Syllabus for Introduction to Literature
| Course Description | Assignments and Grading |
| Class Policies | Format for Assignments |
| Course Requirements | Textbook and Materials |
| Student Learning Outcomes | Extra Credit |
This is an introductory course in literature, comprising critical analysis of notable works in fiction, poetry, and drama, with emphasis on evaluating the logical relationship between form and content and on formulating criteria for critical, artistic judgment, as opposed to merely emotional and sentimental reactions. Students will read significant and representative works of literature from the past and the present, including (in translation) works from writers around the world.
To understand literature, you need to develop a critical vocabulary and set of skills to recognize the elements that distinguish individual works. This involves hard work, so it may be a lot less fun at first then picking up "escapist" works of the "you read it, you got" kind that are great for killing time by amusing us or taking us for a while into a fantasy world. However, if you put the time and effort into it, the ability to read and really understand what the writers of serious literature are doing and what classifies their work as being of artistic value offers deep, long-lasting, profound pleasures of its own. It isn't easy, and you are not going to become completely proficient in one semester. However, if you commit yourself to the process this semester with the goal of actually learning something, you will have a good start at becoming a serious and critical reader of literature.
English 1B Departmental Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of the semester, students in English 1B will be able to:
- Recognize and differentiate between the major genres of imaginative literature: poetry, drama, prose, and prose fiction;
- Identify and discuss both themes and technical matters (forms, divisions, tropes, and so on);
- Write critical essays that demonstrate knowledge of works in different literary genres;
- Use MLA format in quotations, citations, and works cited lists.
Attendance and Participation
Students are required to participate in class activities, do the required reading, and complete the assigned homework.
Bakersfield College policy, as stated in the Bakersfield College Catalog, reads as follows: “Instructors may drop a student from a course when absences number the equivalent of two weeks of class recorded from the first day of instruction. If particular circumstances warrant and can be justified academically, faculty members may drop students after less than two weeks of absences.”
I reserve the right to drop any student after four absences. I also reserve the right to drop any student who neglects to do the required course work. Success in academics clearly depends upon completing assignments. If a student neglects to turn in assignments, that behavior constitutes "particular circumstances" that "can be justified academically" for dropping a student, so I retain the right to drop students who neglect to submit required work even if such students do not miss four class periods (or mandatory appointments).
Also, since every semester there are many wait-listed students desperate to get into classes and there are also a significant number of students who end up dropping out of the class because they do not do the work and cannot pass, I will drop any student who misses ANY class period in the first two weeks or who neglects to turn in any of the required assignments in the first two weeks. Also, any student who cannot produce the class textbook at the second class meeting will be dropped from the class.
Please be in class on time and not leave early. Rude and disruptive students may be asked to leave and marked absent for the missed time. Do not chat during lectures or other students’ comments, read unassigned material in class, do homework for other classes in class, surf the Net, text, or make or receive phone calls.
Participation is crucial to success in this class. I expect you to show up for each class having completed the assigned readings, to participate in class discussions, and to pay attention and show respect to me and to your fellow students.
Sometimes there are quizzes at the beginning of class. If you are late and miss the quiz, you may not make it up.
Policy on Late Work
In-class exercises and quizzes cannot be made up.
Most homework assignments--the study question responses to assigned readings for the day--must be turned in to me in the classroom on the days that they are due. Since the completion of these assignments is crucial to your active participation in the class, I will not accept late study question responses to works in our textbook or the assigned handouts--unless you are ill or unable to attend class for another reason--even if you try to turn them in after class on the same day. (If I accepted late study question responses from students after the class period, it would be possible for students to turn in answers without even reading the works after listening to class discussions, so it would not be fair to students who really do the reading to give other students points for work they may have completed simply by paying attention to what other students and I say.) If you have a printer problem, email them to me or bring them in on a flash drive so that I can print them out on break (do not make a habit of this). Students who miss class must still turn study questions via email in on time in order to get full credit.
Other assignments will lose 5% of the points or grade possible for each day late, up to 50%.
Students with disabilities who believe they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Supportive Services (661-395-4334), FACE 16, as soon as possible to better ensure such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
Reading
Do not wait until the last minute (the night before or the same day) to do your reading. Give yourself time to absorb a work and to reflect on it. It is best to read a work more than once. Ideally, the best way to read a work is to read it first to see what happens and to get a first "feel" for the work. (Before you read a work, look at the date that it is written and when the author lived. This will help you to correctly interpret the story and to understand what is going on.) Then, a day or so later, come to the work again. Look at the study questions and focus on analysis during the second reading. Read all the questions that follow the works in our text, think about them, and be prepared to discuss them in class. Poems are generally the most complex works of literature, and they usually require more than two readings.
If there are words in any of the works that we read that you do not know, please use a dictionary. (If you are still confused, email me for help.) I should not even have to say this, but I have learned from experience that many students just skim works and try to guess the meanings of unfamiliar words--or worse, just ignore them. This isn't really "reading" in the critical sense of the word--it's just moving your eyes over the words. This is unacceptable in a literature class. You can't fully understand a work if you don't know what some of the words mean. Don't just try to guess by context, as you were taught in elementary school. Adult language is more complex, with many shades of meaning. Also, writers sometimes use words in unusual and surprising ways. I will occasionally call on individual students in class to explain a word found in a work we are reading, so be prepared. Don't put the reading off to the last minute--you won't have time to look up definitions or to absorb what you read.
Writing
When you do your homework, I would like you to write in complete sentences. When you answer questions, explain them. Provide your reasoning. (For example, if I ask you to tell me whether you find a character in a story credible, I don't want a simple "yes" or "no" answer--tell me why you believe as you do, using examples from the text). Write as well as you can. All work in this class must adhere to MLA format.
Email and Computer and Internet Access
You must have access to a computer in order to type your work, for Internet access to the outline and other materials, and to check email. If you do not own a computer, plan ahead. Computers for student use are available in the Library Commons.
The final course grade will be calculated according to the following percentages:
- Quizzes: 10%
- Journal Entries: 10%
- Miscellaneous Homework: 15%
- Essays: 30%
- Exams: 35%
Short quizzes will be given randomly but regularly on the assigned reading material and on vocabulary terms that we will cover in class. Quizzes on readings will be at the beginning of the period, and if you come in after we are done, you cannot make the quiz up. I will also give quizzes occasionally on what I have lectured on during the period. The quizzes will focus on the works of fiction, poetry, or drama assigned for a given class period and on recently discussed vocabulary terms. To prepare, simply do all of the assigned reading carefully study the vocabulary that I give you, and pay attention in class, taking notes as necessary. When possible, read works more than once.
Journal keeping is an an important learning technique to help you approach material that may seem difficult or unfamiliar at first. You will keep a journal throughout the term, which you will use to record your thoughts about the assigned readings. Use these journal entries to explore your thoughts about one or more readings that you choose from each week’s assignments and, if you choose, about your response to that week’s material as a whole. You can feel free to be informal in them, but I would like these entries to demonstrate critical (i.e., insightful and analytical) thought, not simply emotional reactions. Individual journal entries should be at least 250 words, but they can certainly be longer. You will be uploading these into Moodle. Journal entries will not be assigned grades if they are turned in on time and meet the minimum word requirement.
Homework will include written responses to study questions, which are designed to help you practice literary analysis; poetry scansion exercises; and various other assignments. Study questions follow the selections in the book. Generally, I will not ask you to answer in writing all the study questions at the end of a work, but you should read all the questions, think about them, and be prepared to discuss them in class. Other assignments will be announced in class and must be downloaded from the outline. Homework must adhere to the format requirements for the class. As with the journals, study question responses and other miscellaneous assignments in this category will not be assigned letter grades; students will get full points if they do a thorough job, write in complete sentences, indicate that they thought about the assigned works to the best of their abilities, and adhere to proper format. Even if I disagree with interpretations, I will not consider "right" or "wrong" answers as long as you are engaging with the assigned works.
There are three essays. They will be discussed in class, and topics will be provided. They must adhere to the format requirements for the class. Late papers will be marked down 5% for each day late, including Fridays and weekends, up to 50%.
The exams will be discussed in class, and study guides will be provided. Part of the exams will involve vocabulary and identification of authors and works, and you must have scantron form number 882-E. I will provide vocabulary practices to help you to prepare.
All assignments must be typed, double-spaced, stapled at the upper-left hand corner if over one page long, and in MLA format. The heading should clearly indicate the subject of the assignment and, in the case of journals, the entry number. To conserve paper, you may combine study questions for multiple works that are due the same day (a title with authors' last names, like "Grace, Hughes, and Wasserstein," is clear enough for study question responses). You do not need separate cover pages for papers and other work.
- Kennedy, X. J., and Dana Gioia, eds. Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. 4th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2012. Print. Table of Contents.
- Scantron form #882-E for the exams (a total of three).
- Scantron form #815-E for quizzes (there will be short quizzes at the beginning of most periods;bring to class at all times).
- Clean-edged, lined paper for in-class writing assignments (bring to class at all times).
- Blue or black pens for in-class writing assignments (bring to class at all times).
- Email, Internet, word processing, and printing access.
Up to 3% extra credit can be earned in this course. Typical extra credit opportunities are worth .5%, and involve such activities as attending live theatrical performances and writing responses to them. They will be announced as they come up.
This page was last updated on May 05, 2012 04:26 PM