English 1302 – Composition
and
Room 104
H. M. King
Phone:
(210) 637 –1004 / e-mail: King_Wayland@yahoo.com
Friday
6:00-10:10
Stories are for joining the past to the future. Stories are for
those late hours in the night when you can’t remember how you got from where
you were to where you are. Stories are for eternity, when memory is
erased, when there is nothing to remember except the story.
--Tim O’Brien
The instructor will be
available for conferences before and directly after class, or by appointment. You may contact me
by e-mail, or call me after 9 a.m. or before 8 p.m. on weekends, Monday through
Friday fr-9. My home number is listed in
case of emergency only. If you are absent, I will e-mail you the day’s
assignments upon request; however, please try to contact a classmate first.
Wayland Library: (800) 459-8648 Web: www.wbu.edu/lrc Email:LRCERF@wbu.edu
http://easybib.com
- organizes your reference page
Catalogue Description: readings from imaginative
literature; the research paper and shorter critical and interpretative themes.
Course Description: This course may not be what you think. It’s not
a course about “great authors,” though you’ll meet several. It’s not even
a course about the terms and techniques used by literary scholars, though
you’ll run into a few of those, too. It’s a course about the process of
reading literature, about the different ways in which you can make sense out of what’s on the page. This is also a
course about asking questions. The works we’ll read do a great job of
raising difficult and interesting issues, both about themselves and about the
word around them. One of the best ways to study these questions is to
learn to ask good questions yourself. So, a main focus of the course will
be on learning to ask questions that truly shed light on a story, an issue a
story addresses, or maybe even back on you. English 1302 emphasizes
the study and critical evaluation of mostly
modern literature in the genres of fiction, poetry, and drama. However, when
we study Shakespeare, you will soon find that great drama and human perception
has never changed, and probably never will. Because of the accessibility of printed
material, knowledge is no longer the carefully guarded province of a privileged
few who use their power to control others. However, due to the vast explosion
of knowledge in recent years, it is impossible for any one person to know
everything, even about a specific field. Being able to find ask questions and
find answers has become as important as knowing answers. The ease with which a
person finds and examines new material depends upon carefully developed
research skills. These skills are basic to the quest for knowledge and can be
adapted to any career or field of interest. Yet life would be confining if a
person were allowed no escape from his or her chosen line of work.
Consequently, this course also develops skills of reading and appreciating
literature--one such escape. By introducing various literary genres through
their reflections of major themes, English 1302 attempts to develop interests
that each student can pursue in the future. . Because 1302 continues English
1301, it adheres to the writing skills and standards taught in English
1301. In addition, research is an important part of the course. A
student must complete the researched essay to be eligible to pass.
Course Objectives: The student will read,
evaluate, and analyze literature. The course will provide an introduction to
literature and to the world of humanity that it enfolds, to make the student
aware of the various structures and tools employed by writers, and to help him
or her gain a greater appreciation of literature through understanding some of
the mechanics involved. Most selections will be followed by a multiple choice
or essay test concerning the content. In addition, students will write
composition “questions” about literature. The content of the writing
should reflect depth of analysis and demonstrate knowledge of key literary and
research terms and techniques. In addition, the student's writing should
demonstrate a degree of mastery of the following skills taught in English 1301:
clear focus, good organization, specific support, and appropriate use of
Standard Written English. In the final essay, the student will use
information from research sources appropriately: locate appropriate
sources; select and interpret information relevant to a thesis; write a paper
which integrates the student's own ideas and words with those of sources;
document sources of information, using the required style; and prepare a
reference page in the text.
Class Participation: In many courses you’ve taken, the focus
was probably on getting the right answers to the teacher’s questions.
This course is radically different, because the focus is on helping you learn
to ask the best questions on your own. In effect, learning
to ask good questions teaches you to become your own teacher, since it enables
you to home in on what you don’t know and start filling those gaps.
Consequently, much of your work in this class will involve practicing asking a
particular brand of questions, which we’ll call “thinking questions.”
These are questions in which you start by simply describing an issue in a
story—something you don’t understand, something that bothers you, something
that seems to be missing, an issue you think a story is raising, etc.—and then
try to find the best question to ask about that issue or confusion, a question
that will help you (and everyone else) think about that issue and try to
resolve it.
The
best way for you to become a self-sufficient reader is to practice the skills
you need, so much of the course is about giving you opportunities to practice
with a coach (that’d be me) so you can learn to do everything on your own
later. Consequently, discussion of both the literary works we read and
the written work of your peers makes up a significant
part of your course grade. The participation grade is mainly based on
your thoughtful engagement in class discussions, and on keeping up with the
reading, writing, and analysis questions.
Remember that we will deal with controversial subject matter now and then, so it is vital that we treat each other with respect at all times, even when we disagree!
Instructional
Methods: Class
discussion -Collaborative work -Lectures –Films
Materials Required:
·
Text – The
Norton Introduction to Literature, shorter ninth edition
·
Post – it notes
to take notes in the book – I suggest the thin ones
·
A notebook for
class notes and in-class writing
·
Pocket folders
to be used for submission of assignments
·
A good English
dictionary (keep this within arm’s reach while you read!)
·
An open mind,
willingness to work and talk, some patience, and lots of curiosity
Absence Policy:
Absence Policy: According to college
policy, “A student absent the equivalent of three weeks of instruction in a
regular semester will be dropped by the instructor.” This policy does not make
exceptions. Two tardies will count as one absence.
You will be considered absent 45 minutes after the beginning of each class. It
is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor when they are tardy.
Because this class is about learning a skill rather than just memorizing
information, your attendance and participation in every class is vital.
I will take role and have a sign in sheet to prevent any misunderstandings. It
is the student’s responsibility to make sure that they are accounted for.
Children
in the Classroom: Because of college
policy regarding child safety rules, students are urged not to bring children
to class or to a lab. Minors under the age of twelve must not be left
unattended on campus.
Students
with Disabilities: As per sections
504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, if accommodation is needed, contact the office
and notify your instructor.
Format
for all assignments: All assignments should be typed, double
spaced—14 pt. type --and endorsed as instructed during class. Assignments
should include the date, course, instructor's name,
student's name and title, and the final essay should be structured according to
standard APA Format. This will be discussed in class. Because your work must be
generally free of mechanical errors for acceptance, please proofread your
responses carefully for grammar and punctuation. Place your essay for
submission on the right hand side.
a. Treatment of
subject shows good critical intelligence, careful workmanship, and originality,
all flowing from an excellent thesis.
b. Organization is so clear that the reader knows at all times what the purpose
is and how the writer intends to accomplish it.
c. Paragraphs are coherent, unified, and developed as fully as their function
demands.
d. Sentences are clear in meaning, mature, varied, and so constructed as to
contribute precisely and effectively to the writer's purpose.
e. Choice of words is exact, appropriate, mature, and sensitive.
f. Grammar, punctuation, and spelling conform to
accepted usage.
'A' papers have
few, if any, minor errors and no major errors, but also they rise to a rare
level of excellence: 'A' papers are, quite simply, exquisite, and they
are a joy to read.
The grade of B on a paper means that it is good
but needed more editing and polish:
a. Treatment of
subject shows some originality and better than average ability to relate ideas,
all flowing from a solid thesis.
b. Organization is clear, though lacking the full clarity and tight coherence
of A work. It is appropriate to the subject and
purpose.
c. Paragraphs are reasonably unified, coherent, and well developed.
d. Sentences are generally fluent and clear, and are sufficiently varied to
make for an easy style.
e. Words are used precisely and with some attention to stylistic
appropriateness.
f. Grammar, punctuation, and spelling conform to
accepted usage.
The grade of C means that a paper is acceptable, but it is rather routine in its total effect:
a. Treatment of
subject is acceptable and relates to the thesis, but both may lack distinction.
b. Organization is fairly clear; a central idea is systematically treated.
c. Paragraph development shows little originality; paragraph structure shows
some coherence but tends to be loose and uneconomical.
d. Sentences are correct and are sufficiently linked to make for continuity.
Generally, however, the style is choppy or flat, and the meaning is not always
clear.
e. Choice of words is generally appropriate but shows little maturity or
attention to effect.
f. There are few slips in grammar, punctuation,
and spelling.
The grade of D means that a paper has a number of the following weaknesses:
a. Treatment of
subject tends to be thin, vague, or trite, often lacking a clear thesis or not
completely following the directions for the assignment.
b. Organization is not clear or effective.
c. Paragraphs tend to be incoherent and poorly developed.
d. Sentences are generally awkward or overly simple and show little awareness
of style. Their meaning is frequently not clear.
c. Choice of words is often imprecise, inappropriate, or trite.
f. There are a number of errors in grammar,
punctuation, and spelling.
The grade of F means that a paper falls below minimum requirements, that
it has a number of the following weaknesses:
a. Treatment of
subject is thin, vague, or trite, often because there is no thesis, or the
paper is not following the directions for the assignment.
b. The paper lacks a distinct beginning, middle, and ending.
c. Paragraphs obviously lack unity and are poorly developed.
d. Sentences are awkward or choppy; many are not clear.
e. Choice of words is immature; frequently inexact or inept.
f. Grammar, punctuation, and spelling are faulty.
All papers receiving a “C”
or below may rewrite. Do not merely correct the errors that I have pointed out,
or the paper will not be considered a revision. Rewrites are due the next class
period.
Editing Symbols
|
ab |
abbreviate |
|
abst |
abstract
or general words (be more specific) |
|
adj/adv |
adjective
or adverb is incorrect |
|
AGR
|
agreement
error |
|
ambig |
ambiguous,
unclear |
|
' |
apostrophe
needed |
|
awk |
awkward
phrasing |
|
no
cap |
no
capitalization |
|
cap |
capitalize |
|
choppy |
too
many short sentences |
|
(
) |
close
the spaces |
|
cliché
(trite) |
worn-out
word or phrase (deadwood) |
|
: |
colon
needed |
|
, |
comma
needed |
|
no
, |
no
comma |
|
CS |
comma
splice (two independent clauses incorrectly joined with only a comma; commas
are separators) |
|
/ |
delete |
|
dev |
development
needed |
|
div |
division
of word incorrect |
|
FRAG |
fragment
|
|
FS
(RO) |
fused
or run-on sentence (two independent clauses run together without correct
punctuation or appropriate conjunctions) |
|
^ |
insert |
|
mm |
misplaced
modifier |
|
// |
parallelism |
|
¶ |
new
paragraph |
|
ref |
unclear
reference |
|
rep |
repetitious |
|
RO
(FS) |
run-on
sentences |
|
; |
semicolon
needed |
|
no
; |
no
semicolon |
|
shift |
shift
in tense or person |
|
SP
|
spelling
error |
|
trans |
transition
needed |
|
wc |
word
choice inappropriate |
|
ww |
wrong
word |
Advice from
Former Students: I asked students at the end of the last semester
that I taught this course to write down the advice they’d give to people taking
the class this summer. These are a few quotes that represent the most
often-given pieces of advice:
“Most
importantly, have an open mind when you start reading each piece. You may
start out not liking what you are reading and by the end of the piece you might
love it…I would also tell them that it is ok to be confused at some points.”
“Don’t
be afraid to express your ideas to the class. By expressing my ideas to
the class I realized that I have a very unique way of looking at things.
I realized that I am very good at analyzing something I just read and with the
combination of other people’s ideas I can really understand what I think the
author intended me to see…[and] have fun; after all,
you are paying for it.”
“Ask
questions. If you don’t ask questions you will never know the
answers. And don’t feel stupid—chances are someone in the class has the
same question but is just as shy about asking it as you.”
“…read
things over and over; you’ll find something new every time.”
“Advice
I would give to someone else is to talk during discussions…to fully understand
this material you need to hear the input from other members of the class, not
just what the teacher says the book is about. Hearing from other students
helped me to form new ideas, or make ones that I had more concrete.”
“Don’t be afraid to think for yourself. I think as a society we teach our children to go with the majority, but to analyze literature I think that you need to be able to think on your own and apply literature to your life, or life in general. I would probably also tell them not to be afraid to really think because we spend to much time looking at the surface and whether or not we enjoyed what we read, but there is so much more to a good story than that.”
“I
would tell them to just give it their best effort and to be consistent. I
would say that they shouldn’t dismiss themselves or a piece of literature just
because it appears to be complicated and confusing at first; try to think about
it and give it another shot and see if anything becomes clearer.”
“If
something is confusing or doesn’t make sense, read it again! You get new
information and a better understanding of something every time you read
it. Also, be patient, things will eventually work themselves out.”
1-
August 21
·
Syllabus, , email, assign groups, Introduction to Shakespeare, Hamlet
2-
August 28th
·
Acts I and II Hamlet
3-
September 4th
·
Acts III, IV
4-
September 11th
·
Act V – test on Shakespeare and Hamlet
Group
presentations will begin on September 18th