ENGLISH
1B: LITERATURE
AND COMPOSITION
Instructor: Erica Brenes
Class Time: MW 1:30-2:55PM, Location: HUM 305
Office Hours: MW 3-4PM, TR 12:30-1PM, Location:
HUM 321P
Course Description and Goals:
This course is designed to stimulate
an enjoyment of literature and to develop interpretive, critical, and
analytical reading skills. Students will also receive extensive instruction on
writing critically about short stories, full-length works (such as novellas,
novels, plays, or biographies), and poems. The course will include critical
analysis and research involving one or more literary genres.
An Introductory Letter:
Dear English 1B Bluebirds,
We have but four
months to cultivate a great love of literature, answer questions we haven’t
been brave enough to ask, master the language of literary criticism and
practice any and every skill advanced English classes will demand. That means
figuring out how to research secondary sources and how to confidently approach
all three genres of literature! And as if that weren’t enough, we must also focus
on some lingering components of your English 1A course, such as still trying to
find your voice, building your essay-writing confidence, sharpening your
reading skills, and thinking metacognitively about how you deduce meaning from
text.
If that feels like I
have perhaps bitten off too much for us to chew, it’s because I have. We have
big goals and a small amount of time, but that’s how school should always feel,
and I am without fear or hesitation. I know we will be successful. I have
created this class and its assignments with you and those goals in mind. In fact, I have decided to not actually write the reading agenda
until after I meet you, so that our journey together can be custom and specific
to you, your interests, your strengths, and your curiosities. It’s important to me
that by the end of our time together, you achieve whatever English goals you’ve
been carrying around for twelve plus years of school.
To help you master those goals, we will
write every day in class, we will challenge what delights and disgusts us in
writing, and hopefully grow much surer of ourselves and our tastes and opinions
as bibliophiles.
We will also read every day—you will
always have homework, and in turn, we will always commune together and discuss
what those texts helped us discover about ourselves and the world around us. Along the way, I look forward to learning
about your beliefs, your fears, and your interests. I’m eager to see you explore,
and I will ask you repeatedly to entertain new thoughts and ask new questions
that are deeper and more difficult. Often, our readings will push you, and so
will their mature topics, but trust me-- that was by design. You’re up to the
challenge, and I will be here every step of the way.
Being successful
means asking for help whenever necessary, practicing college level composition whenever
possible (yes, I’m talking about grammatically correct text messaging), and
never settling for anything less than your best work. It will also require treating
each other with respect. My classroom is a place designed for open-minded,
intellectual exchange; I hope you feel safe and I hope you make others feel
safe in return. You can help me make this semester our best one yet by taking
equal responsibility for our space and our learning. Our most productive and
special days will be the result of us working together and accomplishing the
following goals:
o Actively pursue your own development and growth,
o Trust you know more about literature
than you think,
o Build personal meaningful bridges and
connections to our texts,
o Let your peers and me see you as a whole
person by sharing in our comradery and by pouring your unique perspective and
aesthetic into your writing,
o Challenge yourself to broaden our
horizons and elevate our discussions.
Yours truly,
Erica
Student Learning
Outcomes*: Successful students will be able to:
1. Write an out-of-class,
thesis-driven essay that identifies and analyzes the literary elements of a
primary text (plot, theme, setting, point of view, character, style, symbol,
etc.).
In your own words:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
2. Effectively incorporate
quotations from a primary text.
In your own words:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
3. Effectively
utilize scholarly sources as secondary support.
In your own words:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
*Each assignment described below is designed to fulfill one of the
aforementioned Student Learning Outcomes.
Nabokov,
Vladimir. Lolita. (LOLITA)
Mays,
Kelly J. The Norton Introduction to
Literature. (NORTON)
*Readings
will also be scanned onto our course website to cut costs: ECCEnglish1B@blogspot.com
(BLOG)
Classroom
Policies:
·
Late Work: Each day a paper is
late, 10% will be taken from its grade. I count the weekend.
·
Revision: You may revise take home essays as many times as you need as long as you:
(1) Turn the original draft in on time,
(2) Formally ask to do the revision before the next
paper is graded,
(3) Complete a “Revision/Reflection” form found on
our course website,
(4)
Seek outside professional guidance on how to revise.
·
Office Hours:
You are required to visit my office hours at least once during
the semester: H321P
·
Attendance: Students
have 4 personal days for which they owe me no explanation, but on the 5th
absence, they will be dropped from the course. Keep in mind: 3 tardies
equal an absence, and leaving 30 minutes early or coming 30 minutes late also
equals an absence.
·
Books: You
must have whatever book the day’s reading is assigned from with you in class. As aforementioned, assigned reading is due before
class. Having it read is a requirement. If the reading was found online, either
print it out or bring a digital device to reference it from. The Norton book is
expensive, so I have planned accordingly—you do not need a copy until February
21st.
·
Student Resources: If
you are struggling, please reach out and use a resource such as the Reading
Success Center (East Library Basement E-36), The Writing Center (H122), or the
LRC (West Wing, Library). See our course website for more information regarding
student resources.
·
Plagiarism: On the website, you
will find ECC’s detailed policy, but for now, do not be that student!
·
Remind
is an easy way for us to communicate. Please sign up. Text @geb9hk to the number 81010 or to (740) 370-4361 for
course updates
·
ALL OTHER CAMPUS POLICIES ARE WRITTEN IN
DETAIL ON THE WEBSITE.
Assignments:
Participation (10%):
Come to class and come prepared. Your
contribution is important, and doing well in this arena will include your
engagement in class as well as my assessment of your two “teaching days.” When
you’re on assignment for teaching, you and a few other students will take the
lead with the reading; you will be asked to introduce the pieces, share how you
felt about them, and if silence falls in the room, I will know who I can trust
to pick it back up with a thoughtful compelling question or an insightful
comment. Note: Without regularly
accessing your ECC email, being prepared will be difficult, so please check
regularly.
Reading
Assessment (10%): To
make sure you’re staying up to date with our course reading and doing so
thoughtfully, I will hold regular pop quizzes or quick writes where I will have
an opportunity to check for comprehension and reward your hard work. If you are tardy or absent, you will receive a
zero on these assignments. At the end of the semester, I will drop the lowest
quiz score.
Dialogue
Journal (15%): This class requires
you procure a notebook that you feel comfortable sharing with me. You will
bring it each day to class; its cover will be creative, will showcase a
favorite quotation from literature, and will have your name clearly written
beneath a picture of you. Sometimes, our readings will be paired with a probing
question that demands a short response; in return, you will write said response
in your journal. Each entry should be about a page long, and they should be
considered brief but formal. These are not diary entries. When an entry must be
written at home, the according day will be marked clearly on the course agenda.
Other times, I’ll ask you to perform a guided close reading with required
annotation, and you will use the notebook to do so as well. We will also use
them in class for free-writes and to practice our creativity, and, if you so
choose, you may use it to keep your notes from lecture and discussion. I will,
however, collect and evaluate them regularly throughout our time together to
assess and respond to them. At the end of the semester, you will pick your
three favorite pieces from the journal, revise them, and pair them with a
reflection letter. Note: Successful
students recognize the usefulness of this journal as a forum for raising and
discussing questions about the readings and testing out and getting feedback on
textual analysis.1
Essay
#1: In-Class Analysis (10%): At the end of our
first unit, I will proctor an in-class writing evaluation where you will do
your best to craft a full length, thesis centered essay. Limited prep, timed
writing can be stressful, but we will practice these skills for weeks in
advance and you will answer prompts that will review the readings we have
already analyzed and read together. My primary objective is to observe and
critique your ability to close read for meaning, your ability to organize your
insights around a central claim, and your ability to select and integrate and
evaluate meaningful support from a primary text. (3-4 pgs, bluebook
required.) 1,2
Essay
#2: Take Home Analysis with Secondary Sources (15%): This essay centers around many of the same
objectives as Essay #1, but you will be able to write it at home, and we will have
the luxury of time, allowing us the opportunity to brainstorm topics together, free-write
in class, and peer review our drafts. In this second, more challenging essay,
however, you will be given a new challenge: you will pull support from two
secondary pieces of literary criticism. Prompts will be provided. (4-5 pgs.)
Note: Our class will be divided by
subject matter not by genre; that being said, I want you to explore how to
analyze different families of literature, so if you choose to examine a poem
for essay #1, you will need to write about a short story or a piece of drama
for essay #2. 1,2,3
Group Presentation &
Essay #3: Theory and Fiction (20%): Groups will apply different
theoretical lenses to the novel, Lolita.
The objective is to both carefully and creatively lead your classmates through
a close reading of our novel and to illustrate the value of theory and
criticism. 14 days before the presentations are due, you will be divided into
groups and given time to prepare in class. Your presentation will also include
a 4-5 page close reading of the novel that you write alone, proving your individual
mastery of the critical lens you were assigned. (4-5 pgs.) 1,2,3
Essay
#4, Capstone Project: Drama (20%): Inspired by a semester’s worth of analysis, you
will construct a convincing, nuanced, well-research argument using secondary
sources and well selected primary source material to defend your unique reading
of our course play. I look forward to finishing our semester with many academically,
maturely, and beautifully written essays where you will showcase all that you
have learned, including the use of secondary sources. (5-6 pgs.) 1,2,3
Everything in class
adds up to 100 points.
A = 100-90 B=89-80 C=
79-70 D: 69-60 F: 0-59
Agenda
WEEK 1: Starting Off Strong
02.12: Happy 1st Day of Class,
Bluebirds! J
02.14: Happy Valentine’s Day! Before
class:
1.
Access our blog, ECCEnglish1B.blogspot.com, find our online readings and
complete them.
2.
Email me using your preferred address with a brief introduction of yourself.
List some of your interests, reference
the night’s reading, our first class together, or any thoughts or questions you
have about the semester ahead of
us! Please note: If you have a documented disability or
any other issue you’d like to discuss
with me, please do so as soon as possible
2.
Procure a Dialogue Journal, decorate
it according to the instructions, and bring it to class.
WEEK
2: Mastering the Genres, Freshening up on Reading
02.19: President’s Day; No Class!
02.21: Book Check, NORTON: 1-10
WEEK
3: Hitting the Ground Running (and Reading and Writing)!
02.26: NORTON: 1250-94
Note: Textbook reading is dry, I know, so that’s all
you have. We’ll read fun stuff in class tomorrow
02.28: No reading. Just get ready for your In-Class Writing Challenge.
WEEK 4: …But first, let’s get scared: Horror + Mystery
03.05: NORTON: “A Good Man is Hard to Find” 412,
“A Rose for Emily” 308
03.07: No Class. I have a teaching conference,
but you have a “Digital Dialogue Journal Entry (#2)”
·
Listen to the following podcast online: This
American Life, “The Call Was Coming from the Basement” (Link found on our
course website)
·
Read: “Where Are You Going? Where Have You
Been?” (Norton 94)
·
Begin writing. Open up an email addressed to
me, start a ten minute timer, and tell me what you thought.
WEEK 5: Scary, Mysterious,
Grotesque & Fantastical: What Offends/Scares/Excites a Reader and
Why?
03.12: NORTON: “The Shroud” 60, “The
Birth-Mark” 219, PDF: “Bluebeard”
03.14: BLOG: “Snow, Glass, Apples,” BLOG:
Anne Sexton “Transformations”
·
Optional Readings for the overachiever who
loves the gross and the scary: “Foreign Parts” by Neil Gaiman and “Guts” by
Chuck Palahniuk
WEEK 6: While We Work on
Writing, Let’s Meet Some Banned Writers and Their “Offensive” Stories
03.19: BLOG: “The Lottery,” “The Daemon Lover”
03.21: BLOG: “There Will Come Soft Rains,” “The
Girl Who Was Plugged In”
WEEK 7: Adding to Your Voice: Discovering
Nuance & Articulating Well (& even more “taboo” stuff!)
04.02: Essay
#2: Rough Draft Due
·
I
know you’re writing, so this reading will be brief, but I couldn’t help myself,
and it’s a “page turner.” I promise. Students always love this one.
·
BLOG: “Lust” by Susan Minot
04.04: Essay
#2: Final Draft Due
·
Bring NORTON so we can start reading “A Doll
House” in class together.*
·
Note: I am comfortable changing this to “Antigone”
or “Hamlet”
WEEK 8: Before Spring Break, Let’s Meet the Third Genre: Drama
03.26: NORTON: 800-813, “A Doll House” ACT I,
814-836
03.28: NORTON: “A Doll House” ACT II & III,
836-871
ENJOY
SPRING BREAK
WEEK 9: Novels and Literary
Theory
04.16: Lolita
– Bring it so we can read together and discuss
04.18: Lolita (Read up until Ch. 19)
WEEK 10: Mastering the Novel Means Grit and Commitment
04.23: Lolita
(Read up until part II)
04.25: Lolita
(Read up until Ch. 19)
WEEK 11: Becoming a Master Literary Critic: Panels, Analysis, Theory, and Critical
Lenses
·
Note: After presenting, each individual is
responsible for turning in their own essay.
04.30:
Lolita (Finish the book)
05.02: Prep Day for presentations and a moment to process the book!
WEEK 12: Psychological Readings Because Humbert Wasn’t “Crazy” Enough
05.07: Presentation, Day 1 (Essay due when you present)
05.09:
Week 13: Conferencing and Growing Confident as We Wage Ahead Towards the Finish
Line
05.14:
05.15 - 05.18: Office Conferencing. Come
prepared with an annotated bibliography. You will also be given a completely
up-to-date progress report just in time for the “W” day on Friday. Please take this time to perfect your revisions!
WEEK 14: Writing With a
Passion: Romance Lit, Drama (Quite Literally), and More Research
·
Note: Bring in your Dialogue Journal Writings.
We will reserve time on each day to revise together, discuss the final project,
and workshop your favorite pieces.
05.21: Norton: “The Story of an Hour” 287, “Aa
Certain Lady” 518, “Sex without Love” 572
05.23: Norton: “Shepherd” 537, “Nymph” 538, “My
Love” 585, “Summer’s Day” 589
·
Extra Credit Opportunity: Memorize a love poem
from the “Sonnet Album” starting on page 666 in Norton, present it to class
from heart and explain why you picked it. Due 05.23. You may also choose
Bradstreet’s poem on page 625 (I said this one on my wedding day).
WEEK 15: Become Experts and
Rely on the Process. Writing Something That Surprises You!
05.28: No Class- Happy Memorial Day
Take this time to perfect your journal revisions!
Take this time to perfect your journal revisions!
05.30: LGBTQ Day – Norton: “Boys” 400, “Exchanging” 522, “Aunt Jennifer” 549, “History” 736.... These are short poems because: Dialogue Journal Due
WEEK 16: Finish Strong.
06.04: Capstone Project: Annotated Bibliography & Outline Due
You have so much writing going on that there’s no reading, but please bring your Norton text in each day this week, so we can read and discuss work together on our last few days.
You have so much writing going on that there’s no reading, but please bring your Norton text in each day this week, so we can read and discuss work together on our last few days.
· 06.06: Capstone Rough Draft Due and Panel Presentations
06.07: Capstone Final Essay Due by 5pm on Turnitin.com
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