Janis Patterson

ENG 2223 COURSE OVERVIEW

(AMERICAN LITERATURE I)

CATALOG DESCRIPTION 

American Literature I covers representative prose and poetry of the United States from colonial beginnings to Walt Whitman.  (Prerequisites:  ENG 1113 and 1123).

 TEXTBOOK 

Perkins, George & Barbara Perkins, ed(s).  The American Tradition in

                                 Literature. New York:  McGraw-Hill, Inc., 2002.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Read selected literary texts with understanding and a degree of appreciation, at least for the artistic value, if not for the content.

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• Identify major authors of the designated period according to distinguishing stylistic traits of major selections and literary movements of which they have been a part.
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• Explain basic literary terms and concepts.
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• Draw parallels between literary works he or she reads and real-life situations.
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• Participate in class discussions and activities in order to demonstrate confidence in ones reactions and conclusions about a literary work.
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• Discuss similarities in human ideas and philosophy throughout history.
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• Write about literature effectively, incorporating passages from the literary text itself to support original ideas and documenting appropriately using the MLA documentation style.

 METHOD OF EVALUATION

The mid-term grade will be determined by pop quizzes, in-class work, and unit tests.  Eighty percent of the final grade will be determined by unit tests, the group presentation, journal notebook, and the formal paper; and the remaining twenty percent will be the final exam.  The ten point scale for grading will be used. 

GROUP PRESENTATION

The class will be divided into groups.  Each group will present information on one of the three to four units covered in class.  Each person within the group must assume an active role in the presentation.  Presentations should be from twelve to fifteen minutes.  The group will present information about a particular time period through a panel discussion and/or debate. Although each group member will receive a separate grade from the instructor, the group will be rated overall by the class.

JOURNAL NOTEBOOK

Each student is required to keep a journal notebook in which reactions and responses to assigned prose, as well as analyses of poetry, are kept in the form of journal entries.  Each journal entry must be numbered, dated, and titled. Also, entries must be written in blue/black ink on loose leaf paper and kept in a three ringed notebook.

CLASSROOM POLICIES

• Assignments must be submitted on time.  Five points per class day will be deducted for late assignments.  If there is a plausible reason the assignment is late, submit that reason in writing and clip it to the late assignment; otherwise, points will be deducted. However, journal notebooks are 5 pts/day when submitted late.
• Pop quizzes may be given up to mid-term.  A pop quiz cannot be made up in the case of tardiness or an absence, but at least one quiz or classwork grade will be dropped in the determination of the mid-term grade.  However, major test grades will not be dropped.
• Major tests must be taken on the assigned dates.  If you have a conflict with one of the test dates, you should see me prior to the exam to schedule a make-up.  If you have an unexpected absence due to an emergency, see me before the next class meeting or at the time that you return to campus. If you fail to take a scheduled make-up, you could be given a “0” for that exam.

You are responsible for any material covered during your absence from class.  You are also required to stay the full length of class. Do not leave until dismissed.

Discipline

• The use of profanity, physical violence, or blatant disrespect for the instructor or fellow classmates will not be tolerated and could result in the immediate dismissal from class.

CALENDAR

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