Eng 243 Syllabus

DATE	What We Will Do In Class	Homework To Do For The Next Class	Due In Class Today
August M 19	Diagnostic Writing Sample: Song and Discussion Getting to Know You: Card Group Work: Begin Introductions (Twenty Questions and The Limerick/Ad/Song)	Send Me an Email Your Name, Course, and a Greeting	Uh…nada?
W 21	Group Work: Finish Introductions Activity and Present Your Peer Handout: Syllabus Group Work: Syllabus Presentation Plans	Send Me an Email Your Name, Course, and a Greeting Read: Beowulf and Beowulf: The Graphic Novel and Bewoulf: The Graphic Novel	An Email With Your Name, Course, and a Greeting
F 23	Group Work: Syllabus Presentation	Read: Beowulf and Beowulf: The Graphic Novel	Email Your Name, Course, and a Greeting
M 26	Group Work: Syllabus Presentation Completed if Needed Sample Literary Analysis: “Ozymandias”	Read: Beowulf and Beowulf: The Graphic Novel	Nada
W 28	Choose Which Text You Prefer to Lead Discussion On Sample Literary Analysis Continued: “Ozymandias” Handouts:  How to Write the Literary Essay	Read: Beowulf and Beowulf: The Graphic Novel	Zilch
F 30	Sample Literary Analysis: “Ozymandias” Group Work: Introduction to Beowulf Sound	Prepare: Presentation 1 on Beowulf and Beowulf: The Graphic Novel	None
September M 2	Class Will Not Meet	Read: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight	Zero
W 4	Presentation 1 on Beowulf and Beowulf: The Graphic Novel	Read: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight	1st Quiz on Beowulf and Beowulf: The Graphic Novel Presentation 1 on Beowulf and Beowulf: The Graphic Novel
F 6	Discussion: Beowulf and Beowulf: The Graphic Novel	Read: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight	None
M 9	Discussion: Beowulf and Beowulf: The Graphic Novel	Read: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
W 11	Discussion: Beowulf and Beowulf: The Graphic Novel	Read: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight	None
F 13	Class Will Not Meet	Prepare Presentation 2 on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight	None
M 16	Presentation 2 on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight	Read: The Mabinogion (The Four Branches)	2nd Quiz on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Presentation 2 on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
W 18	Discussion:  Sir Gawain and the Green Knight	Read: The Mabinogion (The Four Branches)	None
F 20	Discussion:  Sir Gawain and the Green Knight	Read: The Mabinogion (The Four Branches)	None
M 23	Discussion:  Sir Gawain and the Green Knight	Read:  The Mabinogion (The Four Branches)
W 25	Discussion: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight	Read:  The Mabinogion (The Four Branches)	None
F 27	Class Will Not Meet	Prepare Presentation on The Mabinogion (The Four Branches) Read:  The Mabinogion (The Four Branches)	None
M 30	Class Will Not Meet	Prepare Presentation on The Mabinogion (The Four Branches) Read:   Utopia	3rd Quiz on The Mabinogion (The Four Branches) Presentation on The Mabinogion (The Four Branches)
October W 2	Presentation on The Mabinogion (The Four Branches)	Read:   Utopia	3rd Quiz on The Mabinogion (The Four Branches) Presentation on The Mabinogion (The Four Branches)
F 4	Discussion: The Mabinogion (The Four Branches)	Read:   Utopia	None
M 7	Discussion: The Mabinogion (The Four Branches) Midterm Exam Distributed	Read:   Utopia	None
W 9	Discussion: The Mabinogion (The Four Branches)	Read:   Utopia	None
F 11	Discussion: The Mabinogion (The Four Branches)	Prepare Presentation on Utopia Read: Macbeth	None
M 14	Presentation on Utopia	Read: Macbeth	Presentation on Utopia 4th Quiz on Utopia
W 16	Discussion:  Utopia	Read: Macbeth Complete: Midterm Exam	None
F 18	Discussion:  Utopia	Read: Macbeth	Midterm Exam Due
M 21	Discussion:  Utopia	Read: Macbeth	None
W 23	Discussion:  Utopia	Read: Macbeth	None
F 25	Discussion:  Utopia	Prepare Presentation on Macbeth Read: Macbeth	None
M 28	Fall Break; Class Will Not Meet	Prepare Presentation on Macbeth Read: Macbeth Read: Paradise Lost	None
W 30 Happy Halloween	Presentation: Macbeth	Read: Paradise Lost	5th Quiz on Macbeth Presentation: Macbeth
November F 1	Discussion: Macbeth	Read: Paradise Lost	None
M 4	Discussion: Macbeth	Read: Paradise Lost
W 6	Discussion: Macbeth	Read: Paradise Lost	None
F 8	Discussion: Macbeth	Read: Paradise Lost Prepare Presentation on Paradise Lost	None
M 11	Presentation on Paradise Lost	Read: Paradise Lost	6th Quiz on Paradise Lost
W 13	Reading Aloud/Discussion: Paradise Lost	Read: Paradise Lost	None
F 15	Reading Aloud/Discussion: Paradise Lost	Read: Paradise Lost	None
M 18	Reading Aloud/Discussion: Paradise Lost	None	6th Quiz on Paradise Lost Presentation on Paradise Lost
W 20	Reading Aloud/Discussion: Paradise Lost
F 22	Reading Aloud/Discussion: Paradise Lost	Compose Annotated Bibliography and Thesis	None
M 25	Class Cancelled For In Office Esssay Help	None	Annotated Bibliography and Thesis Due In My Email or in My Office by 11:00 A.M.
W 27 Happy Thanksgiving!	Class Will Not Meet	None	None
F 29	Class Will Not Meet	Compose: Rough Draft of Research Paper	None
December M 2	Read Aloud/Discussion: Paradise Lost	Compose: Rough Draft of Research Paper	None
W 4	Read Aloud/Discussion: Paradise Lost	Compose: Rough Draft of Research Paper	None
F 6	Read Aloud/Discussion: Paradise Lost	Compose: Final Draft of Research Paper Prepare for Extra Credit Quiz	None
M 9	Extra Credit Quiz	Nada: Relax!	Research Paper Due

           

CVCC

Arts And Sciences

Section 01 

               

Prerequisites: English 112 or division approval.

Required Texts: To facilitate class discussion and research, please acquire the exact editions that I ordered for the class.

• Armitage, Trans. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
• Chickering, Trans. Beowulf.
• Davied, Sioned, Trans.  The Mabinogion (The Four Branches)
• Hinds, Garth. Beowulf
• Milton, John. Paradise Lost.
• More, Thomas. Utopia.
• Shakespeare. Macbeth the Graphic Novel

Course Description: Examines major works of British literature.  Involves critical reading and writing. 

Drop Dates:

Last Day to Drop a Class with a Refund: F September 6

Last Day to Withdraw with a Grade of W:  Sat. October 26

Alerts and Emails:

E2Campus Alerts: All students should sign up for e2campus alerts so that they will be informed via text message when all classes are cancelled (due, for example, to snow) or when a campus emergency arises.

Email Communications: Due to legal restrictions, I may only respond to emails sent via your CVCC email address.  I cannot respond to academic questions via facebook, twitter, snapchat or other social media or to those sent using a personal email address.  When you send me your email, please use your cvcc email address. I will also use this email address and Canvas for all academic email communications I send to you. Please check your email regularly.

Canvas:  I will use Canvas to post your syllabi, daily assignment schedule, instructional handouts, key announcements (particularly in the event of class cancellation or changes in assignments or assignment due dates).  I will not necessarily post your grades to Canvas because I believe one of the skills you should learn in college is how to keep account of your grade and progress in the class. If you have any questions about your grades and progress, you should speak directly with me, just as you would speak with your employer if you had question about your performance review.  I will send an email to your CVCC address regarding any updates or announcements I post to Canvas.

Course Blog:  All handouts on how to write the essay, assignments, assignment schedules, syllabi, and other course materials are available on the course blog together with research sources, MLA help, and a host of other materials.  If you lose this syllabus and the course blog address, you can simply google my name to find it. If you can’t remember my name, we have more significant problems J

Student Accessibility Services: If you have a documented physical, mental, or learning disability and you need reasonable accommodations to help you achieve success, please contact Student Accessibility Services, in the Counseling Center, Amherst Hall room 2103, phone - 434.832.7299, fax – 434.832.6699 or email ADA@centralvirginia.edu. To best provide the accommodation you need, make this request as soon as possible.

Title IX Statement: As a recipient of federal funds, Central VA Community College is required to comply with Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq. (“Title IX”), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs or activities, admission and employment. Under certain circumstances, sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, and similar conduct constitute sexual discrimination prohibited by Title IX.

The purpose of this Policy is to establish that the College prohibits discrimination, harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and retaliation and to set forth procedures by which such allegations shall be filed, investigated and resolved.
For assistance, please meet with: Title IX Coordinator, Marc Zoccola, M.A., Amherst Hall #2102 TitleIXCoordinator@centralvirginia.edu, 434.832.7804.
In case of an emergency, dial 911 or Campus Police, 434.832.7700

Early Alerts: CVCC uses Navigate to inform students when they are performing poorly or have issues in a class, and to issue kudos, to congratulate and encourage students when they are doing well. Instructors can raise flags and kudos at any time on their own, or through “Progress Surveys” which instructors fill out at specific times throughout the semester. The raising of a flag or posting of a kudo will trigger an automatic email to you (the student). Student Services may also contact you to inform you of any flags you have received and what you can do to have the flag removed and what resources CVCC offers to help achieve success in your course(s). CVCC’s Student Services Coordinator Hunter Overstreet is the Early Alert lead and can be reached at: overstreeth@centralvirginia.edu, (434) 832 – 7799.

Note that flags do not affect your grade or standing at CVCC, nor do they show up anywhere on your CVCC transcript.

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Course Goals and Objectives:

• Students will learn to analyze literary texts composed within and across a variety of periods or genres.
• Students will demonstrate an awareness of how literary texts inform and are informed by socio-political, economic, cultural, historical, and biographical factors.
• Students will learn to recognize important literary trends, noting key distinctions and continuities among literary texts.
• Students will compose a formal essay which demonstrates their knowledge and understanding of the literature covered in the course 

Class Policies:

Cell/Smart Phone and Tablet Etiquette: Social media and smartphone addiction are serious problems that it is not my responsibility to treat; however, I will not allow the class to suffer from this pervasive addiciton.  So, to put it simply: Never use your smartphone, laptop, tablet, cell phone, wearable device, or similar devices in class without my explicit permission. This includes leaving your phone on your desk or in your lap, (face down or not) and “oh so sneakily” checking your wearable device.  If you cannot leave your phone alone for an hour, you might want to consider why that is, but it’s up to you not to use it in class. 

To put it simply, if I see you repeatedly texting, tweeting, snapchatting, instagramming, facebooking, surfing the web, taking selfies (yes, that happens), or swiping right (or left), etc. in class,  I will ask you to leave the class, and you will be counted absent for that day.

You must have my explicit permission (via email) to make a video or audio recording of class lecture or discussion.

Attendance: All excused absences must be accompanied by timely, appropriate, written documentation. More than three unexcused absences per semester will adversely affect your grade as follows

·        1-3 absences   =          no penalty

·        4 absences       =          -10 points from final grade

·        5 absences       =          -20 points in final grade  

·        6 absences       =          -30 points in final grade

·        7 absences       =          failure of class

What constitutes an excused absence is fairly straight-forward:

·        Documented doctor appointments

·        Documented court appointments

·        Funeral attendance

·        Documented military service 

Missing nine classes (20 percent) for any reason (excused or unexcused) results in failure of the course

Tardiness: For safety reasons, and to deter tardiness, after the roll has been called, I will lock the door to the class, and late students will be counted absent and not admitted to the class.

Late Work:

• All work is due at the beginning of class or prior to class.
• No late work is accepted (meaning you will score a zero on work submitted late) without an excused absence in which case the missed assginment is due on or before the beginning of the class meeting immediately following your absence.

Notes on Preparing for the Class Discussion, Discussion Questions, Papers, and Exam: 

• Underline, highlight, and otherwise mark and comment in the margins of your text as you read and we discuss.  You cannot sell these books back for much money, so write in them, put in sticky notes, bend back pages; it will help a great deal when it comes time to compose your final paper and discuss the text in class.

Some Guidelines For Discussion:

·        In order to promote open and lively discussion, it is essential that everyone read the assigned texts in their entirety by the due date.

·        As this is a discussion-based course, failure to participate in discussion regularly will adversely affect your final score in the class. I will subtract as much as a letter grade (10 points) from your final grade at my discretion if you do no participate actively.

Trigger Warning:

·        This class will discuss adult themes of sexuality and violence as well as controversial theological, political, economic, racial, gender, and philosophical positions.  Basically, the class is Rated R.

·        Because some opinion or subject offends you, does not mean we will not discuss it. Because you disagree with an established fact, does not mean your factually inaccurate opinion must be accepted or given credence.  Academic discourse requires the rational, fact based, free inquiry into any subject, no matter how controversial.  With that said, we will at all times afford the utmost respect for the fact-based opinions expressed by each individual in the class, and we will treat adult topics with due decorum. Maintaining rational discourse and an open mind will facilitate the exchange of ideas and the ability of each of us, myself included, to learn from one another.

Graded Assignment:

Reading Quizzes (300 point): I will give one quiz worth fifty (50) points for each of the six selected readings on the day we begin discussion of a text.  These quizzes will be fill-in-the-blank style, not “multiple guess” or matching.

The purpose of the reading quizzes is not to check that you have learned something from class discussion or lecture or that you paid attention to some part of the text I asked you to pay attention to in advance of reading the text.  They won’t be based on a study guide, and I won’t tell you the questions in advance. In other words, they are not SOL type tests about which I will drill you for weeks, then expect you to supply the answers I have trained you to repeat.  In my opinion, none of those types of tests we are all too familiar with help you learn; they even work, in my view, to prevent real learning.  Frankly, the purpose of these quizzes is to require you to do something high school has too often failed to prepare you to do: to read with attention to detail; that is, their intent is to police your reading and make sure you read the text in its entirety and with attention and care.

To that end, I will prepare quizzes that cover the entire book, and I will create them after reading Schmoop, Gradesaver, Sparknotes, Bookrags, wikipedia, Thugnotes, etc.  Thus, the quizzes will be (lamentably) based on recall and not on interpretation of the text, and they will cover material that should be memorable if you read the text carefully and completely, but they will not cover material addressed in any of the online summaries and sites on the text. Simply put, you can’t fake it by reading Sparknotes and so on.

Together with the final essay, these quizzes are the most significant segment of your grade. So, if you don’t read, you will not likely pass the class. If you plan on not doing the reading because “Hey, it worked in high school,”  you might want to consider dropping the class now.

Session Leaders/MLA 200 Points (140 Points Presentation + 60 Points for MLA): For each text we study, I will choose a group of students to lead discussion.  Each member of this group will pick one of the following areas to research for each text:

·        Historical period in which the text was written: Tell me the quirky interesting facts, as well as the new ideas, recreational activities, media, fashion, sports, art, science, technologies, and theories that came from the era.  Do not use a timeline or series of dates for events that happened.  Describe the period as you would describe our own historical time.

·        Biographical information about the author: (Do not provide time lines or lists of dates here.  Tell us the story of the author’s life; that is, tell us anything interesting about the author and how that biographical information may have shaped his or her work).  Give us the good, the bad, and the ugly about the author: like it is an expose on E!  or an episode of Drunk History as much as a biography on PBS.

·        Literary analysis of the text: (In other words, what a trained critic has discovered about how we can or should read the text, not reviews (it was good/I liked it or It was bad/I hated it).  I’m looking for a summary of one professional interpretation of the text.  In short: you must summarize the argument of one serious academic article on the text we are discussing. See me if you have difficulty finding such an article, but start with Literature Resource Center, Project Muse, or JSTOR (available at the CVCC library page linked to the course blog) or use the electronic card cataloge at our library.

·        Literary movement to which the text belongs: (See me for help in identifying the literary period of your text.)  Literary period include: the Anglo Saxon, Elizabethan, Victorain, Romantic, Renaissance, American Renaissance, fin de siecle, Medieval, Modern, etc…..Tell your audience about the traits of that period, the common themes, concerns, artistic techniques, etc…tie in music and art here as well.

On the first day we discuss a text, the session leaders will present their information to the class. The presentation should last the entire class period and contain the following components:

·        Individual oral presentations of the subject matter researched (these should last about five minutes each)

·        A typed handout from each member of the group (put your MLA header on it), outlining the information presented  (bulleted list, powerpoint, or formal report).

·        The bibliographic sources used, listed in correct MLA, Works Cited page, style. If the MLA is incorrect you will lose sixty (60) points.

·        One copy of each handout for every member of the class.  (I will copy these handouts for you if you submit them to me by 5:00 PM the evening before they are due.) If you show up to class without copies ready to distribute on time, you will lose sixty (60) points.

·        An activity to stir the class’s imagination, entertain us, and test out knowledge of the material you present. 

·        A few lines explaining the contribution of each member of your group (who helped, who did not, and so on).

o   Note: Make sure you work together on this activity and have it ready to go prior to class; last minute figuring out of presentation details in class--deciding who goes first, honing rules of the activity, or other signs of being ill prepared--will negatively affect your grade.

o   Note: No two groups may use the same activity.  I.e.  If one group uses a scavanger hunt, a jeopardy game with prizes, or a skit with costumes, no subsequent group may do so.

o   Note: I have seen all manner of presentations. Here are some ideas: dramatic readings, enactments of scenes with props, group videos, thematic cake decorating, collages, craft projects, song-writing activities, paper bag or sock puppet shows, scavenger hunts, charades/pictionary based games, ghost stories, etc…

Your grade will depend on your attendance on the assignment date, the depth, accuracy, and enthusiasm of your research and presentation, the availability of handouts for each member of the class on the assignment date (60 points), the report of your peers on your contribution, and your use of correct MLA documentation style (60 points).

One Researched Final Paper (300 points):

A formal seminar paper will be due on the last day of class. This essay must:

• Be a minimum of nine and a maximum of twelve complete pages in length,
• Pursue a thesis approved by and in consultation with me via email or in my office,
• Analyze at least two of the texts, drawing connections between them,
• Not merely summarize the texts,
• Make and defend an argument on how the texts should be read/understood (i.e. it should make an analysis of the texts and provide a clear, arguable thesis about how they should be read),
• Use many pertinent quotations from the text to support key point,
• Use correct MLA format,
• Be carefully edited for grammar and style (Poff’s Pet Peeves),
• Quote from at least five reputable, scholarly secondary sources in addition to the two primary sources.
• Draw the five required outside sources from JSTOR, Project Muse, Literature Resource Center, or a physical book written or edited by a scholar about the text, its author, a literary theory or school, or the literary period of the text.
• Include a preliminary, annotated bibliography of the five secondary sources by a due date in advance of the final paper.  (See Daily Assignment Schedule).  The annotated bibliography must list the five secondary sources in MLA style and include a few sentences summarizing each source.

The Midterm Exam (200 points): The midterm exam will be a comprehensive, open book, open notes, take home essay test of approximately two hours in length, in which you answer one of several questions which I provide you covering the texts we have discussed to that point.

Grading: There are a maximum of 1000 points available in the class.  At the end of the semester, I will simply total all the points you have accumulated to determine your final grade.  A standard college grading scale will be used to determine your letter grade.

          A = 900-1000

          B = 800-899

          C = 700-799

          D = 600-699

            F = 599 and below

The breakdown of points for each assignment is as follows:

          Quizzes:                                  300 points

          Presentation:                          200 points

          Researched Paper:                  300 points

          Midterm Exam:                       200 points

Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty: Cheating has become so commonplace and accepted, that I have literally had students tell me they cheat and think it is acceptable to do so.  Academic dishonesty is clearly a serious problem, and the English department at CVCC has decided to combat the problem vigorously.  In spite of what you are learning at every level of our society, the point of college is not merely to secure a high grade, pass an “unnecessary” class, or obtain the credentials necessary for a desired job, but to receive an education and to learn how to think and know better; cheating undermines that educational purpose. 

As a result, in this course, any assignment that contains verifiable instances of plagiarism or academic dishonesty will automatically receive a grade of zero (0) and will not be eligible for any type of revision, rewrite, ‘do over,’ or ‘make up’. 

A definition of plagiarism and its repercussion is available in the student handbook; however, here are some specifics:

Academic Dishonesty Includes, But is Not Limited To):

·     Copying an essay (online or otherwise) or any portion of an assignment written by another and submitting it as your own work,

·     Allowing someone else to complete your assignment for free or for pay and representing their work as your own,

·        Submitting written work on a reading assignment without actually having read the assignment,

·        Submitting your own work from another class without the explicit, written permission of both instructors,

·        “Copying” someone else’s answers on a test or quiz,

·        Paying for or otherwise acquiring or giving to others test questions in advance of a test or quiz,

·        Using an outside source without acknowledging it and citing it properly in MLA style.

To ensure you understand and follow the rules to prevent academic dishonesty, you must print and sign the honor statement on an additional sheet submitted with your final essay, presentation, and midterm exam.  The statement may be downloaded/printed from the link on my webpage.

Plagiarism is a serious offense and can result in a failing grade for the assignment, a failing grade for the course, or expulsion from CVCC.

This Syllabus and the Attached Daily Assignment Schedule Are Subject to Change at My Discretion