English 2230 Syllabus - Fall 2006

Anoka Ramsey Community College -- Coon Rapids Campus
English 2230: American Literature to 1865
Fall 2006 / Section 01

Professor: Scott Stankey
Office: Humanities 131
Phone: (763) 433-1396
Fax: (763) 433-1521
Email: scott.stankey@anokaramsey.edu
Website: http://webs.anokaramsey.edu/stankey/Eng2230

Office Hours:

M, W, TH, F -- 10:00-10:50 a.m.
M -- 2:00-2:50 p.m.
Other times by appointment

Class Meetings:

Section 01 / 1:00-1:50 p.m. / M, W, F / H 122

Textbooks and Materials:

The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 6th edition, 2002, Package 1 (Volumes A and B)
Disobedience, by Jane Hamilton
Student I.D. / Library Card
A class notebook or loose-leaf paper and a two-pocket folder
A college-level dictionary

Course Description:

This course focuses on American literature from its beginnings (c.a. 1600) to approximately 1865. Readings may include autobiographies, journals, sermons, and essays, as well as poetry and fiction. Students will gain a sense of the historical and cultural significance of the literature and will analyze, interpret, and evaluate the literary works.
In addition, we will focus on critical reading and discussion, and on the elements of literature. Furthermore, to satisfy the writing-intensive (WI) requirements at other institutions (should you wish to transfer this course), we will spend some time studying how to write about literature, and we will draft, receive feedback, revise, edit, and proofread one critical essay. Also, please note that this course now satisfies goals 6 and 7 of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.
Finally, we are going to take a slightly unconventional approach to this course this semester. Instead of "beginning at the beginning," as survey courses normally do, we are going to start with a contemporary novel by our visiting writer for this semester. Then, we are going to go back and trace some of the elements and themes we found in the novel through early American literature to discover how these elements and themes, as well as literature itself, change over time.

Course Objectives:

Read, discuss, analyze, interpret, and evaluate selected works of American literature from its beginnings to approximately 1865.

Understand how the selected works of American literature studied reflect the characteristics and values of the people and times in which they were written.

Recognize the important historical events and socio-political movements in the United States from the 1600s to the 1860s.

Recognize race, ethnic group, gender, and class differences in the United States and how these have reshaped the "traditional" American literature canon.

Understand the literary characteristics and trends of the Colonial Period, the Age of Reason and Revolution (the Enlightenment), and the Romantic Period.

Place selected American authors within one or more literary periods.

Recognize how writers who have been considered to be "minority" or "diverse" both resist and fit into the commonly accepted literary periods and appreciate what these writers contribute to the American literature canon.

Understand the literary meanings of such concepts as Puritanism, Nature, Reason, Deism, Classicism, Gothic, Romanticism, and Transcendentalism.

Appreciate the ways in which American literature helps us understand ourselves, other people, and the world around us.

Analyze and discuss specific works of American literature using appropriate literary terminology to describe the technical elements of fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and drama.

Select and apply a critical approach (such as historical criticism, biographical criticism, reader-response criticism, feminist criticism, psychoanalytic criticism, etc.) to analyze, interpret, and evaluate selected works of American literature.

Read selected works of American literature and present, through activities such as group discussion, journals, response papers, critical essays, reviews, and examinations, a personal interpretation and evaluation of the selected works of literature.

Course Requirements:

1.) Preparation for all class meetings: Complete all assigned readings before each class session. The reading load will vary depending on the literary genre, but a general guideline might be 4-6 poems or 20-30 pages of prose per class session (more for the novel). Bring your text and notebook with you to every class.

2.) Attendance at all class sessions: While I know that legitimate reasons do occur for absences, please make every effort to attend our sessions. Each class session will be primarily devoted to discussing the assigned literature. If you do not attend, you cannot participate in and learn from the class discussions. If you must miss a class, due to a medical emergency or a family crisis, when a quiz, an exam, or a peer review is scheduled, or when the paper is due, please notify me before class if possible, otherwise as soon after class as possible -- documentation will be required in such circumstances to allow for a make-up and to avoid a reduction in your grade. If you miss class, contact another student for notes and explanation of assignments, and check the website for extra copies of any handouts. If you have any questions about assignments or responsibilities, call, email, or come see me before the next class. Ultimately, attendance factors into determining grades, since your participation in discussions is a component of calculating your final grade.

3.) Participation in all class discussions: In addition to short lectures, we will use small groups and class discussions during each class session. Furthermore, the class will be more meaningful and enjoyable if we all actively participate in discussions. Participation does include active listening and note taking, but it also means contributing to group work and class discussions. Be prepared and willing to share your ideas, opinions, and questions with the rest of us. If you are naturally shy, then participate more actively in small groups and contribute to class discussions when more open-ended questions are asked. If you are naturally talkative, you will be more comfortable, but monitor yourself so that you allow time and room for others to contribute. Above all, everyone should be respectful of one another's contributions, even if you disagree; and if you agree, be sure to encourage or affirm one another. Both the quantity and quality of your participation will be considered.

4.) Completion of weekly, unannounced reading quizzes and other informal exercises: Quizzes will normally include identification and/or short-answer questions. Informal exercises may include in-class writings, small-group projects, and take-home responses. Quizzes and in-class exercises cannot be made up if you are absent or arrive late; in addition, you may not come to class, take a quiz, and then leave early.

5.) Completion of four (4) in-class exams: A typical exam might consist of an objective, matching section (authors, biographical information, historical information, titles, textual descriptions, quotations, terms, etc.) and a subjective, essay section (several shorter-essay questions and/or one or two longer-essay questions). The first exam will cover the novel, the second exam will cover Volume A, and the third and fourth exams will cover Volume B. More information will be provided in class before each exam.

6.) Completion of one (1) critical essay: The essay will be 3-5 pages long; more details will be provided on the assignment handouts. The rough draft should be be word-processed and double-spaced; the final draft should be word-processed, double-spaced, and must conform to the formatting directions given in class, including instructions for in-text and end-of-text MLA citation and documentation conventions. If your rough draft is not ready or if you do not attend the peer review, the essay grade will be lowered one full letter (e.g. B to C); in addition, the peer review cannot be rescheduled or made up. Late final drafts will receive very few written comments and the grade will be lowered one full letter; after one week, the grade will be a zero.

Course Evaluation:

Participation in Class Discussions = 10%
Quizzes and Exercises = 15-20%
Exam #1 = 10%
Exam #2 = 15%
Exam #3 = 15%
Exam #4 = 15%
Critical Essay = 15-20%

A.R.C.C. Grading System:

A = Superior achievement
B = Above average achievement
C = Average achievement
D = Below average achievement
F = Inadequate achievement

Grading Scale for Quizzes and Exams:

A (11) = 100% - 93%
A- (10) = 92% - 90%
B+ (9) = 89% - 88%
B (8) = 87% - 83%
B- (7) = 82% - 80%
C+ (6) = 79% - 78%
C (5) = 77% - 73%
C- (4) = 72% - 70%
D+ (3) = 69% - 68%
D (2) = 67% - 63%
D- (1) = 62% - 60%
F (0) = 59% and below

Participation Grading Criteria:

A	Person is obviously prepared for each class discussion, has carefully read all material prior to class, offers thoughtful and insightful comments and questions, and encourages class discussion -- but does not dominate discussions.
B	Person is obviously prepared for each class discussion, has carefully read all material prior to class, and offers appropriate comments and questions voluntarily -- and does not dominate discussions.
C	Person is prepared for each class discussion, has read all material prior to class, and offers an occasional comment relating to discussion or responds only when called upon. (Perfect attendance and preparation but no voluntary participation.)
D	Person is occasionally unprepared for class discussion, has not read all material prior to class, doesn't enter class discussion, and/or sometimes disrupts or discourages discussion or group work.
F	Person is rarely prepared for class discussion, offers nothing, and is often disruptive or discourages discussion or group work.

Essay and Essay-Exam Evaluation:

An evaluation sheet will be included with the essay assignment, so you will know exactly how the essay will be graded. An evaluation sheet for the essay exams will be distributed before the first exam.

Other Policies and Information

Class Disruptions: Any disruptive behavior -- including arriving late, packing up early, leaving early, having private conversations, eating, sleeping, receiving cell phone calls or text messages, bringing friends/siblings/children/pets to class, etc. -- adversely affects the teaching and learning in this class, is disrespectful to everyone in this class, and will be handled first on an individual basis; if the disruptive behavior continues, or if it is very serious, I will contact the Dean of Educational Services -- see the Code of Student Conduct in the Student Handbook.

Plagiarism: In addition to buying or accepting a paper or having someone write a paper for you, plagiarism includes but is not limited to (1) failing to cite quotations and borrowed ideas from any outside sources, even if the borrowed ideas are in your own words, (2) failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks, and (3) failing to put summaries and paraphrases into your own words. (This definition of plagiarism was derived from Diana Hacker's Rules for Writers, 5th edition, Boston: Bedford-St. Martin's, 2004.) Presenting another person’s ideas or writing as your own without clear, accurate, and complete citation and documentation will result in an "F" for that assignment and notification of the Dean of Educational Services -- see the Code of Student Conduct in the Student Handbook.

Record Keeping: Please make back-up copies of all your work, and keep all quizzes, responses, exams and papers returned to you. If questions about grades arise, you will need to produce the original documents. In addition, keep track of all your notes and other materials for each exam and the paper; if questions about plagiarism arise, you will need to prove you did your own writing.

Conferences: Please see me during my office hours or schedule an appointment with me if you have questions or problems at any time during the semester.

Incompletes: Incompletes will only be granted to students who have a documented medical or family emergency in the last two weeks of the semester. These students must have completed all the other work for the course with an average grade of "C" or better, must not have more than six (6) absences, and must demonstrate the ability and willingness to complete the work before the third week of the following semester or summer session.

Absences for Religious Observance: Anoka Ramsey Community College permits absences from class for participation in religious observances. Students who plan to miss class for sincerely held religious beliefs are required to (1) inform me of anticipated absences at the beginning of the semester (within the first two weeks), (2) meet with me to reschedule any missed quizzes, in-class essays, labs, peer reviews, paper due dates, or examinations, and (3) obtain class notes from other students. I am required to assist you in obtaining course materials and assignments distributed during class sessions you miss and to make arrangements for taking missed examinations or making up peer review sessions.

Accessibility: My goal is for our classroom and course work to be equally accessible to everyone. I have designed the class flexibly to accommodate different learning styles and approaches. I am also eager to make reasonable accommodations to guarantee persons with disabilities access to class sessions, the course materials, and the activities of the class. Let me know as soon as possible if you have a disability for which accommodations will be requested. If you need further information about disabilities and possible accommodations, contact Scott Bay, Director of Access Services, at 763-422-3459, at scott.bay@anokaramsey.edu, or stop by C255.

Academic Support Center: The Academic Support Center (ASC), located on the second floor of the College Services (CS) building, offers free, trained writing tutors who work with student writers at any stage in the writing process to improve their writing. Please meet with a writing tutor early in the term so that you can discover how helpful the tutors can be to you.

Credit and Workload Expectations: For undergraduate courses, one credit is defined as equivalent to an average of three hours of learning effort per week (over a full semester) necessary for an average student to achieve an average grade in the course. For example, a student taking a three-credit course that meets for three hours a week should expect to spend an additional six hours a week on coursework outside the classroom.

Pass / No Credit Option: Students may elect to take this course on a "Pass / No Credit" basis instead of receiving a traditional letter grade. An average of "C" or higher on all of the required work for the course would be considered a "passing" (P) grade. If you desire to take the "Pass / No Credit" option, you must request it in writing before Tuesday, November 1, 2006. Once you elect this option, you may not switch back to the letter grade option later in the semester. Think carefully about the issues surrounding this option, including transferring the course to another institution, before making a final decision.

NOTE: The course syllabus and schedule are subject to change, and changes will be announced in class. You are responsible for any changes in deadlines or assignments announced during any class you miss.

Copyright � 2006 Scott R. Stankey / All Rights Reserved
Last revised on 18 December 2006 by SRS
Please address comments to scott.stankey@anokaramsey.edu