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TEXTS AND SUPPLIES:
John Steinbeck, East of Eden
Jerome Beaty and J. Paul Hunter, The Norton Introduction to Literature, 7th Ed.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 5th Edition
A good dictionary and thesaurus
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will provide the student with the ability to view material with a critical eye, to analyze material in an effort to better understand it, and to increase his/her knowledge base by learning good research skills. However, not only will the student acquire these practical skills, he/she will develop an ability to better read and appreciate literature. By introducing various literary genres through their reflections of major themes, English 1302 attempts to develop interests which each student can pursue in the future.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. To provide the student with knowledge and skills which will enhance his/her
written communication, especially through critical techniques.2. To provide an introduction to literature and to the world of humanity which 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.3. To teach the student current MLA research methods for producing a research paper.
WRITING REQUIREMENTS:
1. All papers must be typed, double-spaced with one-inch margins and 12
pt. regular fonts [regular fonts mean fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, Palatino, Garamond, that are a normal size. If for some reason you wish to use a different font, you must clear it with me first.] Papers should, of course, be left jusitifed (not centered). Chapter 3 in your MLA book as well as pages 264-5 contain further instructions and sample pages. PLEASE follow instructions to avoid losing points unnecessarily due to careless oversights.
2. Submit all work paper clipped together. Include the heading I will teach you in the upper left corner of the first page. Put your last name and the page numbers as I will show you on each subsequent page. Always title your papers - on the first page only - and don't underline or put quotation marks around your own title. Make a copy of each paper for your records and protection. Give me the original. Back up all your computer files.3. Plagiarism is theft of another writer's/speaker's words or ideas and will receive a zero. Plagiarism includes turning in another person's paper as your own, lifting ideas and words from lectures of other media, copying word for word or paraphrasing without documentation. This includes papers bought for $5.00 plus shipping on the internet! When in doubt, document. All direct quotations must be enclosed in quotation marks and followed by internal documentation.
4. I do not give split grades. No matter how "good" you may think your ideas are, if the paper is sloppily written with numerous errors that distract the reader, then you have, in fact, not written well. Always submit your best work, for I expect papers to be written at the college level. Think about your work and REVISE! That means proofreading, checking for spelling, and editing for content.
5. To avoid failure, make sure your essays always meet the minimum requirements I set out in this syllabus and in class. This includes minimum length requirements!
6. All essays will include an outline, to be described in class. Students will automatically lose ten points for omitting the outline.
7. Graded papers will be returned to you as quickly as possible.
8. Take notes. Responsible students know the importance of good listening skills and following directions.
9. Papers with sources must use MLA parenthetical documentation (i.e., no footnotes). All sources must be must be quoted in the essay as well as listed in the work cited page or it is a form of plagiarism.
10. All critical analyses and research papers must focus on course texts.
CLASS POLICIES - Please read carefully to avoid misunderstandings!1. To get the full benefit of your education, attendance and class participation are necessary. If you are cutting class, you are jeopardizing your education as well as your grade. Remember that 10% of your grade is attendance. It is the student's responsibility to drop a course he/she no longer wishes to attend. If you choose to drop, you must do so on or before the published drop date to avoid an F. Your attendance grade comes from the percentage of classes you attend. If you attend class half the time, your attendance grade is a 50. If you come three-fourths of the time you get a 75, and so forth. If you choose to miss class excessively, you are making it impossible to obtain a good grade in this class. However, you will not be dropped.
2. Tardies are annoying and disruptive for both teachers and students. Some tardies are, of course, unavoidable. However, those students who make a habit of being late to class will not be tolerated. Students who come excessively late or leave excessively early will not be counted as having attended that day.
3. After being absent, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed. Either ask a friend or e-mail me at SodaScouts@aol.com. You cannot make up daily grades, but if you have an excused absence, you may make up any other graded assignments you have missed with no late penalty. However, if you do not make up your assignment within one week of your return to class, I will no longer accept it.
4. I will accept late papers only at my discretion and no later than one class period after the original due date. The grade will be lowered five points per day. The responsibility is yours to submit papers on time. Have a friend submit your paper if you are unable to do so, but make sure your friend is reliable. Papers that are submitted outside of class (for example, left under the door or left in the wrong mailbox) will receive a grade of "0" if they are lost, and will have points deducted for late submission if they are late. For your own sake, do not put off the assignments are make excuses. Do your work on time.
5. In order to pass the course, you must complete all major assignments (essay and exams).
6. Students are expected to conduct themselves as responsible adults in a college classroom. Students who disrupt class and are disrespectful to fellow students and/or the teacher will be dropped from the course. Please turn off or set to "vibrate" all beepers, cellular phones, and other chirping devices before you enter class.
7. The instructor reserves the right to amend the above policies for individual circumstances. It is always the student's responsibility to apprise the instructor of extenuating circumstances.
GRADING:
Final grades will be determined as follows:
Assignment Percentage 2 Short Critical Analysis Papers 25% Critical Research Paper 25% Class Assignments 5% Test Grades 15% Class Participation/Attendance 10% Final Exam 20%
GRADING SCALE
90-100 = A
80-89 = B
70-79 = C
65-69 = D
Below 65 is an F for the course. An F on an essay or paragraph is a numerical grade of 50. See course handouts for further explanations of the F on a paragraph or essay. Plagiarism is a zero. I will try to give you a warning if you are in danger of failing the course; however, given the exigencies of semester responsibilities, student absences, failure to turn in assignments after the drop date, and/or failing grades after the drop date, such a warning is not always tenable.
If you have any questions, see me, but please remember that all students follow all rules outlined in the syllabus and other course documents. It is the student's responsibility to be familiar with and follow these guidelines. If you have major family, medical, or other emergencies, you must talk with me so we can try to avoid misunderstandings and work something out - within reason and within course requirements.
COMMON EDITING SYMBOLS
Symbol Meaning abst abstract or general words (Be more specific) agr agreement error (subject/verb, pronoun) ambig ambiguous, unclear awk awkward phrasing choppy too many short, repetitive sentences cliche (trite) worn-out phrase cs comma splice (two sentences joined together with only a comma) / delete dev/exp further develop or expand on an idea frag sentence fragment FS/RO fused or run-on sentence (two complete sentences stuck together with nothing in between them ^ insert // faulty parallelism ref unclear reference (pronouns) rep repetitive sp spelling error trans transition needed wc word choice inappropriate
MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS:
Critical Analysis 1: A 2-3 page typed analysis of theme, character, symbolism, point of view, or other approved topic in any short story from our text. It must include at least three quotations. See the syllabus, handouts, and text for additional critieria. Minimum length is two full pages with one-inch margins and 12-pt. type font.
Critical Analysis 2: A 2-3 page typed analysis of theme, character, symbolism, setting, or other approved topic in any play from our text. It must include at least three quotations. See the syllabus and handouts. Minimum length is two full pages with one-inch margins and 12-pt. type font.
Research Paper: A 7 page (minimum) typed analysis with 8-10 secondary sources (secondary sources are sources other than the novel, which is called your primary source). Topic: a critical study of theme, character, symbolism, setting, point of view, or other approved topic in the novel assigned by the instructor. Any other topic must have the prior approval of the instructor. Reference works may not be counted as sources. You must include a minimum of three scholarly journal articles in your sources (know the difference between magazines and scholarly journals - they are not necessarily the same). Make extensive use of the MLA International Biography, Essay and General Literature Index, and Humanities Index. Remember, minimum length is eight full pages with one-inch margins and 12-pt. type font, and this does NOT include title pages, works cited, or outline!
Final Exam: A critical analysis focusing on imagery in any poem from the instructor's list. Minimum length is two full pages with one-inch margins and 12-pt. type font.
Things to remember about the assignments:
o Full pages means that all of the required number of pages are full of text, all the way down!
o If you do not have the minimum number of sources, you lose one letter grade for each source missing. The same goes for page length.
o I DO NOT want plot summaries when I ask for analysis.
o Do NOT pad your papers with block quotes. These should not appear in any paper except the research paper, and even there, you cannot use more than one.
o When using quotations, integrate them into your paper, don't just stick them one after the other with no explanation in between.o The key to good critical papers: comment, interpret, analyze!
BASIC COURSE OUTLINE
Week Assignment 1-4 Short Story Unit 5 Critical Analysis #1 Due 6-9 Drama Unit & Introduction to Novel 10 Critical Analysis #2 Due 11-14 Poetry Unit & Further Discussion of Novel 15 Research Paper Due 16 Final: Poetry Critical Analysis
SPECIAL NEEDS:
If you have any special needs due to a physical or medical condition, it is your responsibility to inform me so that I can try to accommodate them.
IMPORTANT:
If you have any questions about the information and policies outlined in this syllabus, please ask me for clarification.
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