come to the exam with note-cards containing information necessary to answering each possible essay question
Powerpoint/Web-Page option:
Purpose: To give students an option in place of one of the essay assignments (not the final exam) should they feel more confident in their ability to create a powerpoint presentation or web-page on an author of their choice, to encourage students to make connections between art, music, literature, and history during a period, to encourage students to learn how to use multimedia to present information and ideas. This cannot be a replication of the presentation.
Application and Assessment: On the date for the deadline of either the first or second essay, students may turn in the URL for a Web-Page or a power-point presentation saved on disc or cd.
The focus should be on the author in his or her times and should attempt to use visual imagery/ audio samples / text / and analysis to help us understand how his or her life, geographical location, moment in history, philosophical and religious beliefs, and presence in a literary/ artistic movement help us understand his or her work.
Caution: Don’t just give me an author’s biography!! I’m looking for the evidence of higher thinking and the ability of the student to make connections. Also, be wary of plagiarism. The fact that many web-sites replicate information without citing sources for it, does not give you license to do so as well. Quotations should be cited in accordance with MLA methodology.
3) Grade Breakdown Summary:
Reading and Discussion Grade: 200 points ( 100pts for journal, 100 pts for participation and quizzes).
Essays: 400 points--200 points each essay (300 pts for the 3rd essay option)
Exams: 400 points--100 points for the mid-term, 300 points for the final
Web Page / Power Point Option: 200 points in place one essay (not the final exam)
TOTAL: 1000pts
A: 90-100 B: 80-89 C: 70-79 D: 65-69 F: 64 and below
(900-1000) (800-899) (700-799) (650-699) (649 and below)
Administrative Procedures:
A. Completion of the drop/add process and the withdrawal process is the responsibility of the student.
B. Absence Policy: Absences will damage your grade, particularly because I do not allow students to make up pop quizzes and because class participation is a substantial portion of your grade in the course. Don’t miss classes.
C. Tardiness. If you are late at all, you will find the door closed. Do not open it. The only thing I dislike more than a student who misses classes is one who is so disrespectful as to show up late for one.
D. Policy for make-up work. Students are responsible to complete any work they miss during an absence. Missed work can only be made up if the student has a legitimate excuse for missing the class and provides supporting documentation. Legitimate excuses include illness, serious family obligations, and sanctioned college activities for which absence is required.
E. Harassment Policy: I see sexual and racial harassment as a direct attack not only on the victim, but on the entire community. Harassment is any behavior that would either threaten a reasonable person or inhibit that person’s ability to learn or work by creating an uncomfortable environment. Don’t say or do anything to a fellow student that you wouldn’t say or do to your own mother, father, sister, or brother. Sexual or racial comments made in the classroom, even if not directed at anyone in particular and even if made in jest, will be considered harassment. The presence of materials that demean others –inappropriate or offensive t-shirts or magazines for example—will also be considered harassment. Such behavior will directly affect the offending student’s grade for class participation and may result in dismissal from the class for the day or even for the quarter.
F. Dress Code: Though there is no official dress code for this course, I encourage students to dress in a manner that reflects a respectful attitude towards their peers, the professor, and themselves.
G. Late Assignments: I do not accept late assignments. Assignments should be ready for submission at the beginning of class on the day that they are due. Because I understand that events may happen that are beyond a student’s control, I allow for one 24 hour pass a semester. That means that one time during the semester, for whatever reason you might have, or for no reason at all, you may hand in an assignment 24 hours late. If an assignment is due on a Friday, I expect you to send it to me over the e-mail by attachment or as text by Saturday, 11am. If electronic submission is not possible, contact me and I will arrange another method for you to hand in the assignment on time. I urge students to use this option only when and if they desperately need it. If a student must miss a class on the day an assignment is to be turned in, the student must find another student to turn it in for them or must send the assignment to me via e-mail by the beginning of class on the day the assignment is due. I will make rare exceptions if I have ample reasons. The 24 hour pass cannot be used for an exam, a pop-quiz, or a term-paper. A late term paper or a missed final will assure failure in the course.
Withdrawals: W/F grade assigned to drops
beginning January 18th.
Beginning 05W, as of the 22nd day of the quarter, students
are able to withdraw on line. The Web
Registration site will remain active through the 58th day of the
quarter – for withdrawals only. Faculty
should put their withdrawal procedures on their syllabus; e.g. if they want
students to talk with them before submitting a withdrawal, or students who
withdraw without signature will be given grade received up to that point in the
class, etc. When the student submits
their withdrawal, they will receive an automatic notification that the
withdrawal was submitted. They will also
receive a follow-up e-mail notifying them.
Faculty will also receive an e-mail notifying them of the web
withdrawal. (If, for some reason, the
student then talks with the faculty and they determine it was a mistake,
Registration can reinstate the student in the class.) Faculty can still change the “W” to an “F” if
that is a more appropriate grade, when they do their final grades. Beginning 05S, the grade will appear as “eW” if it was a web-processed withdrawal. That grade can still be changed by the
faculty. Last day to withdraw (drop) in a timely manner is Thursday, March 1st. (58th calendar
day). This is the grade
replacement deadline as well.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a serious academic offense. This is the University’s definition of plagiarism:
•Submitting another's published or unpublished work, in whole, in part, or in paraphrase, as one's own without fully and properly crediting the author with footnotes, citations or bibliographical reference.
•Submitting as one's own original work material obtained from an individual or agency without reference to the person or agency as the source of the material.
•Submitting as one's own original work material that has been produced through unacknowledged collaboration with others without release in writing from the collaborators.
American with Disabilities Act policy
The policy of the University of Cincinnati Clermont College requires students with
physical or learning disabilities to identify themselves to the coordinator of
disability services, Jennifer Radt,
in the
