English Composition III
34English103004
TH 11AM-12:15PM /
CCSNYDER S256
|
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 8:45-11AM |
|
Office Phone Number |
513-558-1249 |
Email Address |
joel_peckham@yahoo.com |
Homepage |
http://www.joelpeckham.com |
Catalog Course
Description: English
Composition III. Culmination of
sequence, focusing on reading, responding to and writing about literary texts,
with continued emphasis on critical thinking, analysis, synthesis and
text-based essay writing. Prereq.: 34ENGL102.
General Description/Explanation:
This course is designed to give students exposure to and instruction in critical reading skills, some of which are unique and specific to the reading of imaginative literature like poetry, fiction, drama and nonfiction; some of which may be adapted to a more conscious “reading of the world”. In the end, students should not only be able to read like professors, but hone their analytical and critical reading skills to the point where they can see the world in a more examined light.
Course Materials:
Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing, Compact, Sixth Edition (Paperback)
by Laurie G. Kirszner, Stephen R. Mandell
1 Composition Notebook to be used as a reading journal
1 Folder in which students can store class handouts.
Course
In the Masnavi, Rumi wrote that
religion "is a state of bewilderment." As a devout Muslim mystic in
the Sufi tradition, he certainly didn't intend to insult Islam. For Rumi, true
understanding did not necessarily equal clarity but a tension between the
struggle for clarity given the impossibility of human omniscience. Like
religion, literature partakes of both Understanding and Awe. I would like to
begin by cautioning students that because literature has many meanings,
partakes of many perspectives, has many writers and even more readers, and
comes out of many worlds, they will never have clarity regarding it. This does
not mean that all interpretations are equal, but that there are many ways of
reading and often many paths to greater understanding of the work. This may
lead to some disorientation and, at times, confusion. In the end it should also
lead to a richer experience with the work. This course is not designed to
create clarity. It is designed as a gateway through which students will learn
to read literature more completely and write about it with greater
sophistication, exploring it as an artistic expression of human experience in
all its mystery, grandeur and complexity.
Step #1: Before we even begin to discuss
or write about literature, we must have a common vocabulary. So in stages of
the course we will develop a familiarity with the formal elements of
literature, including plot, setting,
character, symbol, image, narration, point of view, and theme. We will
also begin our class discussion board as a means of learning to ask and respond
to questions about the text. In this way we will appreciate how a piece of
literature works and learn to make supportable assertions about what we read.
Step #2: Literature comes in many forms
and we must try to understand each work in accordance with the conventions of
the form in which it is written. So we will spend the following weeks familiarizing ourselves with the conventions
of the 4 major literary genres, including poetry, drama, fiction and "creative non-fiction" as well as some of their
subgenres (formal poetry and free verse for example). During this time we will
also begin to discuss literature as a commentary on themes of love, hate,
death, etc.
.
Step #3: There are many different
approaches to reading literature. So for the remainder of the course will
explore different reading strategies, including those based in philosophy,
history, cultural studies, ethnic studies, and gender studies. Students will
also begin to explore the application of research to understanding literature
and will begin work on research projects. In the process students will prepare
themselves for the critical approaches they will encounter in upper-level
courses and the tasks required of them in those courses.
GRADING SYSTEM, WHAT YOU
ARE ASKED TO DO:
Two analytical papers, 4-5 pages each, one must be literary, one may be literary or
non-literary (I will give you a list of possible subjects and approaches). Each paper will be worth 300 pts. for a total
of 600 pts.
Revisions: Revision is required of any literary
paper on which the student scores less than 80%. For papers earning a higher score, the
revision becomes optional. The revised
grade will be averaged with the original score. Revisions are due two weeks after the return
of the original essay.
Individual Meetings: All students scoring less than 85% on an
analytical paper must meet with the professor for an individual appt. For students earning a higher score, the
meeting is optional. Students attending
individual meetings must come prepared to take notes. Other than minor notations, these essays will
not have substantial written commentary.
If a student misses his of her appointment without notifying the
professor at least two hours in advance, that student loses the opportunity to
revise the essay in question and will receive the original score as a permanent
mark. The professor will not be
available to further explain the grade assigned for that essay. The missing revision will also negatively
affect the class participation grade. Students are encouraged to meet with the
professor about their work regardless of the grades received. If a student
cannot meet during my office hours or scheduled class-time appts., I may set up
a special session or a phone appt.
Researched Literary Paper. For this paper students will be
asked to adopt a literary strategy—an approach to reading the text based on a
handout discussed in class. Then the
student must research the approach as a means of understanding the text. This paper will be at least 5 pages in length
and will follow MLA citation guidelines. A preliminary meeting with the professor will
occur two weeks prior to the paper deadline in which the student must come
prepared with an outline, a 2-page exploratory draft, and an annotated list of
sources. The paper is due on the day of
the final exam in lieu of a final exam.
This paper will be worth 300 pts. Because this essay serves as the
final, it cannot be revised.
Class Participation/Discussion Board Participation: Students will participate both on
the discussion board at least twice
weekly and in class
discussion. Missed classes will damage
this portion of the grade, but merely attending class does not insure a high
mark. I expect students to have done the
assigned work and to be prepared to comment on it every class. This grade is
worth 100 pts. out of 1000. However, I reserve the right to lower or
raise a student’s grade more than 10% of the overall mark if the student is
disruptive to the learning environment of his or her peers. Conversely, a particularly adept discussion
and group leader may see his or her grade raised more than 10%
Breakdown:
Literary Paper #1—300 pts
Literary Paper #2—300 pts
Researched Paper—300 pts
Class Participation—100 pts
Total:
1000 pts.
CODE OF ETHICS / BYLAWS:
Mutual
Respect:
All
members of this writing community exist on equal terms as scholars, writers,
and as human beings. All cultural backgrounds, belief systems, lifestyle
choices, etc. deserve and will receive respect. Community members will address
each other with appropriate decorum. Any form of discrimination and/or
prejudice, verbal or otherwise, is unacceptable. Violators may be asked to
leave the classroom.
Attendance:
This course is process oriented with a heavy
emphasis on class participation, discussion, and revision. Missed classes,
therefore, will negatively affect student grades.
Students will receive 2 "free," unexcused
absences (a free absence does not mean that you can make up a pop quiz on the
day you have missed). After that, each absence will result in the deduction of
50 full points from your grade total (out of 1000). An excused absence requires
supporting documentation and (preferably) prior notification. Illness, Family
Emergencies, University sponsored field trips, and Automobile Accidents are
reasons for missing class. Hangovers, tests in other courses, dates, and defective
alarm clocks are not. At the beginning
of every class I hand out a sign-in sheet for that day. If your name is not on
it, you are absent. If you come into class after the sheet has been passed
around, you are absent. Show up on time.
Withdrawal dates
The standard
•W/F grade assigned to drops beginning Oct. 11.
•As of the 22nd day of the quarter, students will be able to withdraw on line. The Web Registration site will remain active through the 58th day of the quarter - for withdrawals only.
•Last day to withdraw (drop) with a W or F is Nov. 17. After Nov. anyone who withdraws will receive a grade of UW, which computes as a F.
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.
We will be working on how to properly cite sources in 103. Therefore, there will be no excuse for plagiarizing in this class.
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
Short
Analytical Papers
At
least three Analytical Papers must be completed during the literary genres
section of the course (Step #2). You may choose which works you wish to write
on but at least one must be on a work of literature chosen from a packet
provided by the professor and they must be completed by the beginning of class
on the day we discuss them. Any good Analytical Paper focuses on one or more
formal, rhetorical, stylistic or structural elements in the text. A Formal
Response uses textual evidence to show how the author manipulates that element
either to affect a reader's perception of what going on in the text or to
develop a theme, a character, a tone, etc. For example, a critical response to
William Faulkner's "A Rose For Emily" might explore Faulkner's use of
non-linear narration and connect that stylistic choice to Emily's own refusal
to accept the rapidly changing world around her. Another reader might choose to
write on themes of entrapment and betrayal in the same story, focusing on how
Emily is trapped by her father and by her society and how this entrapment
effects her later actions. Such an analysis might also bring in images and
symbols of entrapment present in the text.
Whatever
approach a student chooses to take, I am primarily looking for a close reading
of the text that makes a strong assertion and supports it with abundant
examples. Unsupported statements of assertion are unacceptable as are
evaluative responses. Whether or not you like the literary piece is irrelevant
to this assignment (though I will ask you for these types of responses during
the course). Most often, a response like "this is the poorest excuse for a
short story that I have ever read. What was this author trying to say.
Anything? I don't understand it; it's meaningless" is the result of a lack
of understanding on the part of the reader not a failure on the part of the
writer. At best such a response is unprofessional, at worst it is insulting.
One would never stand up in a science course and say about Einstein's Theory of
Relativity that "this is the poorest excuse for a theory that I have ever
seen. What was this scientist trying to say? Anything? I don't understand it;
it's meaningless." Think of these authors as the Einsteins of
literature--approach them that way-- and you will be exhibiting a professional
demeanor and approach.
Often
during the quarter, students will be given simple quizzes relating to that
day's assignment. These will be graded on a 100pt scale that will be averaged
in with the Class Participation grade. Most often quizzes will focus on events
and statements in a work and how they relate to ideas important to or
representative of the genre they embody. I fully expect that students will read
the material for each class and attend each class and will not, therefore, give
advance warning for these quizzes. Pop quizzes cannot be "made-up"
unless the student has informed the professor of his or her absence ahead of
time or is struck down by an act of God. See the attendance policy for further
details.
Mid-Term
Exam:
There
is no mid-term exam. So you ask, why is there a topic for it? Well, so I can
answer the inevitable question, "Is there a mid-term exam," once and
for all.
At the end of the semester
students will be asked to turn in a literary paper on a poem, short story, or
play from one of the texts required for the course. The paper will be 4 to 6
pages in length and must include researched materials.
You can revise this essay once
before the end of the semester
Goal:
Add something of your own, however
modest, to the conversation about a work of literature. Providing context--such
as the works relationship to a particular culture, political issue, literary
genre or movement is helpful in defining your reading strategy, narrowing your
topic, and selecting resources. So feel free to explore territory not directly
related to the work in question.